Honkai Star Rail: I Played the Villain, Now the Heroines Want Revenge — Chapter 254

Chapter 254: Who is March 7th?

Later, they met Bronya, another child from the orphanage.

She was a silver-haired girl, quiet and reserved, who always sat in a corner, reading a book.

Orion first saw her in Natasha’s medical room.

That day, Seele was injured in a fight—a turf war with another group of orphans. Orion had to half-carry her, bleeding and swearing, to the orphanage to find Natasha for treatment.

Bronya was sitting by the door, holding a thick, worn book in her hands.

She only looked up as they stumbled in. She gazed at them with her clear, calm, gray-blue eyes, then, as if deciding they weren’t an immediate threat, she continued to read.

Just one glance, and Orion, or the part of him that was still Orion, became interested in this girl.

After that, he consciously started bringing Seele to the orphanage more often.

Seele was initially very reluctant; like Orion, she disliked the oppressive, orderly atmosphere of the orphanage. It felt too much like the Silvermane Guards’ barracks.

But Orion always told her it would only be for a little while, that he needed to “check on their medical supplies.”

Sometimes he’d bribe her, saying he’d buy her bread as payment later.

Seele, grumbling but unable to refuse him, had no choice but to agree.

Orion then naturally used Seele as an excuse to find Bronya to “play” with.

Gradually, the three of them became familiar with each other.

Seele, reluctantly at first, then with growing enthusiasm, taught Bronya how to fight, though Bronya, with her refined, almost delicate movements, never seemed to learn. She was hopeless with a pipe.

Bronya, in turn, would read storybooks to them. She would read in a clear, steady voice, stories of the prosperity of the Overworld, of blue skies, of legendary kingdoms without ice and snow, and of distant, impossible interstellar civilizations.

And Orion became the most important person in their eyes. He became the quiet center of their small world.

He would treat Seele’s wounds with supplies “borrowed” from Natasha’s clinic.

He would discuss plotlines from the books with Bronya, analyzing the motivations of fairytale kings and queens with a seriousness that made her laugh.

And he would stand impartially between them when Seele’s brashness and Bronya’s stubbornness were about to cause an argument.

That period was poor and hard.

But Orion felt that these were the most stable and ‘homely’ days he had ever lived in his life.

He even thought that if things could continue this way, it wouldn’t be bad at all.

To stay in the Underworld, and grow up slowly with Seele and Bronya…

This was the “happiness” Phantylia’s voice had promised.

A simple, achievable, warm happiness.

…

“Orion, what are you thinking about? Hurry up!”

Seele’s impatient voice pulled Orion back from the memory.

Orion looked up and found himself standing on the streets of Boulder Town.

Seele, in front of him, had grown into a young woman. Her neat, black-blue short hair framed a face that was still fierce, but now held a confident, heroic look in her eyes.

And he himself had grown much taller, no longer the scrawny, starving kid who would fall over in a breeze.

He was strong. He was capable.

He was… happy.

“Coming.”

Orion responded and followed her.

Today was Bronya’s birthday.

They had saved money for a long time, doing odd jobs and “scrounging” from the miners, preparing to buy her a Black Bread Soda Iceberg from the small stall in the town center.

That was Bronya’s favorite, impossible-to-get treat.

“I wonder how Bronya is doing up there…”

Seele walked ahead, her voice uncharacteristically soft, with some worry.

Years ago, Bronya had been chosen by the Supreme Guardian, Cocolia, to be her successor and had left the Underworld.

That day, all the children from the orphanage went to see her off, crying and waving.

Only Orion and Seele hid in the distance, watching from the shadows of an alley.

They were happy for her, but also a little lost.

Their trio was broken.

“Don’t worry,” Orion said, “She’s so smart, she’ll definitely do well.”

“You’re right.”

Seele nodded, then as if remembering something, turned her head and looked at Orion with a strange, scrutinizing expression.

“Speaking of which, Orion, have you noticed… you’ve been a bit strange lately?”

“Strange? How strange?” Orion’s heart skipped a beat.

“I can’t quite put my finger on it,” Seele frowned, “It just feels like… you often space out. You stare at things like you’re seeing them for the first time.”

“And sometimes you say things I don’t understand.”

“Like last time… you looked at Tiger and his gang when they were walking by, and you suddenly blurted out, ‘I clearly remember I killed them all’…”

Seele’s words struck Orion’s mind like a bolt of lightning!

