Broken Stigmata Space
The Demon Fox demon was met with a fierce, storm-like attack.
A massive band of light was born from the cross in front of the girl, and then it pulsed and extended before shattering into countless feathers of light.
They were shaped into two enormous cross-shaped lightsabers in accordance with Theresa's will.
At this moment, the timing of the lightsaber's creation and the speed at which it was unleashed Hiyori, who had made an impulsive choice, with nowhere to hide.
Its shell was still in mid-air, its sharp claws almost touching the girl's small body.
However, the attack of the two cross-shaped light swords, imbued with immense potential energy, hindered the Demon Fox's advance.
The moment the Demon Fox's claws destroyed the barrier, a sword blade sliced through its ribs and pierced its abdomen.
The other lightsaber slid along the Demon Fox's left shoulder, tearing through the outer fur and piercing the inner scapula. Together with the previous blade, it broke most of the ribs, completing the final fusion.
The scene resembled a cross-shaped sword formation drawn with Hiyori's body at its center.
The Demon Fox let out a shrill roar, accompanied by a torrent of blood falling like rain, and its body collapsed onto the ground in a sorry state, as if it had been struck by a lightsaber.
The remaining embers on the ground evaporated, scattering blood rain down. Theresa quietly watched Hiyori screams, her Judah in her hand showing no intention of ceasing its attack.
Her gown and the cross beside her radiated a hazy glow.
As a large amount of Honkai Energy was extracted, the cross emitted a crisp, resounding clang.
A massive barrier, resembling a sacred realm, solidified once more.
Unlike the barriers that were created arbitrarily before, solely for defensive purposes.
The current barrier is designed to trap the enemy.
And Hiyori is at the center of the barrier.
Endless radiance bloomed before the Demon Fox's eyes; even tormented by pain, it knew it could not continue like this.
If this weren't still Yae Sakura's territory, Hiyori could have easily used the power of the Stigmata Space itself to overwhelm his opponent, and wouldn't be in such a sorry state.
However, my previous impulsive actions have made changing the battlefield an impossible possibility.
The most important thing right now is to destroy this cage as soon as possible!
Knowing the priorities, the Demon Fox planned to unleash another destructive burst of flame.
Immediately, forces acting from all directions began to frantically rip at every part of the body.
The cracks in the wound widened, and his concentration wavered again in his slightly clearer consciousness.
The barrier created by Theresa was essentially designed to trap enemies. Centered on Hiyori's body, Honkai Energy underwent repeated simulated collapses, eventually generating an irregular and powerful suction force that made it difficult for the Demon Fox to break free.
Then, the deadly moves will follow one after another.
Tiny feathers of light covered the sky above the barrier, making it look like an ocean of light from afar.
Near the outer edge, gracefully curved Holy Spear and lightsabers, engraved with exquisite patterns, float and rotate.
These weapons, forged from all the soul steel within Judah, are the means to kill the source of the nightmare.
They, along with the sea of light above, maintain a rhythmic rotating motion.
Thus, the girl delivered her final judgment:
"Let's end it all here, Hiyori."
Everything within the barrier collapsed towards the center point in that instant.
The sea of light surged like waves, engulfing the Holy Spear and the Cross Sword, which together pierced through the Demon Fox's body.
The magnificent light completely dispelled the darkness of the night.
The battle has finally come to an end.
The Demon Fox's body vanished into the sea of light, leaving not even [Ashes] behind.
Only one Miko remained. The remaining radiance should have possessed terrifying destructive power, but when it touched this girl, the radiance was unbelievably gentle, like sunlight.
Yae Sakura stood there silently, gazing serenely at the sky.
She seemed completely unconcerned about being rescued, gazing intently into the distance, her eyes perhaps holding something far deeper.
Theresa slowly approached the Miko, somewhat puzzled.
What was she looking at? It was a truly pitch-black night sky, without stars or aurora borealis, and even the moon was incredibly dim, much like a time when demons and monsters might be causing trouble.
But as the girl followed the Miko's gaze, she suddenly realized that everything had changed, and a ray of sunlight fell on her face.
The darkness has truly dissipated, replaced by a clear blue sky and bright sunshine.
The desolation of the land and the ruins of the shrine gleamed in the sunlight, like the tender buds of willows sprouting after the winter snow has melted.
Even though everything was so dilapidated, it still gave people a sense of hope for a new beginning.
The flames were dying down, and the forest was in ruins, but for some reason, the girl suddenly smelled a familiar fragrance in her nostrils.
"The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, Theresa."
It was Yae Sakura speaking. The girl turned her head and saw the faint smile on her face, then followed her gaze.
The cherry blossoms are indeed in full bloom.
The trees are reviving and sprouting new branches.
The pink and white petals slept nestled together, a gentle breeze blew by, and a few petals fell softly, then drifted in mid-air.
The girl seemed a little dazed as she answered:
"Yes, the cherry blossoms are in bloom."
"Miss Sakura, will we meet again in the future?"
Will we ever meet again?
This is an answer I don't know, or rather, an answer I'm unwilling to think about carefully.
Upon hearing this, the Miko simply smiled and replied:
"Yes, Theresa."
"We will meet again someday when the cherry blossoms bloom once more."
The Miko's slender, almost transparent fingertips picked up a cherry blossom that was swirling in the wind.
Kallen, maybe I can finally forget you.
Even when she sees Theresa now, she is only moved by Theresa's own qualities, and has nothing to do with the Saintess.
She was about to disappear, and at that moment, Yae Sakura let go of her obsession.
Was that love? She suddenly asked herself.
The next moment, she gave an affirmative answer.
Yes, that was undoubtedly love.
It was a love that was pure, twisted, yet incredibly transparent.
But that person probably wouldn't want to see themselves like that, so it's best to let go. Why should a spirit that's been dead for five hundred years still cling to those things it cherishes?
It will only cause trouble for that person and yourself.
It would be tragic to remain a self-bound spirit if you didn't move forward, wouldn't it?
Five hundred years have passed; at least in the end, let me belong only to myself.
Therefore, Yae Sakura no longer loves Kallen Kaslana.
The Miko's entire body began to become transparent, and her expression suddenly became somewhat complicated.
She sighed:
Theresa, he did it!
The girl paused for a moment, then understood the meaning behind the other person's words.
What did Su Qing'an do? Is he safe?
Theresa asked anxiously:
"Miss Ying! Is Su Qing'an alright?"
A faint sadness appeared on the Miko's face as she said:
"Perhaps..."
Before she could finish speaking, in the instant Theresa was eager to get an answer, the Stigmata Space was completely destroyed.