Honkai Star Rail: I Played the Villain, Now the Heroines Want Revenge — Chapter 256

Chapter 256: Orion

More images and sounds flooded in.

The mockery of Tiger and his two friends.

“That kid Orion is talking in his sleep again!”

“Hahaha, go to the sky? Who does he think he is?”

“He can’t even get to the Overworld, and he wants to go to the sky?”

Natasha’s gentle but helpless persuasion.

“Orion, it’s good to have dreams, but be realistic. Why don’t you come to my Orphanage…”

“Hey, wait, don’t go! This child…”

The disdain of the Silvermane Guards in the Overworld.

“Go back to your rat hole, you trash from the Underworld!”

But amidst these voices, one voice remained unchanged.

It was his own voice.

From a scrawny child to a teenager.

“I want to leave here.”

“Go to the Overworld.”

“Leave Belobog.”

“I want to… go to the stars.”

Again and again.

As if it were an obsession carved into his soul.

Then, some new, complete memories began to surface in his mind.

It was a young man.

No, it was… himself.

He, in the Underworld, secretly plotting.

Through Natasha, he gained actual control over the entire Wildfire organization.

Using Wildfire’s resources and intelligence network, he planted pawns in both the Upper and Underworlds.

[Inorin’s Note: This is part of Phantylia’s illusion, showing Orion a “what if” scenario where he stayed in Belobog and conquered it, twisting his real memories of just being an orphan.]

Then, he came to the Overworld.

Through Bronya, he appeared by the Supreme Guardian’s side.

It was a snowy night, Cocolia was suffering from the Stellaron’s erosion.

She pressed her temples, her face pale.

“You’re too tired, Supreme Guardian.” His technique was skilled and professional. “Long-term stress will destroy your body… Let me help you relax.”

Cocolia initially wanted to refuse, but those hands seemed to possess magic.

Every pressure point was just right, gradually relaxing her tense nerves.

The feeling was like a traveler in the desert finally drinking clear water.

Gradually, this stern Supreme Guardian began to rely on him.

“Orion, today’s meeting was exhausting…”

“I understand, Supreme Guardian. Please lie down, I’ll help you.”

“Good, while you’re at it, help me think of a solution.”

Ultimately, he became the true controller of Belobog.

On the surface, Cocolia was still the Supreme Guardian.

But every important decision had to go through his approval.

And lifting the blockade between the Upper and Underworlds…

Such a small matter, he had already resolved it shortly after arriving in the Overworld.

The memories continued to play.

Orion saw that he had a small, clean base in the Underworld, simple but it was his and Seele’s home.

Then there was his home in the Overworld, a lavish apartment in the Administrative District.

When Seele first visited, she was stunned by the luxury.

And when Bronya suddenly arrived, she immediately became sulky, sparking a jealous rivalry.

Finally, the three reconciled and sat around the dining table, just like returning to childhood.

Afterward, Bronya went on a date with him.

It was the Administrative District plaza, snowflakes falling, and she wore a beautiful white dress, incredibly beautiful.

At eighteen, after the Astral Express Crew arrived, he immediately resolved the Stellaron crisis with them.

But the destructive Anti-Matter Legion began to awaken, and the Lord Ravager, Asat Pramad, descended.

After a great battle, Asat Pramad was slain by him, and the cold wave receded.

For the first time, sunlight appeared in the sky over Belobog.

Everyone stepped out of their homes, gazing at the long-lost blue sky.

Finally, it was boarding the Astral Express.

“Orion, no matter how far you go, always remember… Belobog will always be your home.”

Before his departure, Bronya, Seele, and even Cocolia all came to see him off, reluctant to part.

But he had said he would return, definitely.

On the train.

Pom-Pom excitedly bounced around: “A new passenger! There’s finally a new passenger, Pom!”

“Passenger Orion gives off a very reliable feeling, Pom!”

“From now on, the train will be entrusted to you, to help manage Passenger March 7th and Passenger Stelle! Don’t let them lead you astray again, Pom!”

Afterward, the Astral Express held a grand welcome party for him.

The entire carriage was redecorated, with streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling.

March 7th: “I heard you’ll be eighteen tomorrow, right?”

“Happy birthday, Orion!”

“…Thank you, everyone.”

Stelle had a little too much to drink that night, her face flushed, her golden eyes never leaving him.

March 7th dragged everyone into playing games; Dan Heng, though unwilling, was also pulled in.

Then there was Himeko’s coffee…

The taste was indescribable, not something a human could drink.

Bitter, burnt, and with a strange cloying sweetness, like mixing all the wrong flavors together.

But Himeko always smiled at him:

“How is it? Very refreshing, isn’t it?”

