[Snippet] The Masks We Wear (Honkai: Star Rail): Chapter 9 (Patreon)

Abilities were wide and varied in the universe.

For some people, they could swing a sword and cut through the sky. For others, they could create flames or generate ice. Yet, despite all these abilities not seemingly being connected, they all shared one common trait.

They were all created through Imaginary Energy.

It was the cornerstone of the Universes’ strengths. It was the common denominator for every Pathstrider who was gazed at by an Aeon. It was the foundation for so many of the wondrous technologies that scattered throughout the universe. It didn’t matter if you walked the Path of Elation or you walked the Path of Nihility; every Pathstrider utilized Imaginary Energy to prove their own 'Path.'

Of course, that was simply the point of connection between everything. The underlining thread that binds every Pathstrider together even as they each step outwards and walk along their own paths.

Even Aeons themselves are wielders of Imaginary Energy.

The difference between the strong and the weak, more often than not, is simply how much imaginary energy they can wield. That is, of course, an oversimplification, as the further you walk on a path, the more imaginary energy you can draw on from it. 

The intersection of Paths and Imaginary Energy—that's how the abilities of Pathstriders come about. Imaginary energy as the fuel and the path as the concept from which it can draw shape. A Pathstrider skilled enough can create wondrous abilities and powers by utilizing the two in tandem.

To create techniques that can split stars, or magic that can do the impossible. That’s what it essentially boils down to: imaginary energy and path concepts.

It was what separated Emanators from normal Pathstriders. The amount of imaginary energy that could draw from the path and the ‘authority’ over the path they could command. 

But even so, a normal Pathstrider, with dedication and hard work, could still create wondrous techniques unique to themselves.

It was why Allen could do something as silly as expanding his pockets to ridiculous proportions. It was why he could materialize a horn to honk at people with but a thought. It was why he could do ridiculous things like drawing a smiley face on a barrier and have it fall apart in laughter.

It was funny, or it was fun.

Of course, this was only for ‘small’ bits that he had such leeway with. Even an emanator was constrained by certain weights. He was not the Aeon of Elation that could just manipulate reality on a large scale. 

Parlor tricks, as it were, in comparison.

The more one walked down their path, the more they understood it. The more they understood it, the more they could draw upon it. Likewise, the more Imaginary Energy they could wield. A Pathstrider’s strength wasn’t measured by techniques or 'power'; rather, it was measured by how far they’ve walked down that road.

Hence, the name.

That isn’t to say that techniques and abilities couldn’t bridge gaps, however.

All of that—it was the reason that Allen would take out his horn and honk it while he ran through away.

Was it the most intelligent thing to do while he was fleeing for his lie? Perhaps not, but Elation didn’t always adhere to reason. 

Laugh.

Have fun.

Experience Joy.

The opposite of nihilism.

He ran out of the cell as prison guards yelled. Those female-looking robotic guards also tried to grab him, to restrain him, but Allen ducked and slid under them as he ran towards the stairs that had now been opened up in the bottom layer of the prison.

“Halt!”

Honk

“Cease your running at once!” 

Honk

“In the same as the Ten-Lords Commission, you will—!"

Honkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.

He continuously honked his horn as the people in the prison shouted at him, running up to the next layer. There were already more there waiting for him.

He recognized a few faces, but even more faceless entities that stood in his way.

A few judges were present as well.

Allen threw the Horn at a random guy with a brush and tablet in his hands, knocking him flat on his butt. There was a twinge of guilt as the man was clearly not a combatant but a secretary or something thereof.

But the guilt disappeared as the Horn honked when it hit the ground.

Though, he was only spared a glance by the people there. One girl stepped forward, holding an awl and chains. “I am Judge Xueyi of the Ten-Lords Commission. I order you to surrender for interrogation and detainment.”

At least a dozen of those robotic guards and another thirty or forty of living ones, as well as many other members of the prison. And there were still those ones coming up from below to flak him.

