Miracles and Magic Aren't Free

The moment the card flew toward her, Hiyorimar felt that something was terribly wrong.

Having been sealed inside the black box for fifty thousand years, she was naturally extremely sensitive to the aura of sealing abilities.

On this card, Hiyorimar sensed an ability similar to that black box.

If she obediently accepted the seal, she could only return to those sunless days of the past.

But if she refused to submit, she...

Leaving aside how dangerous the real world was, she could not even beat the magenta demon in front of her!

Waaah, why was a Herrscher like her doing so miserably?

Had this world's power system collapsed? Weren't Herrschers supposed to be the strongest fighting force???

Wait.

After suddenly recalling certain scenes from the young man's memories, Hiyorimar abruptly came to terms with it.

It seemed that, apart from the First Herrscher, who had died in battle with some dignity, the later Herrschers...

The Second Herrscher, Sirin, had combined six Herrscher Cores and still been beaten into the ground two or three times.

The Third Herrscher, Raiden Mei—had been utterly overwhelmed by the young man in front of her, and had also suffered defeat after defeat in the original timeline.

The Fourth Herrscher, Wendy, had been blown apart on the spot by a pile of Anti-Entropy mechs.

Looking at it this way, Hiyorimar, as a Herrscher...

—really ought to just obediently stay tucked inside this card.

Having accepted reality, Hiyorimar looked at Gu Yu with tear-filled eyes and voiced her final request.

"Big brother, can we make a deal?"

"How about letting me out for some fresh air once in a while?"

"Hm?"

Upon hearing that syllable from him, Hiyorimar immediately shook her head frantically in cowardly panic.

"I was joking, I was joking. I didn't say anything."

Then, her figure gradually faded away and vanished before the two of them.

Watching the sealing card automatically bounce back into his hand, Gu Yu let out a small sigh of relief.

Although Hiyorimar had been badly beaten by him and no longer had the strength to continue weakening the power of the Knight Emblem in Gu Yu's hand,

she was still a Herrscher.

Gu Yu had only been able to beat Hiyorimar so thoroughly because the Moon Rabbit form was specially designed to cripple Hiyorimar's three major senses in advance.

Otherwise, if they had truly fought, he would likely have had to put in much more effort.

Of course, that was not the most important part.

Beating Hiyorimar up was easy, but destroying her was not so simple.

Even Dr. Mei, the genius scientist of the previous era, had failed to kill Hiyorimar. If Gu Yu directly blew up Hiyorimar's body, she probably still would not die.

The final result would only be like the plot of [Sakura Samsara], allowing Hiyorimar to regain her power.

As for trying to reform her...

—Gu Yu had no such intention whatsoever.

Theresa might be able to forgive Otto for causing Cecilia's death and use warmth to reform Hiyorimar.

But Gu Yu, who knew that Hiyorimar had crippled a test wearer with a single move, could not feel the slightest goodwill toward the Herrscher before him.

Although Raiden Mei and Yuno were also Herrschers, they had at least never committed any acts of slaughter against humanity.

But the number of lives on Hiyorimar's hands was impossible to count. Gu Yu could not feel any pity for a Herrscher like her.

So in the end, he could only take the same action as Dr. Mei and seal Hiyorimar away.

Of course, there was another reason not to blow Hiyorimar apart.

If Gu Yu dealt with Hiyorimar here, she would not die, but the Honkai Energy she had painstakingly gathered would definitely scatter throughout the surrounding space.

At that point, the Decade Stigmata, which automatically absorbed Honkai Energy, would certainly absorb a massive amount of the Honkai Energy nearby.

Gu Yu's real body was not yet in a safe area. If he passed out on the spot from excessive Honkai Energy at a time like this, who could guarantee that nothing would happen afterward?

As Gu Yu considered what to do next, Yae Sakura finally slowly let out a breath after seeing Hiyorimar sealed away.

"Ha... It's over..."

Just now, she had remembered everything.

Through countless cycles, she had been forced to watch Hiyorimar control her body, making her, with hatred for the villagers in her heart, bring an end to everything in Yae Village.

Thus, when Yae Sakura saw that terrifying demon finally subdued, she completely relaxed.

But soon afterward, Yae Sakura became utterly lost.

She should have died five hundred years ago, yet now she had survived as a Pseudo Herrscher.

Kallen was dead. Rin was dead. Everyone in the village was dead.

What meaning was there in her continuing to live?

"Hm, come to think of it, I've been feeling someone's gaze since earlier."

After putting away Hiyorimar's card, Gu Yu looked toward a massive ancient tree.

"Come out. I can tell you don't mean any harm. I won't casually attack a passerby who isn't an enemy."

"Mm, I understand."

Then, Yae Sakura, whose mind had already gone blank, saw the visitor drift out and suddenly cried out.

"Rin!"

In Yae Sakura's eyes, her younger sister Yae Rin, who should have died five hundred years ago, timidly floated out from behind the great tree like a ghost.

No, the current Yae Rin was undoubtedly a ghost.

"Big sister, it has been a long time."

Seeing the elder sister she had watched over for so long, Yae Rin spoke with immense comfort.

"You have finally broken free from this cycle."

Then, she looked at Gu Yu, who had released his transformation, and bowed deeply to him with great respect.

"Unfamiliar sir, thank you for everything you have done for my sister."

"If it had not been for you, my sister might have continued to suffer torment in her heart at the hands of that fox demon."

After saying this, Yae Rin's figure gradually became even fainter.

She had only been able to remain within the Stigmata Space by relying on the obsession in her heart.

Being able to manifest herself, thank her benefactor, and bid farewell to her elder sister was already a miracle among miracles.

Sensing that her end had come, Yae Rin smiled and closed her eyes.

"Big sister, do you remember when Rin told you that you should become an outstanding shrine maiden? Now that Yae Village is gone, big sister, forget those words."

"If possible, Rin hopes that you can pursue your own happiness. Any kind of happiness is fine. Having broken free from the curse, you have the right to do so."

"Wait, Rin!"

Watching her sister's figure grow thinner and thinner, Yae Sakura desperately stretched out her right hand as though trying to grasp something.

"Then..."

"Farewell, big sister."

After saying those words, Yae Rin's consciousness gradually began to disperse.

And then...

"Um, I don't think I ever said this was free."

In this deeply moving scene, Gu Yu spoke a line that thoroughly ruined the mood.

"I've been busy for so long, after all. If I don't collect a little interest, how could I justify it to myself?"

Then, he tossed a blank card toward Yae Rin.

"Let me tell you something."

"Miracles and magic aren't free."

PS1: As usual, please vote.

PS2: A simple addition to the protagonist's settings.

Gu Yu was born on January 11, 2000. You all know the country.

He isn't Tsukasa Kadoya, so stop making wild guesses...

And while we're at it, the name did not come from the solar term Grain Rain either. He's an only child and doesn't have a younger sister named Start of Summer.

The name came from [gū] and [yù]. It was chosen in the hope that I could overcome my desire to procrastinate and become a writing machine.

This was a name placed under great expectations, you know. [Looking at the sky.]