Changkong Lone Star (4)

(Author's Note: For the latter half of this chapter, imagining the BGM from "Starfall" will enhance the experience~)

Xing wasn't feeling good at all. If the Honkai Energy corruption from Herrscher Mei before was a small stream, then the fully activated Gem of Stillness was now Lake Dongting to her. Purple lines spread from her right hand across her entire body.

"You, what are you doing? Stop it!" Jackal frantically commanded Xing.

Xing's eyes turned black and white. Under her Honkai Vision, the flow of all Honkai Energy was laid bare. "Is it upstairs?" the girl whispered, walking past Jackal.

"Stop, I told you to stop!" Jackal roared at her in exasperation.

"Shut up!" Annoyed by the noise, the girl glared at her, her black and white eyes filled with killing intent.

"How could this be... Natasha!"

The black-clad mercenary appeared silently behind the girl. "Don't block me," she said softly.

Raven's claws brushed against her neck. "What if I want to block you?"

"Then I'll find a hacker friend of mine and have her wipe out all your savings," Xing replied crisply.

A killing blow to the heart!

Raven glanced at her claws and quickly lowered her hand.

"Where are the stairs?" Xing turned to ask Raven.

"You can take the elevator over there," Raven pointed the way for her.

"Thanks."

One dared to ask, and one dared to answer.

After Xing had walked away, Jackal finally dared to speak. "Why did you show her the way? Why didn't you just take her down? Didn't I give you a bottle of Honkai Energy deactivator earlier?"

Raven slowly showed Jackal the Soul Steel claws she had touched Xing with. The originally intact claws were now damaged in multiple places. Upon closer inspection, the gaps showed signs of corrosion.

"Perhaps she hasn't even realized it herself, but the power of the Herrscher of Death has been gradually awakening within her. So, wouldn't it be good to accelerate that process?"

Inside Tesla's underground laboratory, the three members of Fire Moth were silent, either anxious, worried, or expressionless.

"Done!" Tesla's excited voice suddenly rang out. The three looked at her in surprise. Dr. Lobster was holding a bowl of instant noodles. "It's finally cooked!"

(╬◣д◢)×3

Kiana punched Tesla on the head. "What's so exciting about a bowl of instant noodles? How's Xing doing?" After punching her, she snatched her instant noodles. "This young lady is starving to death..."

A large bump quickly formed on Tesla's head. "That hurt! I'm definitely going to complain to Siegfried about this later and have him spank you hard!" Dr. Lobster glared resentfully at the white-haired furball who had hit her and stolen her noodles. She should have used Alahato to beat her up a few times during the Second Honkai War!

"Beep, beep." Suddenly, Tesla's computer emitted an electronic alert. Dr. Lobster quickly opened the program to track the Herrscher Core detector she had previously installed in Xing.

"Success! The data shows two high-concentration Honkai Energy crystal reactions in his body right now! Huh, what is this abnormal record?" Tesla was excited by the signal's feedback.

The three immediately crowded over, looking at the computer screen with surprise.

"Really? Xing succeeded?"

"That's great, let's go meet him quickly. Doctor, when will the reinforcements you mentioned arrive?"

"Strange, according to the surveillance footage Bronya hacked from ME Company, Xing hasn't come out since being brought into the laboratory by that mercenary. Wait a minute, who is this big sister?"

Bronya shared the hacked surveillance footage to Tesla's computer. In the footage, Xing, in a Kallen-like female outfit, with a flushed face, walked out of the laboratory, which she had almost dismantled, with Raven.

"This big sister is so beautiful... Why do I feel like she looks so much like Xing? No, she looks exactly like an older version of Auntie!" Kiana looked at her, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

The meticulous Mei noticed a detail. "Look at her right hand! Isn't that Xing's Stigmata?"

Bronya immediately zoomed in on the footage. The familiar Stigmata patterns clearly appeared before the three.

"Isn't that brat a guy?" Tesla asked confusedly.

Bronya analyzed rationally: "Based on the body curve scan, the girl in the surveillance footage is 80% female, ruling out the possibility of a male cross-dressing. Either this is Xing's sister, or it's Xing herself. Bronya leans towards the second judgment, because on her left hand, there's also a Stigmata identical to Xing's."

Tesla looked. "That's not right, that brat has red pupils, and this one has blue pupils. Purely Kaslana."

Kiana said uncertainly, "I think I've seen Xing's eyes suddenly turn blue before."

While the four were arguing, the laboratory door was opened, and a black-haired man wearing black-rimmed glasses walked in. "Tesla, you mentioned earlier... Kiana? Why are you guys here?"

