Honkai Star Rail: Summoning the Chrysos Heirs — Chapter 4

Chapter 4: PhainonYou're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

The blinding golden light cascaded around Cyrene, scattering into the endless starry void. Heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoed from the heart of the fading radiance. A tall, imposing figure stepped out from the dying embers of the summoning flare.

It was a young man.

His white robes were as pristine as untouched snow, and his golden armor easily outshone the brightest sun. The complex sun patterns carved into his pauldrons flowed with a molten, lava-like luster under the ambient starlight. Two diametrically opposed auras—absolute holiness and absolute destruction—merged perfectly within his form, radiating a suffocating, heavy pressure that weighed down the very air.

He slowly raised his eyes. Deep within his pupils, the complex and magnificent Kephale patterns rotated with a quiet, ancient majesty.

His right hand hung loosely at his side, gripping the hilt of a greatsword nearly as tall as a person—”Morning Invader.” The heavy tip of the blade pointed toward the non-existent ground beneath their feet, emitting a cold, heart-stopping glint.

Cyrene’s breath hitched in her throat.

This image, this exact face, had long been permanently etched into her retinas through countless days and nights of staring at a screen.

“Phainon?!”

The exclamation escaped her lips before she could stop it.

Hearing that familiar name, the imposing young man paused. The terrifying, destructive aura swirling in his eyes rapidly receded. The cold, hard lines of his face softened into something entirely human as he offered Cyrene a slight, respectful nod.

[Summoning Complete. Entity: Phainon.]

The cold, mechanical voice of the System chimed in just in time, snapping Cyrene out of her daze. Just as the notification faded from her mind, a gentle voice washed over her.

“Cyrene. Long time no see.”

Phainon raised a hand toward her, offering a warm, genuine smile. His movements were as natural and effortless as an old friend who had merely parted ways the day before.

But Cyrene instinctively shrank back, feeling as though she had been scalded by that sudden warmth.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself for this exact moment before pressing the gacha button, and even though she knew full well this was a recollected character born from the System… when the man who shared the absolute deepest bond with Cyrene in the game’s lore actually stood before her in the flesh, the sheer impact of the dimensional wall shattering left her brain completely stalled.

This was Phainon. The very same Phainon who, in the original plot, had endured over thirty million cycles of agonizing reincarnation just to save Amphoreus, ultimately standing alone against the gods themselves.

Cyrene opened her mouth, but her tongue felt like lead. She couldn’t force a single word out. Panic setting in, she lowered her head, staring blankly at her bare toes while her fingers nervously twisted the fabric of her skirt.

She wasn’t the real Cyrene of Amphoreus. How was she supposed to look him in the eye?

Frantic thoughts raced through her mind, but Phainon seemed to immediately sense the girl’s inner turmoil.

With a casual flick of his wrist, the massive greatsword that had been radiating such terrifying pressure dissolved into countless, harmless golden specks of light. Unarmed and entirely unthreatening, Phainon slowly closed the distance between them.

He stopped just a step away. A broad, incredibly warm palm gently came to rest on Cyrene’s slight shoulder.

Feeling the weight and heat of his hand, Cyrene’s body stiffened. She slowly forced herself to look up.

Meeting her gaze were Phainon’s eyes—eyes that seemed to reflect an entire galaxy. There was no scrutiny in them, no cold distance, and no judgment. There was only absolute acceptance.

“Cyrene, do not be nervous.” Phainon’s voice was incredibly soft, speaking as though he were afraid of startling a frightened animal. “I originate from your Remembrance. Because of that, I know everything.”

He paused, his gentle gaze sweeping over Cyrene’s signature diamond-shaped pupils.

“No matter how you have changed inside, you are still Cyrene. Just treat me as a newly met companion. Is that alright?”

Having offered that comfort, he deliberately took a half-step back, creating a safe, respectful social distance between them. Then, with absolute solemnity, he extended his right hand.

“Hello. I am Phainon. I look forward to your guidance from now on.”

[He is right.]

The System’s voice spoke up in her mind, entirely matter-of-fact.

Hearing Phainon’s gentle reassurance and the System’s blunt confirmation, the tightly wound nerves in Cyrene’s chest finally began to slacken. She took a slow, deep breath, forcing her frantic heartbeat to steady.

It made sense. The System had explicitly stated that these recollected characters would be her most trustworthy partners in this world. If she started drowning in doubt and imposter syndrome right at the initial meeting, how could they ever build real trust?

Steeling her resolve, Cyrene reached out and firmly grasped Phainon’s large, lightly calloused hand.

