"Seeking answers, huh..."
Hearing Rin say this, Leo Ash didn't look disappointed.
In this world where the God of Honkai was relentlessly causing trouble, failing to catch Corruption was a bit of a shame, but precisely because of this, Leo Ash actually felt more at ease.
Dragging it out wasn't a solution, true, but if Corruption was that easy to catch, it wouldn't fit the 'rules' of this world.
Something abnormal must be afoot. If it took the bait that easily, it could only mean Prometheus was 100% preparing to drop an even bigger bombshell.
And after Corruption was captured or eliminated, the only big move Prometheus would have left... was Finality.
Compared to the Cocoon of Finality inexplicably accelerating, Leo Ash felt that dealing with a Corruption that had maxed-out its hide-and-seek skills was much more comfortable.
"Whatever. If Corruption isn't at our home base, then I probably know where it is."
After saying this, Leo Ash slightly raised his right hand toward Rin, revealing the Stigmata on the back of his hand, its emblem now fixed into the pattern of a [Cross wrapped in chains].
"Come back for now. Since it's not here, we'll have to go find it."
"Alright, alright."
(Rin's Internal Monologue) *Wow, as expected, he's still grinding.*
Before being sucked into the Stigmata Space by Leo Ash, Rin looked at him with a hint of pity in her eyes.
Leo Ash wasn't the most special person she knew, but he was definitely the biggest tryhard.
*Grinding in an illusion is one thing, but he's still grinding in real space.*
As the Herrscher who, in a sense, understood Leo Ash the best, Rin seriously wondered if Leo Ash was even grinding in his dreams.
Now back in the Stigmata Space, a question suddenly surfaced in Rin's mind.
*This guy...*
*Has he ever... truly 'rested'?*
As for Leo Ash, still in the real world, he left a message for his companions on the light-screen—'I'm heading to World Serpent HQ'—and then immediately used the Quantum Teleportation System to leave, arriving inside the Thousand Worlds.
"Mr. Leo Ash."
Seeing Leo Ash's sudden visit, Su, who had already guessed his intentions, asked.
"Are you... ready to go to the World Serpent HQ?"
"Yeah, there are a few things I need to confirm over there, so I'll have to trouble you to lead the way, Mr. Su."
"Ah, in that case..."
After activating the power of the Key of the Void, Su teleported with Leo Ash to the World Serpent HQ.
"This is the World Serpent HQ."
What Su had worried about—that Leo Ash would immediately destroy the World Serpent HQ—did not happen before his eyes.
To be honest, Su, who had considered this possibility, felt like he might have thought of Leo Ash in too extreme a light when he saw him calmly observing his surroundings.
Okay, so Leo Ash *was* an extreme person, Su hadn't misjudged his personality on that.
And precisely because of that, the completely calm Leo Ash right now made Su feel that... perhaps he still didn't understand this person well enough.
"Leo Ash...!"
Gray Serpent, who had not anticipated the sudden arrival of Leo Ash and Su at all, gritted his teeth and spat out the name, staring daggers at Leo Ash.
Facing the Bioroid who clearly hated him, Leo Ash strolled closer and asked Gray Serpent curiously.
"Yo, Gray Serpent. Did your master not tell you..."
"—That when you see me, you should respectfully add the word 'Mister'?"
In response to Leo Ash's provocation, Gray Serpent, who shouldn't have been this emotionally agitated, found it incredibly difficult to suppress the killing intent in his heart.
Even though the other party was indeed a hero who had successfully resolved several large-scale Honkai Eruptions and saved countless lives, to Gray Serpent, Leo Ash was still... no, he was still the enemy they *all* needed to strike down.
No matter how many Herrschers Leo Ash took in or how many problems he solved, the moment Gray Serpent thought that this person was very likely the main culprit behind the Honkai's acceleration and the near-total bankruptcy of the Stigmata Project, he naturally couldn't restrain his anger.
But...
—not only could he not beat him, but this person was also the successor that Lord Kevin of World Serpent valued.
Kevin, who had long since informed Gray Serpent and Jackal of Leo Ash's possible visit, had already instructed his subordinates that they must treat Leo Ash with courtesy.