Alone, he put his fingers into a cross. “Kagebushin No Jutsu!" He yelled, and with a puff of smoke, dozens more ‘Allens’ appeared around him.

All at once, all of them ran in separate directions.

Naruto Running, of course.

A few of them went up the walls, a few ran into the walls, and some tried to climb up the middle platform to get to the top.

All hell broke loose as a few of them charged right into the group of guards…still Naruto running as they played Red Rover.

The prison guards had to try their best to quell it, many of them trying to tackle or restrain or even straight kill the Allens running around. However, Allen used the chaos to escape, running up the stairs away from the chaotic battle happening.

It would have been the perfect escape.

Honk.

Honk.

Honk.

The ones below who could catch a breath in the abrupt chaos could hear the honking and could see the one clown running up the stairs and put two and two together.

“On the stairs, ignore the others!” Xueyi commanded, and the Prison as the Guards snapped back into formation and started charging up the stairs after him.

He realized his perfect ruse had been seen through. The only explanation was that she must have some kind of special ability or was a genius-level intellect on par with Herta. He knew that there was only one thing he could do to aid in his escape now.

“Fuck you in particular!” Allen roared, throwing the second horn again. The same guy, who had gotten back up on his feet, wobbling slightly, adjusting his glasses, and having just picked up his stuff, was once again hit in the head by a horn again and knocked to the ground.

Guards coming running down the stairs from above, wielding those massive glaive-like weapons.

As a fellow warrior, Allen felt like it was proper to meet them in honorable battle.

Squeeeeaak.

He held a rubber chicken in his hand as he parried a blade coming at him. The rubber chicken wheezed out the air inside of it, making a high-pitched noise, even catching the woman off guard. Someone who had presumably been trained strictly and had absolute discipline had found herself in an incredulous situation where her sword had been blocked by a piece of rubber.

“Hiya!” Allen shouted and smacked her upside the head with it, knocking her off the side of the stairs to the ground below.

It wasn’t too far, so she wouldn't suffer any permanent harm.

The high-pitched wheezing sound came out as Allen jumped in the air and turned into a whirlwind of destruction, beating up several more guards.

He realized that the ones behind him were almost catching up, though, led by that judge from before.

Allen flung his arms out, and from his sleeves, hundreds, thousands of marbles began to roll down the stairs like a tidal wave.

The first guard stepped on them, slipped, and then fell down the stairs quickly; it became a chain reaction as almost all of them started falling down, rolling down the steps.

However, Xueyi jumped over them, stepping against the wall and using it to run several feet before pushing off of it and landing on the same level as Allen. Gracefully, she held up her weapon, pointing at him. “Surrender.”

Allen’s eyes narrowed, and the air around them changed.

Her expression shifted slightly too, as if both of them came to an understanding.

“It seems I will have to use my secret technique to defeat you.” Allen spoke, taking a step forward before shifting his footing into a proper stance. \

Xueyi’s demeanor changed, and her own stance shifted slightly as she prepared for a fight.

Allen reeled back the chicken with both hands behind his head. “Secret Technique—" he whispered as the air around them went cold. “Tsubame Gaeshi!”

Xueyi had a blank expression as the chicken hit her three times on the head, screeching obnoxiously each time.

“....”

“....”

She whipped her chain forward, wrapping around Allen, tying him up. “You are now placed under restraint and will be admitted to the interrogation room. Cooperation will be advised. However, feel free to resist; I am very well practiced in torture methods.”

For some reason, Allen felt like she was upset.

“I want my lawyer.”

“You are not guaranteed a lawyer by Xianzhou laws.”

“I want my one phone call.”

“You have no rights.” She began to drag him away.

“Will there be a cavity search?”

"Thoroughly," she said with a hint of emotion.”

“Meep.”

@***@

Allen sighed as he rattled the chains around his arms that connected him to a stone table. It was crude, primitive, and low tech, but you couldn’t say it wasn’t effective. That was the Scalegorge prison in a nutshell; it didn’t have much technological prowess, but it made up for that in just sheer durability with a splash of mysticism.

