Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

The settlement, previously submerged in despair, suddenly sprang back to life.

News of a potential escape had injected adrenaline into everyone's veins, galvanizing them toward this singular goal.

Who would willingly accept assimilation by Propagation when freedom was within reach?

The future was finally shining in front of them. It might still be faint and uncertain, but even a weak flicker in the boundless dark was enough to grip desperately. Like drowning souls grasping at their last lifeline, no one would relinquish this chance.

Now, they were all as one, moving toward a single purpose.

People streamed onto high-capacity ships, each craft loaded far beyond standard limits, every available space used to its fullest to accommodate everyone from the planet.

Meanwhile, crew members stripped their own ships of weaponry, ammunition, and power cores, gathering everything aboard a single massive transport. This ship carried their last, desperate hope.

Its pilots were the mercenaries who followed the Path of The Hunt—their power would assist the vessel in piercing the rain curtain.

The planet's most powerful supercomputer, originally chosen by Serus himself to host his consciousness, now operated at full capacity, heedless of energy consumption, meticulously managing every aspect of this vast mobilization. It was due to this precision that such an enormous task, involving over twenty thousand souls, was completed in a single day.

One after another, ships lifted slowly from their docks, hovering silently in midair, awaiting the moment the sky's barrier would shatter—allowing them their long-awaited escape.

At this moment, however, the Iron Cavalry had secretly gathered in a concealed area.

"When we show up wearing Fyrefly Suits, I bet no one would see it coming, huh?"

"Now that you mention it, I can't help but wonder about their faces."

"Yeah. After all, they've always called us the 'source of chaos' on this planet."

The Iron Cavalry chuckled, imagining the stunned faces of those who would discover the truth.

"Ironic, isn't it? The very people they accused of causing all this chaos were actually protecting them all along."

Laughter rippled among the soldiers. It was a shame they wouldn't be there to witness the reactions firsthand; that would've been even more amusing.

"Enough chatter. Everyone ready?" Shunji approached, fully clad in her Fyrefly Suit assault armor.

"We're all set, Captain. Don't worry."

Shunji nodded confidently, her expression growing serious.

"Our primary objective is to assist the Chaos Doctors in gathering their Path energy."

Among all factions on this planet, the Iron Cavalry undoubtedly possessed the largest reservoir of Path power. Though individually their strength was weak, their sheer numbers made the critical difference.

The handful of other Pathstriders simply couldn't bear the burden of cutting through the Rain Curtain alone. It was precisely for this reason that they had to step forward now.

"I never expected the Path of Nihility would be this powerful," murmured one soldier thoughtfully.

Here, where other Paths had become impossible to resonate with, Nihility remained accessible, its followers still able to draw power from it. Yet those who walked the Path of Nihility rarely drew on its strength directly.

The Chaos Doctors' method of consolidating power was simple: they treated and purified Void contamination, thereby allowing Nihility to consume their own Path energies, resulting in exponential growth in power.

The Chaos Doctors were already infected by the Void, naturally following Nihility's path. Through healing others, they affirmed their own existence—the more people they treated, the clearer their self-awareness became, allowing them to delve deeper into Nihility.

By continuously advancing in this way, they could eventually acquire enough strength to slice open the Rain Curtain above.

And the Iron Cavalry had exactly the right method to ignite Void within themselves.

For ordinary people, becoming tainted by Nihility was terrifying, and this was equally true for Iron Cavalry. However, sometimes, they had to make decisions for the sake of something more important.

Such as now...

"To send our friends to the peaceful world beyond, it's our turn to burn."

Shunji's words resonated deeply with every soldier present.

He had once burned himself for them, using fists filled with unwavering belief to awaken them from their confusion and hatred.

And now, his body had grown dangerously weak, requiring rest and peace to recover.

What was wrong, then, in sacrificing a little for a friend?

From beginning to end, their actions were only for one person—only ever one.

Hoshigaki Sora, gravely wounded and desperately needing the safety of a peaceful world to recuperate.

Saving the ordinary people was merely incidental.

"As I suspected from the start, despite the dust that clouds their true form, their beauty shines like fireflies in the darkest night," murmured Argenti, gripping his lance tightly, awestruck by these warriors ready to sacrifice everything to save their friend.

He would wholeheartedly protect this pure, blazing beauty.

"Their kind truly is rare in the entire galaxy," the Chaos Doctors murmured with genuine admiration.

Void contamination was something most people ran from in terror. But here, right before their eyes, these soldiers willingly accepted it for the sake of another. It was something no one would believe possible—and yet, it was undeniably happening right now.

"Please don't tell him about this," Shunji said quietly. "Knowing him, he'd never allow us to take such risks."

Everyone present nodded solemnly.

"Don't worry. We'll keep this hidden in our hearts."

"To ensure secrecy, we gathered in the planet's most hidden location. As former guards, you know exactly how well-hidden this place is."

Shunji nodded in understanding. The current site was a facility specially built by Serus for the Chaos Doctors, designed to safely contain the dangerous Void contamination they treated. Now, it had become the secret staging ground for this desperate plan.

All that mattered was their friend's safety; he didn't need to know their sacrifice.

"Then… let's begin."

Dark crimson flames ignited around them, a burning aura so intense that even the Chaos Doctors instinctively took a step back.

Meanwhile, in a dim corridor nearby, a certain young man stood, quietly watching, a bracelet glowing faintly green at his waist.

"I wondered why you were hiding from me. Turns out you were planning a surprise."

He watched quietly as the room illuminated with their flames, his gaze becoming complicated and gentle.

"You guys really are something…"

Sora couldn't find the right words.

His friends were risking themselves for him. It filled him with warmth and sorrow simultaneously.

But...the future I want is a world where no one needs to sacrifice themselves.

And for that future, he'd wield the power in his grasp, even if they disagreed.

"You all did something reckless first, so don't blame me for following your example."

He smiled softly. The buckle emitted a gentle green glow, and his body melted into faint smoke, disappearing entirely.

Argenti, sensing something strange, looked toward the empty corridor, now completely dark due to energy conservation.

No one was there.

Was it my imagination? Argenti frowned slightly, uncertain.

Suddenly, every Iron Cavalry Knight shuddered in unison, their flames abruptly extinguished, leaving only their gleaming silver armor behind.

The Chaos Doctors rushed forward, prepared to heal—but were shocked to find the Void contamination within their bodies had nearly vanished entirely.

"What happened?" they asked in confusion.

"Just now…" Shunji clenched her trembling fist over her heart, voice shaking. "Just now, his heartbeat stopped for a moment."

What?! The Chaos Doctors stared blankly.

"I'm certain!" another Iron Cavalry soldier echoed. "Sora's heartbeat definitely stopped for a split second just now."

Hearing their anxious whispers, Argenti and the Chaos Doctors quickly realized the gravity of the situation.

Just then, Shunji's communicator buzzed urgently—it was Mitsutake.

"What happened?" Shunji answered, her voice tight.

Mitsutake's excited voice burst from the communicator:

"The Rain Curtain's been torn open! It's a huge gap—and it hasn't closed yet. Hurry back! We're leaving immediately!"

Everyone exchanged bewildered looks.

What exactly had happened?

Far away, atop the tallest building closest to the sky, Hoshigaki Sora's blade slowly dissipated into particles of light. He collapsed onto the rooftop, gasping painfully for breath.

Above him, the Rain Curtain bore a massive gash from his sword strike. And there, faint emerald-green light stubbornly resisted, holding the gap open.