Belobog lay beyond that curtain of snow. Now, as the biting wind and snow surged up, the Silvermane Guards swiftly swept in. This was the reaction speed necessary to resist the apocalypse and the monsters of the Fragmentum.
A striking figure with spiral Roman curls directed them, issuing orders. "In the name of the exalted Amber Lord and Great Guardian Cocolia Rand—Guards, seize them!"
"No, wait!" March 7th looked like a screaming reaction meme.
So this really was going to end with them being wanted criminals.
Dan Heng said nothing. He silently glanced at the snowfield behind them. From the moment he had stepped off the train, he had known that only the city before them retained warmth on this planet. Elsewhere, there was no life.
To seal the Stellaron and reopen the Star Rail, they could not retreat.
He tightened his grip on Cloud-Piercer and looked at Stelle again.
I'm sorry. On your first Trailblazing expedition, you had to see something like this. But sometimes, battle was the final option. The Nameless never shied away from that.
Especially when they still could not contact the train.
The Stellaron Spirit was already in position, her face full of excitement.
It was not because she thought this was so thrilling, so thrilling. Compared to the Anti-Matter Legion, the Doomsday Beast, or everything in the Simulated Universe, this was small-time stuff.
But this was Trailblazing!
The train had been stranded in the outer space around a white planet. According to Himeko, the effects of the "Stellaron" had blocked the train's route forward.
If they wanted to continue their journey, they had to clear the obstruction caused by the "Stellaron."
And this time, the Trailblazing mission had been entrusted to her, the newcomer. Together with two veterans, they formed a team of three "young people" to explore. March 7th had spent the whole trip filling her in on all kinds of experience.
That was what Trailblazing was like.
"What? You... you still refuse to surrender and insist on fighting the Silvermane Guards?" Gepard was stunned. "You don't seriously think I represent all of Belobog's military strength, do you? I'm only a Silvermane Guard. I don't possess power like the Great Guardian's."
"You cannot win. Continuing to resist will only worsen your crimes. People from beyond the heavens, we can talk this out and clear up the misunderstanding!"
Though he lacked the authority to make decisions, he still wanted to mediate.
For one thing, this was all Sampo's fault, so he had put aside his hostility. For another, these outsiders were far too capable in battle. The Silvermane Guards did not fear sacrifice, but this kind of avoidable sacrifice...
"Can't win at all? I don't understand."
Fang Jie felt that everything was strangely familiar. It was like when he had caused trouble in Chang Kong City while trying to help. Here in Belobog, he had merely joined a group, Gepard was only doing his duty, and the situation had spiraled completely out of control...
Fortunately, this was Belobog.
They were bound to fight sooner or later. Little Grey Hair's story did not require as much caution as Kiana's. She was built for a power fantasy. Adversity? What adversity? Adversity existed to highlight her heroism.
Well said.
The Stellaron Spirit gave Fang Jie's righteous speech a thumbs-up. A reliable teammate. I acknowledge you.
She joined in too—
"Rules are meant to be broken!"
March 7th did not want this, she really did not. Covering her face, she cried, "—Dan—Heng!!"
Even if you call me like that... Dan Heng found it hard to keep a straight face.
Only silence remained.
March 7th understood.
Now she had no choice but to stand with the Stellaron Spirit. I'm the senior here—Super Little March, moving out!
"Damn it, do you really think Little March is easy to bully? Today, I'll show you—anyone who comes looking for trouble with us is asking for bad luck!"
March 7th, Six-Phase Ice Armor, combine.
They did not take these Silvermane Guards seriously at all. Though the Guards were exceptionally capable by the standards of civilizations unable to leave their home planets, it still depended on who they were facing.
So spirited that Rin laughed. "Kid, what exactly are you thinking?"
It could be said that Fang Jie bore much of the responsibility for this mess. Because... he did not want her to make a move.
"Is it worth it? These people will not appreciate your goodwill, and neither will I. No matter how much you indulge and protect them, the sight of their dutiful loyalty disgusts me. I will only crush them."
