GamerEscape

HoYoverse has unlocked an animated short for Honkai Star Rail titled “A Flash,” co-produced with Fantasier Animation and Studio ppuri.

The short gives us a peek into the past of Jing Yuan, and the Xianzhou Alliance’s Cloud Knights’ long struggle against the Abundance’s affliction of “long-life.” The cinematic not only animates Jing Yuan’s flashy in-game kit, but also gives us a bit more insight into his relationship with his student, Yanqing, a currently playable character.

The following text accompanies the in-game notice for the short:

Year 7380 Star Calendar, Jingliu, the mara-stricken swordmaster of the Luofu, slashed her way out of Starskiff Haven, cutting through the Cloud Knights tasked to subdue her before vanishing in the mist of history.

Year 8096 Star Calendar, a young soldier named Yanqing rose to fame from the tournament hosted by the Seat of Divine Foresight, and was conferred the rank of Cloud Knight Lieutenant.

“The years pass in a flash, cups of wine the only solace.” A fleeting flash — thus is the speed of swift blades as the master and her student spar, and thus is the passage of the unceasing torrent of time.

Just how long has it been?

His duel with his master, centuries ago, still rippled like a memory from yesterday.

But the few years between now and when he took in the boy as his student felt like a lifetime.

Time gallops, swift as a stallion, sudden as a lightning strike, agonizing as a blade that runs him through. And yet, it feels like everything has always been the same.

HoYoverse’s multiple recent multimedia pieces of Jing Yuan are in preparation for his new limited banner, set to be released in a bit over a week from now, based on estimations from the current Seele banner’s timer.

All images courtesy of HoYoverse