Chapter 31: The Battle for Custody
Phantylia wove her consciousness into Jing Yuan's, slowly bleeding the power of Destruction into his veins. The others, battered and spent from the Lotus of Abundance that had just ravaged them, could only watch, powerless to intervene.
At this critical juncture, Phantylia started, her gaze whipping backward. The throne behind her shattered into dust, and she felt the lion's share of her power evaporate in an instant. She spun around, snarling, "You still wish to—"
It was Jing Yuan. He had commanded the Lightning-Lord to slip behind her, waiting for the precise moment to sever her connection to the Ambrosial Arbor.
"Dan Heng, it's all yours!" Jing Yuan shouted, a smirk playing on his lips as he faced Phantylia.
Dan Heng vaulted into the air, manifesting a lance in his grip. He hurled it toward Jing Yuan, shattering the link between the General and Phantylia. The very instant the connection broke, the Lightning-Lord plunged its great blade into Phantylia. Her form disintegrated into nothingness in a heartbeat. Jing Yuan, his strength utterly spent, plummeted from the sky, but Dan Heng soared forward, catching him before he could strike the ground.
"Well played, Arbiter-General! But what I have lost is merely a vessel, a trifle crafted on a whim. How much longer can you endure?" Phantylia, now reduced to a flickering golden flame, could not mask her chagrin, yet she still sneered at him. "The day of the Xianzhou's ruin draws near!"
"Very well, pawn of Destruction. Carry this message to your Legion: The Hunt's vengeance… shall surely come!" With steely resolve, Jing Yuan struck, scattering the golden flame into oblivion.
The video concluded amidst Phantylia's manic laughter.
...
"Video playback complete!"
"Dear viewers, we shall see you tomorrow!"
"The fan-made content and the heartbreak videos will be uploaded first thing tomorrow!"
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Elysia: A story of a hero defeating a dragon to save the princess? ]
[ Genshin Impact - Yae Miko: So the hero is Dan Heng, the dragon is Phantylia, and the princess is Jing Yuan? ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Elysia: Heehee, as expected of a girl with pink hair, sharp as a tack. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Guinaifen: Heeheehee, I ship this pairing too! ]
The shippers from across the three worlds began to transform into self-proclaimed connoisseurs of romance.
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Herta: What is there to ship in this? ]
As a solitary aristocrat who hadn't sought a partner in centuries, Herta was utterly baffled by this collective obsession with shipping.
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Eden: Elysia, shipping everything you see will only be your undoing! ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Elysia: Ehe! ]
[ Genshin Impact - Paimon: What does "ehe" mean!? ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Zephyro: Phantylia, as this Arbiter-General says, you, a dignified Emanator of Destruction, were actually defeated by a few nobodies? ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Iron Tomb: I despise you! ]
...
Phantylia watched the barrage of mockery on the livestream with a grim expression, her fury boiling over.
Yet, she was helpless; the livestream had already laid bare her inevitable failure.
"Damn it, what now?" Phantylia felt a throbbing headache. All her previous schemes had unraveled. To start over would require an agonizing amount of time.
"Phantylia is there! Everyone, seize her!" A group of Xianzhou soldiers, brandishing broadswords, suddenly spotted her cowering in the corner and bellowed.
"Blast it all!" With no other options, Phantylia was forced to abandon Tingyun's body and hastily teleport away.
Seeing Phantylia eject from the host, the soldiers immediately struck with their blades.
Just as they lunged, a black hole materialized beneath Tingyun's body, whisking her away instantly.
As more Xianzhou soldiers swarmed the area, Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan arrived, launching a pursuit of Phantylia.
It was only after Phantylia was captured and consigned to the Divination Commission that they realized Tingyun's corpse had vanished.
...
"Did you all miss me, dear viewers?"
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Kiana: That livestream channel… you said yesterday… ]
"Ah, did I say anything yesterday?"
[ Genshin Impact - Klee: Ah, the livestream channel mentioned yesterday that you'd play fan-made or heartbreak videos first thing today. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Natasha: Deceiving children isn't very nice, is it! ]
"Fine, fine. Let's proceed with the fan-made video!"
"The Custody Battle!"
[ Genshin Impact - Kaeya: A custody battle? Could it be Acting Grandmaster Jean and Ms. Alice? ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Himeko: Why do I have a bad feeling about this? ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Kafka: I don't know why, but I have the same feeling! ]
...
The footage materialized quickly, revealing Stelle staring blankly ahead.
"What? Stelle was raised by me with such painstaking effort! Now you want to jump in and contest custody? Not a chance!" Himeko declared, casting a disdainful glance at Kafka.
"Hmph, look at that malnourished little frame of hers. I fear she hasn't been fed or clothed properly on your train. My poor, sweet daughter!" Kafka matched her intensity, crossing her arms and eyeing Himeko with haughty arrogance.
"Um… actually, I think my physique is quite decent, isn't it?" Stelle, hearing Kafka's voice, pointed at herself, looking utterly awkward.
"Kafka, save it. Everyone on the Astral Express cares for her deeply. We are her true family!" Himeko retorted, glaring at Kafka with fury.
"She has merely lost her memories. Sooner or later, she will recall the wonderful times we spent living happily together as Stellaron Hunters!" Kafka was actually growing anxious, her tone becoming increasingly urgent.
"Ha! Since when do the notorious Stellaron Hunters know how to raise a child? If she follows you, I suspect she'll be rotting in a Xianzhou dungeon by tomorrow!" Himeko gestured sharply at Kafka, her expression dripping with scorn.
"She wasn't exactly free of bounties when she was with you. If she hadn't been clever, she would've been nabbed by the Silvermane Guards right on the bed at the Goethe Hotel! Dragged out with her pants down—how embarrassing!" Stung by Himeko's jab, Kafka immediately retorted in kind.
...
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Stelle: Actually, you don't have to fight; you're both my mothers! ]
Stelle, watching Kafka and Himeko come to blows over her custody, was incredibly excited. After all, with their assets, she certainly wouldn't go hungry.
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Kafka: Uh, even though I accepted the 'mother' premise earlier, this is… ]
Kafka, back at the Stellaron Hunter base, had a face full of dark lines. A custody battle? This was just making a fool of her!
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Himeko: Since you don't want this daughter, she's mine! ]
Himeko, aboard the Astral Express, perked up upon hearing Kafka's hesitation. If you're abandoning this child, then she belongs to me!
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Kafka: Bullshit! Who said I didn't want her? ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Himeko: Hmph, I don't care. Since she's on the Astral Express now, she only has one mother—me! ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Kafka: You… ]
The others in the livestream, seeing Kafka and Himeko squabbling over Stelle's custody, sighed with emotion. It turned out this wasn't fan-made content—it was reality.
...