Chương 151: I make a promise to her and everyone
"RIN!" Sakura, who had been gently comforting RIN just moments ago, was suddenly gripped by shock and panic. She could bear the harsh reality depicted in the game
Because she was someone who crawled out of hell, but she would never accept RIN slipping away from her again.
"It's alright. She was just overwhelmed by her emotions. She exerted too much energy today. All she needs is some rest," Vill-V reassured her calmly.
" So... this is what happened back then? " Elysia asked, frowning, her big eyes filled with sadness, feeling aggrieved for her comrades around her. The whole process of the matter was before her eyes. She doesn't like such sad stories,
Back then, most of the Flame-Chasers were unaware of the specific details. They only knew about the birth of the Herrscher, Sakura's dead, Kevin's loss, and the announcement of heavy casualties in the aftermath of the victorious crusade.
When all these scenes were recreated in the form of a game, Sakura's mounting anxiety and the failure of her last hope along the journey became the final straw that broke her.
The polar reversal of hope and despair makes everyone feel the same, and the feeling of despair hits us head-on.
---
in game
a horde of enemies launched an attack. Seele found herself struggling to fend them off. She called out to Sakura for assistance, but Sakura remained motionless, seemingly lost in her own world.
She kept murmuring to herself, repeating the same phrase over and over again, "If only I had been faster…"
Just when Seele was on the brink of being overwhelmed, a storm of flames erupted on the battlefield. The flames burned the enemies in an instant. The white-haired man who had initially blocked their path reappeared on the field.
He called out Sakura's name in a sorrowful tone, but Sakura continued to ignore him.
her face, just water-like silence, as if what was left here was just a body, and her consciousness never wanted to wake up.
Kevin shook his head. He didn't know why he chose to explain to Seele. It was also an explanation of the plot and told the truth of what happened...
RIN was a Herrscher, and she had released a virus into the air upon her death. The Fire Moth hadn't apprehended the wrong person. It was the two sergeants who had executed RIN without proper authorization. And now, with the base damaged… Sakura had to bear the responsibility for her actions,
"But Sister Sakura only wanted to protect her sister, and…" Seele interjected anxiously. She didn't want the person in front of her to continue berating the grief-stricken Sakura.
"Even if this incident hadn't occurred, sooner or later something else would have served as the straw that broke her heart," Kevin stated calmly in game.
---
"Is this your justification? Are you saying that those soldiers did the same thing as you, Aponia?" Kalpas's voice was laced with anger as he watched the unfolding scene.
" ... the Kalpas pre-civilized environment created the inevitability of RIN's tragedy. " Kevin said, his eyes looking at the unconscious RIN, without further explanation.
"Don't bother me with such pointless talk. I'm simply asking, don't you believe you've done something wrong? Kevin? Aponia?" Kalpas's voice was filled with frustration.
"We… we had no other option," Kevin replied in a concise manner. As he had experienced before, a person's character is their destiny, and they are powerless against the mockery of fate.
"Kalpas, if there's a chance for me to make amends, I'm willing to do whatever it takes," Aponia declared. She clasped her hands together in prayer, her voice shaking. Her eyes were glued to the scene before her, silently tallying up her sins.
She was already burdened with guilt. This was a fact she had been aware of from the very beginning. She… she found herself at a loss for words…
"… I will be watching over you," Kalpas declared, his anger subsiding. He was aware that Aponia would make nightly attempts to help RIN regain consciousness.
His anger was not about blaming the two of them, but more about blaming himself, because... he himself was the one who had done nothing, the one who had nothing, the one who couldn't do anything.
A strange urge to laugh overcame Kalpas as he looked into their eyes.
"The events that happen back then were incredibly harsh, but... Let's stop this argument. RIN is doing well now," Elysia interjected. She was aware of the differences among her companions, but she also knew that no one was at ease at the moment.
Seele quietly wiped away her tears. She was deeply moved by the scene before her. She looked at Sakura and RIN, a pair of sisters, with a sense of compassion. She resolved to spend more time with RIN in the future, seeing how pitiful she was.
Bronya was lost in her thoughts. While she too was moved by the situation, Anti-Entropy had shared a lot of information about Honkai Impact with her over the past few days. It seemed like they were genuinely grooming her to become the leader of the alliance, following in the footsteps of Welt.
She also had to start contemplating strategies to defeat Honkai, even though the idea seemed somewhat unfounded at the moment.
...
Meanwhile, in a different location,
"Spreading the virus after dead… This Herrscher poses quite a challenge," she mused to herself,
"The white-haired man inside is correct. When faced with a strange enemy who appears invincible, a person's initial reaction is to ostracize, maintain distance, or even inflict harm. In such circumstances, it's inevitable."
