Honkai, Survive

The shrine maiden took just one step, so fast that no charging process could be seen. A beautiful yet tragic blade light swept past Himeko's armor, opening a bloody gash on her side.

"Did she cut your kidney out?"

Compared to Himeko, who needed her Valkyrie armor to perform spacetime rupture just to keep up with the shrine maiden's movements, the latter had learned this skill from Himeko shortly after they met, thus sealing her defeat.

Yes, she was still getting stronger, and that was only natural.

Relying on the Imaginary spacetime rupture developed from the Second Herrscher's body, the Herrscher itself was indeed the easiest to master, especially since she was 'Erosion'.

Thus, she completely suppressed Himeko, continuously inflicting wounds upon her, even as Himeko fell and got back up repeatedly.

Fang Jie's head was pounding; he couldn't keep up with whatever she was doing... he had to make Higokumaru stop!

Easier said than done.

His own condition wasn't great either. The previous snowstorm had worn down his stamina, the battle of wits against Sato Yuno had drained his energy, and healing Himeko earlier had consumed his energy. Although it had paradoxically increased due to her... but even if he were in peak condition, could he fight?

In short, he was mentally exhausted.

If you guys are fighting Sukuna here, I'm just a strong bystander!

"You're slowing down, my lady. We don't have to fight like this. My target is that demon. Aren't you here to slay her as well? Why do you insist on pressing me so hard?"

Compared to Himeko, who couldn't afford to be distracted for even a moment, and Fang Jie, who was mentally exhausted and couldn't keep up with the combat rhythm, 'Yae Sakura' appeared to be in complete control.

There was an air of practical, cruel elegance about her.

She had been sealed for fifty thousand years, then sealed for another five hundred. Now, finally, with the abundant energy of the Third Great Eruption, she had regained her mobility and suppressed that nonsensical anti-god shrine maiden.

A good era has arrived!

As an amuse-bouche, it wouldn't hurt to play with her a bit. Getting her body moving felt truly refreshing, both physically and mentally.

Her blade light was continuous and unceasing, battering Himeko into a sorry state. Himeko could only defend herself as best as she could, blood gushing from her body. She even had the presence of mind to ramble, "To tell you the truth, I actually have a demon within me. To seal this demon, I sometimes lose control of my body. But please believe me, I have no ill intentions towards you; I am only here to slay the demon."

The veiled mockery and anticipation hidden deep within her tone were clear not only to the seasoned Himeko but also to the inarticulate Fang Jie.

He could even understand Higokumaru's true intention. Himeko, himself, and even the purple-haired passerby were merely background props. Who she truly wanted to address was the reclusive shrine maiden within her, anticipating what expression she would show after seeing her use her face, her sword, and her voice to 'slaughter the innocent'!

This is the fate of a traitor!

Yae Sakura, this is your punishment for betraying me for that woman!!

Hahaha, I'm so exhilarated...

Her tone seemed earnest: "That demon often makes me feel hazy and confused. I'm not often lucid, and I can't control my body well. My lady, please move aside quickly so I can slay the demon and leave."

Hurry up and move aside! You want to protect her, right? You want to let her go, right? A Herrscher, why should you? Hurry up and move aside, let me devour her, and then I'll kill all of you!

Thus, a chilling malevolence emanated from her.

"Shut up. Didn't your parents teach you? Your lies are really low-level, utterly stupid."

Himeko had nowhere left to retreat. Behind her were the weak Fang Jie and the even weaker Sato Yuno. If she couldn't stop her...

"Kid, don't you have that vanishing technique? Hurry up!"

With her back to Fang Jie, Himeko genuinely felt that this teammate was a problem. Just run, you're hindering my performance, don't you understand? She really wanted to curse, even if it wasn't elegant.

Fang Jie remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on 'Yae Sakura'.

He could certainly run. He could even... remove Sato Yuno's core, pull out Himeko's Valkyrie armor and weapons. The energy within him would likely be enough to get them out alive.

But that would only be alive. The energy contained within them far surpassed his. They would inevitably suffer some form of dimensional slash—especially since he didn't have time to replenish his energy to come back and save them, meaning he could only take one person.

