The situation inside the Everflame Mansion remains unknown for now...
"Will the Duke Inferno surrender or resist to the bitter end? Let's follow the frontline perspective and step into the Everflame Mansion together!"
As the reporter's voice echoed, the live broadcast cut to the frontlines.
The camera shifted to a female correspondent. The footage was slightly unstable, with ash and dust floating in the air. The reporter had no time for formalities and immediately signaled the cameraman to zoom in.
"To all viewers across the universe watching this event—right now, we can see..."
"The Everflame Mansion is surrounded by a ring of raging flames, likely a barrier set up by the Duke Inferno. With no way to extinguish the blaze, the company's armed forces cannot enter immediately—"
Suddenly, the reporter pressed a hand to her earpiece.
"Ah! A solution has been found!"
"Thanks to the assistance of enthusiastic researchers from the space station, the Duke's flames have been successfully neutralized!"
"Moreover, we've activated folded space technology!"
"The Duke Inferno can no longer escape the mansion through phase-shifting or similar abilities!"
The frontline reporter was visibly excited.
Over at the breached entrance, a squad had already advanced inside. Under the escort of a second team, the reporter also ventured deeper.
Though aware of the potential dangers, this was a universe-wide live broadcast! Countless factions were watching the outcome of this operation.
In Honkai: Star Rail, the Duke Inferno was portrayed as a major antagonist. Naturally, the real-world operation against him was being conducted with extreme caution.
The company had deployed its most elite combat units—the 800-series tier.
...
In the live chat:
"The Duke sure knows how to live in style! This manor is ridiculously lavish!"
"Stay safe, frontline soldiers!"
"Judging by Honkai: Star Rail's story, I feel like the Duke still has some trump card up his sleeve..."
"This time, the company's brought unprecedented firepower. Even the Annihilation Gang would think twice, right?"
"Something's off!"
"It's eerily quiet!"
"HOLY—IT'S HAPPENING! The Everflame Mansion's gates are wide open!"
"The Duke's got some nerve!"
"Must be the confidence of being on home turf!"
"At this point, unless the Duke received a glance from Nanook, I don't see how he can stand against the company's forces!"
...
The first squad halted at the gates. Clearly, they too were taken aback by the wide-open entrance, conducting careful observations and analysis.
The reporter's breathing grew tense.
Faced with this bizarre sight, she muttered to herself:
"Could the Duke... truly still have a hidden card to play?"
The tension was palpable—not just for the frontline reporter, but even viewers across the universe held their breaths.
...
Guinaifen's Livestream
Even Guinaifen, who rarely strayed from Honkai: Star Rail content, was streaming the interstellar broadcast for her audience.
Right now, her palms were sweaty.
Her mind raced with imagined scenarios:
- The company's forces step inside, only for an inescapable trap to spring!
- The Duke emerges gracefully, cane in hand, declaring he'd anticipated their arrival—followed by an epic battle!
- Or perhaps the luxurious manor transforms into a colossal mecha, unleashing devastating artillery on the unprepared fleet!
"Maybe I've been playing too much Star Rail... My brain's full of weird ideas."
...
Penacony – Hotel Lobby
Aventurine watched the broadcast intently while keeping a wary eye on his surroundings.
The situation inside the Everflame Mansion had put him on high alert.
"Did the Duke catch wind of something and flee in advance?"
He even braced himself—what if, the moment the company's forces entered the manor, the Duke suddenly appeared in Penacony?
Launching a surprise attack!
To Aventurine, that possibility seemed far more plausible.
...
Herta Space Station
Asta and the researchers monitored the frontline developments with grave focus.
If anything went wrong, they stood ready to deploy contingency plans.
For this operation, the space station had equipped their starships with multiple cutting-edge weapons, prepared for any scenario.
Then—
The first squad finally made their move.
No high-energy reactions were detected. After strategizing, they took the lead, stepping into the manor to uncover the Duke's so-called "surprise."
The reporter launched a drone but dared not enter, not wanting to interfere with the operation. The live feed remained fixed on the manor's entrance.
The first squad members cautiously filed inside, scanning for cover and optimal communication points.
But then—
Their movements froze.
One stood up abruptly. The others soon followed, as if witnessing something unbelievable. They lowered their weapons and slowly approached...
Soon, they formed a circle, standing like statues, their shadows stretching long under the manor's dying embers—a scene of indescribable solemnity.
"First Squad, respond!"
"First Squad, report!"
"What's happening inside?!"
The reporter was stunned, at a loss for words.
...
The live chat, however, exploded:
"WHAT THE—?!"
"What's going on?!"
"No way! First Squad's been wiped out!"
"They've turned to statues—some kind of mental attack?!"
"This doesn't match the Duke's abilities... Could it be his heir, Constance 'Dahlia'?"
"Someone call Kafka! Her Spirit Whisper might counter this!"
"Screw the vanguard, just bombard the place!"
"Level the manor! Let's see what tricks he's got left!"
Just as everyone—including command—assumed the squad had been neutralized...
The "statues" twitched.
A hoarse voice crackled over the comms:
"Command... we need backup."
"No—not backup! We need bio-domain specialists!"
"This is... too bizarre."
"The manor's empty. Only an extinguished flame remains... and what looks like the Duke's... uh, Relic."
The commander's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.
"Are you—have you been playing too much Star Rail?!"
"The whole universe is watching, and you're talking about Relics?!"
"No, it's real!"
"The Duke Inferno... seems to be... actually dead."
Specialists followed the second squad inside. The reporter rushed in as well, determined to capture the truth.
The camera focused on the scene—
And the entire universe fell silent.
The bio-expert's hands trembled.
He thought he'd been called to verify whether the remains belonged to the Duke...
But beneath the throne lay only tattered robes and the Duke's extinguished crown, its flames reduced to ashes.
This wasn't just death—it was total annihilation.
What was there left to examine?!
...
Live Chat Reactions:
"WHAT THE ACTUAL—?!"
"How?!"
"The Duke's DEAD?!"
"How did he die?!"
"The entire area's been erased!"
"The leaks were right—he really is just a Relic now."
"This is beyond insane!"
"No game plot would dare go this hard!"
"Where's my big bad Duke?!"
"He just dropped his trailer at Herta Station!"
"Duke, how's the story supposed to continue without you?!"
"WHO DID THIS?!"
"Absolute madness!"
"Welp... my Duke really became a Relic. FML."
To be continued…