The Lightning-Lord's blade came crashing down.
In the midst of that golden radiance stood Jing Yuan, his eyes now wide open! He spared a quick glance at Yanqing to ensure the boy was unharmed before his gaze swept across the gathered crowd.
To his left stood Jingliu, her presence radiating a bone-chilling cold. The black ribbon across her face hid those eyes, which in his memories, had always been as vibrant as red agates. Jing Yuan's lips twitched, but in the end, he didn't call out the name of her identity.
When his eyes fell upon the man standing beside Jingliu, the turmoil in his heart instantly settled into a cold stillness.
"It's you..."
"The General and I have never met, yet you recognize me. I am truly flattered, Luocha," the man said with a faint, self-deprecating smile.
"I don't just recognize you; I'm quite familiar with you," Jing Yuan replied. "A friend once told me that someone like you has a seventy percent chance of being a great villain. And if you happen to possess extraordinary power, that probability doubles."
"Doubles?" Luocha chuckled softly. "Then in the General's eyes, I must be a truly irreredeemable monster."
Jing Yuan didn't pursue the conversation. He turned his head toward the three people on the other side.
"Stellaron Hunters. Quite a grand entrance, deploying three of you at once."
The Lightning-Lord's earlier strike had interrupted Blade. Blade had been ready to launch a reckless assault on Jing Yuan, but Kafka had whispered something in his ear, causing him to settle down.
Blade spoke in a low, gravelly voice. "Jing Yuan. Of five people... three of us are here. There is still one more. Where... is he?"
Jing Yuan sighed. "He... will not be coming."
Upon hearing this, the blood-red light in Blade's eyes flickered and dimmed. He looked disappointed, even a bit lost.
Jing Yuan struck while the iron was hot. "Blade, Kafka, Silver Wolf... the three of you are wanted criminals with astronomical bounties placed on your heads by the IPC. However, today, I can choose to look the other way and let you leave."
Blade remained expressionless. Yanqing, hearing that Jing Yuan intended to let these major criminals walk free, looked like he was on the verge of tears from frustration. But Jing Yuan raised a hand, signaling that he had his own reasons.
Blade's gaze shifted to Jingliu. Even behind her blindfold, Jingliu clearly felt the weight of that look.
"My presence here today has nothing to do with you," she said coldly.
The atmosphere grew incredibly stiff, the air so cold it felt as though layers of frost were forming in the lungs.
"Boring," Blade spat out. He turned around, preparing to leave the area. "Kafka. When we get back, ask Elio for me... when the next script involving 'that person' will take place."
"Of course," Kafka replied.
Jing Yuan watched the three of them depart, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. The situation was already difficult enough. Thankfully, he had gotten the Stellaron Hunters out of the way first. Now, he could focus entirely on Jingliu and this Mister Luocha.
Meanwhile, on the other side of things...
Dan Heng's group was entirely unaware of the situation within the Shackling Prison as they sped toward it.
Inside the starskiff, March 7th couldn't help but marvel, "I never would've guessed that Danshu was actually the Master of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus! When I was traveling with her before, I really thought she was a good person!"
"I wonder if the Seat of Divine Foresight can use the game's plot to arrest Danshu in time?" Stelle added.
Tingyun, who was at the helm of the starskiff, gave a beautiful smile. "Miss March 7th is quite innocent, isn't she? Even though the Master of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus cannot see, she is incredibly sharp in other ways. She's likely heard the commotion and fled long ago. After all, the crime of 'betrayal' carries a very heavy price."
March 7th looked thoughtful. "That makes sense, Miss Tingyun."
Just then, Mr. Yang lightly pushed up his glasses. "It's quite impressive, Miss Tingyun. You're piloting the starskiff and yet you've managed to catch every detail of the plot broadcast. You even picked up on the specific detail that the Master was born blind. Your powers of observation are truly startling."
Tingyun replied in a tone that suggested it was only natural, "As an Amicassador for the merchant guild, I make my living by having 'ears in all directions and eyes in all corners.' Mr. Welt, please don't be too surprised!"
Mr. Yang nodded. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he said, "By the way, Miss Tingyun. In the game's story, ever since we arrived on the Xianzhou Luofu, you've accompanied the Astral Express crew everywhere. Even now, as we head to the Divination Commission to interrogate Kafka, you're still here. You certainly have a lot of 'screen time,' don't you?"
"Oh? Is that so?" Tingyun's ears twitched slightly. "I haven't tried the game yet, so I'm still quite confused about the details."
"Could it be that Miss Tingyun knows Yu Ling, the developer of Honkai: Star Rail? Perhaps Yu Ling gave you so much focus out of personal bias?"
"Oh, my... Mr. Welt, you flatter me too much. I'm already incredibly lucky to have met people as esteemed as the Nameless. How could I possibly know a famous game developer? If you keep teasing me, I won't be able to handle it."
Inside the starskiff, the atmosphere began to spiral into a strange, unsettling tension following Mr. Yang's questioning.
March 7th whispered to Stelle, "Hey, what's up with Mr. Yang? Why is he suddenly so curious about Miss Tingyun?"
Stelle scratched her head and whispered back suspiciously, "Do you think Mr. Yang has a crush on her? Should we try to help him out? Wait... AHHH!!!"
The starskiff suddenly began to vibrate violently. The entire cabin lurched! March 7th and Stelle were instantly thrown to the back of the cabin. Dan Heng managed to stay in place only by gripping his seat with one hand.
Mr. Yang, however, sat as still as a mountain. He was, in fact, a little too stable. His entire body was wrapped in a faint, dark red glow, and he remained completely motionless regardless of how much the starskiff bucked. It was as if gravity didn't apply to him at all.
He spoke calmly, "You... truly are a problem."
Tingyun, sitting at the front, had already abandoned the controls. Her aura had undergone a world-shaking transformation!
"Impressive. Truly impressive." Tingyun's voice was no longer soft and sweet; it now carried the resonance of cold jade and striking metal. She sounded like a queen.
Her body began to glow and rapidly dissipate into light. A ball of golden flame rose from within her.
At some point, Mr. Yang had produced his cane. He pressed his palm downward with force, and a miniature black hole instantly formed. However, while the golden flame looked solid, it was actually intangible, slipping through phase-space. It escaped the black hole's pull in an instant.
Her voice echoed through the cabin as she vanished. "I wanted to spend a little more time amusing myself with you all. Unfortunately, that pawn of Abundance was far too useless. Phantylia must take her leave now. I hope you enjoy playing with these... actors."
The starskiff lost power and began to tilt downward, threatening to collide with another starskiff on a different flight path. Welt tapped his cane lightly against the floor. An invisible force caught the vessel, guiding it to a steady, safe landing on the ground below.
"What... what just happened, Mr. Yang?!" March 7th cried out. "Miss Tingyun just... changed? Her body vanished, and what was that fire?"
"March, I'll explain later," Mr. Yang said, his eyes fixed on the sky. "The enemy is here."
Following his gaze, March 7th looked up. A massive black vortex had appeared in the sky, and monsters from the Antimatter Legion were pouring out of it!
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