Honkai Star Rail: Destiny Card System of the Multiverse — Chapter 105

Chapter 105: The Shadow Over Scalegorge Waterscape

Within the dimly lit confines of the frontline command post, the holographic projections of the Luofu cast a cool, blue glow over Jing Yuan’s features. The latest tactical reports flickered across the displays, confirming the impossible: Kazuki and his makeshift vanguard had actually succeeded in obliterating Phantylia’s clone.

Jing Yuan let out a long, slow breath, the tension bleeding from his shoulders. He reached up, rubbing his temples to soothe the dull ache throbbing behind his eyes.

‘At last… a moment to breathe,’he thought, staring down at the glowing map.’Does this mean the immediate crisis on the Luofu has finally been contained?’

The moment the thought fully formed, his gaze drifted across the projection, settling on the sprawling, aquatic topography of Scalegorge Waterscape. His golden eyes narrowed, and the brief spark of relief in his chest instantly extinguished, replaced by a cold, sinking weight.

No. That was entirely too optimistic.

He was oversimplifying the board. Phantylia was a Lord Ravager, an ancient and cunning Heliobus born of pure energy and malice. A creature of such insidious nature would never stake her entire grand design on a single, disposable vessel.

Before he could explore deeper into the tactical implications, the heavy doors of the command post burst open with a deafening metallic clang. Stelle and March 7th blew into the room like a localized hurricane, their boots skidding against the polished floor. A deeply exhausted Welt followed a few paces behind, looking every bit the weary guardian trying to keep up with two chaotic forces of nature.

“General Jing Yuan! General!” Stelle shouted at the top of her lungs, waving her arms frantically. “Something terrible just happened! Tingyun—she was actually Phantylia in disguise this whole time!”

“Yeah, yeah!” March 7th nodded so fast her pink hair whipped around her face. She practically vibrated with residual adrenaline, her hands moving to vividly recreate the horror they had just witnessed. “You should have seen it! She was just standing there laughing at us, and then—snap! She literally twisted her own neck all the way backward! I was so freaked out I almost chucked my bow at her!”

“And she had the nerve to say we were all just actors playing parts in her little script!” Stelle added, crossing her arms with a fierce scowl. “Unbelievable! The absolute nerve of that woman!”

The two Trailblazers continued to vent their outrage, their voices overlapping in the quiet room. In their excitement, neither of them noticed the elegant figure standing frozen in the periphery of the command post.

Yukong stood entirely still. The tactical datapad she had been holding slipped slightly in her grip. In the span of a few seconds, the color completely drained from her face, her expression fracturing from initial shock into a deep, hollow grief.

Her lips parted, trembling slightly as a single, fragile whisper escaped her. “…Tingyun.”

Jing Yuan’s sharp ears caught the sound immediately. He turned, his expression softening with sympathy. “Yukong? Are you alright?”

The sound of her name snapped the Helm Master out of her daze. Yukong blinked rapidly, quickly raising a hand to wipe the corners of her eyes before the moisture could fall. She took a sharp, deep breath, forcing her spine straight and ruthlessly swallowing the tremor in her throat.

“My apologies, General. I… lost my composure for a moment,” she managed, though her voice still carried a raw, ragged edge. “I simply cannot fathom it. Tingyun has worked by my side for over thirty years. She stayed late into the night helping me organize the Sky-Faring Commission’s endless reports. To think that the person smiling at me could be the disguise of a Lord Ravager…”

She looked up, her gaze distant and haunted as she asked the empty air, “Then where is the real Tingyun? Where could she possibly be now?”

Her quiet desperation fell over the command post like a heavy shroud, silencing Stelle and March instantly.

March 7th bit her lip, a sharp pang of sadness tightening her chest. She thought back to how gentle and accommodating “Tingyun” had been to them over the past few days, guiding them through the Luofu with that soft smile—only for every single moment to be a fabricated lie constructed by a monster.

Suddenly, March’s eyes widened. She smacked her forehead. “Wait a second! I think I picked something up after the fight!”

She rummaged through her pockets and pulled out an exquisite, finely crafted folding fan. “This dropped onto the ground when Phantylia’s fake body exploded! I was actually wondering why a Heliobus would need to fan herself all day. Do balls of fire even get hot?”

Stepping forward, she gently offered the item to the Foxian woman. “Miss Yukong, take a look. Is this Miss Tingyun’s?”

Yukong reached out, her hands shaking so badly she nearly dropped it. As her fingertips brushed over the familiar, delicate embroidery stitched into the silk, the dam finally broke. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over her lashes to track down her cheeks.

“It is the Suli Fan,” she choked out, clutching the item to her chest as if trying to preserve the last trace of warmth it held. “Yes… it is hers. She treasured this fan dearly. She took it with her everywhere she went.”

