Beng San, I have an unfinished date with her

But when she got some distance away, she felt a strong sense of weakness again. She expected that she would be able to stand up if she exerted more force, but she would be unable to attack again.

At this moment, Long's slightly reproachful voice appeared beside her.

"Sakura, are you okay? Why did you come here without telling me? If the villagers hadn't come to inform me, it would have been too late."

But when he raised his head, what he saw was a comforting expression with a slight smile that was completely different from the scolding voice.

"It's okay. I've treated your serious injuries and you'll be fine."

Takashi said, holding onto Yae Sakura's shoulders and helping her stand up, but she was still a little swaying.

Just put her on his shoulder.

At this time, the golden light surrounding them dissipated, and the monster rushed in again. Yae Sakura panicked and picked up the broken blade to block Takashi.

"Huh?" But he felt the huge force coming from his arms, which prevented him from rushing out.

"It doesn't matter, leave it to me." Takashi said with a smile, moving Yae Sakura's position back and placing the right side of his body in front.

Under Yae Sakura's slightly curious eyes, he quickly waved his palm, and there was a sound of gold and iron intersecting, and he completely opened the monster's palm, freeing its chest.

"boom--!"

I didn't see any movement of Long's body next. He used his arm slightly, but with such a seemingly light punch, he made a huge dent in the giant bear's body and flew upside down. Out tens of meters.

He didn't solve it completely.

"Long, what's wrong?"

"Well, wait a minute."

It was like practicing swordsmanship with my father for the first time when I was a child and receiving guidance on postures.

Yae Sakura entered Takashi's arms and grabbed the magical weapon called [Spirit Control Sword: Cold Prison Ice Sky] with him.

"Takashi?" Yae Sakura called out in confusion as she saw the monster that was still alive dragging its broken body towards them.

Long's faint voice entered her ears from behind her: "It hurts you so much, so naturally you have to take revenge on your own. Sakura, I'll teach you a swordsmanship move."

Covering her hand, Long's hand was as beautiful as hers, but wider, just like the two of them.

"This is a move my good friend taught me."

"Abandon all distracting thoughts and let your heart merge with the sharp blade in your hand."

Yae Sakura calmed down and felt that the sharp blades held by the two of them were always raised in front of them, assuming the most standard and basic swordsmanship posture.

Even the roar of the enemy rushing in front of the two men could not disturb them.

"That's right, all you need is-"

"Just cut it off."

"Hoooooooooooo-!!"

"rub!"

In an instant, a faint blue sword light flashed through, and the Honkai Beast's movements stopped completely.

Takashi and Yae Sakura had already stood behind the monster's body and withdrew their swords.

As the sound of being sheathed came, the Honkai Beast was split in two from head to tail and landed on the field ridge.

Takashi let go of Yae Sakura, and pointed his hand at the separated body of the Honkai Beast and emitted countless golden light particles to completely eliminate its body and avoid contaminating the farmland.

"Long?"

Long didn't answer her, he was observing the monster...

Well, I was right in not completely curing Yae Sakura. She should be able to force her to stabilize for a period of time... I didn't expect the Herrscher to move so quickly.

After doing all this, Takashi turned around and looked at Yae Sakura who had thrown away the broken blade. She was quite confused and at a loss, as if she had been ordered by her parents to stand obediently.

"Have you learned?"

"Well... I should be able to."

Long smiled helplessly, shook his head and said, "Sakura, why are you facing danger alone?"

"..."

"Because... today is my job and my destiny as a miko..."

Before Yae Sakura could finish her words, Takashi's golden palm touched the side of her face and interrupted her.

Long completely healed the wound opened by the blade fragment, then put his hand on her head, rubbed it and said, "Didn't we make an appointment? Let's protect Yae Village together."

"..."

"Well..." Yae Sakura replied with neither joy nor sadness, making it unclear what she was thinking.

Change comes quietly: 150. The node has arrived, eroding the Herrscher

Takashi didn't completely cure Yae Sakura.

This prevented her from carrying out the usual patrols and training activities, and she could only do some ordinary work in the shrine while waiting for recovery.

During the past three months or so, Takashi had been doing most of the patrol work outside, while Yae Sakura was recuperating at the shrine, cooking, and doing housework to take care of the shrine.

Sometimes Takashi would support Yae Sakura and walk slowly on the patrol road as if taking a walk.

The relationship between them has become much closer, and they live in the shrine like a family.

However, things have gotten much better in the past half month or so. Yae Sakura no longer staggers when walking on the road. She can walk the entire distance without his support. From time to time, she will go to the shrine by herself to buy some things.

It will probably take more than a week to return to the physical condition before the war.

