Chapter 132 — Paimon-Stir-Fried Flying Fish Balls

As the blazing light faded, Nagami's figure emerged once again, reborn from the ashes.

He looked around at the shattered mirror-like fragments of the Stigmata space and couldn't help but sigh in awe.

"Truly the pinnacle of human science…"

He had always suffered from mild firepower anxiety while playing games—constantly worried his attacks weren't strong enough.

But now?

Nagami felt cured.

Even if Higokumaru had relied on the Herrscher of Corruption's authority to hide herself in this mindspace, there was absolutely no way she could've survived the kind of nuclear detonation that tore this place apart.

After all, the Stigmata space wasn't like the real world.

It wasn't meant to withstand that level of destructive force in the first place.

Still admiring the scene, Nagami held out a hand in front of him.

As he did, the entire space rippled like water, distorted and unstable.

Honkai energy thickened in the air, swirling around him.

Begin restoration…

The scattered shards of space began to gather under Nagami's will.

The great cracks above, stretching across the sky, slowly started to mend.

The pitch-black void was gently replaced by a sea of silent light.

From the point his gaze touched, the world began to knit itself back together.

Scarlet torii gates.

A quiet, ancient shrine.

A courtyard paved with weathered blue stones.

And beneath it all—blossoming cherry trees, blooming in full.

Delicate pink petals floated on the breeze.

And from within that shimmering field of light, the figure of a girl with long pink hair and soft fox ears began to emerge—the sacred space restored, and with it… so was she.

"Is it over…?"

Gazing at the pure, serene beauty of this recreated world, Yae Sakura felt a strange emptiness settle in her heart.

Like the breeze brushing through willow leaves in early spring—it was gentle, but hollow.

Five hundred years of hatred and karma had finally come to an end.

Higokumaru had believed herself an unforgivable demon in Sakura's eyes.

After all, she had spent centuries mentally torturing her, over and over, trying to erode her soul.

She had brought her nothing but endless hatred and despair.

And yet—every time Sakura neared the brink of collapse—Higokumaru would always, inexplicably, stop.

She herself didn't even know why.

Truthfully, Sakura's hatred for Higokumaru had never been as intense as she believed.

After five hundred years sealed together, time had quietly washed that hatred away, scattering it like dust.

And what was left...

Perhaps only a few lingering obsessions.

The kind that don't disappear, but fade into silence.

"Nagami-kun… thank you."

A smile brighter than sunlight lit up her face.

Sakura-pink hair fluttered like silk under the breeze, dreamlike and radiant.

Cherry blossoms swirled in the air around them, dancing in gentle waves.

"And then?" Nagami's palm softly caressed her cheek. His golden eyes met hers, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "Is that all?"

Faced with the green-haired boy's soft, playful gaze, Yae Sakura's lashes trembled.

She lowered her eyes, covering the shimmer beneath them.

All of his actions replayed in her mind, one moment after another.

And then she remembered…

They might've already become husband and wife… in body, if not in title.

"I... I… Sakura… is willing… t-to…"

A flush bloomed across her pale face like wildfire.

A single lock of pink hair slipped across her cheek, swaying gently as she struggled to maintain her composure.

But no matter how hard she tried, the words refused to come out in full.

"All right, all right"

Nagami suddenly wrapped his arm around her slender waist, his other hand gently tracing up her long, silken hair to the back of her head.

Then, with a mock-serious expression, he looked deep into her eyes.

"To repay the life-saving grace of the shrine maiden who rescued me from the feral bear of a spirit beast… I, a humble man, offer myself in marriage!"

Leaning in, before her eyes could widen further, Nagami kissed her.

Right on the lips.

Her slender figure froze as he pulled her into his arms, and her hands instinctively pressed against his chest.

Soft warmth spread through the kiss, mixed with a strange wetness and heat.

Sakura could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears like thunder.

Her breathing grew unsteady.

Her smooth shoulders trembled slightly from nervous tension.

And when her shy little tongue was gently entangled with his—her eyes widened in shock, glazed over with misty warmth.

The sensations triggered memories of when she had shared a body with C.C.

Her grip tightened on Nagami's shirt, her whole body burning up.

Her delicate legs trembled ever so slightly—she was barely able to stay standing.

'Kallen… I'm sorry!'

As he held her close, Nagami could feel the warmth of her body, the fullness pressed against his chest—it was a completely different experience from when it had been C.C.

'So this is what it feels like with someone you have feelings for…'

Nagami couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

"We'll save the formal part of your gratitude for later."

He gently released her waist and brushed aside a loose strand of her hair, speaking in a low, affectionate tone.

"After all… that next part isn't exactly child-friendly~"

His gaze drifted toward a nearby cherry blossom tree.