He was fairly sure they didn’t know his identity just as yet, and they hadn’t begun a proper interrogation.

Probably because he said that he would only talk to the general before he spat out some secrets that an outsider really shouldn't know.

All they did so far was search him and take away all of his toys.

Nothing important, but he still didn’t like other people taking away his toys.

There were a plethora of guards outside, but he ignored them and took out his phone from his hidden pocket.

CC: Hey.

Nihilux: ?

CC: I have found myself in a predicament.

Nihilux: What did you do this time?”

CC: I was minding my own business.

Nihilux: Uh huh.

CC: And I just so happened to wander into a place I wasn’t supposed to be in.

Nihilux: What place?

CC: Scalegorge prison.

Nihilux: Right.

Nihilux: Just wandered in, huh?

CC: And I may have just so happened to have accidentally made my way to the secret bottom level where Hoolay was chained up. And I may or may not have accidentally killed him and did unspeakable things to his soul.

CC: And now I’m locked up.

CC: Nilly, bail me out.

Nihilux: I can offer you some advice.

CC: Yeah?

Nihilux: Don’t drop the soap.

CC: :(

CC: They’re going to probe my butt, Nilly.

CC: I’m going to be deflowered.

Nihilux: There’s one thing you can do.

Nihilux: When they’re elbow deep inside of you, start moaning seductively.

CC: How will that help?

Nihilux: I’ll find it hilarious.

CC: When I get back, you’re going to be sorry.

Nihilux: Oh my, look who’s talking all big. What are you going to do, huh?

CC: The first thing I’m going to do is I’m going to take you back to my place. We’re going to watch your favorite show while I put a shitty frozen pizza into the oven and share it afterwards. You’re going to be stuck with me for an entire evening. What do you think of that, you shitty artist!?

Nihilux: I think that sounds romantic, you shitty clown!

CC: Good!

Nihilux: Fine!

Allen set his phone to the side.

It calmed him down.

It was like he was standing on a small boat amidst the pulling current and just dropped anchor, letting himself have respite.

He finally had a moment with a clear head to think about what happened. He had killed Hoolay and dragged him into the Circus; that action itself had a rebound on him, and he underestimated just how much initially. A Pathstrider of Hoolay’s caliber, who was only a few steps away from becoming an Emanator and ascending to that level, it made sense that it would take a lot more out of him to convert.

Maybe he had been a bit arrogant considering his own status as an Emanator, but even that didn’t prevent the rebound effect his power had. But it was fine; if it was just that much, he could bear with it if the situation arose again.

To have an employee as powerful as Hoolay? Well, the benefits far outweighed the pain he went through.

However, that wasn’t the most pressing concern he had.

His mind was less clouded now. He didn’t know how to describe the feeling before; it wasn’t like he was blinded by emotion in a normal sense. It wasn’t like he wasn’t himself; in fact, throughout that whole ordeal, he was thinking logically and fluidly without any kind of mental distress.

But even so, there was just something that forced him to act that way.

Acheron.

He knew the name of the woman; how could he not? The woman who had walked further on the Path of Nihility more than anyone else and may as well be an Emanator. The Aeon of Nihility doesn’t gaze at anyone; therefore, it doesn’t have Emanators who are extensions of the Aeon’s will.

But she is a walking example of someone who tread a path far enough that precedents are set.

For all intents and purposes, she was an emanator of nihilism. And she was far more experienced than Allen was. Looking back, he realized she had snapped out of her own stupor far earlier than he did. Truthfully, he hadn’t returned to himself until after he had left that place.

Until her [Emptiness] stopped pulling at his own, he only had the absolute feeling of needing to kill her in order to survive.

It wasn’t a mental pollution; it wasn’t some kind of mind control or distressed state. It was the primordial feeling that sprang up in a living creature when they looked at [Death] in the eyes and wanted to live. 

The Horizon of Existence.

