Chapter 74: I Have Upheld My Pride as a Big Sister
"I wish… that you can be reunited with your sister!" Sakura's gentle voice echoed in Seele's ears.
After Sakura finished those words, the entire screen faded to black.
The scene shifted: Sakura was leaning against a wall, her weapon gripped tightly in her hand. Her eyes were unfocused, her body covered in wounds; anyone could see she didn't have much longer to live.
At that moment, Kevin and Seele, having broken free, arrived at Sakura's side. Sensing two familiar presences, Sakura struggled to lift her head to look at them.
"Kevin… and Seele… is it…?" Sakura's voice was filled with pain and extremely weak, as if she might pass away at any second.
The warrior lay amidst an endless expanse of metallic wreckage, like a solitary flower in the ruins. Her most cherished pendant had withered away along with her silhouette.
"Sakura-neechan… no… no…" Seeing the wounded Sakura before her, Seele panicked. Tears streaming down her face, she cried out.
Kevin looked at Sakura's scarred body, his fists clenched tight in helplessness.
"Kevin… I know you were right…" Sakura gasped for breath, but the hope in her tone remained palpable.
"MEI has already sealed the Herrscher. She said that at the final moment, the Herrscher's activity suffered an unexplained disturbance, and she didn't miss the opportunity." Kevin knew what news Sakura wanted most, so he told her they had sealed the Herrscher.
"Heh, that's good then… I stayed with Rin… until the very last moment. Until the end… she was still my sister…" Hearing Kevin's answer, Sakura showed a faint smile, though her gaze became even more vacant.
Then, gathering all her remaining strength, Sakura spoke the words that made everyone in the inventory livestream room tremble.
"I have upheld… my pride as an elder sister…"
Hearing her words, Kevin's heart shuddered. He took a deep breath and said, "You didn't regret it until the very end. That is enough."
The girl's eyes gradually dimmed, but a trace of a smile flickered at the corner of her eye. Perhaps she saw something—something only she could see.
"Kevin, I have… one last request…" Sakura suddenly looked up at Kevin.
"I'm listening." Kevin nodded, staring straight into her eyes.
"Seele… take her back to our homeland… I promised her… I would take her to the plaza where the cherry blossoms bloom…" Sakura's voice grew smaller and smaller.
"I will do my best!" Kevin nodded.
"Sakura-neechan…" Hearing that Sakura remembered their promise even at the end, Seele was now a sobbing mess.
"Seele… don't be sad… there are some things… some regrets… that we are powerless against… but you… you still have people you want to protect…" Sakura looked at the tear-stained Seele and forced a smile through the pain.
Sakura paused, then continued, "When you and her… stand together under the cherry blossom tree… you will find… that this world is still beautiful… you will find… that your world… still has hope…"
As her voice fell, the last spark of light in her eyes vanished. The bubble universe gradually faded away, returning to nothingness along with the warrior's life.
"Sakura-neechan… Sakura-neechan…"
The girl's sobbing dissipated into the darkness, leaving only silence.
"The video ends here!"
…
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Seele: Sakura-neechan… ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Sakura: Seele, be good. Although I haven't met you yet, you must be a good child. There's no need to feel sad for me. From the moment I stepped onto the path of fighting Honkai, I knew this day would come. ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Rin: Sister. ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Sakura: Sister, don't worry. I won't give up on you. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Guinaifen: Don't worry, little Rin. Now that we have the inventory livestream, your future definitely won't involve becoming a Herrscher. ]
[ Genshin Impact - Klee: That's right! Sister Rin, don't worry. With the inventory livestream here, you'll be fine. ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Sakura: Thank you all. ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Yae Sakura: It's truly uncanny. If you weren't from fifty thousand years ago, I would suspect you were my sister or my twin. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Xuan Yong: In a sense, she should be your ancestor. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Ruan Mei: Given how similar they look, they likely share the same genes or DNA molecules. From a medical perspective, they should have a blood relation. ]
While everyone in the room was discussing the striking resemblance between Sakura and Yae Sakura, the members of Fire-Moth had already brought Rin back from the outside into the Golden Courtyard.
…
"Rest assured, Rin is safe here. This is our territory. If they want to force their way in, they'll have to answer to the Shamash in my hand." Looking at the worried Sakura, Kevin stepped forward and patted her shoulder with a smile.
"Thank you, Kevin!" After Sakura coaxed Rin to sleep, she stood up and expressed her gratitude to Kevin.
"Kevin, MEI has arrived." At that moment, Mobius walked in from outside, her arms crossed, looking at Kevin with an arrogant expression.
"I understand. I'm coming. Sakura, you come along too." Kevin nodded to Mobius and then turned back to Sakura.
"Okay, I understand!" Sakura nodded and followed Kevin and Mobius to the meeting room.
…
Aboard the Astral Express.
"Lord Xuan Yong, you're back?" March 7th asked curiously as she looked at Xuan Yong, who was sitting on the sofa drinking coffee brewed by Himeko. Xuan Yong had been away from the Express for some time.
"Ah, I visited the Xianzhou and Penacony. I've already scouted the two places you'll be heading to in the future. Now I'm back to see my partners on the Astral Express," Xuan Yong said lazily.
"I see!" Welt Yang and the others nodded. They didn't dare to pry too much.
"Oh, right. I prepared a nice gift for you all on Penacony. I hope you'll be satisfied." Xuan Yong seemed to remember something and looked at the Express crew with a smile.
Welt Yang and the others looked at each other, none of them knowing what Xuan Yong had up his sleeve.
…
"Alright, alright, everyone stop arguing. Next up is our relaxed and pleasant fan-creation time."
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Aha: Hahaha! Elation! Elation! Where there is elation, there is Aha! ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Sparkle: Hmm, where there is fun, my Lord will naturally appear. ]
"When Sakura meets Yae Sakura."
…