Honkai Star Rail: Saving the World with a Mobile Game — Chapter 89

Chapter 89: May Your Truth Transcend the Divine and Enlighten the Stars

Anaxa strode forward, a faint, triumphant smile gracing his lips. He looked like a man standing at the absolute zenith of the world.

[Fire Chasing, really? Anaxa actually chose the Journey of Chasing the Fire?!]

[We won? We just won like that? But why did he choose that!]

The moment the Ostracon was cast in favor of the Journey of Chasing the Fire, the livestream chat exploded. From a purely gameplay perspective, no one had believed the Author would actually dare to terminate the Fire Chasing storyline. But from a narrative standpoint, there was no doubt that Anaxa had absolutely no logical reason to support it.

And yet…

Faced with Caenis’s harsh questioning, the reasoning Anaxa delivered left countless viewers completely stunned.

He never cared whether the world marched toward the Journey of Chasing the Fire or regressed into the Golden Age, nor did he need to put on a grand act. He only believed in one thing: the truth. He didn’t side with Fire Chasing out of blind faith, but because he had carefully deciphered its core and found it to be the obvious truth.

After the vote concluded, Anaxa fully embraced his role as the “great performer.” He didn’t rail against the Golden Age; instead, he turned his sharp tongue on the very citizens who supported Fire Chasing.

“Out of everyone present, how many of you dare to swear to Kephale that the end of Re-creation will truly bring a brave new world free of calamity and madness, exactly as the Chrysos Heirs claim?” His voice echoed across the assembly. “You there, acting so deep—do you dare to swear an oath before everyone here? Or you, with that utterly foolish look on your face—do you dare to beat your chest and guarantee it before the Titan?”

He scoffed, his tone dripping with aristocratic disdain. “Hmph. Useless!”

Then, Anaxa chuckled softly. “But I, Anaxagoras of the Grove of Epiphany, shall tell you this: everything promised by the Journey of Chasing the Fire is an absolute certainty!”

The players beyond the screen were left completely dumbfounded. Anaxa’s popularity skyrocketed to an unmatched peak in that single moment.

[Holy crap, that was so satisfying! That verbal thrashing was a masterpiece!]

[The character arcs in this game rival reality itself! Anaxa’s charisma is off the charts!]

[He only ever believes in the truth and himself. Even if they walk the same path, in Anaxa’s eyes, the others seeking Fire Chasing are just blind fools.]

[He is neither black nor white, simply because truth has no color. I’m pulling for him! I have to pull for him after a finale like that!]

Guinaifen sat frozen in her streaming chair, thoroughly shocked. Or rather, she was caught between sheer surprise and overwhelming delight. Delight because the Journey of Chasing the Fire would continue; having immersed herself so deeply in the story, she couldn’t bear for it to end here. Surprise because she never anticipated that Anaxa’s ultimate goal was to prove his truth right here at the Citizens Assembly.

Even if the citizens of Okhema still harbored doubts, it didn’t matter.

Anaxa had proven the truth that the Chrysos Heirs would become the new Titans in his own twisted way—by fusing his very soul with a Titan.

The act horrified everyone present. This blatant blasphemy simultaneously dragged the corrupt Senate down with him, leaving them all to be judged and sentenced by Aglaea.

Without a doubt, this Citizens Assembly was a tragic victory.

Except…

Anaxa, now a condemned blasphemer, faced the penalty of death.

“Regarding Anaxagoras of the Grove of Epiphany, he is charged with grave desecration against Kephale,” Aglaea’s voice rang out, solemn and heavy. “But before the death sentence is carried out, the executioner shall have the right to listen to the unanimous cheers of the crowd to obtain a lighter sentence, and…”

Though the two had never seen eye to eye, Aglaea was actively trying to fight for a glimmer of hope for him.

Unfortunately, her efforts were drowned out by the mountain-shaking roars of the citizens. Every single voice demanded blood.

“Death! Death!”

“Death! Death!”

Facing the collective mockery and wrath, Anaxa merely continued to laugh. He offered no defense. Even this final, fatal sentence was entirely within his calculations.

Aglaea and Phainon exchanged a heavy glance, both falling into a suffocating silence. This was a desperate, inescapable checkmate.

“Based on the results of the cheers…” Aglaea closed her eyes briefly. “By Talanton, may you bring him the fate of death…”

Anaxa’s banner officially went live. While the previous version’s plot had heavily focused on Castorice, this concluding wave propelled Anaxa’s banner to an unimaginably extraordinary success.