"Teacher Welt? ×3"

That's right, the visitor was none other than the leader of Anti-Entropy, the second Herrscher of Reason, and the history teacher at St. Freya Academy—Welt Yang.

Rita opened the communication channel and reported the latest mission progress to Otto. "Reporting, Lord Bishop, after we defeated the unidentified man who claimed to be the First Herrscher at Dr. Maki's residence, based on the information from the equipment on him, we've confirmed that the Gem of Stillness is currently at ME Company headquarters in Changkong City. The Immortal Blades have arrived at the mission location. Requesting instructions."

"Well done, Rita. Don't act rashly for now. Report to me if any sudden situations arise," Otto's command came from the other end.

"Yes." The maid respectfully accepted the order.

"This is bad, Vice-Captain! We've detected high-energy Honkai reactions from within ME Company!" a team member reported to her in a panic.

"Don't panic, Immortal Blades, prepare to assemble!" Rita calmly organized the team, preparing to force their way into ME Company.

"Captain, what is that glowing thing on the roof of ME Company?" someone discovered the anomaly.

When Kiana arrived before the imminent explosion of the Honkai Energy bomb, what was on her mind?

Xing didn't know, but he knew what he was thinking right now.

Will I die? This was his first thought upon arriving near the rocket being loaded.

Can I do it? This was his second thought. Could he really absorb all the Honkai Energy released by the bomb like Kiana and save Changkong City?

He wasn't a born hero, just an ordinary person. When he first arrived in this world and saw Mei unconscious, he'd had a physical reaction to her torn stockings – a normal impulse for a shut-in. When he met the amnesiac Bronya, he'd jokingly told her to call him Captain, just to satisfy a small selfish desire he'd long craved in reality.

He'd been in Valkyrie training for less than a month. Even with the ability of Bonded Weaponry, his mindset was still that of an ordinary person who had suddenly transmigrated into the Honkai world.

So, why was he taking such a risky action?

Xing himself didn't know. Perhaps he just wanted to show off and increase Kiana and the others' favorability? Or maybe to fulfill his promise and change this imperfect world into what he wanted it to be?

There was no more time for him to ponder life. The transport rocket was about to take off. Xing placed his hand on the rocket's exterior, and several golden chains emerged from him, firmly securing him to it. After becoming a Herrscher Fusion, his mastery over Stigmata had improved. However, it seemed he hadn't awakened the Parvati molecules in the Kaslana gene; he only possessed the power of Vishnu.

"I just need to transform into God's Blessing Anthem again, right? That form can summon Judas." Xing thought this, unaware that the moment this thought crossed his mind, Judas had already smashed through the roof that Theresa had just repaired and was flying towards him.

"But with my current body, using Judas would pretty much finish me off too." Herrscher Fusion plus Pseudo-Herrscher, using Judas directly would be game over.

"But there's no other way." The Gem of Stillness within his body stirred restlessly. If he truly absorbed the spreading Honkai Energy, he would likely become a Herrscher himself, and a Herrscher personality popping out would be troublesome.

He immersed his mind into his Stigmata, pushing his power to the maximum, but nothing happened. "What's going on? Did I open it the wrong way?"

The rocket took off, and specks of Honkai Energy spilled out. Purple patterns spread across his body.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures!" Golden energy formed a card in his hand. At this moment, Xing Kaslana's mind was highly focused.

"I activate Ritual Spell from my hand: Descent of the Saintess! I tribute the Level 4 Kallen Oath and Level 8 Gem of Stillness on the field to perform a Ritual Summon!"

The Stigmata on his right hand dissipated, reappearing magnified behind him. Golden airflow flowed through his entire body, gradually converging into a pure white, noble nun's habit.

"Great and sorrowful Saintess, crossing five hundred years of time, please descend upon the world once more and guide us with your magnificent power! Ritual Summon! Descend, Level 12, Schicksal Saintess Kallen Kaslana, God's Blessing Anthem!"

Pure white light illuminated the sky, noticed by the Immortal Blades squad members on the ground. Rita called the reconnaissance team and used specialized equipment for long-distance observation. A clear image played on the device.

The pure white Saintess floated in the sky, countless golden vortexes appearing around her. Golden chains emerged from them, firmly binding the transport rocket. "This feeling... it's not bad, is it?" Xing thought, having officially accepted the Stigmata's power.

"Captain, who is that girl? She looks so strong!" a teammate exclaimed.

"According to the scan, the thing she's trying to control is the source of the high-energy Honkai reaction. Captain, requesting orders." The reconnaissance team acted swiftly.

