Honkai Star Rail: Survive. Adapt. Overcome.

The distant sound of voices and the faint aroma of medicinal herbs were the first things she noticed.

Stelle blinked slowly, feeling a slight heaviness in her body. It took her a few seconds to clear her mind.

The worn wooden ceiling and shelves filled with jars labeled in handwritten script gave her a clue about where she was.

"Ah… this isn't the hotel."

She tried to sit up, but a gentle voice stopped her.

"You're waking up just in time. How do you feel?"

A woman with dark hair, wearing a well-kept white dress, looked at her calmly.

"…Fine."

Stelle sat up a bit awkwardly and glanced around.

Beside her, March 7th let out a relieved sigh.

"Finally awake. Not that we were too worried, but it was about time you rejoined the land of the living."

Stelle tilted her head.

"Where are we?"

"In the Underworld."

March 7th paused before adding,

"Courtesy of Sampo. That bastard dragged us here while we were asleep."

Natasha gave a small smile.

"You were lucky. If you had been exposed to the gas any longer, you would've taken much longer to wake up."

Stelle didn't react much to the information. She simply nodded.

"Dan Heng…?"

"He went after Sampo to get answers."

March 7th shrugged.

"He didn't wait for us too long—you know how he is."

Stelle took a moment to process everything.

Underworld. Dan Heng missing. Sampo on the run.

Understood.

Natasha observed the girl curiously before letting out a small sigh.

"If you're not feeling dizzy or in pain, I think you can move just fine. But I'd still recommend not pushing yourself too hard."

Stelle nodded and stood up.

March 7th stretched her arms.

"Well, now that we're all awake, I think it's time to go find Dan Heng."

Before they could leave, Natasha looked at them with a slightly concerned expression.

"Before you go, I'll remind you once more—could you do me a favor?"

Stelle and March 7th exchanged glances.

"What kind of favor?"

Natasha crossed her arms.

"Before you arrived, I sent a boy to gather supplies… but it's been a long time, and he hasn't returned. I'm starting to get worried."

March 7th tilted her head.

"Do you think something happened to him?"

"I hope not, but in the Underworld, you never know."

Natasha sighed before adding,

"If you can find him and make sure he's okay, I'd really appreciate it."

Stelle nodded without hesitation.

"Understood."

Natasha smiled.

"Thank you. Be careful out there."

With nothing more to say, Stelle and March 7th left the clinic and began their search.

........

The Underworld had a completely different atmosphere compared to the Upper City.

The streets were more worn down, the buildings looked like patched-together scraps of metal and wood, and people moved cautiously, as if they were always on alert.

But amid all that tension, there was something else.

Children playing.

One of them—a girl with messy golden hair, wearing a coat and an oversized hat—stood in front of them with an expression full of confidence, if not arrogance.

"Halt, outsiders!"

March 7th blinked.

"Huh?"

The girl crossed her arms.

"I am the great Hook the Dark, leader of the Moles Clan! Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

March 7th smiled.

"We're just looking for a friend. By any chance, have you seen him?"

"Ha! And why should I help two strangers?"

"Well, if you were a kind and helpful person—"

"Exactly! Which is why I won't do it for free."

March 7th rolled her eyes.

"And what do you want, then?"

Hook put on a thoughtful expression for a moment before grinning.

"A game. If you can beat me in a round of hide-and-seek, I'll tell you where your friend is."

Stelle remained silent for a moment before nodding.

"…Alright."

"Great! But there are rules. If you don't find me in three tries, you lose."

March 7th sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get this over with."

"You better count to 50 with your eyes closed—no peeking!"

......

The game didn't last long.

Hook was good at hiding, but March 7th and Stelle weren't that easy to fool.

…Well, March 7th wasn't that easy to fool.

"Tsk! You found me!"

Hook puffed out her cheeks before crossing her arms.

"Alright, alright. As the great Hook the Dark, I'll keep my word."

March 7th grinned with satisfaction.

"Alright then, tell us. Where's our friend?"

Hook pointed toward a building not too far away.

"The fight club. I saw him go in there not long ago."

"Fight club?"

"Yeah. People fight there to win stuff. It's fun to watch. I even join in sometimes."

Stelle exchanged glances with March 7th.

Dan Heng… fighting in a fight club?

That didn't sound like something he'd do.

But it's not like they had a long list of options.

"Thanks, Great Hook."

"It's Great Hook the Dark! Don't you dare shorten my name without permission! And—you're welcome! But if you see me again, don't tell anyone I helped you."

.....

The place was filled with noise and excitement.

