Honkai Star Rail: Make Honkai Great Again

Chapter 245 245: You Care a Lot About Kiana?

"It's you."

A familiar voice sounded by her ear. Stelle opened her eyes and found that she was no longer on the Astral Express. Standing before her was a figure she knew all too well.

Having been born for some time now and having already Trailblazed across two worlds, Stelle was no longer the same as when she had first awakened on the space station.

Although her surroundings were unfamiliar and she was confused about why she wasn't on the train, the moment she saw that reassuring figure in front of her, all fear vanished.

There was only one reason.

Miss Acheron was just too strong!

"We meet again."

Standing before her, Acheron gave a slight nod, greeting Stelle upon their reunion.

They could be considered old acquaintances by now.

From the space station onward—on Jarilo-VI, she had traveled with the train at Acheron's request to help; their encounter on the Xianzhou had been a coincidence. Before seeing the crew there, Acheron herself hadn't expected to run into them again.

But this time was different.

Seeing Stelle here did not surprise Acheron.

Because she already knew that the Astral Express' next stop would be the Planet of Festivities—Penacony.

"Where is this place? Wasn't I just on the train?"

Since they were close old acquaintances, they could skip the pleasantries. Acheron would also be coming to Penacony—Stelle had learned that from her back on the Xianzhou.

At the time, she had even invited Acheron to travel with the Astral Express to Penacony, but Acheron had said she still had matters to attend to. After resolving the crisis with Phantylia, she had left the Luofu ahead of them.

Stelle had thought she would only have the chance to see Acheron again after entering Penacony. Maybe this time she might even run into Miss Kiana again.

Last time on the Xianzhou, she had only seen Acheron and not Kiana, which had left her a little regretful.

Still, getting to try out the Simulated Universe that Kiana and Herta had jointly developed on the space station—and enjoying the thrill of scavenging to her heart's content—had made up for it.

"Is Kiana here too?"

Thinking of this, Stelle looked around curiously, searching for any sign that Kiana might be nearby.

Just as Acheron was about to lead her away from this dreamscape, her steps paused. Her usually emotionless eyes swept faintly over Stelle.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Whether she truly didn't understand or was pretending not to, Stelle put on an expression of pure confusion under Acheron's gaze.

"You... seem very concerned about Kiana?"

Acheron's voice was as calm as ever, but Stelle's instincts sounded an alarm. This was definitely not a casual question.

"I-Is that not allowed?"

A chill crept up the back of her neck. Stelle subconsciously rubbed it and shot back the question.

"Why?"

"Do I need a reason?"

Stelle froze for a moment, even more unable to grasp the situation. Did caring about a friend require a reason?

She had a good impression of Kiana.

So she cared about her.

What was wrong with that?

Perhaps Stelle's puzzled gaze was too straightforward. Acheron pressed her lips together, withdrew her stare, and resumed walking ahead.

"Your reaction is really strange." Stelle hurried after her, refusing to let it go. "Did she not come to Penacony this time either?"

Was her reaction strange?

Maybe.

Kiana seemed to have a good impression of Stelle as well. That fondness had come without reason, sudden—just like her feelings toward others.

"If I remember correctly, you and Kiana haven't had much interaction."

Stelle nodded. She had a very good impression of Kiana, but it was true that they hadn't spent much time alone together or shared any particularly unforgettable experiences.

"That's why it's love at first sight!" Stelle declared in an exaggeratedly profound tone, talking nonsense with a straight face. "Precisely because of that, I need to create opportunities. Opportunities have to be fought for."

Acheron's steps faltered for a brief moment.

Stelle's completely undisguised remark left her silent for quite some time. She knew it was likely a joke—but she didn't like this kind of joke.

"So where exactly is this place?"

Seeing that Acheron had stopped responding no matter how much she spoke, Stelle finally turned her attention to the surroundings.

Alright, she would drop the act. She had deliberately answered that way!

Why?

Because every time Kiana was mentioned—especially when the topic leaned in this direction—Acheron's emotional system seemed to activate. She would reveal a side completely different from her usual self.

