Scenario:Koku - The Might of Koku

The Might of Koku

As Koku learns that the ornament is actually their own corestone tempered with by Huanglong, the stone emits a burst of light, summoning Qilin. Its ensuing rampage sends Koku flying off the island, but (Captain) quickly comes to their rescue. Although shaken, Koku prepares to sacrifice their own body in order to put an end to the sinister husk.

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After being blown back by a burst of wind, Koku tries to stand but is unable to find the strength.

Koku: Ngh... augh...

Koku: Curses... We must have hit our head on a giant rock. This vessel is far too vulnerable...

Koku: (Can't even feel our legs...)

Koku: Is this the end?

Koku: (If so, what were we even made for?)

Scenes of Koku's life begin to flash before their eyes.

Village Girl: Thank you, Koku!

Shushuku: Koku, I came to visit!

Shushuku: Hey, Koku! You taking a nap? Time to wake up!

Shushuku: Oooh Koku, guess who brought you treats!

Koku: Why must you be so irritating!

Koku: (Gah, Shushuku comes to mind at a time like this? She's the most vexing skyling we know!)

Koku: Curses, but there was more to her too...

Shushuku: Since you won't tell me your name, I guess I'll have to give you one. Oh, how about Koku!

Qilin: Koku... This pleases us. But does it suit our being? Why this particular appellation?

Shushuku: Hey, if it fits, it fits!

Qilin: A-absurd!

Koku: That was only the start of our nightmares. Afterwards, we were separated from Qilin, and this corestone appeared...

Shushuku: Koku, you can't just break the stone! I'm sure it's really important to you!

Koku: It distracts us from our duty! Every time we hold it, our heart begins to race!

Shushuku: But you were holding it when you took your mortal form—it's gotta have some kinda greater purpose!

Koku: As if a fool like you who shirked her own mission would ever understand! Now let go!

Shushuku: ...!

Koku: Try as we might, Shushuku will not leave our thoughts. Perhaps we were wrong to have called out to her five years ago.

Koku unfurls their clenched fist, revealing the stone.

Koku: (Qilin's corestone, huh? Even when we were that cursed beast, we had no idea this thing existed within us.)

Koku: Excellent, we can see them clearly... Conditions today are wonderful.

Koku: Why did this stone absorb our power? Is it because it possesses the same design as our corestone?

Koku peers through the hole in the stone. Slowly, the faint outline of a man grows visible.

Koku: Who is this?

Man in the Stone: One wonders if you've flown to some remote maw merely to evade me.

Koku: It's... Huanglong!

Huanglong, taking the form of an unassuming skydweller, seems to waltz into Koku's den. He soon spots a wooden coffer and pulls it closer for inspection.

Huanglong: Not being able to destroy one's own corestone is meddlesome. Truly, one has underestimated the genius of our creator.

Koku: The wooden box looks brand new. Are we seeing a memory located within the stone? How many years ago was this?

Huanglong: Ah, this must be your corestone. How curious that it appears like mine, even in your tiny mortal form. And how unfortunate that it shall not sprout into an auspicious beast.

Koku: It won't?

Huanglong: You must forgive me, Qilin. One must ensure our certain demise.

With a calm hand, Huanglong takes Koku's corestone and gingerly swaps it with a replica.

Huanglong: One suspects you of tampering with the yupei. If so, then this will be nothing more than deserved retribution.

Huanglong: Let the stone guide you until you've sought and retrieved your powers. Hah, meanwhile, one must craft an altar in benediction.

Koku: So the corestone we found in the box was an imitation?

Koku: Then the one we now possess... Could it be?

More cracks appear in the stone in Koku's hand, causing light to escape its nucleus like smoke rising to the sky.

Huanglong's Voice: ...

Koku: We can feel it. You're suffering. The cracks in our corestone have proven too much.

Koku: Which means... if it sustains much more damage, you'll perish. And if you perish, so will we.

Koku: We always thought it was curious, how we could scry the four Cardinal Saints from that stone—even though their power was derived from your light.

Koku: Of course, you swapped the stone while we were unaware.

Koku: Huanglong. Though you were created after us, how is it that you remain forever one step ahead?

Unable to express emotion through the shedding of tears, Koku's body turns to its only method of release.

Koku: Augh... blegh...

Koku: Cursed Huanglong, once more you force us to dance in the palm of your hand.

As Koku muses, the light escaping the stone acts as a beacon, drawing an unwelcome guest.

Qilin: ...!

Koku: Thus appears our empty shell.

Bereft of its faculties, the rampaging Qilin stamps the island's surface. The resulting quake causes a sinkhole to appear beneath Koku, sending them falling.

Koku: ...!

They reactively reach for the lip of the hole, but their arms are too short.

Koku: (Again, we fall...)

Koku: Ah, the sky... It's so far away...

Racing forth, (Captain) dives headlong over the edge of the island, reaching out toward the freefalling Koku.

Koku: Wh-why...

The dark child is rendered speechless by the captain's show of heroism.

Koku: (Why save me?)

Vyrn: Nnnngggh! Guys, my wings are gonna pop off!

(Captain)'s feet are hooked to the edge of the island, with Vyrn and Lyria pulling on them with all the strength they can muster.

Lyria: Oooh... (Captain), we're losing our grip!

1. Hurry!

Choose: Hurry!

Koku: ...!

Koku, too, finds a measure of resolve and finally crawls up (Captain)'s arm to safety.

Vyrn: Yeesh, I thought we were all about to fall over...

Koku: Why save us? Did you not try to stop our ritual?

Vyrn: That was a completely different situation!

Koku: We will never understand your skyling ways. Truly, what compels you...

Lyria: Eek!

Vyrn: Everybody hit the deck! It's going insane!

Koku: Gaaah—curses! Thanks to you lot, our chest is filled with palpitations!

Koku: Such inferior beings, saving us? It's an affront! You shall know our power!

Lyria: Wait, that means you re-absorbed your powers from the stone!

Koku: No, that was a failure.

Vyrn: Oh, thank goodness...

Koku: However, within the depths of this vessel lies a remnant of our former glory. So long as a sacrifice is made, we may access it.

Koku: Better yet, the powers that we—the great Koku—collect into this vessel grow based on the size of the sacrifice.

The diminutive Koku, a picture of bravery, stands before Qilin—even tossing the bag of ritual tools aside—and begins chanting.

Koku: O curse we mend, use this vessel as your athame, and awaken the dormant power that lies within. We are Koku; give us our due!

Koku: Gah!

Lyria: Koku, you're hurting yourself!

Koku: Keep your distance! We shall make this husk cower, bow before our might!

A force of impending doom emanates from the tiny frame. Within it, Lyria senses world-ending potential.

Lyria: This... is just a remnant?

Vyrn: We're all gonna be okay, right? Koku's our friend... right?

Qilin: ...!

Koku: Hmph. You oppose us on bestial instinct alone.

Koku: Allow the great Koku to kindly end your hollow existence, you miserable shell!