Honkai Star Rail: I Played the Villain, Now the Heroines Want Revenge — Chapter 221

Chapter 221: Star’s Date

[Inorin’s Note: Star Date/Stelle Date. I did not change the title because I think this is better. ‘Stelle’ in Chinese can sometimes be translated as ‘Xing’ or ‘Star’.]

“Chaos is spreading across the Xianzhou like a plague… and from this ruin and despair, a new voice emerges.”

The voice came from a street corner on the war-torn Yuque. Several figures in pristine white robes, their faces obscured by hoods, stood upon a platform of rubble.

“Lost souls…” one proclaimed, his voice amplified by a device, cutting through the wails of the mourning.

“Look, followers of the Reignbow! You slaughter in the star sea, your brethren wail beneath your blades, your homes burn under the bombardment of your own kin!”

He pointed to a destroyed city block, still smoldering. “And where is your Aeon? Where is the Arrow of the Hunt? He remains silent! He watches with cold eyes!”

The gathered crowd began to stir. They were refugees, wounded soldiers, and families who had lost everything. They were angry, confused, but most of all, they were filled with a gnawing, existential despair.

The white-robed figure raised his arms. “The so-called ‘Reignbow’ faith is a complete and utter deception! A promise of a hunt that never ends, a war that consumes its own children!”

He continued, his voice softening, becoming seductive. “Endless life brings endless suffering, endless war brings endless death. But all of this will come to an end.”

“At the end of the universe, there exists true eternity, and that is the grace of the ‘Pharmacist.'”

[Inorin’s Note: The “Pharmacist” is another name for Yaoshi, the Aeon of Abundance. They are the sworn enemy of Lan (The Reignbow) and the source of the Xianzhou’s immortality, as well as the curse of Mara.]

“He will equally bestow the antidote to suffering upon all. He offers peace. He offers life.”

A wounded Cloud Knight soldier in the crowd, his arm in a bloody sling, tremblingly asked, “The Pharmacist… the source of the Mara-Struck?”

“Yes,” the white-robed figure smiled, a compassionate, beatific expression. “The Mara is not a curse, but a symptom of the Reignbow’s violent rejection! He fragments the blessing! Stop this meaningless internecine conflict! Turn to the Pharmacist. Believe in Him.”

The preacher stepped down and placed a glowing, green-tinged hand on the soldier’s ruined arm. The crowd gasped as flesh and bone audibly knit back together.

“He will grant you the power to end all wars. I will lead you to a paradise free from Mara-struck and strife. He will bring an end to this era of suffering.”

Similar scenes unfolded across the various Xianzhou. Yaoqing, Luofu, Yuque… everywhere, there were followers of the Abundance spreading their teachings, performing “miracles” of healing.

And in Zhuming and Fanghu, now occupied by Luofu, the Abundance forces were even more rampant. They held high branches of the Ambrosial Arbor, salvaged from the Luofu, and proclaimed the new truth.

“We are inherently blessed by the Abundance!” a fanatical new convert roared in Zhuming’s central plaza.

“It was the Reignbow who misled us, who blinded our eyes!”

“He doesn’t care about us at all! He is simply a malevolent bow, the ancestor of disaster!”

“And the Pharmacist of Abundance is the Aeon who has always blessed us and granted us this longevity!”

This rhetoric, backed by tangible healing and promises of peace, spread like wildfire.

Desperate people, abandoned by their Aeon and betrayed by their generals, began to waver, to doubt, and to… betray.

More and more people abandoned the faith of the Reignbow and turned to worship the Ambrosial Arbor. The Xianzhou Alliance, an alliance that had stood for millennia, completely disintegrated.

You sat in the Seat of Divine Foresight on the Luofu, overseeing it all.

The grand circular hall, once Jing Yuan’s domain, was now your command center. A massive star chart projection dominated the room, showing the six arks. Red icons, representing the spread of Abundance faith, bloomed like a virus.

[Inorin’s Note: The Seat of Divine Foresight (神策府/Shén Cè Fǔ) is the central command headquarters of the Luofu, distinct from the Divination Commission.]

Phantylia appeared beside you, not in her Fu Xuan disguise, but in her true form. She ran a hand along the tactical display, her seductive figure leaning nearby.

“What a magnificent sight,” she chuckled, her voice a low purr. “The collapse of faith is so much more lethal than any weapon. Look at them scramble… like ants whose nest has been kicked.”

