Yae Sakura was a miko from the Warring States period, 500 years ago. Asking her to find a specific school in a modern city, let alone one that had been reduced to ruins like Nagazora, was indeed a difficult task.
"Then we can only wait," Ye Feng said.
Yae Sakura's fox ears twitched slightly. "Wait for what?"
"Wait for a Pseudo-Herrscher, just like you, to appear."
When that time came, the powerful surge of Honkai energy would be something Yae Sakura could sense.
"…A Pseudo-Herrscher."
Yae Sakura glanced at Higokumaru. "Will it also be accompanied by a being like her?"
"What do you mean, 'a being like me'?"
Higokumaru was like a startled bird now, feeling that every word Yae Sakura spoke was aimed at her.
But both Yae Sakura and Ye Feng simply ignored her.
Ye Feng said, "In any case, keep an eye out. If you see a white-haired shorty carrying a giant cross, be sure to save her."
A Pseudo-Herrscher was likely to be born in Senba High School. Theresa had recklessly charged in alone and was nearly killed in return.
Fortunately, Yae Sakura arrived in time to rescue her, preventing a tragedy.
Now that Yae Sakura's trajectory had changed slightly, Ye Feng didn't know if she would be able to save Theresa again.
Old Ye certainly didn't want Theresa to die.
He was still looking forward to everyone coming to his world.
Besides, if Theresa died and the Theresa in his world disappeared as a result, wouldn't that be a huge loss?
"Higokumaru, you have to help too," Ye Feng said, looking at her gently.
"?"
"If Yae Sakura gets hurt, heh heh."
Ye Feng raised his fingers and wiggled them suggestively.
Higokumaru's mouth twitched. She was familiar with that gesture.
Whether it was the wild gushing of Honkai fluid or her current state, it seemed to always happen after he made that gesture.
Although she didn't understand the principle behind it, her body deeply remembered the sensation—a pain that was both numbingly electric and pierced straight to the bone.
"Are you blind to the fact that I'm carrying this huge belly? Forcing a pregnant woman to fight… you are more evil than a Herrscher who brings only destruction."
"Give it your all. If you perform meritorious service, it's not impossible for me to shorten your gestation period."
Higokumaru's eyes lit up, but she tilted her head up and said scornfully, "You mongrel human, do you think I will submit to your tyranny?"
"If you enjoy waddling around with that big belly, I don't really care."
"…"
"This 'white-haired shorty carrying a giant cross' that Benefactor mentioned, what is her name?" Yae Sakura interjected.
"Theresa Apocalypse."
Whether it was because Yae Sakura truly possessed a "loyal hound" attribute, or because the world 500 years in the future had left her too bewildered, or perhaps both, she didn't know.
She had already made the mission assigned by Ye Feng her top priority.
---o---
Upon "waking up" again, Yae Sakura stared at the devastated ruins for a long time before leaping down from a shattered building, her agile figure streaking under the giant, round moon.
She had to find Senba High School as quickly as possible.
A few hours after Yae Sakura left, Kiana arrived, full of aggressive determination.
With only three days left until the exam, she was resolved to cram properly.
Otherwise, wouldn't last night's suffering have been for nothing?
The sunk cost was a bit too high.
"Come on! Tonight, I'll show you what this young lady is made of!" Kiana declared, hands on her hips.
Ye Feng, however, waved his hand dismissively. "No rush. I just remembered something."
"Wh-what is it…"
"Don't be so scared. It's about the real world. When you go back, find your great-aunt and tell her that if she discovers traces of a Pseudo-Herrscher at Senba High School, she shouldn't act alone. It would be best to bring Fu Hua with her."
"A Herrscher…?"
Kiana couldn't help but think of that day when Mei had suddenly floated into the air, wings of condensed, high-purity Honkai energy unfurling with a destructive radiance.
Her icy gaze, the rampaging lightning—it was as if she commanded all of creation to submit.
Even now, Kiana felt a lingering fear just recalling it.
It wasn't that she was afraid of Mei. But if something like that happened again, could she really snatch Mei back from the hands of "her"?
"Not a Herrscher, a Pseudo-Herrscher," Ye Feng emphasized.
Although this concept only appeared in the early stages, Pseudo-Herrschers were rarely seen later on.
"A Pseudo-Herrscher… I remember, I learned about this yesterday. A Pseudo-Herrscher refers to a human infected by Honkai energy. They possess abilities similar to a Herrscher but lack a true Herrscher Core, and their power is far weaker than a real Herrscher's. Even this young lady could handle one, to say nothing of my great-aunt. She used to be an S-rank Valkyrie."
"Confidence is a good thing, but don't be arrogant. Otherwise, it's easy to screw up."
Ye Feng displayed the process of Theresa encountering the Pseudo-Herrscher at Senba High School via a projection.
Kiana watched with a mixture of belief and doubt.
"Would great-aunt really fall for the same trick twice?"
"Well, she is Dumb-resa, after all. If it were a certain Tuna, it definitely wouldn't happen."
"Don't call this young lady Tuna! Also, what's with that person with donkey ears who suddenly appeared? It looks like she can possess people?"
"That's not important. All you need to know is that if that person wasn't there, your great-aunt might have died twice."
"Fine. I get it. Whether it's true or not, since it concerns great-aunt's safety, I'll definitely pass on the message."
"Not just pass it on, you have to make her take it seriously. Also, you remember the characteristics of the Pseudo-Herrscher I told you about, right?"
Kiana first nodded, then shook her head violently, staring at Ye Feng with a face full of suspicion.
"Huh? Wait a minute. Why are you so concerned about my great-aunt?"
The Tuna finally caught on.
It didn't make sense.
According to him, he had never left this world and had no connection to her great-aunt whatsoever.
But the level of his concern was clearly off.
Could it be that he was brewing another sinister plot?
Ye Feng looked into Kiana's clear, sky-blue eyes and said, "Because Theresa is your great-aunt. Isn't it only natural that I care about her safety?"
"??"
Kiana was stunned for a moment, then took a step back, hugging her shoulders as if chilled to the bone. "It's really disgusting when you say things like that."
Ye Feng laughed. "You're a strange one. You didn't even react this strongly when I said I wanted to impart my teachings to you."
Kiana turned her head away. "…It's not my body anyway. You can play with it however you want."
"Forget it. Let's continue with the After-School Educational Guidance."
"Let's go! Now, it's Kiana Time!"
The Tuna was brimming with confidence.
And then, she repeated yesterday's disaster.
Kiana obediently knelt in the seiza position, having placed the miko outfit she had just changed into neatly folded to the side.
Ye Feng chuckled. "Not bad, you've definitely improved since yesterday. But it's still not enough, Kiana. Let's see, what punishment was triggered this time? Ooh, it's this one."
Hearing Ye Feng's delighted voice, Kiana's heart skipped a beat. She asked cautiously, "What… is it?"
Ye Feng then revealed his strong teaching rod.
"Look, this teaching rod is 18 centimeters long. We'll now start a quick-fire quiz. For every wrong answer, one centimeter will be added to the whipping. For every correct answer, one centimeter will be subtracted. Be quick, if you don't give an answer within three seconds, it counts as wrong."
"…Wait," why do I get hit even when I'm right?
Once the mechanism was triggered, her body could not resist.
Kiana helplessly leaned over the desk and began to answer the questions again.
But…
"Hiss~~ That hurts so much!"
Why did the blow from the teaching rod hurt so much more than before?
The Tuna turned her head back, her brow furrowed in a silent accusation.
Ye Feng explained:
"It's not my fault. It just passed midnight, so it's Monday. The whole world has been refreshed."