Without any warning, the beast-like Crimson Prison Beast pounced at Xing. He could clearly see the claws in its mouth and the drool dripping from its jaws.
Raven swiftly grabbed him and pulled him back, saving the little boy from the fox's mouth.
"You're quite popular, little guy," Raven said half-jokingly.
Dark crimson Raven Feathers filled the air as Raven quickly placed Xing on a distant boulder. "Wait here. I'll come get you after I kill that fox."
Watching Raven battle Crimson Prison Beast, Xing blinked. Strange, wasn't this Crimson Prison Beast's Honkai Energy concentration a little low?
Dark crimson streams of light darted rapidly around Crimson Prison Beast, adding countless wounds to its body.
"Roar!" Crimson Prison Beast howled in pain, but it was useless.
"Final blow." Raven leaped into the air and fired a fully charged arrow, piercing straight through Crimson Prison Beast's fox skull.
The giant beast's corpse crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Alright, mission complete." Raven was about to collect a few samples for Jackal when Crimson Prison Beast's corpse broke down into basic Honkai Energy and vanished.
"?" Raven was still puzzled when an icy chill suddenly came from behind her. A new Crimson Prison Beast appeared in the same place.
"What is this?" Raven was stunned.
--Spectator Seats--
With his black-and-white pupils, Xing surveyed the entire battlefield. He clearly saw endless pink energy continuously rising from underground.
"Is its true body underground? The one aboveground is merely a clone at best. I need to warn her, but she probably can't hear me from this far away. What should I do?" Xing pondered seriously--
A cold wind blew over him. Xing instinctively looked up, only to see a gigantic beast claw swiping toward him.
Raven kicked Crimson Prison Beast in the head, driving it deep into the earth. Its body once again collapsed into basic Honkai Energy. Just as she braced herself for another Crimson Prison Beast, a thunderous sound from afar made her heart sink.
"That direction... little guy!"
Crimson Prison Beast's claw slammed heavily into the ground. As though venting its fury, it deliberately crushed down several more times.
"Get away from him!" A furious roar arrived alongside Raven Feathers. The next second, that foreleg was torn directly from its body.
"Roar!" Crimson Prison Beast staggered back several steps in pain. Raven hurriedly picked up Xing from the deep pit. "Little guy, are you alright?"
Xing's face was smeared with blood, and he was deathly pale. Raven grabbed his right hand, where the dim, lightless stigmata was slowly fading away.
"My fault," Raven said quietly.
The mercenary slowly laid the boy's body on the ground, then pulled out a sniper rifle from behind her. Its name was the Third Divine Key, the Key of Judgment—Seven Thunders of Retribution.
As if sensing its wielder's rage, Seven Thunders of Retribution automatically changed form. A Gatling gun appeared in her hands.
A poem went: Namo Gatling Bodhisattva, depleted uranium bullets purify the six senses; three thousand six hundred rounds per breath, mercifully delivering all beings from this world.
"Come on, you stinking fox!" Raven held the trigger down. Crimson Prison Beast's screams and the Gatling's thunderous roar echoed through the mountains in an instant.
Inside Xing's Stigmata Space--
The white-haired Nun raised her hand. A pink cherry blossom fell into her palm. She paused, then dissolved into countless motes of light.
At the same time, inside St. Freya Academy, Judah, which had originally been displayed in Theresa's office, seemed to receive a summons. It smashed through the wall and flew off at high speed.
Theresa, who had just pushed open the door, stared at the large hole in the wall and Judah, now a tiny black dot on the horizon, wondering if she hadn't fully woken up yet.
Back in Yae Village, the crimson fox emerged from the void once more. It let out bursts of strange laughter, seemingly mocking Raven before it.
Seven Thunders of Retribution had run into a problem that every Divine Key would probably face: it was out of Honkai Energy.
"I need to find that thing's true body, but how?" Raven clenched the Honkai Energy Deactivator in her pocket. She would not use it unless absolutely necessary, because Jackal hadn't given her an antidote.
Crimson Prison Beast was about to attack again when several golden chains flew in from the side and bound it tightly.
"Th-this power is?! Impossible! How could she still be alive after all this time? A mere human..."
Raven followed the chains with her eyes, and then she saw a sight she would never forget for the rest of her life.
At some point, blood-covered Xing had risen to his feet. An unknown light flickered in his blue eyes as golden chains burst from his body. Accompanied by the pounding of a powerful heartbeat, the stigmata that had vanished earlier emerged across his back once more, covering more than half of it.
Expressionless, Xing held a golden card that had appeared in his hand at some point. "I activate the Ritual Spell from my hand: Saintess's Advent. When my Life Points are below 1,000, I offer one [Kaslana] monster on the field as a tribute and Special Summon one [Saintess] Ritual Monster from my hand, ignoring the difference in Levels."
Brilliant light erupted from his body, and a grand magic circle appeared beneath his feet. As the circle rose, Xing took on an entirely new form.
