Higokumaru: Don't Come Over Here !

*Chapter 13:*

This space was its prison, and also its territory.

Apart from the scenery it repeatedly crushed and saw repeatedly restored, no external aura had ever entered here. Grass and trees would regrow, houses would repair themselves—only its undying resentment remained eternally entrenched.

But today, something seemed off.

Not Honkai Beasts—those low-level energy constructs would be instantly vaporized by the heat it unconsciously radiated upon approach.
This felt more like living beings. Two of them.

Higokumaru's massive fox head lifted slightly, its translucent ears catching the abnormal vibrations. Its eyes, previously half-closed and burning with dark red flames, slowly opened, pupils contracting to focus on the distance.

Two tiny figures were treading across the scorched earth, unhurriedly approaching.
One, a gray-haired girl carrying a lance.
The other, a white-haired young man wielding a greatsword disproportionate to his size.

Humans?

Pure confusion exploded within Higokumaru's chaotic consciousness.
What is this situation?
How could humans appear in this cursed, forgotten space that has never had intruders?
Who are they? Where did they come from? What are they here for?
Why does the white-haired young man look so familiar?
Why does my instinct tell me attacking him would be a very bad idea?

Countless questions bubbled up like fizz, causing it to freeze. This feeling was too alien, far more complex than simple anger or hatred.

Just as Higokumaru's enormous body slightly adjusted its posture, its nine tails sweeping restlessly across the ground, considering whether to purify the area with fire first, the gray-haired girl with the lance moved.

"You stay back for now. Let me try."

Stelle took a small step forward, creating a slight distance from the white-haired young man beside her. The lance in her hand wasn't pointed at Higokumaru; its tip drooped naturally.
The girl tilted her head slightly. Her bright golden eyes showed little fear, more a pure curiosity, as if observing some novel, large plush toy—albeit one oversized and equipped with a high-temperature effect.
She sized up Higokumaru for a few seconds, seemingly organizing her thoughts, then cleared her throat.

"That's... a big fox."

Jiang Liang, following behind her, felt his mouth twitch.

Perhaps feeling its majesty had been provoked, the initial confusion and intuition in Higokumaru's searchlight-like crimson eyes were instantly replaced by primitive, undisguised, furious rage.
It abandoned thought.

"AWOOOO !"

A deafening roar tore through the stagnant air, kicking up visible heat waves and dust. The sound was no longer just pure hatred, but more like the fury of encountering a mortal enemy.
Higokumaru's massive body shot up from its coiled position, moving with a speed completely incongruous with its size, like a streak of red lightning skimming the ground.
Its four limbs pushed off the scorched earth, instantly cracking it. A disproportionately large shadow fell over Stelle like a dark cloud, accompanied by a foul, hot wind carrying the mixed stench of sulfur and burnt protein. Claws gleaming with cold light extended from its furry paws, aiming straight for Stelle's seemingly fragile, slender body.

The speed was too immense, leaving only a series of blurry afterimages.
In her vision, the claws glinting with a dark, cold light magnified rapidly. Every knuckle was clearly visible, dark residue clinging within the nail crevices. Carrying an aura of utter destruction, they plunged downwards.

So fast !

Stelle's pupils contracted slightly, but her body didn't stop moving. She forcefully pushed off the ground, retreating rapidly backwards to create distance. The tip of her lance scraped the ground, kicking up sparks. Her legs shot apart, one forward, one back, knees sinking as she lowered her center of gravity. Her arm muscles tensed instantly. With a flick of her wrist, the seemingly ordinary Lance of Preservation was swiftly brought horizontally above her head.

CLANG !

A deafening metallic clash, loud enough to rupture eardrums, exploded. Higokumaru's claws, capable of shattering stone tablets, struck solidly against the shaft of the Lance of Preservation.
Stelle let out a muffled grunt. The web between her thumb and forefinger instantly went numb from the impact. The bones in her arms groaned under the strain. Her entire body, along with the lance, was violently thrown backward by the immense force.

Whoosh !

Higokumaru's five sky-covering crimson tails whipped violently. The flames silently burning at their tips suddenly swelled, transforming into five basketball-sized fireballs radiating terrifying heat. Howling, trailing long fiery tails, they rained down like tracking missiles, carpet-bombing the area Stelle had just dodged towards.

"Shamash, unsheathed !"

An intolerably bright, golden-red light erupted violently from Jiang Liang's position, carrying a terrifying heat capable of incinerating all things. Even the air crackled and popped, unable to bear the strain.
Unimaginably vast flame energy surged from the sword, coalescing, rising, roaring.
The entire Yae Village trembled violently.

Higokumaru's massive body, as if struck head-on by a speeding truck carrying steel coils on the highway, was brutally smashed away by the irresistible force.
Its proudly tough, crimson fur instantly turned charred black. Its enormous body tumbled through the air, trailing thick black smoke, before crashing heavily hundreds of meters away with a tremendous thud, creating a huge deep crater. For a moment, its condition was unknown.

The lingering might of Judgment of Shamash had yet to fully dissipate. The strange mixed smell of char and sulfur still permeated the air, the high temperature refusing to subside.

"Are you okay?"

Jiang Liang stopped beside Stelle. He saw her twitch twice, roll over, and stare blankly at the azure sky like a salted fish.

"Even Cocolia didn't hit me that hard..."

"Nonsense. I didn't know you could be sent flying by a fox that isn't even from the Yae family," Jiang Liang retorted.
Seeing Stelle could still joke around, Jiang Liang ignored her for the moment, quickly walking to the edge of the crater and stopping, his gaze directed towards the bottom.

In the center of the deep crater, there wasn't the expected charred corpse of a giant fox. Instead, there was a small, white figure curled into a ball.
The figure was only the size of an ordinary fox, pure white all over—completely different from its previous fully bestial form.
Pink-white and crimson-streaked hair was styled into two fluffy buns, adorned with bright red ribbon bows. A small cherry blossom hairpin, symbolizing purity and transience, was pinned to one side.A few flame-like crimson markings dotted its forehead and the tips of several tails, creating a stark contrast with the previous sky-covering, enormous crimson beast.
However, her form wasn't that of a young girl like Stelle, but rather...
An oversized head on a small body, like a puppet.

The proportions remind Jiang Liang of some reaction meme images he'd seen before.

The small figure's eyes were tightly shut, eyelashes trembling slightly. Its body also seemed to shiver faintly from pain or fright. The five tails, originally symbolizing destruction and hatred, were now reduced to three, drooping limply, looking surprisingly pitiful and helpless.

[Successfully explored the current Stigma Space. Key of Corruption, Jizo Mitama, can now project the user's soul externally.
Encountered special character: Higokumaru. Kevin Kaslana Compatibility increased to 10%.
Higokumaru's favorability can be increased with Fried Tofu Puffs. Special abilities: To be explored. ]

Jiang Liang watched for a moment, then turned his head towards the approaching Stelle. "Is there any Fried Tofu Puffs on the Express?"

"Huh?"

When Higokumaru slowly regained consciousness, she saw the familiar, kind-looking white-haired young man holding a greatsword in one hand and a bag of Fried Tofu Puffs in the other.

"Want some?"

"...Y-You ! Don't come over here !"
Higokumaru let out a terrified shriek.