Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking

She swung her arms with an elegance befitting the lead actress on the stage of the Golden Theater, her tone profoundly resonant.

The chilling aura emanating from her every gesture sent waves of cold through Gepard, Seele, and the others below, making them feel as though frost crept into their very bones.

The four ice lances floating beside her became anchors of the frigid tide, falling to the ground and transforming into an even larger spear of endless winter.

This was no longer a realm for mere mortals to trespass upon. Yet, a fiery spear descended from the heavens, its searing field countering the cold wave, reigniting courage in her allies.

Bronya, now more dependable than ever, stood tall, while Venti, witnessing this change in her, nodded in approval.

"Who would've thought that the once-teary-eyed heir of the Guardians could stand on her own like this?"

"—Hmph! Venti, I can hear you! Also, could you please do something other than being a spectator? Didn't you claim yourself a hero?"

"Hehe, even a hero has to leave enough spotlight for their allies!"

After a sweet chuckle, Venti finally started to get serious.

The winds gathered at that moment, coalescing on wings that bore the seemingly endless essence of the wind, singing high above.

Not only did he wield the authority of the wind, but there was an even greater force—a power fit for the vastness of the cosmos—lying dormant within him, waiting to be unleashed.

Yet, despite sensing the magnitude of this power, Cocolia, corrupted by the Stellaron, did not give up her delusions. She simply clenched her hands in defiance.

"False god, you shall not rob us of hope!"

With her shout, the air once again solidified, and an enormous ice spear, like a siege lance, aimed skyward, firing directly at Venti.

But the boy with the budding divinity simply raised his hands, forming a triangle aimed at Cocolia's attack. He murmured softly—

"I don't like resorting to such brute force, but I suppose this counts as self-defense?"

Through the space in his hands, an unyielding gale burst forth, shattering the ice spear into fragments and piercing through Cocolia's form.

"—!"

Her ethereal, star-bound figure plummeted from the sky. The ice armor on her chest shattered, reducing the proud herald of a new world to a trembling figure, barely able to stand against the relentless winds.

"My… my power… it's being drained…"

Cocolia could feel it—the force cutting through her, purifying her cursed Imaginary Vessel.

Even the power of the Stellaron could not stand against it. At this rate, all would be lost—

—No, this cannot be! The new world has no need for gods other than it! I must destroy him, no matter the cost!

She swung her arm, scattering the insects trying to approach her, then raised her right hand, clutching it as if holding a torch. The rippling Imaginary energy tore through space, enveloping the entire snowy plain in a binding force, trapping everyone in its grasp.

Bronya quickly activated her defenses, shielding her companions behind her as her fiery spear transformed into a shield.

Meanwhile, Venti, soaring above, felt the constraining power in the space around him. But alas—

To capture the freest wind in the world, Cocolia's power fell short.

With a light strum of his lyre, a verdant wind formed a vibrant domain, creating a stark contrast with Cocolia's icy realm.

As Cocolia's chant concluded, the Stellaron in her hand condensed into a spiked structure resembling a comet, unleashing the devastating sound of creation.

"—The old world crumbles!"

The descending comet instantly drenched the icy plains in the golden hue of Imaginary energy.

Yet, amidst this overpowering attack, a resilient shade of protection endured.

The might of the heavens stirred the lightless world once more, allowing the brilliance of the stars to pierce through this frozen wasteland.

The poet strummed his lyre, his voice clear.

"Hear now, the Grand Ode to Flowing Wind!"

As the melody carried forth on the wind, even the fearful citizens of Belobog sensed a change in the unseen depths.

From the viewpoint of the stars, one could easily see a vortex forming at the center of Jarilo-VI's planetary surface.

Even the space station in another star system detected the extraordinarily intense energy wave.

The station commander, Asta, quickly issued an order—

"Activate the Nu-Eman telescope in Bay 2. Set it to 100 AU magnification and locate the 'singularity.' Pay special attention to particle density. If an ultra-dense structure is detected, record the process of the 'core's' birth."

As the technician calibrated the device, a wild-haired researcher scratched his head, muttering in confusion.

