Honkai Star Rail: Saving the World with a Mobile Game — Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Polyxia, PV Epitaph

“E-Excellency, I am a bit nervous about the upcoming Easter egg segment…”

A faint blush dusted Castorice’s delicate cheeks, the rosy hue making her look as soft as a ripe peach. She fidgeted with the hem of her outfit, her eyes darting toward the glowing monitors of the broadcasting setup.

Ash patted her shoulder gently, offering a reassuring smile. “Don’t be nervous. Just breathe and believe in yourself.”

“That is right, Castorice. We are all right here with you.” Cyrene chimed in from the side, offering a bright and encouraging nod.

Hearing their words, Castorice took a deep breath and nodded gently, her expression steadying.

“By the way, has your sister Polyxia arrived yet?” Ash asked, glancing toward the studio entrance.

“Polyxia? I spoke to her earlier. She will be here any moment, Excellency.”

“Then everything is perfectly on track.” Ash smiled, turning his attention back to the main console.

The perspective shifted back to the public live stream.

With Cipher acting as the primary host, the broadcast flowed smoothly. She directed a series of questions at the game producer, Ash, regarding the current version’s mechanics, while Castorice chimed in occasionally to provide commentary and liven up the atmosphere.

The segment kicked off with a few tantalizing plot spoilers, specifically addressing the burning questions about what exactly had happened to Stelle in the recent storyline. The chat went wild with theories before the topic transitioned into a complete skill breakdown. They showcased the complex combat mechanics for the featured characters of this version, Castorice and Anaxa, highlighting their unique animations and team synergies.

Following the usual program structure, the stream then rolled into a preview of the upcoming in-game events.

Seeing the sheer, overwhelming mountain of Stellar Jades listed in the event rewards, Guinaifen was practically vibrating with excitement in front of her screen.

[Little Gui: The event volume this patch is insane! My liver is already crying out for the grind!]

[Whoa, look at all those events! How many Stellar Jades is that in total? Is the Author even trying to make money off this game?!]

[The Author is a generous god! Us free-to-play hoarders are finally seeing the light of day!]

[I cannot take it, they even dropped a brand-new map. With this much content, I do not think I have enough hours in the day to clear it all!]

The lively discussion continued for about one system hour.

Aboard the Astral Express, Himeko watched the entire broadcast in silence. The coffee in her porcelain cup had long gone cold, but her gaze remained fixed on the screen.

Although she had determined that the majority of this broadcast was likely a pre-recorded video, the sheer detail and consistency of the lore supported Black Swan’s previous judgment. This was not merely a game constructed from pure imagination. It was real. The Chrysos Heirs were real, and the world of Amphoreus truly existed somewhere out there in the cosmos.

However, the core anomaly remained. The timeline presented in the game was clearly set before the Re-creation. It should have been absolutely impossible to see these historical figures interacting in a casual preview format.

It aligned perfectly with Black Swan’s theory. The game developer was likely operating from a completely different time axis or dimension than the rest of the universe.

If one had to put a name to such an beyond understanding phenomenon… had the invisible hand of Terminus the Finality exerted its power over this space?

‘Hmm…’ Himeko kept her thoughts to herself, her elegant features set in quiet contemplation as she continued to watch.

“So, as you can see, this version is packed with heavy-hitting content.”

On the screen, the chibi cat avatar gave a cheerful thumbs up.

The censored, silhouetted avatar of Ash shrugged and offered a relaxed smile. “Of course, it is more than just that. We have some very special preview information to share with you all today.”

“Good, good, good.” The chibi cat nodded repeatedly. “Then let us leave the floor to our producer and our lovely Shut-in Princess!”

With those parting words, the screen abruptly cut to black.

When the visual feed returned, the aesthetic of the stream had completely transformed. The scene opened on a cozy physical set, featuring a comfortable sofa situated in front of a stunning backdrop of a sprawling sea of flowers. Placed casually behind the sofa was an abstract, comically oversized Pom-Pom plushie.

On the other side of the camera, Ash was already seated and prepared for a live appearance. Even without his usual digital censorship or elaborate avatar, he appeared completely natural and at ease on the sofa.

[What? For real? The stream is not over yet? There is a special preview at the very end?]

[Wait a minute! Look at the lighting and the movement. Is this final segment not a recording?!]

There was no doubt about it.

Ash leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over the scrolling monitor that displayed the live chat. “Welcome back, everyone.”

“Perhaps some of our sharp-eyed friends have already noticed that this sea of flowers seems very familiar, right?”

“However, Castorice should know this place far better than I do.”

Ash turned his head, glancing toward Castorice, who was sitting near the edge of the frame with a visibly apprehensive expression.

He smoothly shifted the subject. “But before we get into that… we have to invite another very special guest to the stage.”

“She feels just as deeply connected to this place as Castorice does. I believe the two of them together can provide the answers you players have been waiting for.”

