The great fox Higokumaru watched as the equally large fox before her suddenly transformed into a colossal Japanese samurai.
This immense power Higokumaru could be certain... was also a force of the Herrscher of Corruption. But... why couldn't she herself change?
Could it be that the person before her had already developed a deeper understanding of the Herrscher core's power than even she?
"You think changing your shape will make you stronger than me?"
Although Higokumaru didn't understand how Higokumaru had transformed into this new form, she didn't believe that her previous "equal" opponent could become significantly stronger just by changing appearances.
Moreover, even if she wasn't a match for this new form, Higokumaru was confident that she couldn't be stopped if she chose to leave!
"Why don't you try and find out?! [Jumping Slash]!"
Higokumaru, now transformed into the demonic Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, leaped towards the large fox with a powerful swing of her ultra-long katana.
As the blade hurtled towards her, Higokumaru dared not take it lightly. She swiftly turned... causing her three fox tails to whip upwards in defense.
However... the topmost tail was completely severed by the katana, while the other two were also injured, causing Higokumaru considerable pain.
"We've only just begun!"
[Threefold Slash]
The demonic Bodhisattva descended upon Higokumaru without a moment's hesitation, unleashing a rapid succession of three deadly strikes with his katana!
Higokumaru could only raise her forelegs in defense... but the three strikes left deep wounds across her front legs.
he pain made Higokumaru furious, and she spat out a burst of black flames directly towards the ghost god before her.
(TL Note: It is here that the author decides to refer to our higokumaru as Mitama without saying anything. This arc is confusing with these twins. (๑﹏๑//))
However... Mitama simply thrust her sword into the ground, instantly entering a darkened state!
If this were a game, you'd see... that all attacks hitting Mitama would only deduct a tiny bit of health.
Soul Barrier
When entering a darkened state, a Soul Barrier appears around ghost god Mitama. Without using high-frequency output to quickly dispel the shield, Mitama becomes effectively invincible.
So... when Higokumaru's flames hit Mitama, it had absolutely no effect. Instead, the warrior-like Mitama advanced steadily, blade in hand, towards Higokumaru.
Seeing that even her Fox Flame had no impact, Higokumaru let out an enraged howl. Six enormous pillars of fire sprang up around her, radiating outward with destructive force.
Yet... despite their apocalyptic appearance, these super fire pillars failed to break through Mitama's barrier. By now, the ghost god Mitama had closed the distance to Higokumaru completely.
"Finish this! Sword Sage Tempest!"
Approaching Higokumaru, Mitama raised both blades above her head, her body transforming completely into a maelstrom. Vast amounts of dark sword energy coalesced, forming a tornado-like vortex.
Higokumaru attempted to flee but was instantly drawn into the heart of the black elemental storm, passively enduring its elemental assault.
As the tempest subsided, Higokumaru crumpled weakly to the ground...
Just as Mitama prepared to bring her to the Gyakushin Miko, Higokumaru abruptly transformed into a fox less than half a meter long... Before Mitama could react, the fox darted away like an arrow, shooting off in a single, swift motion.
"I won't let you off that easily! Just wait until I fully recover... I'll make sure this world and you all burn together!"
Even in retreat, Higokumaru made sure to part with a fierce threat.
"Escape? As if you could get away!"
Upon hearing Higokumaru's words, Mitama hesitated for a moment... then crossed her blades, charging after Higokumaru at top speed...
After several minutes, the ghostly Mitama returned with a completely limp little fox in her grasp, arriving beside the Gyakushinn Miko.
Moments later, Mitama transformed into a young girl with fox ears... and tossed the similarly sized little fox at the Gyakushinn Miko's feet.
"Big Sister, I didn't disappoint... I caught Higokumaru! What should we do with her?"
"Oh right, I used my more powerful corrosive strength to completely overwhelm this Higokumaru. Although she still has the consciousness of a Herrscher, she's utterly powerless now."
As Higokumaru spoke, she cast a look at the Gyakushinn Miko, clearly seeking praise.
"Mm-hmm, Higokumaru is fantastic! How about I make you a big pot of fried tofu later?" Since Higokumaru had once again proven herself, it was naturally time to reward her.
For Higokumaru, fried tofu was the best reward.
"Fried tofu? You're the best, Big Sister!" Upon hearing this, Higokumaru eagerly nodded her head.
"Serenade, what should we do with this Herrscher?" Kallen promptly asked the Gyakushinn Miko.
"The best approach would be to convince her to voluntarily relinquish her Herrscher Core, transforming it into a Divine Key. However... if persuasion fails, it's simply impossible," the Gyakushinn Miko replied without hesitation.
In her case, Higokumaru had been influenced by Yae Sakura and Theresa, but that had occurred five hundred years in the future, and only due to a fortunate coincidence.
"Then why not seal her?" Kallen pondered for a moment. Persuading a Herrscher seemed too daunting. If sealing her away was possible... it couldn't get better than that.
"Sealing... is incredibly difficult... and would be less effective than simply killing her outright. But whether you seal or kill her... it won't take long before she either escapes from the seal or comes back to life.
It will only buy you some time!"
"As long as civilization endures, so will Honkai, ensuring the Herrscher's indestructibility. The true solution lies in humankind gaining control over the Herrscher..."
The Gyakushinn Miko inwardly agreed with Lord Otto's perspective: deep within every Herrscher, remnants of human consciousness persisted, left uneradicated.
Otto planned to awaken the human consciousness within the Herrscher through affection, family bonds, friendship, and love. This way, the Herrscher could become... a human possessing the power of a God.
Based on Otto's calculations, this was feasible.
Humans would truly possess the power of a God, rather than relying on divine keys...
"Let's start by having her spend some time with me... No, wait! Let's give it a try. If we can influence her... that would be ideal." She glanced at the little fox on the ground, similar to Higokumaru. Well, since I'm already raising one little fox, why not another?
Didn't Yae Sakura from Honkai Impact 2 have two foxes too?
"This... is this really okay?" Kallen hesitated, her voice trembling. This is a Herrscher we're talking about!
Every single Herrscher is a destroyer of civilizations...
"How will we know unless we try? If we succeed... humans will gain another divine key. Our chances of defeating Honkai will increase significantly."
Of course... these words were all spoken for Kallen's benefit.
As expected, after hearing Gyakushinn Miko's words, Kallen had no objections.
As for the Yae sisters? They naturally followed their Sis.
-
Yae Sakura picked up Higokumaru, who had been rendered unconscious by Higokumaru...
"Hey, are you willing to be my little fox?"