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20.19% Honkai Star Rail - Isekai'd With A Stellaron Within / Chapter 21: Sword of Will

Bab 21: Sword of Will

*We've reached the moment I was waiting for. Let's see what you all think. It's one of the things I'm not really good at writing—some sort of battle scene that should have excitement and whatnot in it. I genuinely ask that you all let me know what you thought about the writing, and please be honest with it. If you want me to improve, you have to tell me what to work on :))

Until then, enjoy. Peace out, and Deus vult*

The darkness was engulfing him more and more as time went by. It was like fog, growing thicker as time trickled through his being. The onslaught against his mind was raging on like a tempest, ravaging all in its path. 

"Damn my own mind..." muttered Mark, closing his eyes to block the images, but to no avail. The voices rang out even if he covered his ears, like phantasms phasing through existence. Somewhere, in a tiny corner of his vision, he could see everyone else outside, their weapons pointed at him. 

"What's going on? Huh?" 

The wave of confusion settled in worse than before, throwing off any sense of rationality that he held. 

................................... 

Stelle watched as Mark brought a hand up in the air, ushering the cold winds to his will. The winter around them grew harsher, colder, threatening to fully destroy what traces of life were left. 

"Ah, freeze everything. Yes, yes, freeze eternally!" shouted Mark, the voices still echoing along his words, an otherworldly sound that defied norms. 

"What do we do now? Mark is possessed or something," said March, bow at the ready. The truth is... no one knew. The logical course of action was to fight and take him down, but what if he'd die? 

"We have no choice but to fight," said Stelle, the burning lance ready at her side, its fire crackling softly against the rushing winds. 

"This is bad. We're tired as it is from our battle with Cocolia, and now we have to face an enemy that is, at the very least, on the same level as her Fragmentum-affected form." 

Dan Heng's insight was on point, with the other facts about to prove themselves. Mark rose his hand up to the sky, stopping snowflakes in their descent. Instantly, they gathered together from all sides, brought in by strong winds that shaped them and molded the entire mess together. Two large swords glistered in the air, a mix of ice and Fragmentum crystals. The sheer size of those things was enough to raze a city to the ground. 

"Son of a..." grunted Seele, her scythe not leaving her side. 

"Time to show all of you, insignificant beings, what truly awaits this world." 

Mark's hand slowly moved down, pointing at the others, the swords moving along with incredible speed. Everyone could only watch as it happened. 

................................... 

Mark's vision blurred out from tears of his own inability to help. He watched the scene, tiny as it was among the countless memories that tried to tarnish his being. 

"No, don't you damned piece of shit!" 

His pleas fell on deaf ears. The voices laughed at him, sounding both foreign and familiar at the same time. More memories of his failures piled up before him, blocking what little vision he had. 

"God... I can't do this..." 

He fell to his knees, the tears streaming down his face one by one, trickling on one cheek, then the other, flowing out endlessly. 

"Perfect ending..." 

Those words found their way among the sea of voices that ran rampant. Perfect ending—the thing he sought ever since entering the world. It was just the first step, and yet he wished to achieve it. He had saved Cocolia, so that alone was more than enough proof that he could change whatever 'fate' the world had. 

"Not like it has a fixed fate, right? Kafka did say something like that..." 

"Why struggle? Give yourself to me. It's not like you can do anything." 

The spoken words echoed in the darkness, reminding Mark of many things. Still, there was one wish he held, accompanied by a feeling that he could never forget. 

Countless nights spent alone, with nothing but an unsatiable urge to do something grand. The very world he was in only added to those feelings whenever something new happened, stoking his appetite for knowledge, for lore, for adventure. Trailblazing—that's one thing that he would have loved to do in his world, and he had now received the chance to do it. 

The fire within burned brighter, engulfing him slowly. He stood up from his kneeling position, staring off into the darkness. 

"The fire within burns brighter... it's what you saw, the fire of my will, paired with that One Light inside of me that's not of my own making. Truly, a human's nature is shown through adversity." 

Mark's body was slowly burning brighter in a turquoise flame, pushing the darkness back. 

................................... 

March tried looking around for any direction they could flee in to avoid the attack. Mark's hand moved down, only to be grabbed and halted. 

"By the name of the Amber Lord, what is going on?" asked Bronya, Cocolia leaned against her for support. Dan Heng's composed expression faltered for a moment. The one to stop Mark was himself. The left side of his body gave off a different aura; his left eye turned normal, leaving only the right one as a pale blue orb. 

