Ice Cold Heart | A 'Honkai: Star Rail' Fanfiction

Chapter 3 - The Road to Ruin

(Image Credit: "Finding the Spirit Of Ionia" by Riot Games)

[The River in the Sanctuary]

Forced to helplessly watch as his body knelt in front of the demon's figure while parts of it faded into mist. Y/N was experiencing what it was like to finally be subdued by the mara-demons. To any outside observer, however, it just seemed like he was lying in the river alone. The demon parasite attached to a person is only visible to that cursed person, ensuring that nobody would ever think to come and help. Or, so the demons thought.

The fading vision and the feeling of continuous loss of control washed away the hope he had of fighting back. Unintelligible whispers of the mara got louder and louder, signifying their increased control over him. Would he go insane like the others? Would the mara claim his life and be deemed incompatible, wasting him right then and there? Questions filled his head, alongside insecurities and fears about his life. Had he done enough? Was this the legacy he wanted to leave behind? Another High-Cloud Quintet taken by the insanity of living long lives? Something had to be done, but it wasn't going to be Y/N to decide his fate. For now, at least.

The demon suddenly lost grasp of Y/N and was sent flying back along the river's length. The water splashed along its trail, a messy wave following the demon's body while a clean sweep of the current caused by a precise blade followed. Y/N suddenly regained a jarring sense of control and erratically looked around him to see what was going on. Y/N backed up towards the shore to reach for his sheathed sword, hoping to fend himself from what looked like two threats.

Anxiety and fear flooded Y/N's mind, unsure of what had just happened and what was currently happening. He inhaled deeply in hopes of calming his nerves while keeping a keen eye out for what was to come next. The demon seemed like it had vanished, but the hunter who initially struck for the demon came rapidly slashing toward Y/N. The strike was easily parried by Y/N, but the two were now locked in an intense struggle. "Identify yourself!" He commanded while watching as the blindfolded huntress gritted her teeth. "I'm not here for you, so don't get in my way." She spoke with calm control, hoping to convince him that she was not his enemy. However, during this confusion, the demon leaped out from behind Y/N and struck them both.

The demon maniacally cackled and walked back towards the downed Y/N. The mist began to flow and envelop his body once more, causing him to lose energy and the strength to keep fighting. "Pathetic... You tried to save him and all you did was make it easier..." The demon taunted the huntress, who herself was trying to regain posture and form to fight. "The Xianzhou's great swordmaster. What a disappointment. To think that your honor has devolved to this state." Y/N looked up at the huntress, desperation in his gaze while he watched in hope for her next move. She sheathed the dark blade she was initially using this entire time and knelt in the water. From the river's current, a blade of ice was formed in her hand. Now that Y/N had gotten a good look at the huntress and her abilities, a shock ran through his body alongside the feeling of draining strength already affecting him. "...Jingliu...?"

Jingliu leaped into the air and sent waves of energized ice toward the demon, who screamed in pain, followed by sadistic laughter. "Do your worst! Kill me, and I'll return to haunt him again!" The demon tried to fight back against Jingliu as it did earlier, but in this clash, she'd entered a state of transcendence and perfect fighting. Y/N just watched in awe as the cinematic battle occurred right before his eyes. A sense of nostalgia washed over him, reminding him of his own clashes, training, and sparring with Jingliu. Of course, a thousand questions flooded his head, but trying to stay alive was more important right now.

Jingliu knocked the demon down on its knees, then used her ice sword to guide the river's currents to begin freezing the demon for good. The demon recognized what Jingliu's end goal was, and decided to feign loss. "Fool! I won't be the last!" The demon bided its time, waiting for Jingliu to lose strength due to channeling this power. "Quiet yourself. I've already sealed many of your kind" She spoke calmly, falsely believing herself in control. Her ears suddenly heard the thunderous breaking of ice and witnessed the demon's fist flying towards her face, instantly knocking her out. The demon laughed in triumph at her defeat. "Fool. You share the mara's gift, why fight us?" But before the demon could finish gloating, Y/N finally joined the fight and slashed the demon across the face.