Honkai Star Rail: Destiny Card System of the Multiverse — Chapter 101

Chapter 101: The Gathering Storm and the Decisive Moment

In the days that followed, the heavy atmosphere of an impending storm settled over the Xianzhou Luofu, thick enough to choke the breath from a man’s lungs.

Kazuki’s sphere of activity had completely shifted away from the central hubs of the Luofu. Guided by the ever-chivalrous Argenti, he toured various secluded explores and hidden sanctuaries that Stelle had never once set foot in during the original timeline.

Meanwhile, members of the Knights of Beauty began to arrive in droves. Word of mouth spread like wildfire across the cosmos—from ten to a hundred, and within a mere handful of days, their numbers swelled to such a staggering degree that they could form three solid rings of armor and capes around Kazuki wherever he walked.

They crowded around him, showering him with reverence, eager simply to accompany him on his strolls. Even though Kazuki’s current physical vessel was nothing more than an ordinary human, these powerful Pathstriders were more than willing to set aside their formidable pride, kneeling to listen to his teachings with rapt attention.

Kazuki naturally did not let such a golden opportunity slip through his fingers. He immediately began weaving a vast network of influence. Occasionally, he would slip away and transform into Herta, Emanator of Beauty, to personally instruct the gathered knights in the sacred verses of the Coronet of Light Dust: Hymn of the Knights of Beauty.

Of course, to ensure that the overwhelming gratitude and fanatical devotion of the Knights of Beauty were entirely attributed to Herta, Emanator of Beauty, Kazuki carefully hid the actual process of his transformations from Argenti and the rest of the vanguard.

“Remember, when you chant and dance, you must carry absolute piety for Beauty in your hearts. Do not just recite the words like some dreary textbook!” Kazuki, perfectly wearing the guise of Herta, Emanator of Beauty, stood at the front of the hall with hands planted firmly on her hips. She looked down at the neatly seated knights with a haughty, deeply proud expression. “This is the ultimate masterpiece of this genius. Dancing the entire sequence is akin to performing a grand musical, and just chanting the verses alone is enough to mobilize a massive surge of energy from the Path of Beauty!”

To the Knights of Beauty, this hymn was nothing short of a divine revelation. Within a few short days, the collective gaze they directed toward Kazuki and Herta, Emanator of Beauty, evolved from deep respect into absolute, burning fanaticism.

Even more ridiculous was the fact that the Interastral Peace Corporation actually came knocking. Their representatives specifically requested an exclusive interview with Herta, Emanator of Beauty, practically begging her to appear on the Interastral Peace Broadcast to promote the true essence of Beauty to the entire universe.

“What a monumental honor! Please, allow me to praise the Corporation loudly for this deep wisdom!” Argenti trembled with sheer excitement, his emerald eyes shining with unshed tears. “Idrila’s light will finally shine upon the darkest corners of the entire universe!”

“Not going.” Kazuki, still playing the role of Herta, Emanator of Beauty, refused without a second thought, her tone flat and dismissive.

Seeing Argenti’s instantly confused and crestfallen expression, Kazuki quickly scrambled for a suitably noble excuse. “Now that the Luofu is in mortal peril and the Abominations of Yaoshi have not yet been purged, how can I possibly covet empty fame and disregard the suffering of the people? We will discuss such trivial matters only after the Luofu is at peace.”

Hearing this, Argenti was moved to absolute tears, clutching his chest as if struck by a physical blow of pure grace. “I, Argenti, shall follow by your side for the rest of my natural life!”

‘Oops,’Kazuki thought to himself, watching the knight weep.’I might have overdone the acting just a bit.’

During this period, the Astral Express Crew was far from idle. They had accepted an official commission from the Realm-Keeping Commission to track down the whereabouts of a mysterious blonde merchant named Luocha.

As a direct result of this investigation, the very moment Welt laid eyes on a holographic image of Luocha, his face turned a sickly shade of green on the spot, looking exactly as if he had just swallowed a live fly.

“Whoa, Mr. Yang! Why is your face turning green?” Stelle leaned in close, poking his arm with immense curiosity. “Do you know this guy?”

“I don’t.” Welt took a sharp, ragged breath and forced out a strained smile that did not reach his eyes. “I… mistook him for someone else.”

March 7th leaned over and whispered loudly into Stelle’s ear. “Something is wrong, definitely wrong! Mr. Yang is absolutely hiding something from us!”

Meanwhile, Baiheng finally obtained General Jing Yuan’s explicit permission and quietly escorted Jingliu toward the tranquil expanse of the Scalegorge Waterscape.

The immediate fallout of this quiet excursion left Phantylia completely stunned.

