A Honkai: Zhongli x Star Rail

The battlefield was timeless.

Zhongli stood in an endless expanse of golden light, the echoes of a lost civilization swirling around him like silent witnesses. The air pulsed with ancient authority, the weight of forgotten laws pressing against his very being.

Before him, the Final Guardian loomed—a towering enforcer of celestial stone, its form inscribed with glowing contracts written in a language long lost to time.

It raised its massive blade, its voice reverberating through the void.

"Arbiter, you have chosen to bear the burden of a broken contract."

The inscriptions on its body shifted, reforming into lines of judgment.

"But words alone do not restore balance. Show me your resolve!"

With a blinding flash, the Trial of the Arbiter began.

---

A Battle of Wills

The Final Guardian swung its colossal blade downward, its sheer weight splitting the golden expanse beneath them.

Zhongli did not retreat.

With a single motion, he raised his hand—and the earth responded.

A golden shield materialized in an instant, formed from the very laws that bound reality together. The Guardian's blade collided with it, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

For a brief moment, the clash stood in equilibrium—unstoppable force against unshakable defense.

Then, the battlefield shifted.

The inscriptions on the Guardian's body began to glow brighter, its judgment intensifying.

"You hold the power of an Archon… but does it carry the weight of true law? "

It vanished—then reappeared above him.

With a single, brutal swing, it sent dozens of golden chains surging toward Zhongli, each inscribed with ancient decrees.

"If you claim the right to arbitrate, then prove your will cannot be bound! "

Zhongli's golden eyes gleamed.

He did not move as the chains neared—instead, he commanded the earth.

The moment they wrapped around him, the ground itself trembled.

A deep, resounding crack echoed through the battlefield as pillars of Geo erupted from the ground, each one inscribed with a binding counter-contract.

The chains shattered.

Zhongli stepped forward, unbound.

The Guardian's gaze flickered.

"You severed the contract… without breaking its law."

Zhongli's voice was calm, yet carried the full weight of millennia. "A contract must serve justice, not merely obligation. When law is twisted by time, it is the duty of the Arbiter to realign it."

The inscriptions on the battlefield shuddered.

The Guardian hesitated.

But the test was not over yet.

---

The Final Judgment

The battlefield dimmed, the golden light shifting into deep amber hues.

The Guardian's voice grew solemn.

"Then tell me, Arbiter… what fate do you decree for those who broke the contract?"

The air stilled.

The weight of the question was immense.

Zhongli closed his eyes briefly, then opened them once more.

"Penance is due." His voice carried neither cruelty nor mercy—only truth. "But not in the form of endless suffering. The debt must be paid… but the chains must also be broken."

The battlefield shook.

The Guardian lowered its blade.

For the first time, its golden inscriptions dimmed—not in rejection, but in acceptance.

"A just verdict."

The monoliths around them resonated, their energy stabilizing. The final echoes of Panhua's contract shifted, the burden of its broken past finally acknowledged.

The Guardian knelt.

"Arbiter, the debt has been answered."

With those final words, the battlefield faded.

---

Return to the Ruins

When Zhongli opened his eyes, he was once again in the Chamber of Oaths.

The golden monolith before him now stood silent, its inscriptions settled into stillness. The guardians that once opposed them had vanished, their purpose fulfilled.

March 7th let out a long breath. "Okay. Someone please explain what just happened."

Dan Heng exhaled, lowering his weapon. "Zhongli settled the contract."

Himeko's voice came through the communicator. "I'm detecting a stabilization in the anomalies… whatever happened, it worked."

Zhongli turned, his golden gaze surveying the chamber one last time.

For the first time since stepping foot on this world, the land no longer trembled.

The debt had been acknowledged.

The contract had been fulfilled.

And for the first time in centuries—Panhua's history could finally rest.

---

As the Astral Express prepared to depart from Panhua, the crew stood on the platform, watching as the ruins stretched into the distance.

March stretched her arms. "So… we just ended an ancient civilization's suffering. No big deal, right?"

Dan Heng sighed. "Your definition of 'no big deal' needs adjusting."

Himeko chuckled. "Still, this is a win. The anomalies have stopped, and Panhua can finally stabilize."

Yanqing, who had been silent for most of the journey, finally spoke. "You wield authority well, Zhongli." He studied him carefully. "But you did not pass judgment as a god. You passed it as an Arbiter."

Zhongli remained quiet for a moment.

Then, he nodded.

"A contract must serve its people, not merely its laws."

Welt stepped forward. "So what now?"

Zhongli glanced toward the endless stretch of stars beyond the platform.

There was still much to learn.

And perhaps, his journey was only just beginning.

"Wherever the path leads."

The Astral Express departed once more.

---

Chapter 10 Preview: The Gathering of the Aeons

A contract fulfilled.

A world stabilized.

But the true forces of the cosmos have taken notice.

As Zhongli settles into his role aboard the Astral Express, whispers among the Aeons begin to stir.

And soon—one will come to him with an offer.

---

Author's Note: ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

This concludes the Panhua Arc!