Chapter 17: Putting a Collar on the Demon Fox

In the early morning, birds chirped on the branches.

Before the sun had even risen, Mei had already gotten up early. Preparing breakfast was quite a task, especially with Teacher Himeko back yesterday. A four-person breakfast was no simple feat.

Mei rubbed her eyes and let her delicate, pale feet dangle from the edge of the bed, groggily searching for her slippers. Her smooth, tender feet bathed in the soft morning light.

Finally finding her slippers, she slipped them on and carefully shifted her weight, her soft soles pressing down into the cool slippers as she slowly stood up, her pink toenails catching a glimmer of light.

After getting up, the usual routine was to wash up.

However, Mei froze in place, staring ahead in a daze.

Kiana was lying on her bed in an extremely peculiar position.

She had her knees together and her upper body sprawled out, making her rounded hips stick up high. The curvature of her waist and hips was beautifully undulating, causing Mei to blush slightly.

Kiana's face was turned towards Mei, half of it pressed into the pillow, leaving a red imprint. Despite the awkward appearance, her slightly furrowed brow seemed to be in some sort of stubborn struggle.

"..."

Mei remained frozen for a moment.

Although she knew Kiana's sleeping posture was often unrefined, was this really a position one could adopt while sleeping?

"..."

Still silent.

Mei thought about going over to help Kiana adjust her sleeping position, at least to avoid this "doggy style."

After all, she was a girl.

But then she thought, sleeping positions aren't something that can be easily changed by willpower.

Mei stared for a few seconds and noticed that Kiana's nightgown had shifted, revealing her smooth, flat belly and the deep crimson mark of the Stigmata.

"Stigmata....."

Mei's hands instinctively moved to her own belly.

Is that truly a Stigmata on Kiana?

Mei had doubts about what the headmaster had said.

But if it isn't a Stigmata, then what could it be?

Mei couldn't help but worry.

For Mei, Kiana was her light.

This spring, with personal relationships deteriorating and her father's responsibilities being relinquished, it was a time of misfortune.

Mei was mired in darkness, the "friends" who had previously shown deference due to the Raiden family name revealed their true, cruel nature.

Endless murderous intent churned within her, an uncontrollable destruction rising in her chest.

The world was too murky, filled with decay, cruel humanity, and apathy.

It had to be purged with the fire of destruction.

The desire for destruction was growing frenzied. Fearing that she might act destructively, Mei considered ending everything by jumping off a building.

She remembered the twilight rooftop, the slanted rays of the setting sun casting dazzling light spots.

Kiana had tightly grasped her as she prepared to jump, insisting that they both live on and try their best.

Thinking of this, Mei felt warmth in her heart.

Her body felt so light, as if there was nothing to fear anymore.

".....No, stop... I really can't eat anymore..."

At that moment, Kiana murmured in her sleep, her lips pouting slightly, their pink sheen glistening.

Seeing this, Mei couldn't help but smile from the heart.

Mei looked up and gently stroked Kiana's cheek, "Honestly, still so greedy. Be careful not to gain weight."

Despite saying this, Mei decided to make Kiana's favorite fried chicken for breakfast.

—

Yae Sakura wandered around the destroyed Nagazora City and returned to Ye Feng's world.

The Herrscher of Corruption, who had been hiding and avoiding people, had no choice but to appear again.

In her maiden form, Hellmaru looked just like the "Rin" from the previous era, only with fox ears and several tails.

And she was extremely fierce.

However, compared to her large belly, these details seemed less significant.

Yae Sakura and Hellmaru stared at each other in silence.

Yae Sakura looked at the girl in front of her with a complex expression—so complex that it was hard to quantify even with a fan chart.

But among it all, there was a trace of tenderness...

Hellmaru noticed Yae Sakura's gaze, and her expression instantly turned fierce and menacing, the fox patterns on the sides of her face merging.

"Yae Sakura, your look disgusts me... Ugh!"

Mid-sentence, Hellmaru felt a pain in her belly like never before, leaving her feeling extremely weak.

"Don't get too worked up, it's easy to cause labor pains."

"?!!"

The Herrscher was furious.

She was genuinely angry!

Damn labor pains!

What was worse, Yae Sakura was so serious, and Hellmaru could barely hold back.

"Stop pretending! If you hadn't schemed with that vile human against me, I wouldn't be... Ugh, it hurts."

Such internal tremors from the soul were hard for even a Herrscher like her to endure.

Yae Sakura said, "Calm down a bit. The benefactor said you are in the state of being ten months pregnant and about to give birth. Although no actual life will be born, it is otherwise indistinguishable from real pregnancy."

"Grr~~~"

The Herrscher snarled at Yae Sakura, making an unintelligible growl.

"Oh, you're here."

"——!"

Upon hearing this devilish whisper-like voice, Hellmaru's fur stood on end, her tails and fox ears straightening as if electrocuted.

And this movement exacerbated her labor pains, almost causing her to cry out in pain.

"Don't be arrogant or reckless. Don't move around. If your water breaks, I won't take responsibility."

Ye Feng said with a gentle smile.

"You, you——"

Hellmaru was in a rage, pointing a trembling finger at Ye Feng, her throat moving.

"Alright, alright. Don't get mad. Here, put this on. From now on, you are no longer an ordinary Herrscher. You must not come into contact with any more of this world's Honkai. If you have any more murderous thoughts, this collar will tighten around your neck, causing you unbearable suffering."

Ye Feng walked in front of the Herrscher of Corruption and, before she could react, placed a large red collar around her neck.

Hellmaru immediately erupted in flames, ready to fight Ye Feng.

However, before the crimson flame of the Honkai could even form, it extinguished.

Ye Feng patted her head, "See? You're so impatient. I've already said, you can't touch any more of this world's Honkai. Don't look at me like that. I'm doing this for your own good. If you move around and your water breaks, you will truly enter labor. Don't blame me for not warning you."

"..."

Miss Hellmaru gritted her teeth in resentment, reluctantly allowing Ye Feng to hold the collar's chain.

"Benefactor."

Yae Sakura didn't want to see the Hellmaru, who resembled her younger sister, being treated too harshly.

After all, killing was not a trivial matter.

She approached Ye Feng and said, "The 'domination seal' you used seems to be effective in the real world. Additionally, I haven't yet found the 'Thousand Feather Academy' you mentioned."

---

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