Higokumaru observed the figure ahead—another version of herself—and felt a surge of disbelief!
She's actually aligning herself with humans for such a trivial reason!
Shame! A disgrace among Herrschers!
"F-fried tofu?"
"You've betrayed the very essence of a Herrscher... forsaken Honkai... all for a measly piece of fried tofu? You are... a disgrace."
Higokumaru roared at her counterpart, her expression a mask of disappointment and frustration!
"What do you know? If it weren't for the fact that you're another version of myself, I wouldn't deign to acknowledge you at all!" Higokumaru retorted angrily, stung by the dismissal of fried tofu.
If a Herrscher's existence wasn't for the sake of fried tofu, it would indeed be utterly meaningless...
Destroy the world? Wipe out civilization?
Is that even as important as a piece of fried tofu?
Of course, Big Sister is far more important than fried tofu. For Higokumaru, it's not clear why, but whenever Big Sister is by her side, even the most important fried tofu to her doesn't taste as good.
Maybe... that's what love feels like!
-
"If you won't surrender, there's no point in talking to you. Let me give you a taste of the harsh realities ahead, courtesy of my senior status!"
Higokumaru looked at the Higokumaru before her as if gazing upon her own immature past self. Determined not to let her repeat her mistakes, Higokumaru resolved to expose her to the cruel lessons society can teach.
Although Higokumaru considered this other girl another version of herself, she wouldn't hold back simply because of their shared identity.
As she spoke, Higokumaru transformed into a colossal fox once again, her jaws yawning open... and a torrent of Fox Flames shot towards Higokumaru.
"Not scared of each other?! I'm the true Herrscher of Corruption!" Higokumaru retorted, responding with a burst of flames in kind.
Moments later, Higokumaru's tail began to undulate like a sentient tentacle, launching fireballs—each three or four meters wide—like shooting stars hurtling straight for Higokumaru.
Unwilling to yield, Higokumaru harnessed all five of her massive tails, conjuring a colossal fireball over thirty meters in diameter... which she hurled directly at Higokumaru.
The giant fireball collided with Higokumaru's barrage, intensifying the inferno around them. But this was far from their biggest concern; by now, the entire village was permeated with the Herrscher of Corruption's corrosive virus.
Anyone who dared enter Yae Village would find that even if the flames spared them, the corrosive virus would turn them into one of Higokumaru's undead minions.
It mirrored the events from fifty thousand years ago, when Higokumaru first died... her corrosive virus had infected the entire experimental base, turning everyone into mindless pawns.
Had this been the future—a world of science fiction—the Herrscher of Corruption's virus would have been far more terrifying. For she not only corrupted living beings but also machinery and artificial intelligence, subverting their very essence.
Unlike a hacker requiring specialized knowledge and skills, the Herrscher of Corruption merely needed to unleash her virus to achieve dominance—leaving death and chaos in her wake.
Watching the battle between the two massive foxes from within their barrier, Kallen and the others felt as if they were witnessing a battle between gods.
If these two incomplete Herrschers weren't holding back—and for other reasons—the entire Far East would have been annihilated by now...
"S-Serenade, how is it possible to have two Herrscher-like beings? And one of them seems to be on our side?"
Kallen observed the Gyakushinn Miko sustaining the barrier. Although her appearance had changed... she must still be Serenade.
As she watched the foxes' fight, Kallen realized that in this short span, she'd experienced more wonders than she had in her entire life.
There are multiple Herrschers? Herrschers... can actually be benevolent?
"Higokumaru is my pet. You can feel free to trust her!"
"Wait, what? A Herrscher as a pet?"
Kallen stared, dumbfounded, at the Gyakushinn Miko. This was...
Suddenly, Kallen felt that all the powerful figures she'd encountered before were nothing compared to this.
Raising lions, tigers, or even Honkai Beasts—it was all as nothing. Who else could dare raise a Herrscher as a pet?
An hour later, the two massive foxes finally ceased their onslaught. Although Higokumaru should theoretically be slightly stronger than Higokumaru at this point in time—this difference wasn't immediately apparent. However, Higokumaru possessed medicinal potions gifted by the Gyakushinn Miko. As a result, while Higokumaru bore countless injuries, Higokumaru remained completely unscathed!
Given a few more days and nights of battle, Higokumaru might have stood a chance to emerge victorious.
But... did Higokumaru have that kind of time?
No!
Higokumaru's existence was limited to just 24 hours, with only around 21 hours remaining. There was no time to waste here.
So...
Higokumaru had to transform!
She unleashed the full power of the corruption Key, the Jizo Mitama, from within her body.
The Jizo Mitama, wielded the profound power of corruption and served as the sword of Heavenly Ascetic Shinsui from ancient times!
In Buddhist tradition, Jizo refers to the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha. According to the Sutra of Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha's Fundamental Vows, he vowed to appear in the six realms between the passing of Buddha Śākyamuni and the arrival of Buddha Maitreya, working tirelessly to save all living beings. Like the earth itself, he remains steadfast, unmoved, with depths of contemplation as profound as his capacity to nurture countless seeds of virtue. Hence, he is named Jizo, or Earth Repository.
The Concept of Mitama in Shintoism
The idea of "One Spirit, Four Souls" is rooted in Shintoism. It suggests that every living being possesses four distinct types of souls.
Jizo Mitama and Its Abilities
Jizo, the Buddhist monk, was given authority over purgatory and the souls destined to suffer there. Jizo Mitama, meanwhile, grants control and the ability to summon ghostly entities to its wielder.
At this moment... drawing upon the power of the Divine Key associated with Jizo Mitama, Higokumaru transformed from a large fox into... a ghostly apparition of Jizo.
However... this apparition did not resemble the Buddhist Jizo Bodhisattva or a monk.
Instead, it took on the form of a ten-meter-tall Japanese warrior—a nod to the Sakura Samsara arc where Yae Sakura took Higokumaru to the watchtower, and Higokumaru first obtained the Jizo Mitama, becoming that colossal presence.
But... unlike in the game, where Higokumaru had transformed into a ghostly Jizo standing at three to six meters tall, this time, she became a fully ten-meter-tall entity. In her hands, she wielded a pair of fifteen-meter-long katana.
"Power... Such a familiar power! Higokumaru, allow me to ask you once more, will you surrender?"
Higokumaru, transformed into the ghost god Mitama, pointed a fifteen-meter-long sabre at the large fox Higokumaru before her and asked with great confidence.
This form's power was far superior to Higokumaru's fox form!
Higokumaru's fox form was just that of an ordinary little fox, while the ghost god Mitama form was that of the king of hell itself!