"Surprise, motherfucker. Thought you could take over me?" 

His left arm clung even tighter, flexing as much as his muscles allowed to keep the right one from moving down. The swords stopped in the air as two wills collided in a single body. 

"You! How did you!?" 

The voices raged on with the winds, yet Mark's side of his own body smirked. 

"The human will is a funky thing, if you ask me. Your downfall was trying to control me by doing what you did with the other Architects, stimulating their vulnerabilities until you could order them around." 

Mark chuckled, slowly pushing the swords back as his right arm moved up. 

"You see, I'm the type of guy who always keeps thinking about the failures of the past, the type of guy who does what you tried doing to me all by his own volition. You cannot exploit the wounds in my mind and heart because I'm always making them hurt on purpose." 

Mark's left arm slowly caught on fire, the same turquoise fire from within showing out. It was all a battle of wills, something that happened inside his mind. The fire within, however, was as real as it could get. 

"You, insignificant failure, do you deem yourself worthy!?" 

More images flashed in Mark's mind, but he couldn't care less. In that very moment, he wanted his cool scene where he could show off a bit. 

"No one's truly worthy, and yet we keep pushing. That's the power of the human will... the power of MY WILL..." 

The fire burned brighter, moving along the rest of his body. It didn't hurt, but it did warm up his being, granting him strength. The purple streaks of light that moved along his body were slowly adapting the color of the fire, molding themselves to his will. 

"Everyone, we need to move away! It's the same as what happened with Stelle on Herta's Space Station." 

Quickly, everyone did as Dan Heng told them to, moving away. Bronya and Serval were helping Cocolia, holding her between them as they ran away. Seele moved as well, looking back at Mark only to see him smile to them. 

"It's just us..." muttered Mark, enjoying the feeling of his body being bathed in the Fire of Will. 

"NEVER! I SHALL TAKE THEM AWAY FROM YOU!" 

The swords remained hanging in the air, yet the thing that sent shivers down Mark's back was the contaminated Engine of Creation. The giant mecha they had fought before his arrival stood up once again, this time covered by Fragmentum crystals at the joints, forcing it to move to the Stellaron's will. 

"Damn you..." growled Mark, still clinging to his own right hand. 

The Engine of Creation looked down and moved its hand up, ready to squish everyone. 

"I... won't... let you DO THIS!" 

Mark gritted his teeth and forced his body under submission. 

"You're my prey, Stellaron! I RULE!" 

His body touched the ground, flaming from head to toe. The Engine of Creation moved to attack, but Mark was quicker. He let go of his right hand, allowing it to fall like lightning, sending the giant swords flying into the mecha's side, sending it toppling down. 

"This is my power, the power of my will." 

He reached out and finally pulled out the sword he held sheathed on his back. The scabbard did its job, allowing the blade to easily come out. He pointed it at the mecha, looking at how long the blade is. 

"Puny human, wishing to stand up against me with nothing but that!?" 

The voices mocked him in their own way, crackling and rattling in the air, one with the wind. Mark smirked, staring at the sword once more. It was pretty large compared to what a normal one would be like, and yet he didn't mind. It was his own choice, after all. 

"Yes, my sword... and my will." 

He closed his eyes, holding on to the sword with both hands. The fire gathered together, moving along his body and onto the blade, attaching itself to it. Like a second layer akin to turquoise glass, the sword changed. The handle grew in size by half, while the guard got enhanced, with two thin lines of pure energy materializing. 

The blade itself was shocking. It was a weapon of sheer size, as long as he was tall, with the phantasmic look to boot. It was a weapon fit for a true warrior, something he wasn't but hoped to reach at some point. 

"Sword of Will..." he whispered, opening his eyes. He brought it up above his head, drawing out energy from within. 

"I had a Stellaron inside, something odd even by this world's standards. Now, it's time you became part of it. You ARE inside of me; just accept defeat." 

The Engine of Creation looked down at him, its eyes glowing in the same blue light that his had a while earlier. With a metallic shriek, it punched down, aiming straight at him. Mark scoffed, knowing that it was unavoidable. 

"Sword of Will... Slice..." 

He swung down, all the energy he could muster moving through his body, rendering it numb as the blade fell. Before his very eyes, it dashed across the open field, striking through the Engine of Creation, cleaving it in half. It all happened in a blink, ending with the machine being lifeless again. 

"No... NO! IT CAN'T BE!" 

His right eye was blue again, but the Stellaron was too weak to control his body again. It fought and struggled, but to no end. 

"This is the end, you hear me?" 

