Seele stared at Leo Ash, who had just retracted the mass of energy, and shook her head, completely dumbfounded.
Just then, the other Seele inside her body spoke to her, her voice trembling and broken.
*T-Threats! These are blatant threats!*
*He must have known we were coming here, so he used this method to warn us not to cause trouble!*
*Um, other me, I think you're overthinking things...*
*Brother Leo Ash probably doesn't even know about this.*
*Besides, you're the only one planning to cause trouble.*
*You— no, I... You're going to be the death of me!*
*Besides, Brother Leo Ash was concerned about our safety right away. That doesn't look like a threat at all, does it?*
*You don't know squat! This is the carrot and the stick approach! He releases his power to threaten us not to mess around, while putting on a concerned attitude on the surface!*
*What a terrifying man. How can his mind be so meticulous?*
*...No, I really think you're overthinking it.*
*I can't see any of those weird intentions in Brother Leo Ash at all.*
After severing the connection between the Key of Corruption and the Blank Key, Leo Ash let out a long, deep breath.
The other Seele thought Leo Ash was warning her, but that was clearly the wrong answer.
The reason Leo Ash had inexplicably wrecked this place was entirely due to an accident.
Jizō Mitama, as a Divine Key created from the Herrscher of Corruption's core, would unconsciously try to 'corrupt' the user's mind and body the moment they touched the tachi.
And even though Leo Ash had wielded Jizō Mitama for so long and developed some resistance to this corrupting power, it didn't mean he could completely ignore it without using the authority of the Herrscher of Binding.
Today, after enhancing the Blank Key with his Manipulation skill, his original plan was to test whether connecting the enhanced Blank Key to a regular Divine Key could unleash even greater Herrscher power.
The moment he completed the connection, two factors—the increased output of the Blank Key and the corruption of his body making his power uncontrollable—caused him to be unable to rein in the power he should have suppressed the instant he 'became' the Herrscher of Corruption. This was what led to the accident.
But setting this minor incident aside, the results of the experiment were gratifying.
The power of the Herrscher of Corruption wasn't actually suited for direct combat. Yet, under this premise, connecting the enhanced Blank Key to the Key of Corruption had unleashed power far beyond Leo Ash's expectations...
If even the Key of Corruption, which was poor at direct combat, could have such an effect when linked with the Blank Key, then other Divine Keys suited for frontal assault would surely be able to unleash even greater combat strength when connected to the enhanced Blank Key.
This way, he would have a better chance of winning the next time he faced Kevin.
...But thinking about it, it's so annoying.
That old geezer... I didn't manage to kill him last time. Next time we meet, he'll either go Diabolic or just cheat his way to victory.
Damn you, Honkai. If that guy hadn't tried to make me go berserk at that moment, I could have killed Kevin more calmly.
If I hadn't overexerted my power, I might have succeeded in finishing him off.
Even after gaining a further power-up, Leo Ash felt little joy in his heart.
The stronger he became, the more he felt that the Honkai of this world had undergone some kind of hyper-evolution in its way of thinking. It had transformed from the slacker in the original story who would only come out to save Sirin when she called for it, into a schemer who was constantly plotting everything from behind the scenes.
And now, with Kevin heavily injured and Leo Ash missing, from the Honkai's perspective, if it could win over Otto, it would surely be able to wreak even greater havoc upon the world.
No matter how strong I get in here, it's all meaningless if I can't get out.
I'll rest for a bit. Once I'm back in top condition, I'll go check out that location they discovered.
"Um, Brother Leo Ash."
Seeing Leo Ash retract his power and immediately fall deep in thought, a timid Seele walked up to him, holding the meal Yae Sakura had prepared for him.
"This is the food Sister Sakura prepared for you."
"Ah, thank you."
After taking the basket from Seele, Leo Ash gave her chest a long, hard look.
To be honest, for someone he had only known for a few days, staring so intently at a young girl's chest was hardly a polite thing to do.
But neither Seele nor the other Seele thought for a moment that Leo Ash's action had 'that kind' of meaning behind it.
Seele simply thought Leo Ash was a genuinely good person, so her mind didn't go there.
The other Seele, being a Stigmata personality, was in a sense more sensitive.
So right now, in her eyes, Leo Ash wasn't looking at Seele's chest, but at the Stigmata located there.
*What... what is he doing?*
*This guy, can he even sense that I was just badmouthing him?*
"Seele."
After pulling his gaze back, Leo Ash spoke to Seele with great seriousness.
"I don't know why your other personality holds such a strong prejudice against me."
"But tonight, I hope you can have a good talk with her. Persuade her not to cause any trouble when I make my move tomorrow."
"I don't want to waste any more time in this World Bubble, so—I think a smart girl like you understands what I mean."
Leo Ash didn't spell it out.
But Seele wasn't an idiot. With him putting it like that, she definitely understood what he was implying.
To put it bluntly, Leo Ash wanted her to keep an eye on her other personality and not let her drag everyone down at the critical moment tomorrow.
The other Seele, of course, also understood what Leo Ash meant, and having grasped the meaning behind his words, she didn't dare say a thing.
Leo Ash was being very polite to Seele.
But the look in his eyes just now as he stared at the Stigmata was so calm it unnerved the other Seele.
So calm that it frightened her.
"I understand, Brother Leo Ash."
Seele straightened up and said to Leo Ash with great seriousness.
"I'll have a good talk with my other self. I'll make sure she absolutely does not interfere with your actions tomorrow."
"Ah, that's not what I meant."
Hearing Seele's solemn tone, Leo Ash immediately corrected her.
