Chapter 297: A Choice for Yae Sakura
The dragon soared through the sky, fierce winds sweeping over the steel jungle of the city—strong, but thankfully causing no real damage.
Standing atop a tall building was a beautiful woman with long pink hair and… long donkey ears on her head—no, fox ears. She held a long sword with a black hilt, gazing quietly at the departing dragon. Her delicate, painting-like face remained serene and calm, ignoring the panic that had erupted throughout the city.
[What's going on? Did Benares break free? Has the Herrscher of the Void been resurrected again?]
"No. The one with the dragon is Miss Kiana. And I haven't received any orders from Mr. Sigurd, so it probably isn't an emergency."
[Good… If that troublesome person comes back again, you better stay far away, sis. She's not easy to deal with.]
"But I have you to help me, right, Higokumaru?"
Yae Sakura smiled gently.
In her mental realm, a little girl with nine fox tails happily wagging behind her puffed up her chest with pride.
[Well, that's true! No matter how strong the Herrscher of the Void is, she's nothing in front of me. Big sis can always count on Higokumaru!]
"Yes, yes, I knew my Higokumaru was the strongest."
Yae Sakura chuckled dotingly.
. . . . .
"Tonkotsu ramen, corner-cut sushi, and fried tofu, please. Thank you."
At noon, Yae Sakura came to a local East-Asian-style restaurant in the city. She ordered a few dishes—most importantly, Higokumaru's favorite fried tofu—then handed the menu back to the server and waited.
But Higokumaru didn't immediately clamor to share the taste experience. After all, they were in Europe, a foreign land where authentic cuisine was hard to come by.
This place was already the most tolerable restaurant they'd found in the city—but even so, the food was just… passable.
[Sis, I still want to eat your cooking…]
"Bear with it, Higokumaru. We're on a mission, and we don't have time to cook."
Yae Sakura smiled gently to comfort her, setting the Key of Erosion—the long blade that truly housed both her and Higokumaru's soul—on the table.
Fortunately, ever since Honkai-related information had been made public, it wasn't unusual for members of Schicksal or Anti-Entropy to carry their equipment openly in society. Swords and weapons had become commonplace. Otherwise, walking around with a weapon so blatantly might've drawn too much attention.
[Ugh… fine! It's that stupid deadpan guy's fault anyway. Next time, I'll make him pay!]
"Let's not. Mr. Sigurd doesn't hold back."
[You think I, the great Higokumaru, would be scared of him?]
"Be more confident—remove the 'you think' part."
[Big sis! You're the worst! I'm not talking to you anymore!!]
Fuming, Higokumaru stormed off to the deepest part of their shared mental realm.
Yae Sakura chuckled softly again, sighed, and pulled out her tablet to review intelligence reports and double-check the progress of her mission.
Time passed by minute after minute. Yae Sakura remained focused on her work, until eventually, she lifted her head.
"…Why is it taking so long? My food still hasn't come?"
She frowned in confusion.
Then she noticed something strange—the restaurant, which earlier had a few scattered customers, was now completely empty. Not a single person remained but her.
"…Hmm?"
Her gaze sharpened. Her hand moved to rest on her sword hilt.
Just then, the restaurant's glass door was pushed open, and in walked a blonde girl in a flowing teal dress.
"—Archbishop Otto."
Yae Sakura stood up, gazing at the composed young woman who had just entered. Her expression was complex, but she bowed respectfully.
"Sit down."
Hera replied casually, picking up a menu from the counter before gracefully walking over to Yae Sakura's table and sitting down across from her.
"Hmm… such a bland menu. No wonder this place isn't doing well."
After flipping through a few pages, Hera tossed the menu behind her, clearly having lost interest.
Yae Sakura sat a little stiffly in her seat. She opened her mouth a few times as if to speak but ended up saying nothing.
The relationship between Otto and Kallen, everything Otto had done for Kallen, and the direct role she played in Kallen's execution—all of it created a deep unease in Yae Sakura. In front of Otto, she felt both guilty for "stealing" his beloved and ashamed of her part in Kallen's tragic past.
Hera seemed to pick up on Yae Sakura's inner conflict. Tilting her head, she spoke with none of her usual pleasantness. Her face was expressionless as she asked:
"Let's skip the small talk. I want to know what you plan to do next. More specifically—once Kallen is successfully resurrected, what will you do?"
"…Well, to be honest… when it comes to love, though I feel guilt, I have no regrets. Yes, I love Kallen. No matter what, I want to see her again. After that… I'll leave Kallen in your care. I trust you. I've committed too many sins to hope for a happy ending. I'll stay away from your life and Kallen's… and devote this insignificant life of mine working under Mr.Sigurd to fighting the Honkai—"
"Ugh—"
Hera suddenly gripped Yae Sakura by the throat and lifted her off the ground. Her eyes glinted with a coldness that sent a chill down Yae Sakura's spine.