He burned bright again, like a human torch, his hand resting against his chest. 

"Let's show you just how nicely my fire can warm up the world. After all, I did promise to do my best and fix stuff. I did tell Svarog about the sun, so let's show its beauty in a warmer world." 

He took to the skies, a pillar of ice propelling him upwards right from beneath his feet. Like a shooting star, he burned across the sky, only that he flew upwards. 

The Stellaron fell silent as Mark took a good look around, listening to the winds that raged, feeling the snow that managed to get close to him. His fire didn't melt the snowflakes—not yet. 

"Fire of Will, melt this frozen world." 

Through the ice pillar, right into the ground, the flames went with seething hunger, seeking to devour the cold. More energy burned from both Stellarons this time, a silent sign that he had managed to absorb the one that tormented Jarilo-VI for 700 years or so. 

"With this... it's over..." he whispered, staring up at the sky. The clouds had dispersed, allowing the sun to peek down at the ground. Below, the snow gave way to small patches of green. 

"Yes... I did it... something that the game couldn't... revitalized the planet faster... heh, thank you, God..." 

His eyes closed, and he stumbled to the side, falling, his sword back to normal. It clung to his hand, gripped tightly by his unconscious hand. Below, everyone had gathered, ready to catch him. The trio from the Astral Express did a fine job of that, even if he still hit the ground. 

"I guess you can't just expect to stop something that fell from THAT height," chuckled March, ensuring that Mark was ok. She flicked his forehead, but no answer. Stelle chuckled, while Dan Heng took his pulse again. 

"Let's hope that this situation won't repeat. Considering what just happened, I have a lot of questions for him." 

Mark simply breathed softly, sleeping. His body was given more than it could carry, leading to its slumber. 

*little note: I'll try to do a 3D model of the sword and post it on Discord. Join to see it when it's done*


Bab 22: First Step Taken

*I wish to thank all of you for 300 saves on the book. It's something phenomenal for me, a milestone that I'm most thankful for. Thank God I managed to keep writing, and thank you all for reading and enjoying the ride until this point. We're one chapter short of completion for Jarilo-VI's main questline, then I'll do some omakes (I hope I got the right word) as well as go on with the plot. Still, we have some silly little stories that are to come first. Until then, peace out, Deus vult, and thank you all once more. I love you all :))*

The nightmare was there again. Even if he had managed to defeat those thoughts once, burning them to the ground, they didn't leave him fully. Wounded was his mind, and it came from deep within himself. The guilt of having just vanished from his world, without an explanation, of having left everyone he knew behind. The images of his family broken down by his disappearance tormented his sleep. 

As he opened his eyes, he tried to quietly wipe them before tears could manage to slide along his face. 

"He's awake!" shouted March, leaping over his side, knocking the wind out of him. 

Everyone had gathered, with Natasha at the side, smiling softly. 

"It's good to know that I'm alive. How long was I out for?" 

"Two days, Mark. You slept like a baby for two days," replied Stelle, pulling March back a little to give Mark some room to breathe. 

"I see, two days... did I make it?" 

She nodded, and in walked everyone, both people he had expected to see and those he hadn't. Dan Heng, Seele, Bronya, Serval, to even Gepard and Cocolia. 

"Woah, that's a huge load of people. Heck," he chuckled, sitting upright on the bed. His body felt sore, sluggish in its movements, yet that didn't bother him in the least. He could recall all that he had done, the way he even managed to make the planet warm up a little. 

"You know, Mark, the kids from both the Underworld and the Overworld are enjoying the green stuff that you made pop up. Grass, or what was it called?" 

Seele's words made him smile a tiny bit, his heart warming up with joy. 

"I see... they're enjoying it?" 

"Yeah," answered Bronya, "and not just the children. Everyone is thrilled with the new apparition. The snow is melting, and somehow the Fragmentum is no longer around. We finally have flowers blooming on the fields instead of snow and cold winds." 

He nodded, glancing around at everyone, taking in the different ways they were all looking at him. He knew something was off, but he couldn't quite pinpoint it. 

"Go on... speak your mind, all of you." 

Stelle and March became a bit petulant, looking around as if wishing to avoid the topic. Even Bronya didn't quite like it, so the task was left up to one single guy who handled the serious business. 

"Who are you, Mark?" asked Dan Heng, his arms crossed. 

Mark sighed, tired of that stupid question by that point. 

