Two difficult problems lay before Shun. The first was how to rescue Theresa, because according to Judah's information, Theresa had not been pulled into the Stigmata space by Yae Sakura's Stigmata transferring to him like in the original plot.
The second was how to ensure that the Herrscher of Corruption would not cause problems while rescuing Theresa. This point was especially important.
If he was not careful while rescuing Theresa and the Herrscher of Corruption escaped, it wouldn't be long before Shun could see mushrooms covering the entire Earth.
If it reached that point, it would be no exaggeration at all for Shun to say that the crimes were too numerous to record.
Thinking back now to the early plot of Honkai Impact 3rd, although it didn't seem particularly difficult, careful consideration would reveal that they were truly blessed with great fortune and strong fate to have gotten through the early stages so smoothly.
Whether it was the female high school student Kiana soloing an incomplete Thunder Herrscher, the warm Heavenly Emperor battling the three great Herrschers of Finality, Origin, and Truth, or clearing the Sakura Samsara while playing VR.
It could only be said that the protagonist halo was working hard. Shun did not dare to bet that nothing would go wrong this time when he entered the Stigmata space to meet Theresa.
Since that was the case, he probably needed to be even more cautious. The Stigmata space was the Herrscher of Corruption's home field, and what he needed to consider was how to deal with the Herrscher of Corruption.
Not long after… At World Serpent's headquarters, Gray Serpent slowly walked out of the Golden Courtyard—the reality zone where the Elysian Realm was located—carrying a suitcase.
"Lord Shun, these are the items you requested." Gray Serpent respectfully handed the suitcase to Shun.
Shun accepted the box with an expressionless face, opened it, and revealed the contents inside: an ice-blue katana.
This katana looked as if it had been carved from ice crystals. The blade emitted strands of cold air, crystal clear and translucent, as if it could refract all the surrounding light. A light touch revealed a texture as cold and smooth as ice, as though even slight force would cause frostbite. The edge was extremely sharp, flashing with a cold, severe light, as if it could instantly sever all obstacles.
"So cold." Shun picked up the "Hanyuu Hyouten" in his hand and examined it carefully.
This was the weapon of Sakura, one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the Previous Era—the Flame-Chaser of Setsuna no Mei. She was also the older sister of the Herrscher of Corruption, Rin.
The Stigmata space was most likely her home field. Combined with the special nature of the Corruption Authority, Shun had already guessed how he would be restricted upon entering. Just like Theresa in the plot, who went from a humanoid Honkai beast to a weak girl with no strength to truss a chicken.
For this reason, Shun needed to possess some things that were also indispensable to Rin, such as… this Hanyuu Hyouten, and some small items that carried the beautiful memories of the two sisters.
He believed that in that space, they could play some unexpected roles and bring him some pleasant surprises.
Shun also tucked a pendant with a photo of the two sisters on his person. He could not wait any longer. The situation had already diverged from the original plot. Dragging things out further would only increase the danger to Theresa.
Seeing that Shun seemed about to leave immediately, Gray Serpent suddenly called out to him. "Lord Shun, please forgive my presumptuousness. When I borrowed these items from Lady Sakura, she pressed for details, and I revealed the information about the Herrscher of Corruption to her."
"It's fine. She is her sister, and I borrowed her most important possessions. It's only right to tell her. Please help convey another message: if my journey goes smoothly, I may be able to bring back her sister and reunite the two of them."
"Bring back? You mean…?" Gray Serpent asked in disbelief.
"I think the Elysian Realm's firewall not having been updated for fifty thousand years seems a bit outdated. It's time to add some protective measures to the Elysian Realm as well."
What Shun implied was that he wanted to bring the unfinished Twelfth Divine Key of the Previous Era, the Jizo Mitama Soul, back to the Elysian Realm to serve as an extra layer of insurance protecting the most precious treasure the Previous Era had left for this world. Of course, provided everything went smoothly.
In fact, Shun had had the idea of bringing the Jizo Mitama Soul back to the Elysian Realm as insurance for a long time. He simply hadn't had the opportunity to act on it. Now, he finally had the chance to start over.
He no longer wished to see the Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the Elysian Realm sacrifice themselves to eliminate the Herrscher of Corruption within the Elysian Realm.
"So that's how it is. That's what he told you. I understand." Sakura subconsciously placed her hand on her now-empty scabbard.
Only then did she remember that her sword had been lent to Shun. She turned her gaze toward the exit of the Golden Courtyard. As a memory body, the range she could move in was limited to this.
"If it is feasible, I too hope to assist you in bringing Rin back."
"But as things stand now, I wish you great fortune in battle!" Sakura silently prayed toward the empty space.
At this moment, Shun had already arrived beneath the cherry blossom tree that was over five hundred years old. He gripped the Hanyuu Hyouten tightly in his hand. This might be the only weapon he could use after entering. To avoid having the Divine Keys on his person eroded and turned against him by the Herrscher of Corruption's Authority once inside the Stigmata space, he had not brought a single Divine Key with him, so as not to lift a rock only to drop it on his own feet.
Behind him stood a certain blond who always made people worry about a backstab. The person who used to be the most worrisome for backstabbing was now nothing more than a grandfather who had nearly lost his granddaughter.
His gaze was fixed on the ground in front of the cherry blossom tree—more precisely, on the black box buried underground. His originally calm eyes actually turned somewhat venomous after thinking of something unknown.
If one were to say who in this world hated this thing the most, Otto would dare to claim second place, and no one would dare claim first.
"If I fail, remember to go all out. Otherwise, if the Current Era is destroyed, your hope of reviving Kallen will also cease to exist."
Otto nodded. He understood the importance of the Herrscher of Corruption. One could say that if this demon was released, the entire world would face catastrophic disaster.
Shun then turned around, proactively loosened a portion of the seal, and placed his hand on it. Sure enough, the moment his hand touched it, the Stigmata space impatiently opened and sucked his entire body inside.
Immediately afterward, a shrine engulfed in blazing flames appeared without warning before his eyes. The raging flames leaped and wreaked havoc wantonly, as if they wanted to swallow the entire world in this sea of scorching fire. Billowing thick smoke rose, obscuring the sky and turning the originally peaceful scene into something incomparably hideous and terrifying.
"This is the Yae Shrine from five hundred years ago, right?" Shun muttered to himself. Unfortunately, no one responded. This was nothing more than a world without any signs of life.