After all, this past was no longer the same as the one in his memory, even now, his recollections of those days were but a hazy fog constantly changing...
------------------------------------
"So quiet. Are the students on vacation?" Himeko asked in confusion.
Welt pondered for a moment.
"It is a bit strange. Normally, today shouldn't be a holiday."
Welt had checked today's date on purpose. As a teacher, he was certain today was a school day.
With the energy of young people, the academy shouldn't be this quiet at this hour.
"Stop right there! Haven't you been notified that no one is allowed in St. Freya recently? Who are you?"
A sharp voice called out, and the two turned around at once.
They lowered their heads slightly.
"Theresa?" The call didn't snap Theresa out of her daze.
"Eh?"
"Eh, !!!"
...
After much explanation, Theresa finally believed that the two people in front of her were from the future.
"But I still think there's something off about you."
Theresa frowned, staring at the calm and graceful Himeko, feeling more and more uneasy.
Something was wrong, very wrong!
The Himeko I know isn't like this at all!!
"Theresa, did something happen at St. Freya? Why isn't there a single student around? Where are Kiana and the others?"
With Theresa here, Welt asked directly.
Theresa glanced sideways at Welt. Well, this one seemed off too.
The former leader of Anti-Entropy, now from the future.
"A Honkai outbreak occurred in the Coral Island. Classes have been suspended for a while."
Welt was taken aback by Theresa's words.
"Coral Island?" Although much time had passed, Welt still clearly remembered the times and locations of every Honkai outbreak.
Shouldn't this be the time of the Herrscher of Sentience's awakening?
Suddenly, Welt realized something.
The time and location of the Herrscher of Sentience's awakening had a certain specificity. Under normal circumstances, as long as Fu Hua was unharmed, the Herrscher of Sentience should never appear.
"We still haven't confirmed the location of the Seventh Herrscher, so St. Freya has been completely shut down. Headquarters is searching for any trace of its presence."
"The Coral Island produced the Herrscher of Stars and later the Herrscher of Ice, if I recall correctly."
Due to the unique nature of the Herrschers born from the Coral Island Honkai, Welt remembered them vividly.
A Herrscher formed from two cores fused together, its power far exceeded that of ordinary Herrschers.
"That's not all. The Honkai energy of the current Herrschers exceeds 1000 HW on average, with many reaching 2000 HW. This latest eruption has already surpassed 2000 HW and still shows no sign of stopping."
Theresa's expression was grave. It was clear she was deeply troubled by this incident.
"From what you're saying, it seems this Herrscher is good at hiding." Himeko joined in, analyzing the situation.
"...We're not entirely sure, but we all believe the Seventh Herrscher holds the power of ice. Beyond that, nothing is clear yet."
Shaking her head, Theresa forced herself to sound energetic and said,
"If it's convenient for you, come with me. There aren't many people left in St. Freya right now."
Himeko nodded slightly, not refusing.
"Sorry to trouble you."
"..." Even though she knew this Himeko wasn't the one she knew, still, how strange!!
The corner of Theresa's eye twitched. She didn't know what to think.
'The Himeko I know would never be this polite!!'
'Especially not to me!!'
...
Coral Island.
This was the first time Durandal had worked together with a Herrscher.
"Miss Yae Sakura, are you feeling all right?" Durandal asked with concern, looking at the upright Yae Sakura.
"Hmm? Please don't worry. This body can still fight when the final battle arrives." Yae Sakura smiled gently.
Kiana suddenly interjected.
"If you ask me, Miss Sakura's just too soft on that guy! Just drag that out and give it a good beating, let's see if it still dares to act up!"
Pouting angrily, Kiana still remembered how arrogant that big fox, Higokumaru, had been.
...
Let's rewind to a few days earlier.
The moment the Coral Island Honkai Eruption began.
As part of the first rescue team to arrive, Yae Sakura frowned at the chaotic scene below.
"How should we find the Seventh Herrscher?"
All around, the devastated city was overrun with massive Honkai beasts rampaging freely.
Mei and the others, who had already joined the battle, fought the Honkai beasts with all their might.
The once-prosperous city had become a living hell.
Below, Valkyries moved through the streets, rescuing the surviving civilians and carrying them out of danger.
