Collapse, survive

The shrine maiden took only one step, and before anyone could even see her charging up, a beautiful, poignant flash of light swept past Himeko's armor, slicing a bloody gash in her side armor.

That area, the kidneys must have been cut off, right?

Compared to Himeko, who needed the Valkyrie armor to create a time-space rift in order to keep up with the shrine maiden's movements, the latter learned this skill from Himeko almost immediately after meeting her, thus sealing her defeat.

Yes, she is still getting stronger, which is only natural.

The imaginary spacetime fracture developed using the Second Herrscher's original body is indeed the easiest to control, especially since she is 'Erosion'.

In this way, Himeko was completely suppressed, and wounds were continuously inflicted on her, even as she kept falling and getting up again.

Fang Jie was completely overwhelmed; he couldn't keep up with anything he wanted to do... He needed to get Fei Yu Wan to stop!

How easy is it?

He himself wasn't in good shape either. The snowstorm had worn him down, the battle of wits and courage with Sato Yuno had drained his energy, and healing Himeko had also depleted his energy, although it had actually increased because of her... Could it be that if he was in good shape, he could fight?

In short, I feel tired.

You guys are performing exorcisms here, and I'm just a strong passerby!

"You're slowing down, sir. We don't need to be so hostile. My target is that evil spirit, and aren't you here to slay her too? Why are you pressing me so hard?"

Compared to Himeko, who dared not be distracted in the slightest, and Fang Jie, who was exhausted and unable to keep up with the pace of the battle, 'Yae Sakura' seemed to be in complete control.

There is a kind of elegant cruelty about it.

She was sealed for 50,000 years, then for another 500 years. Now, with the abundant energy of the Third Great Collapse, she has finally regained her mobility and suppressed that incomprehensible Rebellious God Priestess.

A great era is coming!

As a form of entertainment, it's not bad to have some fun with her; getting some exercise is truly enjoyable for both body and mind.

Her sword flashed continuously without stopping, leaving Himeko in a sorry state, only able to defend herself with blood spurting from her body. Yet, she still had the mind to chatter: "To be honest, there is a demon within me as well. In order to seal this demon, I sometimes lose control of my body. But please believe me, I have no ill intentions towards you. I am here only to slay the demon."

The playful yet expectant tone was so menacing that even the cunning and shrewd Himeko, and the taciturn Fang Jie, could sense the malice.

He could even understand Himeko's true intentions. Himeko, him, and even the purple-haired woman were just background toys. The person she truly wanted to talk to was the reclusive priestess within her. He wondered what expression she would make after he used her face, her sword, and her tone to 'indiscriminately kill the innocent'!

This is what happens to traitors!

Yae Sakura, this is what happens when you betray me for that woman!!

Hahaha, I'm so incredibly excited...

Her tone seemed earnest: "That demon often leaves me in a daze, I'm rarely sober, and I can't control my body. Please step aside so I can slay the evil spirit and leave."

Get out of the way! You want to protect her, right? Let her go, right? A Herrscher, what right do you have? Get out of the way, let me eat her, and then kill you all!

Thus, malice was palpable.

"Shut up. Didn't your parents teach you that your lies are really low-level and incredibly stupid?"

Himeko had nowhere to retreat. Behind her were the weakling Hosai and the even weaker Sato Yuno. If she couldn't hold them off...

"Kid, don't you know how to disappear? Hurry up!"

Himeko felt there was something wrong with her teammates as they turned away from her. "Run! You guys are affecting my performance, don't you understand?" She really wanted to swear, even though it wasn't elegant.

Fang Jie remained silent, staring intently at 'Yae Sakura'.

Of course he could run, and even... remove Sato Yuno's core, pull out Himeko's Valkyrie armor and weapons; his internal energy would probably be enough to take them away alive.

But they were only alive. The energy within them far exceeded his, and they would all be hit by the dimensional slash—especially since he didn't have time to replenish his energy and come back to save them, so he was destined to only be able to take one of them with him.

Jizi?