"Before asking a question, perhaps you should consider whether you had already decided on your answer before you asked it."
Fang Jie did not turn around. Things had reached this point. He had a hammer and had spotted nails, not to mention that he had teammates.
He tightly gripped Jizo Mitama. Every time he touched it, it reminded him of someone. Then, without reservation, he delved into the Herrscher authority, believing that her will flowed within it, blessing both you and me.
—For she was the true self; for she was Aponia.
Then there was no need to fear being corrupted by Jizo Mitama.
"Rin, your homeland has already been destroyed, and your civilization has turned to dust. You cannot even mourn those vanished times, because they were destroyed by your own hand. And now, this civilization is burning once more... Do you still remember those people, those events? Do you still dream of them?"
Who knew? It was not as though he and Yae Sakura had slept together.
But Fang Jie was not the only one stirred by familiar scenes. He understood that well.
He even understood clearly why he had adapted so well to Nihility. Rin was probably much the same, while Old Yang was in a whole different weight class.
Not to mention him. He had merely been "forced from his hometown," while she had suffered "the ruin of home and nation."
Fang Jie naturally had some doubts about life as well. But since he was already here, he looked around. In that endless dark starry sky, those brilliant, dazzling lights shone so brightly—Kiana, Himeko, and so many, so many more lights, illuminating both the past and the future...
There was nothing to fear.
Rin remained silent. Fang Jie had finally brought this up with her. It was somewhat early, and somewhat late. Perhaps there was never a suitable time. Perhaps he should not have been the one to mention it.
The peace between them was extremely fragile. They feared each other and did not wish to fight again.
Belobog was fortunate. Its saviors had arrived.
Belobog was unfortunate. The two of them had arrived.
Rather than let Rin return to the world of Honkai 3 and bring unpredictable disaster there, Fang Jie would rather use Belobog as a buffer. Of two evils, he chose the lesser.
Dan Heng silently tightened his grip on Cloud-Piercer.
The situation... was normal. Trailblazing had always come with the unknown. The train had already confirmed that there were no Emanator-level energy readings.
It would have been different if Welt were here. If he knew, he would probably charge in with his cane in minutes and fight with everything he had, at least to contain the Honkai.
Fang Jie believed that completely. He spoke to the silent Rin. "Before this, I had never actually seen any of you with my own eyes, Rin. I only learned of those stories through records—the elegy of a civilization's destruction. Even so, now that I'm standing in the middle of it, I can't help wondering: what kind of person will I become?"
A hero who saved the world?
That could work.
But he feared hardship and exhaustion. On his own, he could easily lose heart and decide to quit. Before this, he could not even endure the cold weather...
Now, however, his confusion had been swept away.
"This story is not over yet, Rin. You—your existence proves that. And I want to make this world better. That is what I want to do."
"So I wonder, how will you go on from here?
"Because of me, you have become like this. What will you become next? A friend or an enemy?"
Fang Jie could not help but think too much.
If she was an enemy, he would fight her. If she was a friend, he would love her. He would do his best to avoid the former. And beyond those two possibilities, there was another future—one where she no longer wanted to live.
Just like...
As the singer Eden, she had long since passed away with that era amid the flames. Her starlight had already gone out.
As Eden of Moth to Flame, she had ultimately chosen that path as well.
She called herself a traitor.
Some betrayed their beliefs. Some betrayed life. Others betrayed humanity itself.
And Eden had betrayed... the future.
She chose to leave with Aponia and be buried alongside that era.
Fang Jie could not help worrying about Rin. Just as nobody came into this world merely to die for Murata Himeko, he did not want Rin to... seek her own destruction.
Those who awakened to self-annihilation either raced madly toward Nihility or walked the path of Chaos Doctors.
There was, of course, another possibility, but Fang Jie did not have any deep-seated hatred for Nihility, so he would leave it at that.
He took precautions to prevent certain things from happening. "Since you survived, this must not be an era that has no need for you. I will take you home once you are truly ready."
"Until then, I have a responsibility to keep an eye on you. You are not allowed to slaughter everyone here, destroy this civilization, or ruin this planet."
