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ArabicHonkai Star Rail: My Chat Group is Full of Broken Timelines — Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Stone Fire Dream Body
【Professional Fanfic Author: Thank you for sharing that information, Your Excellency Kazuki. I do have one more question, however: How are we supposed to defeat the mastermind pulling the strings?】
Even knowing the terrifying nature of the enemy the Heirs of Chrysos might face, Castorice’s resolve didn’t waver in the slightest.
【The Exalting Sanctum’s Cliffhanger King: I’m sorry… I don’t know.】
Kazuki had no idea how to explain the solution to Amphoreus’s predicament. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Castorice the truth—that the world’s cycle was already a fixed point in destiny. He couldn’t tell her that if they failed to reach the 33,550,336th cycle and await the arrival of the Trailblazer from beyond the stars, their world would inevitably have its last embers of life reclaimed by the Black Calamity, only to be reset and begin anew.
The truth was far too cruel. He couldn’t say the words.
【Professional Fanfic Author: I see… Thank you for your help, Your Excellency Kazuki. I will find a way.】
For now, Castorice had no intention of sharing this grim news with the others. On paper, the gap in combat strength between the Heirs of Chrysos and the entity known as Lygus—who treated Amphoreus as his personal laboratory—was simply too vast. Announcing the truth would accomplish nothing but spread pointless despair.
【Pure Beauty Knight: If my aid is needed, I am willing to contribute what humble strength I possess.】 Robin’s message appeared almost immediately, her words carrying the solemn weight of a true knight.
Perhaps the brutal reality of Amphoreus was too heavy a burden, for the atmosphere in the chat group suddenly turned frigid. Even the notification that Emperor the Third had been muted seemed jarringly abrupt in the ensuing silence. Kazuki stared at the quiet light screen, about to type something to break the tension, when a new line of text seared itself across the interface—
[System Alert: Group member ‘Titania II’ is in life-threatening danger. All other members are urged to render aid as soon as possible. Task Reward: 1000 Points.]
The bright red font pulsed like an emergency beacon, shattering the silence.
【Professional Fanfic Author: Your Excellency Firefly’s life is in danger! Your Excellency Kazuki, can we go to her world?】
Having witnessed Kazuki intervene twice before, the group members had developed a habit of turning to him whenever they were faced with the unknown.
[The Exalting Sanctum’s Cliffhanger King has blocked Emperor the Third from all group functions.]
First, Kazuki locked down the permissions of that particular lunatic before typing a swift reply.
【The Exalting Sanctum’s Cliffhanger King: Sorry, had to take care of something. Don’t worry, Firefly’s world doesn’t have any guaranteed-death flags, at least. The situation that’s putting her in danger is serious, but a True Sting is definitely easier to handle than the Number One Genius and Emperor the Third, right?】
Castorice didn’t understand the reference to a “True Sting,” but she latched onto the one thing that mattered: “could go.” A fellow member was in trouble. She couldn’t simply stand by and do nothing.
[Professional Fanfic Author has applied to enter the world of Titania II. As Titania II is in a critical state, the request has been automatically approved.]
On the other side of the network, Robin had already summoned her assistant to bring her the silver knight armor she used for performances. The polished metal cast a cold, brilliant gleam under the lights. She briskly fastened her cloak, her movements sharp and efficient, and took up her sword.
A Pure Beauty Knight? Perhaps she was more suited to being a knight than a galactic superstar after all.
【Pure Beauty Knight: Someone is threatened by the Swarm. I cannot sit idly by. Your Excellency Kazuki, please take care.】
[Pure Beauty Knight is joining the world of Titania II…]
Two system prompts flashed one after another. On the group member list, the avatars for both Castorice and Robin dimmed to gray. In an instant, the only ones left were him and the muted Emperor the Third.
“I only practiced swordsmanship with my Great-Uncle for a few years when I was a kid…” Kazuki sat up abruptly on his bed, a deep sense of helplessness washing over him. His hands felt small, useless.
For a Xianzhou native who lives a life free of illness and disaster, the onset of the Mara-Struck state typically occurs around the eight-hundred-year mark. The stronger one’s mental fortitude, the longer they can stave it off; the most long-lived can reach a thousand years.