With the Honkai energy replenished, the power of the Herrscher of Corruption was further enhanced. Everyone, stop messing around. Sue immediately awakens Kevin, and all of humanity embarks on the initial Stigmata Project. If they can't awaken, they should just die.

What about Sato Yuno?

He might as well take Himeko with him. To put it bluntly, what do the ordinary people in this world have to do with him? Compared to the people he is 'familiar' with, if he has to sacrifice one side, how would he choose?

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

I didn't come into this world so that you would teach me your final lesson!

Besides... Sato Yuno, who has regained her freedom, has already escaped. That fox is clearly going to eat people!

In some ways, she was more sensible than Fang Jie, at least that's how Himeko saw it.

Fang Jie ignored Himeko and kept staring intently at 'Yae Sakura'. He took a deep breath and used the ability he had learned earlier.

“Himeko, you shouldn’t have said that. She did lose her parents at a very young age, and there wasn’t enough time to raise her. Am I right, Rin?”

Fang Jie, loves to tell the truth.

The continuous flash of sword light paused for a moment. The synesthetic beacon was very powerful, accurately indicating that it was 'bell' rather than 'rin'.

Himeko was confused, but she finally had a chance to catch her breath. It seemed that the other party had been mocked. She roared and was about to raise her greatsword and slash at the frozen figure.

Come on, Herrscher, it's a fight to the death!

pity……

Right behind her, Fang Jie, who couldn't keep up with 'Yae Sakura' at all, made a decision, reached out his hand, and fearlessly grabbed her greatsword, betting his hand on the future.

Honkai Killer, power increased.

No longer does it rely solely on a part of the body as a medium, deeply hidden within. This time, it's surrounded by a 'black' effect, making the hand appear... unclear. Even the light is captured, leaving only a 'pitch black' outline.

The greatsword, capable of unleashing a strike comparable to a small nuclear explosion, froze, motionless in mid-air.

Himeko already had a back injury, and this dislocation made it feel like she had twisted her waist, causing her excruciating pain. But what pained her even more than these injuries was Fang Jie's actions.

You should lend a helping hand instead of resorting to underhanded tactics, don't you understand?

"You brat, what are you doing? Have you betrayed us?"

Her tone was one of utter anguish and disbelief—"Why did you hit her? Why did you hit me? We should be on the same side, fighting the Herrscher together, not you..."

"Please shut up."

Fang Jie understood that she was anxious, but asked Ji Zi not to rush, saying that if they continued fighting, "you'll be corrupted and then turn around and attack me. I'm just disarming you in advance."

The fusion sword was cooling down, its intense heat was dissipating, and even the Honkai energy contained within its material was dissipating in the collapse. The increased power was making it somewhat unable to withstand the absorption.

Through Sato Yuno's trial, Fang Jie gained a new understanding of the power of 'Honkai Killer'. At least without putting in more effort, he wouldn't be able to participate in the current high-level match.

Disappointed, Himeko remained silent, then twisted her body to elbow him. Fang Jie, whose kidney was injured, gritted his teeth and took the blow, while his other hand infused her with pioneering divine power.

Please accept this; it's my last ripple.

Accept this energy... and you'll be more resilient if things don't go smoothly afterward.

Then, go!

He kicked Himeko in the fleshiest spot on the back of his elbow, sending her as far away as possible without holding a grudge.

"Himeko, live on!"

you……

Disappointed and somewhat bewildered, Himeko's lips twitched. The curse she was about to utter while flying through the air was ultimately swallowed back. Clearly, Fang Jie hadn't betrayed her, so he…

She watched the Herrscher warily, who for some reason hadn't launched an attack.

Speaking of which, how many Herrschers are there now?

Is Changkong City cursed?

The motionless 'Yae Sakura' was completely still, lost in a daze, immersed in some kind of memory, a memory so distant that she couldn't even remember how long ago it was: like a nightmare, still terrifying when she woke up.