Killed them…

Right!

In that dirty alley, I used a brick, one by one… I smashed their heads!

That cold, satisfying touch… that warm blood… those eyes filled with fear before death…

Everything was so clear!

But…

Tiger and the others were clearly alive and well.

Just a few days ago, he saw them collecting protection money on the street!

What exactly… was going on?

The illusion… it’s… it’s trying to…

“Orion? Orion, what’s wrong with you?”

Seele’s voice was sharp, worried.

“Orion!”

…

That time, Seele took care of Orion for several days.

He had collapsed with a splitting headache.

After he recovered, he never had a headache like that again.

Perhaps, he was just too tired lately.

He thought so.

In the days that followed, everything was as usual.

After Seele joined the Wildfire, she would bring him food every day, showing that awkward, brash, yet deeply caring demeanor.

“Here, I got extra. Don’t think I got it for you.”

Occasionally, he would also receive sweet pastries, secretly sent by Bronya from the Overworld via a sympathetic guard…

Gradually, he felt that this was the truest happiness.

There seemed to be nothing wrong with sinking into this happiness.

It was… easy. It was warm.

Let go. Give up. The voice in his head whispered.

Until that day.

Those Fragmentum monsters from the Underworld launched an attack on the Wildfire’s squad.

The battle came suddenly and was brutal.

The enemies were numerous, and Seele and her companions quickly fell into a disadvantage.

When Orion arrived, he saw Seele surrounded by several monsters.

He saw new wounds on her body, blood oozing from the corner of her mouth, yet she was still fighting fiercely, without retreating, protecting the others.

In that instant, Orion felt a string break in his mind.

A violent, cold, furious urge for destruction, one he had never felt before, surged from the bottom of his heart!

【Protect her.】

A voice whispered in his mind. Phantylia’s voice.

【Destroy them.】

【Crush all threats, all the scum that made her bleed!】

Orion didn’t even remember how he moved.

He only remembered… rage.

When he came back to his senses, the battle was over.

He stood in a messy pool of blood, surrounded by incomplete limbs.

None of those Fragmentum monsters were alive; there wasn’t even a single complete corpse.

They were bloody and mangled, having died gruesome, terrible deaths.

And he himself was unharmed.

He had no weapon in his hands, only the still-wet, black blood of the monsters.

Seele and her companions were stunned.

“Orion… you…”

Seele walked up to him, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear. She wanted to say something, but didn’t know where to start.

Orion looked at her, and the violent, cold killing intent receded.

Seeing the wounds on her face, a pang of pain went through his heart.

He reached out and gently wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth.

“It’s okay… Seele. It’s okay. You’re safe.”

【See? Isn’t this great?】

The voice was back, purring in his soul.

【The feeling of having power is wonderful, isn’t it?】

【As long as you possess the power of ‘Destruction’, you can protect everything you want to protect.】

Orion froze for a moment.

Destruction, huh…

Yes… it felt… good.

From then on, everything started to go wrong.

He began to dream frequently.

In his dreams, he was not Orion, an orphan from the Underworld.

He was a Trailblazer wielding a black sword, traveling through the sea of stars.

He dreamed of a pink-haired girl who was always boisterous and followed him around, taking pictures.

He dreamed of a gray-haired girl who always called him ‘good brother’ and slung an arm over his shoulder.

He dreamed of a man wearing glasses, always shaking his head helplessly at their antics.

He dreamed of a white-haired general holding a long saber, always smiling that lazy, knowing smile.

He dreamed of a woman as cold as frost, with blood-red eyes, held in his arms, her Mara-Struck state receding…

Jingliu… March… Stelle… Welt… Jing Yuan…

These dreams were so real.

So real that even after waking up, they were still vivid in his memory.

He started to lose track of which was reality and which was the dream.

He mentioned these dreams to Seele.

Seele, however, just frowned and touched his forehead:

“Orion, are you sick? You’re talking nonsense again. Who are these people?”

He contacted Bronya through their secret channel and asked her if she knew a girl named “March 7th.”

Bronya was silent for a long time before replying, her voice worried:

“Orion, are you under too much stress lately? March 7th… who is that?”

Everyone thought he was sick, crazy.

Even he himself began to doubt himself.

Perhaps, those really were just dreams?

This… this is reality, he thought, looking at the gray, oppressive sky of the Underworld.

This is my life. This is where I’m happy.

The other… that was just… a nightmare…