Chapter 1

(ps: Brain storage, regarding some anime characters possibly being a bit OOC, we will continue to monitor and improve! Considering everyone has played the game, we have trimmed some dialogue content, and finally wish everyone enjoys reading⸂⸂⸜(രᴗര)⸝⸃⸃)

Additionally: The characters appearing in Collapse 3 can be understood as existing in a parallel world; their designs won't change, the only difference is that everyone is alive. (If we strictly followed the original timeline, some characters would have been killed off, affecting the viewing.)

Inside a certain university dormitory.

Chen Yuezheng was sitting at the computer, yawning slightly with drowsiness, staring at the motionless Star Rail on the computer, feeling both expectant and anxious.

Today is the launch day of miHoYo's new title, Honkai: Star Rail; for this day he had arranged a substitute class in advance and got up especially early, just to snag an early UID as soon as possible.

Supposed to launch at 10 a. m., but miHoYo has never been on time. While Chen Yuezheng anxiously waited, a pop-up suddenly appeared on his computer:

【Ding! Congratulations, you have bound the Myriad Worlds Live-Stream System; the game you are experiencing will be broadcast across the myriad worlds.】

"What junk ad..." Before he could clear the characters on the pop-up, Chen Yue closed it directly; at the same time, after waiting a long while, the train on his computer finally began to move.

"Finally launched!"

"Honkai: Star Rail, engage!"

In an instant, a huge light screen appeared across the skies of the myriad worlds.

Demon Slayer world.

Moonlight, mottled, shone through the wooden window, casting the man's crimson pupils and slightly pallid skin onto the lab's bluish-gray floor. The surroundings were utterly silent, save for the faint clinks of lab equipment; aside from that, the deep night held no other sound.

Suddenly, the hairs on his arm stood on end, and his back muscles tensed like a closing umbrella—this premonition, as if facing an enemy, was akin to a beast's instinct. Had he not lived for over a thousand years, he would not possess it.

Wucan slowly raised his head; the next second, his scarlet vertical pupils suddenly dilated.

At some point, the sky split open with a massive rift, as if a pair of great hands were slowly pulling apart the clouds to reveal a huge light curtain.

Strangely, even through the laboratory walls, that light curtain remained clearly visible.

This feeling was as if the light curtain were not appearing in the sky, but could be projected into their minds.

This is... Blood Demon Art?

Could it directly affect him? Perhaps it's an illusion?

But the instant that thought arose, Wucan subconsciously rejected it.

He was not unfamiliar with hallucinatory Blood Demon Arts—Zhushi's blood could achieve that. Yet the Blood Demon Art acting on him would dissipate in just a few seconds; however, as time passed second by second, the heavenly curtain above did not disappear.

"Could it be those Demon Slayers?" A flash of bewilderment and confusion crossed Wucan's pale face.

With a crisp "crack," the floor tiles beneath Wucan's feet suddenly shattered; the muscles in his legs underwent an aberration, and monstrous muscles instantly burst through his pant legs.

No matter what, let's get out of here first!

Since that monster-like man died, he has rarely displayed such a coarse, grotesque form, choosing it only when faced with a threat to flee.

This is an instinct: upon any abnormality, immediately flee the scene and summon the Upper Ranks!

Moreover, today's phenomenon is something he has never encountered in his thousand-year life.

Could it be a divine trace...

Impossible! Impossible!

A bead of cold sweat slid down Wucan's forehead; a fear that had not surfaced in hundreds of years welled up from his heart, making his limbs gradually turn cold.

But just as he dazed, the heavenly curtain seemed to undergo some change.

All that could be seen was on the black heavenly curtain, a few clear white characters gradually emerging.

Inside a small tavern in Weisasite, Xiutaerke was half-opening his mouth while savoring the local spicy meat burger with Fulilian, staring blankly up at the sky outside the window; the burger's extreme spiciness could not outweigh the shock in his heart.

"Look out the window, the sky has split open!"

"What's going on? Is it demon magic?"

"Quick look! Characters are floating up there!"

The light curtain that suddenly appeared in the sky instantly set the whole town abuzz; people dropped their work and rushed outside, marveling at the heavenly spectacle.

"MiHoYo?"

Filien tilted her head to look at the sky, brows furrowed, she tugged at the sleeve of the white-haired elf beside her, trying to accurately read the twisted white characters on the light curtain.

