Honkai Star Rail: My Death Feeds Their Madness — Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Erase

[First Life, Concluded]

[Major Acquisitions of This Life:]

[1. Plum-Soaked Soybean Cake (Curio Creation): Grants different special effects based on the creator’s state of mind during production. Authorization: Only the user may create it; cannot be authorized.]

[2. Forget-Sorrow Plum Blossom Wine (Curio Creation): No side effects if aged three years or less; one cup dissolves all worries. If aged four years or more, consuming 250mL guarantees intoxication; one drink dissolves a thousand sorrows, but memories of the period are lost upon waking. Authorized Creation Limit: 1.]

[3. Biological Mnemonics Knowledge.]

[4. Indestructible Ruan (Cannot be discarded)]

[5. Everlasting Scented Plum Blossom Sachet (Cannot be discarded)]

[The aforementioned acquisitions will be carried into the next reincarnation. Please select memories to forget; if no memories need to be forgotten, please ignore.]

In the ethereal expanse of the system’s soul realm, Kagashi quietly reflected on the life he had just left behind. A deep sense of emotion washed over him, yet it was untainted by bitterness. Right and wrong no longer mattered in the grand scheme of his existence. He held no resentment toward anyone who had crossed his path, nor did he harbor any anger toward the cruel twists of fate.

As the revolving lantern of his memories finally slowed to a halt, Kagashi’s gaze drifted across the fragmented images of his past. He paused at various stages of his life, watching his own joys and sorrows play out like a silent film. Finally, his eyes settled on a graceful, elegant silhouette—a figure that had been carved into his very marrow.

“If I have not contacted you after a hundred years, then forget me. I owe you nothing, and you no longer owe me.”

Those cold, distant words echoed in the empty chambers of his heart. Kagashi fell silent for a long moment, the quiet weight of acceptance settling over his shoulders. Without a trace of hesitation, he reached out and chose to completely erase all memories related to Ruan Mei.

“Teacher, this is the last time your student will follow your instructions. I wish you well in the future and a smooth journey ahead.”

Farewell forever.

[Timeline anchoring in progress. Locked: Xianzhou Cangcheng.]

[Beginning generation of Talent Cards and Destiny Cards. Note: Talents cannot be retained after death.]

[Talent Ranks are as follows: Prismatic, Gold, Purple, Blue, White, Black]

[Ill-Fated Beauty (White): Possess extraordinary appearance and temperament, but the probability of dying young is greatly increased.]

[Waning Fortune (Black): Difficult to achieve anything in life; the trends of the times will rarely be on your side.]

[Heaven’s Retribution (Black): Unable to survive past the age of 24.]

[Editor’s Best Friend (Blue): When engaged in web novel professions, you will not be locked in the little dark room for writing mature content.]

[Blood Rage (Purple): The lower your sanity, the more terrifying the destruction caused. Can be activated manually, but cannot be deactivated manually.]

[Heaven-Deficient Condition (Black): Born incomplete; randomly acquire innate conditions such as blindness, deafness, or dwarfism.]

[Pure Yang Body (Gold): Abundant blood and qi, a strong and healthy physique; immune to most diseases and toxins.]

[Swordmaster (Purple): Twice the result with half the effort when practicing the sword; diligence will surely lead to success.]

[Baji Quan Grandmaster (Prismatic): Upon reaching adulthood, you will master this fist technique without a teacher.]

Kagashi was genuinely surprised as he reviewed the generated Talent and Destiny Cards floating before him. He had not expected to draw a Gold tier card, let alone a Prismatic one. Human nature dictated a desire to seek fortune and avoid disaster. Kagashi possessed no masochistic tendencies and certainly had no intention of choosing cards burdened with massive, life-threatening side effects.

[Please select three to begin your next life.]

“I choose Pure Yang Body, Swordmaster, and Baji Quan Grandmaster.”

[Beginning to seal the retained memories of this life. Default unsealing at age six. Next life countdown: 10, 9…]

[Second life beginning. Due to the large span from the current timeline, proceeding to a future node.]

Kagashi’s consciousness blurred rapidly, dissolving into the endless void. Whether he was being cast into the distant future or dragged back into the forgotten past, it made no difference to him anymore.

Future, Xianzhou Cangcheng, Star Calendar Year 5700.

A family bearing the surname Kagashi rejoiced at the birth of a healthy baby boy. The loving couple took one character from each of their names to name the child… It had been twenty long years since Kagashi passed away.

It was another year of heavy snowfall, painting the world in a pristine, melancholic white.

A strangely shaped spaceship descended from the overcast sky, its thrusters kicking up clouds of frost as it hovered over the snowy ground outside the secluded Bamboo House. The heavy metal hatch slid open with a mechanical hiss, and Yu Qingtu stepped out into the freezing air. Her sharp eyes immediately locked onto a familiar silhouette standing quietly in the courtyard.

