My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

Facing All Beings, Silver Wolf the Great

Back in No Heavens Left Unspoken, Star had only groggily heard Kafka speaking to her and had barely interacted directly with Silver Wolf, who had stayed behind and to the side. Her impression of the Hacker was rather shallow.

Still, the other girl's silver-gray spiral curls and jacket were distinctive enough that Star could immediately tell she had her back turned. Otherwise, with the girl's utterly unremarkable figure, Star really could not have guessed which side was front and which was back from her upper body alone.

"What's going on now?"

The Galaxy Bat Hero tugged at the hem of the person beside her and asked softly.

Silently sensing the simulated Path of Memory she had inherited from the previous test results and comparing the differences between the power of this virtual world and the real world, Hua Yi multitasked as he studied the Hacker projection, which had yet to make any move.

"This? This is called Facing All Beings."

"Huh?"

"Presumably, Silver Wolf the Great is battling on the front lines. Before her stands the strongest, invincible enemy; behind her lies the Pure Land, where All Spirits Live in Peace. Before her, All Heavens Burn, Roads Cut Off, Full of Blood, Boundless Calamity—this is Silver Wolf the Great, Facing All Beings!"

"Ooh, awesome!"

She did not really understand it, but it sounded incredibly impressive.

Star exclaimed in amazement. Meanwhile, Silver Wolf, who had noticed that the Backdoor Program she had left behind at Herta Space Station had been triggered and was remotely controlling the projection, intending to find a chance to pull a prank while treasure hunting, nearly failed to keep her expression under control after hearing Hua Yi's theory about the Great Emperor.

It sounded pretty stirring, but since when was I this badass?

No, no. I need to remember that description and find a chance to put it into one of those role-playing monster-grinding games. Right, once this Simulated Universe trip is over, I'll go back and register another account. Its name will be Silver Wolf the Great.

Having made up her mind, Hacker Miss adjusted her mood before controlling the Holographic Projection to turn around. She deliberately avoided meeting Hua Yi's gaze and spoke toward an empty patch of ground.

"First, I wasn't pining for it. That cartridge's story is no different from a textbook on Punklorde. I've never been interested in something everyone knows. Second, that isn't some game disc. It's Aetherium War—a Hacker's second pair of eyes, second brain, and second heart."

"Who's she talking to? Why is she staring at thin air?"

"Maybe the Simulated Universe recorded the scene of Silver Wolf sneaking in back then. But logically speaking, I blocked the Antimatter Legion Invasion and the Space Station maintained basic order. The Stellaron Hunters shouldn't have had much leisure to chat."

"What do those words mean? Punklorde, and Aetherium War?"

"Punklorde is a planet built from data and characters. There, the boundary between reality and illusion is as blurred as the distinction between day and night."

Star possessed basic common knowledge, but her question was far from simple. Let alone an ordinary person, even many official researchers at the Space Station would have struggled to give a sufficiently detailed and reliable answer if suddenly asked about Punklorde and Aetherium War.

But Hua Yi could.

After arriving at the Space Station, he had constantly gathered information. In terms of the depth and breadth of his knowledge, he had already reached an astonishing level.

"As for Aetherium War, it's a chip Punklorde Hackers use to edit reality. It records how they understand the world and how they rewrite it."

"Do you understand? With that cartridge, you could even learn what flavor the fourth piece of mixed popcorn eaten by that legendary Hacker at a movie premiere was. That's how amazing it is. Finally, let me stress this again: I wasn't pining for it. I said all that just so you'd understand how amazing it is, got it? Kafka."

"So she was talking to Kafka back then. I was wondering why she was muttering such a long speech to herself. So, is the Aetherium War cartridge Silver Wolf mentioned important or not?"

"Of course it's important. Didn't you see how many times she emphasized it? Besides, think about when Silver Wolf infiltrated the Simulated Universe."

"During the Legion invasion?"

"Exactly."

Hua Yi nodded approvingly and guided her patiently.

"So, in such a dangerous situation, a Stellaron Hunter wanted by the Company slipped into the Space Station and specifically entered the Simulated Universe to search for an Aetherium War cartridge. That alone was enough to show how much she wanted it. Yet she kept insisting that she wasn't pining for it. We generally call that being stubborn and tsundere."

"Oh!"

Star wore the expression of a student thinking, The teacher explained that so well. I completely understand. Silver Wolf, who had overheard the entire conversation, could not stop her lips from twitching. She wanted to loudly refute this groundless slander, but forced herself to hold back.

Not yet. I can't reveal that I'm controlling this Holographic Projection in real time. Otherwise, this entrance would be way too casual. It wouldn't feel like a super Hacker at all.

The girl struggled to maintain a normal tone of voice, trying not to reveal her turbulent emotions.

"Alright, let's go. Move quickly. This place is different from the Space Station just now. This is genuinely the Genius Club's territory."

Silver Wolf ran ahead by herself, moving quickly without any intention of considering whether Hua Yi and Star could keep up normally.

