Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider! [40]

Consciousness was sinking.

It was as if he were being pulled deeper into an ocean, thick and suffocating. The pressure of it all made it hard to breathe.

Then—light.

A single beam pierced the surrounding gloom, cutting through the heavy, syrupy water. It parted the sea around him, giving Sora room to breathe—room to rest.

That light gradually gathered into a figure standing not far from him.

[Guest from beyond the stars, open your eyes. I am Kaemomiar...]

At the voice's gentle call, Sora opened his weary eyes and saw the radiant silhouette.

It was the lingering will of the planet's fallen Galaxy Ranger—and the very presence that had intervened earlier to help him. Without that aid, he likely wouldn't have been able to drive Zulo back so decisively.

"…So it's you."

He closed his eyes again. He was still so tired. All he wanted was to sleep.

[Forgive me. This is the only way I can speak with you.]

"What do you need from me?" he asked, voice sluggish.

[Thank you—for helping us suppress Zulo's reawakening.]

Huh?

That caught his attention. He didn't understand.

A new image unfolded before him—just like the one he'd seen when witnessing the planet's origin.

It replayed his battle with Zulo, but from a different angle. Beneath the surface, another battlefield existed.

Black and white forces clashed endlessly, locked in a dead heat.

Then—when Sora used Fang's Maximum Drive—the balance shifted. The darkness faltered, as if stunned by the blow.

The light surged, gaining the upper hand, pushing the darkness back.

Though suppressed, the black force was still gathering energy, biding its time for another strike.

[That's why it's so desperate for external energy.]

So that's why the doomsday warning came so quickly…

[If the outside world falls, we won't be able to stop its return.]

"In other words," Sora murmured, "if we lose out there, you lose in here."

The glowing figure nodded, or rather—conveyed agreement through emotion.

[But if you can destroy its power outside, we can take the opportunity to crush it from within.]

"Ah. A pincer maneuver, huh?"

[Exactly. That's the only way to truly sever this planet from Zulo's grasp.]

[Only then will the countdown above every living being's head disappear for good.]

Sora nodded slowly. No matter what happened next, he would have to face Zulo again.

Defeating him was the only way to free this planet's people from the looming threat.

[Raise your dominant hand.]

He blinked. Then, slowly, raised his right.

The glowing figure extended a pulse of light—streams of energy flowed from it and into his hand.

A pattern appeared on the back of his hand: a bow and arrow etched in silver.

[With this, you can fire the Final Bullet.]

[But remember—Zulo is no ordinary opponent.]

Condensed information surged into his mind.

Former Lord Ravager. Former Vanguard General of the Antimatter Legion.

Zulo had worshipped the ideology of "destructive war," dragging civilizations into endless conflict just to watch them crumble.

He had ravaged the galaxy under Nanook's banner for thousands of years, annihilating countless star systems and civilizations—including the homeworld of one of the fallen Galaxy Rangers.

[He won't fall for the same trick twice. He's already preparing to intercept you.]

As a general, Zulo would never make the same mistake again.

[So prepare well. You'll only get one shot.]

The glowing figure began to dim, its radiance fading.

[The outside of the planet… we're leaving it to you.]

With that, the light vanished—merging with Sora's body.

And as the power filled him, the mental exhaustion vanished like mist in the sun.

He felt renewed—overflowing with energy.

"Don't worry."

I believe I'll see blue skies again, with flower garlands strung up high.

"That's the future I'm hoping for, too."

He clenched his fist.

And slowly opened his eyes.

Only to find a hawk... digging in his nose.

Xtreme: "Mii?" (You're awake?)

He sat up—and immediately spotted Fang still viciously attacking his pant leg.

You little—!

---

The survivors—who should have been packing and preparing for evacuation—were doing no such thing.

Instead, they had all gathered in front of the Doomsday Beast, which now sat quietly like a mountain at rest.

The very creature that had once symbolized planetary destruction… now waited calmly, even obediently.

