Facing Cocolia

"Cocolia has captured Bronya."

Seele said anxiously.

Jing Yan nodded when he heard her.

He knew why Seele was so worried.

Even though Bronya's memories had been tampered with before and she couldn't remember them, Seele still did.

They had both grown up in Rivet Town's orphanage.

What's more, with Bronya in Cocolia's grasp, it meant Cocolia had realized that the Supreme Guardian's actions weren't about protecting all of Belobog at all.

Instead, Cocolia was leading everyone toward another abyss.

Seele's question received no answer.

Bronya seemed to be unconscious.

"The Guardians made enormous sacrifices to give people a chance to catch their breath. It's been that way from the first Guardian to the eighteenth."

Cocolia said in a low voice.

"The blizzards the people of Belobog are enduring now are the result of their own wishes. Otherwise, they would have perished long ago. And now, people naively think that they can control the Stellaron with the help of a company from beyond the stars and the suppression devices developed by the Architects. It's utterly ridiculous."

Cocolia spoke.

"Now, it's time to lead the people into a brand-new era."

"In the new world, people will thank me for everything I've done!"

As she spoke, she casually disengaged the suppression device beside her.

"Bronya!"

Seele cried out.

Bronya's brows twitched at the sound. She opened her eyes from her unconscious state and looked toward Seele. Something stirred in her heart, but she couldn't remember much.

Clearly, after Jing Yan's power had stirred the seal on her memories, she had regained some of them, though they were still limited.

She found the purple-black-haired girl before her, Seele, strangely familiar, but she couldn't quite remember her.

Behind the Creation Platform, a tremendous commotion suddenly broke out. The instant Cocolia shattered the cage-like device restraining the Stellaron, an even more terrifying rumble followed.

Below the platform, a massive mechanical body slowly rose into the air.

"What's that...?" March 7th froze, too stunned to react.

"That's the Engine of Creation. Its true form," Mr. Svarog said.

At that moment, March 7th's phone suddenly rang. Himeko's voice came through from the Astral Express, far away in space.

"March 7th, are you there?"

March 7th was thrilled to hear her.

"Aunt Himeko?"

March 7th couldn't help asking.

"That huge machine behind you started up at some point. We're still watching you from above, though, so it'd be best if that thing stayed quiet for now."

Himeko said.

It seemed the enormous Engine of Creation was affected by a signal from space, its movements slowing and wavering.

But every motion it made was like a landslide. The Engine of Creation lifted Cocolia into the air, where she appeared high above them.

Meanwhile, Bronya fell, only to be caught at once by Seele, who rushed forward.

"Cocolia!"

Jing Yan looked up at her and spoke slowly.

Cocolia looked down from above. She seemed unfamiliar with Jing Yan, but paid him little attention.

Though Jing Yan's name had already become famous throughout the Underworld, it had only been a few days. The Supreme Guardian of the Upper District, Cocolia, still didn't know much about him.

Even so, she sensed something unusual from where everyone was standing.

She didn't understand why this unfamiliar man was at the very front, as if he were the leader of these stubborn rebels.

But that question didn't seem particularly important now. Once she and the Stellaron merged their powers...

There was no doubt about it. Their experiments had confirmed that, under the Stellaron's influence, some humans affected by the Fragmentum could retain their memories, though they would exist in a different form of life.

Of course, many others would be unable to retain their memories and would become mindless Fragmentum Creatures. But that was the limit of what she could accomplish.

Compared with letting everyone in Belobog die in the bitter cold, Cocolia considered this a merciful act.

Jing Yan stood below, gazing up at Cocolia. His expression was calm as he said, "Cocolia, why not try fighting against the power you once had?"

Jing Yan's words reached Cocolia's ears, and she found them absurd.

She had no idea what he meant.

For one thing, he was a stranger from the Underworld, and shouldn't have had much chance to interact with her. He probably hadn't even seen her fight. Yet he dared to make such a bold claim, and his words even sounded like a rebuke, as if he were her senior.

She was baffled, but didn't take it seriously.

At that moment, nothing could stop her plan from proceeding.

But just then, before Jing Yan could move, another figure suddenly appeared nearby and charged at Cocolia.

"What's that...?"

Seele said, surprised.

"Is that the Shadow of Cocolia?!"

Stelle was also startled.

The so-called "Shadow of Cocolia" was a manifestation of the Fragmentum under the Stellaron's influence.

The closer one got to the Stellaron, the more the Fragmentum manifested, until it could even merge with the surrounding area.

One of the Fragmentum's effects was to "imprint" things that existed in the world, or fragments of memory.

And so, at the boundary between Everwinter Hill and the Forbidden Zone below, Cocolia's figure had also been imprinted. The imprint included her conversation with her adopted daughter, Bronya, as well as another copy of Cocolia herself. Under the Fragmentum's influence, even some of her original power had been imprinted.

Originally, this "Shadow of Cocolia" had been more like a lifeless object.

Though it had been imprinted with some of Cocolia's fighting abilities, stances, and even fragments of memory, it had stood motionless, without any self-awareness.

But then Jing Yan appeared, and his divine power seeped into the Stagnant Shadow, allowing him to control it.

Now, the "Shadow of Cocolia" was like other Stagnant Shadows: it could be controlled. And that wasn't all.

Jing Yan had also infused this "Cocolia" with the power of other Stagnant Shadows, shaping and channeling it into her. Unlike the Cocolia in the sky, this "Shadow of Cocolia" wore armor of gold and silver.

She looked like a Valkyrie.

"What's that...?"

High in the air, Cocolia stared at the figure resembling her as it charged toward her and froze.

But she quickly realized it must be a product of the Fragmentum.

She just didn't know why Jing Yan was able to control it.