Stelle knew what that meant.

She was jealous!

Although Kiana and Acheron's relationship had never been stated outright, anyone with eyes could see it. So Stelle had intentionally said that, wanting to see a more animated version of Acheron.

It wasn't that she didn't have a good impression of Kiana—she did.

But she also had a very high opinion of Acheron. She genuinely regarded both of them as friends.

Whether it was Kiana or Acheron, both radiated a kind of reassuring, powerful beauty.

"This is the boundary between reality and dream—a dreamscape," Acheron explained without withholding anything on a serious topic. "As you can see, this is Penacony's greeting to us. But don't worry. You'll wake up soon and forget everything that just happened."

"So I'm dreaming right now?"

"Mm. By coincidence, we are currently in the same dream."

Acheron led her into a hall and pointed the way forward. Stelle followed in amazement, walking straight toward a wall.

Now she believed it was a dream.

This was incredible!

"There are people ahead?"

After wandering long enough to feel slightly dizzy and lose her sense of direction, Stelle suddenly perked up at the sight of figures in a newly opened area.

"No need to mind them," Acheron said. "They're merely shadows within the dream."

Even so, Stelle moved closer, wanting to hear what they were saying.

Acheron did not stop her. She simply watched quietly and waited.

Her gaze occasionally lingered on a pair of siblings with halos above their heads. The girl among them was the very person Kiana had come to meet on this trip.

From the moment Kiana had said she was coming to help, Acheron had known this journey would not be peaceful.

Just as now—though she was about to arrive in Penacony, she could not contact Kiana or her friends.

She knew Kiana would not be in danger.

But she still felt a trace of worry.

Perhaps only by seeing her—keeping her within sight—would that unease finally fade.

Leading Stelle to the exit of the dream, Acheron stopped.

"We're here."

Stelle stepped forward and opened the door before her. A blue-haired bellboy stood to the side and bowed politely.

"Welcome to The Reverie. May you enjoy an unforgettable vacation experience! If you wish to check in, please proceed straight to the hotel front desk..."

Just as she was wondering whether this, too, was one of the "shadows" Acheron mentioned, Acheron paid the bellboy no attention. Instead, she looked at Stelle again, as if she wanted to say something.

"You..."

She hesitated for several seconds, then let out an almost imperceptible sigh and said instead,

"Leave now. We'll meet again at the hotel."

...

"Galaxy Ranger... Raiden Mei."

After receiving her room key from the hotel front desk, Acheron did not linger in the bustling lobby of The Reverie.

The hotel was enormous, and each corridor looked nearly identical. After walking for some time, she began to lose her sense of direction. She only knew which floor she was on.

If Kiana were here...

Realizing she might be lost, the first person Acheron thought of was Kiana. If Kiana were by her side, perhaps she wouldn't be wandering aimlessly.

She took out her phone and glanced at it again.

The message she had sent to Kiana still showed as unread.

A faint crease formed between her brows. This feeling of losing track of Kiana's whereabouts was unpleasant. It deepened the unease in her heart.

She continued searching for her room without any clear direction.

The name she had used to enter Penacony was not "Acheron," but her original name from her days in Izumo.

In Belobog and on the Xianzhou, she had displayed the power of Nihility. If she had come to Penacony still bearing the name Acheron, she would most likely have been denied entry.

Penacony's internal situation was far from peaceful.

They would never allow someone who had walked so far along the Path of Nihility to enter their dream world without concern. The last thing they wanted was an unpredictable factor capable of overturning the table at any moment.

Perhaps she should have come here with her.

"You look troubled."

A voice appeared abruptly behind her. A petite girl with twin tails suddenly emerged at her back, wearing a smile that carried a layered meaning.

"Need a little help?"

"And you are?"

Acheron looked at the "kind-hearted girl" with mild confusion. She had not sensed this person's presence at all. The other party was clearly no ordinary individual, but a Pathstrider.

"I'm Sparkle. You can call me Sparkle—the kind-hearted Sparkle."

