Higokumaru: I Fight Kevin? Seriously?

*Chapter 12:*

Footsteps echoed in the long, narrow corridor.

It had been some time since they finished eating. When the group left the dining car, Dan Heng was nowhere to be seen. March 7th, after finishing her meal, had bounced off to find Himeko, while Jiang Liang naturally chose to return to his room.

Or rather, back to Stelle's room.

Jiang Liang walked ahead, having already returned Stelle's body to her. Yet, he still savored the feeling of satisfaction after a full meal, transmitted through their shared senses—a warm afterglow carrying the scent of cream stew.

Does anyone actually dislike eating?
He thought this as he saw Stelle bouncing along beside him, still mimicking the motion of scooping stew earlier, her face radiating obvious happiness.

"Pom-Pom's stew is delicious !" Stelle's voice sounded directly in Jiang Liang's mind, filled with satisfaction. "Next time, I'll definitely ask it to add more mushrooms !"

Can a baby born only three days ago distinguish delicious food from bad?

The two entered the room. Stelle immediately nestled into the sofa by the window, casually kicking off her boots and burying her head in a cushion.
Stelle seemed to have already adapted to having a spirit following her around.

The room wasn't large, simply furnished: a bed with deep blue sheets, a dark wood wardrobe, and the sofa by the window. On the small table next to the sofa sat a half-drunk glass of water and a small, crookedly standing robot seemingly pieced together from parts salvaged from a trash can. The faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air, mixed with the indescribable fresh scent unique to a young girl.

"I've thought about it... being a Nameless for life might not be so bad," her voice sounded muffled from the cushion. "Traveling between different planets, eating weird food, buying useless little trinkets, and leaving my own messy traces in the train room... seems pretty okay. At least it feels vivid, alive."

After a moment, she lifted her head and looked at Jiang Liang. "I'm going to take a shower. Feeling sticky and uncomfortable. Eating is one thing, but you wouldn't want to experience this feeling too, right?"

"Experience how?"
Jiang Liang felt like sending a question mark.

"You know, the feeling ! Like eating the stew earlier. When I ate something delicious, you could feel the happiness too. So, showering should probably feel good as well..."
Stelle gently kicked the boots on the floor with her toes, then leaned back with a comfortable sigh.
After returning to the Astral Express, Stelle had clearly relaxed. Previously, whenever he saw her, she always maintained a slightly tense expression.

"Hold it right there ! Absolutely unnecessary."
Jiang Liang held up a hand in a 'stop' gesture. "I just need to come out for air occasionally. I'm not some earthbound spirit sealed for a thousand years. I can't even phase through walls in this state, so don't worry."

"Okay, good. Now that I've asked, I feel relieved."
Stelle stood up, walked to the wardrobe, casually grabbed a few changes of clothes, and draped them over her arm. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Liang staring intently at a spot on the ceiling, as if some cosmic truth were hidden there.
Click.
The bathroom door closed.

Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, Jiang Liang's heart was as calm as still water.
Does anyone really blush and act like a virgin just because they hear the sound of someone of the opposite sex showering?
Others might, but after all he'd been through, if he still reacted like that, he might as well just open his computer, download a Yuzusoft game, hold down Ctrl, and fast-forward to the scenes... [TN: Yuzusoft is a Japanese visual novel developer renowned for its romantic, character-driven stories, often featuring charming art and lighthearted humor. Founded in 2004, the company has become a staple in the "moege" genre—a subcategory of visual novels focusing on sweet, romantic narratives with endearing characters.​ ]

With nothing better to do, Jiang Liang opened the system interface, which had stopped responding after his previous scolding.

[Host: Jiang Liang
Character Card: Kevin Kaslana (5%)
Owned Items: Divine Key Jizo Mitama, Lance of Preservation
Proxy Target: Stelle ]

Jiang Liang tapped on Jizo Mitama. The mission to explore the Stigma Space was still listed, unchanged. The 'Dispatchable Character' column still showed Stelle, which slightly reassured Jiang Liang, who usually found the system unreliable. At least it was consistent this time.

Quit playing dead, Hedgehog Cat Golden Finger ! Step forward ! Let me ask you, are there any rules for this Stigma Space?

Soon, a few lines of text appeared before Jiang Liang.

[Specific items contain residual fragments of consciousness. Contacting these items may trigger strong obsessions.
Selecting a Dispatchable Character allows the Proxy Target to enter the Stigma Space with you.
Fully exploring the Stigma Space will grant settlement rewards.
Special reactions occur when a Character Card comes into contact with a specific Stigma Space. ]

Can only Divine Keys trigger Stigma Spaces? What about Judgment of Shamash?

[It is not exclusively Divine Keys that can trigger Stigma Spaces. Host's current Judgment of Shamash is equipped to Kevin Kaslana and cannot trigger a Stigma Space for that Divine Key. ]

Isn't the Character Card's equipment my equipment? ! You piece of junk system, I really ought to control you properly !

Leaving the system another customary negative review, Jiang Liang began studying Jizo Mitama.
Jizo Mitama was linked to a Stigma Space named "Yae Village." It looked quiet, peaceful, friendly, and harmonious. The villagers' smiles were amicable and kind—the very picture of a village with a pleasant atmosphere.

[Yae Village: A cursed village. The villagers' smiles are mere illusions. The place is deserted, filled with an unknown resentment imprisoned within Jizo Mitama, breeding hatred towards humanity that grows stronger over time.
Objective: Defeat the resentment contained within Jizo Mitama. ]

"What are you thinking about?"
Stelle's voice came from behind him, carrying the dampness of a fresh shower and the scent of shampoo. She wore a simple white t-shirt and shorts, her hair draped wetly over her shoulders as she dried it with a towel. Her golden eyes looked particularly bright under the soft lighting.

Jiang Liang stared for a moment, then spoke. "Interested in a grand adventure?"

It was a warm afternoon. Higokumaru lay sprawled out in a large open area, basking in the sun.

Higokumaru's massive body curled up on the clearing, its nine tails spread out like burning fans. The afternoon sun filtered through its translucent ears, making it seem almost like just a lazy giant beast.
Except, the vegetation within a hundred-meter radius around it had long turned to ash.

Its sun-warmed nose twitched slightly, sniffing the lingering smell of smoke from destroyed houses in the air. Occasionally, a Honkai Beast, oblivious to death, would approach. Before it could even touch the outermost tail, flames would erupt from the ground, burning it to cinders.

As the vessel for the Herrscher of Corruption, Higokumaru had long lost its sense of time's passage. Only pure hatred and a pure desire for destruction remained in its heart. Each time it reduced everything around it to ashes, this space would revert to its original state. The scorched green grass, the destroyed houses—all would be restored to pristine condition.

Thus, it learned to wait.
After each frenzy of destruction, it would lie quietly like this, watching everything slowly recover, until all was back to normal. Then, it would rise again, tearing everything apart with fire and claws.

Today should have been the same.

"This is the 'grand adventure' you mentioned?"
"Should be."

Higokumaru opened its eyes. It saw a white-haired young man carrying a greatsword who looked remarkably familiar, and a gray-haired young girl carrying a lance, walking towards it.
A look of confusion, remarkably human-like, appeared on its face.

Higokumaru?