Honkai Impact 3rd: Catching the Herrscher of Sentience at the Start

"Lady Cocolia, are you sure about this? The people of Belobog still need you," Gepard said, attempting to persuade her, but Cocolia interrupted him.

"That's enough, Gepard. This is what I deserve. I'll publicly admit my mistakes."

"Besides, I trust that under Bronya's leadership, Belobog will have a brighter future. As for me…" Cocolia shook her head, declining further involvement. She no longer felt fit to govern Belobog.

"But…" Gepard hesitated, looking toward Fu Shi and Fu Lin, who were merely watching the scene unfold. They seemed like the only ones who could change Cocolia's mind.

--------------------

"Thank you for saving Belobog, and also..."

"Little brother, don't bring this up again. Come with me now."

Serval glanced at Cocolia, expressed her gratitude to Fu Lin and Fu Shi, then grabbed Gepard by the ear and walked away, leaving the space for Cocolia.

"...Sister, but Belobog still needs..." Gepard covered his ear, grimacing as he looked at his older sister, though still firm in his beliefs.

"Little Gepard~" Serval put one hand on her hip, looking exasperated at her stubborn brother.

"Sister, please don't call me that in public." Gepard quickly covered Serval's mouth, looked around nervously, and sighed in relief when no one seemed to notice.

...

"You resigned as the Supreme Guardian. What do you plan to do now?" Fu Lin looked at Cocolia curiously, wondering why she would step down from such a position.

"Perhaps Bronya will do a better job than I ever could, and I've already committed unforgivable sins. So, I will announce my death to the public..."

A tear slid down Cocolia's cheek. She couldn't help but wonder whether Bronya would grieve upon hearing the news of her "death."

"Hey! I worked so hard to save your life, and now you're talking about dying again?" Fu Shi became furious upon hearing this. After all the effort she had put into rescuing her, how could Cocolia even consider going back to the underworld?

"Lady Herrscher of Sentience, you misunderstood."

"After this, I may embark on a journey to eliminate the disasters caused by the Fragmentum as a way to atone for my sins," Cocolia said, looking at the blue sky, which hadn't appeared in seven centuries. Her gaze was filled with hope for the future.

"You're going to keep this from Bronya too?" Fu Lin asked solemnly, his eyes also fixed on the sky.

"Yes..." Cocolia nodded. Just being able to watch over Bronya from the shadows would already be a blessing.

"Wait! The problem is, you no longer have any power, right? How are you going to fight the Fragmentum monsters?" Fu Shi interrupted their conversation, pointing out that the body she had created for Cocolia didn't have the unique powers of this world.

"Although the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth, has abandoned me, I have received another gift." Cocolia summoned a long spear out of thin air. Upon closer inspection, it bore a striking resemblance to Fu Shi's weapon.

"How... how do you have my power?" Fu Shi was stunned. The aura emanating from the spear was identical to that of her own creation.

Fu Lin turned to Fu Shi, puzzled. "Could it be that you did something while crafting the body?"

Fu Shi shook her head in denial. "Impossible. I made sure it was just an ordinary body—nothing more."

Fu Lin looked at Cocolia, sensing she might have some insight. "Could it have something to do with this world's unique system?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps Lady Herrscher of Sentience has unknowingly bestowed me with her favor, granting me something akin to her path's power," Cocolia said, shaking her head, her eyes filled with reverence for Fu Shi.

"Paths... Aeons, huh. So what kind of Aeon would Fu Shi become?" Fu Lin joked as he glanced at Fu Shi. If she could truly remain in this world, becoming an Aeon wouldn't be out of the question.

And considering the pinnacle power of this world's system—the Aeons—seemed to surpass the End... wouldn't Fu Shi as an Aeon be able to rival the End's Kiana...?

"Hmph~ Obviously, I'd be the Aeon of Consciousness!" Fu Shi declared proudly, hands on her hips.

"You're really serious about this?"

"Huh?! Wait, is that Welt and Himeko coming down?"

Fu Lin flicked Fu Shi on the forehead, snapping her out of her fantasies. He then looked toward the sky, where a black object was rapidly descending toward a distant canyon.

"Let's get moving too!"

...

After bidding farewell to Cocolia, Fu Lin and Fu Shi found themselves wandering aimlessly in the central square, watching the patrols of the Silvermane Guards and the bustling crowds.

Fu Lin draped an arm over Fu Shi's shoulder, pinched her cheek, and sighed. "These past three days really felt like a simple vacation. No—an adventure, to be precise."

"What, having the great Herrscher of Sentience by your side still isn't enough for you?"

"And besides, the troubles here are resolved, so shouldn't we be leaving soon?" Fu Shi rubbed her head, feeling quite satisfied with this trip. If they could do this more often in the future, that would be even better.

"I think there's still one thing left unresolved. Isn't that right, Sampo?" Fu Lin let go of Fu Shi, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked toward a corner, where a figure was leaning against the wall with his back turned.

"Hey! Long time no see. Didn't I say we were destined to meet again? And here we are!" Sampo turned around, a rose between his lips, gazing at Fu Lin with a look of deep affection.

"...Don't look at me with those disgusting eyes."

?-? Fu Lin stared at the flamboyant Sampo, veins popping on his forehead as he slowly raised his fist, his expression growing darker.

"Ahem... let's be friends! Good ol' Sampo here is truly sincere," Sampo said, handing the rose to Fu Lin and smoothing his hair dramatically.

"...Fine. I'm always happy to make new friends." Fu Lin glanced at the rose in his hand, then at Sampo in front of him. Silently, he put the rose away—he might find a use for it later.