When the magnificent cross slammed into her face, Higokumaru felt aggrieved mixed with confusion.
After all, no matter what, this strike containing Binding divine authority's big slap caused too much psychological damage to this fifty-thousand-year-old child.
However, after the confusion, fury also rose.
"You actually hit my face! Even my sister never hit me!"
The black clouds began re-gathering into a large fox under Higokumaru's control. She prepared to show this unethical sneak attacker some color.
"You think I'm who? I am the Herrscher of Corruption!"
The large fox gathered from black energy raised its claw, swinging at Kallen surrounded by golden chains. But she quickly discovered her claw could no longer advance even an inch when about to touch the other party.
Only then did she suddenly realize—that golden cross just now, while shattering her form, also transformed into golden chains. These chains traveled through cloud layers, binding her originally formless body.
Higokumaru felt her control over Corruption authority become extremely stiff, like originally smoothly meshing gears had rusted, rotating with extreme difficulty.
"This power..."
Past memories were flipped through. Higokumaru suddenly remembered she'd seen this power before—on the cross in that white-haired gorilla woman from a foreign land's hands.
"Damn it, it's you!"
New and old grievances intertwined. Higokumaru felt even her rationality burning.
The fox opened its giant mouth, spewing fierce black flames toward that tiny white figure ahead.
"Rua!"
Kallen didn't pay too much attention to Higokumaru's attack. She raised her small hand. As golden gears turned behind her golden eyes, more golden chains appeared, blocking the black flames Higokumaru spat out, then locking her body tightly.
Simultaneously, these chains also rapidly spread toward the distance. In very short time, they formed a Binding Domain over a hundred kilometers, completely nullifying Corruption bacteria Higokumaru spread while severing her connection with the infected.
After accomplishing this, she looked at Higokumaru with undisguised fatigue: "Higokumaru, I know it's you. Stop. Your sister wouldn't want to see you like this."
"Shut up! She's not my sister. My sister died fifty thousand years ago long ago. Now I'm going to revive her!"
Although locked tightly by Binding authority, Higokumaru didn't appear panicked. Because by now she'd also seen—this white-haired gorilla woman who'd somehow shrunk a size was in even worse condition than herself.
She could still recover power through massive Corruption viruses, while the other could only reproduce past power by burning her own life.
In other words, as long as she dragged it out, she'd win!
Thinking of this, she couldn't help mocking: "Five hundred years ago you didn't eliminate me. What can you do now? After you drain your last bit of vitality, I can still achieve my goal."
Fatigue on Kallen's face grew more severe, but she still said extremely firmly: "You won't succeed, because..."
"Because what?" Higokumaru noticed Kallen's life force like a candle in the wind. The fox face was full of mockery: "Because of your love and courage, friendship and bonds?"
"No, because..." Kallen closed her eyes. In life's final dispersal, she extremely clearly spoke the last sentence.
"Because you're not callous enough!"
Words fell. Kallen's heart stopped beating, powerlessly falling from the sky.
Higokumaru noticed her life force had completely dispersed—meaning this white-haired gorilla woman was dead.
However, she still didn't understand what Kallen's last sentence meant.
After pondering fruitlessly, she simply gave up. The fox face humanistically showed some sadness before becoming determined again.
"Now, no one can stop me. I will dye this world my color!"
With Kallen's death, Higokumaru noticed the Binding Domain, having lost control, became rootless water and began rapidly collapsing. Breaking free from it wasn't difficult.
And as long as she broke free, she could spread herself globally, infinitely multiply herself, revive Sister with absolute volume.
"I will create a world where Sister exists!"
But Higokumaru locked by Binding Domain didn't notice Kallen's corpse was caught by Lucius after falling.
Looking at the white dumpling in his arms with no heartbeat, cold body—obviously completely dead—Lucius's face showed undisguised sorrow.
"Kallen, what a tragic death you died!"
"Fear not! Watch me pursue souls to the underworld!"
Then he placed Kallen's corpse on the ground, somehow producing an injection gun filled with light blue solution. After gesturing at Kallen's neck a few times, he stabbed it in.
As medicine injected, Kallen's body trembled, suddenly opened her eyes, then sat straight up.
"Eh... I'm alive again?"
"Already said, mere death isn't anything to make a fuss about."
Lucius put away the empty injection gun, extending his hand to Kallen: "Archbishop, we agreed to save the world together. How can you fall first?"
At this moment, Lucius faced away from the sky's Binding authority manifested golden cross. Wisps of golden radiance came from behind him, setting him off extremely sacredly.
