Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

Drip, drip…

A rhythmic sound echoed gently, like the ticking passage of time.

But within this vast digital realm, it was merely the monotonous hum of data cycling endlessly.

In an infinite ocean of data streams, a single thread of dark crimson drifted apart from all arrays, solitary and unintegrated.

This fragment was the residual void left behind when Serus had been devoured by the digital toxin.

The galaxy had a term for such residual void fragments—Sin Thirsters.

Born from the shadow of the Aeon of Nihility, IX, these entities viewed themselves as the departed, unconsciously repeating the actions of the deceased.

Normally, Sin Thirsters created by powerful Pathstriders retained some faint semblance of consciousness.

But Serus, who held not even the slightest trace of a Path, should have vanished entirely, leaving no remnant.

Yet he persisted, sustained by a desperate final obsession.

The crimson data drifted restlessly, navigating through the sea of numbers until, like in life, it arrived effortlessly at a hidden module isolated from the planetary network.

This module lay at the planet's core, powered by something feared throughout the galaxy.

The Stellaron.

Embedded deep within, this Stellaron supplied energy to the entire planet.

Around it stood countless cultivation pods, and as usual, the Sin Thirster split itself into myriad copies, uploading them to these pods.

"I must become…a new Aeon…"

Muttering its deepest desire, the lingering consciousness dissipated completely, erased by the power of the Paths infused within these vessels.

Yet, even after the consciousness vanished, the automatic processes continued.

Freshly extracted crimson blood split into multiple streams, evenly distributed among all cultivation pods, nourishing each vessel.

Slowly, the Harmony energy within the blood awakened a long-severed concept: "Swarm."

This concept, originally belonging to Tayzzyronth, Aeon of Propagation, had been captured by Xipe, Aeon of Harmony, after Tayzzyronth's demise.

Now, reintroduced by the blood, the Swarm concept reawakened in these new vessels.

Without consciousness—the Sin Thirster's data long purged by their inherent Paths—they nonetheless began sharing sensations, evolving rapidly.

At last, a faint collective consciousness stirred to life. Its mere awakening was enough to trigger the emergence of something hidden deep within the artificial sun: Serus's ultimate contingency, a final weapon meant to erase everything should plans fail.

Inside it, a shattered body slowly began to reassemble…

---

A bizarre rainfall ascended, droplets rising urgently from the planet's surface toward the heavens, rushing upwards as if drawn by an unseen force.

These droplets congregated around a petite figure suspended beneath the sun, arms spread wide.

Gray hair, once lifeless and dull, turned pure white as droplets replenished it. Skin once shriveled from the vacuum of space regained its youthful glow, and the broken body regenerated rapidly to its original, perfect form.

She hovered gracefully, eyes closed, arms outstretched beneath the artificial sun. The deep slash on her wrist imparted an oddly sacred beauty, reminiscent of a martyr on a cross.

A scene that evoked a strange, divine solemnity.

"Is that a human?" someone murmured, incredulous.

Although an artificial sun couldn't match a real star's heat, no ordinary human could withstand such proximity.

Yet here she was, unaffected.

"Could it be a hologram?" others speculated.

On a mechanical world like this, projecting a hologram near the sun wasn't impossible—but who would bother?

However, Hoshigaki Sora recognized her instantly.

"Titania…"

Titania—the "Empress," queen and genetic progenitor of the Iron Cavalry.

A bioweapon forged through Propagation powers to eradicate interstellar swarms and safeguard the Republic of Glamoth.

Her strength had approached that of an Aeon—otherwise, Glamoth could never have defeated the Swarm invasion.

Yet after annihilating the Swarm, Glamoth had attempted to purge the very beings they created, fearing their numbers surpassing the native populace. Unsurprisingly, their creations rebelled, destroying Glamoth utterly from within.

In desperation, the remnants had located Titania's sanctuary and delivered their ultimate pyrotechnic gift.

That should have ended it all. This should never have occurred.

Why…why has Titania awakened?

Confusion clouded Sora's mind. His gaze darted cautiously toward the nearby Iron Cavalry soldiers. Would their progenitor's awakening influence them?

Relief washed over him when he saw they remained unaffected.

Yet what awakened her, and why had she returned…?

Suddenly, Titania's eyes snapped open.

Instantly, Sora's senses were stripped away, leaving only Titania clearly before him.

[I've sensed you before…]

Though Titania's lips didn't move, her voice echoed vividly within Sora's mind.

[I've shared everything I am with you. You are my companion now.]

In an instant, Titania appeared right before him, reaching out gently to touch his face.

Sora's eyes widened in alarm.

Suddenly, the strange book he'd read made sense.

The book he'd read hadn't been mere text—it was Titania herself, transmitting her memories and experiences directly to him.

That wasn't a library at all; it was Titania's true self.

She had shared her story, established an emotional bond, and now Sora, marked by this intimate communion, was her target—someone to convert into her companion.

In a split second, Sora realized exactly what awaited him. The moment she touched him, his genetic code would rewrite instantly, transforming him irrevocably into a being identical to Titania herself.

Glamoth, wary of infinite replication, had deprived Titania of self-reproduction. She evolved instead to spread through genetic contamination, converting all she touched into companions.

Sora, having been the first to contact her within the [Planetary Library], was naturally her first intended victim.

Titania's fingertips neared his cheek. If she touched him now, it was all over!

Yet Sora's body was impossibly heavy, all functions restrained save his consciousness.

[Heavy Acceleration]

He recognized the oppressive sensation instantly, something he himself had employed numerous times here.

His repeated use of [Heavy Acceleration] had unknowingly been absorbed and adapted by the cultivation pods at the planet's core. They had evolved, incorporated it, and shared it through their newly reborn collective consciousness.

Now, [Heavy Acceleration] was forcibly imposed upon Sora himself.

But just as all seemed lost, cerulean flames suddenly ignited from his wrist, swiftly enveloping him and restoring his freedom within this oppressive field.

Instinctively, Sora slammed his flame-coated arm into Titania's outstretched hand, forcing her to pause in astonishment. Immediately, a familiar belt materialized at his waist.

He twisted the ignition, slammed down the throttle—

"[Henshin]!"

'[Heart]!'

'[The Kamen Rider]!'

In a dazzling golden flash, crowned with massive horns, Kamen Rider Heart stood defiantly.

He instantly unleashed the power capable of causing a [Global Freeze], suspending the entire planet within a frozen instant.

Raindrops halted mid-ascent; all motion ceased utterly.

Yet Sora remained uneasy, staring warily at Titania's immobilized form.

"This woman is after me…"

He bitterly regretted ever using [Planetary Library].

He'd never imagined Titania had lurked there, waiting patiently like a spider in its web.

Then, suddenly, he noticed something chilling—

Titania's finger had subtly twitched…