"Lin, what exactly are you hating for?"
"!!!"
The Large Fox's vertical pupils visibly shrank into needle points.
Subsequently, the Honkai Energy on its body condensed into solid flames, and the massive fox head moved close to Kiana, staring fixedly at her with terrifying eyes.
"Where did you learn that name!!!"
The roar whipped up a fierce wind, forcing the group back several steps.
That name should have been buried 50,000 years ago!
Why does anyone still know it!
Who exactly... is she...!
Theresa looked at Kiana with some worry, but Kiana simply returned a reassuring expression.
"Well about that..."
Kiana rolled her eyes, flashed a playful smile, and then lightly cleared her throat.
"Ahem! Once upon a time, there was a kind girl who was imprisoned merely for being identified as a Herrscher vessel..."
Kiana began recounting the story of the little girl named Ling from the Previous Era.
The fox did not attack Kiana either, as complex emotions flashed through its hateful eyes.
Wasn't the little girl Kiana was talking about... her?
The one imprisoned 50,000 years ago, alone and helpless, suffering abuse from the guards?
Until finally, she was murdered by soldiers who feared her, a frail young girl... transforming into the Twelfth Herrscher—the Herrscher of Corruption.
At the time, fueled by endless hatred for humanity, she controlled all of mankind's nuclear missiles and destroyed the only three remaining human cities.
In the end, she was restrained by her most trusted older sister, who paid the price with her life, and was sealed into a black box by Doctor Mei.
Kiana abruptly stopped the story there.
Kallen's eyes flickered; her gaze towards the fox was complicated. Should she hate her, or pity her...?
Because the rest of the story was already known to her.
She was the one who brought the black box to the Far East, to Shinano Village... "Are you satisfied with the story I told, Lin?"
Kiana stepped forward, reached out, and stroked the fox's chin, smiling faintly.
"Since you know my story, why are you stopping my revenge!"
"Your hatred should have vanished with the destruction of the Previous Era. Now, you are merely hating for the sake of hatred. Perhaps you don't even know what you're hating anymore, do you?"
"Shut up...!"
Lin shook off Kiana's hand, bared her teeth, and glared menacingly, looking as if she would devour Kiana if she didn't stop talking.
Relying on her formidable strength, Kiana showed no fear and boldly hugged the fox's head.
Seeing this, Kallen and the Yae Sisters, who didn't know Kiana's true strength, couldn't help but feel their hearts leap to their throats.
They had been cycled through countless loops orchestrated by the Large Fox, so they knew exactly how powerful this Large Fox was.
"You are only hating now by following the instincts granted to you by Honkai. Your older sister wouldn't want her cute little sister to turn out like this, would she, Lin?"
"Sis... No! She betrayed me! She is not my sister!"
"..."
Seeing that the other party wasn't deeply shaken, Kiana communicated with Fenghuang Down, using its power to transform herself into the likeness of Sakura.
"Lin, I'm sorry... Big Sister is late..."
"...!!!"
When Lin saw this appearance, her body instantly froze, and a clear image surfaced in her mind.
Sakura was leaning against a cold wall, her eyes vacant, softly murmuring—
'I protected... the honor of being an older sister...'
"I... killed my older sister with my own hands...!"
At this moment, Lin's sanity completely collapsed, her Honkai Energy went out of control, and her eyes were filled with savagery.
"Tsk... So we have to fight in the end, huh? Couldn't we have solved this peacefully?"
Kiana removed her disguise, placed one hand on her hip, and helplessly looked at the rampaging Large Fox.
"Be careful..."
"No need to help her, she can handle it completely."
Theresa grabbed Yae Sakura, who was about to draw her sword and rush to assist, but Theresa yanked her back.
Just as Yae Sakura was confused as to why she wasn't allowed to help, she witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Kiana's outline was tinged with silver light, and her right hand was wrapped in a large mass of silvery, scorching aura, which she used to punch apart the fireballs Lin spat out.
She then appeared behind Lin, grabbed a Tail, flew into the air, and delivered a fierce barrage of blows.
She literally whipped the fox like a spinning top.
Under the baptism of punches infused with Divine Breath, Lin's previously manic gaze gradually cleared up.
Until—
"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me! I give up, I surrender!"
Lin pleaded tearfully.
Her originally slender fox head had been beaten into a pig's head. The beautiful White Fox was nearly pummeled into a round-faced Tibetan Fox.
Bang—
"Huh? Sobered up?"
Kiana exited Ultra Instinct, relaxed the hand gripping the fox's Tail, and looked at Lin's face, which was several sizes larger, asking in confusion.
Upon landing, Lin quickly transformed her body, changing herself into a Fox Girl with pink hair, blue eyes, a ponytail hairstyle, and red highlights on her forehead.
Lin's face was covered in bruises, one eye was swollen into a large lump, and her whole face was highly inflamed.
Even the eye she could open was incredibly clear, showing no trace of the previous look of hating heaven, earth, and air.
"Why didn't you just do this sooner? This Young Miss tried talking nicely, but you just wouldn't listen."
Kiana said righteously, hands on her hips.
The ancients really misled her with that 'First Diplomacy, Then Force' saying.
She felt it was better to use force whenever possible rather than babbling—it wasted her brain cells and saliva!
At this moment, the others were looking awkwardly at Kiana's extremely arrogant appearance.
And then they looked at Lin, who resembled a girl who had been bullied in school during the '80s.
Who exactly is the villain here?!
Kiana walked up to Lin and directly handed her a heroic spirit contract (Ox-Horse).
Under the coercion of Kiana's oppressive little fist, Lin tearfully signed the Shameful Contract.
And because she lacked a physical body, Valhalla directly inducted her into the Throne of Heroes, which also cleared the Honkai's influence over her.
At this moment, Lin felt clearer than ever before.
But she didn't regret what she had done in the Previous Era; those people truly deserved it.
Moreover, from the current perspective, the Previous Era was already defunct in name only, and she had merely accelerated the process of its demise slightly.
After Lin became a heroic spirit, Kiana's System Backpack gained an extra weapon—the Twelfth Divine Key: Jizo Mitama.
Due to her unique nature, Lin transformed into a special type of heroic spirit: an Instrument Spirit Heroic Spirit.
And Instrument Spirits grow stronger along with their users.
"Big Sister Kiana..."
Lin walked up to Kiana with her head bowed and shoulders slumped, looking like a child who had made a mistake.
"Now that's a good girl."
Kiana happily stroked Lin's ear, then leaned close to her ear and said somewhat mysteriously,
"In the future, you might even get a chance to see your older sister."
"Really?! Thank you, Big Sister! From now on, whatever you tell Lin to do, Lin will do it!"
Hearing that her older sister might also have a chance to revive, Lin instantly forgot the pain in her face and shouted happily.
Right now, the Tails behind her were wagging so hard they were blurring into afterimages.
Kiana, now looking like a Leader, patted Lin's shoulder and gracefully walked towards Theresa and the others.
"Perfectly resolved! Next up is..."
Kiana looked at Yae Sakura, who was still somewhat dazed, and sent her a heroic spirit contract.
Yae Sakura looked at Kallen and Yae Rin, then agreed to the contract, becoming a heroic spirit of Valhalla as well.
After everything concluded, Shinano Village gradually dissolved into nothingness, and Kiana and Theresa returned to reality.
Yae Sakura and the others are currently still inside the Stigmata Space on Theresa's back.
Since they are now Heroic Spirit Bodies, they can leave the space or return to the Throne of Heroes at any time.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"