"O great and tragic Saintess, cross five hundred years of time and descend upon this world once more! Use your magnificent power to show us the way! Ritual Summon! Descend, Level 12, Schicksal Saintess—Kallen Kaslana - Herrscher of Gratitude!"
The pure white Saintess descended at last.
(For her appearance here, please refer to the illustration for the Kallen's Song stigmata.)
"No, no, no! This is impossible!" The moment Crimson Prison Beast saw Xing transform into Kallen, immense terror filled its heart.
Several Crimson Prison Beasts appeared beside Xing. She lightly shifted aside, dodging one of their pounces. Then she seized it by the tail, heaved it up, and swung it like a weapon, sweeping away the other Crimson Prison Beasts in the process.
"What kind of Saintess is that?" Raven couldn't help grumbling as she watched such a violent display. "Wait, was this little guy actually a girl?"
After eliminating the remaining Crimson Prison Beasts, Xing slowly walked over to Raven.
Raven raised her guard to the utmost, only for the other girl to walk straight past her, completely ignoring her.
A golden cross descended from high above and crashed heavily into the ground, gouging deep cracks into the earth. Xing raised Judah and smashed it down with all her strength.
"Hey, don't tell me you're planning to—" Before Raven could react, the ground had completely split apart, and the two fell into the cavern below.
Loyal Judah activated flight mode and carried the girl safely to the ground.
As for Raven, don't worry. She could fly.
"Kallen Kaslana!" A furious roar resounded through the sky. A Crimson Prison Beast several times larger than before emerged and spat out a barrage of fireballs at the Saintess.
Though she wore a short skirt and high heels, it was no problem at all for Xing, who had inherited Kallen's combat instincts. Drawing a spear from Judah, the girl dodged while directly smashing several fireballs apart. (Calling it a short skirt should be fine. Though it had skirt panels, those were only on the sides.)
With nimble footwork, Xing rapidly closed the distance between herself and Crimson Prison Beast. Seeing that the fox did not dare engage her in close combat, Xing threw Judah directly at its face.
"Thud!" Crimson Prison Beast was struck so hard that stars danced before its eyes. While it was still dazed, Xing had already arrived in front of it.
She jumped, then brought her leg down. Her left leg smashed viciously into Crimson Prison Beast's head, driving it straight into the ground.
Looking at the half-dead Crimson Prison Beast, the girl slowly raised her right hand. A gigantic golden magic circle appeared above the cavern, and countless golden spears emerged from it. (Refer to God's Blessing Anthem's ultimate.)
"No! Stop! If you kill me, then Yae Sakura will—" Before Crimson Prison Beast could finish, Xing swung her hand down.
"Aaaaaah!" Crimson Prison Beast was pierced clean through in an instant, its heart soaring. Its screams echoed throughout the entire cavern.
Its enormous body dissolved into motes of light, leaving behind only a small purple box. Xing controlled Judah and sealed it within her body.
After finishing all of that, she stood where she was without moving.
Raven watched from afar with her heart pounding. She had wanted to flee immediately, but the other girl did not move for a long time, so she gathered her courage and approached.
"Little guy?" Raven watched from five hundred meters away.
"Little guy?" Raven stood in front of her and waved a finger before her eyes.
"Little guy?" Raven pressed a hand against the girl's chest. Hmm, she was developing nicely, and she felt pretty good too.
No matter how much force Raven used, Xing showed no reaction at all.
"This is a rare chance. Might as well confirm whether she's a girl or one of those half-man, half-woman types." Raven made the girl lie on her side, slung her legs over her shoulder, and lifted her short skirt.
"White ones~"
The girl remained expressionless, letting Raven paw at her however she pleased.
--Scene Break--
"Mm, how long have I been asleep?" Yae Sakura gradually awoke from her seal. The first name that surfaced in her mind was—Kallen.
She was the most important person to her, someone she could never forget.
How wonderful it would be if Kallen were there when I woke up, she thought.
But that was impossible. Though she did not know how long she had slept, it must have been an incredibly long time. Kallen was only an ordinary human; she could not have lived that long.
With that thought, she opened her eyes.
I must be dreaming, right?
As a Herrscher, her eyesight was excellent. Was there a girl lying on the ground in the distance? She looked a lot like Kallen. Even that cross stuck beside her looked just like Kallen's Judah.
It must be a coincidence, right?
Wait, what was that woman beside her doing?
Bastard! Pervert! Shameless woman! How dare she do something like that to Kallen? Even I haven't...
No, wait, I have. Then it's fine.
Fine my ass!
Yae Sakura suddenly felt her hair and fox ears turn from pink to green.
Flames ignited around her. Her Miko robes transformed into samurai-style clothing as she switched directly from Miko of the Divine Punishment to True Flame Lucky Soul. Even the Spirit Blade - Sakura Blizzard at her waist was dyed red, becoming the Demon Blade - Crimson Cherry Blossom.
Grasping Crimson Cherry Blossom, Yae Sakura's eyes brimmed with killing intent.
"One-hit kill!"
Before you continue