Taking a shaky step back, Yukong bowed deeply to the Express crew, her voice thick with emotion. “Thank you. Thank you for bringing her belongings back to me. In this Stellaron crisis, we have already lost far too many comrades, brothers, sisters, and children…”

“Miss Yukong, please don’t be sad!” March 7th rushed forward, gently supporting the older woman’s arms to help her stand straight. “The real Miss Tingyun has to still be alive out there somewhere! We promise we’ll definitely find her for you!”

“Alright,” Jing Yuan interjected smoothly, his calm baritone cutting through the heavy, mourning atmosphere before it could entirely consume them. “Everyone, there is a pressing matter I require your assistance with. Mr. Kazuki has successfully captured the clone of Phantylia you encountered. However, your companion—Dan Heng—is currently handling Scalegorge Waterscape completely alone.”

He stepped away from the holographic map, his gaze sweeping over the Trailblazers. “I strongly suspect Phantylia has her true vessel, or at least another powerful clone, lying in wait within those ruins. Dan Heng is walking blindly into a trap. I need you to accompany me to Scalegorge Waterscape so we can rip this crisis out by the roots.”

“What?!” Stelle’s eyes blew wide open. “Dan Heng is by himself in Scalegorge Waterscape? That’s way too dangerous! Mr. Yang, we have to go right now! If we wait, it’ll be too late!”

She spun around, looking pleadingly at the older man.

Welt stood quietly near the doorway, the base of the Star of Eden resting heavily against the floor tiles. His brow furrowed into a deep, troubled line. He did not agree immediately.

As the senior member and guardian of the Astral Express crew, his primary duty was to ensure these youths returned to Himeko safe and sound. Confronting a Lord Ravager of Destruction was no longer a simple Trailblaze “adventure”—it was a genuine, life-threatening war.

The command post fell into a tense silence.

Jing Yuan remained perfectly still, making no move to push or persuade. He simply observed the man in the glasses, reading the heavy burden of responsibility etched into Welt’s posture.

After a long, agonizing minute, Welt let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head with a helpless, fond resignation. “Very well. The journey of the Trailblaze has never been smooth sailing. We follow your wishes.”

“Yay!” Stelle and March 7th cheered in unison, the tension evaporating instantly.

“I’m going, I’m going!” Stelle raised her hand high, practically bouncing on her heels. “I’ve been wanting to beat Phantylia’s real face in for a long time!”

“Me too!” March 7th gripped her bow tightly, her eyes flashing with rare determination. “I want to avenge Miss Tingyun!”

Jing Yuan laughed heartily, the rich sound echoing off the metal walls. “I, Jing Yuan, thank you all for your unwavering courage. Once this battle is won, the Luofu will surely present the Astral Express with the most generous of gifts!”

A short while later, the Knights of Beauty began filtering back into the staging area from their defensive lines at the Alchemy Commission. The moment the news of a direct confrontation with Phantylia reached their ears, the plaza erupted into a chaotic clamor. Knights scrambled over one another, armor clanking loudly as they rushed forward to volunteer.

“General Jing Yuan! Please, allow us to ride with you!”

“To defend Beauty and eradicate such vile evil is the natural duty of a knight!”

“Even if our bodies are torn to bloody pieces, we will never allow that monster of Destruction to defile even a single fraction of the Luofu’s beauty!”

Jing Yuan raised a hand, his calm gesture instantly silencing the roaring crowd. He offered them an appreciative, yet helpless smile. “I deeply appreciate everyone’s goodwill and valor. However, Phantylia is a Lord Ravager directly under Nanook the Destruction. The aura of Destruction that surrounds her true form is highly toxic; it can violently corrupt a person’s mind. Ordinary knights would not only be unable to assist, but you would likely be corrupted and turned into enemies against your will.”

He paused, his gaze shifting toward a specific figure in the crowd. “Among the Knights of Beauty currently stationed on the Luofu, only Lord Argenti possesses the sheer strength of will and martial prowess to withstand her corrupting influence.”

The moment his name was spoken, Argenti stepped forward from the ranks. He moved with an effortless, dramatic grace, coming to a halt before Jing Yuan. With a crisp, ringing clang, he struck the butt of his heavy spear against the stone floor and dropped into a flawless knightly salute.

His emerald eyes burned with a blinding, devout light, and his voice rang out clear and melodic across the plaza.

“General Jing Yuan! To cross blades alongside you all, and to eradicate this destructive monstrosity that plagues the sea of stars, is the absolute lifelong honor of I, Argenti!”