As her gaze shifted, Yae Sakura noticed two distinct figures. Rita and Durandal, leading the Immortal Blades to the front lines.
"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Yae Sakura. I'm Durandal."
"Likewise. I am Rita."
Having had a prior encounter, Durandal's attitude toward Yae Sakura, this pseudo-Herrscher, had improved notably.
She no longer held prejudice against a friend who fought for humanity. Rita curiously observed the fox lady who had even stirred emotions in the Overseer himself.
The most eye-catching features were, of course, the two furry ears atop her head.
They twitched slightly from time to time, adorable beyond words.
Yae Sakura gave a slight nod and spoke.
"Nice to meet you both. I'd love to chat, but the situation is urgent. If possible, please brief me on what's going on."
Rita nodded and gave a summary of the current conditions in the affected area.
"So, the Herrscher's location still hasn't been found?" Yae Sakura frowned slightly upon hearing this.
That wasn't good news. The goal of this mission was to eliminate the Herrscher, if they couldn't even locate the target, it would greatly hinder their operations.
"We'll find the Herrscher eventually. I'll head to the Shrine area to investigate."
"In that case, I'll do my part as well."
Meanwhile, deep within a hidden corner of Yae Sakura's consciousness, three figures were greedily devouring the circulating Honkai energy.
"This feeling, how nostalgic!" Higokumaru was wildly absorbing the Honkai energy.
Ever since being sealed away, it hadn't even seen sunlight, let alone tasted Honkai energy.
To it, this Honkai eruption was a grand feast!
Careful not to draw Yae Sakura's attention, the other presences quietly absorbed the surging energy as well.
...
On a tall building overlooking the city, two figures watched the chaos below.
"A Honkai Eruption... The previous ones were never this powerful."
Gazing at the ravaged cityscape, a sense of isolation washed over them.
Indeed, only a secluded island seemed like a true refuge in this world.
"When do we move out, Owl?" Turning her head, looking at Chen Tianwu who was fiddling with the instruments, Raven asked,
"Intelligence work requires extreme precision. And this time, the Honkai concentration far exceeds any previous event. Even Schicksal cannot deploy many operatives. That Herrscher possesses a very strong anti-reconnaissance ability, it will take time to locate them."
Chen Tianwu replied calmly.
The Coral Island's Honkai Eruption far exceeded everyone's imagination.
The previous understanding of Honkai was almost completely reshaped at this moment.
The ever-increasing Honkai energy prevented many Valkyries from entering the area.
Within a high-concentration Honkai zone, a Valkyrie was only marginally stronger than an ordinary human. Once the Honkai energy surpassed what the body could withstand, death became the easiest outcome.
Because of this, even the Schicksal Valkyrie troops had to retreat and regroup frequently.
But it couldn't be helped. Even if Valkyries rushed in to rescue people, they would only become mindless dead soldiers under the control of the Honkai.
Once things developed to that point, dying would actually become a luxury.
Shaking her head, Raven sighed helplessly.
"Alright then, seems like I've got no choice."
Only heaven knew how bewildered Raven was when she got the call.
A Honkai Eruption? A Herrscher? Did they seriously not care if she died there?
But upon arriving at the scene, Raven finally understood why.
This Herrscher was a master of hide-and-seek!
Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent.
Even with all three major factions working together, they couldn't find it. The three organizations at the forefront of fighting the Honkai couldn't locate a single Herrscher. It almost shattered Raven's worldview.
Suddenly, Chen Tianwu's fingers stopped operating.
"What's wrong?" Instead of answering directly, Chen Tianwu looked in a specific direction.
"Something's coming out." On the screen, Honkai energy readings in the distance spiked dangerously high.
...
"Miss Sakura, are you alright?"
Seeing Yae Sakura suddenly stop in place, writhing in pain, Rita's expression changed and she asked urgently.
But the response wasn't Yae Sakura's gentle voice,
"Hahaha!! I have finally been reborn!!" Evil, oppression, destruction, every negative emotion imaginable took form in that moment.
Streams of black and red mist surged out of Yae Sakura's body, forming in the air a massive fox-shaped demon!
"Hahaha!!" Bathed in the dense Honkai energy, it laughed wildly.
It was Higokumaru, the Twelfth Herrscher, Herrscher of Corrosion.
