"Lynelle?!"
Cecilia, whose body had grown so frail she could barely sit upright, widened her eyes at the sight of Lynelle.
"What are you doing here? Wait—you didn't evacuate with Welt?!"
"Evacuate? That doesn't matter. I've got resurrection abilities, remember? So, I decided to stay and keep you both company till the end."
Lynelle didn't reveal her full hand right away. Instead, she hurried to Cecilia's side and leaned against her.
"You fool… Even if you can revive, once Schicksal deploys the Honkai fission bomb, they'll surely comb through this area. By then, Anti-Entropy probably won't have a chance to retrieve you."
Cecilia let out a deep sigh.
Faced with Lynelle's stubbornness, there was little she could do. After unleashing the power of her sacred blood, just managing to reach Sirin had already pushed her to her limit.
Now, even the slightest movement sent searing pain through her body, accompanied by a bone-deep weakness that threatened to drag her into the abyss.
Still, she forced her hand up and gently stroked Lynelle's head.
"Besides, death isn't something to joke about, Lynelle. You still have a long future ahead of you. Never, ever get used to death or treat it as something normal… That kind of existence is worse than dying."
"Senior Cecilia, you really are so kind…"
Lynelle clasped Cecilia's already ice-cold hand and replied, "But I'm not the type to learn my lesson easily. Even when my comrades scold me, I'll humbly admit I'm wrong—but when the next time comes, I might still without hesitation use my own life as a bargaining chip."
"So, if you want to correct me, you'd better stay by my side and stop me in person."
"Then… I'll have to leave that to your future companions…"
Cecilia's voice gradually faded. "I'm sorry… I held all of you back. If only I'd been more resolute sooner…"
"Don't say that, Cecilia… Mom. I'm the one who caused all this…"
Then, Sirin's weak voice slowly spoke up.
"Sirin? Are you feeling any better…?"
"That's not important."
Sirin threw Lynelle's own earlier words right back at her.
"Lynelle, I'm angry. I've told you so many times, but in the end, you still chose to throw your life away—just to accompany me on my final journey."
"You said it's the final—"
"Come here."
"Huh?"
Lynelle's hand, which had been about to pull out an item, paused mid-motion.
"I said, Lynelle, come over here. Right in front of me."
Sirin's tone was firm.
"Alright…"
Lynelle glanced at the countdown her system had helpfully displayed, then moved closer to Sirin.
"Ever since I was taken to Babylon Labs, every step I took forward in life seemed to push the people I cared about—my comrades, my family, my loved ones—closer to the abyss…"
"Why bring this up now…? Sirin, you know I've never blamed you."
"Let me finish, you dummy."
Sirin puffed out her cheeks, looking like a pouting little pufferfish as she stared at Lynelle.
"So… this time, I absolutely won't let Lynelle die because of me. I'm going to leave you something—something that can protect you even after I'm gone…"
"What do you… Mmph—?!"
Before Lynelle could process it, a small purple-haired head darted forward. Then, right before Lynelle's wide-eyed gaze, soft, cool lips met hers.
"My, my… How unexpected…"
Even Cecilia, hovering at the edge of consciousness, seemed to draw a flicker of vitality from the scene of blossoming lilies before her, a faint smile touching her lips.
Who would've thought that Sirin, who usually acted so tsundere, could be so decisive when it mattered…
But Lynelle's shock in that moment likely surpassed even Cecilia's.
Though she'd been somewhat prepared for a farewell kiss from Sirin, she never expected that as their tender tongues intertwined and their warmth mingled, something would manifest inside her very being—a core!
It was true Lynelle had never directly encountered a Herrscher core before, and her body's Honkai adaptability was barely passable.
Getting too close to a core would risk turning her into a zombie at best.
Yet here was Sirin, in her final moments, using some mysterious method to forcefully implant a Herrscher core right into Lynelle.
"Sirin, you…"
It might have been a mere moment, or it might have felt like an eternity.
When they finally parted, a silvery thread still connecting their lips, Sirin's face was flushed with a feverish, last-light glow. Lynelle, meanwhile—usually so composed and strategic—could only stare back, hand over her mouth, utterly flustered.
"Curious where this core came from, aren't you?"
Sirin tilted her head and offered a radiant smile.
"Mother Cecilia might have some idea. After all, I mentioned before that I accessed your memories through a method other than the Fenghuang Down… Well, this is it."
"After you died, I followed the 'god's' guidance to the moon, where I met the so-called Will of Honkai. The god granted me the power to change everything, but… what I wanted most wasn't the power for revenge."
"So, I asked it one question: 'What can I do to protect Lynelle, even in places I can't reach?'"
"Maybe because that place's Honkai energy reserves were beyond imagination, the Will of Honkai… actually gave me two answers at once."
"One was a vision—it looked like some sort of basement… but I didn't really understand what it meant."
"Uh-oh…"
Feeling Cecilia's amused gaze from the side, Lynelle had to admit she was breaking out in a cold sweat.
"As for the other answer… it was the core I just gave you."
"A Herrscher core—personally sealed layer by layer by the Will of Honkai, allowing even someone with Lynelle's mediocre adaptability to fuse with it perfectly. It will gradually unseal as your strength grows. And it's a core only you can fully wield… the Core of the Herrscher of Corruption."
"According to the Will of Honkai, the Herrscher of Corruption's greatest trait is its ability to use anything—life, data, everything—as a vessel. Of course, a freshly fused core like yours won't manage that yet, but… at the very least, even when I'm no longer here, this will ensure you won't be bullied…"
Perhaps having finally revealed her masterstroke, the light in Sirin's eyes began to dim. The breath she'd been holding onto in her excitement finally started to fade.
"And finally, Mother Cecilia… I'm sorry… If there's a next life, I will be your best daughter…"
"Alright, you two!"
Just then, Lynelle—who'd been quietly processing the overwhelming information—suddenly cut through the mournful atmosphere.
"Everyone, look over here—"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.