You said nothing, merely sipping your tea, quietly watching the constantly updating battle reports and conversion statistics.

“It’s almost time,” Phantylia said, sensing your focus. “All this chaos is the perfect backdrop. It’s time for the last actor, the ‘hero’ of this play, to make her appearance.”

As if on cue, a priority message flashed on the main screen.

The Xuling Celestial Ark has appeared.

Inside the Xuling Deliberation Hall, the atmosphere was cold enough to freeze stars.

Marshal Hua stood at the head of the table, her face a mask of iron, her eyes now filled with a rage that eclipsed any star.

“Enough!”

Her voice, though not loud, echoed throughout the hall, silencing the frantic reports of her admirals.

“This farce… this blasphemy… must end!”

Beside her, in the massive hangar bays visible through the hall’s viewports, countless Jinren were activating. Towering, golden automatons, the ultimate military might of the Alliance, their eyes glowing with blue light.

[Inorin’s Note: The Jinren (金人) are the powerful, ancient automaton guardians of the Xianzhou, rarely deployed except in times of extreme crisis.]

“Give the order,” Marshal Hua said gravely, her voice devoid of all emotion save for grim resolve. “Assemble all Cloud Knights. Activate the entire Jinren legion.”

“First, stop the civil wars in Luofu, Yuque, and Yaoqing!”

“Then, purge the Abundance renegades from all Xianzhou!”

“This time, we must use all our military might. No quarter. No negotiation.”

The Xuling’s army, the final trump card of the Xianzhou Alliance, quickly assembled.

The Jinren legions, elite Cloud Knights, and the Imperial Guard personally commanded by the Marshal herself.

“First target.” Marshal Hua looked at the star chart, her finger landing on the largest, most chaotic ark. “Luofu.”

“The beginning of this turmoil will end there!”

The Xuling’s fleet, a force of unparalleled power, cloaked itself and set off secretly.

Meanwhile, on Luofu, the Astral Express crew had been trapped for a long time.

In the Divination Commission reception hall, the real Fu Xuan was explaining to them, her brow furrowed in genuine distress.

“Everyone, it’s really too dangerous outside. Please, you must understand.”

“The civil war is escalating, and there are combat zones and quarantine areas everywhere.”

“This Master cannot, in good conscience, let the benefactors of Luofu take this risk.”

March 7th was practically bouncing off the walls. “But we’ve been here for weeks already! We’re ‘honored guests,’ but it feels more like we’re prisoners!”

“Just wait a little longer,” Fu Xuan appeased, though her own confidence was waning. “Once the situation stabilizes, this Master will naturally arrange for your departure.”

“In the meantime, Luofu will treat you as its most honored guests.”

Welt pushed up his glasses, saying nothing, his expression grim.

The doubts in his heart grew stronger with every passing day.

From the initial Ambrosial Arbor rebellion, to Jing Yuan being framed, and now the Abundance fanaticism sweeping across the Xianzhou…

It all happened too quickly, too strangely. It wasn’t chaos; it was a controlled demolition.

That evening, the Astral Express crew gathered in their quarters.

“This isn’t right,” Welt said gravely, breaking the silence. “This is no longer an internal affair of the Xianzhou.”

Himeko nodded, her gaze distant. “I have that feeling too. This level of precise, large-scale manipulation… There must be other Aeon-level forces manipulating things from behind the scenes.”

“Aeon?” Dan Heng frowned, his hand instinctively tightening on his spear. “Are you saying…”

“Destruction, or Abundance. Or perhaps both,” Welt said, his voice low. “They are subverting the order of this entire system. We can’t just stand by any longer.”

“So what should we do?” March 7th asked, suddenly serious.

Welt pondered for a moment. “First, investigate thoroughly. We need to find the source of the manipulation.”

His eyes met everyone’s. “Especially that Jiang Xuan.”

“Jiang Xuan?” Stelle looked up, her heart giving an odd little jump.

“Yes.” Welt’s gaze was sharp. “He rose too quickly in this incident.”

“From an ordinary diviner to the current acting Master Diviner, wielding the immense power of the Seat of Divine Foresight.”

[Inorin’s Note: “Master Diviner” (太卜/Tàibǔ) is the official title for the head of the Divination Commission. With Fu Xuan “missing,” Jiang Xuan has taken the title of “acting Master Diviner.”]

“This isn’t normal,” Welt concluded. “He’s either a puppet or the one pulling the strings.”

