Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider! [35]

The Doomsday Beast—soldier of the Antimatter Legion, a living weapon devoid of sentience. That was the universal consensus across the cosmos.

It acted on instinct alone: destroy planets, erase civilizations, fight to the bitter end until its body collapsed into dust.

Some had even captured Doomsday Beasts and conducted extensive research. Yet, every study had yielded the same conclusion:

They were created by the Antimatter Legion—pure, biological weapons of war.

Because they were weapons, their actions were driven entirely by the antimatter engine at their core.

Because they were weapons, they had no need for emotion—only the will to obey commands.

And yet now, Sora stood face to face with a Doomsday Beast that… showed emotion.

Its enormous body was covered in scars—remnants of fierce battles against its own kind.

It crouched low, its towering frame looming, and reached out a hand toward the terrified young girl before it, emitting one low, trembling growl after another.

And when that growl reached Sora's ears—it wasn't just noise.

Despite the static and interference, the meaning came through clearly.

"Don't… be afraid."

The creature's intelligence seemed minimal, as if it only knew how to repeat the phrase.

It had no idea what to do, and could only stare as Anna flinched away in fear.

But the concern behind its voice was unmistakable.

Sora looked at the beast, his finger easing slightly off the trigger.

Could it be… because this planet's lifeforms were born from the body of Lord Ravager… that they were resistant to the Doomsday Beasts' full corruption?

Was that how this one retained even a fragment of self-awareness?

"…Sora…"

He could hear her, but no one else could hear what the beast had said.

Robin, visibly shaken, took slow steps backward.

The memory of the ship's destruction still haunted her, and now that monstrous claw hovered near Anna—it was too easy to imagine it piercing through her.

And in this moment, there was only one person she could call out to.

"Don't panic," Sora said calmly, stepping between the girls and the beast. His presence instantly restored a sense of safety.

Seeing the red-and-blue figure standing protectively—HeatTrigger—the Doomsday Beast's growl changed again.

"Threat… eliminate… protect… destroy…"

Everyone could see it. The creature was preparing to attack. It raised its left claw, as if to crush Sora where he stood.

But Sora just smiled, utterly unfazed.

"Anna, take my hand."

"Eh?!"

His sudden request startled everyone. No one knew what he was thinking.

But… remembering what the Doomsday Beast had done earlier, Anna hesitated only briefly before stepping forward and taking Sora's hand.

And then—

To everyone's astonishment—the massive claw that had risen into the air froze, suspended mid-swing.

"Do you still remember how to communicate with the planet's consciousness?"

"I do."

"Then try it—see if you can reach this guy."

"...Huh?!"

Anna was caught off guard. She hadn't expected that at all.

She didn't understand why he was doing this, but if it was Sora asking—even if it amounted to nothing, she'd still try.

She raised her token. The silver bullet in her hand shimmered, drawing everyone's attention.

A soft light pulsed from the bullet, and Anna felt a strange, indescribable sensation.

A voice—wordless but weighty—was reaching out to her.

"Danger… safe… friend… enemy…"

Words, concepts, floated from the beast's mind—fragmented, as if it were trying to judge. To think.

But the thoughts were too chaotic for her to decipher completely.

Still—there was one thing she now understood:

She could communicate with it.

Robin, meanwhile, was more confused than ever.

Sora's… trying to talk to a Doomsday Beast? That's insane. Everyone knows they don't have consciousness. That's common knowledge across the galaxy.

Why waste the effort?

And then, before she could process further—the Doomsday Beast relaxed its tense posture, and extended its other claw.

Palm wide open.

Like it was inviting the three of them to climb on.

Robin fell silent.

She stared at the open palm, momentarily lost for words.

What the hell…

Huh?

"Come on," Sora said, voice light. "Looks like we've got ourselves a ride."

His words snapped Robin out of it. She blinked in disbelief at the Doomsday Beast's outstretched hand.

The same hand that once shattered cities and crushed life beneath it—now an offer of safe passage.

Somewhere inside her, a bit of her long-held fear cracked, ever so slightly.

The three of them climbed into the beast's palm and began their journey toward the royal palace.

From a distance, the palace now resembled a crumbling mountain of ruins.

Some of the debris came from the palace itself, but much of it had been added by the Doomsday Beast—heaping wreckage from other buildings atop it.

"It said… it wants to restore it… to make it safe again." Anna's voice trembled with emotion.

Restore it, huh?

Sora didn't comment.

He simply asked the beast to start digging through the rubble.

That's where the final bullet had to be.

The Doomsday Beast obeyed without hesitation. In moments, its massive claws stirred up plumes of smoke and dust.

Sora switched back to Cyclone, clearing a pocket of clean air around them with a gust of wind.

Robin joined in, channeling Harmony to ease the pressure building in Sora's body.

"Thanks," he said. The pressure wasn't too bad—but the relief still felt incredible.

"Come on, don't mention it. This is what I'm here for," Robin replied with a bright smile.

Time passed.

The artificial mountain of debris slowly shrank beneath the beast's relentless excavation.

At this rate, they'd soon reach the remnants of the palace proper.

But just then—the beast froze.

Its body tensed, gaze snapping toward something hidden in the rubble.

Its posture shifted—defensive, hostile.

Something was there. And it wasn't friendly.

Without hesitation, Sora moved.

He slotted a Memory into his gun.

"[Trigger! Maximum Drive!]"

At this point, everyone on the planet should've been preparing to evacuate. No one was supposed to be here.

Which meant—enemy.

Sora pulled the trigger.

A powerful vortex burst from the barrel, tearing through the air toward the dark shape concealed in the ruins.

But—

The emerald energy bullet struck an invisible wall and dissipated with no effect, like it had hit a forcefield.

A smooth, amused voice rang out from the shadows:

"Now, now. No need to be so aggressive, outsider."