My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

"Yeah. Back then, I still wasn't sure about my future, and Madam Herta never explicitly said, 'Come with me. I can offer you a freer environment to develop in, where you can pursue your astronomy hobby outside of work.' Besides, I wasn't sure I could manage the Space Station well."

Her palm tickled, an odd sensation.

She opened her hand and let her lover play with it, her face blooming with a brilliant smile.

"You're different. Everyone knows about the hero's strength and talent. No one will worry or feel uneasy. The Space Station will only celebrate Madam Herta's wise decision."

"It sounded like you ran into quite a few difficulties when you first started managing the Space Station."

"No, no. At most, that was just part of learning and growing."

Stopping his mischievous tickling of Asta's palm, Hua Yi interlaced his fingers with hers. Starlight passed through the Space Station's transparent outer wall and gently fell upon the lovers.

The two Station Masters knew the interior of the museum-style starship exceptionally well. Their walking route was quiet and secluded, yet still offered a view of the stars, allowing them to fully enjoy their two-person world.

Compared to seeking the mysterious truths of the universe, Hua Yi sincerely preferred this warm moment.

No more speculating about Aeons or analyzing Paths—just immersing himself in the sweetness of love, feeling the warmth of the girl's palm and meeting those bright eyes filled entirely with him.

The surroundings were so quiet that he could hear Asta breathing and her heartbeat. Without any need for sweet words, her feelings flowed endlessly toward him, becoming something invisible yet more tangible and warmer than the Ethereal and Mysterious Path, making even the space around them seem to turn pink.

What was the ultimate purpose of understanding different truths, wielding greater power, expanding his means, and doing all these things?

What was the point of becoming strong?

Hua Yi's Credits had already reached an unimaginably staggering figure, and the authority in his hands had entered a new stage now that he had formally become the Second Station Master of the Space Station. Yet all that money and power combined could not compare to even a fraction of the girl's charm.

I simply like beautiful things. I want to do something, change some of the ugliness, and create more conditions that let everyone smile from the heart.

And a girl willing to entrust her whole body and soul to him was undoubtedly the most captivating treasure.

He could see himself in Asta's beautiful eyes, and Asta could use his eyes as a mirror.

Is my fringe a little messy? Is my collar neat enough? Did I get any food scraps on the corner of my mouth while eating?

That would be awful. It would damage my image in my lover's eyes!

The delighted Station Master suddenly felt a small worry. She widened her eyes and carefully examined her reflection in Hua Yi's gaze, intending to conduct an all-round self-examination.

My fringe doesn't seem too messy, and my collar looks quite neat?

She could not use words like "seems." She had to make absolutely certain!

She had to show him her very best side.

She needed to get closer to see more clearly in the "mirror." Closer still—

Only when their noses touched did Asta confirm that there was nothing wrong with her appearance today.

I really worked hard. Now I should reward myself properly.

Mwah.

She puckered her lips and took the opportunity to kiss her lover.

As for embarrassment, they had already done things far more intimate than this. Asta would not easily end up flustered and at a loss.

At most, her cheeks were a little red. That was because of her radiant maiden's heart at work. Feelings like happiness and joy could make a girl's face flush too.

That was exactly it!

Asta asked herself for nothing and feared nothing. Fearlessness made her invincible. She could indulge in whispering sweet nothings with her beloved until the end of time.

Mm, that was obviously an exaggerated expression rather than a literal description.

Even though she was a Pathstrider, she ultimately could not ignore human physiological limits. Having neglected to breathe for too long, she was short of oxygen, and her head became light and dizzy.

"Phew..."

Their lips parted. Asta took several deep breaths before finally compensating her hard-tested lungs. Her smile became even brighter and more enchanting as she adorably wrinkled her nose.

"Just how long can you hold your breath? Why am I always the one who gives out first? I feel like I've become the one dragging us down."

"Do you have to compete even over something like this? Fine, I'll practice with you a few more times. Maybe your lung capacity will gradually improve."

