He Who Feels Guilt [Honkai: Star Rail]

Narrator's Pov

"Formation!"

The Silvermane Captain slammed his shield against the ground, to his sides, a group of various guards stood behind him with their halberds, Dunn pointed his spear towards the group and spoke.

"Serval, leave and go back to town, please"

"I'm sorry Dunn...but I can't do that, please just give us the encryption key."

"I can't, Guards, arrest them!"

Three guards started to walk towards the group and Serval let out a sigh, behind her, Stelle and Dan Heng were the first one to attack, their disguises disappearing alongside the ones on the others.

"Time to Bonk!"

Stelle grabbed her bat tightly and swung it down on one of the guards head but he lifted up his halberd blocking the attack, while Dang Heng tried to sweep his spear at 2 guards but both of them quickly stepped back dodging it and ran around the boy to surround him.

March prepared an arrow and shoot it at one of the guards that was surrounding Dan Heng, the guard quickly dodged it to the side and ran towards the girl, but Serval and Seele got in the middle, the blonde woman summoned a guitar and hit the guard on the chest with it, Seele then sweeped at the man's legs with the blunt side of her scythe before hitting his head knocking him out.

Dunn gave a step forward to join the battle, but Ryan fell in front of him, the boy's right hand covered in fire, he threw a punch towards the armored but he quickly lifted up his shield, blocking the attack completely, the captain threw a quick slash with his spear towards Ryan, the boy reacted and jumped above the slash, going over Dunn and falling behind him.

The Silvermane Captain started to throw various slashes and stabs towards the white-haired spirit that quickly dodged the attack by sidestepping while walking backwards.

"No wonder Serval doesn't pay attention to you" he put his backs against a wall. "You're really bad at thrusting."

"Fuck yeah!" Stelle's voice was heard in the background.

Dunn let out a growl and threw a powerful stab towards Ryan, the boy quickly jumped upwards letting the spear stab the wall instead going through it, Dunn tried to pull the spear out of the wall, but behind him, Svarog grabbed him by the waist, lifting him up and then bending back...suplexing him, the force behind the suplex being enough to crack the ground a bit, Svarog let go of the unconscious body of Dunn.

Ryan fell on his feet on the ground and looked towards the others, the Silvermane Guards now unconscious on their feet, Dan Heng stepped on one of the last guards, making him lose the air from his lungs falling unconscious.

"Step on me next" Stelle patted Dan Heng's shoulder lightly.

"What the-" he didn't seem to process her words correctly.

"I'll check on Dunn to get the encryption key..." Serval sighed a bit disappointed walking to the now unconscious Captain.

The alarm started to resonate around the area. "Great, busted" March crossed her arms over her chest.

"We had a good life" Stelle smiled sadly.

"Why are you so pessimistic?" Seele asked a bit disgusted.

"Our chances of finding our demise at the hands of the Silvermane Guards are of 17%" Svarog spoke.

"50/50 then, got it" Stelle sighed. "By the way, nice suplex."

"It is a rather efficient technique." The robot looked down at the Racoon girl.

"Guys, I got the key." Serval approached with a card on her hand, but quickly put it in her pocket. "Let's go back to the Energy Hub, I don't care if we got busted, I need to see the Stellaron"

"The voices seemed to lower a bit..." Ryan thought to himself and looked at the group of unconscious soldiers. "So if they are unconscious I can't hear them?...I suppose they can't feel guilt if they can't think..."

"Let's go back to the Energy Hub, we'll knock out whoever stands on the way" Serval spoke again before starting to run.

The group quickly returned to the Energy Hub, taking down a few guards that got in their way, after using the encryption key to open the key, Serval used the Energy Hub to direct energy to the terminals that they needed to use and then went back to the rotating bridge.

"I'll block the way, Serval, rotate the bridge." Ryan spoke and looked at the way from which they came.

"On it"

As Ryan blocked their entrance using his magic to create a wall of Ice, the bridge started to slowly rotate, allowing them to continue to their original destination.

"It's done! Let's go" Serval again started to run being quickly followed by the others.

"Ryan, how much will that Ice Wall last?" Dan Heng asked.

"Around 3 days"

"Goo- wait, 3 days?" He raised an eyebrow at the white-haired boy.

"I can put it down after we're done, don't worry."

"Svarog look! It's your uncle!" Stelle raised her voice.

The group stopped on their tracks, already having reached the other side of the bridge, in front of them, a big and fat robot stood menacingly, clearly waiting for the group to make a hostile move.

"I have no relationship with that Model" Svarog spoke looking at the robot in front of them.