She fell into a silent reverie, brainstorming potential countermeasures,
Kallen was also deep in thought. She was privy to more information and had a better understanding of the complex issues surrounding Herrscher of Corrosion.
"If… St. Freya Academy were to transform into a Herrscher Academy, this oppressive environment could be eradicated."
She pondered over this possibility and chuckled at her own thoughts. Could this be considered a trap set by Luo Mo in advance?.. However, it only fulfills one of the conditions for the outbreak of Herrscher of Corrosion, and it's unclear whether it will have a long-term impact on the main body.
The erosion caused by previous civilizations was inevitable, but is it also happening now? Kallen wondered.
...
--- in game
After Kevin introduced them to the current situation, he wanted to take them out.
But unexpectedly, when Sakura heard that RIN transformed into the Herrscher, her emotions actually recovered. She firmly expressed that she wanted to see RIN, even now, even if it was the Herrscher,
"RIN must be feeling incredibly lonely right now. She's always been a child who fears Loneliness," Sakura voiced out her concerns.
"You won't try to stop me, will you, Seele?" Sakura's voice wavered slightly, revealing her sadness over RIN's departure.
At this point, she felt she had no other option but to take a desperate measure.
Seele found herself at a loss. She couldn't find a reason to stop Sakura, nor could she defend her actions.
Kevin naturally refused. He could not sit back and watch his comrades die on their own initiative.
" Seele... I'm sorry. " She apologized and put her hand on the handle of the knife.
The light of the sword was unsheathed. This was Sakura's most beautiful moment. The cold sword light shrouded the space and blocked it. In the space, only Sakura walked out.
On this journey, where she was aware of her impending demise, she left her sincerest blessings in Seele's ears.
"I hope… you can reunite with your sister."
She knew she could no longer reunite with her own sister, but she still harbored hopes for her companions who had accompanied her on this journey.
Despite the sorrow that life had dealt her, she continued to offer her sincere blessings to others.
She apologized because she was unable to fulfill her promise to help Seele find her sister.
Despite the overwhelming sadness that she couldn't put into words, Sakura still found the strength to comfort her companions with her words, maintaining her gentle demeanor from start to finish…
Even though she didn't explicitly say it, there was no doubt that she considered Seele as her sister and treated her with the same affection and tenderness.
As the video neared its end, the plot ceased to progress. Kevin made a move. With a wave of his hand, the screen transitioned.
Sakura was already lying on the side with a plate of blood, holding the sharp blade in her hand.
She was covered in wounds, but her eyes no longer held the lifeless gray hue they had before. She had done everything within her power, and what awaited her next was the inevitable… death.
Kevin informed her that they had managed to seal the Herrscher. The Herrscher had experienced an unexplained disorder at the last moment, providing MEI with the opportunity to seal the Herrscher in a black box.
Upon hearing this, a faint sense of happiness washed over Sakura. In a weak voice, she said:
"That's good… I stayed by RIN's side until the very end… She remained my sister till the end…"
" I have kept... the pride of being a sister. "
Her voice was filled with relief as she uttered each word. Finally, she made one last request to Kevin,
"Kevin, please take Seele to my hometown. I made a promise to her… to take her to a square brimming with cherry blossoms…"
"… I'll do my best." Kevin promised, and Sakura seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
In the final moments of her life, Sakura continued to comfort Seele, urging her not to succumb to sadness. She acknowledged that there were certain things beyond their control, but she also reminded Seele that there were still people she cared for and reasons to keep moving forward.
Her voice was barely more than a whisper, yet each word she spoke was clear and distinct.
"When you and her… are standing beneath the cherry blossom tree…"
"You will realize… this world is still filled with beauty… your world… is still brimming with hope…"
And then… Sakura breathed her last. She left behind her most heartfelt blessings and hopes for Seele. As her life ebbed away, the world around them seemed to dissolve into nothingness, leaving behind only the sound of a young girl's sobs.
---
" Is this how Sakura ended up? " Elysia asked, her voice choked with emotion as she bit her lower lip, tears welling up in her eyes.
The room fell silent, and even Sakura herself was unsure if what she was witnessing was reality. She had lost this fragment of her memory.
Kevin nodded in affirmation and responded in a calm tone, "That's essentially correct."
"Sister Sakura… it's truly heart-wrenching," Seele said, her voice trembling as she threw herself into Bronya's arms, unable to hold back her tears.
"Did Sakura's appearance at the last moment cause confusion…" Mobius pondered, her brows furrowed in thought. But then, her thoughts suddenly cleared.
She had initially believed that the man's experiment in the game was entirely based on certain actions performed by Elysia, but now it seemed that wasn't entirely the case…
Emotions are indeed a powerful force!
A meaningful look flashed in her eyes as she licked the corner of her mouth. The thought of conducting an experiment was too enticing to resist.