Himeko?

Then Higokumaru, having gained Honkai energy, would further unleash the power of the Erosion Herrscher. No one would be able to play anymore. Su would immediately awaken Kevin, and all of humanity would embark on the initial Stigmata Project. If they couldn't awaken, they would just die.

Sato Yuno?

It would be better to take Himeko. To put it coldly, what did the ordinary people of this world have to do with him? Compared to the people he was 'familiar' with, if he had to sacrifice one side, did he need to think about who he would choose?

Isn't the most important thing about the trolley problem to be on the trolley, not on the tracks?

I didn't come to this world for you to give me a final lesson!

Besides... Sato Yuno, having regained her freedom, had already escaped. That fox was clearly about to devour someone!

In a sense, she was more sensible than Fang Jie. At least, that's how Himeko saw it.

Fang Jie ignored Himeko and continued to stare intently at 'Yae Sakura'. Taking a deep breath, he used the ability he had just learned.

"Himeko, you shouldn't speak like that. She really lost her parents at a very young age and didn't have time to educate her. Am I right, Rin?"

Fang Jie, who always spoke the truth.

The continuous blade light paused for a moment. The Synesthesia Beacon's function was very powerful, accurately conveying that it was 'Rin' and not 'Ling'.

Himeko was confused, but seizing the rare chance to catch her breath, she thought the opponent had taken the bait. She roared and raised her greatsword to slash at the frozen figure.

Come on, Herrscher, it's life or death!

Unfortunately...

Right behind her, Fang Jie, who couldn't keep up with 'Yae Sakura', made his decision. He reached out his hand, staking this hand on the future, fearless, and grabbed her greatsword.

Honkai Killer, power level increased.

His body was no longer just a partial medium; it was now deeply hidden within him. This time, with a 'black' special effect lingering, the hand looked… unclear. Even light was captured, leaving only a 'pitch-black' silhouette.

The greatsword, capable of cleaving with power comparable to a small nuclear explosion, halted, unmoving in mid-air.

Himeko's waist was already injured, and this dislocation caused her even more pain, like a twisted back. But more painful than these injuries was Fang Jie's action.

"You should be lending a hand, not striking from the shadows, understand?"

"Brat, what are you doing? Have you betrayed us?"

Her tone was filled with heartbreak and disbelief—why were you hitting her? You should be hitting me. We're supposed to be on the same side, fighting the Herrscher together. You hit her…

"Please be quiet."

Fang Jie understood her urgency, but he pleaded with Himeko not to rush. If this continued… once you're corrupted, you'll turn on me, so I'm just disarming you preemptively.

The Nuclear Fusion Greatsword was cooling down, its searing temperature dissipating, and the Honkai energy inherent in its material was also vanishing in the collapse. The increased power output was too much for it to handle the strain of absorption.

Through Sato Yuno's sparring, Fang Jie had gained a new understanding of the 'Honkai Killer's' power output. At the very least, without putting in more effort, he wouldn't be able to participate in this high-stakes battle.

Disappointed, Himeko remained silent, turning and elbowing him. Fang Jie, with his injured waist, gritted his teeth and endured, while injecting her with Trailblaze divine power with his other hand.

"Take this, it's my final ripple."

"Accept this energy… and if things go awry later, you'll be able to survive longer."

Then, get out of here!

He kicked Himeko, who was elbowing him, in the fleshy part of her rear, sending her as far away as possible without holding a grudge.

"Himeko, survive!"

You…

Himeko, a mix of disappointment and bewilderment, twitched her lips. The curses she wanted to unleash while flying through the air were swallowed back. Clearly, Fang Jie hadn't betrayed her, so he…

She warily watched the Herrscher, who for some reason had also stopped attacking.

Speaking of which, how many Herrschers has this been?

Is this Chang Kong City cursed or something?

Meanwhile, the motionless 'Yae Sakura' was lost in thought, trapped in a memory so distant, so ancient, she couldn't recall how long it had been. It was like a nightmare, and even after waking, it was still terrifying.

