Yae Sakura looked at the shocking wound, unable to stop feeling a little more self-reproach.
"If it weren't for me... Dust-kun wouldn't have been hurt, would he?"
The vines behind them gradually gave up the chase. Jizou Mitama was simply too fast as it bounced along, and even the Simulated Herrscher herself probably couldn't catch up.
Jizou Mitama gradually slowed down and entered a ruin.
Inside the ruins, a little silver-haired girl sat on a fallen stone pillar, humming as she read a manga.
"Himeko, that idiot, definitely didn't expect me to secretly hide a manga on me. Hehe... As for the Simulated Herrscher, once Schicksal finds out, they'll definitely send someone to deal with her. Maybe it'll be that annoying woman... Giving her a little trouble wouldn't hurt."
Smack!
"Ow! Who hit me?"
The little girl looked up and saw a golden cross. The cross was dragging two people, one of them a man.
Of course, that wasn't the important part. The important part was that the cross's chains had already come loose and were about to bind her.
"J... J-J-Jizou Mitama! I'll go do the mission right now! Don't bind me!" She didn't dare experience being helped by Jizou Mitama. Jizou Mitama's restraints were authentic "tortoiseshell bindings," with an explosively high level of shame.
The little girl ran out, only to be dragged back by Jizou Mitama.
"What now?"
Jizou Mitama's chains pointed at the two people it was dragging. Feng Chen's complexion was terrible, and he was clearly poisoned.
As for the other person, the pink-haired girl... why did she seem somewhat familiar? And... why did she feel so strangely close?
"You're poisoned?" Since someone's life was at stake, the little girl chose to focus her attention on Feng Chen.
"A child? Why is there a child in a place like this?"
Feng Chen and Yae Sakura simultaneously thought of the same question. Judging by Jizou Mitama's attitude toward her... could she be Jizou Mitama's master? (The Valkyrie Jizou Mitama's attitude toward its launcher, Theresa, seemed perfectly reasonable.)
"Hey, don't underestimate me just because I'm young. I'm already..." Unable to endure their strange looks, she wanted to state her actual age, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. After all...
"Already what?"
"N-Nothing! Let's check your injuries first!"
Theresa squeezed some poisoned blood from Feng Chen's wound. The purplish-black blood was clearly deadly poison, and judging by the color... he probably couldn't be saved.
"I'm sorry... I also..."
"It's fine. I know there's no cure for a Herrscher's poison."
The system had said Yae Sakura could save him, but the moment he saw her expression, he knew that even Yae Sakura had no way to help him.
As expected, this damn system had been lying to him.
"Could you go outside for a moment?"
Yae Sakura suddenly spoke to Theresa. It seemed she had made a decision.
Theresa helped Feng Chen to the corner and carried Jizou Mitama outside as well.
Congratulations, host. You have received the following rewards: 1,000 Honkai Energy, +5 favorability with Theresa Apocalypse, and +5 favorability with Yae Sakura. Yae Sakura's favorability has increased to 100, with the level "Kindred Spirit (Dependent)." Yae Sakura's route has been completed. The host has received the route completion rewards of 1,000,000 Honkai Energy, Divine Key—Jizou Mitama, and special instance—Stigmata World: Sakura Cycle. None of the above rewards were provided by this system.
"You didn't provide them, so why mention them..."
"Just a precautionary warning for the host, so you won't faint from shock later."
"Come on, am I really like that?"
"Yes. After all, with 1,000,000 Honkai Energy, you can buy the host's exclusive Stigmata."
Feng Chen was speechless. He did want to buy exclusive Stigmata, but what use was Stigmata if he didn't have a life left to use them?
"Dust-kun... thank you for taking care of me all this time."
Yae Sakura's words were completely beyond Feng Chen's expectations. Shouldn't he have been the one saying goodbye to Yae Sakura at a time like this? Why did it sound as though Yae Sakura was saying goodbye to him?
"Sakura, what are you saying? We're friends."
"Friends...? Dust-kun, do you really only see me as a friend?"
What was going on? Had she discovered it?! Feng Chen carefully thought over everything he had done during this time. Nothing should have revealed that he liked Yae Sakura, so how had she known?
"I..."
"All right, you don't have to say it. I hope Dust-kun will keep that answer to himself, because I may... be unable to respond to your feelings."
Tears appeared in Yae Sakura's eyes. This wasn't the first time Feng Chen had seen her cry, but this time... his heart hurt so much.
Yae Sakura's favorability has increased to 150. The perfect route has been entered, with the level "Deeply in Love."
"!" Feng Chen realized why Yae Sakura's favorability had suddenly risen. Could it be...
"I'm sorry. Please forgive my selfishness... In this life, my heart already belongs to Kallen. If there is a next life..."
Yae Sakura's favorability has increased to 200, with the level "Affection."
"Enough, system! Stop it, now!"
The higher her favorability rose, the more Feng Chen felt that something was wrong, as if... Sakura was about to leave him.
"I'm sorry, host. Favorability isn't something this system can control. These are the most sincere feelings from the deepest part of each person's heart."
"Then find a way to lower Sakura's favorability! Even if you have to deduct it into the negatives!"
"I can't. I have no control over emotions."
"This..."
Tears had already begun to fall, landing on the ground. It was impossible to tell whose they were, because there was no longer any distance between the two of them.
Yae Sakura's favorability has increased to 300, with the level "Lovers (Unconfirmed)."
Feng Chen's body couldn't move. The poison had long since paralyzed most of his nerves, leaving him with only the ability to speak.
"It... smells like sakura."
"Goodbye, Dust-kun..."
"AAAAAAAH!"
It started to rain. The last time he had seen rain in the Honkai world seemed to have been in Sakura's memories.
Sakura lay against Feng Chen's shoulder as her body gradually transformed into sakura blossoms and scattered on the wind.
"Sakura... wake up!"
Sakura's eyelids twitched, but instinct told Feng Chen that she would never open her eyes again.
"Dust-kun... If I could, I really would like to go see the sakura with you... If there is a next life, shall we go see the sakura together?" Sakura's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"No! I don't want to wait for a next life to go see the sakura with you... I want to do it now. I want to see the sakura with you right now!"
Sakura smiled. Although Feng Chen couldn't see it clearly, that kind, gentle, beautiful girl truly departed with a smile.
"Sakura... do you see it? The sakura... they're blooming."
Wrapped in the flower petals, Feng Chen seemed to see that familiar place.
There was a stream, with the sound of cicadas among the fragrant grasses along its banks. That kind girl washed clothes here every day. She had always washed her own miko robes, until one day, she washed another piece of clothing.
The clothes weren't women's wear, and the style didn't quite match either. But the girl truly wore a smile on her face.
"Roc soars ninety thousand li on the wind. Let the wind not cease; send my little boat blowing toward the Three Mountains!"
Feng Chen waved his left hand, and the scene before him changed.
It was that familiar place.
Fragrant grass stretched along the embankment, while the faint sound of flutes and songs drifted from everywhere. The windless water was smooth as glazed glass, and he barely noticed the boat moving.
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