As the chains on the ground entangled Kallen, it was clear that the people around her weren't just bystanders.
Almost instantly, Yae Sakura drew her Void Blade from its sheath on her back and severed the chains binding Kallen with a single slash.
"Kallen, are you alright?"
Sakura swiftly approached Kallen, her concern evident as she asked, but her gaze remained fixed intently on the evil fox spirit before them.
"I'm fine... I was too careless," Kallen replied, feeling a twinge of self-reproach. As an experienced Honkai hunter, she had unexpectedly fallen for a trap so early.
This Honkai beast was extraordinary.
"Good, I'm glad..." Yae Sakura gazed at the fox spirit before her, feeling a sense of suppression and strangeness welling up inside.
Is this... the fox god my village has been worshipping all along?
I never expected it to truly exist...
That's right, unlike the villagers of Yae Village, I, as the fox god's miko, have always known with certainty that the fox god doesn't exist—it's just a fabrication.
So... there's actually no such thing as a fox god. Does the sudden appearance of this fox spirit mean that my long-held belief... was wrong?
Does the fox god truly exist?
The concept of the fox god has had a significant impact on Yae Sakura, the fox god's miko... It defines her entire existence; she—and by extension, the entire Yae family—are meant to be servants of the fox god.
As the fox god's miko, shouldn't I immediately go to pay respects to the fox god?
But... should I really go to worship it?
No!
Yae Sakura couldn't bring herself to do it. This wasn't the fox god at all—it was an evil fox spirit!
If there is a god, then Serenade is the true god.
It's time to make a decision, isn't it?
"I won't let you harm my loved ones, even if you're truly the Fox God. So I... Yae Sakura, from this day on, am no longer the... the miko of the Fox God, but the... the Gyakushinn Miko!"
On one side was the Fox God, on the other, Serenade and her little sister...
Yae Sakura chose Serenade and her little sister over the Fox God she was meant to serve.
"Sis..."
Yae Rin held her 5-star katana, shocked as she listened to her sister's words. Such a decision...
She truly was her elder sister.
"I'm with Sis too! Who cares about the Fox God? Serenade is the true goddess!"
Yae Rin, wielding her Vorpal Sword Type-11, stood beside Yae Sakura, her hands on her weapon.
Her stance made her choice clear.
A few years ago, resisting the god they worshipped would have been a difficult choice for the Yae sisters.
But after years of being educated by Serenade, their view of the so-called " Fox God" had changed. If they were to believe in a divine being... wasn't choosing Serenade a better option?
Wouldn't being an exclusive miko for Serenade be even better?
Everything they were, as a pair of sisters, could be said to have been given to them by Serenade.
"Rin..."
Observing her little sister's actions, Yae Sakura was equally moved...
-
"My miko girls... Are you trying to resist me? Resist your spiritual gods?"
The fox spirit, who had been hunting villagers, suddenly paused at the sight of the Yae sisters' actions. Its enormous fox head turned toward them, emitting a peculiar sound.
It wasn't spoken through its mouth, but rather, it seemed to emanate from magical power or perhaps Honkai energy.
"Talk... talk? A talking Honkai Beast..." Upon hearing the fox spirit's voice, the Yae sisters were relatively calm, but Kallen looked as if she had seen a ghost.
Having dealt with Honkai Beasts for years, Kallen had never encountered one that could speak.
But...
Even so, it's still just a Honkai Beast, not some divine being.
"You're not a godly being at all, just a Honkai Beast!" Kallen stared at the fox spirit before her. What godly being...?
Its body emanated powerful Honkai energy—it was clearly just an ordinary fox corrupted by Honkai!
Why it could speak, however, remained a mystery to Kallen.
"Honkai Beast?"
Although the fox spirit was indeed emanating Honkai energy, Sakura and her sister initially mistook it for their sacred fox spirit. It wasn't until hearing Kallen that they realized the truth:
It's just a Honkai Beast... Not the real fox spirit at all!
-
The fox spirit seemed in no hurry to attack, content to simply stare at Yae, Kallen, and the others.
"So what? Shouldn't you all be grateful to me? I've transformed the villagers' foolish faith into reality. Letting them be killed by the god they worshipped—how could that not be a blessing?!" The fox spirit spoke with an air of self-righteousness, as if it considered its actions grand and noble.
"You... how despicable!" Kallen seethed. The fox spirit's words enraged her!
Just as Kallen was about to strike, Serenade, who had been quietly observing the fox spirit from behind without making a sound, finally moved. She swiftly restrained the impulsive Kallen.
"Don't act rashly."
"Serenade... why are you stopping me?!" Kallen protested angrily, tugging against Serenade's restraining hand.
As another version of myself, even if I'm not serving as a shield for the people, why should I try to stop myself?!
"You're no match for this adversary, and besides, the fox spirit isn't the true enemy... The opponent we face is... a Herrscher."
Serenade gazed at the fox spirit before them, and the Tranquil Rhapsody materialized in her hand. Without hesitation, she pulled Kallen and Yae Sakura behind her, shielding them from view.
"What? A Herrscher... a Herrscher?" Kallen was instantly astounded upon hearing Serenade's words...
Herrscher... These beings are on an entirely different level from the Honkai Beasts. Schicksal had provided some information about Herrscher from the last century, though it was far from comprehensive.
But...
If this world truly has gods, then... the Herrscher must be those gods.
Each Herrscher is a messenger of Honkai, wielding powers as terrifying as divine entities.
Calling them gods is no exaggeration... Because each one is a destroyer of civilizations.
If it was a Herrscher, even I...
Unless possessing the Oath of Judah, there would be no means of resistance.
But... how did this Herrscher come to be?
Why appear in this far-flung land?
Could it be... that black box I brought with me?
Come to think of it, did I bring the very source of destruction to this village? Am I the true sinner of this place?
Kallen was plunged into remorse...
"H-Herrscher? How could this be?"
It wasn't just Kallen; since Serenade had previously taught them about such matters, the Yae Sakura sisters also had a general understanding of the Herrscher.