[Honkai: Star Rail] The Liar and the Knight

The Knights of Beauty are a group of knights who travel the universe, extolling goodness and beauty. They steadfastly follow their goddess, Idrila, even though she seems to have been gone for ages, lost in some forgotten corner of the universe.

There's no doubt that the Knights of Beauty, who continue to follow their Path even after their Aeon has fallen, are all fanatics. They may not be as dangerous as the fanatics of certain Aeons whom it's best not to name, but they're still on the list of people you shouldn't casually offend.

And yet someone just loves to challenge the impossible.

Though the knights travel separately through the universe to spread Idrila's glory, they still keep in touch. One day, their nth round-table meeting was solemnly convened in the group chat, for one purpose only: it seemed someone had recently been using the Knights of Beauty's name to swindle people!

The knights were indignant. They thought they should drag the culprit out and persuade him to mend his ways, so he wouldn't bring shame upon their goddess. Amid all their chatter, one knight sat as quiet as a chicken.

But no one thought that was strange.

Poor Argenti. He must be so devastated that someone keeps impersonating him and using his name to swindle people.

In fact, the very person being denounced was sitting beside Argenti.

He turned off his phone and said calmly, "Mr. Iso, your behavior is causing me a great deal of trouble..."

"If you still hold a grudge over what happened that day, I will take responsibility to the very end."

Iso crossed his legs, licked the cream from his lips, and smiled. "All right, I really know I was wrong. Beautiful knight, please believe my sincerity... I swear to Aha, I won't use your name again."

"Take responsibility? No, no, not at all. We just had a fling, understand?"

The knight frowned, unsure what to say.

Iso ate the last little cake, tossed aside his fork, and maintained his impeccable smile. "I look forward to seeing you again."

Then, once he turned away, the con man scribbled all over the other man's spaceship and left with a swagger.

"Take responsibility?! He had me on a griddle for three whole days, flipping me over and over like a pancake, three days!" Iso complained to his shady friends. "Does he think I'll just let him get away with it?! I'll make him pay!!!"

Sampo asked curiously, "What are you going to do?"

Iso slammed the table. "I'll show him the terror of the Spoon Killer!"

Sampo was silent for a moment, then refilled his glass and coaxed him into drinking himself into a stupor.

When he was drunk, Iso suddenly felt the rose growing in his heart bloom more brightly. Thorny vines wound through his flesh, adding the most beautiful drop of blood to the rose.

"I don't need him to take responsibility," the drunk muttered. "He forgot about me, so he should pay a little price to make me happy."

Argenti x Iso, shou-focused.

Theme: Restraint and love are eternal questions