Where was he going?
Ha was going to defend the right of the people of Penacony to freely choose whether to move forward or stay where they are.
And this spirit has already been passed down to the new Nameless!
And this!
Is the Astral Express crew's answer to Sunday! And to the audience!
-------------------------------------
This scene contains far too much to talk about.
So much that it's not even enough for the audience to express it all through comments.
It's not a single emotional climax, but multiple.
Mikhail's personal charm.
The heroic act of giving his life for his beliefs.
And something even more romantic.
Under the shared belief of "Trailblazing", he can unconditionally trust juniors he knows nothing about, and firmly believe they will complete the cause he left unfinished.
He doesn't even know what race the other person is, whether they are a human or not, nor their background, just pure unconditional trust.
But as long as they are a Nameless, they are worthy of Mikhail's trust.
This feeling, hidden in the plot but fully conveyed to the audience, especially resonates deeply with some domestic viewers.
On such a foundation—
When the senior passes on his will without reservation to the Nameless, that emotion begins to violently strike the audience's hearts.
...
In the second livestream room, the sound of sobbing was coming in waves.
Rion took off his glasses and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with a tissue.
And beside him, Miss Yun was already crying like a fountain.
"Friends."
"That was incredible."
"As a veteran screenwriter who's been through countless stories, I couldn't help but tear up at this one."
Rion's voice had a bit of a choke, but more than that, it was satisfaction.
For someone like him, very few plot designs can still stir his emotions.
And this segment of Mikhail's allowed him to once again relive the overwhelming feeling he had when he first watched heroic dramas as a child.
After composing himself slightly, Rion looked at the sobbing Miss Yun beside him and found it amusing. He intentionally asked, "Miss Yun, what made you cry so hard?"
"Boohoo... I just... just thought it was so romantic."
Miss Yun looked distressed, and the originally graceful and literary aura shattered instantly.
But it made her seem somewhat adorable.
"At first, I felt sad because of Mikhail's story. It carried the kind of tragic beauty that belongs to heroes."
"But later I realized, this isn't twilight—it's hope. It's light hidden in the darkness, and it never fades."
"He waited for his juniors to come. His persistence has now created a hopeful situation for Penacony."
"This locomotive has already blazed a life of its own, and it even brought forth a clear path."
"Mikhail has no regrets, only resolve. What kind of spirit is that…"
"I can't take it, I'm about to cry again."
Miss Yun choked up again at this point.
Rion quickly handed her a tissue, but she waved it away.
Seemingly having let go completely, Miss Yun stammered on: "The Trailblazing spirit Mikhail inherited from the Navigator has now, through twists and turns, returned to the Nameless on the Express in Penacony—just like he said, a life of twists and turns, eventually returns to the starting point."
"But this starting point is also a new box of hope."
"Boohoo, so romantic. I want to become a Nameless too, boohoo."
By the end, Miss Yun was crying so hard she could barely breathe.
Even the viewers in the livestream, who were originally heartbroken, suddenly weren't so sad anymore.
...
: Damn, I was already crying uncontrollably, but when I saw how hard Miss Yun was crying, I just couldn't help but laugh—crying and laughing at the same time.
: This is the kind of emotion MiHoYo brings us—whether happy or sad, it's just an exquisite experience!
: But what Miss Yun said was really fresh—it made me feel something I hadn't noticed before!
: It is romantic. It feels like fate's choice... on such a grand stage, like an epic opera of destiny.
: All I can say is, not watching Honkai: Star Rail is truly a loss.
...
Looking at the bullet comments, Rion shook his head and added:
"Actually, there's still so much more worth discussing about this scene—for example, how MiHoYo fused so many complex emotions together, yet presented them perfectly, without chaos."
"This ability alone is worth diving deep into."
"But now is not the time. What comes next—the confrontation between the Nameless and Sunday—is even more important."
As the teacher's words ended, on screen, the memory of the Nameless' encounter with Mikhail was drawing to a close.
The soft trumpet was now drowned out by the more complex and majestic strings.