How could she endure such a tempting thing?
"Sakura… Sister Sakura has suffered so much!" Pardo exclaimed, looking at Sakura with sympathetic eyes. She couldn't help but feel that among all the Flame-Chasers, Sakura might have had the most difficult journey.
Sakura reflected on everything, holding RIN in her arms, even though RIN was now Hitamaru.
She believed that RIN would come back sooner or later, and she would never let this happen to her again.
She was ready to fight for everything, vowing that no one would ever be able to harm RIN again!
---
As the game plunged back into darkness, the audio and subtitles continued to play.
"Hector was aware that Troy was destined to fall, just as Achilles had foreknowledge of his impending death."
"Yet, despite their awareness of their fates, these two warriors continued to fight with fearlessness and bravery."
"In this narrative, which was predestined to be a tragedy from the outset, not a single character ever exhibited hesitation or uncertainty."
"The same held true for them, and it holds true for us as well."
A familiar voice echoed in the darkness. Seele was left in a state of confusion, unable to identify the owner of the voice.
"I brought her body back to our hometown. But upon my arrival…"
"All I was greeted with was a barren wasteland, devoid of any signs of life."
"The Herrscher had taken control of the missile silo and used nuclear weapons to obliterate the last three remaining cities of mankind."
"I found myself standing in the midst of a square that had been reduced to ruins…"
"Not a single cherry blossom was in sight."
As he continued to speak, his voice deepened, exuding a quiet strength that was hard to ignore.
Soon, Seele opened her eyes and she was able to see. She was greeted with a beautiful sight. She saw… cherry blossoms… so breathtakingly beautiful… just as Sister Sakura had described.
Beneath a grand cherry blossom tree, countless petals were set adrift, creating a spectacle of pink light spots. These spots gathered into clusters, condensed into patches, and dispersed into the depths of the desolate and uninhabited quantum sea.
Numerous world bubbles revolved around it, with pink petals scattered and floating everywhere, creating a mesmerizing sight.
The figure standing under the cherry blossom tree was unmistakably the one who had consistently obstructed them in the world bubble. With his white hair and blue eyes, he exuded an aura of sadness and determination.
"On the scorched earth, I made a solemn promise to her and to everyone," he declared.
As he turned his head, the intensity of his determination was strikingly evident in his eyes.
" No matter how much it costs, humanity will definitely defeat Honkai! "
His declaration was both solemn and sacred, instilling an unconscious belief in those who heard it.
Now, he has fulfilled the promise he made to his friend, allowing Seele to witness the square filled with blooming cherry blossoms.
Next, he will strive to fulfill his promises to many more individuals - the promises he made to them alongside former civilizations, comrades-in-arms, and lovers.
No matter what the cost, humanity will definitely defeat Honkai!
...
" Kevin… you may not realize it, but there is still some kind of romance in your actions. " Elysia smiled softly and explained to the others,
" Did he not follow through with the words he spoke to others and the promises he made to each other? Even if he could not find any cherry blossoms in Sakura's hometown, he created this cherry blossom tree in a place he could manage, just to keep his promise. "
" Ah hahaha, what, what a weird joke. " Pardo giggled.
" Little MEI follower, you have changed a lot, " Mobius observed Kevin in the video and examined him closely, " But if you pay attention, you have not changed at all. You are still the same simple and stubborn person you always were. "
The one who rarely spoke, finally said, " Kevin is someone who values promises very much…"
Kevin stayed quiet on his side of the group. This was a new feeling for him, but it was also a familiar one.
...
A majestic throne stood in the World Snake Base, and Kevin sat on it quietly.
" Lord? " Gray Snake asked, looking at Kevin who had been silent for a long time after sitting down.
" Judgement of Shamash is hidden at the deepest level of Schicksal. It was my mistake that I could not offer it to you at the beginning. " He bowed slightly to show his apology.
Kevin looked at the same scene of Herrscher of Corrosion in the game, and his heart ached again, but he was used to it.
In that battle, he watched a comrade die, but was unable to do anything.
He hated himself, hated the higher-ups, and hated the soldiers, but he had no complaints against Sakura.
Just like the promise in the video, he will bring victory to the pre-civilized people. This is a promise and a shackle.
" No need… it's just a weapon. " Kevin shook his head and dismissed it.
" Sir, Hare is here too. Do you want to see her? "
"… Well, she holds the key to the Stigma Project. " Kevin regained his focus, looked at the Gray Snake and said,
" Alright, sir. " Gray Snake bowed slightly, ready to leave.
"… Grey Snake, is there another version of this game? " Kevin asked after a pause. He felt that his journey in the game was a reflection of his own.
Was it a prophecy?
If this was the opportunity to defeat Honkai…
" I'm sorry, sir, no. " Gray Snake said.
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