What if your Honkai Star Rail was like this?

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Root: (T＿T)

”Aaah! You little...!”

Root’s face contorted in pain. At this moment, he was caught in a dilemma—on his left, Cocolia was forcibly grabbing for the Stellaron, and on his right, Stelle, the Stellaron’s vessel, was furiously trying to seize the detonator.

”Svarog, get over here and help me!” Root shouted desperately.

”Command executed.” Svarog stepped beside the three. ”What should I do?”

”Drag this woman away... owww!”

Svarog glanced at Cocolia, then at Stelle. ”Please specify the target.”

”The gray one! The gray one!” Root shouted again.

Svarog grabbed Stelle’s legs and started pulling her away.

Seeing this, Stelle bit down even harder. Root, now with a sobbing tone, cried out, ”Stop pulling! Kill her! Hurry up and kill her!!”

Svarog raised its hand, aiming the barrel on its arm at Stelle’s head.

”Stop!”

Just as it was about to act, a sharp cry rang out. March 7th pressed her Cloud-Piercer against the back of Svarog’s head. ”If you touch her, I’ll take you out first!”

”Stop!”

A ”Gearwolf” mech-soldier aimed its serrated blade at March 7th. ”Release the No. 1 subordinate.”

Whoosh—

A surge of water flowed, forming long serpents that wrapped around the Gearwolf’s core energy unit. Dan Heng said calmly, ”Release March, or I’ll make sure you’re scrapped first!”

”Release No. 3 subordinate, or we open fire!”

A swarm of drone soldiers rushed forward, all aiming their weapons at Dan Heng.

”Release them, or I’ll tear you all into scrap metal!”

Bronya waved her hand, and the Wildfire members immediately brandished their weapons, aiming at the drone soldiers.

”What are you all dawdling for?” Root was practically rolling his eyes. ”Svarog, take her out!”

”If you dare move, I’ll finish you first!” the people behind shouted in unison.

Root was furious. ”Fine, I’ll take you all down with me!”

With that, he moved to press the detonator in his hand.

Seeing this, Stelle acted decisively. After muttering, ”Sorry about this,” she swiftly delivered a brutal kick between Root’s legs—

Root’s face instantly paled, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. Beads of sweat the size of beans formed on his forehead, and his fingers could only muster the strength to press the button once.

”I... I’ll kill you! I’ll kill all of you!” Root roared through his tears. ”Svarog, I order you to act!”

”If you dare move, I’ll end you first!”

Stelle took a deep breath and delivered another kick.

”Ugh...” This time, Root could barely speak, only managing vague noises from his throat. Trembling, he tried to detonate Svarog, but under Stelle’s interference, he couldn’t manage to press the button three times in a row.

The detonator’s setting, originally designed to prevent accidental presses, had now become the final straw that broke Root.

Stelle was genuinely impressed by Root’s resilience. Taking two kicks and still standing? You’re quite the character.

Root shed two streams of tears. At this moment, he deeply regretted not executing Stelle earlier. Now, entangled with Cocolia, he had to focus all his energy on her, leaving no room to deal with Stelle.

It was like an arm-wrestling match—once both sides were locked in a stalemate, even a moment’s pause to catch a breath could give the opponent the chance to seize victory.

”Give me the detonator!” Stelle gritted his teeth. ”If you don’t, I’ll keep kicking!”

Root took a deep breath, ignoring Stelle, and continued trying to detonate Svarog—

Bang!

”Ugh, the Stellaron’s power protects my body like a rock...”

Bang!

”W-Wooh, great existence, please... w-w-w drive them away!”

Bang!

”...Stop, I’ll give it... I’ll give it, alright...?”

Bang!

Stelle was about to kick again but suddenly realized, ”Wait, what did you just say?”

Root’s face twisted, frothing at the mouth. ”I said... I’ll give it!!”

He said it with a sobbing tone.

Stelle was overjoyed. She snatched the detonator. ”Why didn’t you just say so earlier?”

With the detonator taken, Svarog lowered its gun. March 7th behind it lowered her Cloud-Piercer, the Gearwolf lowered its chainsaw... and for a moment, the entire office felt unusually harmonious.

Bang!

But before Root could catch his breath, Cocolia suddenly delivered a kick of her own, with such force that it lifted him into the air—

Thud.

Root collapsed to the ground like a dead fish, his eyes wide open. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t understand: why didn’t the Stellaron help him?

Hadn’t it promised to help him dominate the Underworld? Why...?

Cocolia snatched the Stellaron from Root’s hand, examined it closely, and then tucked it into her pocket.

”Lady Cocolia, that’s a Stellaron.”

Dan Heng stepped forward, calmly saying, ”For safety’s sake, you’d better hand it over to us for handling.”

Although the process had gone much smoother than he’d expected, Dan Heng couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t so simple. He even had a vague sense of unease.

Under everyone’s gazes, Cocolia nodded calmly. ”I know, but I’m sorry, I can’t make that decision. My task is to take this half of the Stellaron to the Great Guardian. Anything beyond that is none of my concern.”

Half of the Stellaron?

Stelle froze. ”So, Gepard isn’t dead? You know we were framed, right?”

Cocolia turned her face away, avoiding her gaze. ”...I don’t know.”

”You—”

”Stelle.” Dan Heng stepped in front of Stelle. ”She’s not on our side.”

At this moment, Dan Heng had already formulated a battle plan. No matter what, he couldn’t let Cocolia take the Stellaron. He had a feeling the Great Guardian might be plotting something, and Welt was still in their hands.

”...Mother.”

Just as the tension reached a freezing point, a candid voice broke the silence. ”What are you doing?”

Bronya walked to Stelle and the others’ side, a hint of helplessness on her face. ”These people are good.”

”I know,” Cocolia said. ”But I have a mission to fulfill.”

”Mission... ha.” Bronya let out a soft laugh. ”Is that thing really that important?”

For once, a rare hesitation flickered across Cocolia’s usually cold face. ”Bronya, I’m doing this for Belobog, for you. Be good. You don’t even know what I’m doing.”

”I don’t need to know,” Bronya said. ”Mother, you may not realize it, but every time you’re troubled, you instinctively touch your forehead... Whatever you’re doing, even you don’t think it’s right, do you?”