"Observation of the anomaly source complete, but… isn't Jarilo-VI supposed to be a dead planet declared centuries ago? Why is such a phenomenon happening…"

"—Enough chatter. Look toward the center of the white vortex."

A sharp, icy voice interrupted his thoughts, and he grumbled in frustration.

"Who are you, talking to me like that?"

Then he saw her—Herta. The doll-like girl's impassive face made him shudder, as visions of being kicked out of the space station flashed before him.

He immediately straightened up, diligently adjusting the telescope toward the vortex's center. An unknown force interfered with their view, and the faint change in Herta's usually indifferent expression showed a glimmer of interest.

Crossing her arms, a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of her lips.

"—Fascinating. Could it be an Aeon about to be born?"

If Aeons had any form of infancy, perhaps.

But one thing Herta was sure of—if she could study it thoroughly, it might greatly aid her own creation of an Aeon.

And so, true to her capricious nature, she discarded her current research and gave a new order.

"Tell the Astral Express crew to investigate that site. Something quite interesting is happening there, and I want them to bring back that anomaly for me to study."

"Uh… but aren't they gathering Curios for you, Ms. Herta?"

"Doesn't matter. Those trinkets are a dime a dozen, but this opportunity won't wait. If it slips away, who knows how many amber ages I'll have to wait."

Even someone as eternally youthful as Herta did not want to wait that long.

The thrill of research lay in the initial "why" and the eventual "so that's how it is."

Now, with the key to universal truth within her grasp, how could she be the one to walk past the gates of treasure?

—Hmph, never!

Meanwhile—

Unaware that the entire universe's gaze was drawn to him, Venti continued playing.

The Grand Ode to Flowing Wind, a melody that had echoed across Teyvat for thousands of years.

"I sing now of all things wondrous—the cycles of the seasons, the unending four winds."

Freed by the music, the boy sang with all his heart.

The winds, guided by his song, surged forth to deliver purity and beauty into the distance.

The icy symphony sung by the Devourer was shattered at last.

And her fate reached its destined end.

She muttered in a daze, "The Stellaron… failed… It promised a future… that would consume everything…"

As its spokesperson, and with the Stellaron itself unable to sustain her, Cocolia was no longer a threat.

Below, Bronya looked at her with a mixture of pity and indifference—though she could feel a hint of sympathy, it was not worth her compassion.

More importantly, the windswept boy had already brought the ancient ode to its crescendo.

The gentle thousand winds blew away the snow that had covered this land for over seven hundred years, revealing its true form.

Glaciers melted, seas rose, and the warm climate ushered in the first gentle breeze of a new world.

Rumor had it that thousands of years ago, Jarilo-VI enjoyed a temperate climate and vast oceans.

The forests bore fruit, the tides brought warm moisture, and sweet wine flowed like spring water for all to drink.

The residents, brimming with vitality and ambition, built roads, cities, seaside villas, and exquisite palaces. Life began with morning coffee and ended with evening ale.

It was an idyllic dream world, a fairy tale that no one in Belobog dared to believe—

But it was a true history preserved in the records of the Founders.

The interstellar railway once connected Jarilo-VI, bringing interstellar trade and technology from beyond the stars.

At first, visitors from other worlds came in search of geodes, those amber-hued crystals reflecting the light of protection; later, they came seeking a long and prosperous life.

With its bays, palms, and vibrant music, it became a haven for weary travelers—a place they believed would one day shine as a radiant star in the galaxy.

Until, about a thousand years ago, a Stellaron streaked across the sky and crashed upon this world.

From that moment, the planet's fate turned sharply, like a grotesque play.

Today, a poet set things right.

The melody of the Grand Ode to Flowing Wind dispelled the snows, the winds carved the barren earth into plains, much like the way Barbatos once reshaped Mondstadt.

In that moment, Venti showed the world a true miracle.

His authority wielded the power of hope and renewal, transforming the climate of the planet from inhospitable cold to a warm, temperate environment.

The land blossomed with green, spreading across forty percent of the planet's surface, while the remaining sixty percent became a brilliant blue sea.