"That's a Grizzly Automaton... it's very tough but slow, be careful" Serval warned as she grabbed her guitar tightly.

"Seele, doesn't it look like the one we killed at Rivet Town? When I met you?" Ryan asked rising an eyebrow.

"It does, it'll fall as fast as before too"

The big robot gave a few steps forwards and then let out a...roar? The group quickly lifted up their guards, and the Racoon Girls was the first one to give a step forward.

"What the fuck did you just say about my mother?!" She asked with an angry tone of voice towarss the Grizzly that roared again. "And now you insult my friends?! That's it! Time to use the power of friendship to gang up on you!"

"Stelle speaks robot?" Seele asked towards the trailblazers. "Or is she just messing with us?"

"It could very well be both." March replied to her question.

Stelle ran towards the robot with her bat on her right hand, she jumped and hit the Grizzly with her weapon but it bounced lightly on the thick armor of the robot, she backed away and to her sides ran Dan Heng and Serval, while the woman ran to the left of the Grizzly, the boy ran around the opposite direction.

Dan Heng quickly dashed towards the robot and threw a stab towards the robot, his spear barely piercing the armor he jumped away to avoid a strike from the Grizzly that again approached him to try and hit him again but was stopped by a lightning bolt that fell on him due to Serval.

Seele quickly appeared behind the robot in a flash of purple butterflies and then jumped to the robot's back sweeping directly at its 'neck' with her scythe trying to decapitated the Grizzly but the robot quickly moved turning around, making the girl loose some balance missing her sweep, the robot tried to grab the girl on its back but she quickly teleported away using her powers appearing again besides March who shot three quick arrows towards the robot that shielded itself with its arm.

The Grizzly's arm started to slowly be encased in Ice, the robot quickly slammed its own arm against the ground breaking the ice, but said action let it completely open to a punch from Svarog that made it slide backwards, Svarog quickly opened his left hand pointing his palm towards the Grizzly shooting his repulsor beam 2 times making the bigger robot flinch.

Stelle ran again towards the robot, her bat glowing brightly as she prepared herself to bonk it to death, the robot saw the girl and in a quick movement...it jumped up to the air.

"How's does something so big jumps so hi-?!"

The robot fell on top of Stelle cracking the ground beneath it, a collective 'oof' was heard at that moment...the robot walked backwards showing Stelle on the ground, her body basically buried into the cement.

Dan Heng ran and threw his spear at the robot using some wind to empower the throw, his spear imbedded itself into the Grizzly's stomach armor, he then grabbed Stelle and pulled her out from the ground dragging her towards Ryan who kneeled down and started to heal her with magic.

"Dan Heng, give me Mouth to Mouth, it'll be quicker." Stelle spoke looking up at the black haired boy.

"I won't."

"The armor of that robot seems tough." Ryan spoke and Dan Heng nodded his head.

"We can break it, it's not that tough" the other boy sighed softly. "I'll go help the others." He spoke before running again into the fight.

"Hey Ryan, why don't you just kill that thing?" Stelle asked to her brother.

"I can't just kill it"

"I'm not stupid, of course you can, you defeated Svarog on your own and that fatty is too much?" She raised and eyebrow to the boy.

"I think I prefer to have a more supporting role in this fight."

"Son of Qlipoth~"

"Okay, I'm killing that thing."

Ryan stopped healing Stelle, the girl simply stood up with a proud smile as she saw the white-haired boy run towards the robot.

Seele ducked and then dashed backwards avoid one of the hands of the robot that tried to grab her, from behind the Grizzly, Dan Heng already with his spear on his hands jumped and stabbed the robot's back with his weapon, he moved his spear inside of the robot's back making a few sparks come out, the Grizzly started to move wildly to shake him off, but a lightning from Serval stunned it lightly, Dan Heng pulled his spear out of the robot and jumped back.

The group was going to continue attacking the now stunned grizzly, but a magic circle started to form itself under the robot, the circle turned red as soon as it finished imprinting itself on the ground, Ryan clapped his hands once, a thin white aura around his body.

"Teine" he whispered softly.

A huge amount of fire started to spiral around the robot, a tornado of fire surrounding the Grizzly started to slowly melt the external armor and internal modules and metals inside of it, the storm of fire soon died out, showing a completely disfigured and also innactive Grizzly.

"Damn...that was dope" Serval smiled a bit towards Ryan.

"Is that the kind of spell that he gave me?" Dan Heng asked himself as he checked the firestorm glyph that Ryan had given to him.

"Let's continue we can't lose time." Ryan let out a short sigh. "Serval, how close are we to the exit.

