"Human, you want me to work for you?"
Higokumaru fell silent. In all her years, this was the first time she had ever heard such an outrageous request.
Dr. MEI had wanted her cooperation for research, the common people had wanted her dead, the MANTIS soldiers had hoped she would become a Divine Key...
Compared to this guy's idea...
"Have you ever heard of Divine Weapon Beasts?"
The young man, who had watched a certain kid-oriented Hong Kong manhua in his childhood, suddenly became excited.
He had previously asked Beowulf to transform into the Divine Weapon Beo, only to be looked at with disdain for a long time. Now was his chance. Perhaps he could try using Higokumaru as a Divine Weapon Beast.
No, wait, Higokumaru should be a Demonic Weapon Beast.
What the hell is that?
Watching the guy who had become inexplicably excited, an extremely peculiar feeling arose in Higokumaru's heart.
"Not being a Divine Weapon Beast is also an option."
Li Zihan sized up the fox before him, who was actually quite good-looking, and clicked his tongue in wonder.
He felt that if Higokumaru were a bit bigger, she could probably pass for Kurama the Nine-Tails.
Although, the number of tails seemed wrong. He'd need to go to a prop shop to have a few fake ones made to round out the number.
"You know what a Tailed Beast is, right? I think you could become an unofficial Tailed Beast, and then I could borrow your power and become an unofficial Jinchuriki."
This guy... has he lost his mind?
Higokumaru, feeling that the person before her was probably a psychopath, muttered inwardly.
The certain magus's level of coolness plummeted in her estimation.
"Li-kun, I believe it is time you discussed serious matters."
Miss Yae Sakura, who also didn't understand what Li Zihan was saying, gave a friendly reminder.
She had loved, hated, and fought with Higokumaru for five hundred years; she had a good grasp of Higokumaru's emotional shifts.
Judging by Higokumaru's current expression, she probably hadn't understood a single word, just like herself.
"Human, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Higokumaru, feeling the person's reaction was unbelievably psychopathic, opened her great maw and asked again.
What an unhumorous bunch.
Li Zihan shrugged, thinking to himself.
Since they all wanted him to be serious, then he might as well chat with them seriously.
"I want you to become my power."
Li Zihan spoke, phrasing it in a way that sounded relatively righteous.
"And what if I say no?" Higokumaru said coldly.
"Then I'll have no choice but to first seal your will, extract your soul and infuse it into a spirit-binding implement to create a Mystic Code, and then slowly guide the power from your body outwards to forge Jizo Mitama."
The magus, whose methods were clearly from a heretical, demonic path, stated this with perfect calm.
For magi, to whom human morality was a doormat, things like human experimentation were child's play.
"Because your hierarchical rank is actually quite high, completing the above process would be very troublesome. It would cost me a great deal of energy and I'd owe quite a few favors."
"But, I believe it would be worth it."
Binding her will, toying with her soul,榨ing the strength from her body...
The information hidden in the young man's words was heard by both Higokumaru and Yae Sakura, who was listening on the side, and both couldn't help but shiver.
This guy... he's actually a demon, isn't he?!
This thought arose simultaneously in the minds of Higokumaru and Yae Sakura.
"Well, are you willing to work for me?"
The magus smiled at Miss Higokumaru before him and asked.
"Do I have a choice?"
Higokumaru, feeling the situation was truly dire, spoke dejectedly.
She had two options before her.
One, hand over her power to create Jizo Mitama.
Two, have her consciousness sealed, her soul extracted, and then have her power taken to create Jizo Mitama.
If she hadn't been directly bound to Judah, she might have been able to pull off a self-destruction or self-termination.
Unfortunately, she was currently tied up in a ball, lacking even the ability to commit suicide.
Is God a fucking moron?
To create a Herrscher that specifically targets other Herrschers.
Higokumaru, completely unable to understand what kind of mentality God had to create a character like the Herrscher of Binding, fumed inwardly.
Besides, how on earth was a Herrscher that could directly nullify Honkai energy defeated and made into a Divine Key?
"Don't wear such an ugly expression."
The young man, who was actually a very talented magus, chuckled lightly and laid out his conditions to Miss Higokumaru.
"If you work for me, I can create a body for you, or use the power of Jizo Mitama to project one for you, allowing you to live again as a human for a lifetime."
"You've pretty much vented all your hatred by destroying human cities, haven't you?"
The young man looked at the underwhelming Herrscher who, in the original timeline, had let go of her hatred and dispersed her power just from being hugged by Theresa and feeling her forgiveness.
"The you of today... you don't actually hate humanity as much as you let on, do you?"
Higokumaru was silent for a long time.
Her hatred for humanity was indeed not as deep as she outwardly expressed.
"Aren't you afraid I'll destroy civilization again?"
Higokumaru looked at the man who had explicitly stated he would later grant her a body for free action, and spoke slowly.
"I am a Herrscher. Even if I pour my final powers into Jizo Mitama, I will still retain some Herrscher characteristics and be able to cause widespread destruction."
She looked at the magus opposite her, who still seemed to hold a certain degree of friendliness towards her, waiting for an answer that would set her heart at ease.
"Please. Your next body will either be one I have someone whip up, or one I project with a Divine Key."
"Why would you think I wouldn't leave a backdoor in your vessel to prevent you from losing control?"
An answer vastly different from what Higokumaru had imagined entered her ears, causing her foxy face to twitch.
"Besides, do you think I spent all that time getting the Key of Binding—Judah—just to use it as a decoration?"
"If you lose control, I don't mind spending a little time locking you in a little black room to cool off."
Asshole!
What I wanted was some understanding and gentle comfort!!
Higokumaru glared at the guy who looked so deserving of a punch, attempting to kill him with her gaze for being so oblivious to the atmosphere.
"Alright, Higokumaru. No, Ling."
Whether intentionally or not, the young man spoke the true name of the Herrscher of Erosion, Higokumaru.
"I don't think you'd want to make the choice to be your sister's enemy for a second time, would you?"
Higokumaru—no, Ling—fell silent.
Her sister, "Sakura," was one of the Previous Era's MANTIS soldiers. She had searched desperately for her, only to encounter her as a Herrscher, and was finally forced to appear before her as an enemy.
"It's about time you gave an answer."
Li Zihan patted Higokumaru's head, reminding her to make her choice.