Who Isn't a Herrscher

"If this continues, before Mio even returns, the Honkai Energy within his body will break out first."

With that, Fu Hua closed her crimson eyes and raised her right hand, palm facing upward.

"Hoo~"

Fiery red flames appeared in Fu Hua's hand, gently illuminating the room.

Feather of the Dust, the Eighth Divine Key, Key of Consciousness.

As the Key of Consciousness, everything Feather of the Dust conjured was difficult to distinguish between real and fake. The force of its attacks, the damage inflicted, every detail would make the opponent's consciousness believe it was real.

It could even be used to create a space, to conjure and shatter an opponent's consciousness, to hypnotize them. After the enemy fell into hallucination, one could enter their consciousness and view their memories.

And now, Fu Hua was going to forcibly use Feather of the Dust to enter Luo Mio's consciousness space.

Red and white feathers in the room gradually lit up with a scarlet glow.

"Wait a moment!"

Suddenly, the System, a small light orb, interrupted Fu Hua's action of forcibly entering the consciousness space.

"Look..."

Fu Hua looked towards Luo Mio.

She saw the Honkai patterns on Luo Mio's body gradually and slowly dissipating, and the Honkai Energy spreading from within his body was also slowly returning to Luo Mio's body.

Before long, the Honkai Energy emanating from Luo Mio completely disappeared, returning into his body. The Honkai patterns on his body had also mostly vanished, leaving only a few thin lines.

Fu Hua sensed for any remaining Honkai Energy. After repeatedly confirming, she opened her eyes.

The blue light on the small light orb flickered.

System: "It seems the host's consciousness has returned."

Afterward, it removed the blue field around Ikki and Luo Mio's beds and flew into Luo Mio's brain.

Fu Hua also retracted the power of Feather of the Dust, which transformed into red and white feathers and disappeared from the room.

"Thank..."

Darkness surged over Luo Mio's soul. When Luo Mio regained consciousness, he found that the space around him was no longer the dark, void-like space it had been.

Faint starlight gently dotted Luo Mio's consciousness space.

Luo Mio realized he had returned to his own consciousness space.

"I didn't even get to finish thanking you."

Luo Mio looked around his consciousness space, recalling his conversation with his Herrscher personality just now.

A gentle, scarlet glow suddenly lit up.

A red and white feather slowly descended, then scattered into scarlet light particles. A figure of crimson and pure white appeared.

Seeing the familiar figure, Luo Mio happily greeted her.

"Teacher!"

"Mio!"

The figure in crimson and pure white, with a face as ethereal as an immortal's, her crimson eyes showing worry, walked towards Luo Mio.

"Your consciousness..." Fu Hua raised her hand and gently placed it on Luo Mio's forehead. A scarlet light flickered slightly.

Luo Mio looked at Fu Hua's worried expression and the warm light on her forehead, smiling the kind of smile he only showed when he was with family.

"Don't worry, Teacher," Luo Mio reassured Fu Hua. "I'm fine."

Sensing that Luo Mio's consciousness was not seriously harmed and hearing his words, Fu Hua finally relaxed and lowered her hand.

Then, instead of talking to Luo Mio immediately, Fu Hua turned around, looked at the small blue light orb behind her, and asked, "So, explain yourself, System."

After a moment, the System's guilty voice said, "Huh? Explain what?"

"What did you mean just now when you said 'Mio has returned'? It seems you knew who took Mio's consciousness, right?"

Fu Hua's crimson eyes became unusually sharp as she looked behind her.

System: "Uh..."

"Alright, Teacher, don't make it difficult for it."

Luo Mio stopped Fu Hua and then said to the System, "System, he has already told me most of what happened."

"..."

From the small light orb, the System's guilty voice slowly said, "Is... is that so."

Luo Mio looked at the guilty little light orb and smiled. "Don't worry."

Luo Mio didn't delve into the fact that the System had hidden the Finality Herrscher personality within him and the existence of that space and its inhabitants. Instead, he looked at the beautiful crimson figure beside him.

"Teacher, you've worked hard."

"Huh?" Fu Hua blinked in surprise.

"You've been suppressing the personality within me with Feather of the Dust for the past eleven years, haven't you?" Luo Mio said to Fu Hua, his voice strained.

Fu Hua relaxed her shoulders.

"So, you knew."

Luo Mio chuckled.

"It's about time. I should go out now."

Fu Hua nodded, her clear, pleasant voice cutting through the air. She spoke to Luo Mio, "Go ahead. The commotion within your body has mostly subsided."

"You should get some proper rest."

Following that, Luo Mio's consciousness returned to his own body.

