Chapter 139
[The Stargazer noticed the Captain's stunned expression and knew he had many questions, but she had more pressing matters at hand.
"Come up here. Sit by my side and watch carefully."
"Enjoy this spectacle with me. Perhaps it will answer your questions."
Under the guards' watchful eyes, the Captain stepped forward, his heart sinking with a foreboding sense of impending doom. "Let me go!"
A furious shout drew his attention. Turning, he saw two familiar faces. Bound in chains and escorted by soldiers were none other than the "Pirate King" of Jörmungandr and the "Hero King" of Hikzahr. It was clear that the Stargazer bore deep-seated hatred toward these two rulers. From their exchange, the Captain realized he had arrived three months into the future. "The last time we met was in the underwater ruins. Who would have thought we'd reunite under such circumstances? Do you feel even a shred of regret? Had you known it would come to this, perhaps you should have given me your answer sooner."
Seeing their stubborn defiance, she handed them Crimson Meteor and Shadow Moon Armor, forcing them to fight each other to the death. "I wish to see what happens when the sharpest spear meets the sturdiest shield... You should know by now that refusal is not an option."
"Stargazer... Are you gambling with human lives!?"
The Stargazer let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Hah! The entire world is but a wager... What are two measly lives worth?"]
[Durandal]:"No way!?"
[Stelle]:"What a St. Freya civil war—the Academy Director versus her teacher and class president!"
[March 7th]:"The Stargazer wiped out two kingdoms in three months and ended the Three Kingdoms conflict. Guess she really was just slacking off as a hermit before!"
[Seele]:"Where's Rita? Wasn't she the Prime Minister of the Huang Empire? Why didn't she stop the Stargazer from going this far?"
[Kevin]:"This is vengeance... vengeance for what was lost, for those who mattered..."
Just as he sought vengeance against the Honkai.
[Pela]:"Sigh... Even though the Stargazer still cares for the Captain deep down, this 'sweetness'... isn't sweet at all."
[After a bitter struggle, Himeko struck down Fu Hua. Seated upon the dragon throne, the Stargazer spoke indifferently: "I merely wished to know... whether you felt the same as I do now, watching from the sidelines as my kingdom fought desperately against Houdo."
"Stargazer! I'll kill you!"
Having ended Fu Hua's life, Himeko charged toward the throne, sword in hand, determined to slay the Stargazer at any cost. "No! Stop!"
Amidst Theresa's anguished cries, Himeko too fell to the Stargazer's blade. "Fate may be unfair... but death never is."
"Perish together."
From the very beginning, she had never intended to let them live.]
[Kiana]:"Himeko-sensei killed Class President... and then got killed by Aunt Teri!?"
[Raiden Mei]:"Then... Rita must already be dead. Because those two kingdoms chose to stand by and watch."
[Qingque]:"Was it pure rage that drove her to make Himeko and Fu Hua kill each other?"
[Silver Wolf]:"I knew it! Seals exist to be broken—the Stargazer's simplified version just wasn't strong enough!"
[Herrscher of Sentience]:"Wow, Old Timer really got killed by Himeko? That version of her in that bubble universe is weak!"
[By the time the Captain regained his senses, all traces of the battle had been cleared away. Theresa, having witnessed Himeko and Fu Hua's deaths firsthand, had been escorted away under the Stargazer's orders to rest.
The Stargazer descended from the throne, silently accepting a handkerchief from a maid to wipe away the blood on her face before reclining lazily on her seat. "Ha... It's finally over."
As if relieved, she waved a hand, and another maid wordlessly brought forth two wine cups, filling them with liquor. She then handed one to the
Captain: "Try it. Not a legendary vintage, but 'Unaware Spring' is one of Huang's finest—its crisp taste earned it the name of spring tea."
The Captain opened his mouth but found it too parched to speak... "It seems I've shocked you... Allow me to drink first as penance... Hm?!"
The moment she took a sip, her expression darkened. She flung the cup to the ground, shattering it with a sharp clatter. The Captain's cup soon followed. "Today is Tanabata—not some frigid autumn night! The whole point of Unaware Spring is its refreshing chill! Who dared serve it warm?"
"Ruining good wine for nothing! Take her away!"
The maid who had poured the wine knelt, kowtowing frantically before being dragged off by guards. Two more maids swiftly replaced the broken cups with fresh ones, their faces eerily composed—clearly accustomed to such scenes. Fuming, the Stargazer left the Captain at a loss for words. He could only take a sip to wet his throat. After several cups, his frozen mind finally began working again. Only then did he realize—Rita was missing. He asked the Stargazer about her. The Stargazer paused mid-sip but said nothing. She swirled her cup absently before refilling it and raising it toward the sky in a silent toast. "So you noticed..."
"Rita is dead."]
[Rita]:"...As expected."
[March 7th]:"No wonder she became like this... In this world, only the Stargazer and Rita were long-lived. They spent a thousand years together—Rita must have been one of her most cherished people."
[Stelle]:"Gah! I don't wanna see this!"
[Kiana]:"Didn't they wish for immortality a thousand years ago!? How could she die!?"
[Bronya Zaychik]:"Idiot Bronya—the wish-granter only promised 'no natural death.'"
[Fu Xuan]:"Even Abundance abominations can perish."
[Stelle]:"That look on the Stargazer's face when she said Rita died... That fragile, shattered expression—so heartbreakingly beautiful!"
[March 7th]:"Weren't you just saying you didn't want to see this? Hope you don't start bawling later!"
[The Captain's first reaction was disbelief—Rita was dead!? But Theresa had just been asking about her whereabouts! As she drank, the Stargazer explained:
She had arrived three months earlier than the Captain.
In that time, the world had changed beyond recognition—because during those three years on the isolated island, without her reinforcing the seal, Houdo broke free. Its first target was the Huang Empire.
When she reactivated the sealing array, without her former allies' aid, the difficulty far surpassed anything before. She sought help from the other two nations—but not only did they refuse to respond, even her envoys never returned. They chose to stand by, waiting for Huang and the beast to exhaust each other before moving in for the kill.]