"Of course, I will not let anyone ruin your mood either. Whoever lacks the sense to know better, I'll beat them up."
Chatting right before battle, March 7th and the Stellaron Spirit both perked up their ears, as if there was juicy gossip to hear.
Dan Heng had seen enough to not be surprised. There was nothing new in the galaxy.
Then...
Are you two serious?
March 7th's eyes went wide. Belobog was about to be destroyed, so could they stop casually talking about such terrifying things? Weren't they trying to become Nameless? What exactly had they been doing in Uncle Yang's hometown? Were they on the opposite side of Uncle Yang?
Looking at Rin, who was about the same size as Pom-Pom, March 7th saw that she was even carrying a wounded person... She was that powerful?!
She could be even more dangerous. Fang Jie could not gauge the full extent of what Rin could do, but viruses... memetic viruses were viruses too. Combined with her ability to create Stigmata by hand, she could continue evolving. One day, if she became obsessed with creating a "dream," she could use the people of Belobog as materials, reshape their cognition, memories, and appearances into whatever she wanted, and alter this world—and more than just this world.
She was even an immortal, capable of cycling civilizations like the Stigmata Terminal of Honkai Gakuen 2. If she did not like one, she could simply start over...
That was definitely not what Aponia wanted!
The thought sent chills down Fang Jie's spine. He regretted loudly telling her earlier that he would send her to Honkai 2. This was the kind of thing one should not casually speak of.
Rin was no longer silent, her voice carrying a trace of mockery. "You think you can do it?"
She was free—far freer than Fang Jie had imagined. She could go wherever she wanted. Go back... she was not going back. No way!
"What gives you the right to control me!"
"Because I brought you here, and because you have already become what Aponia hoped you would be." Fang Jie paid no attention to the Silvermane Guards charging at them in formation, nor to the so-called Great Guardian who had failed to arrive immediately.
If he could keep Rin under control, it would be a good deed for Belobog.
Of course, bringing Rin here might also have been an act of evil.
"Don't you want Aponia to see you again? To let her see who you are, to tell her that the sacrifice she made was not in vain? You have already grown into the person she hoped you would become—both a Herrscher and a human."
Fang Jie liked Aponia very much. Especially now that he was confident he could become a Herrscher too, how would he repay the gift that had come from Aponia?
He would prepare a gift and make her happy.
Raiden Mei's existence would surely bring Aponia joy, but Fang Jie felt that it was not enough. Not nearly enough. There was also Kiana. She had even treated Fang Jie to a meal.
As a Herrscher from the Previous Era, since Rin had rekindled the blossom of humanity, she should take part in that End Times.
Not only Aponia. Kevin should see her too, as should Su, Hua... even Griseo.
That was the answer Fang Jie had confirmed in his heart, one that had been decided before the question was ever asked.
Let the song no one sang be sung once more.
Let the tale buried by history continue with a new chapter.
Let noble and pure souls set out upon their journey.
—"Tragedy is not the end, but the beginning of hope."
Even if that might require sacrificing another tragedy, Fang Jie was bringing Belobog before Honkai disasters it should never have faced, all so one person could grow.
Perhaps that was why he would walk the Path of opposing Nihility and Destruction.
And Yae Sakura really was only an extra. Fang Jie wanted nothing from her simply because she was beautiful. Living well was enough. Theresa did not need her to sacrifice herself anymore.
The more Rin focused on her, the more Fang Jie worried that when she awoke, Rin would once again—so many evils in this world came from fanatical love.
Rin fell silent. Her small hand clenched and loosened. At last, she snorted coldly. "That sounds nice. Then prove it to me. They're getting in my way."
"Gladly."
Fang Jie happily drew his blade.
Bronya Rand had already led the Silvermane Guards in their charge.
"Cease resisting, would-be rebels! In my capacity as acting Great Guardian, I hereby temporarily revoke your freedom of movement and speech. When the tribunal judges you, you will have an opportunity to defend yourselves."
A large number of automated soldiers charged first.
"All sentient beings repay karma with blade and sword. Sever thought—"
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