Behind it, a few fluffy tails were trembling in panic.

A tiny pink fox, no bigger than a child, was hiding beneath the tree—shaking like a leaf.

"I'm gonna get found out! I'm totally gonna get found out!!"

Her voice trembled, and she curled into a ball at the tree's roots.

She didn't know why, but Nagami's gaze filled her with an overwhelming, primal fear.

Must've been the psychological aftershock of witnessing that nuclear detonation up close~

"Nagami… what is that?"

Yae Sakura, having caught her breath and calmed down a bit, followed his gaze.

"She's probably… what's left of Higokumaru," Nagami replied. "But without her memories."

He tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Maybe it's better if we call her Higyokumaru from now on."

Holding Yae Sakura's small, delicate hand, Nagami led her around to the back of the cherry blossom tree—where he took a closer look at the strange little creature hiding behind it.

The first thing that popped into his mind was…

Emergency food?!

He opened a private chat with Lumine and sent her an image of the small creature—Higyokumaru.

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[Lumine]: What's this? Looks like a delicious ingredient! Kind of reminds me of Paimon.

[Nagami]: Right?? I knew we were kindred spirits—half-siblings from different worlds. We think exactly the same!

[Lumine]: Hehehe~

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While she was busy running a story quest, Lumine glanced at the floating Paimon beside her and grinned like a total goofball.

Nagami… was absolutely her type.

Same flavor of chaos—ahem, I mean… total sibling synergy!

As for Aether, who was currently enjoying his "glorious prince" lifestyle in the Abyss Order?

Sorry, who? Never heard of him.

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[Lumine]: You should come visit my world sometime. I'll treat you to some grilled Paimon~

————————————————————————

Nagami paused as he read her message, a slight frown forming on his face.

Teyvat, huh…

The Vision and elemental energy system didn't seem particularly useful to him.

And from what he knew of the current storyline, there weren't any obvious resources that could help him grow stronger.

But… what about Celestia?

He had a lot on his plate already, and his points were limited, so—

'Hmm…'

Still, Lumine was totally his kind of person.

It might not be a bad idea to "study" with her a little.

Nagami found himself pondering the possibilities.

————————————————————————

[Nagami]: I'll think about it.

————————————————————————

Closing the chat window, he looked down at the tiny fox creature that had floated up nervously in front of him.

"Higyokumaru…"

Yae Sakura frowned slightly as she gazed at the little thing.

There was something deeply familiar about it. A kind of spiritual resonance she couldn't ignore.

"Big sis! Big sis! So my name is Higyokumaru, right?"

Big… sis?

The chibi creature suddenly jumped up beside her. Sakura blinked, her expression a tangled mix of shock and disbelief.

If Nagami said this creature was the reincarnation—or at least a fragment—of Higokumaru… and given the familiar soul signature she felt, then it must be true.

But still…

Big sis?!

That completely caught her off guard.

Just then, Nagami turned toward them.

The excited sparkle in Higyokumaru's eyes froze instantly.

She quickly ducked behind Yae Sakura's back, clutching her sleeve tightly with her tiny paws.

"You remember me?" Nagami crouched down and stroked his chin thoughtfully, peering at the little fox.

"You seem kinda scared of me?"

"Waaah!"

Like she was staring down a monster, the tiny pink fox yelped and quickly covered her big eyes with her paws.

Her four fluffy tails curled protectively around her little body.

"I-I'm not scared of you!"

She shouted from behind Sakura's back… though it took her several seconds to realize she was still whimpering like a baby beast.

"…Wait. Who are you again?"

"I'm your big brother!"

Without warning, Nagami reached out and grabbed her long, fluffy fox ears—gently—but firmly.

As Higyokumaru flailed and squeaked in protest, he began stroking her ears like she was a kitten.

Incredible. Even softer than a cat. And just as cute.

"Eeeh?!"

"Big… brother?"

The little fox's eyes went wide. She stared up at him, utterly dumbfounded.

She raised her head and glanced at the boy's pale green hair.

Then she grabbed a lock of Yae Sakura's cherry blossom-colored hair and tilted her head in confusion.

"Wait a sec—you don't have ears, and your hair color's totally different from mine and Big Sis!"

The chibi-sized, collectible-figure-looking Higyokumaru crossed her arms, deep in thought, before lifting her head and declaring confidently.

Clearly, she was about to argue more—

Until she caught sight of the glowing fireball forming in Nagami's hand.

A chill ran down her soul.

A primal instinct—engraved into her very being—screamed danger.

And just like that, she launched herself straight into Nagami's arms, rubbing her cheeks against him while going full-on cuteness mode.

"Big brother~ Big broooother~（づ￣3￣）づ╭❤～"

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