The Day You Vanished with the Stars/Story/Husk

Husk is the 9th chapter of the The Day You Vanished with the Stars storyline.

Summary

Captain finds himself on a desolated desert, which he realizes used to be the ancient battlefield. With no way to explain what caused the landscape to change so much, he goes to the place where he last saw Kongming, only to find Rita standing alone near a tree. It was Kongming's predictions that instructed Rita to wait for Captain to show up again around this area.

She explains that the explosion caused Jormungond's sea to evaporate and Schicksal's glaciers to melt (as if monster attacks weren't enough). The two kingdoms allied against Emberya - the reinforcement troops they both send were gone and the unexpected explosion dealt extreme damage to both nations. Emberya was the least damaged by the explosion and couldn't explain what happened to the reinforcements, fueling hatred towards it. The invasion was partially successful as the capital city was taken over and Kongming died defending it, but Rita escaped with many civilians and soldiers alongside Theresa who became the new Grand Seeress.

Having finished her story, Rita took out Tesla - Zero from within the tree's branches and left Captain with a message from Kongming for Mr. Assassin to take care of the ELF and all the intel she gathered about the troops that were meant to help fight Huodou.

Script

Transcluded Script

This section contains story script that was transcluded from the game with the help of OCR tools to avoid human-made mistakes as much as possible. Generally speaking, it shouldn't be altered unless the in-game equivalent has been changed. Any typos or other errors that are also present in the game are to be retained on the wiki but can be marked via {{sic}}.

Chinese and Japanese romanizations and translations, if present, are unofficial.

Last updated: January 6, 2022

Characters Present

Captain

Rita

Corsair Queen

Zhuge Kongming

Arch Imperator

Start

Once again, the world turned gray and obscure...

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I was not at all afraid. Things are always gray and obscure before light comes.

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"Survive... Mr. Assassin..."

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Kongming's voice rang in my head, but I couldn't seem to remember when she said this to me.

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In the gray, something poked my eyes.

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I opened my eyes, but they acted against my will and closed the next instant.

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Tears rushed out, and I saw... light.

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I fumbled around and found myself still in the pit. It took me a while to get used to the light.

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Somehow, the pit turned to be shallower than I remembered, and very soon I climbed out with ease.

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I was standing amidst a boundless desert, but my memory told me the fight took place near the ancient battlefield.

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Being close to the sea, this place had no reason to be so dry and barren.

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I suddenly began to understand why the pit appeared so much shallower.

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The surface soil seemed to have been eroded into sands.

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Wait... the sea... Where's the sea under the cliff?

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I peered down the cliff. There's no sea, only a big, big hole.

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Everything... has changed.

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What happened after the Huodou battle?

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I could only rely on my fading memory to make out the direction and head to where I last saw Kongming.

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File:The Day You Vanished with the Stars (CG27).mp4

A tree gradually emerged on the horizon, a rare sign of life in the desert.

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I quickened my steps.

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...

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As I walked closely, I found out it's a desert poplar.

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...

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File:The Day You Vanished with the Stars (CG26).mp4

I also saw someone under the tree. She seemed to be staring into the tree and lost in her thoughts.

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The dress told me it's Rita, but why would she be here?

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I ran to her to find out.

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Captain

Rita!

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On hearing my voice, Rita turned around...

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File:The Day You Vanished with the Stars (CG27).mp4

Rita

...

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I could hardly believe my eyes. Right before me stood a Rita that looked withered and emaciated.

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When I last saw her in the battle, she seemed weakened and worn, but her fire of life was still burning bright.

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The look on her face was hollow and tired.

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The same look I saw on the bad ending Kongming's face.

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Only people who have lost their dearest have eyes like these.

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A glimmer flashed by her eyes when she saw me.

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Rita

Her Majesty's calculation is right. You're still alive...

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Captain

Rita... is Kongming...

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I wasn't sure what to say.

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It shouldn't be like this! No way!

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Rita bowed to me and the look on her face told the whole story.

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Rita

Captain, you've finally come...

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Captain

Is Huodou gone?

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Rita

Yes, it's gone... but just as Her Majesty foresaw, with its death came a violent explosion.

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Rita

It occurred on the sea beyond our border, and all three kingdoms suffered heavy losses...

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Rita

We managed to contain the damage, but for Jormungond and Schicksal, it's outright catastrophic.

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Rita

Jormungond's sea evaporated and became land, while Schicksal's glaciers melted and turned into an ocean.

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Rita

Captain, do you still remember the two envoys we dispatched to Schicksal and Jormungond for help?

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Captain

Yeah, what about them?

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Rita

The two never made it back. They went missing...

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Captain

Missing? Not kept prisoners by Schicksal and Jormungond?

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Before the time travel, Kongming told me two envoys were sent but the two kingdoms never lent a hand...

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Rita

That's where things don't add up.

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Rita

Earlier, Her Majesty believed the two envoys were detained, but we did not respond before the Huodou battle.

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Rita

The Arch Imperator and Corsair Queen are not my friends, but I know killing the messengers is below them.

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Rita

With Huodou's return, the monsters it brought along also put people from the other two kingdoms in harm's way.