It was one manifestation of IT, among innumerable. Why was he pulled into that one in particular? He found himself drowning, losing focus and falling into that state briefly. Perhaps it was because that was the one in his memories; therefore, it was where his mind subconsciously tethered him to?

It was hard to say; he was far too ignorant about many things.

But he knew that something would change now.

He looked off into the distance. If he focused, a certain feeling swelled up in his chest, or rather, a lack of feeling.

An [Emptiness].

The world around him dulled, but he could see a certain color vibrantly spring to life around him. A golden flame that he could reach out and hold onto that seemed to ward off the encroaching void around him.

He could see it now, a small flicker of red, far out into the universe. It was like he could reach out and touch it despite it being so infinitely far away.

He knew exactly who it belonged to, having just clashed with that person for who knows how long. But besides that small red in a world of black and white, there was another bright color. Another White, but not the dreary colorless imposition upon reality.

It was bright, and it was far off in another direction.

He looked at both of them.

In the shadow of the Black Sun, three small flickers of color now stood.

And when you gaze into the abyss…. They Looked Back.

@***@

“General, thank you for coming.”

“Your honor, Judge Xueyi.” The General, Jing Yuan, greeted her as he entered the prison, the large stone gates closing behind him. “This is the second time this week I’ve been asked to come down to the Scalegorge Prison, Your Honor. I hope that it’s a matter of importance; there are other problems arising that require my attention.”

“We are aware of the Stellaron breakout, General. We, of course, would not waste your time if it were not of importance.” She reassured him.

The general gave her a nod. “Stellaron Hunter Blade escaped a few days ago. The Ten-Lord’s Commission mobilized above ground to catch the escaped prisoner. I agreed to coordinate and let your commission take the lead. Now, I am being told that there was a break in to the prison rather than a secondary break out.”

Judge Xueyi frowned but could only accept the small criticism. “It’s as you say, General. Stellaron Hunter Blade, you more than most should know his identity, so his breaking out of Scalegorge Prison, while unacceptable, is understandable. However, this…new incident has left us confused.”

“What of the interrogation?”

“We have not conducted a thorough interrogation as of yet. We…" She paused. “The criminal who trespassed into the prison, they said, did many things they should not know. Then they demanded to speak to only you. Considering the current situation…we believed it may be more prudent to expedite information gathering rather than relying on more brutish methods, if possible.”

“You think he has a connection with the activation of the Ambrosial Harbor that’s sprouting new limbs throughout the Luofu?” He asked.

“It is a possibility we cannot ignore. You know what our primary duty is, General. If there is the opportunity to limit the Mara-Struck that appear, then it is our obligation. A slightly unconventional method is permissible.”

The General hummed and didn’t deny her assertion or thoughts. “What did he say that has the Ten-Lord’s Commission becoming skeptical?”

“He named several of the Lord Judges, names that have no records outside of a very few select locations. He further spoke of a few secrets that even you do not know, General, secrets at the core of our duties.” She didn’t elaborate in too great a detail, but the general got the general gist of it.

He was well aware there were things that even he, as one of the Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou, had no right to know.

"Understood," the general said simply.

There were no negative feelings towards the secrecy, nor insult to her for refusing to elaborate. 

“What was his goal for breaking into the prison? There was not another Prison Breaker.” The General asked.

"Prisoner 0008 was found deceased.” She replied.

The general's eyebrows raised. “Hoolay.”

She gave a curt nod. “The alarms in his personal cell were triggered, and upon arriving at his cell, we only found his corpse. The culprit was nowhere to be seen, only for him to reappear some hours later at the scene, causing another disturbance.”

She held her hand up, and a worker came over, carrying with it several documents.

“This is a copy of the incident report. Please do not take it out of the prison." 

The General didn’t respond but took the papers and began to read over them, his expression unreadable as they walked down into the core of the prison.

“A Masked Fool.” The general spoke.

“Mm.”

“Very well, I will speak with the prisoner.” The general agreed.

“Thank you, General.”