On the bed, Luo Mio slowly opened his eyes.

Sensing that he had returned to his body, he got up and carefully, so as not to wake Ikki, walked towards the balcony.

On the balcony, Luo Mio gazed at the moon, which shone solitarily in the night sky, guiding lost souls.

A Honkai Personality...

He let out a small laugh.

At first, I thought my mental reinforcement ability was granted by Teacher's Feather of the Dust. Turns out it was to resist the Honkai's erosion.

He then clenched his fist tightly, his sapphire-blue eyes shimmering beautifully in the moonlight.

Chapter 44: A Simple and Joyful Daily Life

Morning.

"Good morning, Miohua."

Ikki called out to him, standing by Luo Mio's bed.

Hearing Ikki's voice, Luo Mio pulled the covers over himself and curled into a ball.

"Let me sleep a little longer. I didn't sleep well last night."

From under the covers, Luo Mio's sleepy voice slowly emerged. After all, in the dead of night, his consciousness had been inexplicably pulled into a mysterious space, where he had chatted with his Herrscher personality. By the time he returned to his body, the early morning had already passed. He had then spent some time on the balcony looking at the moon and enjoying the cool breeze before finally returning to bed.

Seeing that Luo Mio had said so, Ikki had no choice.

"Then I'll be going first."

Ikki greeted Luo Mio, then left Room 44 in his school uniform.

The sound of the door closing followed, and the room fell silent once more.

Ah... I remember Ikki has a... match this afternoon.

At noon, Luo Mio, yawning with a few tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, opened his room door and left.

With a face that looked like he had just woken up, he headed towards the hotel restaurant.

"Little Mio!"

A cheerful, girlish voice called out from behind Luo Mio.

With a thump, Luo Mio's body was enveloped by a slender, soft figure. The arms wrapped around his neck, and his vision was filled with delicate arms and the faint, sweet scent of a young girl.

This familiar embrace, this familiar tone and voice.

Luo Mio sighed, his grey hair falling to the side as his sapphire-blue eyes looked at the girl hugging him.

"Sister Momiji, you're still the same as when we were kids," he said with a wry smile.

The one hugging Luo Mio from behind was Asagi Momiji, known as the "Will-o'-the-Wisp."

When Asagi Momiji was first taken in as a disciple by Nangou Torajiro and met Luo Mio, she wasn't this enthusiastic. But before long, Asagi Momiji would greet Luo Mio with an enthusiastic hug every time they met.

"Heehee." Asagi Momiji smiled cutely at Luo Mio.

"Don't you have a match today?"

"I finished my match not too long ago. I saw you when I got back."

Asagi Momiji replied to Luo Mio's question with a cheerful grin.

"What was the result of the match?"

"Hmph hmph~ Who do you think I am? Of course, I won!" Asagi Momiji proudly announced the result of her match.

"In that case, could you please stop hugging me, Sister Momiji?"

"Ehh~"

Hearing Asagi Momiji's drawn-out complaint, Luo Mio said helplessly, "We're right in front of the restaurant entrance, you know. And look around you."

At his words, Asagi Momiji glanced around.

The students from various academies nearby, looking flustered and uncertain, watched Luo Mio and Asagi Momiji.

"I remember those two are the A-Rank Knight of Hagun, 'Thousand Stars White Night,' and the third-place winner of last year's Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival, 'Will-o'-the-Wisp.'"

"It looks like they have a good relationship."

"Yeah, yeah, look, they're hugging."

"Hey, what do you think their relationship is?"

"Could it be..."

"A man and a woman, hugging each other."

The students' gossipy whispers drifted out.

Hey! Where are you looking?! I'm being hugged unilaterally here!

As the students discussed their relationship, Asagi Momiji, who was hugging Luo Mio from behind, blushed faintly.

Asagi Momiji shyly got down from Luo Mio's back.

"Phew." After Asagi Momiji got off his back, Luo Mio let out a breath and said to her helplessly, "Sister Momiji, want to have lunch together?"

Asagi Momiji shyly nodded.

The two walked into the restaurant and sat in a corner.

Noticing that no one was looking at them, Asagi Momiji's cheeks puffed out cutely, like a pufferfish.

Then she complained, "Why do you dislike me so much, Little Mio? Shouldn't you be overjoyed to be hugged by such a cute and beautiful girl?"

Luo Mio glanced at her upon hearing this and said calmly, "Are you sure you want me to state the reason?"

"Tell me!" Asagi Momiji looked at Luo Mio with burning eyes.

Luo Mio stared at her for a few seconds before turning his gaze elsewhere.