Stelle fell silent.

These past few days, Jiang Xuan had sought her out many times.

Under the guise of entertaining a high-profile guest, he took her to tour Luofu, sample delicacies, and enjoy the scenery…

It was like… a date.

“Stelle, you’ve had the most contact with him,” Himeko looked at her, her voice gentle but firm. “Can you try to probe him? Find out what he truly wants.”

Stelle hesitated, a strange reluctance in her chest. She found herself wanting to defend him, but she didn’t know why. Finally, she nodded. “I’ll… I’ll try.”

The next day, you received a message from Stelle, saying she wanted to talk.

You readily agreed, arranging to meet at Luofu’s most famous teahouse, one overlooking the tranquil central gardens.

Stelle sat across from you, her golden eyes secretly studying you as you calmly prepared the tea.

“What’s wrong?” You smiled gently, pushing a cup toward her. “You keep looking at me. Do I have something on my face?”

Stelle’s face flushed. “N-nothing.”

She quickly picked up her teacup, hiding her fluster.

“Luofu feels a bit different lately,” she probed, trying to sound casual. “I just feel… something’s not quite right. All these new preachers…”

You nodded, taking a sip. “It has indeed changed a lot.”

“However,” you looked out at the bustling streets of Luofu, “I think it’s for the better.”

Stelle was startled. “What do you mean?”

You turned your head, your gaze locking onto hers. It was gentle, but with an intensity that made her breath catch.

“Isn’t it better to believe in Abundance than The Hunt?”

Stelle looked at you with a strange expression. “But… shouldn’t the Xianzhou believe in The Hunt? That’s… their whole thing.”

“Their ‘whole thing’ has brought them millennia of war,” you said softly, your voice reasonable. “The Xianzhou has come to this, with arks turning on each other, and the Reignbow remains uncaring… Who would, or should, still believe in such an Aeon?”

Stelle fell silent.

She wanted to refute, but she couldn’t find a reason.

Indeed… what exactly had the Reignbow brought to the Xianzhou?

Besides endless war, what else?

Seeing her lost in thought, you smiled, the intensity vanishing.

“You’re thinking too hard. Come on, I’ll take you to the market.”

“I heard there’s a lantern festival today in the Starskiff Haven.”

Stelle snapped out of it, surprised by the sudden shift, and followed you out of the teahouse.

Luofu’s streets remained bustling, seemingly untouched by the chaos gripping the other arks.

The shouts of vendors, the aroma of street food, the laughter of children… everything seemed so deceptively normal.

Only occasionally could you see people burning portraits of the Reignbow in alleyways, or small groups chanting the Pharmacist’s name.

Stelle looked at your profile as you walked, her feelings complex.

Jiang Xuan… Is he really problematic?

Through their interactions these past few days, she had developed a strange, powerful, and deeply familiar feeling towards you.

Even a bit of… a flutter.

She didn’t know why, but she felt a slight flutter in her heart every time he smiled at her like that.

This feeling was very strange. It felt like she had known him for a lifetime, even though they had only just met…

It felt like home.

“What are you thinking about?”

Your voice interrupted her thoughts. You were holding out a sugar figurine, shaped like a small, intricate fox.

“N-nothing,” Stelle hurriedly shook her head, accepting the candy.

You spent a long time at the lantern festival.

You bought her the sugar figurine, watched a shadow play with her (a heroic tale of the Reignbow, which you subtly mocked), and finally, went to release sky lanterns by the water.

You wrote your wish, but shielded it from her view.

“Go on,” you urged, handing her a brush. “Write yours.”

Stelle paused, flustered, before quickly scribbling something down.

You lit both lanterns together. “Just like a real… couple,” you murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.

Stelle’s face went bright red as she watched the lanterns float away.

Night had fallen.

“Come to the Divination Commission tonight,” you suddenly said, your voice low.

“Huh?” Stelle was stunned, turning to look at you. “Tonight? Why?”

“I want to divine for you,” you explained, your expression perfectly earnest. “As the acting Master Diviner, it’s my duty to understand the fate of our… most important guest. To see your future fortune.”

“Oh. Okay, I guess…”

You cut her off gently. “However, divination of a Trailblazer, one who walks with Aeons… it’s a very intensive, very complex process. It takes an entire night, and it will be quite long.”

You leaned a little closer, your smile ambiguous. “Just the two of us.”