“There is no need for thanks, Your Honor. Though we have different duties, we all work for the future of the Xianzhou.” He smiled warmly.

Even if there was a degree of separation, they all contributed to their home and their ideals. 

They approached the cell, guarded by several Aurumaton Spectral Envoys and a dozen Wraith Wardens.

“The Cell is a special two-layered containment, specifically for those who are adept at shape changing.” The judge spoke. “I’m sure you understand.”

The General nodded as he approached the first gate. The ethereal barrier slowly dissipated, then a heavy iron gate slowly lifted as he stepped inside, and it slammed shut behind him.

A second energy barrier slowly dissipated as the one behind him sprang back to life. Then, in front of him, two iron doors trembled, each one weighing perhaps tens of thousands of pounds

The General stood impassively as the cell opened before him.

Allen was there, chained to a single table; however, he was not in the position they left him. Rather, he was facing butt-first towards the entrance, towards the General, with his pants around his ankles.

“It’s my first time; please be gentle.”

“.....”

“.....”

“My safe word is Banana.” 

“Mr. Fool.” The general ignored it as he stepped into the room and the stone gate closed behind him. “I was told you wished to speak with me.”

Allen pursed his lips before his figure distorted and disappeared, only for him to return to the other side of the table, sitting more normally.

The generally sat down across from him.

“It’s an honor to meet the General," Allen spoke. “I’ve always admired you.”

“Is that why you broke into the Scalegorge prison?” The general asked his tone even. “Tell me, what is an Emanator of Elation doing within my Luofu?”

Allen wasn’t surprised that he was able to glean that piece of information. At this point, he wasn’t hiding it all that much. Not to mention, he was in his full Clown Regalia, showing no fear in front of another Emanator.

As an Emanator of the Hunt, as someone renowned for their brilliant strategies and ability, it wasn’t a hard correlation to make.

“I did you a favor; shouldn’t you thank me?” Allen’s lips curled up. “I took out one of the Xianzhou’s most infamous villains. I feel like I should get a parade.”

“The infamous villain that we had safely locked up.”

“Was he safely locked up?” Allen asked. 

The general paused slightly. 

“Let me ask you this. Why was he never properly executed? Does the Xianzhou have a habit of leaving loose ends that can come back to bite them in the rear for something as pedestrian as ‘payback’? But who knows, maybe you’re letting him live just for the sake of torturing him, leaving a future threat out of arrogance.” Allen tapped the table, watching his expression.

The general's eyes narrowed slightly. “You believe there were those who wished to…free him.”

“You make it sound like a question. But don’t you already know about the people who wanted to get their hands on him?” Allen asked in return. “Tell me, General. Why didn’t the Xianzhou just kill him outright?”

The General was silent as he looked at the Clown for a long moment. “It’s common knowledge that Hoolay of the Borisin was immortal."

“Then how did I kill him?” 

The general smiled lightly. He knew, of course, that his own line was bullshit. 

Truth be told, Hoolay wouldn’t have died just from having his neck sliced open normally. For one, he has been chained and tortured within the Scalegorge prison for over seven hundred years. He hasn’t fed or regained any energy in that timeframe and was at his absolutely weakest state.

Two, his King Card was a bit good at dealing with people who didn’t want to die.

The prison had been suppressing him for centuries; Hoolay barely had any spare energy. Perhaps, he might have eventually regenerated if Allen hadn’t pulled out his Soul; no, it was safe to assume that he would have.

“The Xianzhou isn’t as united as people think, huh?” Allen cut right to the heart of it. “Some people wanted to study or get their hands on his method of immortality, didn’t they? Rather ironic. But you already knew that, which is why you put him in prison so all those grubby hands couldn’t get their hands on him.”

“You seem to believe you know the truth.” The general spoke calmly.

“Well, it’s none of my business. I’m just saying, I’m not your enemy.” He smiled.

“A curious time then, for you to appear.” 