Yet, this was not the end. The source of all misfortune, the Stellaron—

Now lay quietly in his hand.

It was silent, not the curse it once had been.

But Venti could sense the Stellaron trembling in near terror.

"No need to be so frightened. I'm not going to eat you!"

"...The power you spent so much strength on… all of this… it was meaningless."

Oh? And why would that be?"

"We're not the ones who ruined this planet. It was the soldiers of the Legion who did that," said the Stellaron, speaking with a surprisingly sincere tone.

"I won't deny that. But do you think I'm afraid of them?"

"Maybe you're not, but these humans are. They can't endure another thirty-year-long battle to defend Belobog."

Sensing it had grasped Venti's weakness, the Stellaron continued in a tone heavy with persuasion.

"Think about it carefully. You have the potential to become an Aeon. Why tie yourself to this planet? Sure, people might be grateful now, but in a hundred, a thousand years, you'll be nothing more than a forgotten Klipper.

"These short-lived beings are pitifully brief. They might not even thank you. Worse, they could come to hate you for bringing the Legion back, seeing you as a god of calamity instead."

"Does a Stellaron actually care for humanity?"

"No, no, you're different. You're not like them; you're a different kind of existence entirely. So are we. Consider it a bond of sympathy between outcasts."

"Pfft. You're quite the comedian."

"In that case, could you let us go? With your power, it'd be easy enough to toss us onto some uninhabited planet, right?" the Stellaron implored.

"No."

"Why not?!"

"Well, isn't a hero someone who does what others fear to do, who defeats the villain, brings hope, and saves others?"

"..."

The Stellaron didn't respond, and Venti held it in his hands, his emerald gaze carrying a hint of a mischievous smile.

"Besides, you've still got a lot to make up for after everything you've done, don't you? Or were you planning to plow the fields with your Realm-ripping monsters for the people's benefit?"

Realizing escape wouldn't come so easily, the Stellaron's tone took on a tinge of disdain.

Of course, this was merely an imitation of human emotions; the Stellaron itself had no such feelings.

"No, no. No need to waste your talents like that. I only need you to do me one favor. Just as you kept this place in eternal winter for centuries, couldn't you now ensure it remains a land of perpetual spring?"

"...You're not the first to try to exploit the Stellaron's power. You may have the potential to be an Aeon, but you're still not one. Mark my words, you'll regret it."

The Stellaron paused, then spoke again, its tone grave.

"Tell me, then—what is your purpose in life?"

"Probably freedom?"

"Then why do something so self-restricting? Are you really doing all this for those insignificant humans, just for a little gratitude?"

"Hm, that's a good question. But you see, I've never done anything just to be thanked. I'm doing this because it's my path, my choice, my freedom. Does that answer satisfy you?"

"...Madman. You're an even greater fool than she is…"

As the Stellaron tried to respond, Venti placed it within the open slot in his binding device on his chest.

Using himself as the vessel, he absorbed the Stellaron's power and bound it completely.

The flowers of destruction that had spread across much of the world began to wither, their highly corrosive energy gradually drawn into Venti.

But rather than corrupting him into a mindless monster, the energy instead brought him a step closer to something akin to an Aeon.

Though the sensation was strange, Venti could distinctly feel the world shifting around him, though it would take time for this transformation to fully unfold…

And below, as everyone watched him "seal" the Stellaron within himself, they widened their eyes in a mix of urgency and worry.

They could clearly see the environment changing around them. Venti, having accomplished such a miracle, had earned their reverence.

"—Venti! Are you alright?" Bronya and Seele called out to him anxiously, and he managed to give them only a brief reply:

"Ah… I'm feeling a little tired. I'll need to take a nap. Everything else… is in your hands!"

"Wait—!"

Before anyone could respond, the winds wrapped around Venti, forming a pristine cocoon of feathers—a glowing, white egg.

The feathered cocoon descended gently to the ground, radiating a holiness and divinity that took everyone's breath away.

For a moment, they all exchanged glances before deciding to carry it back to Belobog.

---

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