People shouted, cheering for the fighters going at it in the center of the improvised arena.

Amidst it all, a familiar figure stood in the ring.

Dan Heng.

Stelle and March 7th watched as the crowd roared for him—without the slightest change in his expression.

In front of him lay the remains of three destroyed robots. Soon, an official stepped in to clear the area.

Three more robots took the place of the defeated ones.

"And on one side, highly recommended, tall, blue, and handsome—the newcomer who never smiles and possesses superhuman strength… The Unshakable Little Dragon!"

The announcer paused for dramatic effect before yelling once again.

"And his opponents, courtesy of none other than Boss Svarog himself… The fiery, explosive, and emotionless power of The Robomatic Squad!"

March 7th's mouth fell open.

"Wait… is Dan Heng enjoying this?"

Stelle tilted her head.

No, he didn't seem to be enjoying it.

In fact, he even looked slightly annoyed.

"Originally, no one was willing to face the Robomatic Squad, so he was supposed to fight them alone! And when The Unshakable Little Dragon found out about this, he simply said, 'No problem!' What a brave young man!"

March 7th put her hands on her hips.

"Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Before Dan Heng could step out of the arena, Stelle and March 7th jumped in.

The crowd erupted with excitement as the lights shone down on the new challengers.

"Huh? Brothers and sisters! It looks like The Unshakable Little Dragon's courage has moved these two ladies enough to team up with him!"

Dan Heng sighed.

"I see you're awake."

"Yup! And the first thing we did was come find you! And now that we have, we're gonna keep you from getting your ass kicked. You're welcome!"

"Kicked? I could handle them on my own just fine."

"…We really need to work on your emotional awareness."

March 7th sighed, looking exhausted.

Stelle spun her bat, ready for a fight.

Dan Heng tightened his grip on his spear.

March 7th stretched her arms.

"Time to warm up a little."

The robots charged at them.

Stelle dodged the first one and struck its core with a spinning attack.

Dan Heng slid his spear with precision, destabilizing another.

March 7th froze the third with an ice arrow before launching herself into a spinning kick.

The spectators cheered enthusiastically.

After a brief but intense battle, the robots fell one by one.

"Incredible! The Unshakable Little Dragon and his fans are unstoppable!"

The announcer sounded thrilled.

March 7th pouted.

"'Fans'? Can't we get a better nickname?"

Stelle blinked for a moment before commenting.

"The Unshakable Little Dragon and the Expressive Little Dragons?"

"...I think we're better off without nicknames."

Dan Heng interrupted them before they could continue—he had spotted someone moving through the crowd.

Sampo.

March 7th pointed at him.

"Look who crawled out of his hiding spot!"

Sampo realized he'd been caught and immediately started heading toward the exit.

"Oh, would you look at the time! I'd love to stay, but I've got things to do!"

Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng exchanged glances before taking off after him.

*******

Aleph was sprinting at full speed through the Underworld, his breath ragged with the urgency of his mission.

It wasn't a system mission.

It wasn't a timed challenge.

No.

It was something far more terrifying.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

[Master, if you keep repeating the same thing, we won't get anywhere.]

"Shut up, Burroughs! I forgot to get supplies for Natasha!"

[Master Aleph, it was a pleasure knowing you.]

"Don't bury me just yet!"

Aleph turned a corner sharply, narrowly avoiding a group of people who almost got knocked over by his frantic sprint.

He had made plenty of mistakes in his life, but there was no way he was going to make a kind person angry again.

He had already been through that once!

And from personal experience, he knew that making a kind person mad was absolutely terrifying.

There was no way he wanted to find out what an angry Natasha was like.

Which is why, right now, he had to find those supplies as soon as possible.

...

Aleph stopped to catch his breath, resting his hands on his knees.

"Alright… where the hell am I supposed to find these supplies?"

He looked around, scanning the area.

Before he could continue his search, a voice called out behind him.

"If you stand around like that, you're gonna freeze."

Aleph turned his head and saw a girl with dark blue hair, dressed in black, white, and blue—

And if he had to be honest, she actually looked really good.

Her expression was moody, but her eyes held a subtle curiosity.

Aleph blinked.

"And you are…?"

The girl crossed her arms with a hmph.

"Seele. And you don't look like you're from around here."

Aleph straightened up and sighed.

"Great. Another person saying that."

Seele raised an eyebrow.

"Another?"

Aleph scratched the back of his neck.

"Long story. Let's just say I'm stuck here for now."

Seele studied him for a moment before nodding.

"And what are you doing in the ruins?"