With the Lord's orders given, and knowing his side definitely couldn't win a fight, Gray Serpent, no matter how angry he was, couldn't take any further, more aggressive actions.
On the contrary, out of respect for Kevin, Gray Serpent remained silent for about three seconds before finally forcing out, through gritted teeth:
"Leo Ash... Mister!"
"Hm. Good boy."
"Enough."
Kevin, having noticed the commotion at the base and arrived, spoke to Leo Ash.
"While it's true I sincerely invited you to the World Serpent HQ, that does not mean you can bully my subordinates as you please."
"Oh, okay."
Looking at the cold-faced Kevin, Leo Ash dropped the matter with Gray Serpent and walked up to Kevin.
"But there's one condition for that—before you hope I'll show them the same respect, I hope your subordinates will first show me, their guest, a little respect, instead of looking like they want to fight me on sight."
Although the two of them indeed gave Gray Serpent and Su a feeling of tense, drawn-out confrontation, this scene was already much better than the worst-case scenario the two had envisioned.
Compared to the last time they met, when they started a deathmatch after just a few words, ending with one of them cut in half and the other presumably quantized, this time they were only clashing verbally over Leo Ash's attitude toward Gray Serpent. This could already be considered peaceful.
"Alright, I can't be bothered with any more useless talk."
Looking at Kevin, Leo Ash said to him and Gray Serpent.
"You asked me to come over, surely not just to have Gray Serpent glare at me a few times."
"If you have business, state it. If not, I'm leaving. After all, the Herrscher of Corruption hasn't shown itself yet, and I need to find a way to drag it out."
"...Gray Serpent."
Hearing his Lord's call, Gray Serpent quickly responded.
"My Lord, please speak."
"Take Leo Ash to the [Elysian Realm]. If he can find the 'answer' he's looking for in there, I think it will be a good thing for both of us."
*Ah, if only you knew I was planning to use the Realm as bait to lure out Corruption, you probably wouldn't be thinking that.*
*But whatever. Time is tight right now, and I can only use this unconventional method to solve the problem.*
Following Gray Serpent's footsteps, Leo Ash began to pay attention to his surroundings.
In the original story, the Herrscher of Corruption attached itself to Mei, using her as a medium to enter the Elysian Realm and start wreaking havoc.
Although in the end, the Flame-Chasers of the Realm managed to trade thirteen of themselves for it in a super-costly exchange, if that matter hadn't been handled properly at the time, it would have led to huge problems.
But now, unable to catch Corruption, Leo Ash could only take this risk.
He had brought Rin with him not only to help resolve the lingering resentment in her heart, but also to have her ready to act at any time as his trump card against Corruption.
Although he couldn't guarantee that Rin would have a stable advantage against this era's Corruption, with her here, at least this era's Corruption wouldn't be able to easily corrupt the Realm.
"Mr. Leo Ash, the entrance to the Realm is right here."
After leading Leo Ash to the entrance of a massive facility, Gray Serpent forced himself to speak to Leo Ash in a mild tone.
"Please, enter."
"Ah, thanks."
After tossing out those words, Leo Ash, right in front of Gray Serpent, summoned Rin, who had been waiting for his call in the Stigmata Space.
"Oh, this is..."
Seeing the facility, Rin sneered.
"To think that, for a moment, I actually felt a kind of... familiar... illusion?"
"Interesting. To have this kind of feeling in a place like this... what a rare experience."
"You are..."
Although he had long known that Leo Ash held many secrets, seeing a somewhat familiar woman appear before him, Gray Serpent still instinctively felt... a sense of dread???
*This feeling—it's definitely not an illusion!*
*I'm afraid of this little girl. Why is that...*
—Rin!!!!!
*She's Miss Sakura's little sister!!!!!*
Gray Serpent, recognizing the woman's identity, immediately ignored Kevin's instructions and roared at Leo Ash.
"Leo Ash! What is the meaning of bringing the Herrscher of Corruption here!!!!"
"Don't mess around! The Realm can't withstand her abuse!!!"
"Ah, you recognize me?"
Seeing this Bioroid was clearly terrified of her, Rin chuckled.
"Oh my, am I really that scary right now?"
