Within this illusory space, Leo Ash walked alone and ceaselessly.
Judging from the runaway truck that had just appeared before him, this place was clearly not a Stigmata space, but a dreamscape he had created with the Void Demon Stone Fragment.
However, the dreamscape he created with the Void Demon Stone Fragment should be under his control to change.
Yet now, even when he released the power of Phantasmagoria, he could only interfere with this dream space, not completely alter it.
During this time, I have been periodically entering the Stigmata space to seal Higyokumaru.
Strange. My power has grown, and my precision in controlling mana and Phantasmagoria has clearly improved due to Precision Control.
Under these circumstances, the stronger me should find it easier to seal Higyokumaru.
Could something have gone wrong in this aspect as well?
With this thought, Leo Ash immediately headed to the Yae Shrine.
And he discovered...
Yae Sakura, who should have been here, was indeed present, holding her spirit blade.
And Higyokumaru, who should also have been here, was bound by chains, but an ominous energy was wave-ing from her body.
But most crucially...
—Ji Lin, who was supposed to be dead, was now standing beside Yae Sakura, holding the 'Xuanyuan Sword' and warily watching the Herrscher before them.
"Benefactor."
Upon noticing Leo Ash, Yae Sakura immediately turned her gaze towards him.
Seeing that Leo Ash's expression was calm, Yae Sakura finally let out a sigh of relief.
"You did indeed notice the anomaly within the Stigmata space."
No, no, I just wanted to get some sleep...
Damn it, has this world finally evolved to the point where even sleeping causes trouble?
However, Leo Ash knew that he absolutely could not show any weakness at this moment.
In the past, after sealing Higyokumaru with Phantasmagoria, Leo Ash had to admit that he hadn't been vigilant enough against her.
After all, in his subconscious, Higyokumaru only had two images: a large fox that spat fireballs, and a small, cute mascot.
But looking at the malicious smile on the young girl's face, Leo Ash, who had suddenly encountered this situation today, finally recalled that the girl before him was no simple foe.
Perhaps in the past, Rin, who had not yet obtained her Herrscher powers, was truly an innocent victim.
But after she was persecuted due to a chain of events, the girl whose heart had completely turned to the Honkai had clearly become a most terrifying perpetrator.
Around five hundred years ago, during the Middle Ages, Higyokumaru, who was sealed by Dr. Mei, once tried to tempt the Schicksal higher-ups of that time to release her from her box.
If not for Higyokumaru's extremely bad luck in choosing Kallen, who possessed the Kaslana bloodline, when she was picking someone else, she might have truly caused severe casualties back then.
The old Schicksal leadership might have become a collection of beasts after Bishop Nicholas's fall.
But Higyokumaru didn't just target the old Schicksal leadership when she killed.
If she had possessed not Kallen, but Bishop Nicholas—who was once a decent person but later became consumed by greed—then Schicksal would have undoubtedly suffered widespread casualties at that time.
With the power of the Herrscher of Corruption, Higyokumaru could have wiped out most of Schicksal's combat power in a short time, and even corrupted the bodies of the surrounding populace.
At that point, even if Kallen had noticed the anomaly, she most likely wouldn't have had time to rescue anyone.
With the mass death of Schicksal's forces and the surrounding civilians, if things continued down that path, many outcomes would become uncertain.
Higyokumaru's methods in the past might not have been particularly sophisticated.
But the fact that she almost succeeded back then meant she wasn't the complete pushover people imagined her to be.
Now, this dangerous entity could even threaten Leo Ash's 'dreamscape'. If Leo Ash were to show any weakness in his words now, those weaknesses could become blades the enemy would plunge into his body.
"How boring."
On the other side, Higyokumaru, who had already summoned the wraith 'Jizō Mitama', saw Leo Ash's expressionless face and the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up slightly.
"I thought you'd be a little surprised to see this scene, Herrscher of Binding."
"I've said it before, you have the wrong person."
"Is that so?"
Upon hearing Leo Ash's words, the smile on Higyokumaru's face grew even brighter.
"Of course I know what you mean. The current you probably hasn't obtained that core yet."
"But I believe, with your power to seal a Herrscher, no one in this era is more suited for the core of the Herrscher of Binding than you."
"You will become my colleague sooner or later, so now—being a little gentler to a future colleague isn't a bad thing, is it?"
At this point, Higyokumaru, who had been facing off against Yae Sakura and Ji Lin, surprisingly and obediently withdrew Jizō Mitama and gave Leo Ash a seemingly flawless smile.
"Don't worry, I'm not stupid enough to expect you to trust me completely."
"I just want to move around freely in this illusory space. If you agree to this request, I can lend you a part of my power."
After the 'Jizō Mitama' wraith completely dissipated from view, the scattered starlight from its dispersal actually coalesced, forming a tachi that emanated a malevolent aura, floating beside Higyokumaru.
"This tachi is called [Jizō Mitama]. It's a weapon that a detestable woman in the past tried to forge using my core and some other materials."
"Unfortunately for her, she only had time to seal me, not kill me. So without my cooperation, she couldn't complete this weapon."
After saying that, Higyokumaru actually manipulated the Divine Key to fly towards Leo Ash.
Looking at the tachi floating before him, Leo Ash naturally didn't touch Jizō Mitama, but continued to maintain his calm expression, watching Higyokumaru.
"What do you mean?"
"My meaning is simple—I give you the power of the core, and in return, you let me move freely in this space."
