Honkai Star Rail: I am Godzilla, domineering and rampant.

"Hmm? What is it, Screwllum? Did something happen in Penacony?"

"No… I found Doctor Chadwick." Screwllum's calm voice echoed through the laboratory.

----------------------------------

Calderon Chadwick.

The 79th seat of the Genius Society, specializing in imaginary physics.

His existence was like a fleeting meteor, descending quietly, only to vanish just as swiftly.

Since he was not of the long-life species, nor did his expertise lie in the field of life sciences, most people across the cosmos believed that this genius had already passed away on some quiet afternoon.

...

"Mr. Screwllum, sending Chadwick meme's out of Penacony is above my paygrade."

The IPC executive called in to handle the situation wore a stiff smile on his face, while inwardly wishing he could curse out the bunch hiding behind him.

Hearing his response, Screwllum was unsurprised.

"I think we need not let the situation remain so deadlocked. I suppose none of The IPC's people wish to alarm the guests passing through the lobby, yes? As far as I know, Calderon Chadwick was not of the long-life species, and my last conversation with him…"

"Took place two Amber Eras ago."

"Question: By what means did The IPC and The Family extend Calderon Chadwick's lifespan? Has this method been approved by the Genius Society, and does it comply with the regulations set by Penacony?"

Hearing Screwllum's series of questions, the man's expression kept shifting. If it had been an ordinary person, or someone from another faction, he could have responded with a hard attitude.

But the one before him was the King of Planet Screwllum and a member of the Genius Society, offending him was a consequence he absolutely could not afford to bear!

What's more, this genius had good relations with many other members of the Genius Society, even maintaining an ambient relationship with those he wasn't close.

The cost of offending this Intellitron was far heavier than offending anyone else.

…

"I think... you were able to easily succeed, right!" Herta said, somewhat doubtful.

"Yes, The IPC drove out The Family and seized the management rights of Penacony from Godzilla, but that does not mean Penacony belongs to The IPC. I don't think Godzilla likes others running amok in his territory, this is almost a provocation against him."

Screwllum understood the current situation in Penacony very well and was easily able to bring Chadwick out from Penacony.

On the surface, The IPC was in charge, but in reality, they were just wage earners.

The resources poured into Penacony were enormous, but the profits were also considerable.

Still, that didn't mean Penacony belonged to The IPC. Godzilla simply seldom stayed in Penacony, but the true control still rested in his hands, if he wished, he could wipe out all of The IPC's people with a single thought.

It wasn't just that The IPC couldn't abandon Penacony, but Aventurine would never agree to give it up without greater profit, since this was hard-earned revenue, counted as performance.

And besides, he had the protection of the Diamond!

"…Looks like Dr. Chadwick's research succeeded, but also failed." Ruan Mei said softly.

"Anyway, we'll know once we hear it directly from him. Screwllum, where did you put the memory-matter case?"

....

Jarilo.

Godzilla lazily sprawled on his territory. Though the entire Jarilo was his domain, he simply liked this particular spot, sitting still without concern for the movements of three tree beasts in the distance.

"Hey, I'm back again."

In his dream, the familiar voice returned. Miss Messenger stepped on the air, black stockings wrapping her nimble feet as she moved swiftly, landing on Godzilla's shoulder in the blink of an eye.

In Penacony's dreamscape, Miss Messenger couldn't do this, unless Godzilla granted her access…

Eh! She suddenly realized the reason she hadn't been able to do this before was because The Family had imposed rules in the dream. But now, with The Family gone, Penacony's order had already changed...

Should she find a chance to test it out? Miss Messenger thought with some excitement.

"Poke, poke."

"Poke, poke."

Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt something poking her. Turning her head, she saw the tip of Godzilla's massive tail prodding her from behind.

Godzilla's tail was long and huge, but its very tip was small, perfectly capable of poking someone.

Godzilla cast a sideways glance at the long-unseen Miss Messenger. He didn't understand why she came here only to space out. Was it really just to daze off?

"Oh, right! I almost forgot!"

Clapping her hands, Miss Messenger suddenly remembered she had come with a mission.

"The Antimatter Legion has been making big moves recently. You need to be careful."

"…?"

Godzilla tilted his head slightly, his tail instinctively curling into a question mark.

Me, careful, against them?

But wasn't the Antimatter Legion always at going around destroying galaxies? Wasn't it natural for them to be making big moves if you think in that way?

Miss Messenger's time spent with Godzilla wasn't wasted, she could more or less guess his thoughts.

"On this point, we're not very sure either. It's just that lately, the Antimatter Legion's movements have been strange. Before, we could always detect their trajectory, as well as which world they were going to destroy. But this time, their behavior looks odd, more like they're amassing forces."

Probing to see which world the Antimatter Legion planned to destroy had never been difficult for them.

As long as the Legion didn't conceal their movements, exposure was inevitable.

But the fact that the Antimatter Legion was now gathering troops inevitably set off alarms across the major powers of the universe.

"So you must be careful! You've already taken down two Lord Ravagers, if they've chosen a target, you're definitely on the list!"

