Collapse, survive

As a warrior of destiny, Himeko also has a side that throws tantrums when demanding funding.

And you won't be treated unfairly afterward.

Fang Jie immediately understood: "Then come closer."

His energy control level is not high. All the fancy things he does in battle are special effects. He relies entirely on his simple speed and strength, as well as the durable composite sword, Willow Leaf, to show his offensive capabilities.

'Superpowers' are a separate matter. This innate ability, which he can control at will, is more natural to him than breathing, and is currently his greatest source of combat power.

However, there are many limitations, and Fang Jie himself does not want to rely on it too much.

No reason.

He subconsciously, instinctively, and from the bottom of his heart felt a familiarity with this power, yet he refused to rely on it any further.

In short, when Himeko staggered closer again, Fang Jie reached out a helping hand: "Hold my hand tightly."

With his other hand, he held onto Sato Yuno tightly, warning her that she would bear the consequences if she dared to harbor any disloyal thoughts.

Raiden Mei only managed to establish mutual trust with people other than Kiana by implanting a bomb in her heart. Sato Yuno's power is too dangerous and should not be underestimated.

This is also for her own good; by not giving her a chance, it further proves that Fang Jie does not intend to kill her.

The current civilization mainly relies on backstabbing, and the Herrschers are the vanguard in the fight against Honkai, so they don't need her, a sane pseudo-Herrscher.

As for the excessive extroversion that leads to mental breakdown...

Take the example of Shibao; a good beating and re-education will suffice.

Himeko was somewhat puzzled by this. To be honest, a Herrscher, especially one who had already proven her threat before she was fully developed, she... tended to eliminate any future troubles.

However, since Sato Yuno was captured by Fang Jie and was also poisoned, he refrained from intervening in the matter for the time being.

Extending his left hand, he felt Fang Jie's hand, unexpectedly cold after the battle, tighten around his grasp, and then... it's hard to describe, but a warm power flowed over him.

Is it Honkai energy?

It's somewhat similar, but... no, it's too mild.

The warm energy flowed into her body without any discomfort or discomfort. Even her body, which had been suffering from Honkai energy due to the artificial stigma and was in so much pain that she, who preferred coffee, had become dependent on alcohol, felt a long-lost sense of ease under its warmth.

"This is……"

Himeko found it hard to describe the feeling; a silent emotion touched her soul and blessed her.

Fang Jie's eyes sharpened even more.

He can't really be considered a true Destiny Walker. He relied entirely on his superpowers to extract Destiny Energy from the boundary anchor. Later, he even used Honkai Energy to catalyze development, using the method of violently destroying his own body to passively trigger the enhancement of Destiny Energy.

But at this moment... the blond guy saw the female lead's affection for the male lead.

Pshaw, he's not blond!

However, the activity of destiny energy was indeed unprecedented, which in turn made Fang Jie feel a sense of pioneering, a true pioneering.

It's gone.

He looked at Himeko, who seemed somewhat lost in thought, and his gaze sharpened.

'I need your help in my spiritual practice!'

But not now, I can't remember, otherwise I would definitely be thoroughly manipulated by this woman who is sometimes good and sometimes bad. She is shameless and I can't outmaneuver her, and she will be invincible in the future.

Fang Jie decided to keep his eyes on Sato Yuno and put pressure on her.

The energy of destiny was also probing into her body... With Himeko's help, his control over this power suddenly increased to a higher level, allowing him to perceive more.

Therefore, the solution is interested in the core of the pseudo-law.

Sato Yuno was shocked. It was hard to describe the feeling of being touched. It was like having her heart squeezed. The Honkai energy core was more important to her than her heart at this moment.

For once, ignoring the pressure of the blade, she struggled and resisted...

useless.

Blonde hair appears! Fang Jie bursts in with great interest, and sees it, sees it.

Similar to, yet distinct from, Honkai Beasts, the Honkai Core truly exists within Sato Yuno's heart. Its function extends beyond simply storing Honkai energy; it also encompasses her powers as a pseudo-Herrscher.