"Looking for supplies for Natasha."

At that, Seele tilted her head with interest.

"Natasha, huh? So you've talked to her. I didn't think people from the surface cared about the Underworld."

Aleph frowned.

"Surface?"

Seele gave him a wary look.

"Yeah. You're not from the Upper City?"

Aleph shook his head—he didn't even know what the Upper City was. For heaven's sake, the only reason he even knew this place was called Underworld was because Burroughs had told him.

"I… don't come from either place. Let's just say I got here by accident."

Seele watched him for a moment before sighing and running a hand through her hair.

"Well, since Natasha trusted you enough to send you to gather supplies, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

She then shot him a sharp look.

"But don't get the wrong idea—that doesn't mean I trust you. Try anything funny, and you'll have to find a replacement for one of your hands."

Aleph smirked.

"That's fair."

The tension eased slightly, though Seele didn't fully lower her guard.

"If you're looking for supplies, I can tell you where to find some. But in exchange…"

"You want something in return? Why am I not surprised?"

Seele crossed her arms.

"I want to know what you think about the people of the Underworld. Also, I need some backup for a mission—not that I need your help, but I was told to find support. If you prove that you're strong enough, I'll help you in exchange for you helping me complete that part of the mission."

Aleph blinked in surprise. How can she talk so fast without biting her tongue?

"Huh?"

"Everyone from the surface sees us as disposable. I want to know if you're the same."

Aleph stared at her for a moment before sighing.

"I don't have an opinion on something I've only just started learning about. But if there's one thing I have figured out, it's that this place sucks to live in."

Seele observed him for a moment before nodding.

"Good answer."

Aleph raised an eyebrow.

"That was a test, wasn't it?"

Seele smirked slightly.

"Maybe."

Aleph let out a low chuckle.

"Alright, alright. So, will you help me with the supplies or not?"

With a serious expression, Seele simply said—

"Follow me."

....

Seele led Aleph to an old, ruined marketplace.

"If you're looking for food or medicine, this is one of the few places where there are still some useful things left."

Aleph looked around, noticing broken shelves and stacked crates.

It wasn't a pretty place, but it seemed to have what he needed.

"Thanks. You saved me a lot of trouble."

Seele watched him as he gathered the supplies.

"Do you plan on staying here long?"

Aleph paused for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't know. It's not like I have any other option right now."

Seele nodded.

"If you really want to understand this place, you should talk to Wildfire."

Aleph raised an eyebrow.

"Wildfire?"

"They're the ones who keep everything running down here—maintaining peace, exploring, protecting people. Actually, the mission I mentioned is related to them."

Aleph nodded as he took in the information.

Interesting.

Before he could ask more, Seele suddenly looked up.

"More people are coming."

Aleph frowned and followed her gaze.

In the distance, he saw three figures approaching.

Two girls and a boy.

He didn't recognize them, but something about one of them made him blink.

The girl with silver hair and golden eyes.

For some reason, seeing her face made his mind go blank.

"...No way."

His heart pounded in his chest.

Stelle's gaze met Aleph's, and for a moment, both of them were frozen in place.

A strange chill ran down Stelle's spine.

Aleph felt a sudden wave of inexplicable nostalgia.

For some strange reason, he thought he saw the ghostly figure of a somewhat familiar gray cat behind the golden-eyed girl.

He reached out and…

Patted her head.

Dan Heng blinked.

March 7th's mouth fell open in disbelief.

"Huh?"

Stelle froze in shock.

And to everyone's surprise…

She didn't reject it.

Instead, she closed her eyes slightly and let out a sigh that almost sounded like a purr, as if she was genuinely enjoying the sensation.

Dan Heng blinked twice.

March 7th pointed at the scene, mouth still agape.

"What the hell am I looking at?!"

Aleph was barely processing what he was doing when he heard his own voice say—

"Good girl."

The silence that followed was brutal.

Dan Heng put a hand over his face, completely lost on what was happening.

March 7th looked like she was about to explode.

Stelle, on the other hand, seemed more focused on enjoying the head pats, her expression almost melting.

Seele tilted her head in confusion, wondering—

"Is this some kind of common greeting for outsiders?"

Aleph…

Aleph finally realized what he had just done.

He pulled his hand back immediately.

"W-Wait, that wasn't my intention—!"

But it was already too late.

March 7th finally exploded.

"W-What the hell just happened?!"

Aleph felt the weight of his mistake settle on him.

And only one thought crossed his mind.

"…I'm screwed, aren't I?"

Dan Heng sighed.