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Rita

I regarded the Arch Imperator and Corsair Queen were only being cautious for the sake of their own kingdoms.

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Rita

But soon after Huodou was defeated, the message came that Jormungond and Schicksal allied to invade us.

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Rita

I sent people to investigate and learned the shocking fact that the two kingdoms did send troops to our aid.

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Rita

After Huodou perished, the two kingdoms assumed their soldiers helped, but they never returned.

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Captain

Missing envoys and troops? They might jump to the wrong conclusion if they relate this to the Huodou explosion...

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Rita

Yes, rumors rose believing it was us who freed Huodou and imprisoned the aiding troops to hurt the two kingdoms.

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Rita

The two kingdoms were consumed by rage and war was inevitable. I began to make preparations.

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Captain

And Kongming...

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Rita

Her Majesty... did something no one expected.

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Rita

She fed the rumor that Emberya was struggling over resistance or surrender and kept playing her zither on the keep.

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Rita

It's a screen smoke to cover our evacuation. She wouldn't listen however hard I tried to urge her to leave with us.

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Rita

When the zither tune began to falter, the invaders attacked believing it indicated the loss of the defenders' faith.

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Rita

But when the gate was rammed open, only Her Majesty was found inside. All the city's residents had been evacuated.

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Rita

Her Majesty finished the last tune with grace and dignity before she whispered farewell to her Zither's Lament.

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< The screen goes black, then switches to the battlefield, where the Captain will have control of Theresa's [Starlit Astrologos] battlesuit. >

< Defeat the enemies. >

Corsair Queen

Where are my troops, Kongming!

Kongming

I don't have them, Corsair Queen.

Corsair Queen

Then I'll turn your kingdom upside down!

< Enemies defeated. >

Guard

Enemies at the South Gate!

Kongming

It's not just my kingdom.

Kongming

I'll defend.

< Defeat the enemies. >

Arch Imperator

Kongming...

Kongming

Enough talk. Draw your blade. All of you.

< Enemies defeated. >

Guard

Enemies in the palace...!

Kongming

I'll defend.

< Defeat the enemies. >

Kongming

Humph. So many annoying bugs.

Kongming

Rita and the people should be safe now...

Kongming

My precious Zither...

Kongming

That's enough for me.

< Enemies defeated. >

File:The Day You Vanished with the Stars (CG27).mp4

Rita

Her Majesty bought us time to evacuate Moon Emberya and defended the besieged city herself to the last breath...

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Rita

According to my informers, the allied invaders failed to find their lost troops in Moon Emberya.

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Rita

Moon Emberya has fallen. We cannot return now.

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Rita

I gathered intel on the missing troops and envoys, the location they were last seen and the map of the area...

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Rita

I have no use for it now, but Captain... you may still find it helpful.

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Rita

My sole purpose here is to pass on Her Majesty's message and hand over... her.

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Rita reached her hands into the winding branches of the desert poplar and carefully took out something.

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Rita

"I'm leaving Miss Ironfist to your care, Mr Assassin."

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Rita

That's Her Majesty's message.

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Captain

Mr... Assassin...

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Captain

Kongming... why? When did she...

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How did she know I was the Mr. Assassin she met in her youth?

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It suddenly occurred to me that after I woke up in Kongming's room, she asked me if I was holding something back.

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She probably had suspected then, and my "smart play" gave myself up and confirmed her suspicion.

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Is it the rattling of Miss Ironfist before she went in, or a slip of my tongue that exposed me?

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There's no way to find out now.

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Rita

A new Moon Emberya will rise where we stand now. Many hours of work will be devoted, but...

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Rita

"Moon Emberya is the sum of every soul breathing in it, and so is the empire."

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Rita reached out her thin arm and stroked the desert poplar.

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Rita

This desert poplar has stood here for long years.

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Rita

Probably even before I was born.

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Rita

The trunk has withered and the branches have broken, but it still stands proudly.

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Rita

"It takes a thousand years for a desert poplar to die, another thousand years to fall, and a third to rot."

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Rita

This saying always reminds me of the Grand Seeress and Emberya.

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Rita

The first part is about the Grand Seeress, the second is about the Grand Seeress name, and the third about Emberya.

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Rita

The Grand Seeress name was passed onto Theresa, but Her Majesty is still safeguarding the empire after her death.

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Rita

The empire lives on. The Grand Seeress name lives on. But Her Majesty is no longer with us...

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Rita bowed to me again.

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Rita

Pray forgive my babbling.

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Rita

I tell myself, Her Majesty was someone who faced Huodou alone for the realm and risked her life to send me a message.

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Rita

Who stood watch at the Abyssal Altar for a thousand years and shielded Moon Emberya on her own.

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Rita

She's never destined to meet her end comfortably in a feather bed.

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Rita

And I should have known long ago.

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Rita

But deep down, a part of me still holds this delusion that you could somehow save her...

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Her voice sank low and I could hardly hear her.

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I can see tears welling up in your eyes, but why are you holding them back instead of letting it all out?

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I wanted to ask her this, but I didn't.

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Perhaps she saw the same look on me and wanted to ask me the same question.

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End