Just as Wendy was implanted with the Gem of Desire and was able to use Herrscher powers after accepting it, Fang Jie suppressed Sato Yuno's consciousness, forcibly squeezed into her core powers, and saw a new world.

He also possessed Honkai energy, although it had probably been so thoroughly eroded by the energy of destiny that it no longer recognized the Honkai.

It does not matter!

At this moment, Fang Jie realized the key to manipulating the Divine Key—did the Divine Key really want to be used by you?

But it doesn't matter, as long as Fang Jie approves—he's not even fixated on developing something like a core to contain Honkai energy or to control its power; what he needs is this 'energy cycle' mechanism, and he'll just refer to this mature system.

As Sato Yuno's resistance became increasingly apparent, and it was even possible to sense when she might suddenly lash out and hurt someone, Fang Jie withdrew his energy, allowing her to catch her breath and calm down.

This is what an apology should be, not just a dry "I'm sorry."

Fang Jie was satisfied, but still looked at Ji Zi with lingering interest.

The latter gradually came to her senses and gave her a flirtatious wink, her captivating eyes radiating charm that made Fang Jie retreat in defeat...

He was shy.

"This feels really good, little...brother, what kind of technique are you using?"

Himeko was very enthusiastic, not just for herself. The aftereffects of the Valkyrie surgery were not just hers, but everyone's. Even with a nearly 50% success rate for artificial stigmata surgery, there was still a price to pay: a significantly shortened lifespan, ultimately leading to becoming a suicide soldier.

Any 'miracle cure' that can address this aftereffect is worth pursuing relentlessly.

"Aba Aba~"

Fang Jie didn't want to lie to her, so he pretended to be stupid.

Himeko was not easily fooled, but being understanding, she didn't press the matter further. Those issues could be discussed later; the immediate priority was... She looked at Sato Yuno, her gaze becoming serious.

A law maker.

She didn't quite understand the difference between a Herrscher and a pseudo-Herrscher. After all, Sirin was a shining example, and the pseudo-Herrscher she created wasn't much different from the real Herrscher.

Sato Yuno is even more special.

"Little brother..."

Just as she was pondering how to negotiate, Ji Zi suddenly froze when she saw Fang Jie's smug expression.

And then, through the intermittent communicator came a warning from a subordinate: "Major Himeko, an unfamiliar Honkai energy signal is approaching! It's... it's also a Herrscher!"

What the hell?

Before her mind could even process it, her body acted first. The rigorous training had completely shattered any sense of relaxation she had felt, and without a second thought, she entered battle mode, following Fang Jie's gaze...

fox?

To be precise, she was a woman dressed in a shrine maiden outfit with her shoulders exposed.

With pink fox ears on her head, she stood atop the ruins covered in nameless flowers, watching this side with a smile and a lingering fragrance... no, watching Sato Yuno, licking her lips with immense pleasure, and drawing the katana from her waist.

"Gentlemen, why are you looking at me like that? Do I look so scary?"

She smiled and brandished the katana, as if familiarizing herself with its feel, then glanced sideways in their direction, the blade pointing directly at them:

"Don't be nervous, I'm here to help you fight against the evil spirits."

A demon? Who? Sato Yuno? She dares to compare herself to you?

Fang Jie felt... sure enough, Changkong City was cursed.

The sudden evolution of Sato Yuno, and the sudden appearance of... Yae Sakura?

That would be strange. Without a hint of Kallen's charm to awaken her, she is neither Yae Sakura, nor Ling, nor even Flying Fish Maru, but rather Higoku Maru!

What kind of Herrscher battle experience is this?

"I've planted a bomb in your core. If you don't understand what a core is, that's okay; just think of it as your heart. What you need to know is that if you make any hostile moves, I'll detonate it, and then you'll die."

As Fang explained, he silently released Sato Yuno, whose Honkai energy was running low, freeing his hands to prepare for battle: "Himeko, be careful. If possible, please call Theresa for support as soon as possible."

