Chapter 142: The Fox Spirit in the Mortal World
"Sakura, I've come to pick up Higokumaru."
Rovel materialized before Yae Sakura, his voice gentle.
Sakura, who had been laughing and playing with the tiny fox spirit, felt her own fluffy ears droop just a little at his arrival. Jizo Mitama was intrinsically bound to Rovel's Stigma, and Higokumaru was, in turn, bound to Jizo Mitama. It was an unbreakable chain. Even if Rovel had wanted to leave the sword spirit behind, it would have been impossible.
"Um... before that, may I ask a favor of you?" Sakura looked up at Rovel, her violet eyes pleading.
"Please, go ahead," Rovel nodded, his expression open.
"Please take good care of Higokumaru for me," she said, her tone laced with a deep seriousness that spoke volumes of her love.
"Big sister, I can take care of myself! I'm very strong!" Higokumaru puffed out her little chest to protest. To demonstrate her power, she tried to spit out a fireball, but in her haste, she inhaled instead of exhaling. The tiny flame sputtered in her throat, and she broke into a fit of adorable, squeaky coughs.
"Yes, I know you are," Sakura murmured, her finger gently stroking Higokumaru's cheek. "But the outside world is dangerous. I can't help but worry..."
"I promise you," Rovel affirmed, his gaze steady. "Even if you hadn't asked, I would protect Higokumaru with everything I have."
He couldn't help it; the little creature was just too endearing. Rovel had grown quite fond of her himself.
Just as he made his vow, a familiar notification chimed in his mind.
[SSS-rank Hidden Main Quest (Unique): Elysian Realm]
[New Quest Objectives Added]
[Quest Objective 1: Collect Honkai Beast blood, materials, or Herrscher blood for Mobius.]
[Quest Reward:???]
[Quest Objective 2: Complete the Trial of 'Decimation'.]
[Quest Reward:???]
[Quest Objective 3: Take care of Higokumaru for Yae Sakura.]
[Quest Reward:???]
'This is my third visit to the Elysian Realm, and it's triggered a third objective,'Rovel mused.'Does that mean a new one will pop up every time I come here?'
"Thank you," Sakura said, a small, grateful smile gracing her lips. "Then... I'll see you next time."
Rovel waved. "See you, Sakura."
"Goodbye, big sister!" Higokumaru chirped, waving her tiny paw in a farewell gesture.
"Yes, goodbye," Sakura replied, her smile tinged with a bittersweet loneliness as she watched them fade away.
Once they had vanished completely, a deep sense of loss settled over her. The vibrant clearing suddenly felt empty.
Now, she was alone again.
Perhaps... perhaps it was time she went to find that Flame-Chaser, the one who had indirectly caused Rin's death. It was long past time they had a proper talk.
When Rovel logged out of the game, the server-wide maintenance and update had just concluded. He didn't feel any particular rush to log back in, however. It was the dead of night, and the halls of St. Freya Academy were silent. Most of its students and staff were sound asleep.
He, on the other hand, hadn't slept in several days, yet he felt no trace of fatigue. On the contrary, a vibrant energy coursed through him. He could probably stay awake for another two days without any issue. It was a pleasant side effect, he figured, of the dramatic increase in his physical attributes.
After a long, hot shower, Rovel slipped into bed. But just as he was about to drift off, he felt a familiar presence materialize beside him.
At first, he thought it was his sister, Yuki, sneaking in again. But then a distinct, intoxicating scent—a mix of cherry blossoms and something wilder, more ancient—filled his senses. It wasn't Yuki. It was...
"Sakura?!"
Rovel threw back the covers, his heart hammering against his ribs. There, lying beside him in his bed, was Yae Sakura, looking just as bewildered as he felt.
What was it like for a 2D waifu to suddenly manifest in reality? It was, in a word, stunning.
"Is this... the world where my husband lives?" Yae Sakura murmured, her gaze drifting around the unfamiliar room in a daze. She explained that she had projected her consciousness outward, using Jizo Mitama as a conduit. Since Jizo Mitama resided within the Stigma on Rovel's body, when he logged out, her projection had followed him, crossing the boundary into the real world.
Rovel swallowed hard, his mind reeling. He tentatively reached out, his hand hovering before gently stroking her head. Then, his fingers brushed against her two soft, fox-like ears. The sensation was electric, exactly the same as it had been in the game.
"Hus... Husband..."
The moment his fingers curled around her ears, Yae Sakura's body went completely limp. A soft gasp escaped her lips, and she slumped bonelessly into his arms.
He had discovered her greatest weakness. As long as someone held her ears, her body lost all its strength. 'A bit like the Saiyan Tail weakness,' he thought with a flicker of amusement.
"It's actually real..." Rovel blinked, still trying to process the situation. "But you feel... slightly different?"
"Jizo Mitama can only manifest my consciousness," Sakura explained, her voice a soft whisper against his chest. "This form is different from a body constructed within the Stigma Space. It's more like..." She trailed off, struggling to find the right words.
"A Heroic Spirit? Or maybe a Shikigami?" Rovel suggested, drawing on terms he knew.
"Yes... both seem to fit," she nodded, her cheek flushing.
"I see... then let me see what else is different," Rovel murmured, a playful glint in his eyes. He slid one arm under her knees and the other around her back, lifting her effortlessly.
Yae Sakura's blush deepened to a brilliant crimson, but she didn't resist. After all, they had already taken that final step back in the Stigma Space. How else would he have earned that ridiculously named, yet secretly cherished, system title?
"Husband... please be gentle..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
In the quiet of the night, a soul-stirring melody began to echo from within Rovel's room.
"Rovel, you're back."
Fu Hua greeted him as he walked through the academy halls the next day. Her words were calm, but her eyes immediately narrowed. "You've become stronger again?"
She scanned him from head to toe, a flicker of disbelief crossing her usually stoic features. When they had first met, Rovel's aura had been faint, almost negligible. Now, it had grown to a level where even she, a warrior of immense power and experience, couldn't quite see through his strength.
"Yeah," Rovel nodded casually. "I went through a few things, stumbled upon some opportunities." He shifted the topic. "How is Himeko? Is she awake?"
He suddenly remembered the fiery Valkyrie. To defeat the pseudo-Herrscher Vishnu, she had activated the Nexus system, a forbidden power that placed an astronomical load on the user's body.
"Instructor Himeko is fine now," Fu Hua reported. "You, on the other hand... not only have you become much stronger, but your entire condition seems to have improved."
"It has," Rovel confirmed. "Remember how my body was being eroded by Honkai Energy? That's been resolved."
"Does the world of the Descenders truly possess such advanced medical technology?" Fu Hua's eyes widened slightly. She, like everyone else, assumed that the players' seven-day disappearance was a return to their home world.
"Not exactly," Rovel shook his head, deciding to be partially honest. "I just paid a visit to the Elysian Realm. There's a very powerful biologist there who saved me."
At the mention of that name, Fu Hua's eyes dimmed for a fraction of a second. This was the second time Rovel had spoken of the Elysian Realm, yet no matter how deep she searched the vast archives of her memory, she could find no information about it. It was a frustrating, unsettling void in her millennia-spanning recollection.
"Fu Hua," Rovel said suddenly, his tone shifting.
"Hm? What is it, Classmate Ruobai?" she asked, her attention returning to him.
He gave her a charming, disarming smile. "You're still as handsome and cute as ever today!"
A beat of silence passed.
"...Please refrain from making such jokes."
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