The betrayal she wanted to see didn't happen; instead, she witnessed another kind of betrayal—betrayal that this woman had sided with me? But you are…

'Yae Sakura' stared intently at Fang Jie, searching through nightmarish memories she didn't want to recall...

I can't find anything.

Those dark days haunted her, pain and hatred gnawing at her body and mind, until she heard her true name again, and her unrecognizable self.

All that has happened in the past has resulted in failure.

Everything I wanted to protect... vanished!

All that remains is unforgettable pain, loneliness, and madness.

And now, there's someone who knows me, recognizes me, and is clearly 'Yae Sakura'—are you still paying attention to me?

Then why, why have you imprisoned me for so long, causing me pain and preventing me from finding release!

"Heh, hahahahahaha..."

Unable to hold back, she burst into laughter, a near-hysterical, maniacal laugh. Her face, now flushed crimson, stared intently at Fang Jie, leaving behind...blood.

Blood dripped like tears, gushing forth like a spring.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The laughter was so mournful it sounded like a wail.

It's simply because the name "Rin" is being called again.

This attracts more hatred than the idea that you don't have parents.

"I am going to kill you!!"

Angry?

Yeah.

The roaring, blood-weeping man appeared in front of Fang Jie in an instant, even faster than when he attacked Himeko. Of course, Fang Jie still couldn't keep up. He stabbed Him through with a single blow, the force so great that it almost reached his arm, replaying the scene of his previous attack on Sato Yuno.

That's fair, I suppose.

Fang Jie, still reeling from the internal organ attack, finally came to his senses; after all, it really hurt.

“Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill!!”

Only then did the venomous cries reach my ears, and they were accepted, overwhelmed by the immense emotional impact of the pain, hatred, love, and resentment contained within them.

Himeko didn't even have time to react before she was slapped away.

Oh, she also got slapped.

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

Fang Jie was merely lifted high, a knife protruding from his back, a hand buried inside his body, raised high, heavily...

Do not move.

"Should I say something like, 'I've got you!' at a time like this?"

As long as you can keep up and react quickly, Fang Jie has a way to break the deadlock, and that's exactly what's happening now.

As for being pierced through the body...

It wasn't just one hand anymore; both hands, both legs, even the chest—the body was pierced and torn apart… Everything was radiating darkness, not just internally, but externally as well, as if it connected to hell. Even light was swallowed up here, leaving only the outline of darkness.

Not daring to hold back in the slightest, Fang Jie... had never gone all out, always avoiding the situation.

The entire person appears to be nothing but darkness. Of course, this can only be observed from the outside. He himself cannot see or feel anything. Everything, including light, has been swallowed up. In this stagnant moment when energy no longer flows, he can see and feel nothing.

But the world, at least where Thousand Feather Academy was located, suddenly seemed to jump frames. Everything that was originally still and turbulent under violence began to flow like the Milky Way, including the Hyperion that crashed down from the high sky, with figures rising and falling as they were dragged down by the storm.

Yes, a storm.

Or rather, the collapse of the calculus into a powerful force field absorbed everything.

Everything nearby was in turmoil, and the closer one got to the edge of darkness, the more turbulent it became, as if the world was being chewed and torn apart, emitting a terrifying grinding sound.

But just as everything drew near that dark outline, it became strangely quiet, vanishing silently.

Countless amounts of energy were drawn out, and countless amounts of matter were drawn away, and everything seemed to evaporate, disappearing into the darkness, never to return.

Suddenly, another hurricane, drawn in by the storm, blew out a mournful howl, as if the world were issuing some kind of warning.

Fang Jie, oblivious to the danger, absorbed the energy that the Scarlet Prison Pill—no, that Rin used to continuously exert her tyrannical power—to imprison her in reverse and activate the teleportation.

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

I'm taking you away!

In an instant, without any prelude, the magic of turning a person into a living being was performed again in front of Himeko.

But it's hard to see clearly.

Just as Fang Jie could only watch her fight before, she couldn't see clearly what was happening in that darkness. But when she came to her senses, many things had disappeared from the spot, leaving only a deep pit.