Far East Branch
Martyrs' Cemetery
First Year Since the Captain's Sacrifice
Before a particular gravestone, a white-haired girl was paying her respects.
"Captain, today is the anniversary of your death. I'm sorry, I'm the only one left now."
Theresa sighed softly, her eyes filled with exhaustion.
"Remember right after the Honkai ended, Aponia mentioned you still had another trial this year? But how could you possibly have a 'this year' anymore?"
"Kiana is stuck on the moon and can't come down. Bronya and Mei had work, they came by quickly to sweep your grave and had to leave again."
"Elysia and the others, lacking physical bodies, could only do a live stream, but Mobius found it annoying and shut it off. Though, they probably just didn't like this heavy atmosphere."
"Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Sentience are busy trying to recreate the miracle you once performed. They're at a critical stage and couldn't come. They could only have the Herrscher of Sentience project her consciousness over for just two minutes."
"Cocolia and Himeko spent all last night drinking their sorrows away in front of your grave. They're still sleeping it off now. It's probably for the best they didn't come, otherwise, they'd have vomited all over your offerings..."
"..."
Theresa meticulously cleaned the Captain's headstone, recounting everyone's situation at a steady pace.
"As for me, I'm finally on the right track as the Schicksal Overseer. After I finish talking with you, I have to head back."
"In just one year, I've become much more reliable than you might imagine. I'm no longer that Principal who loved putting on airs and couldn't slack off unless you helped manage the Far East Branch. Schicksal is already improving under my leadership."
"Right, and that salary you cared so much about? We can finally pay it. Enough to even take care of you financially, no problem..."
"..."
"If only I hadn't been so stubborn about acting like a guardian back then, in the end..."
Theresa looked at the gravestone, opened her mouth, bit her lip, and wiped away a tear. "Forget it, it's not like you can hear me anyway. It's about time. Following the Shenzhou tradition, I'll burn some money for you, then I'll head back."
Theresa placed several large boxes, weighing over two hundred kilograms in total, in front of the Captain's grave and found the lighter she'd borrowed from Himeko.
Shortly after igniting the offerings, Theresa, who was watching the large fire to prevent any accidents, heard a rustling sound.
Rustle, rustle...
"What's that sound? It sounds like someone knocking on a coffin lid?"
Theresa pricked up her ears, trying to locate the source. "Why does it sound so close..."
Suddenly, the sound changed to wood splintering, followed by digging earth. It wasn't until a hand reached out from the ground that Theresa realized the gravity of the situation!
"The Captain turned into a Honkai Zombie!!"
Damn it, everyone knows Honkai Zombies aren't male!
So this was the trial Aponia predicted for the Captain a year later!
Even though the Captain hadn't even left ashes behind, to prevent the news of him being... desecrated after death from spreading, she decided to destroy the evidence first.
Theresa acted decisively. "Fiend, prepare to die!"
Just as Theresa was about to bring out Judah to grant the Captain final deliverance...
"Who's burning stuff? It's burning hot!"
A red-haired figure popped his head out of the ground, making Theresa abruptly halt the half-ton Oath of Judah's downward trajectory.
"So hot, and they're burning real money... Who's rich enough to do that?"
Looking at a half-burnt piece of paper money fluttering over – the largest denomination, no less – had he transmigrated back into some counterfeit burning pit? But who burns fake money on someone else's coffin?
Jun An looked around suspiciously, his gaze instantly turning wary. "Theresa? What are you doing holding that huge Judah?!"
"Captain... Is it really you, Captain? How are you alive?! Coming back as a zombie?"
Theresa's expression was even more shocked than Jun An's. "No, wait, you were hit by a star-destroying attack and didn't even leave ashes behind! How can you still be alive?"
Jun An retorted, "Sirin was blown up leaving only her Core, and I could still bring her back after more than ten years. Why can't I come back?"
Jun An remembered dying, likely from a star-destroying attack that had obliterated him completely.
Afterward, needing to create a new body, Jun An had waited on Earth for a one-year cooldown period. Once the time was up, he returned to the Honkai Impact 3rd world, continuing his System's missions.
Theresa, meanwhile, crouched down and pinched Jun An's cheek, looking him over from left and right. With precedents like Sirin and Cecilia, although Theresa found it hard to believe, she wasn't completely terrified.
