Chapter 75: Fate
"...us?"
After hearing Kirataka's speculation, Lei Lu's personality was slightly stunned.
"Well, if you want a body to destroy human civilization, then obviously our body is a better choice than Sakura's."
Kirataka said.
While Yae Sakura lived with them, Higokumaru naturally came into contact with Kiana and the other three.
If you want to choose targets to possess, it is obvious that choosing them as targets is much more "effective" than continuing to erode Yae Sakura.
——Except for Bronya who can only be considered to have mediocre talent, Kiana and Mei, the two Herrschers, have top-notch talents in controlling Honkai energy.
If it were him, he would definitely try it and would not give up these two perfect bodies easily.
After all, the Herrscher of Corruption doesn't have to be tied to Yae Sakura's body. It doesn't matter whose body it possesses. In this case, it is reasonable to choose a body with better qualifications.
Sister Lei Lu thought for a moment and said:
"So, you think that the Herrscher put Yae Sakura into a deep sleep in order to lure us in."
This is what is meant by "walking into a trap."
No matter who comes in, Kiana, Bronya, or Mei and Kirataka, it has a chance to take advantage.
And if no one enters the Stigmata space, it will complete the erosion of Yae Sakura and occupy her body again.
Whatever happens, it will benefit in the end.
Kirataka pondered and said:
"That's right. Of course, with your protection, that guy would not choose to attack Mei, nor would it be able to do so."
As the saying goes, "There can't be two tigers in one mountain." Mei's body already houses the core and power of the Herrscher of Thunder, and she is also protected by the Stigmata personality of Sister Lei Lu. In this case, the Herrscher of Corruption probably has no way to snatch Mei's body.
Then, the only target it can choose to attack is himself.
'My own body size is restricted to a non-human form... maybe it's it's doing?'
Perhaps, its main target from the beginning was himself.
This was naturally noticed by the perceptive girl.
When it came to Kirataka's safety, her tone became a little colder:
"Anyway, if it dares to touch you and Mei, I will kill it."
There are not many things in this world that are worthy of her care. These people from Saint Freya are one of them, and Mei and Kirataka are people she pays close attention to.
If anyone dares to hurt them——
Kirataka rejected her kindness and said:
"It's impossible not to let it take action... Well, anyway, you just need to protect Mei when the ceremony comes. I'll take care of everything as far as I'm concerned. Don't worry, nothing will happen."
"…So what are you going to do then?"
Sister Lei Lu asked with narrowed eyes.
"I have my own way."
Kirataka said with a low laugh.
Considering the current state of the Herrscher of Corruption, he did think of a way to restrain it, and the success rate was almost 100%.
So for now, all we have to do is wait patiently for the ceremony to begin.
Hearing his affirmative tone, the girl had no choice but to agree.
Now that we have finished talking about the serious stuff, it's time to talk about other personal matters that are not related to this incident.
For some reason, the appearance of the kitten it transformed into was indeed adorable, and even the girl with the Stigmata personality couldn't let it go.
"It feels good, doesn't it?"
Kirataka asked in a proud tone.
"…It's really good."
"Speaking of which, isn't it time for you to give yourself a name? That way, I can call you by your name from now on."
Although Kirataka called this Stigmata personality "Sister Lei Lu" in his heart, he couldn't call out this name out loud.
A proper name for communication is still very important.
"What's my name..."
The red-eyed girl in front of him thought seriously for a while.
It's not that she hasn't thought about this aspect, but naming itself is not an easy thing for her.
Although she could distinguish herself from "Raiden Mei" by just giving her a random name, she didn't want to completely lose contact with the owner of this body.
'What name can I use to call myself properly and at the same time clearly distinguish and connect myself with that coward?'
In connection with this experience of "going back five hundred years," she quickly thought of a good name.
So she whispered:
"Just coming to this era five hundred years ago actually reminds me of some interesting things."
The family swordsmanship that Mei Raiden practices originated from a ronin samurai in the Far East Warring States Period.
Legend has it that the Ronin warrior was invincible throughout the Far East and traveled all over the country in search of a defeat.
After becoming invincible, he finally retired to the mountains and lived in seclusion in a village, changed his surname to [Raiden], and put all his life's learning into a swordsmanship called "Hokushin Itto-ryu."
In order to prevent him from trying out swordsmanship, he took in several children and taught them the art of swordsmanship.
Those children are the ancestors of the Raiden lineage.
She finally decided:
"Just call me [Mei Hokushin]."
Well, in her opinion, this name is very good.
Although they are both "Mei," they are completely different beings.
It retains her own characteristics, distinguishing herself from "Raiden Mei," while keeping "Mei" as the hub of connection.
The more the girl thought about it, the more she felt that the name was good, and she even happily hugged the kitten in her arms.
Although close contact is good, it also brings life-threatening risks in a sense.
Kirataka struggled and said:
"Wait... this is so boring..."
......
A few days later.
After a busy day at work, Yae Sakura was on her way back home.
Although it was a return home, it was actually just a return from the shrine to the house next door, so it wouldn't take too much time.
She was humming a sacrificial tune and was obviously in a good mood.
Recently, the samurai sister who came to the village would bring her kitten to the shrine every day. After getting familiar with each other, she would also practice swordsmanship with that sister.
Of course, she was no match for sister Mei and was defeated in just a few moves. The sister's swordsmanship must have been learned from a famous master.
While they were sparring, the kitten would wander around the shrine, climbing over the wall to the other side.
