Chapter 122 – "Taixuan: Heaven-Splitter!"

"She... she went back? Just like that?"

Still a little shaken, C.C. tilted her head as she regained control of her body, her long, slightly pointed fox-like ears twitching slightly.

Though honestly—those ears didn't really look like fox ears.

They looked more like rabbit ears... or maybe donkey ears would be closer? But Higokumaru was a fox, after all... so fox it was.

Nagami, of course, felt no need to keep any distance from this body.

Climbing back onto the bed and sitting beside the girl, curiosity tugged at his thoughts.

Almost without thinking, he raised a hand and gently reached toward those fox ears.

The moment his fingertips touched them, a strange sensation spread from C.C.'s body—silky smoothness, irresistibly pleasant to the touch.

If he'd only had the sensations from his male body, these ears felt like the perfect mix of softness and comfort... much like petting a cat.

But at the same time, they were nothing like stroking the delicate skin of the girls around him. It was something else entirely—enough to make him want to keep touching forever.

And if you threw in the sensory feedback from the female side of this shared body...

It just got downright weird!

Weird.

Very weird!

The mood that had been abruptly broken by Yae Sakura's sudden appearance was threatening to resurface.

Nagami hurriedly pulled his hand away, and C.C. quickly shook her head, her pure purple hair flowing behind her like rippling waves, carrying a faint fragrance as it swayed.

With a pale, slender hand, she gathered her hair and swept it over one shoulder, revealing the graceful curve of her swan-like neck as she turned her back to Nagami.

On her milk-white back bloomed a vivid, cherry-blossom-shaped mark—a scarlet Stigmata, glowing eerily with streams of light that slithered and twisted like spirit serpents, faint traces of sakura pink flickering within.

This... was clearly not the right time to take things any further.

Even though the door was locked, who could guarantee that some overzealous young lady wouldn't come barging in like last time?

They quickly gathered the scattered clothes from the bed and casually threw on their pajamas.

Nagami's jet-black pupils were now replaced by a slowly rotating six-pointed star—the activated Stigmata revealing an internal structure and energy flow quite unlike before.

For a moment, old images flashed like falling stars deep within his mind—Yae Sakura's memories...

Nagami could clearly see the Stigmata's inner world.

Naturally, that meant he could also destroy it without effort.

His soul strength far surpassed that of Higokumaru and Yae Sakura combined.

As such, this Stigmata couldn't forcibly drag him into its space—not if Nagami refused.

What a joke... I'm a Herrscher, remember?

And not just any Herrscher—one who had devoured vast amounts of honkai consciousness essence!

Granted, "vast" was a relative term.

To the Honkai God, this was probably just a tiny fragment.

But on this planet, that amount of Honkai energy was already immense.

"Maybe... I should deal with Yae Sakura's problem while I have the chance?"

Nagami absentmindedly rubbed his chin, falling into thought.

After all—this Stigmata contained a treasure: the unfinished Divine Key: Jizo Mitama!

A complete Jizo Mitama would replicate the Herrscher of Corruption's powers—the strongest blade of "corruption" in existence.

And honestly, its corruption ability was downright absurd. It could even erode mechanical constructs!

But truthfully, Nagami didn't even need the actual Jizo Mitama.

As long as he saw the finished product once, he could perfectly recreate it—completely indistinguishable from the original.

That was the terrifying power of the Herrscher of Reason.

If his knowledge base were vast enough, the Herrscher of Reason could be the strongest Herrscher—without exception.

Even the Herrscher of the End could theoretically be confronted head-on.

After all, while the Herrscher of the End possessed the abilities of all Herrschers, the Herrscher of Reason's upper limit was tied to individual knowledge.

Unless the Honkai God itself personally intervened with the true Herrscher of the End, a lesser End Herrscher appearing through other means wouldn't possess such overwhelming knowledge.

In fact... if Nagami could eventually decode the concept of "existence" itself, she might one day forge her own Herrscher of the End by hand!

Two powers with such sky-high potential combining would not result in a simple 1 + 1 = 2 effect. It might surpass 20, even 100.

