Honkai Star Rail: But I can touch Castorice

"Alright, I understand, little Hyacinthia," Hyacine's grandmother nodded her head gently. But after nodding, she couldn't help but add, "My little Hyacinthia has grown up."

Hyacine: "…"

Derick: "…"

So you didn't believe a word of it, did you!

Derick and Hyacine thought in unison.

With a shy expression on her face, Hyacine endured the embarrassment and said to her grandmother, "Grandmother, let's talk about the current matter. We… we want to ascend to the sky to challenge Aquila."

Hearing Hyacine say this, her grandmother's expression instantly dimmed.

"My little hummingbird, Hyacinthia, are you really going to do it?"

"Yes, Grandmother." Hyacine nodded. Then, to put her grandmother at ease, she immediately recounted all of Derick's accomplishments.

Battling Discord, saving Reason, mastering Death, using Deceit…

Hearing Derick's deeds from Hyacine's mouth, an expression of disbelief appeared on her grandmother's face. The novels she read in her youth didn't have plots this outrageous. She even wanted to ask if Hyacine was deliberately lying to deceive her. But looking at her granddaughter's expression, she knew she wasn't lying.

The young man before her was indeed very strong.

"If that's the case, then I can rest assured and let you go to the sky to challenge Aquila. After all, based on his performance, he is even more powerful than our ancestor, the Sun-ember Knight."

Knowing that the danger of her granddaughter's trip had been greatly reduced, Hyacine's grandmother felt relieved and let her go.

But at the end, she added one more thing.

"No wonder my little hummingbird has fallen for him."

"Grandmother, what are you saying!?" Hyacine covered her face.

Derick felt that staying here was just too awkward. He cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, I'll go maintain your grandmother's spirit for a bit. You two can chat a little longer. I'm going to see the warriors of Castrum Kremnos."

With that, he left directly.

The scene was left with a blushing Hyacine and her smiling grandmother.

After Derick chatted with the warriors of the Castrum Kremnos for a while, Hyacine came over.

"Let's go."

Looking at Derick, Hyacine was still a little embarrassed. Her mind was still full of her grandmother's urgings. No matter how much she explained, her grandmother didn't believe her at all.

"Actually, you could have stayed with your grandmother a little longer," Derick said to Hyacine.

"No… it was enough." Hyacine felt that if they talked any longer, her grandmother would start picking out names for her and Derick's children.

"It's best to stop while we're ahead. The more we talk, the more reluctant I'll be to leave."

Because both she and her grandmother knew that souls would eventually go to the underworld controlled by Derick, they weren't too sad about parting. If she really missed her, she could just record some videos on a communication slate and ask Derry to deliver them back and forth. It would be a bit of a bother, but not an impossible task.

"Alright then, let's leave now."

"Mhm."

Derick and Hyacine didn't waste any more time and prepared to leave Castrum Kremnos.

Just before leaving, Krateros came over, holding a Castrum Kremnos cloak in his hand.

"Lord Derick, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" Derick roughly understood what Krateros had in mind.

Krateros said to Derick seriously, "In the past Golden War, Castrum Kremnos and the Eye of Twilight fought many battles. Back then, the Eye of Twilight was the only city-state that could fight Castrum Kremnos head-on. The outcome of the war between the two sides was never decided, until the Sky Clan of the Eye of Twilight fell to the earth. Now, I ask you, Your Excellency Derick, on behalf of Castrum Kremnos, to declare an end to the war with the Eye of Twilight."

"Alright, I promise you." Derick nodded seriously.

Krateros turned to look at Hyacine and said to her, "This way, your grandmother's wish can also be considered completely fulfilled."

"Mhm." Hyacine nodded seriously.

Then, she and Derick headed towards Okhema.

Marmoreal Palace, the Hero's Bath.

Castorice, Polyxia, Cipher, Aglaea, Phainon, Mydei, and the others were already waiting for them.

Seeing Derick and Hyacine appear, Aglaea asked them, "Are all the preparations handled?"

Hyacine said to Aglaea, "Lady Aglaea, everything is ready. We can set off at any time."

"Do you still need to rest?"