He pressed a gauntleted hand over his heart. “I swear in the name of the Aeon of Beauty, Idrila, that I shall use the spear in my hand as an unbreakable shield to guard your backs! I shall defend the purest beauty in this universe! Even if my armor is stained black with blood, and my soul is cast back into the sea of stars, I will never retreat a single step!”

He swept his spear to the side, the crimson rose motifs on his armor catching the light. “To participate in this decisive battle for the survival of the Luofu, and to let the blinding light of Beauty dispel the choking haze of Destruction—this shall become the most brilliant, eternal medal of my knightly career!”

Jing Yuan nodded, genuine appreciation gleaming in his eyes. “With Lord Argenti’s assistance, our chances of victory in this battle have certainly increased.”

Before the vanguard officially departed for the waterscape, Jing Yuan quietly slipped away from the main group, seeking out Fu Xuan in the private chambers of the command post.

The Master Diviner stood by the window, her arms crossed, her expression tight with worry. Jing Yuan approached the central table in silence. He reached into his sleeve, withdrew a heavy, carefully carved jade tiger tally, and gently slid it across the polished wood until it stopped right in front of her.

Fu Xuan’s eyes dropped to the object. The color drained from her face, and her head snapped up, her golden eyes wide with shock. “General! What is the meaning of this?”

Jing Yuan offered a slight, easy smile, his tone as casual as if they were discussing the weather. “Master Diviner, this journey into Scalegorge Waterscape is fraught with extreme danger. Phantylia is incredibly cunning, and the flooded depths surrounding the Ambrosial Arbor’s roots are her home turf. No one can predict exactly what will happen down there.”

He tapped a finger lightly against the table. “If I perish there today, you shall temporarily assume the role of General of the Cloud Knights. You will take full, unquestioned command of the Luofu’s military and political affairs. All adjutants stationed at the Seat of Divine Foresight will be entirely at your disposal.”

Fu Xuan opened her mouth to protest, but Jing Yuan continued, his voice dropping into a commanding, rhythmic cadence.

“Though Yanqing is young, his swordsmanship has reached the pinnacle of mastery. Order him to lead the main force of the Cloud Knights to lock down key locations—specifically the Exalting Sanctum and the Central Starskiff Haven. Tell him he is not to leave his post without your direct authorization, no matter what he hears.”

“As for the Vidyadhara, Baiheng will assist in appeasing them, ensuring no major internal chaos erupts while the front lines are engaged.”

“The Divination Commission must keep the Matrix of Prescience running continuously. I want fortunes divined every ten minutes. The moment any anomaly is detected, you are to order the entire army onto high alert.”

He laid out the contingency plans point by point, his logic flawless and his delivery smooth, as if he had already rehearsed this exact scenario a thousand times in the quiet dark of his own mind.

When he finally finished, the silence in the room felt suffocating. Fu Xuan stared at him, her small hands curling into tight fists. When she spoke, her voice trembled with a fierce, poorly concealed anger.

“General, why must you speak of such ominous things right before a battle?! The Luofu cannot function without you, and neither can the Cloud Knights!”

She closed the distance between them, stepping right up to the table. She tilted her head back to glare fiercely into Jing Yuan’s eyes, the Omniscia embedded in her forehead glowing with a frantic, pulsing violet light.

“I know exactly what you are worried about,” she hissed, the intimate tension between them thick enough to cut with a blade. “In this decisive battle against Phantylia, you will be forced to draw upon your absolute limits. If you are not incredibly careful, the exertion will push you over the edge. You will succumb to being mara-struck!”

Seeing the raw, desperate worry swimming in her eyes, a soft warmth bloomed in Jing Yuan’s chest. He reached out, his large, calloused hand gently resting on her shoulder.

“Rest assured, Master Diviner,” he murmured, his voice a low, comforting rumble. “I know exactly what I am doing.”

He offered her a weary but endlessly fond smile. “I have lived for a very long time. What great storms have I not weathered? The mara cannot bind me so easily, and neither can Phantylia. I am still waiting for the day when you can finally shoulder these heavy responsibilities all on your own, and for the day Yanqing truly earns the title of Sword Champion of the Luofu.”

He picked up the cold jade tiger tally from the table, reached out, and firmly pressed it into Fu Xuan’s palm, folding her fingers over it.

“I leave the Luofu to you.”

Fu Xuan gripped the freezing jade tightly. She stared at his hand over hers for a long moment before her gaze hardened, turning absolute and resolute. “Very well. I promise you, Jing Yuan. I will protect the Luofu.”

She looked up, her voice dropping to a fierce whisper. “But you must return alive.”

Jing Yuan laughed heartily, the sound chasing away the lingering shadows in the room. He turned on his heel, his heavy cape billowing behind him as he strode toward the door.

“Good! I shall keep that in mind!”