"It really is the Captain."
Theresa breathed a sigh of relief. Although the numerous scars accumulated from various battles were gone – the wound from the severed arm, the scar piercing his heart, and other such small details were missing – the aura of his soul was the same, his tone was the same. It was definitely him.
"I didn't know I would revive either."
Jun An pulled the buried half of his body out of the dirt. Only then did Theresa notice the Captain looked much younger than she remembered. She measured their heights.
"How come you're only half a head taller than me?" Theresa recalled that when the Captain had left, she barely reached his waist.
The current Jun An looked like a young boy, perhaps thirteen or fourteen years old, appearing to be around Theresa's age.
"Rebirth always comes with a price, right?"
Jun An nonchalantly brushed the dirt off himself. This body was made with the System's help, after all, so he couldn't complain.
"True, small details like that don't matter."
With that said, Theresa threw her arms around the mud-covered Jun An. "Anyway, Captain, the fact that you're alive is better than anything."
Theresa held Jun An tightly. Though his body was much smaller, it still retained the warmth she remembered.
"Hehe, I don't think I ever really hugged you much when you were this small, Captain," Theresa said, slightly embarrassed.
Wait a minute, the Captain got smaller?
Theresa pushed Jun An away slightly, measuring their height again, looking him up and down. Based on size... they were actually a pretty good match.
"You never hugged me at all," Jun An said, reluctantly separating, not noticing Theresa's gaze had shifted down half a meter.
Theresa's body was still the same as before – soft, small. It was hard to imagine such a frame could swing the half-ton Judah single-handedly. Delicate and yielding, yet surprisingly hard to push over.
Theresa helped Jun An pat the dust off his clothes. "Well, when I picked you up, I had just become the head of the Far East Branch. I was really busy, didn't have time."
Jun An was a transmigrator, but through soul transmigration – more like a fusion, with no primary consciousness taking precedence.
He had first arrived at the Far East Branch under the guise of a rescued Siberian orphan, picked up by Theresa. However, possessing a 'strategy guide', Jun An didn't go to the orphanage but stayed at St. Freya.
Theresa raised him, but St. Freya had just been established back then. Lacking time, she had tossed Jun An over to Himeko.
"Let's find somewhere else for me to get cleaned up before we reminisce," Jun An asked, "Is my room still kept? The Honkai should be considered over this time, right? I'll probably be staying for quite a while."
Jun An was, after all, a transmigrator. Although no mission had been issued this time, he was certain this was the mission location.
Since he didn't know when he'd have to undertake a task, he might as well enjoy life first. Besides, having spent a year alone on Earth, he quite missed the Valkyries.
"Ah, well, the room is still there, but it's basically empty inside. Everyone took a few things as mementos."
Theresa snapped back to reality, her eyes darting around evasively. "You know what I mean."
"They threw everything out, huh," Jun An sounded a little disappointed. "What about my computer? Did someone end up using it?"
"Bronya took it. Said she helped you destroy it."
Looks like I'll need to express my gratitude appropriately when I see Bronya.
"Then what about my little stash of cash?" Jun An continued asking. Surely they didn't throw out the money too.
Theresa looked somewhat awkward. "Err, about that... your assets were divided between Himeko and Cocolia. Legally, they count as your adoptive mothers. Although I count too, I'm the Schicksal Overseer now, I don't need that bit of money."
"Of course, if you want it back, just tell Himeko and Cocolia. They wouldn't covet that small amount from you."
"..."
Asking them for money... Jun An didn't even have a phone right now. Better to ask the person right in front of him, much simpler.
"Then what about my salary?"
Jun An looked at Theresa. "My wages from the day I was hired until the day I was buried, plus the mission rewards for defeating Herrschers and suppressing Honkai outbreaks... calculated by Schicksal standards, it should be at least billions, right?"
The exact amount might be even higher, but Jun An hadn't kept track.
Seeing Jun An holding out his hand for money, Theresa's eyes darted around even more frantically. "Uh, well, your salary is currently... burning..."
Theresa pointed at the large fire blazing in front of Jun An's grave, consuming stacks of Yen. "According to Shenzhou tradition, we have to burn something over to you, right? So, that salary we owed you all this time just..."