The very moment their palms connected, an inexplicable, grounding sense of stability spread up her arm and washed through her entire body. She forced the corners of her mouth up, managing a relatively natural smile.

“Hello. I am Cyrene. From now on… I look forward to your guidance as well.”and support the real translator.Read at elysianreads.com This is a stolen translation. You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

With the simple handshake ceremony out of the way, Cyrene quickly slipped into her role as the mastermind and began inquiring about Phainon’s current physical condition.

Once he finished explaining his status, Cyrene rubbed her chin, her eyes narrowing in thought.

“So you’re saying your current strength is severely diminished? You can only tap into a small fraction of your actual power?”

“Yes,” Phainon nodded calmly. “I only retain basic control over my original abilities.”

To demonstrate, he simply clenched his fingers. The air around them vibrated violently, and a rushing stream of golden particles instantly converged in his grip. The heavy greatsword, “Morning Invader,” solidified in his palm once more.

While the weapon’s aura was still undeniably impressive, Cyrene’s sharp eyes immediately noticed that the golden light running along the blade was significantly dimmer than when he had first stepped out of the summoning flare.

“But do not worry.” Phainon twirled the massive weapon with a single hand, handling the crushing weight as easily as if it were a dry twig. “My base physical attributes remain intact. Combined with Morning Invader, dealing with a few ordinary Black Tide creations will be more than enough.”

Cyrene looked up at the empty void. “System, what exactly is going on with his power?”

[Due to your current energy level being too low, you cannot sustain the descent of a character in their complete, unsealed form.]

The System’s answer was as watertight and mechanical as ever.

[However, this state is not irreversible. Once you obtain ‘Memory Traces,’ you can inject them directly into the character. As these Memory Traces accumulate, the character’s original strength will gradually be unsealed.]

“Got it.” Cyrene nodded, a spark of understanding in her eyes. ‘So it’s basically feeding them Memory Traces like experience books. A classic growth mechanic.’

Having figured out the core gameplay loop of her new reality, Cyrene’s mood lifted considerably. She glanced around at the eternal, sprawling starry sky. While the view was undeniably magnificent, the bone-chilling, absolute silence of the void was starting to make her skin crawl.

“System, I accept the Deliverance mission, and I will collect those Memory Traces. Now, can you let me out of here first?” She rubbed her arms, trying to ward off the phantom chill. “Staying in this place for too long is just depressing.”

[Correction: I am not keeping you here. You have always held the highest authority over this space.]

[Simply recite ‘Exit Physical Data Space’ in your mind to return to reality at any time.]

Cyrene stopped rubbing her arms and turned her gaze to the imposing knight standing patiently nearby. “What about him? Can he come out with me?”

Phainon offered a slight, reassuring nod, silently confirming that he could follow her lead.

“I understand.” Satisfied, Cyrene closed her eyes. ‘Exit Physical Data Space.’

The very moment the thought crossed her mind, that familiar, stomach-dropping sensation of weightlessness struck her again. The brilliant galaxy before her receded at terrifying speed, and her vision was instantly swallowed by thick, suffocating darkness, feeling exactly like falling backward into the deep sea.

But the disorientation only lasted for a fraction of a second.

The sensation of solid ground returned to her feet. The smell of the cold, sterile vacuum vanished, replaced by the faint, comforting sweet fragrance that belonged entirely to her own bedroom.

Cyrene opened her eyes.

Pinkish-blue curtains, a thoroughly messy large bed, and a ceiling light that had already been switched off greeted her vision. She was back in the real world.

“Phew… this place still looks the most comfortable.” Cyrene let out a long, heavy sigh, muttering softly to herself in the dim light.

Just then, the air directly beside her rippled outward like a stone dropped into a calm pond. Space itself distorted, and a tall, slender figure stepped effortlessly out from the spatial ripples.

Phainon stood in the center of her bedroom. His magnificent, glowing golden armor and the massive, lethal greatsword resting in his grip looked completely, utterly out of place against the backdrop of her pink, girlish room.

Before Cyrene could even open her mouth to complain about the violently jarring visual contrast, the System’s voice abruptly exploded deep within her mind.

[Initial guidance completed.]

[Anomaly Detector activated.]

A faint, sharp sound of electric current flashed through her ears.

Before Cyrene’s eyes, that semi-transparent blue panel materialized once more. The originally empty interface shifted rapidly, transforming into a highly detailed circular radar map.

At the very center of the radar was a steady green dot, representing her current location.

And just to the southeast, dangerously close to that green dot, a glaring red dot was flashing frantically.You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.