——She already knew from her sister that its name was "Little Shiro," and Rin liked it very much.
When they were almost done sparring, the kitten would turn back and return to Mei's side to enjoy their caress.
The arrival of Mei and little Shiro did bring some fresh experiences to Yae Sakura's monotonous life and added a touch of new color.
She enjoyed this peaceful life. Fighting and working hard for the village as a shrine maiden was everything to her now.
"I hope Rin's illness will get better soon..."
Yae Sakura sighed and walked into the house.
After returning home, she also had to make medicine for her sister, which was also a routine thing to do every day.
After Rin recovers from her illness, she will take her sister to play under the cherry trees on the mountain, eat lunch together, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
However, the girl was surprised to find that the doorstep of her home, which used to be described as "deserted," was now unexpectedly full of villagers.
The lights were on in the house of her father, now the Lord, and from afar, there were human figures everywhere.
With a caring attitude, she squeezed into the crowd and came into the house.
What came into her ears were words like "pray for rain," "sacrifice," and "sacrifice."
As she entered, the villagers stopped talking for a moment.
Her father had his hands in his pockets and was wearing a black haori, which was what he wore on most formal occasions.
Seeing Yae Sakura coming, he whispered:
"Sakura, you're back."
"Yes, Father... Lord, am I interrupting your discussion?"
The girl said in a low voice.
In a crowded place, it is still necessary to address her father by his position, as this is etiquette.
If it is private, it is okay to just call him "father."
"No, you've come at the right time. Come in... You're old enough to participate in this matter."
The mature and steady man nodded, motioning for her to close the door, come in, sit next to him, and participate in the meeting together.
"Yes, Lord."
Yae Sakura followed her father's instructions, walked through the crowd, and sat down next to him.
After she sat down, the villagers continued to talk in a buzzing voice.
Although the statements were different, they all referred to the same thing.
"Lord, it has not rained for three months. Please prepare for the ceremony as soon as possible!"
"You must think of a solution for us. The fields have been without water for a long time!"
"If there's no more rain, everyone will starve to death!"
As expected, everyone came to her because of the food issue...
The pink-haired girl thought silently.
Such things have often happened in the history of Yae Village.
It hasn't rained in the village for several months. Now that autumn is almost over, if it doesn't rain, this year's harvest will be completely ruined.
Food is the most important thing for people, and the grain harvest is what the villagers are most concerned about.
That is why rituals are held every year to pray to the fox god for rain.
The ceremony venue she has recently been preparing and setting up is also in preparation for this year's ceremony.
In response to the villagers' words, the Lord fell silent for a moment and did not say a word.
He listened quietly to the villagers' various speeches, and when everyone had finished speaking, he asked in a deep voice:
"Who do you think should be chosen as the sacrifice this year?"
'...sacrifice?'
Yae Sakura, who was listening carefully to the conversation between the villagers and the Lord, heard unfamiliar words.
At this moment, an elderly woman with white hair came forward tremblingly with a cane and said in a matter-of-fact tone:
"Of course, it's Yae Rin. This is the method passed down by our ancestors. When encountering a rare drought like this, only sacrificing a virgin from the lineage of the Miko can calm the anger of the gods."
If it is just a minor drought, a virgin girl from an ordinary villager's family can also do the job.
But this year's drought was no ordinary one, and they had no choice.
This generation of the Yae family has two daughters, both of whom are still virgins. The older one is right in front of them, while the younger one is well-known to be bedridden for many years and is a patient.
Therefore, choosing which one to use as a sacrifice is a choice that everyone can make.
In this day and age, people who are sick and unable to work are a burden, let alone now when drought is almost imminent.
As soon as these words were spoken, the Lord's house suddenly became much quieter.
Some villagers looked at the floor silently, as if they were afraid of the wrath that might erupt from the God next.
Another group of villagers looked at Yae Sakura with pity.
The relationship between the two sisters is known to everyone in the village.
For her, who was encountering this shocking fact for the first time, it would probably be difficult for her to calm down in a short period of time.
But even if they had compassion, they had no intention of stopping this matter.
After all, the most important thing for them is to ensure food harvest and survival.
'...Rin?'
Yae Sakura was a little confused, and for a moment, she didn't realize what the old woman was talking about.
"…Then let's decide."
The Lord simply nodded expressionlessly, stood up, and continued:
"Let's use Rin as a sacrifice. She has been ill for a long time and has not recovered. If she can use her life to make a final contribution to the village, she will surely be very happy."
There was no anger as expected, but more like numbness.
'Use life... as a sacrifice?'
The girl's heart went from being confused to being shocked. She had realized something and asked her father with difficulty:
"My Lord...?"
The person who had already walked to the door, her most familiar relative, turned around looked at her, and said lightly:
"Sakura, the sacrificial ceremony will be held tomorrow. You will be the host. This is your first time hosting a ceremony, so you must prepare well."
The so-called "hosting ceremony" is to personally raise the sacred sword enshrined in the shrine on the sacrificial platform and chop off the head of the person being sacrificed.
Before this year, he was the one responsible for presiding over the ceremony.
He had encountered severe droughts like this year before, and that was how he killed his sister.
Earlier, his father also had killed other people in this way.
Every member of the Yae clan who dies during the ritual will be recorded as "Kamikakushi" on the stone wall of the shrine. This is an unspoken fact among everyone.
This is the case every year, and this year is no exception.
Seeing that Yae Sakura was still dumbfounded, he added:
"The Yae clan is a family that serves the gods. This is our Fate."
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