Flipping the Script (Honkai: Star Rail - Stellaron Hunter AU)

Chapter 9: Go Fight Against Your Fate

For a brief moment, Cocolia believed she had won, but then the light of the Amber Lord emerged from what appeared to be Caelus's dead chest.

He rose in the air, grasping hold of the ice javelin in his chest. As he did, the material changed, and it became a glowing amber lance, which he raised towards the sky.

His eyes shone like stars, and his body was covered in a glowing gold aura.

"Raiden Shogun, witch!" He declared proudly.

"How is this possible...?" Cocolia breathed, her eyes wide.

Caelus's Stellaron pulsed, and he felt a presence, one that was not his own.

"The will of Preservation had made its choice..." he spat, "and you won't be stopping me!"

He swung the lance down and sent a shockwave through the air. The snow that Cocolia had summoned was immediately dispelled, and a wave of ice crystals were shattered, the wind blowing against them.

The Supreme Guardian herself, though still baring no notable expression, appeared understandably taken aback.

"You..." she stuttered.

"Yes, me. What, did you think the battle was over because you impaled me with a javelin?" Caelus snorted.

"You know nothing of the plight of the world...!" She snarled, "nothing of the will for its final end!"

She swung her icy lance downwards, sending an immense blast of wind towards Caelus. He held his ground, and the force of the attack sent him down towards the ground.

When he landed, however, he was unharmed, and he rose his lance, charging it with newfound flaming energy.

"Woah..." he looked down at his hands, "that didn't hurt at all!"

The Supreme Guardian hissed and sent more blasts of freezing wind towards Caelus, trying to keep him at bay. But the attacks merely deflected off the Stellaron Hunter, like an invisible barrier was protecting him. Jokingly, he strode forward casually, whistling to himself.

His taunting only furthered Cocolia's rage.

"Don't you dare mock me!!" She yelled, summoning an ice tornado and launching it towards him.

As the attack drew near, however, Caelus held his lance out, and it stopped the wind from affecting him. But suddenly, his invisible guard dropped, and he was swept off his feet!

"BAAH!? Okay, okay, okay, it's not permanent, IT'S NOT PERMANENT!" He shrieked.

Caelus brushed off the damage and gripped his new weapon as he rose in the air. Cocolia had taken to the skies again, and she was preparing her next attack.

He smirked and rushed towards her, swinging his lance.

As soon as the weapons clashed, a blast of light and heat erupted, causing a shockwave to echo through the area.

"You cannot defeat me, you pathetic, lowly human!" Cocolia shouted, "Even with the Preservation on your side!"

"Caelus!"

Hearing his name be called, Caelus looked up to see Firefly in her SAM mech come crashing down next to him. In addition, on a nearby cliff, he could see Blade and Kafka approaching, with the latter holding the former by her strings.

"Don't worry," Firefly said, her face suddenly appearing on a hologram of screen next to him, "it's nothing bad. She's just using her dominance to keep his bloodlust under control."

"What happened with the Astral Express and Wildfire?" Caelus asked her.

"They've been defeated," Firefly said, "Bronya's been knocked unconscious, and the others are taking care of the remains. We've forced them back for the time being, but the blizzard is so intense now, they couldn't get through it if they tried."