The Doomsday Beast was a cataclysm given form. Forged by the Antimatter Legion from the sundered fragments of a Dusk Leviathan and tempered in the spectral anguish of the "War Forge," it was a walking apocalypse. Wherever it trod, it sowed storms capable of shaking human civilization to its core. The pure white beam of annihilation it unleashed was the very embodiment of this purpose.
Yet—
A rival cataclysm answered its call. A torrent of incandescent gold, erupting from Bai Ming's chest, met the white beam head-on. Not only did it hold, but it also advanced, pushing back the Doomsday Beast's attack with overwhelming, primal force. The energy radiating from Bai Ming was of a different order of magnitude entirely—a stellar fury against a planetary weapon.
The implication was terrifyingly simple: if this golden deluge were allowed to continue unchecked, the resulting chain reaction wouldn't just destroy the platform; it would shatter its moorings and send the entire structure, and everyone on it, careening into the void.
Himeko watched, a rare helplessness gripping her. An orbital cannon could solve a rampaging beast, but it offered no solution for a girl who had become the very weapon they feared.
As despair began to set in, a figure descended from the gantries above like a answered prayer.
He was a man of unassuming attire—a white shirt, simple jeans, and a light grey coat draped over his shoulders. But his eyes, a sharp, experienced green behind black-framed glasses, held a universe of resolve. In his hand was a scepter of impossible geometry. This was Welt Yang, the steadfast pillar of the Astral Express.
His calm was unnerving. While chaos reigned, his expression remained as placid as a deep lake, reflecting a soul that had stared down oblivion more times than he could count. He moved with an economy of motion that defied the torrent of energy, his form weaving through the lethal golden rays as if navigating a pre-choreographed dance. In a heartbeat, he was at Bai Ming's side, his target clear.
The red scepter in his hand shimmered, its surface shifting to glow with the heat of a freshly forged blade.
"What's he doing?" March 7th whispered, her heart in her throat.
She had her answer a moment later.
With the precise, clinical motion of a master craftsman, Welt Yang swung the scepter. It did not strike a vital point or a power core. It connected, with a solid thwack, right against Bai Ming's forehead.
Bai Ming's eyes rolled back instantly. A choked gasp escaped her lips as the devastating ray from her chest sputtered and died. She crumpled backward, her body going limp.
"Bai Ming!" March 7th cried, lunging forward to catch her friend before she could hit the ground. She braced for the energy to return, but it remained dormant. The immediate danger had passed.
But for Welt Yang, a new, more profound danger had just unveiled itself. As the golden light faded, his keen eyes registered the armor that had momentarily clad the girl—crimson plates, glowing edges, a design etched into his memory from another life.
[Vermillion Knight: Eclipse]?
The name was a ghost from his past, a relic of a war he thought he'd left behind. Tesla's reports on the 10 sets of 4th generation Godsbane-class battlesuits flashed in his mind. It was destroyed. How is it here? His blood ran cold. Void Archives? Does this universe have the Honkai? And if so, to what terrifying scale?
A lifetime of battles, sacrifices, and losses played out in the span of a single, heart-stopping second. The price of failure in that other war was not just sacrifice; it was near-total annihilation. The thought of that shadow falling over this new universe sent a tremor through his seasoned spirit.
Why here? Why now?
He closed his eyes, drawing on a well of courage that had been tested across worlds. When they opened again, the momentary doubt was gone, replaced by the unyielding glint of a soldier who had chosen, once again, to stand and fight. Humanity's hymn was one of courage, and he would not let its melody be silenced.
But then, the vision vanished. The crimson armor was gone as if it had never been. Bai Ming lay in March 7th's arms, clad in ordinary clothes.
An illusion? No, his senses were too sharp, his mind too disciplined. It was real. But then where did it go? The mystery coiled in his gut. This girl… she is an anomaly.
His reverie was shattered by a guttural whirr. The maimed Doomsday Beast, driven by its base programming for destruction, struggled to its remaining limbs, its core flickering as it prepared one final, spiteful blast.
Welt Yang adjusted his glasses, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. "It is poor manners," he stated, his voice low and firm, "to interrupt a man's thoughts with your mindless clamor."
He didn't even grant it the dignity of turning around. He simply raised his scepter, pointing it backward over his shoulder.
"Be silent."
From the tip of the scepter, a point of absolute darkness blossomed into a swirling vortex. The Doomsday Beast fired its beam, but the light was simply swallowed, consumed without a trace. The creature itself was pulled into the gravitational maelstrom, its form compacted into nothingness. In less than a breath, it was gone, leaving only scars on the platform as proof it had ever existed.
"Uncle Yang! She…" March 7th's voice was thick with tears as she cradled Bai Ming.
Welt Yang leaned on his scepter, his composure a mask for his inner turmoil. "She will be fine now. But we should move her. She requires proper medical attention, and then… we must talk."
