Far East Branch

Martyrs' Cemetery

First Anniversary of the Captain's Sacrifice

In front of a tombstone, a white-haired young girl was paying respects to the Captain's grave.

"Captain, today is the anniversary of your death. I'm sorry, but I'm the only one here now," Theresa sighed, her eyes filled with weariness.

"Remember when the Honkai incident just ended? Aponia mentioned you would face another trial this year, but how could you when you're no longer here?"

"Kiana is stuck on the moon and can't come down. Bronya and Mei briefly visited your grave but had to leave quickly due to work."

"Elysia and the others, being without physical forms, could only watch through a livestream, but Mobius found it annoying and turned it off. Though I suspect they just didn't like this heavy atmosphere."

"Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Reason are busy recreating the miracle you once achieved. They're at a crucial point now and couldn't come. The Herrscher of Reason could only project her consciousness here for two minutes."

"Cocolia and Himeko spent last night drinking themselves into a stupor at your grave. They're still sleeping it off. It's probably better they're not here, or they might have thrown up all over your offerings..."

"..."

Theresa carefully cleaned the Captain's tombstone, unhurriedly recounting everyone's situations.

"As for me, I'm now on track as Schicksal's High Overseer. After I finish talking with you, I'll have to head back."

"In this past year, I've become more reliable than you might have imagined. I'm no longer that Principal who couldn't slack off without your help managing the Far East Branch. Schicksal is improving under my leadership."

"Oh, and about what you cared about most - the salaries are all being paid now. I could even support you..."

"..."

"If only I hadn't been so proud about being a guardian back then, in the end..."

Theresa looked at the tombstone, opened her mouth, then bit her lip and wiped her tears. "Well, it doesn't matter now since you can't hear me anyway. It's about time. Following Chinese tradition, I'll burn some money offerings for you before I leave."

Theresa placed several large boxes weighing over 200 kilograms in front of the Captain's grave, taking out the lighter she borrowed from Himeko.

Shortly after lighting the fire, while watching to prevent any accidents, Theresa heard a rustling sound.

"What's that sound? It's like someone knocking on a coffin..."

Theresa perked up her ears to locate the source, "Why is it so close..."

Suddenly, the sound changed to breaking wood, then digging soil, until a hand emerged from underground - that's when Theresa realized the gravity of the situation!

"The Captain's become a Dead Apostle!!"

Wait, everyone knows Dead Apostles can't be male!

So this was what Aponia meant about the Captain having another trial a year later!

Even though nothing was left of the Captain, not even ashes, to prevent rumors about the Captain being turned after death, she decided to destroy the evidence first.

Theresa acted decisively, "Demon, receive your death!"

Just as Theresa was about to bring down the half-ton heavy Judah for the Captain's final rites...

"Who's burning stuff? I'm dying of heat!"

A red-haired figure popped their head out from the ground, making Theresa halt her swing of Judah mid-air.

"So hot... and they're burning real money... who's so rich?"

Looking at the half-burned money note floating by, with the largest denomination - could they have time-traveled back to the counterfeit money burning incident? But who burns fake money on someone else's grave?

Jun An looked around confused, then suddenly became alert, "Theresa? What are you planning to do with that huge Judah!"

"Captain... is it really you? How are you alive? Are you a zombie?"

Theresa's expression was even more shocked than Jun An's. "No way, you were completely obliterated by a star-level attack, not even ashes remained. How can you be alive?"

Jun An retorted, "Seele was blown up with only her core remaining, and after more than ten years I managed to bring her back. Why couldn't the same happen to me?"

Jun An remembered dying from a star-level attack that had completely disintegrated him.

Afterwards, to create a new body, Jun An had waited on Earth for a year's cooling period. Once the time was up, he returned to the Honkai Impact world to continue the system's missions.

Theresa crouched down and pinched Jun An's face, examining him from left to right. Having seen precedents like Seele and Cecilia, although it was hard to believe, Theresa wasn't too shocked.