"Close, we should sneak out but...if my brother is here then it'll be impossible" Serval frowned a bit before starting to walk. "Let's go, I'll handle him."

"Stelle, are you okay? The robot kind of fell on top of you" March asked to her friend who nodded her head.

"I'm good, Ryan's healing is handy, would've preferred Dan Heng's mouth to mouth tho" she smiled lightly making March look at her weirdly.

"I-I see..."

"Let's go, leave your simping for later" Seele patted Stelle's back before walking towards Serval.

The group slowly continued across the frontlines, fortunately not finding any soldier of robot close, probably since they were all waiting on the exit, and they eventually found out that it was exactly that.

Serval frowned a bit as she looked at the gate that lead to the exit of the frontlines, her brother, Gepard, stood in front of it with dozens of Silvermane Guards to his sides, the blonde Captain walked forwards, looking at the group.

"Serval...It really is you" The blonde looked at the girl with some disbelief.

"Gepard! Listen to me-"

"When the sentry reported to me, I thought that it was a mistake, the alarm had to be unrelated to your entry into the restricted zone, maybe you were taken hostage...and yet" he frowned and looked directly at her sister. "Walk over to me slowly, you're different from them."

"I'm sorry Gepard, we have an understatement, I'm standing with them..." She shook her head. "Gepard, let me explain-"

"That's enough Serval!" He raised his voice looking at his sister. "Have you forgotten where we are?! We Landaus ought to know this place better than anywhere, this is Belobog's most strategic protective fortress, every Silvermane Guard here is ready to spill their blood and give up their lives to protect our people, and yet, here you are, attacking my comrades in arms, hijacking the energy hub and leading these fugitives into the restricted zone"

"And why do you think we're doing this?! We've found a way to dispel the Eternal Freeze" she gave a step forwards lookijg at her brother.

"If that's true then why not report to the Supreme Guardian? Why sneak in here and create chaos?"

"You don't understand, the one preventing us to stop the Eternal Freeze is Cocolia, she's the one hiding the truth! The Fragmentum and the Eternal Freeze are connected to the Stellaron, the meteorite in the Architect's record, it's-" Serval was suddenly cut off by her brother.

"I know about the Stellaron, the Supreme Guardian has already told me about it, it's what the fugitives are after, they have ulterior motives, Serval, they want to steal this treasure from the Architecs" he closed his eyes trying to calm himself but then looked at Serval. "The Supreme Guardian had already told me you were indulging in fantasy...that you had been exposed to forbidden knowledge, I believe in you, Serval...I believe that you think you're acting with loyalty to our people! But it's just..."

He seemed like he really didn't want to continue speaking, but he then frowned and slammed his shield against the ground, pointing his hand towards the group with determination in his eyes.

"Guards! Formation! Arrest the fugitives, we could be swarmed by Fragmentum monsters any minute now" Gepard spoke with authority.

"The forbidden is only forbidden to hide the truth within!" Serval grabbed onto her guitar tightly, with some sparks of electricity around her hands. "Cocolia is afraid that we'll seize on this knowledge, she's afraid that the truth will expand far and wide, to save this world, we must risk it all" She looked at her brother witt a frown. "You know that your sister is not one to back down, if there's something you uphold, then you should uphold it to the very end!"

"Save your words for the judge, You are charged with sabotaging the Silvermane Guard Restricted Zone, in my capacity as captain, I hereby order that these fugitives get arrested!" The Silvermane Captain ordered and the group of soldiers around him started to walk towards them. "This won't be like our childhood games, Serval, you won't get any leniency from me"

"Don't try to be a hero, Gepard!" Serval warned her brother.

"Move aside, Gepard, you know how this will end"

Ryan walked forward creating an ethereal katana in his hand, looking towards the captain who simply frowned at the boy, he gripped his shield tighter.

"You...I expected better from you, Ryan, you said that you would help them if they wanted you to, do you too stand with them?" He asked and Ryan kept himself silent.

"...I do, these are my companions, just like the Guards are yours, Gepard, none of us will give up on the others"

"Guards, we can't waste time on them! Rise your spirits, fight for Belobog's future, fight to protect those behind us, fight to protect the people, and remember..."

Gepard slammed his shield against the ground, a blue aura started to surround him, and said aura also started to surround the guards around him, when the protective aura covered all of them, the guards started to advance towards the group, Gepard looked at the group and spoke.

"We stand Together!"

★ ★ ★

A/N: Here it is another chapter.

I got Dragon Age Inquisition so I might write a bit slower, I'm not sick anymore but I have gaming brain rot, so updates might be slow.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed!