Chapter 96: Round Two
"Himeko, your fighting style is absolutely terrifying," Rovel said, spreading his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not quite prepared to be beaten to death by you today."
"Oh, right." Himeko tapped her forehead with the palm of her hand, a thoughtful look on her face. "I almost forgot that you Descenders can revive..."
A beat of silence passed. Rovel stared at her, his expression slowly shifting from casual to uncertain. "Did you... actually want to beat me to death just now?"
"What do you think?" Himeko's lips curved into a sly, dangerous smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
She let out an exaggerated sigh and stretched languidly, her body arching in a way that highlighted every curve. "Mmm~ I'm so tired after all that moving around... How about we go for a drink tonight?" she murmured, seemingly having lost all interest in continuing their spar.
Seeing this, Rovel relaxed and began to sheathe his blade, ready to call it a day.
Clank. Hiss. Whirrr.
The distinct, mechanical sounds of armor plating locking into place echoed behind him. Rovel whipped his head around, his eyes widening. Several articulated mechanical arms had emerged from a device on Himeko's back, expertly fitting pieces of crimson and black armor onto her body. In seconds, she was encased in the formidable "Fusion Armor: Scarlet."
"Round two, begin," Himeko announced, the corner of her mouth curling into a predatory grin. The very air around her crackled with a power that was worlds apart from a moment ago.
"...Sister Himeko, you're taking this a bit too far," Rovel said, taking a silent step back. He raised his hands again, this time in genuine surrender. "Can I just forfeit?"
The boost a Valkyrie battlesuit provided was immense, and that wasn't even factoring in Himeko herself, who stood among the upper echelon of A-Rank Valkyries. Without that inherent strength, she would never have been able to pilot the Godsbane battlesuit, Vermilion Knight: Eclipse, even in her prime. One had to remember that Himeko's physical condition was in a slow, steady decline. Two years from now, her combat power would be a shadow of its current self, yet she could still command that legendary armor. That alone spoke volumes about the warrior she was.
"Not a chance, darling." Himeko effortlessly hoisted her massive greatsword onto her shoulder. She ran a hand across her lips, a gesture brimming with confident allure.
Her pace shifted from a slow, deliberate walk to a blur of motion. Her speed had increased exponentially. Just as she closed the distance to Rovel, she launched herself high into the air, her form silhouetted against the training hall lights before she plummeted down like a meteor.
BOOM!
Rovel threw himself back several paces, but the sheer wind pressure from the cataclysmic impact sent him tumbling through the air. A crimson number materialized above his head.
[-375]
The mere shockwave from her greatsword had carved off a tenth of his health.
Seizing the opening, Himeko became a crimson projectile, rocketing towards the airborne Rovel to press her assault.
'Dissipating Force: Ink Chrysanthemum.' Rovel's body flickered, a subtle distortion of internal energy leaving behind an afterimage as he narrowly twisted away from the devastating blow.
His mind raced, his eyes darting slightly. This was too much. Logically, Himeko wouldn't go this far just for a bit of "fun." Even his ill-advised "Auntie" comment shouldn't have provoked a reaction of this magnitude.
Therefore, he reasoned, she must want something from him. Or perhaps... she wanted to verify something?
The Xuanyuan Sword? No, she couldn't have seen it, and even if she had, it was unlikely she'd recognize its significance.
Was she just testing his strength? The combat simulation rooms were far better suited for that, and infinitely safer.
Or maybe...
The pieces began to click into place in his mind.
As Himeko charged again, her greatsword cleaving the air, a change washed over Rovel. His black hair shimmered, shifting to a soft, pinkish-white. A pair of long, elegant fox ears sprouted from the top of his head, twitching slightly.
"Spirit Blade Form, activated!"
[Spirit Blade Form: Toxin Immunity, recovers 100 HP per second, Constitution +300, Strength +200, Agility +400!]
This had to be it. This was what Himeko wanted to see.
The Yae Sakura stigmata.
The Prototype Pulse Katana in his hand transformed in sync, its blade glowing with the same ethereal pinkish-white light. In an instant, Rovel's stats soared to a terrifying new level.
[Name: Rovel]
[Level: 8]
[Level Cap: 30 (Quest required to unlock)]
[EXP: 4000/7000]
[Race: Human]
[HP: 3750/3750]
[Honkai Energy Infection Progress: 0.42% (Receded after fusing with the Yae Sakura stigmata.)]
