Honkai Star Rail: I Played the Villain, Now the Heroines Want Revenge — Chapter 222

Chapter 222: Marshal’s Defeat

Stelle hesitated. Welt’s logical warnings echoed in her mind, screaming that this was a trap.

“Staying at your place for a whole night… it’s a bit strange,” she said, trying to keep her voice flat. She felt a heat rising in her cheeks and willed it down. “But,” she quickly added, steeling herself, “this is also a good opportunity to find out if you’re still hiding secrets.”

She thought of the rest of the Express crew, of Welt and Himeko, all relying on her. “Okay,” she finally nodded, her golden eyes trying to look firm and determined. “I’ll do it.”

To prove your innocence—or guilt—she was going all out this time.

The Divination Commission was silent late at night. The usual hustle of diviners and scribes was gone, leaving only the faint, ambient hum of the central jade abacus. The great dome above, the Palace of Astrum, was dark, the star-like mechanisms within it dormant.

[Inorin’s Note: The Palace of Astrum (司辰宫/Sī Chén Gōng) is the massive orrery-like device at the heart of the Divination Commission, used to chart the stars and predict fate.]

You sat at the center of the Matrix of Prescience, on the elevated platform, holding several jade divination talismans.

Stelle sat opposite you, looking visibly nervous. She kept clasping and unclasping her hands in her lap. The vast, empty hall only amplified her anxiety.

“Relax, nothing will happen,” you comforted her, your voice soft in the echoing quiet. “This is just a divination. Think of it as… a way for us to get to know each other better. You want to know my secrets, don’t you? And I,” you smiled, “want to know yours.”

The divination began.

You tossed the talismans into the air. They didn’t fall. They hovered, spinning slowly, before dissolving into a flowing stream of jade-colored light and data.

Complex trigrams and shimmering stellar charts flowed in the air, encircling you both. The Matrix of Prescience hummed, coming alive, its light bathing the chamber in a soft, ethereal green.

Stelle watched it all, her eyes wide with wonder. The strange, tranquil energy of the Matrix washed over her, and despite her mission, she felt her defenses start to lower. Unconsciously, she felt a little sleepy, her shoulders slumping.

“This is normal,” your voice seemed to come from far away, resonating with the hum of the Matrix. “Divination of this magnitude, especially on a Trailblazer… one who walks with Aeons… it consumes a great deal of mental energy.”

Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

In a daze, she felt you rise and walk to her side. She sensed your warmth as you stood over her, and she caught the faint, pleasant scent of sandalwood. She wanted to open her eyes, to stay alert, but a profound weariness had settled over her.

“Sleep,” you whispered. Your voice was right beside her ear now, sending a strange, pleasant shiver down her spine.

She felt your fingers gently brush a strand of hair from her face. The touch was light, yet it felt impossibly familiar, achingly so.

“Everything will be fine.”

…

The next day.

When Stelle woke up, she found herself lying in a lavish guest room within the Divination Commission.

A soft, heavy blanket was draped over her.

She sat up instantly, her face flushing crimson. She quickly checked her clothes—they were all intact, though slightly rumpled. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, a mixture of relief and… a confusing, fleeting disappointment?

Last night… what happened?

Her memory was a bit blurry after the trigrams started flowing. She remembered the overwhelming sleepiness… your voice… your touch… and a profound, inexplicable feeling of safety.

“Awake?”

You walked in carrying a breakfast tray, already dressed in your formal robes as the acting Master Diviner.

“Last night’s divination went smoothly,” you smiled, that same gentle smile from the lantern festival. “Your fortune is good.”

Stelle took the breakfast, not daring to look you in the eyes as you set the tray on her lap.

“Tha-thank you…”

After a mostly silent breakfast, she hastily said goodbye.

“I… I should get back to the Express. Welt and the others will be-,”

“Of course,” you said, your smile not wavering. “Send them my regards.”

Her face was still red when she left, practically fleeing down the corridor.

You stood by the window, watching her retreating figure until she was out of sight.

