Chapter 135: The Forgiven and the Forgotten
As the suffocating darkness in Yae Sakura's heart began to recede, a foul expression twisted Higokumaru's features. She could feel her influence waning, the malice she had so carefully cultivated dissolving under the warmth of another's touch.
The spectral form of the Oni Warrior, an avatar of Sakura's pain, flickered and dissolved into nothingness. Its existence was tied to the very resentment that now faded from Sakura's soul. She found herself gripping Rovel's hand, the steady warmth from his palm a tangible anchor that seemed capable of dispelling any shadow.
Seeing this, Higokumaru knew her subtle manipulations had failed. She could no longer guide Sakura into the abyss this way. It was time to stop hiding.
With a furious roar, her aura erupted. A violent conflagration of crimson energy swallowed her form whole, and the air warped with blistering heat. When the flames parted, she had transformed into a colossal fox, its fur the color of embers, radiating a terrifying pressure that seemed to make the very ground tremble. This world was her creation, a domain where her power was amplified exponentially.
'Your cheat has arrived,' Klein's familiar, disembodied voice echoed in Rovel's mind.
In the next instant, the sky, once a clear and empty illusion, turned a bruised, angry purple. A torrential downpour crashed down from above, each fat drop hissing as it struck Higokumaru's fiery coat. The deluge was unnatural, a targeted flood from the heavens that instantly dampened her inferno, reducing its roaring power to a sullen, steaming hiss.
She threw her head back and snarled at the sky, her mouth trembling with rage, revealing the vicious fangs hidden within.
"Nice one!" Rovel praised, a confident grin spreading across his face. He lightly raised a hand, and the deluge answered his call. Puddles and streams coalesced, rising into the air as countless shimmering ice spikes. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the volley screaming toward the giant fox.
Higokumaru reacted instantly, igniting a defensive wall of fire that vaporized the incoming ice. But this was a battle of attrition he was perfectly equipped to win. In this rain-soaked arena, his offensive was relentless. For every volley she turned to steam, the downpour provided the ammunition for ten more. A ceaseless barrage of ice and high-pressure water jets kept her pinned, denying her any chance to close the distance.
A grin spread across Rovel's face as he struck a dramatic pose. "Tides, I have returned!" he declared with theatrical flair.
Clenching his right hand into a fist, he commanded the very essence of the storm. The water flooding the ground surged toward Higokumaru from all directions, rising up to form a massive, churning sphere—a Water Prison that completely engulfed her.
Higokumaru thrashed desperately within the vortex, but the pressure was staggering. Boosted by the magical weather, the prison was self-sustaining. Even when her desperate bursts of flame managed to evaporate the water around her, the super-heated steam would only rise, cool in the torrential rain, and liquefy again, reinforcing the cage in an endless cycle.
Slowly but surely, Higokumaru's struggles grew weaker.
"Rovel, I want to talk to her," Yae Sakura pleaded, her gaze fixed on the weakened fox.
"Mhm." Rovel nodded, as if he had been expecting this. With a gesture, the Water Prison dissolved, releasing a gasping Higokumaru onto the soaked ground.
"Higokumaru, you lost," Yae Sakura said calmly, walking to the collapsed beast.
"Cough… Heh… Hehehe…" Higokumaru wheezed, her massive form heaving. She lacked the strength to even lift her head. "So what? Your life is already ruined because of me. Your family, everything you tried to protect… it's all gone!"
Yae Sakura didn't respond with words. She simply knelt in the mud and gently stroked Higokumaru's large, drenched head.
'What… what was this? Pity? Is this the victor's charity?' Higokumaru's mind reeled in confusion.
"You're very lonely all by yourself, aren't you?" A soft smile touched the corners of Yae Sakura's lips. "From now on… I will always be with you."
There was no triumphant declaration, no cold scolding. There was only a deep heartache for the suffering she perceived. During her time trapped in the illusion, she had felt the deep-seated resentment radiating from Higokumaru's core—a hatred for humanity, a burning rage against civilization itself. But beneath all that, she had also sensed a sliver of deep, aching loneliness.
Higokumaru was just another victim of the Honkai. And in that moment, Yae Sakura chose to let go of her hatred. She chose to forgive.
Shock flashed in Higokumaru's wide, golden eyes. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't comprehend that Yae Sakura would actually forgive her—forgive a monster who had committed such unforgivable sins.
"It's 'us'," Rovel corrected gently. He stepped forward, wrapped an arm around Yae Sakura, and placed his own hand on Higokumaru's head.
As if on cue, the heavy rain stopped. The world around them shimmered, fractured, and then shattered like glass, dissolving back to the very beginning.
But this time, there would be no more sadness, no more pain. Even if it was only a constructed fairy tale, it was enough to become a solace deep within their hearts.
"It's over," Rovel said softly. He and Yae Sakura sat side-by-side on a thick branch of the giant cherry blossom tree at the Yae Shrine, overlooking the entirety of Yae Village below.
The streets were bustling with people, each going about their day in peace.
"Yes, it's over…" Yae Sakura's lips curled into a gentle smile as she leaned into Rovel's embrace. This warmth was so wonderfully reassuring.
"Sister! Brother-in-law! Someone in the village said a monster has appeared!"
A small figure came bounding toward them, panting as she shouted up at the two on the branch.
"A monster?" Rovel and Yae Sakura exchanged a curious glance.
"Yeah, yeah! I heard the monster likes to steal and eat aburaage! Several of the fried tofu stalls have been hit!" Yae Rin insisted earnestly.
"A monster that likes to steal and eat aburaage?" Rovel murmured, a thoughtful look on his face.
"…Husband, let's go down and take a look," Yae Sakura said in a low voice.
"Okay," Rovel nodded.
"Eh? I want to go too! Wait… wait for me…" Yae Rin cried, scrambling to follow them as they descended.
"Why are you running so fast?" Rovel chuckled, ruffling Yae Rin's hair.
"Because running feels great! I can feel the wind on my cheeks!" Yae Rin declared, puffing out her chest. "Don't look at me like this, not many people in Yae Village can outrun me!"
"Yes, Rin is the best," Yae Sakura encouraged her with a warm smile.
"Heehee." The praise made Yae Rin beam. "But I've been running for so long, I'm so tired. Brother-in-law, carry me!" With a nimble leap, she landed squarely on Rovel's back.
Rovel quickly adjusted to support her, grumbling good-naturedly, "You really don't show any mercy when ordering your brother-in-law around."
"Hmph," Yae Rin huffed lightly, clinging to him without another word.
Soon, the three of them arrived in Yae Village. According to the information they gathered from the residents, the "monster" Rin had mentioned was very small, had four short fox tails, and was incredibly fast. People would turn their backs for a second, and their aburaage would simply vanish.
They searched for a long time, however, and couldn't find any sign of this so-called monster.
"Husband, do you have any ideas?" Yae Sakura asked, looking to Rovel.
"It's still early," he replied. "Let's keep looking."
"Okay." Yae Sakura nodded.
Rovel held Yae Sakura's hand, carried Yae Rin on his back, and continued their leisurely stroll through the streets.
Suddenly, a nearby wooden barrel rattled with a strange noise.
The sound instantly caught the attention of all three.
"Hmm? Is there something in the barrel?"
Yae Sakura stepped forward, moved the heavy rock resting on the barrel's lid, and then lifted it open.
A cute little monster appeared before them.
"The Aburaage Monster!" Yae Rin pointed and shouted.
"I… I was just too hungry…" the little creature explained hurriedly. She then looked up at Yae Sakura and said politely, "Thank you for saving me, Big Sis!"
"Big… Big Sis?" Yae Sakura was a bit taken aback by the address, but looking at the creature's innocent and adorable appearance, she found herself at a loss for words.
"Sigh, I'm Yae Sakura. What's your name?" Yae Sakura asked gently.
"My name is… uh… why can't I remember? I… who am I?" The little fox girl tilted her head. "Oh, I've forgotten my name. I can't remember anything from before I was locked in that barrel. But, I don't remember doing anything bad, yet they locked me up… It's pretty inconvenient not having a name. How about this, Big Sis, you can just give me any name!"
She scratched her head and decisively handed the difficult mental task over to Yae Sakura.
Yae Sakura looked at the small, amnesiac fox girl, a complex and gentle expression on her face. A name formed in her mind, a name of pain and resentment, now repurposed for forgiveness and a new beginning.
"From now on… you shall be called 'Higokumaru'."
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