Sparkle spoke cheerfully, though the smile on her face struck Acheron as peculiar. A thought flickered through her mind. Though it was only a guess, her tone was certain.

"A Fool?"

"Oh my, you guessed it right away. I wanted to play a bit longer," she pouted lightly.

Though she said that, there was not the slightest hint of annoyance at having her identity guessed. She had never truly intended to conceal it.

"So, would the kind-hearted Sparkle be allowed to offer you a tiny, insignificant bit of assistance?" Sparkle leaned closer to the tall Acheron, her tone teasing. "Ranger?"

Among the people she had met before, there had indeed been a Masked Fool.

"Then I'll trouble you to help me find my room."

Acheron opened her palm, revealing the room key in her hand with the number attached.

"Following the rules is so boring. Why don't we try something different?"

Acheron felt her palm suddenly empty. Before she could react, another key appeared in her hand. It looked almost identical to the first—except the room number had changed.

She studied the new key Sparkle had given her, confusion stirring in her heart.

Masked Fools acted for amusement more often than not. Swapping her key so brazenly could only have one reason.

It would be entertaining.

Clenching the key in her hand, she thought of Kiana's name.

"Come on, Ranger. I'll show you your new room. Trust me, you'll be satisfied with this little gift."

Seemingly certain she would not refuse, Sparkle skipped ahead without waiting for a reply, not even glancing back.

Acheron followed behind her.

Which hotel room she stayed in did not matter to her. What mattered was what kind of amusement this Fool wished to see from her—and whether she would bring news of Kiana.

Under this unexpected guidance, the rest of Acheron's journey went far more smoothly. Following Sparkle, she quickly arrived at the room indicated on the new key.

From the outside, it looked no different from any other room on the floor.

But this level did not seem peaceful.

Next to the room Sparkle had assigned her, the adjacent door was tightly shut. Two members of the Family's Bloodhound lineage stood guard outside.

So this was what the Fool wanted her to see.

"Ta-da—luxury suite! Not bad, right?"

Sparkle enthusiastically ushered her inside, introducing the room as though she were the hotel's top employee.

"Thank you."

Acheron's response was calm.

She knew Sparkle was waiting for her to ask the real question.

After a brief moment of thought, she said, "You had me switch rooms so that I would see the one next door under the Family's control?"

"Very clever. Right on the first guess."

Sparkle nodded with a grin, her voice carrying a faint hint of temptation.

"Then try guessing who originally stayed in that room—and where they are now."

"You've seen Kiana?"

"Hm? Who's that? I don't know her," Sparkle replied innocently.

Acheron did not believe her. "Where is she now?"

"Asking me won't help. I really don't know any Kiana you're talking about." Sparkle spread her hands, looking completely helpless.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, now that's a misunderstanding. Can't I just be kind-hearted?"

Acheron said nothing. She simply looked at Sparkle quietly.

Sparkle put on a thoughtful expression. After a moment, she suddenly slapped her forehead as if just remembering something.

"Ah! If you're talking about that white-haired girl who stayed next door, then yes, I have seen her."

So it was as she suspected.

This Fool knew about her relationship with Kiana and had deliberately led her here.

"Where is she now?"

At the very least, she could learn what had happened here—where Kiana currently was, and why she had not contacted her.

"No idea."

Acheron did not believe her, just as she hadn't believed her earlier answer.

"I'm curious about where she is too," Sparkle continued casually. "Not just me—the Family is very curious as well. If I knew her whereabouts, I could sell the information to the Family and make a hefty sum of credits."

Sell the information to the Family?

That meant even the Family did not know where Kiana was.

But she remembered Kiana's friend—the singer named Robin. She was a member of the Family. Kiana had come to Penacony this time at her invitation.

"She's missing?"

Acheron's expression remained placid, at least in Sparkle's eyes.

"Missing? Sure—no news, no sign of her alive or dead. Isn't that what missing means?"

Acheron remained just as calm.

To Sparkle, it was a little disappointing.

Too composed.

Not nearly as satisfying as she had hoped.