"No need. Rest can wait until after we've dealt with that Sky Titan, Aquila," Derick shook his head and replied.

"Then let's go!" Cipher was the first to step forward and walk outside.

Derick and the others followed.

As they walked, Aglaea asked Hyacine, "Where is the most suitable place to hold the ritual to ascend to the Eye of Twilight?"

"It's best to be at a higher place, that way the ascent will be faster," Hyacine replied to Aglaea.

Aglaea thought for a moment and said to Hyacine, "A higher place… it seems it will have to be at Dawncloud Cliff. Come, I will take you there."

"Dawncloud Cliff? Isn't that the territory of the Council of Elders?" Derick asked curiously.

Aglaea raised her slender, delicate hand. That seemingly fragile arm was now filled with strength and decisiveness.

"It was before, and it will be again. But for the duration of your mission to retrieve the Sky Titan's Core Flame, it is not."

Hearing Aglaea's words, Derick couldn't help but mutter, "I thought it wouldn't be theirs afterward either."

Hearing his words, Aglaea let out a laugh.

"That would be a matter for you or Phainon to consider. I will not take that step, but if you wish to, I will not stop you."

Derick and Phainon exchanged a look.

"Brother Phainon, it's up to you," Derick said to him.

Huh?! Me?!

Phainon pointed to himself and shook his head repeatedly.

As they spoke, they arrived at Dawncloud Cliff.

Upon entering, the elders of the Council of Elders all turned to look at them. But when Derick looked at them, he found that not many showed hostility. Most of them had friendly or neutral emotions.

"It seems that Phainon hasn't been resurrected yet. Our next actions will be much more convenient," Aglaea said as she walked.

"Phainon? Resurrected?" Hearing Aglaea's words, Derick looked at her with some surprise.

What, she can be resurrected?

"Yes. The Phainon who died is the twenty-seventh generation. After each generation of Phainon dies, her memories are passed down to the next generation through a secret art. In a sense, this is another form of resurrection."

"Ah, what a pity." Derick sighed. He thought to himself that if he had known, he should have been more thorough when he killed her. He had been too careless.

Next time, I must find a chance to cut the grass and pull out the roots.

Derick planned in his mind how to have his first clone act.

Lycurgus appeared and walked before them. He bowed slightly and asked Aglaea, "Lady Aglaea, are you here to head to the Eye of Twilight?"

"Yes. We ask for your convenience, Lord Lycurgus." Aglaea nodded lightly.

"But of course." Lycurgus made an inviting gesture and led Derick and the others deeper into Dawncloud Cliff.

For some reason, Derick felt that Lycurgus was looking at him with a strange gaze. Although Lycurgus's eyes were covered, Derick felt as if he was being watched and scrutinized, even evaluated and judged.

Derick's mind became vigilant. This vigilance was not only directed at Lycurgus but also at the Flame-Reaver.

When they reached a place close to Kephale's body, Lycurgus stopped.

"I will see you all off to here. For the rest, please do as you wish. I will take my leave now," he said to the group.

"Mhm." Aglaea nodded.

Then Lycurgus disappeared. Aglaea's gaze turned to Hyacine.

"Hyacine, it's your turn."

"Alright." Hyacine nodded seriously.

She walked to the center of the group and took out the Rainbow Casket from her person.

"Ancestors—please, with the rainbow as your guide, take me back to the home the children of the sky left a thousand years ago."

She held the Rainbow Casket up high. The object, passed down through her family for a thousand years, floated into the air and released a seven-colored light.

Seeing this scene, Hyacine's eyes flashed with excitement.

"Oh, Rainbow Bridge, please guide us, as we re-ascend to the sky."

The light from the Rainbow Casket began to grow blindingly bright.

Soon, a seven-colored band of light that rose up to the sky appeared before everyone.

Bathed in the seven-colored light, Hyacine's aura became even more holy. She gently turned her head and extended a hand to Derick and the others.

"Everyone, let's go!"

"Alright!"

Derick took up the Lance of Divine Retribution, Cipher stretched her leg muscles, and Castorice silently took out her scythe. As for Polyxia, she simply transformed into her giant dragon form.