[Cosmic Shards +500]

[Cosmic Shards +500]

[Cosmic Shards…]

Watching the massive influx of Cosmic Shards flood his interface, Ash became wealthy overnight. A deep sense of satisfaction washed over him.

[System Notification: The exchangeable version content has been updated: Version 3.3 ‘Falling When the Dawn Rises’.]

[Exchange? Yes/No]

“‘Falling When the Dawn Rises’, huh?” Ash murmured. “Exchange!”

He confirmed the selection without hesitation. After securing all the content for the upcoming version, Ash opened the group chat.

Phainon and the others, having returned from their respective dives, were already active.

[Phainon: Hahaha, did he really scold both the proponents and opponents at the Citizens Assembly? It feels exactly like something Teacher Anaxa would do.]

[Anaxa:…]

[Anaxa: Phainon? It seems you all have returned one by one.]

[Phainon: Yes, Teacher. Teacher Tribios should be the last to return. She said something about… having to deal with a certain pink-haired girl.]

[Cyrene: Cyrene_is_confused.jpg]

[Phainon: How is it, Teacher? Are you adjusting well? It’s about to be your busiest time.]

[Anaxa: Anaxa_facepalm.jpg]

[Anaxa: Don’t make me do such stupid things again. I’ve really had enough.]

[Anaxa: Why is there a version specifically for me? Wouldn’t it be better to give all the spotlight to Castorice?]

[Hyacine: Hehe, although you say that, I actually noticed that as soon as Teacher Anaxa returned, he immediately started following his own subsequent plot, right?]

[Hyacine: I’ve been keeping an eye on your account’s online status this whole time~]

[Aglaea: Sigh. Even though the great performer acts that way verbally, his actual actions are quite honest.]

[Aglaea: Sorry everyone, I just got back.]

[Anaxa: Hyacine, why are even you…]

Anaxa swiped at his stone slab, his eyelids drooping slightly. He tilted his head back, letting out a long, heavy sigh before continuing to read the teasing messages.

[Hyacine: Heh~ Teacher Anaxa always says that, but I actually feel what Gray Treasure did was very real.]

[Hyacine: Saying you don’t like it, that you’re disgusted, that you don’t need it… it’s actually just because you wanted to give the chance for fame and advancement to our little butterfly, right?]

[Hyacine: After all, every story here is already becoming famous throughout the galaxy…]

[Phainon: Haha, Hyacine has a point. Teacher Anaxa, just admit it. I’m looking forward to our next time on stage together!]

Reading this, Anaxa’s finger hovered over the screen for a few seconds. He just stared quietly at the glowing text. Then, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he shook his head in helpless amusement.

“Really…”

[Anaxa: Fine, say whatever you want. Just assume I’m very satisfied with the plot.]

[Anaxa: But speaking of which, although I don’t really care for these formalities… Hyacine, there’s something I need to discuss with you privately.]

[Phainon:?]

[Castorice:?]

[Hyacine: Understood, Teacher Anaxa! You don’t want to learn how to… send some kind of gift to Gray Treasure too, do you?!]

[Hyacine: Little_Ika_happy.jpg]

[Your friend Anaxa has gone offline.]

[Aglaea:?]

[Cipher:?]

Seeing the chat activity from the city of Okhema, Ash thought for a moment. He reached out, his hand dipping into a rift in time itself to pull out a specific item.

It was a stack of cards. Tarot cards.

Without a doubt, they were the very same ones he had written into the lore, and Ash specifically drew out The Hanged Man.

According to his own design notes, this card belonged to Anaxa. The annotations on the margins described the core meaning of The Hanged Man: wisdom and sacrifice, mirrored by the bound hands of the figure on the card.

It was a perfect correspondence. At first, people thought Anaxa had disguised himself solely to aid the Journey of Chasing the Fire, actively sacrificing himself to overthrow Caenis. But as the plot unfolded, everyone realized he truly didn’t believe in blind faith; he was willing to join Fire Chasing simply because it aligned with his own absolute truth.

But only Ash knew the full picture.

In reality, both aspects were equally important to him. This was the real Anaxagoras. He would verbally tear down everyone present, including Aglaea and Phainon, yet in the end, for the sake of that truth and for the Journey of Chasing the Fire, he voluntarily sacrificed everything.

He even paid the ultimate price with his own life.

Ash looked back at the chat where Castorice was still sending confused question marks. He couldn’t help but turn his gaze toward the distant, glittering stars.

“Anaxagoras,” Ash murmured softly into the quiet night. “May your ‘Truth’ ultimately enlighten the stars.”