"You two little girls can't interfere with my actions. What I mean is—you should have a good talk with her."
"I'm a petty person. If she decides to act up at a critical moment tomorrow... a petty person like me doesn't hold grudges. If I have the ability, I'll get my revenge on the spot. And when that happens..."
"You'll have to suffer along with her, understand?"
*Huh?*
After hearing Leo Ash's words, Seele paused for a moment before nodding with a wry smile.
"I understand. I won't make things difficult for you, Brother Leo Ash."
As for the other Seele...
*Let me out! I'll fight him to the death!*
*How dare he look down on me! How dare he look down on me to this extent!*
*Um, other me, Brother Leo Ash is warning us precisely because he knows you have this kind of personality.*
*D-Damn it! So what if he's strong?*
The other Seele, who was about to say more, suddenly fell silent as she watched Leo Ash walk away with the basket.
*Eh? What's wrong?*
*Fine, I'll do you a favor. I'll put up with him for a few days.*
*I don't know what happened, but it's great that you're willing to do that.*
Completely oblivious to what Leo Ash had done, a contented Seele chose to leave the area.
But at that same moment, the other Seele, as a Stigmata personality, had felt a sudden surge of Stigmata power from Leo Ash.
Leo Ash, who was already a Stigmata Awakened, had, for a brief instant, attempted to link his Stigmata—which already possessed the 'power of the Herrscher of Corruption'—with Jizō Mitama and the Blank Key.
And though this linkage only resulted in a minuscule power leak, it was enough for the other Seele to realize that the gap between them was even greater than she had imagined.
Though infuriated by Leo Ash, the other Seele now had to admit that in a direct fight, she'd probably just get her ass kicked.
So, for now, she would endure.
Getting revenge wasn't something that could only be achieved with fists.
Once we get outside... we'll see once we get outside!
*How dare he threaten me! I'll remember this grudge!*
*Leo Ash, you just wait!*
*Sooner or later, I'll make you pay!*
...
Shenzhou, a certain region.
After about ten days of operating in Shenzhou, Li Sushang had indeed made a name for herself with her skills and the equipment Otto had prepared for her.
Although Shenzhou had suppressed many Honkai Beasts with its mechanical patrols and martial artists, any help was still very much welcome.
And in order to gain her Grand Master's approval, Li Sushang had worked very hard over these ten days, helping Shenzhou solve some problems that had been quite thorny.
According to her plan, if she kept this up, sooner or later, the Immortal Red Kite on Mount Taixu would choose to meet her.
But now, after her actions during this period, Li Sushang's desire to meet her Grand Master was no longer as intense.
In the end, all she wanted to do was to be a heroine and uphold justice.
And right now, helping her homeland slay beasts and protect the common people was exactly what she wanted to do and ought to do.
With that in mind, thinking about all those other things seemed a bit like pointless worrying to Li Sushang.
But today, feeling much more cheerful, Li Sushang suddenly encountered someone after a battle had concluded.
A person who shouldn't have been there, yet radiated a terrifying sense of pressure, suddenly appeared before the Shenzhou combat unit.
"You..."
Seeing the white-haired girl floating in mid-air, a highly vigilant Li Sushang immediately drew the weapon she had just sheathed.
"Miss Li."
Seeing Li Sushang's on-guard stance, the disciples of the Taixu Sword School who had been liaising with her during this time also drew their weapons.
"Is there a problem with this woman?"
"Everyone, run."
After saying those two words, Li Sushang looked at the other's ice-cold eyes and told the crowd.
"Go and inform Grand Master! This is an enemy you can't handle!"
"Inform the Immortal?!"
Hearing Li Sushang's words, the martial artist was first startled, then immediately began to usher the others to retreat with great urgency.
"I understand! Everyone, fall back!"
Having been on the battlefield for so long, this swordsman knew very well that when facing an overly powerful enemy, underpowered allies staying on the battlefield would only distract their strongest combatant.
Especially after spending time with Li Sushang, he had discovered that she was a person who valued loyalty and friendship, was sentimental, and wasn't cunning.
If everyone stayed, she would definitely be unable to fight without holding back.
If a few more people died now, the guilt-ridden girl, while not likely to have her Sword Heart shatter immediately, would certainly have her mind thrown into chaos.
When facing a strong enemy, how could one win if their mind was in turmoil?
"Interesting."
Watching the orderly retreat of the Taixu Sword School disciples, Sirin, who had seized control of Kiana's body, mused to herself with great interest.
"I thought you hypocritical humans would choose to stay and shout things like 'we'll go together if we go,' and then all die at my hand."
"Who... who are you?"
Noticing the other's resemblance to Siegfried, and that both had white hair, Li Sushang suddenly asked with great nervousness.
"Are you related to that middle-aged, white-haired man?!"
Thinking that Siegfried had once stood against Otto, Li Sushang became even more nervous.
"You're a Raksha... no, are you Otto's enemy?!"
"Don't you dare mention those two names in front of me!"
Hearing the two names that she detested, Sirin, who had intended to chat a little longer with the woman before her, immediately summoned a large number of Lances of the Void.
"Siegfried killed me once. I will never let him go."
"And that bastard Otto, even though he found a way to resurrect me, I can't forget what happened fourteen years ago."
"Siegfried must die. Otto must die. The humans of this world are all hypocritical trash. They all must die!"
In a mere instant, the Lances of the Void that had suddenly appeared in the air all took aim at the utterly astonished Li Sushang.
"And right now, the one who deserves to die the most..."
"—is you, Otto's lackey!"
.