The unfamiliar characters resembled some kind of magical circuit, appearing only a few seconds on the black light curtain before vanishing.

"Lady Fulilian, could this... also be a kind of magic?"

Filien wore an expression of utter disbelief as she questioned her master; if this too counts as magic, the scale and influence of its deployment are so vast—just how powerful must its caster be?

As a great mage who has lived over a thousand years, Fulilian's expression remained as steady as ever; she set down her meat burger and calmly wiped her mouth.

"Filien, right now we ought to find out exactly who is casting this magic." Fulilian said calmly, "There aren't many on the whole continent capable of such magic; tracking them down shouldn't be too hard."

Based on her knowledge of magic, this kind of large-scale sky-altering magic likely originates from the ancient mythic era; many of that era's techniques remain incompletely decipherable to this day.

"Lady Fulilian, could you have seen this kind of magic before?"

"Not at all."

In a forest outside the imperial city.

"Even if you close your eyes, you can still see the image."

Chitong was lying on a tree, gazing at the large characters slowly appearing in the sky, unable to help asking: "Does the imperial army still have this kind of Imperial Arm?"

Just moments ago, a rift suddenly appeared in the sky, and the ensuing light curtain unfolded, projecting its contents directly into everyone's minds.

Such a phenomenon, Chitong had never witnessed—let alone her, even the leader of Night Raid, Najieta, had never seen this sight.

"At least among all recorded Imperial Arms, none can affect the human mind on such a vast scale." Sitting under the tree, Mayin was wiping her "pumpkin" while gazing up at the varied scene in the light curtain, she added, "But the content of this screen is interesting; is that train the imperial border's train?"

Tazimi gave a light chuckle: "How about it? Can your family's train fly in the sky, Mayin?"

Teyvat continent, Natlan.

Today's Sacred Flame Arena was joyous, so joyful that even the dust danced in a haze of harmony. Humans and dragons celebrated with dance, all kinds of voices mingling together; clan leaders and their peoples gathered here, both mourning the fallen of the Abyssal Battle and celebrating Natlan's long-lasting peace thereafter.

After countless sacrifices made one after another, Ying Mei finally joined forces with the Fire God and others to repel the Abyss's offensive.

To celebrate this glorious moment, Fire God Maweika held a grand banquet in the Holy Fire Arena, inviting all Natlan people to join the festivities.

Cups clinked, laughter filled the air, and they were about to use fine wine to soothe the wounds of war.

Suddenly the banquet doors were flung open, and a person dressed as a wooden figure staggered in, face ashen.

"Fire… Fire God! The… the sky has split open!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the entire banquet fell silent.

The previously lively atmosphere froze instantly, and only after a while did trembling, faltering voices begin to sputter out.

"So soon—could the Abyss be launching another comeback?"

"Is the Abyss waiting for the Holy Fire's power to wane before striking again? How cunning!"

"Could even the Fire God be powerless…?"

Maweika's face darkened, but she quickly regained her usual composure, raising her right hand, clenching her fist, and declared in a clear voice: "Silence, please raise your heads."

Hearing this, everyone lifted their heads, only to discover that, through the arena's roof, they could clearly see the sky outside.

—to be precise, that sheet of light in the sky.

"As you can see, this is not the Abyss's power; at least I sense no Abyss aura from this phenomenon."

Although the Abyss's power is formidable, it still lies within Maweika's comprehension—but this light curtain is truly bizarre and defies reason. She just tried it; even with her eyes closed she could "see" what was on it. In the millennia‑long struggle between Natlan and the Abyss, the Abyss has never displayed such a peculiar power…

"Fire God, if this isn't the Abyss, what exactly is this phenomenon?"

Maweika shook her head; although inheriting the Fire God's mantle granted her much knowledge and memory of Natlan, there is no record of such a phenomenon therein.

"Unfortunately, I don't know either; this will be the direction I send people to investigate."

As they chatted, the light curtain flickered, seeming to change once more.

"Fire God, look quickly! There's movement on the light curtain!"

Under the gaze of countless onlookers, a long, cylindrical shape like a train suddenly appeared at the center of the light curtain, shooting straight toward the firmament with imposing grandeur.

"Look! More words are appearing on it!"

……

Besides, Blade Fang, Jujutsu Kaisen, Fire Shadow, God of Death, All-Pro Hunter… and countless other dimensional civilization heroes all involuntarily lifted their gazes, all looking up at the six huge characters in the sky:

Collapse, Star Rail!