A bright light flickered in her eyes as she drifted toward the Bamboo House, her movements as light and graceful as the winter wind.

“Little Fellow, it has been a long time. Did you miss me terribly?”

Yu Qingtu was in an exceptionally good mood. After finally settling the trivial, annoying matters that had kept her occupied for twenty years, she had been faced with a choice: visit her old friend Ruan Mei, or visit her friend’s stiff, overly serious student first. In the end, she had chosen the latter. The strange dynamic between that particular teacher and student had kept her curiosity burning for two decades. She simply had to ask the Little Fellow about it in person.

An elegant, teasing smile played on Yu Qingtu’s lips. But just as the toes of her boots touched the snow-covered ground, she saw Kagashi turn around to face her.

The moment she saw his face clearly, the warm smile on her lips abruptly froze, shattering like thin ice.

“A puppet?!”

Her first thought immediately went to Ruan Mei. She assumed her friend must be here as well. But why would Ruan Mei bring a mechanical imitation of her own student here? If the Little Fellow saw such a thing, how heartbreaking would that be for him?

But within seconds, Yu Qingtu’s sharp intellect realized something was terribly wrong. This puppet did not bear Ruan Mei’s unique, flawless markings. The craftsmanship, while impressive, was significantly coarser than anything the Genius Society’s biology expert would ever produce.

She could feel the puppet’s cold, emotionless optical sensors sweeping over her, scanning her features as it seemingly verified a set of internal data. In less than two seconds, the mechanical voice emitted by the puppet confirmed her growing dread.

“Memory bank match successful. Identity confirmed. Genius Society Number 55, Senior Yu Qingtu. Welcome.”

Yu Qingtu stood momentarily speechless in the snow. It possessed autonomous intelligence? She just did not know how advanced its cognitive functions were. While the puppet was busy identifying her, her own mind rapidly analyzed its structural construction. The joints, the energy flow, the specific mechanical quirks—this puppet clearly came from the hands of Kagashi himself.

“This teacher and student pair are truly something else…” she muttered under her breath. Just what exactly had happened during these past twenty years?

“Where is the Little Fellow? Notify him and say I am back.”

“Respected Senior Yu Qingtu, please allow me to give a brief self-introduction. I am a Mechanical Puppet powered by Kagashi’s memories, acting according to his final meta-commands.”

“I can see that. Stop talking nonsense and have him come see me, or just take me to find him,” Yu Qingtu demanded, waving her hand dismissively, though a cold knot was beginning to form in her stomach.

“Senior Yu Qingtu, Kagashi passed away twenty years ago.”

“What did you say?!” Yu Qingtu was stunned, her breath catching in her throat.

The look of absolute disbelief on her beautiful face grew more intense as she moved almost instantaneously, crossing the courtyard in a blur to stand directly before the Mechanical Puppet.

With a soft mechanical whir, the puppet’s chest cavity opened. Its right hand reached into the folded spatial pocket hidden within its chassis, carefully pulling out two distinct items.

The first was a glass vial containing an emerald-green potion, a liquid that brimmed with an intense, almost overwhelming vitality.

The second was an object resembling a high-tech fresh-keeping box. The airtight lid popped open with a soft hiss, revealing a neat row of exquisite plum-soaked soybean cakes resting inside.

“These are the items Kagashi left for you before his passing, with the highest level of storage permissions established. Only you can receive this portion. In addition, there is a recorded message.”

Staring blankly at the familiar emerald-green potion and the strange yet deeply nostalgic pastries, Yu Qingtu’s heart descended into absolute chaos. The cold wind howled around her, but she could only hear the rushing of her own blood.

The Mechanical Puppet slowly raised a rigid finger and pressed it to its temple, projecting a three-dimensional memory image into the snowy air.

The projection showed a young man, his face calm and focused, busy in a familiar kitchen. He was carefully crafting a new style of pastry, his hands moving with practiced care. After finally succeeding, he gently placed a portion of the delicate pastries into a specialized device capable of long-term preservation. Finally, he placed the sealed box into the folded space inside the puppet’s chest.

The young man in the projection turned to face the viewer, his expression softening into a gentle, apologetic smile.

“Senior, I am sorry. I am about to die of old age, and I cannot personally offer you the pastries you like.”

“Please forgive your junior for fulfilling your request in this manner. My abilities are limited. I can only keep them fresh for one hundred and fifty years at most.”

“I hope that when you return, Senior, they have not expired yet. I wish you the best in all things.”

The young man paused, his eyes reflecting a quiet, lingering hope.

“Also, Senior promised that you would unconditionally do one thing for me, right?”