"Belobog's history is not long, yet the words left in its annals hold not a shred of warmth."
Cocolia's tone was low, her amethyst eyes clouded with gloom.
"Every word that writes this history is steeped in cold... The story of Belobog is like that of an anthill swamped by a great flood; merely the tale of little people desperately guarding the last spark of civilization in the face of a desperate, final doom."
"I am not a qualified Supreme Guardian. As Belobog's last line of defense, I have protected no one. Instead, I allowed the entire city to crumble towards the cliff's edge, even intentionally giving it a few kicks, hoping it would collapse completely and fall into the abyss."
"You may think me cruel and heartless... but besides this, what else could I have done?"
Cocolia's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile, a silent mockery.
"Act like all the Supreme Guardians before me? Endure the Stellaron's malice alone, conceal its existence, and coax everyone into burning their dreams and lives to add bricks and mortar to this crumbling city, just to prop it up and prevent its total collapse?"
"That can hardly be called preservation... Perhaps the duty of the Supreme Guardian was never to protect Belobog, but merely to deceive everyone while shouldering all the despair alone."
The image on the light screen paused, and a few simple options appeared:
[Cocolia has offered a part of her confession. In response to her words, you decide to—]
[1. Question her. "Failure is just another interpretation of success. Even if a story's end is shrouded in despair, there will always be someone who awaits the faint hope of dawn... How is seeking hope in the midst of despair not an act of preservation? You are not a qualified Supreme Guardian at all, Cocolia."]
[2. Understand her. "Alright, I have to admit, the future facing Belobog is indeed cold and filled with despair. As the Supreme Guardian tasked with protecting Belobog, there was no one to protect you from that despair... What you have done is not entirely your fault."]
[3. Say nothing. Let Cocolia continue her confession.]
Looking at the options, Ron frowned and unhesitatingly chose the first one.
He was definitely going to interrupt Cocolia. The reason was simple: he and Cocolia were essentially in the middle of a negotiation. He couldn't let her monologue forever; he had to interject and seize control of the conversation's flow.
Once that decision was made, the choice between options one and two was clear.
Why should he empathize with Cocolia? No matter what, her actions constituted the most despicable betrayal of Belobog...
Ron was already questioning Cocolia's choices... He wanted to hear what reason she could possibly give that would make her actions seem even remotely logical.
The option box faded, and the scene resumed:
"How is seeking hope in the midst of despair not an act of preservation?"
Ron's brow furrowed as he cut Cocolia off, his tone cold.
"Failure is just another interpretation of success. Even if a story's end is shrouded in despair, there will always be someone who awaits the faint hope of dawn... Before total failure, there is always a chance to save the world, hidden in the shadows, waiting for you to find it."
"But because you thought doing so was a deception, you cast aside everyone's sincere devotion to Belobog as if it were a worn-out shoe? You pushed everyone towards their deaths, preparing to let Belobog be the funeral pyre for your own foolishness?"
"You are not a qualified Supreme Guardian at all, Cocolia."
Ron's questioning and rebuke were completely undisguised. His icy words were like steel knives, incredibly piercing to hear.
But as if she had expected to be reprimanded, Cocolia seemed entirely unaffected, as if basking in a spring breeze. She calmly accepted his criticism and nodded earnestly.
"You are right, Ron. I am indeed not a qualified Supreme Guardian."
"I stacked everyone's futures together and gave them a hard shove towards the cliff's edge along with the crumbling city, waiting for it all to rush towards destruction... But there was a reason."
"No matter how foolish I might be, I would never drag the entirety of Belobog to ruin simply because I didn't want to deceive everyone... Belobog could have continued to barely survive, and it could have held on for a very long time."
As Cocolia spoke, a flicker of memory flashed in her eyes.
"I simply... had a better option than just barely surviving."
"The Stellaron promised me a brand-new world. You might find this laughable. After all, most of the disasters on this planet were caused by the Stellaron. Any promise it makes is nothing more than a sugar-coated bullet from an enemy. Why would anyone believe it could deliver?"
"However..." Cocolia continued, her gaze shifting to the exquisite portraits lining the corridor of Qlipoth Fort. They depicted every head of the Rand family, the former Supreme Guardians of Belobog.
"Our most revered first Supreme Guardian, Alisa Rand, did exactly that."
"When we were losing ground against the Anti-Matter Legion, Alisa prayed to the Stellaron. The planet was then dyed pure white, and the Anti-Matter Legion was sealed in solid ice."
"I have repeatedly reviewed the Architects' archives... Nanook of The Destruction seeks a new birth that follows ruin. He has indeed ignited planet after planet across the sea of stars, and civilizations have turned to embers under the iron heel of the Anti-Matter Legion, but new life grows from those ashes. The Destruction does not seek to eradicate life down to the very roots."
"The Stellaron has an ambiguous relationship with Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction. Perhaps it, too, carries out Nanook's will—it promised me a world reborn after destruction."
"It is truly capable of granting wishes. Although its methods are simple and crude, and come with completely unforeseen side effects, it is still a viable path... and a far better one than just barely surviving, piling up everyone's dreams and lives like bricks and mortar."
As she spoke, a look of anticipation reignited in Cocolia's eyes, as if she were reminiscing about the infinite possibilities her choice could have brought. Her tone was filled with sincerity.
"I just wanted to take a gamble."
The image on the screen paused once more, and a new set of options appeared:
[1. Question her. "And your 'viable path' was to lead everyone into a pit of fire? That's not gambling on a new future; you were just foolish enough to believe the Stellaron's lies!"]
[2. Understand her. "That... does have a certain degree of credibility. Bearing the despair passed down through generations of Supreme Guardians, and facing a future where Belobog would inevitably fall silent in the snow, gambling on a new world brought by the Stellaron might have been a decent choice."]
[3. Say nothing. Let Cocolia continue her confession.]
Looking at the options, Ron hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.
For the first time, Cocolia's confession had moved him.
To be honest, the original game's plot never delved into Cocolia's thought process in such detail... Based on the original story alone, Ron had seen Cocolia as nothing more than a lunatic, a vile person who wanted to drag everyone down with her into destruction.
But now, it seemed her actions were merely a desperate attempt to find life in death, albeit a radical one...
It was true. The philosophy of Nanook of The Destruction was to cleanse civilizations and seek rebirth after ruin. No matter how the new world promised by the Stellaron was to be realized, there was a high probability of success.
In that case... he could, for the first time, slightly understand Cocolia's actions.
With this in mind, Ron chose the second option.
The option box faded, and the scene continued to play:
"So, that was your reason."
Ron was silent for a moment. "Bearing the despair passed down through generations of Supreme Guardians, and facing a future where Belobog would inevitably fall silent in the snow, gambling on a new world brought by the Stellaron might have been a decent choice."
"Yes, a decent choice indeed..." Cocolia said with emotion, but then her tone suddenly shifted. "But that was only when there were no better options."
She looked at Ron earnestly, her eyes filled with hope.
"You have a way to save this world, don't you, Ron?"
"Your method must be far safer and more stable than gambling on a new world from the Stellaron... I hope Belobog can move forward under your control and welcome a future of revival that doesn't rely on external forces."
"I truly did want to save the world, Ron."
The image on the screen faded, and new text appeared:
[As the solitary walker bearing all the despair in this apocalyptic world, Cocolia has confessed everything to you.]
[She trusts that you can bring light to this world and a new future for Belobog, and so she hopes that Belobog can receive your leadership...]
[Event: "The Solitary Doomsday Walker's Confession" is complete. You have gained a permanent option—]
[1. Nod. You accept Cocolia's expectations of you. You are confident that you can save this world. Upon selecting this option, Belobog's eighteenth Supreme Guardian, Cocolia Rand, will abdicate her position to you and do her utmost to promote the peaceful integration of the Overworld and Underworld.]
[2. Shake your head. You reject Cocolia's expectations. You do not believe you can save this world. Upon selecting this option, Cocolia will lose her trust in you, and she will choose another way to achieve her goals.]
She'll abdicate directly? And do her utmost to promote peaceful integration?
Is Cocolia really capable of going this far?
For a moment, Ron actually felt a little moved. He never expected to receive such favorable treatment from Cocolia. It seemed he really needed to change his prejudice against her. She truly did want to save Belobog; she had just taken the wrong path...
But, why does she trust me so much?
Ron was lost in thought. Cocolia's behavior felt strange, as if she had known him from before...
She even spoke of the Stellaron, something theoretically few people knew about, as if she assumed Ron was already aware of it, bringing it up as a casual topic of conversation...
Although it was logical for Ron, as the leader of the Underworld with Svarog as an ally, to know about the Stellaron, something still felt off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. It felt like he was on the verge of a realization, but he was stuck, unable to think it through.
He could only attribute it to Sampo's influence changing Cocolia... but that just made it feel even weirder.
What exactly did Sampo boast about to Cocolia to make her trust his abilities so implicitly, to believe he could definitely save Belobog?
And in doing all this, Sampo hadn't hindered him in the slightest. On the contrary, he had done his best to help him unify the Overworld and Underworld... Ron was starting to wonder if Sampo was running a charity.
But the facts remained that Sampo had stolen the Blessed Berries and left a threatening note. Theoretically, he shouldn't be acting this way...
Ron couldn't figure it out and could only chalk it up to Sampo's deliberate arrangements as a Masked Fool setting up his play.
But regardless of whether this was Sampo's doing or not, Ron couldn't possibly refuse Cocolia. Unifying the two worlds was a must. For Cocolia to go this far was already the best-case scenario, and Ron would absolutely not turn it down.
If this was indeed Sampo's scheme, then he would simply deal with it when it came. He couldn't be so paranoid as to refuse such a great benefit.
With that thought, Ron chose the first option.
The option box on the light screen faded, and new text popped up:
[You and Cocolia have completed your negotiations.]
[You returned together to the tense front lines. Under the expectant gazes of everyone present, Cocolia calmly announced a simple matter—]
["The Overworld and Underworld need to be peacefully integrated, and Ron's abilities are extraordinary. I will push for the peaceful unification of our two worlds and prepare an abdication ceremony to hand over the position of Supreme Guardian to Ron."]
[Cocolia's two sentences shattered the silent night sky.]
[Everyone erupted at her words.]
---o---
Late at night, in Qlipoth Fort.
After announcing her abdication, Cocolia dealt with a mountain of complex political affairs, prepared for the handover, and made ready to completely transfer all power to Ron.
Exhausted, she lay on her bed in Qlipoth Fort, about to get some much-needed rest when...
A man in a black trench coat and a smiley face mask stood at the door to her room, greeting her with a cheerful wave.
This was her first meeting with the Masked Fool.