Miss Messenger earnestly warned him… though her mask still remained on her face.

"Whoosh!" His tail cut through the air, producing a resounding boom.

Godzilla paid no heed to the movements of the Antimatter Legion; even if they were truly advancing toward him, Godzilla would remain where he was, he was not worried even if all the Lord Ravagers ganged up on him.

Seeing Godzilla's confidence, Miss Messenger said nothing more.

With the power of three Aeons blessing him, along with his own overwhelming strength, Miss Messenger was actually not worried about Godzilla's safety at all.

Even if the Antimatter Legion truly brought some super-scale weapon of mass destruction, Godzilla could easily retreat with his space-warping ability.

To this day, the video of Godzilla's clash with Zephyro was still spreading across the cosmos.

Back then, Godzilla had not yet received the Aeons' attention!

...

Claretwheel Temple.

A haven for the Borisin who refused to kill.

"Samatha, you're back. How did it go? Did the Xianzhou agree to our request?"

Seeing Samatha return alone, everyone immediately understood the fate of the others. Their eyes dimmed, but they still forced themselves to look toward him, hoping for results.

Meeting the gazes full of heavy expectation, Samatha let out a long sigh before speaking.

"The Xianzhou did not directly agree to our request."

At these words, the glimmers of hope in many eyes immediately faded. But some noticed the subtle phrasing.

"Not directly agreed?"

Samatha nodded slightly and said softly: "I met with the General of the Luofu Xianzhou. He did not directly agree to shelter Claretwheel Temple, but instead told me this: as long as Claretwheel Temple does not commit killings, he could turn a blind eye to the temple and help them in some cases."

To erase all hatred between the Xianzhou and the Borisin was almost impossible.

After thousands of years of resentment, and with both sides being long-lived species, the mutual hatred had carved fixed impressions deep into their minds.

Through various means, Jing Yuan confirmed that the people of Claretwheel Temple had indeed not committed murderous acts. Even if there were incidents, they were only cases of self-defense after being targeted by enemies.

But this did not mean Jing Yuan could forgive them on behalf of those who had suffered at the hands of the Borisin. Many Xianzhou people would never believe, or even be willing to believe, that some Borisin could genuinely seek reconciliation.

"This is good enough." Hearing Samatha's words, everyone let out a long sigh of relief.

If it only meant staying in remote places from now on, such a price was absolutely worth it to ensure the children would no longer live in constant fear.

Should enemies appear, Samatha would send a specific signal to the Xianzhou.

...

[T / N : Note: This was written before the Story of the Fables Part 2 release, from here the story differs from the game.]

...

The Baranza Furnace.

Even though the name had furnace in it, it was highly technological world instead. There were only two levels below the Xianzhou Zhuming in terms of crafting weapons.

But this high technological world, in the last few days had undergone nothing short of an Apocalypse.

First, a large scale technological malfunction, then the complete collapse of the entire planets AI defenses. Before the authorities could even investigate the cause, the AI defenses and the Intellitron's went rogue and started attacking everyone indiscriminately.

By the time the overseer of the planet were able to find the one responsible for this, it was already too late.

In just the span of a mere 15 system hours from the start of the malfunction, all organic life on the planet had been wiped out.

The world of Baranza Furnace had become another badge of honor for the Irontomb, the Lord Ravager most skilled at attacking technologically advanced civilizations.

So far, he had conquered countless civilizations. Every world he captured was then controlled by AI, all organic life wiped away.

Similarly, the Baranza Furnace had also entered proper operation in another 10 system hours. This world and it's star system had been fully transformed into another cradle of Destruction.

"Celenova has sent a summons to gather." Irontomb looked at the order displayed on the screen, expressionless.

No one could understand the logic behind Nanook's actions, but Celenova was indeed the general Nanook most often deployed.

At the same time, under her command, the Legion of Destruction spread across the cosmos, making her the Lord Ravager with the largest army, an extreme opposite to Zephyro, who was an army unto himself.

"Preparing to go to war with the Xianzhou Alliance?"

From appearance, Irontomb was a finely crafted machine. But that was a form he had refashioned for himself.

No one knew his true body's whereabouts. As the Lord Ravager most adept with technology, his survivability ranked first among his peers.

Irontomb's mechanical eyes rotated.

Since Celenova had extended the invitation, he had no reason to refuse.

As a vanguard who had already attacked Zhuming, Fanghu, and Yaoqing, Celenova's intent to launch an assault against the Alliance did not surprise him at all.

They were all walking their own paths of Destruction. To enact the will of Destruction was each of their pursuits, even if that path might lead to their own annihilation.

But to them, their own annihilation was also Destruction.

That was why they had been glanced upon by the great Nanook, who bestowed divine power upon them.

As Irontomb issued command after command, an orderly Intellitron army began to assemble.

...

Meanwhile, the Interastral Peace Corporation.

"Imaginary Implosion Pulse... it's a good name, but it doesn't belong to us, doesn't belong to The IPC."

In the Talent Motivation Department, Yan Shiluo spoke softly.

The Imaginary Implosion Pulse, in its very first battle after development, had destroyed twenty-four planets, among them three Tier 0 civilizations.