Even musically, it was clear the story was transitioning from Mikhail's conclusion to a new, grander chapter.
"From here on, it's your path."
As Mikhail's voice faded, the camera shifted from behind the character "Stelle" to show the scene.
The once dashing girl, now fading, wore a determined expression. She stood up, tightly gripped the top hat that emerged from Mikhail's dream bubble, and then placed it on her head.
As Stelle put on the hat, a sudden spotlight lit up the scene.
Beneath the bright light, Sunday looked down from above, while Stelle, gripping the hat brim, hid her eyes.
Clockie jumped out angrily from behind Stelle's feet.
The violin surged even more intensely.
"Trailblazing— Is walking further along a path where none have gone before."
Stelle's voice echoed around them.
Himeko, March 7th, and Firefly, all followed behind Stelle, walking forward.
There was no excessive dramatization, but each of their backs, in the viewers' eyes, was already that of legendary heroes.
Firefly and March 7th exchanged a glance, then nodded to Stelle.
Himeko also came up and stood on Stelle's left, nodding in acknowledgment.
This scene finally made Sunday take them seriously.
He already understood the intentions of the Nameless.
But he was still waiting—waiting for them to state their choice.
When everyone stood in a row, fearlessly facing Sunday, Stelle finally adjusted her hat and revealed the determined look in her eyes.
"The Penacony of Mikhail's dreams— Will never belong to Order!"
At that moment, the Trailblazing symphony reached a climactic peak.
In a blaze of radiance, a tall, great, and benevolent cosmic being cast her gaze from the depths of space.
Xipe opened Their arms, with endless radiant harmonies flashing endlessly behind Their head.
Just like always, when an Aeon casts their gaze—They said nothing, only looked on with eyes full of boundless gentleness that could embrace all.
...
: Holy crap! Xipe!
: The Aeon has cast Their gaze!
: This is the first time Xipe has opened her eyes! In earlier releases, she always had them closed!
: Looks like Stelle's declaration gained Xipe's full approval!
:Oh my god, the music of the Trailblaze suddenly ascends, and then the moment Xipe appears, the whole scene is full of grandeur.
: This plot—absolutely no dull moments! It's so damn amazing!
: Destruction, Preservation, Harmony—it's the power of the three paths!
: Looks like Episode 3 is finally reaching its climax. Next up is the boss fight, right?
: Charge, Stelle! Beat Sunday and bring Episode 3 to a glorious end!
...
The gaze of Harmony confirmed that the plot had reached the peak at the clinic!
And under the light of Harmony—
Sunday's originally indifferent expression finally wavered.
He slightly opened his mouth, snapped out of the emotions of the performance influenced by the team.
"That Aeon actually cast a gaze toward Penacony at this moment. Is it a resonance with the legacy of Trailblazing? Or could it be that your tacit understanding has moved even an Aeon?"
Sunday showed a trace of confusion in his eyes, but it was quickly suppressed.
Xipe's gaze implied multiple meanings, but in truth, it meant only one thing—Awakening.
This is the first time something happened in Penacony that exceeded his expectations.
"In my opinion, there's another possibility."
Himeko gave a different answer: "Perhaps even They want to know whose hands Penacony's future will fall into. To bear witness to the Trailblazing of Akivili and the consequences caused by the funeral of fate."
It was just a brief moment.
But their interpretations of Xipe's gaze were completely different.
Sunday's was more aggressive.
Whereas Himeko's answer was very simple, yet widely accepted by the audience.
...
: Brother Sunday is great in every way, except he overthinks. Personally, I agree with Himeko—Xipe's gaze might just be that simple.
: After all, it's Harmony. That one can even accept traitors.
: I really get the feeling that every time an Aeon casts a gaze, it's a hidden plot point from miHoYo. Whether it's Destruction, Preservation, or now Harmony, whenever they gaze down, something significant happens.
: Isn't this scene especially fitting for Harmony's path?
: I mean, could it be possible that Harmony; Xipe looked over just for entertainment?
: Bro, what are you saying? Since when did Joy become part of Harmony?
