Honkai Star Rail: Wait! Why Are There Two Saviors on Amphoreus?!

As Celenova’s words denying the meaning of life fell, and Phaethon’s form was brutally knocked back to the edge of the firewall—

"Nanook——!!!"

On the other side, Phainon’s roar, condensed from over thirty million lifetimes of hatred and resolve, tore through the void like the trumpet of final judgment!

He transformed himself into the purest flame, vowing to personally and directly "bestow" his Destruction—refined to its utmost—upon the very embodiment of the concept of destruction itself!

"If you hadn’t pulled me over, I could have stopped him." Zephyro’s figure silently materialized beside Celenova, his tone calm and unreadable, as if stating a simple fact.

"Unnecessary." Celenova’s gaze didn’t waver from Phaethon for even a moment. To her, Phainon’s suicidal charge was merely irrelevant background noise. "Before the will of the Blemished One, the destruction he commands is but a spark next to a supernova, too insignificant to mention."

Her sole focus now was to completely destroy this being, favored by Harmony and entangled with too much "noise."

Zephyro was silent for a moment, weighing the will of Destruction in his mind.

Then, the sword of destruction in his hand, symbolizing the ultimate "nothingness," once again ignited with pale flames—more condensed, more profound, seemingly able to devour all light and hope.

Without another word, his form moved, crossing space in an instant. That blade of annihilation, carrying the will to judge all things to their end, descended upon Phaethon, who was momentarily unable to dodge after crashing into the firewall!

Gritting his teeth, Phaethon could only raise Judgment of Shamash above his head, the blade erupting with its most intense and solid amber radiance to meet this unavoidable strike of destruction!

BOOM——!!! 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Pale and golden-red, Destruction and Preservation, clashed violently once more at the edge of the firewall!

Energy torrents, like an out-of-control river of stars, wildly burst forth in all directions!

But this time, Zephyro’s sword was several times heavier! That pure "nothingness" seemed to become tangible finality, madly eroding the protective radiance of amber.

The firewall behind Phaethon let out a piercing, cracking scream, spiderweb cracks already appearing on the barrier.

And the amber domain he had pre-solidified around himself, meant to guard against Celenova’s spatial abilities, was also covered in countless fine cracks under this absolute power suppression, hanging by a thread!

Zephyro, firmly pressing down on Phaethon with his left-hand sword of destruction, seemed to have a faint trace of puzzlement cross his inhuman face.

For the first time, he addressed this opponent who was not his comrade, his voice calm yet carrying the power to pierce souls:

"I am curious. To this day, so many gazes of Aeons have converged upon you... Erudition, Preservation, and even faintly the echo of Harmony... Yet why have you never accepted their requests to ’elevate you to life’?"

Zephyro perceived Phaethon’s essence:

"I can sense that within you resides a total power no less than that of an entire complete galaxy... But regrettably, you seem unable to properly coordinate or utilize them."

"Moreover, the more fundamental issue is that you are not even... a life in the usual sense. You are merely an extremely complex string of data. Once this firewall behind you completely shatters, leaving the support of the ’Scepter’ system, you might even directly dissipate."

These words, like the sharpest scalpel, laid bare the fatal weakness of Phaethon’s very foundation of existence.

Yet, facing this questioning that struck at his origin and this overwhelming power, Phaethon’s voice squeezed out through clenched teeth, carrying an unshakable determination, and even a trace of... pride:

"Elevated to life... by Aeons?"

His voice was somewhat distorted under the immense pressure, but every word was clear:

"Since when... does feeling that one is life require the approval of gods?!"

The firewall behind him was shattering, and Judgment of Shamash in his hand was also being pressed down inch by inch beneath that sword of destruction.

Shrouded in the pure white radiance of "nothingness," Zephyro could not see what expression was on Phaethon’s face at this moment.

But Phaethon’s subsequent words rang out like a mighty bell, echoing through the clamor of destruction:

"Asterion at this moment continues to exist!

Asterion at this moment is filled with love and hate!

Asterion at this moment has not lost his self!

Therefore... Asterion is life!!!"

This was not a prayer to any god, nor an argument based on any external standard.

Asterion, at this moment, looked upon himself, and elevated himself!

Hum——!

As if responding to these earth-shattering words, upon the blade of Judgment of Shamash in Phaethon’s hand—originally blazing golden-red—an unprecedented color suddenly revealed itself!

It was a purer, more brilliant gold! Different from Preservation’s amber, it originated from existence’s own affirmation of itself; it represented the inalienable will of life!

Before this gold, even the all-devouring "nothingness" on Zephyro’s blade could not, for a moment, erode or annihilate it!

And at that very moment—

BOOM!

Phaethon’s arms erupted with unimaginable power, and that brand new golden radiance instantly spread along the blade!

Judgment of Shamash, which had been firmly pressed down, fiercely lifted upward, forcibly knocking away the sword of destruction condensed with Zephyro’s terrifying power!!!

...

Meanwhile, deep within the consciousness of Phaethon, which carried the memories of over thirty million cycles.

Cyrene, her face pale from actively bearing the torrent of vast memories, seemed to sense on the external battlefield Phaethon’s earth-shattering self-affirmation and that brilliant golden light originating from the source of life.

She seemed to understand something, slowly raising her head to gaze upon Xipe, who had always hung high above, silently watching over everything, symbolizing Harmony. She murmured softly:

"So that’s it... Xipe’s gaze... so that’s how it is..."

Cyrene’s eyes became unwaveringly firm, carrying the resolve of a conscience moved to great ceremony:

"Then... let me strike the first note for this brand new movement."