After entering the Stigmata Space, Kiana arrived at the Yae Shrine in Shinano Village.
"Aunt!"
Kiana saw Theresa staring blankly in front of a tombstone under a cherry blossom tree and ran over.
Hearing the familiar voice, Theresa slowly came back to her senses and saw her eldest niece.
"Kiana?"
"Aunt, what are you dazing about?"
"There was a ghost here just now... Eh? It's gone!"
Theresa shook her head left and right, looking for the cute girl she had just seen, who had long pink hair and twin ponytails that looked like floppy fox ears.
Kiana scratched her cheek and walked to the tombstone, slowly squatting down and placing her hand on the cold stone engraved with the name Yae Rin.
[A residual soul remains on the tombstone. Sign it as a heroic spirit?]
Kiana was slightly stunned for a moment, then nodded.
Then, Theresa saw the little girl's ghost that had appeared earlier float out from the tombstone once again.
At this moment, Yae Rin was also confused—how did she come out again? And that heroic spirit contract... As if possessed, Yae Rin touched the contract and agreed to it.
After signing the contract.
Her originally translucent body gradually solidified, and she could smell the fragrance of cherry blossoms surrounding her.
"I... I've been resurrected...?"
Yae Rin stared with her beautiful eyes, saying in disbelief.
"Kiana, is she... converted into a heroic spirit by you?"
Theresa could only think of this; one moment she was an ethereal soul, and the next, she had a physical body.
Currently, only Valhalla could do such a thing.
As a reserve heroic spirit, she naturally knew the wonders of Valhalla.
"That's right."
Kiana nodded and looked at the somewhat dazed Yae Rin.
"How do you feel?"
"I feel... except for the fact that my sickly state from when I was alive hasn't been removed, everything else feels better than ever before."
After coming to her senses, Yae Rin bowed gratefully to Kiana to express her thanks.
Not only could she have her own body again and regain the right to hug her sister once more... but her broken soul, which had gone through countless cycles in the Stigmata Space, had also been mended!
Yae Rin couldn't think of any way to repay such a profound debt of gratitude.
Perhaps only by dedicating her life to her could she repay this kindness!
Despite Yae Rin's small stature, having experienced countless cycles of Yae Village, she was no longer the little girl she once was.
At least in terms of soul age, she felt she was no longer a child.
"That's good then!"
Unaware of Yae Rin's inner thoughts, Kiana nodded with satisfaction.
"Oh right, do you know where Kallen is?"
Kiana asked again on second thought.
After all, since both her and Kallen's residual souls had been cycling here for so many years, Yae Rin should know her location.
"Inside... a golden crucifix..."
"Is it this one?"
Theresa pulled out a golden crucifix from her shrine maiden outfit and asked curiously, holding it in her palm.
This crucifix had been on her ever since she woke up, and she never knew what it was for.
But her intuition told her she had to keep it with her.
Kiana's finger lightly touched the crucifix, and then, under the surprised gazes of the others, the crucifix slowly emitted a soft golden light.
A young girl, looking like a grown-up version of Theresa, slowly condensed from the light.
However, her body was somewhat ethereal and unsubstantial, just like Yae Rin's had been.
Kiana immediately sent her a heroic spirit contract.
Kallen's consciousness was somewhat hazy, and she instinctively agreed to the contract that offered her great benefits.
As the contract was signed, the Throne of Heroes belonging to Kallen slowly rose, and her soul body gradually solidified.
Blinking her beautiful eyelashes, Kallen slowly opened her eyes amidst the confusion.
"I... I've been resurrected..."
Kallen's feet slowly touched the ground, and she looked at her hands in disbelief.
Because she became a heroic spirit, her soul was automatically mended, and she not only possessed memories of the countless cycles here.
But also memories of being pierced to death by a Honkai Beast while protecting the people at the execution ground... At the same time, for some reason, Kallen's data in Schicksal's database quietly disappeared.
Otto didn't know at the moment, because... he was being blocked by a guest who hated him to the bone... "Congratulations, Ancestor Kallen, on your new life~"
Kiana snapped her fingers and said playfully to Kallen.
"It's all thanks to your Valhalla that Little Rin and I could live again. Thanks."
Kallen didn't mind Kiana's teasing and instead bowed with deep gratitude.
Yae Rin beside her did the same.
Just then, a middle-aged man with a decadent face wearing a kimono approached, leading a group of villagers wearing fox masks.
In the middle of the crowd was a young girl with pink hair wearing a shrine maiden outfit.
The girl's face bore some resemblance to Yae Rin.
At this moment, the girl's eyes were lifeless, like a Marionette.
"Sister!"
"Sakura!"
Upon seeing Yae Sakura, Yae Rin and Kallen shouted out at the same time.
Yae Sakura slowly raised her head, her lifeless eyes gradually brightening as she stared blankly at Yae Rin.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Rin... I'm sorry..."
Yae Sakura knelt on the ground, covering her face and crying out loud.
Seeing this, a haze flashed in the eyes of the middle-aged man—Yae Sakura and Rin's father.
"Sakura! She is not your sister. Your sister was sacrificed to the Great God long ago. This is an evil spirit in disguise!"
Saying that, he handed a katana to Yae Sakura and guided her toward Yae Rin.
"Use this blade to eliminate the evil spirit. Only then will the Great God continue to protect the village, and Rin can rest in peace."
As the man spoke, a crimson light flickered in his eyes, and Yae Sakura's eyes became the same as his.
"Fake... fake..."
Yae Sakura's eyes flickered with crimson as she grabbed the katana and slowly approached Yae Rin.
At this moment, the villagers were also unusually eerie, letting out bursts of strange laughter.
Slap—!
Just then, Kallen stepped forward and slapped Yae Sakura across the face.
"Sakura! Look closely, she is your real sister, not a fake! Wake up! Don't let that fox bewitch your mind!"
Kallen grabbed Yae Sakura's collar and pointed at the weak and helpless Yae Rin, shouting sternly.
After the slap and the shout, Yae Sakura gradually found herself again.
"I'm..."
Yae Sakura clutched her head, gripping the katana tightly, and whispered with a frown.
"Tch, meddlesome!"
The man glared at Kallen with eyes that had turned into crimson vertical pupils, filled with hatred.
"It's you again! You've ruined my plans again! Why aren't you dead yet! Why do you keep appearing before me!"
The surrounding villagers disappeared, and the man transformed into a giant five-tailed demon fox.
The demon fox was pinkish-white all over, with a red three-tomoe mark on its forehead.
At this moment, the Youko glared at everyone with its long, narrow eyes full of endless hatred.
Kiana stepped forward and, under the fox's terrified gaze, spoke slowly.
"Rin, just what is the source of your hatred?"
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