It had been sealed by a human for five hundred years, five hundred years!
During all that time, it could do nothing. Even after Yae Sakura broke free from the seal, the stubborn will of that detestable shrine maiden kept it trapped.
No temptation could sway her.
Especially after meeting that short white-haired girl, Yae Sakura's heart became even more unshakable.
Like water on oiled stone, no weakness to exploit.
Originally, Higokumaru had planned to cooperate with the Herrscher of the Void, to claim Yae Sakura's body and regain freedom.
But things changed unexpectedly.
The Coral Island's Honkai Eruption gave it the perfect chance.
That surging ocean of Honkai energy was the finest nourishment for a Herrscher!
Using its power, it finally broke free and returned to the world once more!
"This filthy human world deserves to be destroyed by me." Savage energy flooded the air. Higokumaru bared its fangs, overflowing with ferocity.
Durandal and Rita exchanged a glance and nodded.
"To save Miss Sakura, we'll have to go through this thing first."
Just then,
"Thunderstrike!"
"Venom Burst!"
"Judah, lock it down with me!"
A storm of multicolored attacks intertwined in the sky, creating a dazzling scene.
Before it could even move, Higokumaru was struck by this loving "care," and for a fleeting moment, it almost felt the warmth of the human world again.
"What's happening? What is that monster?"
Mei was the first to arrive. Seeing Rita and Durandal, she asked urgently.
After a brief explanation of the situation, Mei's heart tightened.
Looking at Higokumaru, she immediately realized that it must be the Herrscher inside Yae Sakura's body.
Soon, the others arrived as well.
After hearing the story, their eyes turned sharply toward the recovering Higokumaru.
"You're pretty arrogant, huh? Acting all high and mighty." Cracking her knuckles, Theresa's tone was anything but friendly.
"Hmph, too arrogant, needs punishment!" Behind Yuno, twin wings of poison mist unfurled, spreading toxic fumes as she flapped them lightly.
"You'd better leave Miss Sakura's body… or else…" Lightly wiping her blade, Himeko spoke coldly.
"...." Higokumaru's enormous mouth twitched.
Its eyes swept across the scene, three humans exuding overwhelming pressure, two Herrschers… this lineup was absurd!!
After a "friendly exchange," Higokumaru deeply realized its mistake and admitted that it could not separate from Yae Sakura's body, but promised to stay quietly inside.
"Hmph, at least it knows its place." With a snort, Theresa withdrew her massive Judah.
Once Higokumaru retracted its power, the influence of the Honkai faded, and Yae Sakura regained her senses.
"Ugh… what happened to me?"
...
The Twelfth Herrscher, Herrscher of Corrosion.
"This Herrscher's ability mainly targets a person's mind. Without understanding it, you could easily suffer a heavy loss," Durandal explained.
Yae Sakura nodded slightly.
"Higokumaru's power is far too dangerous. We can't let it act on its own."
After her "friendly conversation" with Higokumaru, Yae Sakura learned much about it, including its identity as the Twelfth Herrscher, a genuine relic of the past.
At this moment, within the mental space, Higokumaru, still recovering from the beating it received days ago, fumed in silence.
"Ganging up on me, really brave of you! Try a one-on-one if you dare!"
Though it said that, if it actually had to fight one-on-one, Higokumaru would still chicken out.
The Herrschers of this civilization were abnormal.
Their Honkai energy far surpassed its own, even the weakest among them, Yuno, possessed power greater than it did.
The amount of Honkai energy they could command was on a level it could never reach.
That was precisely why Higokumaru remained so quiet.
The Will of Honkai or God seemed to favor the Herrschers of this era.
If it were foolish enough to come out now, it would only meet its own end.
After five hundred years with Yae Sakura, Higokumaru had no doubt, if it ever acted up, Yae Sakura would drag it down with her without hesitation.
In the past, when it was just Yae Sakura alone, it wouldn't have cared.
But now… Forget it, better to just rest quietly.
Peering through the mental space toward the outside world, Higokumaru sighed bitterly.
Right now, it had only one thought: "When will the Herrscher of this Honkai Eruption appear already?"
Inequality between humans could cause countless problems.
Likewise, inequality between Herrschers could cause just as many!
Higokumaru refused to accept that it was the only one suffering such treatment!