: No, hear me out—didn't Himeko mention the meeting between Akivili and the Order Ena? Isn't the current situation exactly a confrontation between Sunday (representing Order) and the Nameless (representing Trailblazing)? So if Harmony is watching now, it's like they're just enjoying the drama.
: Damn it… Joy, don't pollute my sacred image of Harmony in my mind. Get out!
...
As the barrage debated the reason for Harmony's gaze—
On screen, Sunday had already calmed his emotions.
For him, no matter what happens, the mighty shield has reached the arena.
What follows is nothing more than two possibilities:
He wins, or he loses.
"In that case, as the Dream Master of Penacony, I, on behalf of the House of Oak, formally issue this invitation."
Sunday, with one hand behind his back, approached the Express crew and gently said: "We sincerely invite you to the Grand Theater of Penacony to attend the upcoming Charmony Festival. Of course, the place for you is center stage."
"This concerns the Stellaron, Penacony, and even the future of the galaxy. For fairness' sake, let's settle it there."
"Since you firmly believe in the path of Akivili, then show your courage and wisdom."
He spoke with poise—
It looked like a normal invitation.
But everyone present and the viewers knew:
This was a formal declaration of battle.
The dispute over the path must end in a fight to the death.
After speaking, Sunday brushed past Harmony and left directly.
As for why he didn't start the fight right here—
It's simple.
Both sides' goals are the Stellaron.
But the Stellaron isn't here.
If a fight broke out and suddenly Joy's wild girl with twin tails popped out, snatched the Stellaron, and even taunted the House of Oak after stealing it, who would Sunday blame then?
Likewise, if the Dream Master blew up the Stellaron during the duel here, it'd be over.
Emotionally and rationally, the battle must happen at the Stellaron's location.
That's why the Express crew didn't object.
After Sunday left—
March 7th stood with her hands on her hips and pouted: "What's with that guy's attitude? Suddenly talking about fairness. He probably never took us seriously."
"I sense strong conviction and a desire to dominate from him. If we don't win fairly and squarely, even I would feel that his path holds some merit."
Himeko shook her head and explained to March 7th.
"Hmph, whatever!"
"But the Harmony Aeon just cast a gaze at us! We all felt it. Stelle, something changed about you."
March 7th quickly left Sunday behind and turned excitedly toward Stelle: "Tell me! What changed? Hurry up!"
Firefly and Himeko also looked over with curiosity.
Everyone knew Stelle was special.
But this was an Aeon's gaze. Like before, it might bring new hope to the coming battle.
"Ah… I don't know."
"Harmony didn't tell me anything."
Stelle scratched their head awkwardly and said: "Actually, I was just about to go head-to-head with him, but then he suddenly decided not to fight."
"Hey!"
"You always get cold feet before a battle. At least make up something to fool us!"
March 7th stomped angrily but then cheered herself up with hands on hips: "Anyway, we even dealt with the Lord Ravager before. Order's nothing!"
As the Express crew joked and teased—
The viewers had already put on their pain masks.
...
: Goddammit! Even now we have to cut the scene? We have to wait till the fight to see Stelle's new powers, huh?!
: Ahhh I want to see Harmony's new blessing now! We got the bat from Destruction and the spear from Preservation—what's Harmony's thing?! Just tell me already!
: Damn, there must be some secret cult members among the devs! We need to storm MiHoYo HQ immediately!
: Show me Stelle's new powers, I'm dying of anticipation!
...
As the barrage flew across the screen—
Silent until now, Firefly walked toward Stelle with a hint of sorrow and melancholy.
And with her first words, viewers felt a second wave of emotion,
"I have to say goodbye to you all."
"Because I'm about to greet my death once again..."
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Hello Everyone, LordIsland here!
An extra chapter because I got Skirk in Genshin, cheers !!
And hope you also get her !!
[Spoilers] How many of you completed the Genshin 5.7 main quest 'A space and time for you' and how did you feel?
Also let me know if any translators have dropped any good novels and I'll see if I can pick them as part of the poll !!