It was a blade developed by the 79th seat of the Genius Society, Calderon Chadwick!

According to The IPC's original plan, this weapon was meant to be the sword hanging over countless worlds, the confidence behind The IPC's expansion and market conquest.

But once this weapon fell into hands outside The IPC, it became not only The IPC's blade, but also a deterrent against The IPC itself.

Thinking of those who would be infuriated by this, Yan Shiluo felt a suffocating weight press down on his heart.

From the very moment such an idea was born, one had to expect this: a blade of slaughter is always double-edged, and its wielder might also become its victim.

...

No matter how stormy the outside world, Jarilo always marched forward on its path.

"Hey, baby, is this place Jarilo?"

IPC employees at the port froze in shock as they looked at the swaggering, oddly speaking fugitive.

Their feet instinctively shuffled backward.

A month's pay was just a few credits, was it worth clashing with such a dangerous, wanted criminal?

Though they were tempted by the astronomical bounty The IPC had issued, they also knew full well that anyone who could live this long after having a IPC bounty on their head was absolutely not someone they could afford to provoke!

Those sent by The IPC to build on Jarilo were no fools, they understood very clearly the key points behind it.

One obvious question: if The IPC could easily capture these dangerous individuals, then why issue wanted orders at all?

"...Hmph, The IPC's lapdogs still have such cute little legs!"

Boothill had not intentionally come to Jarilo.

After attending the Luminary Wardance on Luofu, he was tailed by a pack of IPC hounds. After a period of skillful evasive maneuvers, without caring too much, he left them behind.

Then he arrived at the nearest civilization, Jarilo-VI.

"Hopefully that IPC brat wasn't messing with me, and I can find that guy Osvaldo."

Thinking of his goal, Boothill's expression turned grim.

Osvaldo, the true "target" who made him traverse the sea of stars. If possible, Boothill very much wanted to confirm the path ahead before moving forward.

"But why is there a planet this close by?"

Boothill raised his head, gazing at the unusually conspicuous planet in the sky, filled with doubt.

Though his knowledge was always lacking, after sailing the cosmos for so long, he understood well that planets couldn't be too close together, unless the civilization on that planet wanted to play some thrilling, high-risk adventure.

As for figuring out what was really going on with the planet next to Jarilo... space cowboys weren't fond of reading.

"Hello traveler, do you intend to roam around freely here?"

Just as Boothill was about to pilot his ship up there to investigate, a voice stopped him.

Pela looked up at this strange, shark-toothed man. Her keen observation let her notice his arms and abdomen gleamed with a metallic sheen.

She didn't know what kind of aesthetic tastes people of the cosmos had, but Pela was certain no one would transform their own body like this without a reason.

"Are you the one in charge here?" Boothill lowered his head to look at the little blue shorty before him.

"I am Belobog's scribe. I noticed you've been lingering here for a while, seemingly not knowing where to go, so I came to ask if you need help."

As she spoke, Pela kept watching Boothill. This thing didn't feel like a good sign.

"My name is Boothill."

"Boothill? The one who attended the Luminary Wardance?"

"Hm? You know me?" Hearing Pela's words, Boothill's shark-like teeth parted slightly as he smiled at her.

"Mm, when Luka returned, he told us your story. He said you are someone worthy of respect."

"Fudge? Did that kid also tell you I'm a wanted man? The scary kind. See those IPC hyenas over there? They want to catch me, but they're also very afraid of me."

"..."

"..."

Pela stared at Boothill, confused.

Boothill's mouth twitched, and he waved his hand.

"Forget it, enough of that baby. Where's Luka? I want to catch up with him. Hopefully somewhere without IOC people, I really don't want to see those precious little hyenas right now."

"Luka should be training now, I can take you there."

...

"Full power!"

"Boom!!"

The silver-armored figure, unleashing full strength, incinerated the Legion vanguard blocking the way.

Brilliant flames illuminated a corner of the cosmos. Though not eye-catching, their presence was intense.

"Ugh, still didn't find it." Firefly's small face looked bitter as she sighed.

"Do you really have to push yourself like this? Ever since leaving the Xianzhou, you've been searching everywhere for traces of those Leviathans. Even a mutated spawn of Abundance would..."

Silver Wolf's projection appeared beside Firefly. Watching the flames still not fully dispersed in the distance, she spoke helplessly.

"There'll always be a chance to find them."

Even separated by SAM, Silver Wolf could still sense Firefly's serious determination.

"Fine, but I suggest you look for an Leviathan's lair. Rub around inside, who knows, maybe one of those old, dim-eyed beasts will mistake you for its child. That'd be much easier than wandering around blindly."

Silver Wolf spoke while simultaneously searching for the nearest possible traces of Leviathan activity.

"There."

"Thanks-"

As soon as Firefly spoke her thanks, with a swish, SAM shot off like a meteor in the direction Silver Wolf had pointed, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Looking at the scorched ground around her, Silver Wolf shook her head.

Good thing she wasn't here in person, otherwise after going back, she would need to take bath thrice...