"Hell, I'm a normal human, ok? I got some memory problems just like March, ok? I can't recall many things, that's for sure... so just leave it be, ok? We've saved the planet, and I have no plans of harming anyone. After all, if I wanted to, I could have done it while in that rampant stage under the Stellaron's influence." 

He was pissed already, his words coming off as a bit harsher than expected, even for him. Dan Heng kept staring at him, giving him the thousand-yard stare, but Mark didn't falter. His words carried the truth with them, and that's all that mattered to him. 

Both March and Stelle began laughing, nudging Dan Heng in the sides. 

"See? I told you he would just say the same thing over and over. How about we have a little faith in him?" 

March's words were a beacon of salvation for Mark, who had grown tired of repeating his ideas over and over. Sure, it was logical for them to question him, especially after such a display, but he didn't quite like it since his explanation lacked logic, looking more like a far-strung lie that a kid would use about aliens breaking a vase in the house. 

Relenting due to peer pressure, Dan Heng let out a sigh and allowed his arms to fall at his sides. 

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I won't be keeping an eye on you, Mark." 

He nodded, unbothered. 

"If I wanted to stab any of you in the back, I would have done it long ago." 

He stood up slowly, noticing that his sheathed sword and metal pipe were neatly placed in the corner of the room. 

"Heh, thank you for taking care of these things for me. It would've been a shame to have me run back for them right now." 

He chuckled like a mischievous child as he grabbed his clothes, noticing that he was wearing something else only when his usual outfit, neatly packed and washed, came in sight. His cheeks were a bit red again. 

"Who changed me this time?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from cracking. 

Stelle walked from behind and gently patted his shoulder, smirking at him as she teased. 

"Oh, is our little Mark shy?" 

He tried to not smack her with the pipe, exerting more self-control than he could at the moment. With a sly smile, he turned at her, deciding to scale the situation. He leaned in, whispering softly in her ear. 

"Oh, so it was you, my dear Stelle? Well, can't say I mind." 

Instantly, she pulled away, her face beet red, even worse than his. The whole room burst into laughter, until Natasha defused the situation. 

"Mark, you know that a doctor takes care of the patients. I was the one who took care of your wounded body. The state you were in was much worse at first, with bruises all over your chest, but your body somehow healed faster than normal." 

The answer did surprise him a bit. Bruises that vanished fast. Might be something about the Stellarons within him. 

"I see... well, thank you, everyone." 

He took a good look at all the happy faces he saw in the room, noticing that just one was a bit off. Cocolia stepped closer, and Mark nearly forgot that he had managed to save her. Indeed, it was a pretty weird sight, especially since her screen time in game ended with her death. 

She quietly stood before him, looking up at him. Mark suddenly felt self-conscious for a lot of reasons, especially since a pretty woman was so close to him. She gently grabbed his right hand and held it between hers, cradling it gently. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill out. 

"Thank you..." 

Heck, he nearly cussed himself out. His level of experience with such situations was low, but in the end, he still knew what had to be done. Without hesitation, he chose to do it his way, ending with a light pat on the head with his free hand. 

"No worries. I did it for everyone, and it's thanks to the Astral Express crew that I even managed to get to that point. They could have done things without me, that's for sure, but maybe I can take a little credit for saving you specifically." 

He chuckled and pulled his hand back, reaching for his clothes again. No words were said as he went to another room, only to come out looking like his usual self, the large shirt allowing his body to breathe. 

"This is more like it. Everyone, not sure what turn the journey will now take, but I'm sure of one thing: I'll come visit whenever possible." 

He turned to Dan Heng, who had a small smile on his face at the sight of March further teasing Stelle, whose cheeks were still rosy. 

"Dan Heng, when is the Express leaving?" 

The question caught him a bit off guard, yet he did anchor himself quickly. 

"The Express is leaving a bit later than expected. Since the anomalies have stopped once the Stellaron had been taken care of, there is no further need for us to leave in a hurry." 

Mark nodded, but the answer was different from what he had known. He did hope that it wouldn't affect the timeline too much or something, since the Xianzhou disaster did happen as they left. 

"Let's hope that the timeline won't get cooked thanks to me. Maybe we should leave sooner? Who knows. Perhaps Kafka will still show up on time, even if we leave or not." 

Mark took a deep breath then spoke in all seriousness, his face changing back to normal in a flash. 

"Well, I would like to join the Astral Express. Is it alright if I go there right now?" 

The three members all turned to face him. March had a clue already about this wish of his, which she was more than glad to lend a hand with. Stelle nodded, while Dan Heng chose to keep his answer to himself. 