But she was still far from grasping the concept of "existence." That would take time.

Recalling the instant when Yae Sakura touched his consciousness and discovered the truth of the shared body, Nagami smiled faintly, a wicked glint curling at the corner of his lips.

A little payback for that vicious shrine maiden, then~

After all—this was the same woman who said things like: "Captain's supply pull: all pity," or "Captain's event drop: zero loot."

A shrine maiden who could casually curse like that... absolutely needed some proper education.

Still, going into the Stigmata space to talk to Yae Sakura now would be... a little too awkward.

Maybe... tomorrow.

No—definitely tomorrow.

He had just finished doing that with C.C body, and to shamelessly act like nothing had happened and strike up a casual conversation right after... well, even he had his limits.

But then again—this body was his. So did that even count...?

And if it didn't... what the hell that we call it?

Hmmmmm... soul intercourse?

With effortless grace, C.C. glided across the room on flawless legs, smooth as jade, before pausing at the window.

Tilting her head up, she gazed at the brilliant starlit sky.

Cool night air flowed in through the open window, stirring the dark blue curtains like ocean waves.

They brushed gently across her pale, delicate cheek, teasing a stray lock of soft hair.

C.C. let her thoughts run wild, racing like untamed horses in her mind.

And having just pondered the Herrscher of Reason, she naturally thought of Bronya, who would probably never get a license from Welt again.

To achieve the grand vision of "All of St. Freya as Herrschers," Bronya needed another Core.

Herrscher of Wind.

Herrscher of Stars.

Herrscher of Ice.

Herrscher of Domination.

Only these four remained.

Nagami wasn't sure which would be the best match for Bronya.

The Herrscher of Flamesion was reserved for a certain "Old Rogue".

The Herrscher of Death, of course, was saved for Seele

As for the trashy maid—well, Rita seemed to have the potential for a Herrscher body too.

Plus, her personality was very much to Nagami's taste.

Maybe turning her into the Herrscher of Ice wouldn't be so bad.

Even if Rita took the Ice Core, Bronya's compatibility with it would probably be low.

After all, Ice Herrscher powers wouldn't make her Heavy Bunny any faster.

Casting a glance at the girl under the starlight, Nagami lazily floated toward the window and leapt out, landing lightly on the nearby rooftop.

"You've been watching me this whole time... haven't you, Black Tiger Fu Hua!"

He suddenly thrust out his finger, pointing toward the shadowy figure hiding on a distant balcony.

His expression was serious, his voice low and carrying a faint but undeniable pressure.

After all—the noise from Nagami's recent Herrscher transformation near St. Freya was no small matter.

Even a regular Valkyrie would have sensed the oppressive Honkai energy flooding the area—let alone Immortal Shenzhou.

In fact, the real mystery was why Fu Hua had taken this long to approach him at all. Where had she been until now?

"...Black Tiger Fu Hua?"

Fu Hua's expression turned strange.

Caught red-handed, she didn't try to hide again.

Instead, she calmly stepped out from the shadows, looking with quiet confusion at this new generation's Herrscher of Reason.

'What kind of name is that?'

Because of their last meeting and Nagami's strange way of addressing her, the amnesiac Fu Hua had begun to suspect that Nagami might have been someone she knew in the Previous Era—a fellow warrior who, like her, had survived until now.

But the moment Nagami transformed into a Herrscher by his own will, that theory was shattered.

And yet... to see him retain full self-control even after Herrscher transformation?

The doubts came rushing back—stronger than ever.

Such an extraordinary technique... this had to be some ancient remnant from the Previous Era.

Nagami's eyes narrowed as he calmly studied Fu Hua—clad in the Fourth-Generation Valkyrie Godslayer Armor: Shadow Knight: Moon Ring.

His expression remained easy, his tone casual and teasing.

"Don't like that name? How about... Flat-Chested Divine of Shenzhou then?"

In that instant... something inside Fu Hua seemed to snap.

"Taixuan: Heaven-Splitter!"