"Is that so... Okay~"

The contest between the Two Station Masters of Herta Space Station had already begun. Asta did not readily admit defeat and immediately chose to fight again!

Her sluggish mind protested, but she ignored it. Even if she really passed out from kissing nonstop, Hua Yi could just carry her back.

As for whether they went to her room or his, that was unimportant. Their residences had acquired a shared name—

Home.

Sweetness

Ah, I don't want to work...

Being all lovey-dovey with Hua Yi and letting honey-like time flow by, even Asta, normally so diligent and conscientious at work, felt the urge to skip work.

Sure enough, it was easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury back to frugality. Having experienced the beauty of love, Station Master duties had become a burden.

She worked only to get off work, and after work, she only wanted to go on dates.

"If you want to rest, then rest. It's a good chance to give yourself a vacation."

Hua Yi was like a demon tempting her into decadence. He knew the girl was feeling a little slack, yet he still indulged her.

As a result, Asta immediately perked up and returned to her capable, reliable self.

"Then you'll help me handle the work instead, right? I won't let you tire yourself out!"

"So the Space Station's routine affairs are that exhausting? Then I should do something even more."

Bending his arm, Hua Yi tucked the Station Master's soft hand beneath it to stop her from heading straight to the office, then operated his Smart Terminal.

"Let me see. The Weaponry Procurement Agreement we arranged with Topaz earlier—once the transaction details are confirmed, the Department of Applied Materials can release the funds. Then there are the post-disaster reconstruction progress reports submitted by all departments. Nothing much wrong there either; review them and store them in the Database—more or less done."

"Eh?"

Asta froze for a moment, then naturally hugged her lover's arm and leaned closer.

"Is that all there is to do today?"

"What else should there be?"

"Besides reports from the departments, researchers who feel wronged will send emails to the Station Master's Email, each airing their own views. They might condemn the Department of Applied Materials for withholding funding, or say that some project they consider highly valuable failed to pass departmental review, hoping that I, the Station Master, will judge who is right."

The girl counted on her fingers as she shared details about her work.

"However, researchers willing to voice their opinions are always in the minority. Most of the time, I have to find ways to understand the Space Station members' situations myself. Like Emily's social difficulties, or Lamina's worries—I knew all about them, but I just never found a chance to help before~."

"Their problems should all be resolved now."

"Mm, because you resolved them."

Emily, who once was not very good at speaking, had now learned a few communication skills. Even when members of the Fan Group discussed topics related to Hua Yi and she still showed her true nature, no one thought she was too blunt anymore. Instead, they found they had plenty in common.

As for Lamina, who had felt inferior and lost, believing she had failed to achieve satisfactory results at Herta Space Station and had let down her family's expectations, she had long since untied the knot in her heart as well.

"The researchers' spirits have all improved in a positive direction. The Antimatter Legion's attack did not cause panic; instead, it made everyone more united. And the old situation where ordinary researchers fell into academic difficulties while expert Scholars lacked the patience to guide them has also been reversed. Thinking about it carefully, all of these changes were brought about by you."

As Asta said this, her eyes sparkled, and she smiled like a kitten that had caught a fish.

"But why does the Erudition Society seem to have been affected as well? I remember that group of people who both wanted Nous's favor and found all sorts of fault with the Genius Club. Every so often, they would send over various academic problems, trying to prove their own talent by stumping Madam Herta."

"Mr. Ratio from the Erudition Society secretly visited the Space Station before. We had a pleasant talk, and I asked him to give those who could not focus on academia a little education after returning to the society. It seems to have worked."

"I remember Doctor Ratio wasn't the easiest person to talk to, yet you still managed to become friends with him—just as expected of you!"

Hua Yi's personal charm needed no further proof. What Asta truly felt was his meticulous care.

He had deliberately remembered even something like this. Wasn't that simply because he wanted to reduce the energy she spent dealing with emails?

The girl rubbed her tender cheek against her beloved's face and greedily breathed in, replenishing herself with Hua Yi Element.

"Now I don't have to copy and paste formulaic sentences when replying to letters from the Erudition Society anymore. Hehe."