The smile on your face gradually disappeared, replaced by an expression as cold and empty as the void.

Good fortune?

You looked at the true trigram in your hand, a single jade talisman that had cracked down the middle during the night.

A sign of great misfortune.

A calamity of death, deeply entangled.

And… it was related to you.

You crushed the divination talisman, and the jade ashes scattered in the air.

Stelle…

Even if she was once a companion of the Stellaron Hunters.

Even if that strange, familiar feeling she had was real…

You had no turning back.

You closed your eyes, your heart cold.

I’m sorry.

Several days later.

The vanguard fleet of the Xuling arrived at the outskirts of the Luofu’s space, preparing for a sneak attack.

However, to their surprise, the Luofu’s defense line was empty.

There were no fleets on patrol, no Cloud Knights, and not even the most basic automated defense systems were activated.

“What’s going on?”

The Xuling fleet commander frowned, his brow furrowed.

“All of Luofu’s military facilities have shut down. Long-range scans show no energy signatures.”

“Did they give up resisting?”

Another general on the command bridge asked, “Could it be a trap?”

“Whether it’s a trap or not, we’ve already entered the game,” the commander ordered, his voice grim. “Proceed with caution. All ships, advance slowly. Keep shields at maximum.”

The Xuling fleet cautiously approached the Luofu.

Everything was too quiet.

Eerily quiet.

Just as they entered the inner circle of the Luofu’s defense line, passing the dormant orbital defense platforms…

Suddenly, countless hidden turrets fired simultaneously!

The “dormant” platforms activated, and asteroids cracked open, revealing massive, concealed plasma cannons!

Those seemingly abandoned military facilities instantly activated, directly commencing a barrage of fire at point-blank range!

Even more critically, the Luofu’s main fleet surrounded them from all angles, warping in from hidden asteroid fields and spatial rifts.

They had been hiding, waiting for this exact moment!

“We’ve fallen for it!” the commander roared. “All ships, full power to engines! Retreat quickly!”

But it was too late.

The Luofu’s fleet pounced like hungry wolves, completely encircling the Xuling’s vanguard unit.

“Heh heh…”

Phantylia stood on the Luofu’s command ship, watching the Xuling ships being torn apart on the tactical display.

“The empty fort strategy. Such an old, childish trick… and it actually still works. Mortals are so delightfully predictable.”

Soon, the Xuling’s vanguard unit fell into a bitter struggle, suffering heavy casualties.

“Marshal! Frontline urgent!”

On the Xuling main ship, Marshal Hua received the distress call.

“Luofu set up an ambush! Our vanguard unit is surrounded and being decimated!”

“What?!” Marshal Hua’s face changed drastically. “Immediately send reinforcements!”

“All forces, full attack! Rescue the vanguard unit!”

The Xuling’s main force poured out, a massive armada heading straight for the Luofu battlefield.

However, just as the Xuling army left their mothership, fully committed to rescuing the front line…

Behind the Xuling’s now-undefended command ark, a group of unfamiliar fleets suddenly tore through the void!

“Report! Enemy approaching… it’s… it’s the Anti-Matter Legion!”

Dozens of Doomsday Beasts surged out of the warp, roaring as they lunged towards the sparsely defended Xuling homeland.

[Inorin’s Note: Doomsday Beasts are massive, living warships of the Anti-Matter Legion, serving Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction.]

Following closely were the overwhelming, numberless Voidranger fleets!

And at the forefront of this terrifying army, a figure slowly emerged, her power radiating pure destruction.

“Xianzhou Alliance… finally, this opportunity has arrived.”

Lord Ravager—Celenova!

Marshal Hua instantly understood everything.

“Damn it! This is a trap!”

With the Luofu’s ambush in front and the Anti-Matter Legion’s surprise attack behind…

The Xuling was caught in a pincer movement, a desperate, unwinnable situation.

“Immediately recall half the forces to defend the homeland!” Marshal Hua made the decisive, agonizing decision.

But the situation continued to worsen.

Because at this moment, another fleet appeared on their flank.