And Welt’s helpless expression as he adjusted his glasses:

“Himeko, I think we should drink less coffee…”

Yes…

These images, those people, and the taste of that coffee…

It’s not a dream!

It’s real!

That is my memory.

【Don’t think about it!】

The seductive, insidious voice of Phantylia roared in his mind.

【Those are all fake! They are all illusions meant to confuse you!】

【This is reality! This desperate Underworld is your true home!】

But Orion’s consciousness had begun to clear.

The real memories surged forth, unbidden.

He saw the Xianzhou Luofu, and Fu Xuan’s flushed, angry little face.

He saw Jingliu, her cold eyes, and the feel of her in his arms.

Finally, he…

He saw Phantylia, in Tingyun’s form, her smile faltering as he saw through her.

He saw her true form, a giant, laughing monster, and his own hand crushing the “star” she threw.

“No. That’s real.”

“I am Orion, the Trailblazer of the Astral Express.”

【Shut up!】

【Accept reality! You are just a pathetic wretch! A good-for-nothing despised by everyone!】

【Your power comes from Destruction! You should destroy everything!】

“No.”

Orion suddenly raised his head in the illusion, the black-purple in his eyes beginning to fade, replaced by his own cold, clear gaze.

“My power has never been given by Destruction. It was given by the system… and earned by me.”

He looked at the “Bronya” in front of him.

She was so real.

Silver hair, purple-grey eyes, a worried expression.

Everything was exactly as it was in his memory.

But…

It was the Bronya from this illusion. The Bronya who had grown up with him as a conqueror.

It wasn’t the real Bronya.

“This is all fake.”

“This is not my world, not my reality.”

“This is an illusion. A prison. Created by you.”

He looked at “Bronya,” and for a moment, he felt a strange reluctance to let go.

Even knowing she was fake, this feeling of a perfect life, a life where he had won Belobog… it was real.

“Bronya… wait for me.”

“Orion?” “Bronya” showed a confused expression.

“I will return.”

“Return to the real you.”

“You, Seele, and everyone else… are waiting for me.”

“So—”

He focused all of his will, all of his self, into one, sharp point.

“Get out of my head!”

“GET… OUT!!!”

Boom!

The entire illusion collapsed.

It didn’t slowly shatter. It was completely broken in an instant!

The streets, the sky, the buildings, “Seele,” “Cocolia”… everything turned into nothingness.

“Bronya’s” figure began to blur, dissolving into gray ash.

She reached out, seemingly wanting to hold on to something, but in the end, she only showed a gentle, sad smile.

“Go, Orion.”

【Impossible!】

Phantylia’s real, terrified voice shrieked in his mind.

【How could you break free! This is a cage built with a hundred Stellarons!】

【The most perfect mental cage! Not even an Emanator can break free!】

“A hundred? What about a thousand?” Orion’s consciousness sneered.

“My will, my memories, my bonds…”

“How can you tamper with these things?”

“Phantylia, you lost.”

The illusion completely shattered.

Orion’s consciousness returned to reality.

He opened his eyes.

He saw the grotto-heaven deep within the Ambrosial Arbor.

He saw March 7th, Stelle, Welt, Dan Heng, Fu Xuan, and Jing Yuan, all collapsed on the ground around him, unconscious.

And before him was the giant, pulsating Great Stellaron, fused with Phantylia’s main body, the source of the dark, psychic assault.

“I said…”

Orion raised the black sword in his hand, his eyes now blazing with a cold, terrifying light.

He pointed it forward.

“Get out!”

“Phantylia!”

[Author’s Note: There have been a lot of comments recently. This isn’t the first time the author has written, and I wish someone could help me write, but I can only write by myself.

It is indeed my fault. Writing for so long is tiring, and inspiration naturally fluctuates, making it hard to write every plot point well. I’ve tried my best not to pad it…

These past few chapters felt a bit like a simulation, which shouldn’t have happened. Maybe I got used to it. And I thought following the game’s plot was a bit boring, having written too much before, so perhaps I could stir things up.

I didn’t intend for the protagonist to suffer a setback, but rather to overcome his inner demons and rediscover his original intention. However, it seems I didn’t write it well. Perhaps it’s better to stick to the conventional path.

To be honest, I’ve been stuck recently, and if readers don’t want to read it, I actually don’t want to update every day either.

Or maybe I should take a break and fast-forward directly to Amphoreus. My personal wish is to definitely write up to Amphoreus; the cat is still waiting for the protagonist there. But recently, my condition hasn’t been good, and I’ve been busy.

Seeing the comments also makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, and I don’t want to write anymore, sigh. That’s it, just a little rambling. Fewer people are around since school started. Thank you to all the readers who are still supporting me.]