“Castorice?”

Prompted by his cue, Castorice’s voice immediately rang out, slightly pitched with nerves. “I-I am here, Excellency! Polyxia, hurry, hurry, hurry!”

Since the characters on the screen were still represented by their expressive chibi models, Castorice only needed to provide the live voice acting and banter from behind the scenes.

Yet, the audience watching the stream was completely taken aback.

Because Ash was actively reading and responding to the chat in real-time, it was obvious that this final segment was a raw, unfiltered live broadcast.

And then, an even more explosive visual followed.

A chibi Castorice, animated with comically large sweat drops flying from her forehead, hurriedly wobbled into the center of the frame. She was pushing a wheelchair, and seated within it was a quiet, delicate chibi Polyxia.

A massive wave of question marks instantly flooded the comment section. The entire player base was screaming the exact same question: Who is this?!

Once they reached the center of the frame, Castorice took a deep, audible breath to steady herself and began the introduction. “Hello everyone. I am Castorice.”

“And this… this is my younger sister, Polyxia.”

Castorice sat down to Ash’s left, her throat bobbing nervously as she swallowed.

Polyxia, positioned to Ash’s right, looked around with wide eyes, having been called over to the live set so suddenly.

“Hello everyone. I am Polyxia.”

Her voice was incredibly soft, sounding even gentler than Castorice’s, carrying a quiet, emotional weight that immediately tugged at the heartstrings.

At that exact moment, the chat completely derailed. It was not just the deep lore enthusiasts like Guinaifen losing their minds. Even Asta, who typically only cared about analyzing combat stats and optimal team compositions, was left completely bewildered in front of her screen.

What on earth was going on?

The aloof, terrifying Castorice actually had a sister?!

Where did she come from?

Is she going to be a playable character?

Is her kit going to be overpowered?!

[Oh my god, what a massive bombshell! Castorice has a sister?!]

[Is this real lore? How can the Reaper of Amphoreus have a cute younger sister?]

[Wait, why are you guys so shocked that she has family? Shouldn’t you be happy for her? It is like you all want her to suffer alone!]

[No, it is mainly because Castorice was so incredibly cold and ruthless in the main story. I was genuinely terrified of her during the boss fight. Seeing her act like a protective older sister is just unbelievable!]

Sitting in front of the beautiful sea of flowers in Antilyre, Ash leaned back and temporarily yielded the floor to the twins.

It started as a simple, impromptu conversation. They talked about the meaning behind the sea of flowers, the history of the location, and gently touched upon Polyxia’s identity.

Castorice was visibly stiff and nervous at the beginning, stumbling over a few words. But with Polyxia sitting right beside her, offering quiet smiles of encouragement, the older sister quickly settled into a comfortable rhythm.

Taking advantage of the players’ peaking enthusiasm, Ash prepared to drop the final payload: the second promotional video.

“I think,” Ash said, gently interrupting their nostalgic conversation, “simply listening to Castorice and Polyxia talk might not give you all the visceral impact you deserve for this special preview.”

“So, for our grand finale, why don’t we let this ‘Epitaph’ tell you the rest of the story.”

Ash reached out toward the camera in a graceful, inviting gesture.

The live stream feed suddenly dimmed to pitch black.

For the millions of viewers glued to their screens, the emotional whiplash was relentless.

Another massive wave of question marks and screaming emojis swept through the chat room.

Even Fu Xuan, Topaz, and the seasoned trailblazers on the Astral Express, who had been analyzing every frame of this broadcast, had not anticipated that there was still more content hidden up the producer’s sleeve.

Whoosh—!

The silence of the black screen was broken by the heavy, rhythmic sound of ocean waves crashing against a desolate shore.

“The four hundred and sixth funeral…”

The words faded into the center of the screen, written in elegant, mournful calligraphy, accompanied by Castorice’s cold, hollow voiceover.

“The relics left behind by those with no one to claim them have already filled the grand cabinets.”

“In the suffocating, uncommunicative air, I sit alone, reading the fragmented pasts of the deceased.”

[Explosive! The production value on this is absolutely explosive! The Author is insane!]

[Why does the quality and content output keep increasing instead of dropping after two major updates? The Author is a literal god!]

[Is Castorice the Author’s favorite daughter or something? The amount of resources poured into her lore is clearly on a completely different level!]

[It is not just the lore resources! She gets two dedicated PVs, and her in-game power level is absolutely broken. I feel like every other DPS in the game pales in comparison to one scythe swing from Castorice!]

The players held their breath, their eyes glued to the hauntingly beautiful visuals of the brand-new PV.

“The five hundred and sixty-second funeral… I dreamed of a boundless sea of flowers…”

“The six hundred and seventy-fourth funeral… the war has never ceased. Death chases every living being across the land, swallowing them like a relentless black tide…”

“I can only run. Run with all my might, until—”