From the time she first met the stranger Fang Jie until now, although they haven't had much contact, Ji Zi has deeply realized that this person has many secrets.

She inexplicably knew about Raiden Mei and Kiana, and it seemed like she knew in advance that there were still Herrschers in Changkong City who insisted on returning to Changkong City to fight, and that she possessed technology that even Schicksal didn't know...

From any perspective, it's suspicious to the core.

But he should be a good person.

And now, with such a grim expression, what is this fox? And is the Herrscher's reaction her?

She wasn't as nervous as Fang Jie; she had seen plenty of storms and waves, and this was nothing more than a battle.

As for calling out Theresa or something...

"I'm sorry, little brother, you know that's impossible." Himeko rejected Fang Jie's suggestion without even thinking.

Fang Jie could understand, but didn't want to accept it: "That would be bad luck."

The fox-like Yae Sakura, who had been watching all along, chuckled: "Oh dear, you don't believe me? It seems I have no choice but to defeat you and slay the demons. Are you ready?"

It wasn't a question or a confirmation; she had already followed the disappearing echo of the words, arriving before the speaker and suddenly appearing close.

Watching 'Yae Sakura' disappear in a flash, Fang Jie couldn't even see where she was... He only heard a deafening explosion.

One chop!

It's Jizi.

She was sent flying. Incredibly, the two were not even in the same weight class, and she also had the added advantage of armor.

Although she was as bad as Theresa and almost got humiliated, she was definitely not weak.

After being enhanced by a bit of destiny energy, it can be said that her body and mind were adjusted to their best state ever. The A-rank Valkyrie advanced to A+, almost transforming her location into an imaginary space, triggering a spacetime fracture, and blocking the katana that was about to strike at the last second.

Then he was sent flying.

What the hell? What kind of Herrscher is this?

Second cut!

It's Sato Yuno.

The blade was aimed directly at her Honkai energy core; 'Yae Sakura's' target was clear.

Fang Jie could only see her attack, but couldn't react in time. He was suppressed, and his only redeeming quality—speed—was completely suppressed. It wasn't just a matter of being a little faster.

"Where are you looking?!"

Himeko roared and charged through a slow, blue world with incredible speed.

Yae Sakura had no choice but to change her tactics and counterattack.

One fought fiercely, each wielding a blazing blade; the other wielded a sword with unrestrained energy. There was no choice and no room for maneuver.

And so, an unexpected thing happened: Himeko still ended up fighting a Herrscher-level opponent that she had long been mentally prepared for, and went to fight the right battle.

Chapter Fourteen: Stabbed, then unlocks a new form.

Himeko collapsed.

Fang Jie was powerless to stop them. He could hardly keep up with the pace of the battle. It wasn't like an ordinary person watching a Stand fight where they couldn't see clearly. Instead, it was like a strong bystander watching someone who had activated 'Setsuna' fight someone who had activated 'Time Zero'.

You could only stand aside and watch, and still not see clearly.

The martial arts skills forged by the 'Setsuna' mark inherited from Yae Sakura's body; Himeko's talent that reached A-rank solely through hard work and dedication.

In particular, when she used the Valkyrie Armor to imaginary fracture spacetime, the battle scene was amplified many times over for Fang Jie, who was in real reality.

The last thing he could see was Himeko staggering, slowly falling back into reality, struggling to straighten herself—her fighting spirit still burning, her eyes resolute and unyielding, overcoming her physical injuries…

She can't win.

This is a fact that even a synaptic analysis can clearly see.

Himeko arrived too quickly, like a fisherman watching the fight between the snipe and the clam, reaping the benefits in the first moment. Therefore, Himeko had no idea what she was facing. She only had the understanding that her opponent was a Herrscher and that he was fast and powerful after the fight.

But her true power is—the power of [Erosion].

"Drink——!"

Fang Jie heard Himeko's roar, and the Nuclear Fusion Greatsword was once again futilely slashed out, transforming into a warship blade that covered everything in front of it, completely destroying the jungle nest constructed by Sato Yuno.

useless.