Kallen was actually stunned for a moment.
"That's right... this world hasn't yet escaped predetermined destruction. How can I fall?" Facing Lucius's extended arm, Kallen similarly extended her hand and grasped his.
Then she felt a breaking air sound by her ear. Surrounding scenery began retreating. The cross and Higokumaru in the sky grew increasingly close.
Kallen reacted.
—She was thrown out by Lucius again!
"Kallen, continue using Binding Domain on her! I've already found a solution. Dragging it out will lead to victory!"
"Lucius, you callous person! I'll beat you! I will definitely beat you!!!"
Kallen was now extraordinarily furious.
But now with great enemy before her, she could only first vent fury onto the enemy before her.
Looking at the large fox's astonished expression, Kallen's golden eyes seemed to ignite.
Behind her, a giant cross nearly penetrating heaven and earth was pulled by golden chains. With her arm's swing, it heavily smashed toward Higokumaru.
"Eat my magnificent cross!!!"
Seeing the cross smashing toward her face, Higokumaru's expression changed drastically, involuntarily crying out.
"Gua! Weren't you dead?!"
"—Boom!!!"
Accompanied by a huge sound, the pitch-black sky exploded again.
Then golden chains once more locked tightly the nearly freed Higokumaru.
After accomplishing all this, Higokumaru discovered Kallen's life aura once again flickered like a candle in the wind. This time she carefully observed, ensuring her life truly dispersed.
Watching Kallen powerlessly fall, Higokumaru breathed relief.
"This time she should really be dead. Even consciousness dispersed. Probably can't be saved..."
However, soon she heard some strange sounds again.
"Pursue souls to the underworld!"
"Kallen, use Binding Domain!"
"I'll beat you! In Schicksal Archbishop's name, I will definitely beat you hard!"
Then, as expected, she saw a giant cross slapping toward herself.
"Eat my magnificent cross!"
"—Boom!!!"
During the following period, Higokumaru watched Kallen die and live, live and die.
One magnificent cross after another slapped toward her face.
Finally, after enduring countless slaps, Higokumaru finally couldn't help roaring at the once-again ascending Kallen: "White-haired gorilla woman, how many more times are you going to die?!"
"How would I know that kind of question?!" Kallen was also extremely angry. "Also, I hate people mocking my intelligence! Eat my magnificent cross!"
"Lucius! You callous person!"
"After this resolves, I will definitely beat you! I swear! I will definitely beat you!!!"
...
"What a hearty battle indeed!"
Watching the spectacle in the sky resembling heaven and hell at war, Lucius couldn't help sighing emotionally.
He also knew doing this was rather callous. But no choice—exchanging Oath of Judah and Herrscher of Binding experience card both required many crystals.
These crystals he planned to use purchasing Stigmata selection boxes. After all, in upcoming plots, Li Sushang, Theresa, Dark Jixuanyuan... these could only work through Stigmata.
If he exchanged Herrscher of Binding and Herrscher of Corruption experience cards, due to insufficient crystals, his script would be delayed at least half a year—unacceptable.
"Forget it. Callous is callous. As long as I can beat Herrscher of Finality to their knees."
However, after making Kallen do sit-ups so long, it was finally time to complete this 'Black Death' plot node.
Under his perception, a door decorated with various sweets appeared from nothing before him.
Then from this strange door walked two pink-haired girls—precisely Sakura and Rin. Using Outer Key's power, Lucius's consciousness clone brought them from Far East to Austria.
Just stepping from the door, both were attracted by the battle scene in the sky.
But soon, Sakura saw wisps of black energy begin gathering toward Rin who'd arrived here. She hurriedly hugged Rin.
"Rin, how do you feel?"
"I feel... very good." Rin closed her eyes, face showing a faint smile.
At this moment, this black energy hosting Corruption authority seemed to find true belonging, scrambling to surge into her body.
But correspondingly, purple patterns began appearing on Rin's body. Under such enormous Honkai energy stimulation, even with God-Slaying Spear suppressing, signs of Honkai energy erosion began appearing on her body.
Seeing this, worry on Sakura's face deepened. She looked at Lucius.
"BOSS?"
"As long as we solve Herrscher of Corruption and make authority temporarily dormant, Rin will be fine."
But hearing Lucius's words, Sakura grew even more worried. Because understanding this sentence in reverse meant—if they couldn't solve Herrscher of Corruption, Rin would be in danger.