A few braver children had even tried to touch it—before being quickly shooed away by the guards.

All of this played out beneath Robin's watchful gaze just outside the infirmary door.

None of the survivors had any idea that their world was now under a final countdown.

Anna had deliberately kept it secret to avoid panic.

Besides Sora and the small group who had gone to the palace, no one else knew the truth.

Maybe ignorance really is bliss, Robin thought with a heavy sigh. She had lost count of how many times she'd sighed that day.

Every time she imagined this planet's fate, the future felt darker.

"Hey, what's with all the gloom and doom?" came a familiar voice behind her.

Ouja approached, standing beside her.

"Got a minute?"

Robin smiled faintly at the familiar face. "Something up?"

"Some kids asked me to ask you something," Ouja said, her tone oddly serious.

"…What is it?"

"That big guy." Ouja pointed at the Doomsday Beast. "Can it… understand music?"

Music?

If it had been a normal Doomsday Beast, Robin would've said no without hesitation.

The Antimatter Legion only knew the tune of annihilation. They had no understanding of hope, much less of song.

But this one… was different. It understood speech. It had helped Sora.

"…It might," Robin finally said after a pause. "Yeah. I think it might."

"Got it." Ouja nodded seriously. "I'll go tell the kids."

But she didn't leave.

Instead, she stayed there beside Robin.

After a while, she murmured, "I heard you guys went through hell out there. Thanks."

Robin waved it off. "It wasn't a big deal. Sora and I chose to go."

But Ouja didn't let it go.

"The First Seat told me everything. Even… what's coming in a few days."

Robin went quiet.

"…And what do you think about it?" she asked.

As someone native to this world—what did Ouja think of the approaching doomsday?

Ouja paused. Her brain seemed to freeze for a moment.

"…I don't know." Simple. Direct. Very her.

Robin laughed softly.

That was just like Ouja. No wonder Anna had trusted her with the truth.

"Honestly," Ouja said, leaning against the window, "I feel like our planet was already gone a long time ago."

Outside, the dim skies looked like they could fall at any moment and erase all trace of their civilization.

"If it weren't for you and Sora, we wouldn't have even taken down the War Foundry. Just getting that far… that's already enough for me."

"Not that it seems to have helped much, huh?" She sighed again.

No one could've predicted things would escalate like this after the Foundry was destroyed.

"…What about you?" she asked. "Why'd you even come here?"

Robin hesitated, then said, "At first, I just wanted to see if there were any survivors. If I found anyone, I planned to evacuate them."

"But once I arrived… I realized it wasn't that simple."

"I thought music could bring hope. I thought I could help. But in the end… I couldn't do anything."

All she could do was watch Sora fight on the front lines while she stayed behind, offering what little support she could.

Harmony meant unity. Cooperation. Overcoming hardships together.

But why did it always end with just one person charging forward alone?

She showed no emotion on her face—but her fists clenched tightly.

What am I even doing here? Just watching from the sidelines? Would it have made any difference if I hadn't come at all?

"…Don't be so hard on yourself," Ouja said. "So what if you couldn't do much this time? Just try harder next time."

"I started out as a low-ranking guard. Now I'm captain of the whole squad."

"No one's perfect right away. Just learn. Watch. Grow. You'll get there."

She grinned, flashing her big, goofy smile and a thumbs-up.

"I believe in you. And I believe in Sora. You two are way smarter than I am."

Robin felt her mood lift.

…Though the last line felt a little off somehow.

She gave Ouja a suspicious side-eye, unsure if she was imagining things.

And just then—

The infirmary door burst open.

A shadow leapt out, darted behind Robin's head.

"You knew I was awake and still picked my nose?! I swear to god—!"

Sora stomped out, clutching a shoe in one hand and a wriggling dinosaur in the other.

He froze when he saw them.

"…Morning, ladies. You eaten yet?" he said casually, hastily hiding the shoe behind his back.