Honkai Star Rail Starting With Judgement of Shamash

The cold wind was harsh, making it hard to even catch a breath. It felt like the wind was swallowing everything in its path.

In Everwinter Hill, or really, on this whole planet, the cold wind seemed to carry the will of the stellaron. The freezing air hitting Orion Astra's face was like a challenge from the stellaron itself.

"Whoever comes here would have a death wish," thought Orion. His eyebrows were frosted over. If he didn't use his strength to protect himself, even his eyes would've frozen.

"You're the one who came here," a hollow voice echoed all around. It seemed to come from everywhere, like the will of the planet itself, penetrating every part of Orion's body.

"This isn't our first fight," Orion said as he found an open space and casually sat down. It looked like he was holding something above his head, blocking out the will of the planet around him.

"If you think taking away a little metal piece can save the city, you're being naive," the hollow voice continued, calm and uncaring.

"At least it's enough to stop those ugly creations of yours."

In front of Orion was something dark, stretching up, down, and sideways forever. Its name was death.

What used to stand in this empty space was a giant machine that once moved mountains on this planet thousands of years ago—the [Creation Engine].

The original stellaron lived in it, and Orion formed a team from the Silvermane Guard to come to Everwinter Hill, using his power to bring this human-made giant back to where it belonged.

Orion, standing miles away from Everwinter Hill, had his first confrontation with the stellaron back then.

Even though his team members weren't physically hurt, their spirits were shattered.

Even standing next to a warm stove, they would shake and turn pale, as if they were stuck in a freezer. It was like they were experiencing extreme cold, even though they weren't.

If nothing changed, this feeling would stay with them forever—an experience worse than death.

Orion realized that even if their bodies were protected, the power of the stellaron still got to them. The stellaron couldn't directly affect the outside world, but it could change a person's mind, and through that, change the world around them. This was how it fought.

Though the Creation Engine could protect the city, the failure of that confrontation left a deep scar on Orion's heart.

"Let's do this," Orion thought. He and the stellaron had a deep, unspoken hatred.

In an instant, the cold world around Orion disappeared. The freezing wind, icy air, and biting cold were gone, replaced by a warm and moist feeling.

Opening his eyes, Orion found himself in a completely different place. Tall buildings, busy streets, solid concrete roads, endless crowds, and flashing neon lights—it all looked just like his hometown.

He was floating above this steel city, looking down at the busy streets below. Across from where he sat cross-legged, a familiar figure appeared.

Looking up, Orion couldn't help but show disgust on his face.

"How do you like this body? Does it match your memories?" a charming voice called out from across the way. The figure had dazzling blonde hair and a proud stance, just as Orion remembered.

"Don't disgust me with that look," Orion snapped.

"Hahaha, you're getting upset," the voice laughed, coming from a figure that wasn't really Cocolia. The stellaron had taken on a form that Orion couldn't stand.

"Y-You..." Orion began to speak but was cut off by a loud noise near his ears.

"Is that a rocket?" His eyes shifted to a familiar object. A white rocket with a symbol he knew well.

Even though it looked a little different, Orion could tell that this symbol was exactly what he'd seen seven hundred years later.

"That's right." As if he knew what Orion was thinking, the stellaron that looked like Cocolia floated in the air, framed the symbol with both hands, and explained its origin to Orion.

"Before I came to this planet, Jarilo-VI was much more advanced than it is now. They had already communicated with other planets and contacted the IPC back then." Cocolia, who was the incarnation of the stellaron, began walking in circles around Orion.

"This was all because of the unique resource on this planet, the geomarrow. Even though the Antimatter Legion invaded, if the planet had enough time, it might have developed a force strong enough to fight back." Shaking his head as if he had seen it all, the stellaron explained calmly.

"After nearly three hundred years of struggle, the so-called Supreme Guardian on this planet—actually, at that time, the leader of Belobog, Alisa Rand—found me." Suddenly, Stellaron pressed her face close to Orion's, almost touching him.

"So, did you destroy this planet?" Orion asked, trying to keep calm, even though he felt disgusted.

"No, no, no, no! How could you call it destruction?" stellaron 's mouth twisted into a strange smile. He raised his hands high and then dropped them, just like his arrogant tone.

"You should call it—salvation."

A spark of anger ignited in Orion's heart. Even though he knew Stellaron was trying to provoke him, his conscience told him he had the right to be angry.

Noticing the anger in Orion's heart, the stellaron smiled even more and snapped his fingers.

The scenery in front of him changed like a kaleidoscope. When he regained his senses, Orion found himself in a different place.

The broken bricks and tiles, the smell of decay and mold, the shattered glass, and the collapsed doors and walls all felt familiar to Orion.

"Do you remember this place, Orion?" A gentle voice came from behind him.

He turned around quickly, and another figure appeared before him.

Soft gray hair fell from her temples, and her burgundy eyes were full of concern.

"Natasha..."

Orion had to admit that Stellaron was really good at finding people's weak spots. While he was stunned, another familiar voice rang out.

The street in front of him brought back memories. As he focused, a thin figure appeared before him.

"Help me, Orion!"

"Peter!" Orion's eyes widened instantly.

The boy in front of him was the first human Orion had met when he arrived on this planet. Behind Peter, a menacing robot was swinging a chainsaw without mercy.

Subconsciously, Orion tried to use the power of the Star of Eden to stop the tragedy, but the power didn't come, and the tragedy unfolded anyway.

"Ahhhhh! It hurts! It hurts so much!"

A thin arm fell next to Orion, and blood splattered onto his face, making his hands tremble.

"Ah, I didn't expect that Orion, who had killed countless enemies on the battlefield, couldn't even save a little child in front of him." Natasha's voice appeared in Orion's ears, still gentle but with a chilling undertone.

Even though he knew it was a trick, Orion's heart still trembled. Watching the child scream in pain on the ground, unable to do anything to help, Natasha's voice returned.

"If you were faster, could you have saved Peter? This all comes from your heart."

"Laziness."

"Did you think at that moment that if the train crew had found you first, you wouldn't have to take these dangerous risks, and you wouldn't have to rush to the Overworld so quickly?"

The stellaron walked gracefully in front of Orion, the sound of her high heels echoing in his heart, crushing his pride step by step.

Orion bit his tongue to wake himself up. The series of emotional attacks and the intense reality of it all made even this battle-hardened warrior feel shaken.

"Don't worry, this is..."

"Just the beginning."

The scene changed again.