Thinking of the method Lucius proposed, even though sufficient trust had accumulated during this period, Sakura still couldn't help worrying.
Lucius walked to Rin's side, rubbing her small head, gently asking: "About to die soon. Afraid?"
Rin lightly shook her head, with a faint smile: "Not at all. Death... I've already experienced it many times. At most sleeping a bit longer."
Then she turned and embraced Sakura. Facing Sakura's worried expression, she comforted: "During past hospitalizations, doctors said many times my survival was a miracle. But you know, as long as Sister is beside me, I'll always wake up."
"Besides, if I don't die, probably more people will die because of this, right?"
However, not knowing what she thought of, a trace of fear still surfaced on her face. She asked Lucius: "Brother Lucius, vaccine injection needs needles, right?"
Although Rin didn't fear death, she'd always been full of dread toward needle pain.
Watching her shrink her small head, Lucius took out two candies with golden luster, placing them in Rin's mouth.
Rin's eyes instantly brightened.
"So sweet!"
"Knowing you fear pain, I had Aunt Mobius make the vaccine oral."
"Mm mm mm..."
As Rin swallowed the candy, drowsiness surged up. She nestled in Sakura's embrace, dozing off.
"Just treat it as sleeping. When you wake up, everything will be over."
"Good night, Brother Mu. Good night, Sister..."
As Stigmata Plan Phase One and Two gene seeds were swallowed, Corruption power in Rin's body seemed completely activated.
The sky's black cloud layers extended black torrents, surging toward Rin in Sakura's embrace. Simultaneously, Honkai energy erosion signs on Rin's body grew increasingly severe. Her entire person became like a cocoon covered with purple patterns.
Simultaneously, Sakura holding her seemed to sense something, looking at the sky puzzled.
"BOSS, my Stigmata seems to be trembling. It seems to be calling something in the sky."
"...This matter is quite ordinary. No need to mind."
The Stigmata in Sakura's body similarly came from 'Sakura,' but the 'Sakura Samsara' from another world line.
Could it be this Stigmata still had some connection with Higokumaru in the sky?
...
When Sakura felt some inexplicable connection, at this moment in the high heavens, Higokumaru who'd just recovered from the big slap Kallen swung with the cross similarly sensed an extremely intimate connection.
"This familiar feeling... what's happening?"
"Wait, this is... this is Sister's aura!!!"
Higokumaru carefully sensed this aura. The consciousness fluctuations within were identical to Sister in her memory!
But most touching was that after sensing this aura, her heart dormant for fifty thousand years burst forth a thread of emotion.
"That's right, this is Sister! Not some similar flower—real Sister!"
In consciousness space, watching Higokumaru suddenly crouch on the ground crying and laughing, Yae Rin also carefully sensed, thoughtfully saying: "Indeed very like Sister's aura... bam!"
Before finishing, she was headbutted away by crouching Higokumaru.
Then Higokumaru glared at Rin, saying in a near-roar: "That's my Sister, not yours!!!"
Regarding Higokumaru's reactive response, Rin didn't show anger. She just rubbed her head.
"But Higokumaru, Sister is hugging someone else..."
Hearing this, Higokumaru suddenly cast her gaze toward the ground. Immediately she saw that figure completely overlapping with memory, and the girl she held who was identical to herself.
This scene entering her mind caused more damage than Kallen's magnificent crosses. She only felt a sound of string breaking in her mind.
—Higokumaru's rationality completely melted down.
A piercing angry roar came from the large fox's mouth in the sky, like rumbling thunder echoing between heaven and earth.
"Fake... I'll kill you!!!"
In infinite fury, Higokumaru tore apart golden chains binding her, diving toward the earth.
However, getting closer to Sister, she detected Corruption authority in her body rapidly leaving herself.
"No! My power, why are you leaving me?!"
If merely losing authority, Higokumaru wouldn't be this furious. But what she couldn't accept was—after leaving, her authority actually surged into that 'fake's' body held by Sister.
"Gua! I can't accept this!"
But soon, Higokumaru saw Sakura raise her head toward the sky, meeting her gaze.
Higokumaru had imagined countless reunion scenes with Sister—emotion, calm, tears, sorrow... but never imagined this moment.
Because she saw Sakura furrow her brow. In her eyes was undisguised disgust...
"Crack!"
Higokumaru heard a sound of glass shattering from her heart.
"No, Sister, don't look at me like that... don't look at me like that..."
Higokumaru felt her life was completely ruined.
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