She was currently sitting in a dimly lit, secret chamber deep within the Alchemy Commission, slowly digesting the power of a Heliobus. Without warning, she received an encrypted message from the Vidyadhara Preceptors, bluntly stating that they were terminating all forms of cooperation with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.

“What?!” Phantylia slammed her hands onto the wooden table and shot to her feet. Delicate medicine bottles shattered across the stone floor, spilling glowing liquids into the cracks. “Terminate cooperation? Are those ancient fools crazy?!”

She had originally calculated that after sowing seeds of discord for so long, the Vidyadhara had long since become irreparably estranged from the Luofu’s governing body. How could they suddenly turn against her at the most critical juncture?

“Could it be the work of those meddling Stellaron Hunters?” Phantylia paced back and forth across the shattered glass, her frown deepening, her internal fury rising with every step. “A bunch of useless trash! Fickle old fogies! Why didn’t you mention terminating our cooperation when you were on your knees begging me for salvation?!”

She gritted her teeth so hard they creaked, crushing the message Jade Abacus into fine, glittering powder within her palm. “But it does not matter! Once I fully digest these Heliobi and perfectly integrate with the immortal body forged by the Ambrosial Arbor, never mind a few decrepit Preceptors… the entire Luofu will be reduced to cosmic dust! Ho-ho-ho-ho!”

A maniacal, deeply distorted smile stretched across the beautiful face of Tingyun, the physical vessel Phantylia was currently puppeteering. In the dim light of the chamber, she looked completely and utterly insane.

The very next day, an even bigger bombshell rocked the foundations of the entire Luofu.

General Jing Yuan personally issued a public statement, officially announcing that Chief Alchemist Dan Shu was the hidden leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. He specifically noted in the broadcast: “The success in rooting out this treacherous mastermind is entirely thanks to the Trailblazers of the Astral Express, among whom Stelle has performed the greatest service to the Xianzhou.”

Once this news broke across the jade screens of the ship, all the previous civilian conspiracy theories vanished like smoke in the wind. Many citizens who had been personally treated and saved by Chief Alchemist Dan Shu in the past were left utterly speechless, staring at the broadcasts in horror.

Overnight, Dan Shu went from a deeply respected Chief Alchemist to a despised pariah, hunted like a rat crossing a crowded street. She was forced into hiding deep within the complex corridors of the Alchemy Commission, never daring to show her face to the light of day again.

“See that? Do you see that!” Stelle jumped high into the air, clutching her phone and waving it proudly at her companions. “This Galactic Baseballer has finally achieved true greatness!”

“Amazing, simply amazing!” March 7th clapped her hands in delight. “I’ll take a beautiful, heroic photo of you later and stick it right in the most prominent place in the Express parlor car!”

On the other side of the Luofu, Chief Alchemist Dan Shu sat in oppressive darkness. She tightly gripped the small, ornate bottle containing the Dragon-Coiling, Serpent-Leaping Pill—the very medicine she had ultimately failed to give to Stelle. Her face was a mask of cold, expressionless stone.

“They do not understand… they do not understand anything at all,” she muttered to herself, her blind eyes hollow and empty. “Chasing the Reignbow Arbiter’s Path of The Hunt is an eternal, agonizing torture. Only the grace of Abundance can truly save us from this suffering… Jing Yuan, you will regret this. All of you will drown in your regret.”

And so it was today, just as the first light of dawn broke over the artificial horizon, the grand army of the Cloud Knights pressed forward. A dark, imposing mass of armor and polearms completely surrounded the perimeter of the Alchemy Commission explore.

“General! The entirety of the Alchemy Commission is surrounded by a strange white mist!” The adjutant ran quickly to Jing Yuan’s side, kneeling to report in a low, urgent voice. “The forward scouts say this white mist can rapidly induce Mara-Struck outbreaks upon contact. Three of our Vanguard Cloud Knights have already been afflicted and lost their minds!”

Jing Yuan stood tall, looking out at the churning white expanse swallowing the Alchemy Commission in the distance. His golden gaze was intensely solemn, carrying the weight of the coming slaughter.

“Pass down the order: the entire army is to remain on maximum alert. Absolutely no one is allowed to step foot into the white mist without my explicit permission,” his voice rang out, steady, powerful, and devoid of any hesitation. “As long as Chief Alchemist Dan Shu is not eliminated, the Luofu will never know peace.”

“Yes! General!”

[Elysian’s Note: Welt Yang’s extreme reaction to seeing Luocha stems from his traumatic history in the Honkai Impact 3rd universe with Otto Apocalypse, a man who shares Luocha’s exact face and voice. Otto was a brilliant, ruthless, and deeply manipulative overarching antagonist who caused immense suffering to Welt and his loved ones over the course of centuries.]