On the table, the long blade trembled as Higokumaru tried to release her power of erosion. But at that moment, a ring of golden ripples appeared in the air. A chain shot forth and tightly bound the sword, suppressing its trembling and completely sealing the Honkai energy it emitted.
Hera held Yae Sakura aloft by her neck for a few seconds before releasing her. Yae Sakura fell to the floor, clutching her now-bruised throat, coughing violently.
"Once Kallen is resurrected, she will be entering a completely unfamiliar world. Nothing here will be as she remembers. The places, the rules—they're all gone. She will need time to adjust, and she will need someone at her side. Your role is to accompany her, to help her peacefully accept this world, and to live on—not alone. Kallen said she loves you. That makes you the most suitable choice."
Looking down coldly at the woman on the floor—beautiful, with legs like polished jade and even her gasps alluring—Hera's gaze was utterly devoid of warmth.
After regaining her breath, Yae Sakura placed a hand over the bruised area on her neck, frowning slightly.
"But I hurt Kallen before… and I…"
"That doesn't matter. Kallen won't blame you. She needs you by her side. Leave the Honkai to me and Sigurd. People like you… your greatest value lies in keeping Kallen company."
"…"
"Or do you want me to rewrite your consciousness? The Herrscher of Erosion does come from the Previous Era, but it's still no big deal. If needed, I can reprogram both you and that little fox spirit, implanting the perfect mental framework for the role. Don't worry—Kallen won't notice, and even if Sigurd knows about it, since I don't actually harm you, he won't be upset about it."
Yae Sakura lowered her head.
This wasn't what she had expected.
In fact, Otto—no, Hera—was nothing like what she had imagined.
She had thought that meeting Otto would bring scolding, condemnation, bitter accusations. She had prepared herself for being warned to stay away from Kallen, or even for painful retribution…
She had anticipated countless scenarios—but not this.
He wanted her to accompany Kallen in life.
It truly was the best choice for Kallen—but what about him? Did this man not even consider himself?
"If I… if I stay with Kallen, then what about you? What will become of you? Don't you love her too?"
"Don't lump me together with you. I only want Kallen to live well. Nothing else matters. As for me… I will die."
"What!?"
"I will die. No matter what, I will die. Too many people want me dead. And besides, if I live, Kallen won't be able to face me, or the things I've done… or the fact that I did it all for her. She'll probably spend her whole life helping people left and right as an 'amend' for my sake, or even kill herself again. I won't let her be put in that position. I'll die—either on the battlefield against the Honkai, or in judgment after its defeat. And you will be Kallen's only support, her only attachment. To make sure Kallen doesn't kill herself when I'm gone—that is your only value."
Hera's voice remained emotionless, as if stating an objective scientific fact, or narrating a story that had nothing to do with herself.
Yae Sakura lifted her head and looked into Hera's eyes. There was no hesitation, no fear, only absolute calm.
In that moment, Yae Sakura felt both lost and reverent.
This man who had done everything for Kallen over five hundred years, who had suppressed the Honkai for five centuries, was nothing like her.
In ability, personality, ideology, and conviction—they were worlds apart.
"I…"
"You can take your time. There's still a bit of room to think. But give me your answer soon, either willingly stay by Kallen's side, or stay by her side under my control. Those are your only options. And don't even think about lying to me, less than ten people in this world can deceive me, and you're certainly not one of them."
Hera gazed down at Yae Sakura, who had no words left to respond, then turned and walked away without a hint of hesitation.
Yae Sakura was left sitting alone on the floor, clutching her chest, unmoving for a long time.
. . . . . . .
Back on the street, Hera stepped out.
Not far from the door, a woman dressed in a black nun-like outfit—Amber—approached and raised a parasol above Hera's head.
"Lady Hera, you seem… displeased?"
"Mm. That girl really is just a useless fool—no, that's not fair. She must have some redeeming quality; otherwise, Kallen wouldn't have fallen for her. Still, she truly didn't consider Kallen's perspective or situation at all. I had some things I wanted to discuss with her, but now I've lost all interest."
Hera shook her head and sighed softly—though, in truth, this outcome had already been within her expectations.
Amber held the umbrella without flinching and asked:
"Is there anything I can do to assist?"
"No need. If she's really that spineless, there's no reason to give her a choice. I'll handle everything myself. Since we're here already… let's clean up this city. No, this entire country. Tell Anti-Entropy that it's under our jurisdiction now."
Hera spoke coldly, a flash of murderous intent briefly glinting at the corner of her eye.
Amber nodded obediently. She understood—some people in this country were about to become Lord Otto's punching bag.
But that was fine. If their deaths could help Otto vent, then at least their lives would've meant something.