"Yes. Yes, you are."

........

The air grew heavy after the… incident.

Aleph still had his hand frozen in the air, as if his brain hadn't fully processed what he had done.

Stelle, still wearing the relaxed expression from earlier, seemed to snap out of her brief trance and blinked several times.

A slightly disappointed look crossed her face as she stared rather intensely at Aleph's now-empty hand.

Dan Heng rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly wondering how he had ended up witnessing something so absurd.

March 7th, on the other hand, was on the verge of a meltdown.

"What the hell did we just witness?!"

Seele, who had been quietly observing until now, finally spoke.

"Do you two know each other?"

She shot a strange look at both Stelle and Aleph while subtly stepping away from the latter.

After all…

Who was to say that his cursed hand wouldn't target her next? She definitely didn't want to end up with the same expression as the gray-haired girl—that would be way too embarrassing.

Aleph slowly lowered his hand, his mind racing to make sense of the situation.

"…No. I've never seen her before."

"Then why the hell did you pat her head like she was a cat?!"

March 7th nearly grabbed him by the shoulders.

Aleph opened his mouth to answer… and then closed it.

The truth was, he had no idea why he did it.

It just… felt natural.

His body had moved on its own.

Stelle, who had been completely silent until now, finally spoke.

"…"

"…"

Everyone turned to look at her, waiting for her to say something.

Finally, she tilted her head.

"…It felt really nice."

A deadly silence fell over the group.

Dan Heng was speechless.

March 7th stood frozen, mouth hanging open.

Aleph felt as if his soul had left his body for a moment.

"…Huh?"

Stelle closed her eyes for a second, then slowly opened them again, as if evaluating her own feelings.

"I don't know why, but… it didn't bother me."

March 7th repeatedly pointed at the scene in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?! In what universe does this make sense?!"

Seele finally let out a low chuckle.

"What an interesting scene."

March 7th looked at her like she was her last hope for sanity.

"You saw it! This isn't normal!"

Dan Heng shuddered.

March 7th talking about normality? For a moment, he couldn't help but think that if that was the case, then Jerillo-VI was really screwed.

Seele simply shrugged indifferently.

"I don't see the problem. If it didn't bother her, there's no reason to make a fuss."

March 7th grabbed her head with both hands.

"But why does she get mad when i try to hug her?!"

Stelle tilted her head again.

"…Because you do it to annoy me. Too many selfies. Annoying."

Dan Heng sighed.

"Just accept defeat, March 7th."

March 7th dropped to her knees, utterly defeated.

Aleph, who was still processing everything, cleared his throat.

"Alright… putting that aside… who are you?"

Dan Heng, still rubbing his temples, was the one to answer.

"We're travelers from the Astral Express. My name is Dan Heng, the girl on her knees is March 7th, and the other one is Stelle."

Aleph frowned.

"Astral Express… I think I've heard that name before."

Burroughs appeared with a notification.

[Confirmed. The Astral Express is a transport created by an Aeon. Its current passengers are known for traveling between worlds and dealing with anomalies caused by Stellarons.]

Aleph grew curious about the new element mentioned.

"Stellarons…"

Before he could ask, March 7th suddenly jumped to her feet.

"I won't aceppt this! I just won't!"

She shouted, looking at Aleph with a defiant expression.

Now that he wasn't distracted by Stelle, Aleph finally gave the girl his full attention.

And then—he froze in shock again.

But this time, for an entirely different reason.

That outfit.

That hair and eye color.

That high-pitched, energetic, and cheerful voice.

Holy cows.

It's her!

"…No way. She's a stereotypical dumb anime girl!"

"Who are you calling a stereotypical dumb anime girl, you—you old-haired idiot?!"

"Who are you calling old-haired, pinkie?!"

"Pinkie?! I have a name, you know!"

"So do i! So what?!"

"A dumb name for a dumb old-haired idiot!"

"You're the dumb one, dumbass!"

"Calling a cute girl like me dumb?! Truly the act of a grumpy old man!"

"The fact that you'deven say that proves my point, dummy!"

March 7th glared at Aleph with burning eyes.

"From now on, you are my archenemy."

Aleph scoffed, smirking.

"Only archenemy? How disappointing. I thought you'd call me your nemesis."

"Tch. Nemesis? You really overestimate yourself."

[As expected of my master, his ability to attract hatred—whether from monsters or women—is truly unparalleled.]

"Hmm?"

For a brief moment, Dan Heng thought he saw a huge pink dog and a gray cat growling at each other. He blinked in confusion—only to see March 7th and Aleph arguing instead.