Takashi was right to completely cure Sakura, and she has indeed become much more stable in the past three months.

Apart from the appearance of the relatively normal small Honkaimon, the obviously abnormal Big Honkaimon never appeared again.

...

Yes, he knew and knew what Yae Sakura did in her black robe that night.

How could her movements be hidden from Guo Long?

There is no doubt that her body was controlled by the Herrscher that night.

The injury has improved a lot during this period and is almost no longer under control.

But there were still times when she saw the magatama pattern on Long's back, and was controlled by Herrscher's consciousness and wanted to attack Long, such as when she helped to rub Long's back or give him a massage.

There has always been a question in Long's mind... Could it be that he has replaced Kallen's position in this memory in the stigmata space?Thinking like this, he shook his head and shook it off. Regardless of whether he took that position or not, there was no doubt that it was him who was dealing with Yae Sakura's consciousness now, not Kallen.

but...

【What is supposed to come will come...】

He knows it, and so does the Herrscher's consciousness.

.....

Takashi thought this as he looked at the river surrounding the village where the water level had dropped to a certain level.

Due to the gradual drying up of the rivers in the village's farmland, it is no longer possible to rely on human-powered water trucks to carry water. Now, people can still rely on people to carry water, but after a while...

The sun is getting hotter and hotter, and if there is less water, the balance and peace of the village will be completely broken...

No, it has been broken, and people's tempers have obviously become impatient.

If it were reality, Long would naturally take action, but this is just the stigmata space.

There are only four consciousnesses that really exist: Herrscher, Takashi, Yae Sakura, and Suzu.

What he needs more is to let things continue.

...

So on this day, more than half a month has passed.

When Long patrolled to the cemetery on the other side of the village, which was concentrated in the village.

He saw an illusory figure.

It's a little girl with pink hair.

She seemed to be trying to guide him, moving continuously within his field of vision, and finally came to a tombstone.

Long read out the words on the tombstone.

"The Tomb of Yae Rin."

The little girl nodded phantomly, put her hands on the tombstone, and motioned for Takashi to press on it. She wanted to tell Takashi something.

"Yeah." Long responded and put his hand on it.

after a long time...

The sun gradually sank into the sky, and only a little twilight fell on the tombstone and Long.

Long slowly opened his eyes, he already knew everything.

His eyes and expression contained two completely opposite things, anger and sadness respectively, but there was no conflict.

He was angry at the ignorance of the villagers and god-lords throughout the ages for what they had done to those who were killed.

I also mourn the innocence of the many victims and the helplessness of the villagers to cope with the changes in their living environment...

Anyone who has the ability to change his or her living environment will place all his trust in that illusory thing and dedicate everything to it.

While the villagers were bathing in the raindrops, Sakura fell to the ground in the rain and looked at the killed Rin.

Just like they were helpless in the face of the gradual disillusionment of the world in the past.

This sight hurt Long deeply.

...

He has seen many similar things in the past, but he has not given up. No matter what era it is or how long it has passed, he will always start to change it.

This time still...

Unfortunately, Rin is indeed gone.

She died more than 500 years ago. She did not exist in this stigmata space. What guided him just now was just a thought body formed from Yae Sakura's memory.

Long exhaled, touched the tombstone and said: "Sakura, Rin, I will let you reunite. Just like Sakura and Ling, absolutely."

He set off for that destination.

It's not the solemn, usually deserted sacrificial platform... what's going to happen there should be over by now.

He is going to the village.

Naturally, the villagers would not tell Long what they were going to do.

During this period of contact, they understood Long's nature of loving life, and Long would not approve of their bloody sacrifice.

But the way their brains operate is a part of the memory fragment of the stigmata space... Even if Long orders them to stop as a human god, they will stubbornly choose to sacrifice...

This time still...

And facing them who are fake and destined to run, Long will not make any ineffective changes.

-

Yae Village at night is no longer alive, but it is still bright.

Burning brightly...

Facing Long who came.

"Yae Sakura" stood in the ruins of Yae Village in the sea of ​​flames, sitting on the head of the huge fox, looking at him with a smile.

Long first asked: "Sakura...are you still resisting? After so many times..."

Hearing what he said, "Yae Sakura" laughed crazily. She even jumped off the huge fox and landed on the broken ground of the village. She was laughing, holding her stomach and leaning forward and back without any gesture at all.

That grinning mouth, mad eyes, and bloody face completely ruined the image of the calm and beautiful Yae Sakura.

Long whispered: "The Herrscher of Corrosion..."

She stopped, with a weird and crazy posture, making an extremely excited voice, looking sideways at Long and responding to his whisper: