Honkai: Star Rail – From the Moment Tom The Cat Became My Passenger

With humiliation and confusion surging like relentless waves, each sharp slap sent tidal waves of shame crashing through Cocolia's mind, one fiercer than the last.

She struggled desperately, the rope biting into her pale skin, leaving raw red marks, yet she couldn't break free from the seemingly ordinary bindings.

Never before had someone of her position endured such humiliation. Her vision blurred, and with an anguished roll of her eyes, she fainted.

Yevenko, enthusiastically racking up exploration points, suddenly realized the number had stopped moving.

Looking carefully, he noticed Cocolia had fainted.

He furrowed his brows, displeased.

Weird, why doesn't my exploration value increase when she's unconscious? Has Cocolia reached her limit already?

But…

Doesn't she have a second phase as the Mother of Deception?

He hadn't even explored Cocolia's second-phase form yet. Yevenko slapped one last time, watching the slight jiggle before him, then pursed his lips in disappointment.

"Pathetic. She doesn't even drop as many points as the Doomsday Beast."

"Still, it's just enough for me to draw five more [Star Rail Special Passes]. Counting the previous pulls, that's exactly ten draws for a guaranteed purple light."

"I'll be looking forward to your second phase."

With that, Yevenko turned to Tom and asked:

"Tom, did you get good shots?"

Tom now wore a wide-brimmed sunhat, sunglasses, and a camera around his neck, looking every bit the seasoned photographer.

While Yevenko was busy "snapping" here, Tom had been snapping away there.

Hearing Yevenko's question, Tom flashed a wide grin, eight gleaming teeth sparkling brilliantly, and enthusiastically nodded.

The prouder Cocolia was, the more devastating these photos would be when revealed.

Satisfied, Yevenko nodded back and pointed toward a nearby pipe opening.

"Let's scram."

...

After some time had passed, Cocolia woke groggily, unconsciously rubbing a sore spot.

But as she rubbed, the pain intensified, instantly clearing away her confusion. Memories of what had happened flashed frame-by-frame through her mind.

She gritted her teeth fiercely, lips trembling with anger.

"This humiliation—I will never forget it!"

As she began to rise, she noticed a photograph lying on the ground before her. Picking it up, she saw the humiliating image clearly depicted—a cat wielding a wooden paddle, spanking her without mercy.

Shame and fury flushed her cheeks red. She immediately moved to rip it apart.

Yet, she noticed small letters written on the bent corner. Turning the photo over, she saw a line of text on the back:

[Don't bother destroying this photo. It won't matter—I have hundreds more. Surely, you wouldn't want these pictures spreading through every street in Belobog, would you?]

Anger surged fiercely within her, and she instinctively moved to tear it apart regardless.

At that exact moment, there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock——

"Lady Cocolia, are you inside?"

Hearing the voice, Cocolia hurriedly hid the photo, straightened her somewhat disheveled clothes, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed her raging emotions, restoring a calm facade.

She walked toward the raised dais and called out, "Come in."

Bronya and Pela entered the hall.

They glanced around, noticing the disorder but said nothing since the Supreme Guardian didn't address it. They walked quietly to the center of the room.

Seeing that Bronya hadn't brought any outsiders, Cocolia instantly understood. She parted her lips slightly, speaking calmly.

"It seems your mission to capture them failed."

Bronya bit her lower lip, her silver-gray eyes showing a hint of apology.

"Yes, Lady Cocolia."

"March 7th and the others escaped into the Fragmentum. I've dispatched guards to continue the pursuit, but it's difficult to locate them inside."

"And those two cats—their abilities are extremely…"

"—No, it's nothing."

Bronya shook her head slightly, choosing not to mention the absurd nature of those two cats. She worried that Cocolia might dismiss her words as excuses, so she kept silent.

Bronya continued solemnly, "In any case, the responsibility for this failure lies with me. I underestimated the capabilities of the outsiders."

Hearing Bronya shoulder all blame, Pela immediately panicked, hastily speaking up:

"No, Lady Cocolia! Those two cats were just too bizarre! They somehow squeezed into the pipe without even changing their body shapes!"

"It has nothing to do with Bronya—"

"Pela!" Bronya snapped, cutting off Pela's explanation abruptly.

Pela stopped mid-sentence, glancing over. Bronya turned her head slightly, gently shaking it at Pela.

A failure is a failure. Any explanation now is just an excuse.

Realizing this, Pela's pupils trembled. She bit her lip lightly, nervously clutching the hem of her skirt as she stood silently in place.

Cocolia, standing by her elevated chair, subconsciously glanced toward the pipe opening upon hearing Bronya and Pela.

So, that's how those cats had gotten in.

Indeed, entering through the pipe meant the Silvermane Guards stationed outside would never notice.

Then again, who could have imagined someone entering the council hall through a pipe narrower than her fist?

Pela didn't need to elaborate on the strangeness of those two cats. No one in Belobog understood better than Cocolia exactly how bizarre those cats truly were, or precisely where they'd gone afterward.

Faced with such inexplicable outsiders, she wasn't even sure what to do.

Slowly, Cocolia moved to sit down, her still-tender and flushed backside touching the seat—

"Ah—!"

A sharp, lingering pain made her immediately jump to her feet again, letting out an involuntary cry clearly audible in the silent hall.

Bronya and Pela quickly looked up, puzzled by the slightly flushed yet calm-looking Supreme Guardian.

Cocolia's lips trembled almost imperceptibly. In a quiet voice, she said, "It's nothing. I just remembered something."

"Since we can't catch those two cats, don't dwell on them. Focus your efforts on controlling those three outsiders."

Bronya and Pela immediately lowered their heads slightly.

"Yes, ma'am!"

For some reason, they sensed something off about Cocolia's behavior, as though she'd become less harsh than usual.

Just then, Gepard—short golden hair shining under his armor—strode firmly through the hall's entrance, standing tall and steadfast as an unbreakable shield. He bowed slightly, speaking respectfully:

"Lady Cocolia, there are new outsiders requesting an audience."

"They claim to be representatives of 'The IPC.'"