In Leo Ash's eyes, Higyokumaru's gaze suddenly became filled with temptation.
"How about it? With this tachi, you can control anyone you want in the outside world."
"Even corrupting those little girls and making them your captives in *that* sense would be just a swing away."
"With this tachi, you can corrupt any enemy, making them your servants—or ghosts under your blade."
"This deal shouldn't be a loss for you, right?"
"Indeed, this deal is a huge win for me..."
To the utter surprise of Ji Lin and Yae Sakura, Leo Ash, like a complete fool, actually grasped the hilt of the tachi.
Seeing Leo Ash make this move, Higyokumaru immediately said happily.
"I knew you would make this choice, so—"
"—on the condition that you haven't booby-trapped this sword."
The moment Leo Ash gripped the tachi, he covered it with Phantasmagoria, completely sealing its power.
"You...!"
Seeing Leo Ash's action, Higyokumaru, who thought she had successfully tempted him, suddenly said in vexation.
"Fool! With this sword, you could become the king of this world!"
"In a sense, that's true, but the problem is..."
At that moment, Leo Ash suddenly showed a strange smile.
"—Who gave you the illusion that I need it?"
"You said this sword can corrupt all things, even making my companions my captives in *that* sense?"
"Please, what era are we in? Still using such a lame move."
Having completed the sealing technique, Leo Ash suddenly put his hands on his hips with immense confidence and said to Higyokumaru in a posturing manner.
"Picking up girls? Do you need something as lame as Jizō Mitama?"
"I'm ridiculously handsome, okay! As a handsome, sunny, and cheerful guy, they're super into me too."
"This great man and his harem are all mutually in love; we don't need this broken sword to ruin the feelings between us!"
[...Host, if I may ask, is your mental state okay?]
[Are these words you would say? Have you actually gone crazy from the pressure?]
What are you talking about? Aside from being a bit tired, my mental state is fine.
This one seems to have some brains, but not much—even if I hadn't sensed the energy fluctuations on it, just the act of her suddenly offering power is enough to make me wary.
Plus, her own power is the Herrscher of Corruption's ability to corrupt all things. If I actually believed her, I'd be a total idiot.
[Oh, that makes sense. But what does that have to do with the unhinged things you're saying right now?]
System, what do you think of me as a person?
[Your moral standards aren't low, you're a decent person for the most part.]
Yeah, but that's only when I'm dealing with people I think I should be polite to.
Actually, I'm super petty.
This little girl dared to take me for a fool, so of course I'd find a way to piss her off.
It's just running my mouth a bit. I do that every day—if talking trash makes me feel good, why wouldn't I do it!
[That... that makes sense.]
[As expected of the Honkai Trash-talker. Even at a time like this, you're thinking of launching a mental attack on the enemy?]
"You, you, you—you bastard! Give me back my core!"
"No. You go back to sleep. The organization will remember your contribution."
After directly covering her with Phantasmagoria, Leo Ash looked at the girl who was yelling frantically but had been magically silenced by his Phantasmagoria, and playfully made a face.
Higyokumaru, whose power had just been stolen by Leo Ash, truly felt even angrier now.
She had painstakingly accumulated power to find this opportunity, attempting to use words and her authority to corrupt his body and achieve her ambition of taking it over.
But—hey, why was he fine even after touching the hilt!
That's my core!
Give me back my core!
"Alright, let's ignore that one."
After putting away the tachi, Leo Ash looked at Ji Lin, who shouldn't have been there.
"Ancestor Ji Lin, can you tell me now why you were able to manifest here?"
"...Perhaps it's because the power within this Stigmata is too strong."
Recalling her previous experience, Ji Lin said thoughtfully.
"After I gave you my Stigmata, I should have dissipated completely."
"But after your Stigmata and my Stigmata suddenly fused, the soul fragment of mine residing in the Stigmata was instead strengthened."
"I am not the real Ji Lin now, just a remnant soul."
"However, within this Stigmata space, I felt a power that was not Honkai Energy flowing, so I borrowed that power to complete my 'rebirth'."
"But..."
At this point, Ji Lin suddenly showed a look of guilt.
"I borrowed that power, so the seal on this Herrscher also loosened."
"By the time Miss Yae Sakura and I realized something was wrong, it was already too late, which is why we used the power of the Stigmata together to 'call' for you."
Hmm, let me think.
The power I use to seal Higyokumaru is actually Phantasmagoria.
And although I usually only use Phantasmagoria to alter others' perceptions and weaken enemies, if used well, this barrier can achieve localized reality warping.
Phantasmagoria in the original story did something similar.
Ji Lin was already a soul fragment within a Stigmata. It's not that strange for her to unconsciously use this power to revive herself.
Sigh, everyone can win the revival game.
Only that man, once he's gone, is really gone.
"Ancestor Ji Lin, please don't look so down."
Seeing Ji Lin's guilt-ridden expression, Leo Ash said to her and Yae Sakura.
"The situation is urgent now. I think having one more person to stand guard here is actually a good thing."
"This Herrscher may have once been good-natured, but now, she is without a doubt an enemy of humanity."
"If something similar happens again, I must ask you two to continue to notify me at the earliest opportunity."
There are enough problems outside, and now I have to keep suppressing Higyokumaru here...
Tsk, even through the layer of Phantasmagoria, I can still feel the strong fluctuations from the Herrscher Core.
My current power alone is not enough to perfectly seal and control this tachi.
Only when I can master the power of this tachi...
—will my chances of winning against Otto increase significantly.
..