"Get on!" Polyxia said to the group.

Castorice, Derick, and the others boarded one by one.

The last to get on was Hyacine. She was so petite that when she stepped onto Polyxia's head, she lost her footing and almost fell. Fortunately, Derick reached out a hand to steady her.

"Careful," Derick said to her, extending a hand to pull her up.

Hyacine's back was pressed against Derick's chest.

"Thank you, Derry," she said, feeling the firmness of Derick's not-so-large chest muscles.

"It's nothing. Be careful from now on."

"Mhm."

Cipher, at the side, rolled her eyes and said to Derick in a pitiful tone, "Look, I can't keep my balance up here either. Derry-boy, how about I hold on tight to you for a bit?"

Her words were met with glares from Derick, Castorice, and Hyacine.

Cipher can't keep her balance? Derick believed she could perform acrobatics on Polyxia's back without missing a step.

"Let's go!" Polyxia, of course, wouldn't let Cipher get her way. She flapped her wings, and the entire dragon soared straight up the Rainbow Bridge.

The movement was turbulent, but it naturally didn't affect Cipher. She easily kept her balance on the dragon's head. Cipher wanted to feign a fall and lean against Derick, but just as she made her move, Castorice stepped in and stood beside her.

Go on, fall! I dare you!

Although Cipher could now touch Castorice, she didn't want to. So, her swaying figure became stable again.

This was not very friendly to Hyacine, though. Now, her entire body was pressed against Derick's. Her legs, clad in white stockings, were rubbing against Derick's calves. Through the thin silk, Hyacine could clearly feel the searing heat of Derick's body.

In Hyacine's mind, she couldn't help but think of what her ancestors had told her before.

On the ground, Phainon, Aglaea, and Tribbie watched their figures grow smaller in the distance.

"I hope their mission goes smoothly this time, and they succeed in taking Aquila's Core Flame," Phainon said in a hopeful tone.

As they spoke, Derick and the others had already reached the Eye of Twilight. And on the ground, the shadow of the Rainbow Bridge was growing fainter.

Just as Phainon was about to turn back, Aglaea suddenly raised her hand and said in an alert tone, "Be careful! He plans to follow them up the Rainbow Bridge."

This 'he,' Aglaea didn't need to say. Everyone else knew who it was.

Phainon and Mydei quickly grabbed their weapons and charged straight for the approaching dark shadow.

"Flame-Reaver, we will absolutely not let you pass."

The two of them rushed in front of the Flame-Reaver.

Seeing them approach, the Flame-Reaver didn't dodge or evade but charged straight at them.

Phainon's longsword and Mydei's fist pierced straight through the Flame-Reaver's body.

Huh!? What's going on?! Since when was the Flame-Reaver so easy to beat?

As the two were wondering, Mydei instantly realized something was wrong. He grabbed Phainon's body and threw him towards Aglaea.

After Phainon landed beside Aglaea, he clearly saw the Flame-Reaver's body erupt in a violent explosion.

Mydei, who was with him, was the most heavily injured. His body was sent flying and landed hard on the ground. It would probably take some time for him to resurrect.

The Flame-Reaver's body was blown to pieces. The largest chunk flew towards the Rainbow Bridge. Riding the last bit of its fading light, the Flame-Reaver also ascended towards the Eye of Twilight.

"He can do that!?" Phainon said, somewhat dumbfounded.

Previously, it was always Derick who used self-destruction as a tactic against the Flame-Reaver. But now, the Flame-Reaver had learned from experience and used it against them.

In the situation just now, as long as Phainon and Mydei engaged him in battle, the Flame-Reaver would never have been able to make it to the Rainbow Bridge. They never imagined that the Flame-Reaver would self-destruct while fighting them.

That Flame-Reaver… he's learned some bad habits!

Aglaea looked up at the sky and said, "Don't worry too much. It's not a big problem. The current Flame-Reaver is just a remnant. He won't be able to fight Derick and the others immediately after he gets up there. He'll need to recover for a while, and during that time, Derick might be able to get his hands on Aquila's Core Flame. When that happens, the Flame-Reaver will be the one at a disadvantage."

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