Satou Yunona Chooses to Surpass Her Limits

As her hand touched the hilt of the sword, Murata Himeko heard a sneer in a low voice.

[It's finally here... I've been waiting for so long, so long...]

Immediately, the woman's consciousness fell silent in a sea of illusion.

Whose voice was that?

It doesn't matter anymore.

Like a revolving lantern, everything from the past surged forth like a tide, dragging the woman into that rosy youth. All the things she had visited and experienced were broken down into trivialities, completely overwhelming her self.

The remnant soul sealed within the Xuanyuan Sword accumulated negative emotions over thousands of years. The soul, once named Ji Xuanyuan, only empathized with Himeko, causing her to lose her mind.

With Soul Essence three times that of an ordinary person Su Qing'an can withstand the emotional tides of the Jizo Mitama for tens of thousands of years.

But for Murata Himeko, even with unwavering willpower, she could not change the existence of the upper limit.

And so the woman seemed to return to her teenage years. She would hurriedly cover up her daydreaming in class, she would chat and laugh with her friends about the future after class, she would worry about some small problems, yet she was also happy to do so.

Life at that time was full of changes and uncertainties. She was still young and walking on an unknown road, not knowing where the future would lead.

The cycle repeats itself, and in this dream that is not an illusion, the woman will forever possess those rosy moments.

Perhaps it's better to just let things fall apart; maybe this choice is a gentler ending for Murata Himeko...

Outside world.

In an instant, an immense, suffocating Honkai Energy swept across the center of the altar like a storm.

Almost simultaneously with the onset of the storm, the group was nearly swept away by the dangerous current.

Kiana gritted her teeth, the five fingers of one of her hands already embedded in the ground, the fair skin between her fingers chafed raw, the blood flowing out turning a glaring crimson.

While barely managing to steady herself, she managed to grab Satou Yunona's hand at the moment the crisis occurred.

Kiana's innate superhuman strength and the ruthlessness honed during her wanderings allowed her to stay put. She struggled to open her eyes, the sharp, piercing sensation in her sensitive optic nerves.

But the girl gritted her teeth and stared intently at what was happening in the center of the altar. As if oblivious to her pain, she strained to shout:

"Himeko- sensei!"

The center of the altar was obscured by a massive beam of light and a gust of wind, and the girl's voice was torn into a faint whisper in the storm, destined to receive no response.

Bronya was saved from being swept away by the storm thanks to her Heavy Cannon Rabbit. She also used her high-speed reflexes and judgment to transform Heavy Cannon Rabbit into a heavy shield and forcefully slam it into the ground.

Two mechanical arms encircled Mei and Bronya, protecting them from the aftermath of the storm.

The little girl asked:

"Mei, are you alright?"

Mei had already adapted to the abrupt change in the situation, and she asked:

"I'm fine, are they alright?"

Bronya glanced sideways and, seeing that Kiana and Satou Yunona hadn't been swept away, said with some relief:

"Silly Kiana's voice is still so energetic, she should be fine. It's just that Sister Yunona will have to work hard."

Raiden Mei's expression, which had just relaxed, gradually turned serious. She said:

What exactly happened at the altar?

Bronya said:

"Mei, all the Honkai Energy had been channeled here and whose whereabouts were unknown has been poured into the center of the altar all at once. This storm has directly increased the concentration of Honkai Energy in the environment here."

Almost everyone present possessed extremely high Honkai Energy resistance, so this had no effect on the four of them. However, for Murata Himeko, who needed to have Artificial Stigmata implanted to fight as Valkyrie, the environment here was already an extremely harsh situation.

That's why Kiana was so anxious when she realized this instantly. No matter how strange the situation was for Murata Himeko, who was in the center of the storm, the environment alone made her feel that it was dangerous enough.

Bronya and Raiden Mei understood this perfectly well. The former's emotional fluctuations had been almost completely erased by an accident, while the latter had experienced some hardships and was more mature and calm, which allowed them to suppress their many inner thoughts and have a proper conversation.

Bronya said:

"Sister Yunona's judgment and caution were correct choices; there's something wrong with that Xuanyuan Sword."

Bronya felt that even if Sister Yunona had overdrawn her powers, she still wouldn't have been able to pull out the Xuanyuan Sword. It was as if it possessed sentience and needed someone to make contact with it before its true nature would be revealed.

Bronya tapped the communication headset on her ear and said:

"The Honkai Energy didn't affect the headphone signal, but there wasn't a sound from Himeko- sensei inside the storm, which is very abnormal."

She then connected the entire team's headset and said:

"You idiot Kiana, can't you even talk?"

A girl's voice, distorted by lust, came from the other end:

"Barely... okay."

Bronya nodded and said:

"Hold on tight to Sister Yunona's hand, and don't let go, even if it kills you."

Kiana wasn't angry; she responded matter-of-factly:

"I would have done it even without you telling me, you little brat."

Bronya continued:

"Does everyone think this mission is more important, or is Teacher Himeko more important?"

The girl's question hit the nail on the head. Given that the Xuanyuan Sword was clearly faulty, ensuring Himeko's safety while still obtaining the Xuanyuan Sword was already a very difficult task.

Having everything would be the ideal approach, but to avoid the crucial moments later when there's no time to think, they must prioritize now.

Raiden Mei responded:

"If Himeko- sensei were to answer this question, I think the answer would be self-evident, Bronya."

Kiana said seriously:

"If the mission fails, I'll just be B-rank Valkyrie for life, what's the big deal! But without Aunt Himeko, life will definitely be boring."

Satou Yunona, who had been silent all along, said calmly:

"Everyone, I will cut through this storm."

"The task of rescuing Teacher Himeko is entrusted to you."

Waiting for the storm to end?

This is the dumbest and worst possible strategy. It's like when you're fighting a level boss and you can kill it early, but you keep waiting for it to enter its first, second, or final state before you choose to fight it.

Satou Yunona didn't know what was happening inside, but if waiting for the storm to end made things irreversible, the girl would never forgive herself.

What are the limits of power?

Yes, such a thing exists.

Rather, it would be more accurate to say that Satou Yunona had already reached her limit when she trapped those two Emperor-class Honkai Beasts.

But there are some things in life that you just have to do.

Therefore, whether she has to perform Dogezza for her daughter like that man, fawn over him like a clown struggling to make a living, or charge into battle like a samurai seeking fame and fortune, Satou Yunona must cut through the storm here.

If she can't do it, she might as well be dead.

Satou Yunona made up her mind, suppressing her instinctive fear of being controlled by the Honkai Consciousness, and thus shattered her limits.