"Huh? Oh! Right!" March 7th scrambled to her feet, hauling Bai Ming onto her back with a grunt of effort. "I'll take her to the medical bay! Hang on, Bai Ming!"
As March hurried away with Dan Heng following as a silent rearguard, Himeko approached. "Welt? Is something wrong?"
He met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "No," he said, the lie smooth and practiced. "Not yet, at least."
Himeko studied him for a long moment before nodding slowly. She understood the spaces between his words. "I see. If that changes…"
"I will inform you," he promised. "But I sincerely hope it never does."
…
In the sterile quiet of the medical bay, the silence was broken by frantic muttering.
"...No, not another Defense substat! Just one Crit Rate, please... Elysia, where are you? My 70,000 Crystals... I refuse to swipe... I refuse..."
With a sudden, gasping intake of breath, Bai Ming jolted awake, the phantom pains of gacha disappointment fading as the real world snapped into focus. She was lying on a med-bed, staring up at a ceiling whose architecture was generically familiar.
Where am I…?
She tried to sit up and found her movement restricted. Looking down, she saw a hand clasping hers. Following the arm, her eyes landed on a head of pastel pink hair. March 7th was slumped in a chair beside the bed, fast asleep, still holding her hand.
A slow, goofy grin spread across Bai Ming's face.
Hehehe. March. My March.
The memory of recent events flooded back—the Aeon, her wish. She glanced down at her own body. The [Vermillion Knight: Eclipse] armor was gone. Had it all been a dream?
Before she could ponder further, March 7th stirred, mumbling in her sleep. "Still not awake... Don't tell me she's not gonna wake up..."
A deliciously wicked idea sparked in Bai Ming's mind. She let her head loll back, closed her eyes, and put on her most mystical voice.
"Do you wish for Bai Ming to awaken?"
March's head shot up. "Huh?" She looked around, then stared at Bai Ming's motionless form. "...Bai Ming?"
"Answer the question," the voice intoned.
"O-of course I do!"
"Then you must perform a single act to break the Slumber Demon's curse," Bai Ming declared, struggling to keep her voice steady. "You must... bestow a kiss upon the sleeper. Otherwise, her spirit shall be trapped in the dream realm forever."
She waited, heart pounding with anticipation.
Hehehe... any second now...
The expected soft touch never came. Instead, a sharp, pinching pain erupted on her cheek.
"Bai! Ming!" March 7th hissed, her voice a mixture of fury and relief. "The same trick?! Twice in one lifetime?!"
"Ow, ow, OW! I'm up, I'm up!" Bai Ming yelped, springing upright and clutching her stinging cheek. "March, that hurts! You're going to leave a bruise! What if I get deformed? You'll be stuck with me as a ugly monster!"
"Whose fault is that?!" March retorted, hands on her hips. "You think I'm just going to fall for that again?"
"It was worth a shot!" Bai Ming pouted, poking her fingers together. "I just thought... maybe..."
She glanced at March, whose face was now flushed bright red. The girl took a deep breath, her expression shifting to one of shy determination.
"Bai Ming," she said softly. "Come here."
"Wha—? No more pinching!" Bai Ming shuffled backward on the bed. "I surrender!"
"No pinching," March promised, her blush deepening. "Just... come closer. Before anyone else comes in."
Hesitantly, Bai Ming complied, inching forward. As she came within range, March leaned in quickly.
For less than two seconds, a soft, warm pressure touched Bai Ming's cheek.
It was over before Bai Ming's brain could fully process it, but the sensation lingered, sending a jolt of pure, unadulterated joy straight to her core.
March kissed me!
"March!" she exclaimed, whirling around with stars in her eyes.
"Don't get the wrong idea!" March preempted, holding up her hands as if warding off an attack. Her face was a brilliant scarlet. "That was just... a thank you!"
"A thank you?" Bai Ming blinked.
"For... for shielding me," March said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You didn't even hesitate. I'll... I'll remember that."
A slow, understanding smile spread across Bai Ming's face. "Ohhh, I see." She then leaned forward, her expression turning theatrically solemn. "In that case, traditionally, the next step after saving a maiden is for her to pledge her life and heart to her hero. So, how about it?"
"Pledge your head!" A swift karate chop landed on Bai Ming's head. "I never signed up to be your girlfriend!"
"Wuwuwu, rejected again." Bai Ming clutched her head, the picture of despair. "I should have just let that Doomsday Beast turn me into stardust."
"Don't you dare say that!" March scolded, though her eyes were warm. She then seemed to remember something, fishing a sleek device from her pocket. "Here. This is for you."
"A phone?" Bai Ming took it, turning it over in her hands. "What's this for?"
"From Miss Himeko," March explained. "You were out for almost a full day. She wanted me to give it to you as soon as you woke up and then bring you to her."
"Miss Himeko? What does she want?"
March 7th tapped her chin, thinking. "Oh! That's right!"
"She's taking you to meet the Master of the space station!"
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A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Life Simulator: Starting in Genshin Impact!
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
patreon.com/deadlygoober