Hacker Miss refused to believe that, after seeing her projection—an "anomaly" that should not exist in the Simulated Universe—Hua Yi could still suppress his curiosity and simply ignore her.

Two meters, five meters, ten meters...

The running Silver Wolf had already put distance between herself and the two behind her, yet she still heard no footsteps from Hua Yi or Star. Things had not developed as she expected.

Are they really not going to follow me?

Just as Silver Wolf was thinking that, an Abnormal Fluctuation ahead made her stop.

Steadying herself and looking forward, she saw a squad of Voidrangers emerge from nowhere to block the path. Trampler, Voidranger: Distorter, Voidranger: Reaver... No, what exactly was Herta trying to do in the Simulated Universe? Why simulate and manifest so many Voidrangers? Was this some kind of Trial Battlefield?

Hacker Miss complained inwardly as Hua Yi condensed the Godfall Sword.

He experienced the rhythm of the virtual [Memory] Path manifested during the appearance of the Crimson Greatsword, constantly comparing it with when he had drawn his sword at the Space Station. As long as he found their differences and commonalities and derived a Substitution Method that could be repeatedly applied, then using Path power in the Simulated Universe would be like making the relevant attempts in reality. With a little accumulation, he could reap enormous gains.

"Let's go, Star."

"Got it~"

She had only fought the Doomsday Beast before and had not yet had the chance to find out whether Voidrangers could take a beating.

The Galaxy Bat Hero swung her Baseball Bat and charged forward. At the same time, the Voidranger squad launched a coordinated attack. This was no turn-based game where they took turns attacking.

Forge of War granted the Voidrangers the power of destruction, Antimatter filled out their broken remains, and Negative Particles shook within their bodies.

These fiends were incarnations of the will of [Destruction]. Following their Destructive Instinct, they brought indiscriminate ruin to everything they saw.

Positive and Negative Particles achieved a brief balance in a bizarre form upon the Voidranger: Distorter. It continuously unleashed Shadowless Void Strikes toward Hua Yi and Star.

The Trampler, combining a warrior's intelligence with an ancient beast's power and mobility, shrieked as it charged forward, leading the Voidranger: Reavers into formation.

The seemingly crazed fiends actually coordinated well, with both close-range and long-range attacks. Star had only just raised her Baseball Bat, preparing to clash head-on with the Trampler, when the Distorter's attack arrived first. If she neither dodged nor evaded and maintained her original Offensive Stance, she would have to take the blow with her head.

"Whoa?"

The Voidrangers were not as stupid as Star had imagined. Hua Yi swung his Flame Sword and laid down a sea of fire. The Antimatter Legion had been unable to break through for so long not because they were weak, but because Hua Yi was too strong.

Another flame suffused with Destructive Aura rose through the air and effortlessly erased the Distorter's attack. Its residual power did not diminish; instead, it intensified, as though turning the Voidranger's attack into fuel, absorbing the Chaos Energy within to strengthen itself before directly swallowing the monster behind it.

He merely raised the Godfall Sword and brought it down, solving the enemies behind the Galaxy Bat Hero and allowing her to continue venting her strength at the charging fiends in the most exhilarating way possible.

"Thanks! Watch this—Sayonara Homerun!"

Star understood that Hua Yi had deliberately held back. Otherwise, that strike should have wiped out every monster before them without leaving a single one behind. How could she have had any chance to stretch her limbs?

One strike sent a Voidranger: Reaver flying. First using her body to drive the bat, then allowing the bat to pull her movement along, Star exerted force a second time and forcibly stopped the Trampler's charge. The immense power made the construct fused with ancient beast fragments howl.

"Rest in Peace Homerun! Transform, Stardust Ace!!"

Pretty fierce, Star. You can collide head-on with a charging Trampler and still shout out your move's name with such spirit. Though there's something wrong with this Stardust Ace transformation—you didn't transform at all.

Silver Wolf remotely controlled her projection, temporarily hiding herself at the data level as she watched the battle from the sidelines. She marveled at the Stellaron's body strength, but after a moment, she could not help looking toward Hua Yi.

He really is extraordinary. Good thing I didn't make a move back in No Heavens Left Unspoken, or who knows how many variables outside the script would have appeared.

After leaving the Space Station, Silver Wolf and Kafka had asked the Stellaron Hunters' leader, Elio, about Hua Yi. They wanted to know whether his script had deviated or whether he had deliberately concealed Hua Yi's existence from them.

After waiting half the day, that guy had only replied with one word: "Maybe."

What do you mean, maybe? Maybe what?

Silver Wolf felt that Slave of Destiny might have changed careers and become a cryptic riddle-speaker.

Hacker Miss was somewhat distracted and had yet to realize that such a fixed stare did not suit a "projection of the past." Hua Yi had no intention of teasing her further for the moment. Instead, he carefully savored the effects and response of lightly stirring the [Destruction] Path within the Simulated Universe.

As long as he did not exceed a certain limit, remaining outside the simulated Path and lightly moving the Imaginary Oar would not draw an Aeon's attention. This held true in both the Simulated Universe and the real world.

