Chapter 161: Don't You Guys Come Over!
In a relatively remote area of Nagazora City, a large mansion with ancient Far Eastern style.
In a room with wooden tatami floors, three futons of slightly different colors were laid out side-by-side. Three beautiful girls, each with their own unique charm, were sound asleep.
Among them, the white-haired girl's sleeping posture was the wildest, wrapping around Bronya like an octopus, her head resting on Bronya's chest. Perhaps due to the physical and mental sensations not matching the "model," she unconsciously furrowed her brows in confusion.
Raiden Mei, on the other side, was much more serene, her fair, beautiful face slightly tense, her expression serious, as if dreaming of becoming a hero in a light novel, engaged in a final battle with a demon king attempting to destroy the world.
The clock on the wall already pointed to the 10 o'clock mark. The nearing noon and the slightly fatigued sleeping faces of the three made one wonder if they had held a massive, disastrous "silver party" last night.
Not so.
The silver-haired girl, used as a hugging pillow by the white-haired girl and tightly held by Mei, had a pattern on her neck that wasn't there before.
Eight sakura petals intertwined, their color a bit more cherry-pink than the usual blood-red stigmata, glowing with an imperceptible luster.
There was indeed a big battle, but it was within the Stigmata Space.
"Rules are meant to be broken!"
A stern, tender cry accompanied the burst of energy. Her pure white braided pigtails swayed behind her like a flowing river. Kiana, with surging momentum, wielded her ancestral baseball bat, striking heavily on the crimson-eyed fox demon's head.
Along with the heavy thud of the baseball bat, the gigantic fox demon rolled several meters on the ground, then fell sideways and tumbled once.
"Sakura Blossom — Scatter!"
Almost the instant the fox demon propped itself up, Raiden Mei slowly leaned forward, delivering a slash with an Iaijutsu stance and an advancing movement technique.
Sharp blade energy cut through the fox demon's surrounding flames. Continuous slashes repeatedly landed on the same part of its body, and each slash of Raikiri could induce electric currents and lightning blossoms.
"Bronya Unit 01, sortie!"
Her spiral ponytail swinging due to intense movement, Bronya did not summon Project Bunny but instead used her slender body to punch and kick the fox demon.
Lightning dyed the dull white fur charred black. The fox demon let out a roar entirely different from before.
The shriek still contained resentment and hatred, but its power was vastly inferior to its initial state, and there was also clear indignation.
"You guys, damn you! Damn you! Damn you!"
The fox demon raged furiously, but almost all authority over the Stigmata Space had been seized, and heavily injured and exhausted, it could only rage impotently.
The dark night had scattered, replaced by a clear blue sky and bright daylight.
Except for the area near the trio's battleground, where the earth remained desolate, all other places were refreshed.
Sunny small mountains, an ancient and tidy shrine, a courtyard paved with bluestone slabs.
Her beautiful legs crossed, Silver Wing looked down from the torii gate, seeing nothing but blooming sakura blossoms as far as the eye could reach.
"It feels like a secluded paradise, too beautiful for a drought to happen. Hmm, it must be Honkai's fault, after all."
Silver Wing picked up a sakura petal swirling in the wind with her slender fingertips, putting it into her mouth and chewing it slowly. The conflicting tastes of faint fragrance and bitterness made her marvel at the realism of the consciousness space.
"No drought, then."
Compared to the silver-haired beauty with crossed legs, the kneeling miko undoubtedly appeared more graceful. Yae Sakura picked up a cup of tea, already poured in a ceramic dish, and offered it to Silver Wing.
She also picked up a cup herself, sipping lightly from it, quietly watching Rin laugh amidst the falling sakura blossoms, seeming to imagine the future of Yae Village, herself, and her sister if there were no Honkai.
In Silver Wing's view, even without Honkai, facing those ignorant villagers, the Yae Sakura sisters' future might still be full of hardships, but the miko's thoughts clearly differed from hers.
Yae Sakura looked at the three fighting Higokumaru, hung her Spirit Blade: Sakura Blossom at her waist, and showed a gentle, faint smile: "They're tired. Is it our turn now?"
"Mm, alright."
Silver Wing smiled and nodded. She called out to the girl strolling under the sakura tree: "Rin, help Higokumaru recover some of its condition."
"Received, Sister Silver Wing~!"
A lively, joyful sound came. Rin seriously gave a playful salute; she was very happy now.
From Sister Silver Wing, she learned about a place called "Elysian Realm," where her sister, Sakura's memory construct, existed.
This was a huge, unexpected surprise for Rin!
Silver Wing casually picked up Plasma Shadow and walked towards the battlefield alongside Yae Sakura.
"You three, take a break."
"Understood, Switch."
Like switching players when teaming up for a boss in a game, Bronya raised her hand, extending it towards "herself," and high-fived.
"You, you guys, don't come over here!"
And seeing this scene, the terror in Higokumaru's eyes finally could not be concealed, letting out a desperate shriek, then it was interrupted.
A single cold gleam arrived first!
The person hadn't arrived, but the blade did. Spirit Blade: Sakura Blossom pierced Higokumaru through, then Yae Sakura's figure flashed like lightning into the battlefield, her slender hand gripping the hilt and fiercely slashing, performing a standard Nine-Strike Combo in the air.
Silver Wing followed closely behind.