"Sure, Mark. I'll lead the way." 

March grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him out, to everyone's amusement. Stelle quickly followed behind, leaving a tired Dan Heng to take care of the loose ends with the report of their mission. 

Mark had always wondered how the Astral Express allowed its members to disembark, especially since the train didn't seem to touch the ground in-game. However, the true answer was anticlimactic. The train did land near the ground since its size wasn't all that impressive. It was a train, the same as any other he had seen, just way larger, enough that each wagon seemed to be a house in its own right. Still, the total size was far smaller than he thought. 

"Welcome, Mark. This is the Astral Express in all its beauty. I'll show you all around." 

March's excitement was contagious, attaching itself to Mark's already joyful heart. He stepped in with somewhat shy steps, aware of the ones he'd meet inside. The door opened, revealing the interior that he was so familiar with. His heart couldn't take it, and he felt like screaming. 

"Oh, you're back," said Himeko, giving all of them one of her soft smiles. 

In that moment, Mark's mind went blank. Sure, he could speak and not make a fool of himself, but seeing Himeko made his heart do flips in all sorts of ways, from the normal ones to feeling like it tried to do a triple backflip on a motorcycle mid-air. 

Mark's eyes met hers, watching as she stepped closer. Dan Heng and Stelle walked in as well, looking over at March as she tried to tug on Mark's sleeve, but he didn't budge. His eyes were stuck on Himeko, watching as her slender figure came closer, her golden eyes ushering him to drown in them. 

"You must be the one who helped our little trio here, right? What is your name, if I may ask?" 

Mark looked straight at her, then a bit around, trying to not seem like a creep from too much eye contact. He took a small breath, hoping to hold some sort of image of confidence in his actions. 

"Name's Mark. You must be Himeko, the famous Navigator of the Astral Express." 

She chuckled softly, the sound divine in his ears. It was the only thing he needed to just lose himself and forget all about the outside world—the sort of laugh he'd die for. 

"Mark, that's a simple name, but it seems fitting." 

Mark nodded, smiling a bit. 

"I like leaving a 'mark' wherever I go, and hopefully a good one." 

March's eyes narrowed, a soft scoff leaving her lips. 

"You did not just say that." 

He nodded, glancing over to the side. He loved puns, using words for stuff like that, and this specific joke about his name was his favorite thing to use when introducing himself. 

"I sure did use that, March. I sure did..." 

Himeko chuckled softly, noticing the group interact. It was silent, but there was a connection between all of them. 

"It looks like someone enjoys a bit of witty humor. That only makes it more pleasant, Mark." 

She went over to a tiny table, pouring a cup of coffee. 

"Would you like some coffee?" 

March and Stelle took a step back as Himeko approached. Their silent gazes were pleading with him to say no, trying to warn him about the danger that came with it. That coffee that she drinks was as bitter as a stormy night where the wind blows and you're soaked from head to toe. 

"Oh, coffee? Sure, thank you." 

He took the cup, bracing himself. Even Welt and Dan Heng were watching curiously, waiting. 

Mark took a sip, then gulped down the entire cup with no hesitation or sign of discomfort. 

"Mhm, bitter, same way I drink it. It's good coffee; thank you very much." 

She offered a polite smile, pleased that someone else enjoys her passion for coffee. Everyone else was dead silent, wondering how he could handle it with such ease. It's like he couldn't taste it. Little did they know that he started drinking his coffee as bitter as possible, thanks to Himeko. It began as more of an attempt to see how bad it could be, and the taste somehow stuck to him. 

"I guess my stay here will be pretty funky." 

Himeko then motioned for him to have a seat, which he gladly did. Still, his eyes looked around for someone specific. 

"Oh, visitors?" came the tiny voice. Mark looked down and found Pom-Pom. 

"Hm? Oh, the famous conductor. It's my pleasure to meet you, Pom-Pom." 

He reached down for a handshake, and surprisingly, Pom-Pom didn't even hesitate. Instead, he puffed up his chest, giving Mark a semi-serious smile that tried to demand respect. 

"It's a pleasure for me as well." 

Mark then took a seat and sighed, relaxing on the soft cushions. 

"Mhm, this place is nice. I was wondering, however... could I perhaps travel with the Express?" 

Himeko glanced towards everyone, awaiting their opinions. No one denied it, and even Dan Heng nodded approvingly, despite his lack of trust in Mark. 

"As you can see, everyone seems to agree with the decision. Welcome abroad, Mark. From this day forward, you're one of the Nameless."


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