Honkai Star Rail: Corruption System

Daziel darted forward, catching Topaz's hand. "Hold on, Miss Topaz, let's avoid a fight. Can we all just take a breath?"

Topaz threw her hands up, a note of genuine exasperation in her voice. "See? He started it! All I wanted was a reasonable conversation."

Red light pulsed in Svarog's mechanical eyes. His voice, low and chilling, cut through the air. "Mr. Daziel, your interference is... exceeding calculated parameters. Continue, and I will be forced to classify you as adversarial. My probability of victory is 96% in the negative, yet Belobog's future… remains non-negotiable!"

"No, Svarog, listen to me," Daziel pleaded, hands raised placatingly. "I'm not taking sides. Can't you just be… reasonable for once? I just want this to stop."

Svarog remained unresponsive. Instead of words, a mechanical arm rose, the metal glowing with an ominous red intensity.

Watching the tightening tension between them, a wave of helplessness washed over Daziel.

Peace, it seemed, was a lost cause. A brawl felt inevitable.

Even after ending up here, Svarog was still the same – trigger-happy at the slightest disagreement, a workaholic programmed to the extreme.

In the game, reusing a BOSS model was just lazy design, but here? What was the excuse this time? Never mind, Daziel thought, dismissing the question. Pointless to overthink it.

"Sigh…" Daziel let out a weary breath. "Miss Topaz, please stand back. Let me handle this. Frankly, I'm worried you might accidentally reduce Mr. Svarog to spare parts."

Topaz rolled her eyes, a hint of annoyance coloring her tone. "Please. I'm not that destructive."

Daziel eyed her with lingering apprehension. "Normally, sure, no problem. But Svarog is deceptively strong. If you were to whip out that Preservation Lightcone and start chanting 'Everything for the Amber Lord,' things could get messy… fast."

"Where did you even hear that nonsense?" Topaz scoffed. "The Aeon's blessing is not some toy to be brandished! I'd only use it if absolutely, critically necessary."

Topaz huffed, clearly fed up with Daziel's constant mischaracterization of her.

"Just… please, just don't get involved directly," Daziel sighed, relief softening his shoulders.

"Fine, suit yourself. Saves me the effort. I'm counting on you, Mr. Daziel~" Topaz offered a small, knowing smile and gracefully stepped back.

Daziel turned to March 7th. "March, a little backup? I can't take him alone."

"Huh? In this dress? You want me to fight? Seriously?" March 7th's voice dripped with reluctance, but she nonetheless produced her bow and arrow from seemingly nowhere.

The air crackled; a fight was about to erupt.

Daziel blurred into motion, a phantom flicker at Svarog's side. The baseball bat screamed through the air, slamming into the robot's joints with a bone-jarring thwack.

Svarog's steel frame remained unyielding, retaliating with a piston-like punch. Anticipation was Daziel's weapon; he knew Svarog's patterns intimately. With a nimble backflip, he avoided the blow, the bat whipping around in a follow-through aimed at Svarog's legs.

From the distance, March 7th drew and loosed. Ice-blue arrows, radiating a palpable chill, streaked towards Svarog's arm joints, attempting to bind his movements. Though the steel remained impervious, the impacts threw off Svarog's rhythm, delaying his next swing.

Svarog's mechanical limbs whirled, alternating between pulverizing fists and bursts of miniature rockets, tearing craters in the ground. Daziel, nimble as an eel, flowed through the assault. Each swing of his bat crackled with destructive energy.

March 7th's arrows were a persistent, icy irritation, constantly disrupting Svarog's flow. Together, they moved with a startling synchronicity, forcing the automaton onto the back foot.

"Mr. Svarog, you are one tough machine! Fighting you is always such a slog…" Daziel yelled, weaving and dodging. To March 7th, he called, "March, time for the special!"

"Don't rush me, I'm setting it up!" March 7th replied, drawing her bow again. "I remember… the weak point's the core, right?" The bow pulsed with renewed light. This time, the arrow seemed denser, thrumming with potent energy. "Ice-Engraved Barrage!"

A volley of arrows erupted, each finding its mark on Svarog's chest. Frost blossomed rapidly, encasing his mechanical body in a fleeting prison of ice.

Daziel seized the opening, the baseball bat crackling with unleashed power. He swung with the force of a thunderclap, aiming for Svarog's head. "Grand Slam – Homerun Finish!"

The bat connected with Svarog's head with a screech of tortured metal. He staggered, but remained upright.

Red light spasmed within his optical sensors, as if processing calculations at lightning speed. Then, a low growl rumbled from his chassis, and the ice shell around him fractured and shattered.

"As expected, not so simple!" Daziel muttered, a spark of exhilaration in his eyes.

He swung the bat again, unleashing a furious onslaught. March 7th continued her barrage, their attacks interlocking in a seamless dance of offense and defense.

After a brutal exchange, Svarog's movements grew heavy, cracks spider-webbing across his plating.

Just as March 7th's charged arrow was about to fly… Clara burst from the mansion, tears streaming down her face. She'd been watching through a sliver in the door, unseen, and the sight of Svarog's damage had finally broken her resolve.

"Please, stop fighting!" Clara's voice, thick with tears, made March 7th's bow hand waver. The arrow, intended for Svarog, veered slightly, clipping Clara as she rushed forward. A red line blossomed on her thigh, blood welling up.

"No… don't hurt Mr. Svarog!" Clara choked out, trembling.

"Clara!" Svarog's voice sharpened with raw urgency. "Get back!" But Clara, the arrow wound already stealing her strength, crumpled to the ground.

Seeing the unintended casualty, March 7th froze, panic flooding her features. Bow and arrow vanished behind her back as she scrambled to Clara's side, voice choked with remorse. "I… Clara, I am so sorry, I didn't…"

"It's… okay…" Clara gasped, fading, "Please… stop fighting Mr. Svarog? You're all… important to me…" With a last, wavering effort, she added, "Mr. Svarog… please don't blame Daziel… or… or March…" Then, darkness claimed her.

"Stop! I yield. I will cease resistance." Svarog's red eyes flickered wildly as he processed Clara's collapse. His voice, though still mechanical, was threaded with a new, raw tone. "Risk assessment complete. I… accede to the request. Clara's condition requires immediate… evaluation. Now."

A small, almost imperceptible smile touched Topaz's lips. A quiet satisfaction settled in her eyes.

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