“You’re talking about the Stellaron eruption within your Luofu. And the other people making moves in the dark. I can say that I was not responsible for the Stellaron coming to Luofu; I only arrived after the fact. As for the others running around, I also have nothing to do with them. I won’t lie to you and say that my motivations for being here are selfless, but I’m not acting against Luofu.” 

“You speak as if you know about the undercurrents within the Luofu. As someone who claims to have nothing to do with them, that sounds rather suspicious, don’t you think?” The general countered.

“That’s a fair assessment. How about I tell you some pieces of information?”

“If you provide something substantial, I may be inclined to offer leniency for your transgressions.”

“What’s happened outside?” Allen asked.

“The Ambrosial Harbor has been reactivated after years of dormancy. New roots have begun to emerge, and Mara-Struck have begun to invade at the periphery." He didn’t hide it at all; for one, it was easily verifiable for someone of his caliber; for two, he was curious to see what Allen had to say.

Allen tapped on the table. "The Stellaron hunters aren’t responsible for the presence of the Stellaron.”

Whether he knew that or not, at this point, Allen wasn’t sure.

“Two, the one hiding in the dark.”

That’s when the General’s expression changed slightly. 

“It’s a Lord Ravager targeting your Luofu.”

There was a brief moment, then the room turned cold. If it were a normal person sitting across from the General, they may have started to suffocate from the pressure radiating off of him.

“Can you provide proof?” He asked calmly despite the clear undercurrent of tension.

Allen shrugged. “Believe if you want to believe.” He flicked his arms, and the chains around him went clanking against the ground and table as he rubbed his free wrists. “I’m simply repaying a small debt for breaking into your prison and distracting you from discovering the truth.”

The General wasn’t surprised at all by his actions. He knew already that his fellow Emanator was by no means actually constrained within the prison.

The prison was many things, but capable of containing an Emanator, it was not.

“It’s hard to trust someone wearing a mask." The general spoke. “Sincerity comes from speaking to someone, face to face, don’t you think?”

“Am I the only one wearing a mask, General?” Allen asked in return. “A woman in the morning can be a mother. She can be a wife. When she goes to work, she can be an employee, a boss. When she stops at a restaurant, she can be a patron. When she’s shopping, she can be a customer. We all wear masks every day of our lives. A man may put on a mask to hide his own flaws from the world. A general might put on a mask to reassure his soldiers even when he’s suffering.”

Allen stood up, taking a Jack between his fingers.

The General didn’t make any move to stop him, even if he didn’t know specifically what Allen was doing in this moment.

Allen was about to just teleport away, but he stopped himself.

“Sometimes, we all wear masks because we don’t know how else to face the world.” Allen flipped his hand over, putting a mask onto the table, a simple eye-covering. 

With a flurl of his arm, he disappeared from his cell.

The general sat there for a long moment. Eventually he let out a long, tired sigh. “I must be the fool for believing his words.” He reached over and picked up the mask. He could feel the power contained within it, and he put it on his face.

It seemed to disappear from view. A mask that was no different from his normal appearance. However, he suddenly felt like he was centuries younger, like old wounds were no longer there, that the weathering of the years hadn’t worn him down. The creeping feeling of Mara-Struck had seemingly dissipated from the corner of his eye, like it was some later thought he didn’t need to have anymore.

It felt like he was back in his prime, if only for a brief moment.

He reached up and touched the imperceivable mask on his face and shook his head with a small chuckle.

“Very well, I will accept this act of good will and pretend that nothing happened this time.” He knew that this feeling was fleeting, and it would not last beyond this incident, a brief moment of respite for this trial that Luofu was facing. But he didn’t care to ask for more, because even for a small period, the Arbiter General of the Luofu was back at his prime. 

“The Crowned Clown, Huh?” He didn’t need to be told Allen’s name to piece it together. “I still need to be seen doing something. But if I recall, you masked fools like your bounties, don’t you?”

@***@

A/N

Allen meets the General and comes to an understanding. He also has his next target in mind based on what’s happened so far, as he’s not done recruiting just yet.