I currently belong to the Walker of the [Memory] Path. The simulacrum of Aeon Fu Li has not appeared, but that special Path Fluctuation has always lingered faintly nearby.

Another Genius Club member, Ruan Mei, cultivated a simulated Aeon Progenitor. Then, through some method, the Simulated Universe connected the Virtual Aeons to the real Paths. Their divinity and wisdom came from real Aeons. They were definitely not rigid machines that acted according to fixed programs.

The simulacrum of the Aeon of Memory had not appeared, not because it had failed to notice the arrival of a Walker of Memory, nor because Fu Li had completely abandoned the attempt after the previous failure to drive forth the great power of the simulated Path.

The Aeon, meditating at the center of the Pure Land and watching all things in the world, had already begun recording everything, preserving every fact that had occurred since Hua Yi entered the Simulated Universe.

Could this result be applied to reality?

Obviously not. In reality, an Aeon could not possibly fail at the step of driving forth the great power of its Path, and there was no point discussing what would happen afterward.

Besides, Star had been assigned Akivili's identity in the Simulated Universe. This possessed a certain attraction for Aeon simulacrums. Hua Yi wondered which Aeon would appear first if she were allowed to keep freely wielding her power and displaying her presence.

"Done~"

The Voidranger: Reavers and Voidranger: Tramplers fell one after another beneath the Baseball Bat. Star raised her bat high in delight, celebrating her victory.

The girl felt that she was a combat genius.

Growing more excited, she bounced in place a few times before gradually losing control of her emotions. Her attention began to scatter.

Oh, I love the tremor of every leaf, the destructive power of endless thoughts.

Star's expression turned feverish until she noticed something was wrong with herself.

Silver Wolf also sensed that something was wrong. She was clearly just a Virtual Projection, and she had even hidden herself at the data level. Why was she being affected as well, experiencing a flood of emotions that should not have existed?

...0

What exactly was the Simulated Universe, which the Database described as a place for exploring Aeon Mysteries?

"Akivili—Akivili!"

A voice laughed madly.

"Long time no see. I've missed you terribly!"

The madman-like infectiousness made both Star and Silver Wolf shudder.

"Be careful."

Herta, busy outside, urgently used temporary communication to transmit her voice to Hua Yi.

Yet he did not try to separate himself from the entity that had appeared. He even actively accepted it, feeling with his emotions and observing with his eyes. Relying on his keen intuition for Imaginary Energy, he listened to those waves that differed from Memory, Destruction, Preservation... differed from every Path he had understood before.

Then, It appeared in his field of vision.

It had no head and held a mask in Its arms. It waved at Star, who had been designated as Trailblaze Aeon Akivili, then spun around by Itself. Its arm hung in midair, muscles controlling Its fingers as they trembled, Its posture like that of a statue.

"I'm so sad. Why did you die?"

It wailed in pain, profoundly sorrowful, and tears flowed down. Star felt as though she had truly died once. In a distant star system beyond Herta Space Station, Silver Wolf, remotely controlling the projection, instinctively wiped at the corner of her eye and was horrified to find her fingertips wet. She, too, had been affected by Its emotions and shed tears.

Th-this is the simulacrum of Aeon of Joy Aha? Those Genius Club people were playing this big?!

Aha

"You've been gone for too long. The universe has lost its order."

It choked back sobs for a moment, then suddenly stopped crying and clapped happily.

"Then, everything began to descend into chaos! That's exactly what I wanted! I want to embrace you, but sadly, I'm an equation inside a computer."

The Aeon simulacrum had already realized Its own nature. Had the Simulated Universe gone out of control? This had absolutely gone out of control, right?!

Silver Wolf screamed inwardly, but her face uncontrollably broke into a smile along with Aha.

"Oh, this actually seems pretty cool."

Aha's voice rose and fell dramatically, and Its body language was extremely animated. It looked completely different from the mysterious grandeur of other Aeons, yet every tear and smile of Its constantly exerted an influence. Silver Wolf, far away on another planet, was no exception. Even the Virtual Space of the Simulated Universe faintly overflowed with the emotions of the Aeon of Elation.

"I need to apologize to you, truly. I hid aboard your train for an entire year just to blow it up along with your Nameless. I couldn't help it. Sorry."

It placed a hand over Its chest in guilt and bowed solemnly, revealing a shocking secret belonging to an Aeon.

The Astral Express had actually been blown up by the Aeon of Elation personally.

"You are Akivili—you're alive, my interesting opponent! Please toy with me more. That's what I want... Grow stronger, then defeat me!"

Even knowing that what stood before her was merely a Virtual Aeon and not a real Sentient Celestial Body descending upon them, after her emotions had uncontrollably shifted again and again alongside Aha's emotions, Galaxy Bat Hero Miss still felt pressure. She instinctively backed away and slipped over to Hua Yi's side.

The mask in the Aeon of Elation's arms turned along with Star. Upon noticing Hua Yi, another surge of fervent emotion flooded forth.