"I thought you'd used that brilliant little brain of yours to answer the problems those Scholars raised for Herta."

"They carefully selected their questions, maybe even racked their brains to come up with them. They involve various fields, and I can't delay the reply time too long. How could I be so amazing that I could answer them all at once?"

Feeling that this sounded a little strange, as though she were emphasizing that she was not that smart, Asta added another sentence.

"Besides, if I really spent a huge amount of effort just answering the Erudition Society's questions, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse and helping outsiders?"

"Indeed. My Asta is as wise as ever."

Hua Yi gave her a thumbs-up. That simple praise made the girl beam again.

Just as she was about to chat with her beloved like this and spend leisurely days, she suddenly remembered something.

Today seemed to be the deadline for the First Novel Writing Contest in the Fan Group!

Oh no, she had been so busy enjoying their sweet time together these past two days that she had forgotten to pay attention to the group trends.

There was no helping it. No matter how imaginative the talented girls of the Space Station were, no matter how well they used words to portray detailed emotions, it still fell far short of the taste of love she experienced by truly dating Hua Yi.

The gap was enormous.

No, she had to hurry up and read the newly uploaded novels in the Group File, then compile a ranking based on the members' evaluations. This was precisely the Group Leader's duty!

If it had been any other important matter, Asta definitely would not have hidden it from her lover. But the Fan Support Group—

They had already formed the deepest bond, yet she was supporting other girls in exercising their creativity and writing all sorts of love scenes with Hua Yi. It was rather embarrassing to say aloud.

"I-I suddenly remembered that I have something to do."

"What is it?"

A smile played on Hua Yi's lips. He had not joined his own Fan Group to peek at the Space Station girls' chat logs, but the Station Master was wearing such a suspicious, evasive expression now that anyone who was not an idiot could piece together quite a bit from the clues.

It would be too much of a waste not to tease Asta while he had the chance.

"I'll help you."

"No need. It's a small matter, really just a small matter. Oh, right! I need to walk the dog. I haven't taken care of Peipei in several days."

"Then it's the perfect chance for it to properly meet its male master."

"Guh..."

Asta let out an adorable little whine.

She realized she simply did not have a sufficiently convincing reason to act separately from Hua Yi, and in her haste, she could not find a suitable excuse.

Should I postpone announcing the Novel Contest results?

Sorry, this Group Leader encountered Force Majeure.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you. Go take care of it."

Great Writer, Star

"The First Novel Writing Contest will conclude during this System Day. Please vote for your favorite novel. This will greatly affect the final ranking."

"The Group Leader finally spoke!"

"Phew, I thought [Name Redacted] had gotten sick. I nearly wanted to go to the Medical Department to check."

"Hey! The Group Leader deliberately stayed anonymous, and you want to expose her real identity? Do you even understand how to maintain social distance?"

"My mistake, my mistake."

As Asta posted the announcement in the group under the identity of [Name Redacted], the already highly active Chat Group erupted in celebration and became even livelier.

Considering that the ranking was tied to prizes and involved Credits, it was not impossible for contestants to secretly buy votes in private.

The clever girl had considered this issue. She had weighed it carefully before making such an announcement. Otherwise, as long as she confirmed that the popular novels met quality standards, she could have simply treated the voting ranking as the final ranking.

With her Station Master Authority, Asta could completely review the speaking records of Space Station personnel. Even the identities of anonymous users were no secret.

Before searching the information records using vote-buying and vote-selling as keywords, she had already decided that even if the group members developed a small amount of greed, it would be understandable and not something to condemn. She only needed to remove those purchased votes in the background and quietly maintain fair competition.

Everyone had gathered together because of the same feelings. The Station Master hoped to protect this small group as much as possible and had prepared herself mentally in advance.

After spending a little time going through the Private Messages of all the group members, Asta was surprised to discover that no one wanted to cheat.

Even though the Million Credits prize had made the girls gasp in surprise, they still discussed the sweet plotlines of the various novels normally and had no intention of secretly playing tricks.