The betrayal drama she had hoped to witness didn't happen. Instead, it was a different kind of betrayal—a betrayal of this woman leaning towards me? But you are…

'Yae Sakura' gazed deeply at Fang Jie, searching through the nightmare-like memories she didn't want to recall…

She couldn't find anything.

Those dark days haunted her, and pain and hatred gnawed at her body and mind. Hearing her true name again, and seeing her… unrecognizable self.

Everything from the past led only to failure.

Everything she wanted to protect had also… vanished!

All that remained were deeply etched pain, loneliness, and madness.

And now, there was someone who knew her, recognized her, someone who looked like 'Yae Sakura'—have you all been watching me?

Then why, why have you imprisoned me for so long, causing me pain, denying me release!

"Heh, hahahaha, hahahahaha…"

She couldn't hold back. She burst into laughter, a hysterical, wild laugh. On her distorted face, her crimson eyes fixed on Fang Jie, and tears… blood, streamed down like a fountain.

"Hahahaha…"

Her laughter was as desolate as a wail.

It was all because the name "Rin" was called out again.

This was far more hateful than having no parents.

"I'm going to kill you!!"

She's angry?

Good.

The weeping, blood-stained figure roared and instantly appeared before Fang Jie, even faster than her previous surprise attack on Himeko. Of course, he still couldn't keep up. She pierced him through with a single strike, with such force that her arm almost went in with it, repeating the scene from when she attacked Sato Yuno.

It was only fair, in a way.

Fang Jie, struck in the vitals, still managed to react, after all, it really hurt.

"Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!!"

The venomous cries reached his ears only then, accepted, along with the immense emotional impact of the pain, hatred, love, and resentment contained within.

Himeko was sent flying with a single slap before she could even react.

Oh, she got hit too.

Fang Jie didn't even see it clearly… but with such a powerful hand, how could it only pierce his body?

Fang Jie was simply lifted up, a blade piercing him from behind, a hand buried within him, raised high, and then slammed down heavily…

Motionless.

"Should I say something like, 'Gotcha' at a time like this?"

As long as he could keep up and react, Fang Jie had a way to break through the situation, and this was precisely one of those moments.

As for his body being pierced...

Not just one hand, but both hands, both legs, even his chest. His form, pierced and torn apart... all of it was emitting a pitch-black darkness. It wasn't just on the inside; it was impossible to conceal on the outside either. It was like a blackness that connected to hell, devouring even light, leaving only a dark silhouette.

Without daring to hold back even a little, Fang Jie... had never gone all out, always staying in a state of full evasion.

His entire being appeared to be nothing but darkness. Of course, this was only from an external observation. He himself could not see anything, nor could he feel anything. Everything, including light, had been completely devoured. In that moment of stillness, where energy no longer flowed, he could see nothing, feel nothing.

But the world, or at least where Chiyu Academy was located, suddenly skipped frames. Everything that had been still or was violently disturbed began to flow like a galaxy. This included the Hyperion, which was descending from the high heavens, its figures being dragged down by the storm one after another.

Yes, a storm.

Or rather, the area where Fang Jie was had collapsed into a powerful force field, sucking everything in.

This caused everything nearby to churn. The closer one got to the edge of the darkness, the more turbulent it became, as if the world were being chewed and torn, emitting a terrifying grinding sound.

But when everything truly approached the silhouette of that darkness, it became surprisingly quiet, vanishing into silence.

Countless amounts of energy were being drawn in this way, along with countless amounts of matter. Everything seemed to evaporate, disappearing into the darkness, never to return.

Suddenly, another hurricane was drawn in, letting out a tragic wail, as if the world were issuing a warning.

Fang Jie was thus indiscriminately drawing in Higokumaru's energy – no, the energy that Rin was using to continuously inflict brutality – in reverse, imprisoning her and initiating a teleportation.

This was the third option, besides taking Himeko or taking Sato Yuno.

Taking you!

In an instant, without any prelude, a dramatic disappearance and reappearance played out before Himeko once again.

But it was difficult to see clearly.

Just as Fang Jie could only watch her fight before, she couldn't see clearly what had happened within that darkness. But when she came to her senses, many things had vanished from the spot, leaving only a deep crater.