"It really is the Captain," Theresa sighed in relief. Though the various scars accumulated from battles were gone - the severed arm, the wound through his heart, and other such details were missing - but the soul's aura and manner of speaking were the same. It was definitely him.

"I didn't know I would be resurrected either."

Jun An pulled his half-buried body out of the ground. That's when Theresa noticed the Captain was much younger than she remembered, and she compared their heights.

"Why are you only half a head taller than me?" Theresa remembered when the Captain died, she barely reached his waist.

The current Jun An looked like a young boy of thirteen or fourteen, appearing to be around Theresa's age.

"Resurrection comes with a price, you know."

Jun An casually brushed off the dirt from his body. After all, this was a body created with the system's help - he couldn't complain.

"You're right, such small details don't matter."

With that, Theresa hugged the mud-covered Jun An tightly. "What matters most is that you're alive, Captain."

Theresa held Jun An close. Although his body had become much smaller, it still retained the warmth she remembered.

"Hehe, I don't think I ever got to hug you when you were this small, Captain." Theresa said somewhat shyly.

Wait... the Captain has become smaller?

Theresa pushed Jun An away and continued comparing their heights, looking him up and down. Just going by measurements... they were quite compatible now.

"You never hugged me at all," Jun An separated reluctantly, not noticing Theresa's gaze dropping half a meter.

Theresa's body was still the same as before - soft and small. It was hard to imagine such a body could swing a half-ton Judah with one hand. Delicate and soft, but unfortunately not easy to push over.

Theresa helped brush off the dust from Jun An's body. "Well, when I found you, I had just become the Far East Branch Director and was too busy, you know."

Jun An was a transmigrator, but it was a soul fusion with no distinction between original and new consciousness.

When he first came to the Far East Branch, he was taken in by Theresa as a rescued Siberian orphan. However, because he had the walkthrough knowledge, Jun An didn't go to the orphanage but stayed at St. Freya instead.

Raised by Theresa, but since St. Freya had just been established then and Theresa was too busy, she left Jun An in Himeko's care.

"Let's go somewhere else so I can clean up before we catch up,"

Jun An asked: "Is my room still there? This Honkai incident should be over now, I'll need to stay for quite a while."

Being a transmigrator, although no mission was issued this time, he could be certain this was the mission location.

Since he didn't know when he would need to do the mission, he might as well enjoy life first. Moreover, after spending a year alone on Earth, he really missed the Valkyries.

"Ah, well, the room is still there, but there's basically nothing left inside. Everyone took some things as mementos."

Theresa came back to her senses, her eyes wandering. "You know what I mean."

"Everything's gone?"

Jun An was disappointed. "What about my computer? Did someone take it?"

"Bronya took it, said she helped destroy it."

Looks like he'll need to properly express his gratitude when he sees Bronya.

"Then what about my secret savings?" Jun An continued asking - surely they hadn't thrown away the money too.

Theresa looked a bit awkward, "Uh, your assets were split between Himeko and Cocolia. Legally, they're considered your adoptive mothers. Although I count too, but I'm the High Overseer of Schicksal now, so I don't need that small amount of money."

"Of course, if you want it back, just tell Himeko and the others. They won't keep your money."

"..."

Asking them for money - Jun An didn't even have a phone now. It would be easier to just ask the person right in front of him.

"Then what about my salary?"

Jun An looked at Theresa, "My salary from when I started working until my death, plus the rewards for defeating Herrschers and ending the Honkai - going by Schicksal's standards, it should be at least over a billion, right?"

The actual amount might be even more, but Jun An hadn't looked into it.

Seeing Jun An reach out for money, Theresa's eyes wandered even more evasively, "Well, about that, your salary is currently burning..."

Theresa pointed at the large fire of burning yen notes in front of Jun An's grave. "Following Chinese tradition, we need to burn something to send to you, so your overdue salary just..."

End of chapter