And then realization hit him like a truck.

"One was already too much… And now there's two."

Seele completely ignored the bickering duo and decided to address the person who seemed the most mature in the group.

"If you're from the Astral Express, that means you don't belong to Belobog. So, what are you doing down here?"

Dan Heng crossed his arms.

"We're looking for answers. We were brought to the Underworld in a… less than conventional way."

March 7th pouted.

"Sampo drugged us and dragged us here!"

Aleph blinked.

"Wow, that sounds terrible."

Seele sighed.

"Yeah… that sounds like Sampo."

March 7th suddenly whirled toward Aleph.

"Hey, but you don't seem to be from here either! How did you end up in the Underworld?"

Aleph felt a pang of discomfort.

Truth be told, he didn't even know.

"Let's just say I ended up here by accident. A couple of days ago, I woke up freezing and with an inhumanly powerful headache."

Seele looked at him with doubt but didn't press further.

Dan Heng, on the other hand, seemed to notice something.

"Your energy… it's strange."

Aleph felt a slight curiosity about Dan Heng's tone.

He seemed… cautious, perhaps?

Dan Heng was observing him with the same analytical look he had used when evaluating Gepard earlier.

As if he were trying to classify him in his mind.

"It's subtle, but there's something about you that feels… similar to Stelle."

Aleph tensed.

Stelle also stared at him.

"I can feel it too."

Seele spoke up, thinking that if she didn't do it now, she would most likely get dragged along at their pace and be left with no chance to speak.

"If you're going to stay here, I should take you to Wildfire."

March 7th blinked.

"Wildfire?"

"The only group actually doing something for the people in the Underworld."

She crossed her arms and looked at Stelle, Dan Heng, and March 7th.

"If you really want to integrate or at least make your stay a little more comfortable, talking to them is the first step."

Aleph sighed internally.

This was good.

Steering the conversation toward another topic.

For some reason, he felt uncomfortable with what Dan Heng had pointed out.

"Could you take us to Wildfire?"

***********

After the tense conversation, the group followed Seele.

The path was rougher than the main streets of the Underworld.

The ruined structures, the metal walls corroded by time, and the piled-up debris reflected the harsh reality of the people living there.

Aleph observed carefully.

The tired faces of the inhabitants reflected the hard life they endured.

However… he also noticed something else.

It wasn't absolute despair.

There was determination in their eyes.

Despite the conditions, these people kept moving forward.

Seele stopped at one point and looked at the group.

"Before we go any further, there's something you need to know."

She looked at them intently.

"In the Underworld, we don't trust the Upper City. Not after everything they've done to us."

Dan Heng nodded slowly.

"Your attitude makes that clear."

Seele frowned.

"It's not just attitude. It's survival."

She crossed her arms.

"The people up there abandoned us here. They treat us like we don't exist. And when we try to ask for help…"

She turned toward a ruined building.

"This is what happens to us."

Aleph felt his jaw clench.

"…You have no way to leave this place, do you?"

"Is that why my main mission is named that way?"

[Correct.]

Seele shook her head.

"Wildfire used to fight for change, but after a certain incident, we lost the strength to fight openly."

March 7th tilted her head.

"Incident?"

Seele hesitated for a moment but then shook her head.

"It doesn't matter now. What's important is that if you really plan to help, you're going to have to prove your strength. You couldn't have arrived at a better time."

Seele sighed, sounding a bit weary.

"Right now, there's an ongoing dispute between miners and vagrants over a newly discovered mineral vein. I was recently informed that a fight has broken out. Wildfire is trying to control the situation, but due to the limited personnel available, this task is particularly difficult. That's why I needed support."

Dan Heng closed his eyes for a moment before nodding.

"I understand."

Stelle, who had been silent, spoke up.

"Where is this happening?"

Seele looked at them, evaluating them one last time, then finally turned around.

"Follow me. I'll take you to the mines."

As they moved forward, Aleph couldn't help but get lost in his thoughts.

Dan Heng's words still echoed in his mind.

"Your energy… feels similar to Stelle."

However, now wasn't the time to worry about that.

First, he had to focus on the immediate situation.

**************************************************************************

I apologize for any errors you might find here and there. As you may have noticed, my English isn't the best (I'm literally using ChatGPT to translate my chapters from Spanish to English). For now, this will be the last chapter I have written, so it will take some time before new ones come out, mainly because my exams are coming up.

P.S.: Of course, I'll keep writing—it feels like a compulsion at this point. Should I upload one chapter at a time or wait until I have several before posting?