"Higokumaru, are you going to speak?" Silver Wing adopted an attitude as if interrogating a criminal.
"What do you want me to say?" Though her injuries had healed due to Rin's power, Higokumaru's heart felt cold. It roared stubbornly.
"Alright, not going to speak, huh?"
Her thumb pushed the tsuba to reveal the blade. An icy blue blade light flashed, and the silver-haired beauty's figure glided past the fox demon's side, her feet leaving two unclear trails on the ground.
"Are you going to speak?"
Immediately following was a jump with bent knees, drawing several icy blade lights in a swirling motion mid-air, all edges cutting into the Herrscher of Corruption's body, then using the momentum to step onto the fox demon's back and land.
"Gogolalala~!"
A pained shriek immediately resounded throughout the Stigmata Space.
More than two days had passed since Yae Sakura awakened and Rin and Silver Wing suppressed Higokumaru.
The Stigmata was granted to Bronya by Yae Sakura, making Silver Wing and little Bronya another set of new masters of the Stigmata Space. Primarily, it was Rin's authority of corruption that allowed them to adjust the time flow within the Stigmata Space.
Compared to the outside world, it was about three to four times faster, so everyone had spent 7 to 8 days in the Stigmata Space.
Silver Wing first explained the principle and mechanism of the [Tiger] talisman separating Rin and the Herrscher of Corruption to everyone, and then everyone spent a fulfilling and joyful week.
Initially, Rin, Yae Sakura, and Silver Wing jointly beat Higokumaru.
Once Higokumaru was battered and its condition had sufficiently deteriorated, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya would go in for practical combat training and experience grinding.
When Higokumaru completely lost its combat capability, Silver Wing would have Rin restore its condition, then repeat the above process.
Higokumaru desperately resisted, wanting to escape, but could not.
Rin also possessed the power of corruption, and their authorities were the same, so it came down to their condition.
Rin's condition was far superior to Higokumaru's. As for stopping resistance?
It was the dignified Herrscher of Corruption; how could it submit to humans?
Thus, it suffered unprecedented torture in its fox life, a week-long, inhumane beating!
After Silver Wing explained the Tiger Talisman's ability, Yae Sakura's attacks became even more relentless, as if she intended to return all the torment she had suffered.
And Silver Wing, her ruthlessness left Yae Sakura amazed. Even Rin couldn't bear to watch and withdrew from the group beating midway.
In some ways, Higokumaru was also her; the kind Rin felt reluctant and stated that she would solely be responsible for restoring Higokumaru's condition.
Silver Wing was no devil, nor a pervert; this was not meaningless torture.
Rin and Higokumaru were eventually meant to merge, and to ensure Rin would gain the upper hand after the yin-yang fusion, it was necessary to continuously wear down Higokumaru's power, will, and other aspects.
Yae Sakura was simply venting.
The friendship between the miko lady and Silver Wing rapidly increased through their joint beating of Higokumaru. To thank Silver Wing, Yae Sakura even gave her Stigmata to her.
Letting her meet her "sister," even though Rin was not Higokumaru, helping her escape from the nightmare, resolving the Herrscher of Corruption…
These were all immense favors for Yae Sakura.
The Trio gained the Herrscher of Corruption as a sparring partner, compensating for much of the experience they missed due to the Third Eruption instance being handled early. Among them, Mei's progress was the most noticeable.
It wouldn't be long before she reached B-rank Valkyrie level, and mind you, she wasn't even a Herrscher body yet.
One can only say she truly is the destined Herrscher of Thunder.
Bronya's combat power also visibly increased after Silver Wing obtained Yae Sakura's Stigmata; she was no longer a rookie messenger who lost most of her combat power without Project Bunny.
"Higokumaru, I gave you a chance to surrender at the beginning, but you didn't take it."
Plasma Shadow sliced through the fox demon's neck. Silver Wing saw terror in its beast eyes, which no longer emitted an eerie glow.
"I think that's enough."
Having beaten Higokumaru to this extent, plus Rin's will becoming even firmer after learning of Sakura's existence in the Elysian Realm, it seemed that after their fusion, she would be able to completely suppress the Herrscher personality.
"Is it ending?"
Yae Sakura felt a bit regretful, but her emotions had also been largely vented.
"Rin, get ready."
Letting The Trio continue to pound Higokumaru, Silver Wing and Yae Sakura returned to the shrine.
"Mm, I understand, Sister Silver Wing. No problem, this time I definitely won't lose!"
Rin took a deep breath and clenched her small fists.
"Then I'll begin," Silver Wing said, bringing the two white tigers, separated like yin-yang fish, together in her hands and throwing them into the air.
The unified [Tiger] emitted a strange light, and Rin and the dying Higokumaru fused in this light.
Outside, the silver-haired girl opened her eyes and abruptly sat up.
The black box in her hand suddenly lit up, as if activating some mysterious program, and crimson, crystalline circuit patterns appeared on its surface.
The edges of the box gradually stretched, its form began to twist, and its metallic texture became increasingly prominent under the light, in the interweaving of light and shadow.
The black box finally transformed into a majestic, beautiful, and ominous katana.
The scabbard was adorned with intricate and complex textures. Under its entirely black appearance, only the hilt was accented with blood-red, as if dyed in fresh blood.
"Jizo Mitama."
The silver-haired girl reached out to hold the formed katana.
"It's done!"
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