And Xianzhou natives generally reach adulthood at two hundred. Kazuki had passed his adulthood examination at the age of twenty, marking him as an undisputed prodigy. Back then, besides the position in the Department of Terrestrial Balance arranged by his family, every one of the other five Xianzhou Charioteers had extended an olive branch to him. Even the Ten-Lords Commission had tried to recruit him.
But he had rejected them all. Only a few years had passed since then. By Xianzhou standards, Kazuki was, at most, the equivalent of a toddler in kindergarten.
‘But…’ Kazuki knew the truth. In his past life, he wasn’t a Xianzhou native. He had been a man in his twenties—a full-fledged adult in that world.
“But it would be totally lame to just stay here and watch, wouldn’t it?”
The thought sparked a fire in him. He shot to his feet, snatched the starship keys from his desk, and bolted out the door.
A few seconds later, a silver-gray starship shot out from a narrow alley in the Exalting Sanctum. Its engine let out a sharp, tearing roar that seemed to rip through the air itself.
Kazuki’s knuckles were white as he gripped the control lever, pushing the skiff to skim dangerously close to the ground. The vibrant wine banners lining the street whipped and snapped violently in the turbulent airflow he left in his wake.
“Speeding! You’re running a red light!” A Sky-Faring Commission patrol skiff was on his tail almost immediately. A stern, amplified voice boomed from its loudspeaker. “Starship ahead, pull over for inspection immediately!”
Kazuki didn’t dare stop. He slammed the thrusters to maximum, and the starship blurred into an afterimage, charging straight for the Seat of Divine Foresight. “Looks like I’ll have to retake my driver’s license exam again…” he muttered with a bitter smile, his palms slick with sweat. A glance in the rearview mirror showed the patrol ship closing the distance relentlessly.
His starship was a specially modified military model, far faster than any ordinary civilian craft. But the Sky-Faring Commission’s patrol skiffs were no slouches, and the gap between them was shrinking with every passing second.
Just then, the grand archway of the Seat of Divine Foresight, engraved with the iconic Cloud Knights emblem, loomed into view.
Gritting his teeth, Kazuki made his move. Before the starship had even come to a complete stop, he yanked the hatch open and threw himself out.
His body hit the bluestone pavement and rolled several times, the impact jarring his bones, finally coming to a stop when he slammed against the courtyard wall. He ignored the pain, brushed the dust from his clothes, scrambled to his feet, and sprinted into the Seat of Divine Foresight.
With their destination right in front of them, the Sky-Faring Commission officers didn’t dare drive their skiffs directly into the hallowed grounds. One was detailed to impound Kazuki’s abandoned starship while the rest gave chase on foot.
“Stop!” The lead traffic officer leaped from his patrol skiff and pursued, but he was brought to a hard stop at the archway by the on-duty Cloud Knights guards.
“The Seat of Divine Foresight is a restricted area. Unauthorized personnel are not permitted to approach.” One of the Cloud Knights stated flatly, leveling his long spear. The weapon’s tip glinted coldly in the light of the setting sun.
“Brother Cloud Knight, we’re chasing a criminal!” the officer sputtered, stomping his foot in frustration as he pointed at Kazuki’s rapidly receding back. “That kid was speeding and ran a red light! Why are you stopping us and not him?!”
The Cloud Knight glanced at the figure disappearing down the long corridor, then leaned in close to the officer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I don’t know him.” He paused, his tone becoming meaningful. “But I often see him going in and out of the Seat of Divine Foresight with the General. Understand?”
The traffic officer froze solid. After a long, silent moment, he scratched his head. “Well… that settles that, then. Say, buddy, want to grab a drink after your shift?”
“Can’t. I’m on the night shift,” the Cloud Knight replied, shaking his head. “Let’s make a date next time I’m on days.”
Meanwhile, Kazuki didn’t stop running. He burst through the halls, his lungs burning, and skidded to a halt directly in front of Jing Yuan’s desk. Without a word of preamble, he thrust his hand out toward the General.
“Uncle… give me your Stone Fire Dream Body!”