[Constitution: 375 (75+300)]
[Strength: 355 (75+200+80)]
[Agility: 575 (75+400+100)]
[Intelligence: 89]
[Honkai Energy Resistance: 1800HW]
[Unallocated EXP: 1,000,000]
[Equipment: Elysia's Crystal Flower (Special Accessory), Three-Year Sakura, Prototype Pulse Katana - Spirit Blade Form (Epic)]
As he predicted, the moment Himeko saw him transform, a satisfied smile bloomed on her face.
The tables had turned. With his strength massively enhanced, Rovel met Himeko's onslaught not with desperation, but with ease. He flowed around her heavy strikes, his movements fluid and precise, seizing every fleeting opening she revealed.
A single natural stigmata was enough to elevate his power to a level where he could stand toe-to-toe with a veteran A-Rank Valkyrie like Himeko. Of course, his own exceptional combat skills played a significant part. At this level, he didn't even need to activate his Sword Ki of Taixuan to comfortably handle her attacks.
'Truly terrifying...' A flicker of shock crossed Himeko's eyes. She was gaining a new, deep understanding of what a natural stigmata was capable of.
The artificial stigmata she and other Valkyries used were a pale imitation. They came with debilitating side effects and required a slow, arduous accumulation of power over time. Worse, the process of growing stronger with them also meant deepening the Honkai Energy corruption within their bodies. And in the end, the amplification they provided was a pittance compared to this. It wasn't even worthy of being called a degraded version.
SCREEECH!
Rovel's katana and Himeko's greatsword collided in a shower of sparks. The reinforced floor of the training ground groaned under the strain, a network of cracks spreading out from the point of impact like a spiderweb. The budget was burning.
"What do you two think you're doing!"
A sharp voice cut through the air. In the next instant, two golden chains shot out at supersonic speed, wrapping around Rovel and Himeko and binding them tightly.
[System detected that power is sealed. Spirit Blade Form has been deactivated.]
The system prompt chimed in his mind. The fox ears vanished, and his hair faded back to its natural black.
Theresa stormed over, her face a mask of fury. She gave each of them a solid whack on the head with her cross.
[-10]
A number popped over Rovel's head as a large bump began to swell. Himeko, of course, received the same treatment.
"Are you trying to tear down my training ground?" Theresa demanded, crossing her arms and glaring at them.
"We were just... messing around..." Himeko offered, her voice lacking its usual confidence.
"Messing around? You suit up in full Valkyrie armor just to 'mess around'?" Theresa shot back, her voice sharp. "Ai-chan sent me an alert that you had deployed your battlesuit! I thought you were in danger and rushed over here!"
Her gaze swept over the cracked floor and the two chastised fighters. "And it turns out you were just sparring with Rovel and wrecked the place!"
"Ahem, it was my fault. I asked Major Himeko to use her full strength..." Rovel interjected, hoping to deflect some of the heat from her.
Himeko shot him a grateful look. She hadn't expected the kid to be so considerate, speaking up for her even after she'd pushed him so hard.
"You don't need to make excuses for her," Theresa said, shaking her head, though her expression softened slightly towards Rovel. "Regardless, deploying a battlesuit within academy grounds for a spar is excessive. This has nothing to do with you. The maintenance fees for the training ground will be deducted from Himeko's salary."
She waved a hand, and the chains binding Rovel dissolved into light.
"The power of your stigmata is immense," she added, her tone now serious. "Try to use it less often within the academy from now on."
With that, Theresa grabbed the still-bound Himeko by the collar and began dragging her away. Rovel could only watch them go with a helpless shrug.
Soon, Himeko found herself in the Headmaster's office. Theresa finally released her from the chains before hopping onto her oversized, exclusive chair. She looked at Himeko, her expression now completely serious.
"Himeko, I know you're interested in the stigmata on Rovel, but you can't just... sigh." Theresa pressed her fingers to her forehead, a wave of exhaustion washing over her.
Though Himeko hadn't said a word, Theresa had already pieced together her motives. Himeko was a dedicated teacher; such an uncharacteristically aggressive display had to have a deeper reason.
Himeko lowered her head, remaining silent.
"Forget it. Go get some rest," Theresa said, her voice softening. "Just don't be so impulsive in the future. Given your current condition, using a battlesuit will only increase the burden on your body."
She gave a small nod, dismissing her.
Once Himeko had left, Theresa leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. A natural stigmata... how could something so powerful be found so easily?
'Maybe...'she thought, a new resolve forming.'I should go to the library. It's time to look through the old records and see if there are any clues.'
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