(Gray Serpent's Internal Monologue) *You're scarier than a billion murderers*—Gray Serpent really wanted to say that.
But Gray Serpent knew about the tragedy that the Herrscher of Corruption had caused back then.
Because of the 'Discipline', the soldiers, adhering to the belief of 'never give up fighting the Honkai', were tricked by the Discipline into killing Rin, who had been harmless at the time.
At that time, Rin, who had been persecuted and had her life stolen, was treated in such a way that she blackened on the spot and destroyed humanity's last few cities.
Although Dr. Mei sealed her in the end, Dr. Mei didn't have time to fully subdue Rin, extract her core, and create the corresponding Key of Corruption.
But now, Gray Serpent truly never expected that Rin would actually win the "revival match" and appear next to Leo Ash in the flesh.
Now he understood why Leo Ash could so easily kill Otto.
Even setting aside the mass-produced Jizō Mitamas created by the Herrscher of Reason, Leo Ash had the original Herrscher of Corruption herself on his side.
Otto, who had long since switched to a Soulium Body, going up against the Herrscher of Corruption... it would have been a miracle if he *had* won.
And now that things had come to this, Gray Serpent didn't dare say another word.
Rin seemed emotionally stable for the time being, but if Gray Serpent provoked her...
If this young lady activated her powers in her physical body, the World Serpent HQ would be 100% finished.
And he couldn't even fight her.
Fifty thousand years ago, the soldiers were interfered with by the Discipline and killed Rin. Everyone knew the consequences.
Fifty thousand years later, would Gray Serpent dare to do the same thing?
Not only did he not dare, but he even had to pray that nothing happened to Rin.
If something happened to Rin, the World Serpent HQ would be finished, and the Stigmata Project would be forced to be scaled back yet again, delaying the plan's launch.
And the person who caused all this...
—Leo Ash!
*This damned brat, he definitely did it on purpose!*
"Whoa, why are you glaring at me like that?"
Seeing Gray Serpent's "I want to murder you" attitude, Leo Ash said helplessly.
"I remember you and Sakura got along pretty well, so I let her little sister come out and meet her big sister's old acquaintance."
"It's one thing if you don't understand my good intentions, but you're even glaring at me."
"Mr. Gray Serpent, this... it really hurts my feelings."
*You brought the Herrscher of Corruption to our main base, and you have the nerve to say that?!*
If not for the fact that Rin and Leo Ash's relationship was clearly deep, and that provoking Leo Ash might indirectly provoke Rin, Gray Serpent would absolutely not have suppressed his resentment today. He would have used all the Shenzhou curses collected by the Gray Serpent network to give Leo Ash a piece of his mind.
But now...
*Patience, Gray Serpent, you must have patience!*
"Alright. If Rin really tries to cause trouble, I'll watch her."
"As for now, you should just go do whatever it is you do."
Watching Leo Ash and Rin walk toward the Elysian Realm, Gray Serpent waited until they were out of sight before immediately contacting Kevin.
"Gray Serpent, has Leo Ash entered the Realm?"
Hearing Kevin's emotionless voice, Gray Serpent replied helplessly.
"My Lord, Leo Ash is heading to the Realm, but..."
"The Previous Era's Herrscher of Corruption, Miss Sakura's sister, Miss Rin... I don't know why, but she has also appeared at Leo Ash's side."
"I didn't dare provoke Miss Rin, so I could only let her enter the Realm with Leo Ash."
"Now, my Lord, regarding Miss Rin..."
"—What is the most appropriate way for us to handle this?"
In the reception room at the main base, Kevin's hand, which was holding his teacup, trembled visibly as he heard Gray Serpent's words.
He then looked at his dear friend Su, who was sitting opposite him, his eyes seeking an answer.
In response to Kevin's gaze, Su nodded decisively.
"Kevin, what Mr. Gray Serpent said is true."
"Mr. Leo Ash and Rin have known each other for a long time. You don't need to worry about that."
"At least, when I saw them before, I could feel that much of the hostility from Rin has already dissipated."
"This time, if she can see the 'Sakura' inside the Realm, perhaps for her..."
"—it should be a good thing."
......