That was… the Yaoqing’s warships!

“The Yaoqing? Are they here to support us?”

Someone on the bridge shouted in surprised relief.

But the next second, the Yaoqing’s main artillery batteries blasted the Xuling’s fleet!

“What?!”

Marshal Hua looked at this scene in utter astonishment.

The Yaoqing’s fleet was actually cooperating with the Anti-Matter Legion, attacking the Xuling together!

“Feixiao!”

Marshal Hua roared, initiating a priority communication with the Yaoqing command.

“Feixiao, are you insane?!”

“What are you doing? Do you know what you are doing?! You’re firing on your own people!”

From the other end of the communication came Feixiao’s crazed, sobbing laughter.

“I’m sorry, Marshal…”

“But, for him… for them…”

“I must do this!”

“Him?” Marshal Hua was stunned, “Who are you talking about?”

“Hahaha…” Feixiao’s laughter grew even more frantic, echoing with a chilling madness. “You wouldn’t understand. You couldn’t understand!”

“To be with him…”

“To avenge Jiang Li and Neergul…”

“Forget betraying the Xianzhou, even if it means destroying the entire universe, I wouldn’t hesitate!”

[Inorin’s Note: Jiang Li and Neergul were likely Cloud Knights from the Yaoqing who died in a past conflict, serving as General Feixiao’s personal motivation for this betrayal.]

The communication suddenly cut off.

Marshal Hua stood frozen, Feixiao’s last words echoing in her mind.

Jiang Li? Neergul?

Who were these two…?

After a quick, frantic check, she learned they were Cloud Knights who had sacrificed themselves in the Fanghu War many years ago.

Feixiao… a decorated Arbiter-General… had betrayed the entire Xianzhou for old, dead friends?

“Marshal! What should we do? Our flank is collapsing!”

The adjutant’s anxious voice pulled her back to reality.

Marshal Hua looked at the tactical battlefield.

In front, the Luofu’s ambushers were slaughtering the vanguard unit.

Behind, the Anti-Matter Legion and the Yaoqing had joined forces, furiously attacking the Xuling homeland.

The situation had completely spiraled out of control.

“Retreat…”

She issued the order, her voice heavy with difficulty and defeat.

“All forces… retreat! Preserve our strength first!”

But how easy was retreat?

Under the three-pronged attack, the Xuling suffered extremely heavy losses.

The vaunted Jinren army was torn to shreds by Celenova’s forces, and more than half of the elite Cloud Knights were killed or wounded.

[Inorin’s Note: The Jinren are the powerful, ancient automaton guardians of the Xianzhou, their strongest military force aside from the Generals.]

Even the Marshal’s flagship was hit, barely escaping the battlefield amidst thick smoke.

You were stationed at the Seat of Divine Foresight on the Luofu, watching the burning battle of the Xuling on the main screen.

“The operation was perfect,” Phantylia praised beside you, her voice smooth as silk. “Celenova’s timing was just right, and so was Feixiao’s. Your little web has caught all the flies.”

You didn’t speak, just watched the collapsing Xuling fleet limp away.

The Xianzhou Alliance’s last hope was thus shattered.

Next, it would be the final act.

“Soon… Lan will be unable to sit still.”

Phantylia smiled charmingly, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “Yes, my dear. When all of His followers betray Him, when the faith of The Hunt is completely denied and becomes Abundance… what will that ‘divine’ hunter do then?”

The battle lasted seven days and seven nights.

The Xuling finally escaped, but was severely weakened, its fleet in ruins.

Marshal Hua looked at her battered ships, feeling a cold despair for the first time in her long life.

Was the Xianzhou Alliance… truly going to end?

And on the various Xianzhou, the followers of Abundance grew more numerous by the hour.

The faith of The Hunt had completely collapsed.

The Xianzhou was gradually, willingly, being swallowed by the forces of Abundance.

Finally, on a certain night.

The sky above all six Arks suddenly lit up.

Not with sunrise, but…

The radiance of an Aeon.