Rita didn't issue any commands but instead relayed the live broadcast to Otto.

Otto, who was drinking black tea, leisurely opened the channel and spat his tea onto the screen. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, suspecting an error in his Soul Steel body. "Kallen?" he murmured. "No, impossible, she just looks like her."

Floating in mid-air, Xing ascended higher with the rocket, struggling to control the chains and attempting to stop its ascent. "Ugh, this thing..." Fine sweat beaded on the girl's forehead, her expression grim.

The next second, a backlash from the Gem of Stillness within and the explosion of the Honkai Energy bomb inside the transport rocket made the girl's body tremble. The Stigmata instantly dimmed, and the chains binding the bomb snapped one by one. Xing fell powerlessly downwards.

Is this the end? He looked up at the spreading Honkai Energy, his heart filled with powerlessness.

"Are you going to give up?" A clear female voice sounded in his ear. A woman wearing a purple mask and a purple dress had appeared before him at some point. "Xing, are you going to give up?"

Xing's pupils contracted sharply. "You... you are?"

Her answer was direct: "Kallen Kaslana."

"I... I, I..." Xing didn't know what to say.

"Brave child, I've seen all your actions. You've done well, worthy of the Kaslana name, and worthy of me." Kallen's words seemed to possess magic, soothing the unease in her heart.

Kallen extended her hand to her. "Come, child, let me bestow my power upon you."

Xing reached out. The moment their fingertips touched, Kallen's figure shattered like a mirage. In its place was the gleaming golden Judas. Judas's chains grasped her hand, pulling her upwards.

"Judas?" Rita on the ground exclaimed.

"Judas?" Otto in the Schicksal headquarters stared intently at the screen.

"Judas?" Welt and his group, who had just emerged from underground, caught up with the live broadcast using Anti-Entropy's satellite monitoring.

"Judas?" Theresa, who had just woken up, looked at the hole in her roof and almost had a breakdown.

In everyone's eyes, Judas flew to Xing on its own, saving her. Kallen's phantom just now felt like an empty dream.

"Thanks, Kallen Kaslana." Infinite power surged from her heart. Xing controlled Judas, and with even more chains than before, firmly locked onto the spreading Honkai Energy, pushing it back.

"I'll help too." Yae Sakura's figure appeared, and both their hands were placed on Judas.

Cherry blossom petals swirled around the cross, infusing it with new power. Oath of Judas, Transfer Evolution, Oath of Sakura!

It's not over yet! The two exerted force again, and the form of the Key of Binding changed once more!

Oath of Sakura, Over-limit Evolution, Sakura's Redemption!

Weapon Description: In that cherry blossom encounter, she made a vow, and completed a redemption. Like a gentle breeze stirring falling petals, the saved soul awakened the sleeping power within this weapon.

Otto at Schicksal headquarters punched through the screen. "My Kallen! You wretched fox, deserving of a thousand cuts, you dare again, again..." Blinded by rage, Otto frantically smashed everything around him.

"Durandal, get to Changkong City as fast as possible! Rita, assemble the Immortal Blades and bring that girl back at all costs! Remember, do not harm her, understand?!"

"Sakura, are you ready?" Xing gritted her teeth and asked. She could feel that Judas's power wasn't damaging her body as much as she'd imagined.

"Come on, Kallen, no, Xing." The shrine maiden's eyes were filled with sincerity.

Oath of Judas, Zero Rated Power, Unleash! (Let's keep the original name, Heavenly Fire Judgment changed to Jie Mie, Kevin still uses his original name for it.)

Divine Blessing Barrier!

Sakura-colored gears unfurled in the air, and invisible energy completely nullified the large amount of Honkai Energy.

The Key of Binding lost its radiance, and the pink figure vanished. The pure white girl fell from the sky, like a lone star dropping from Changkong City.

But this star was not alone.

A black and red sphere, now shimmering with crystal blue light, appeared out of nowhere in the man's hand, altering the surrounding force field. "Star of Eden!" Welt caught Xing, who had fallen from the sky and returned to his original form. "You've worked hard, child."

Author's Note—

When I used to read transmigration novels, I often found issues where the protagonist's divinity seemed a bit too heavy.

It's like, inexplicably, they adapted to the transmigration, inexplicably learned to fight, inexplicably… how should I put it, like a genius, completely lacking the feel of an ordinary person.

Therefore, I want to portray Xing as realistically as possible, making him a microcosm of us, entering the world I created to resolve regrets on everyone's behalf. Maybe I often get carried away, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I really like it. If some readers can't continue, I apologize.

Preview for the next arc! Sakura Cycle: Revision, commencing!