25: Chapter 24 Cherry Blossoms in Still Water

The pain disappeared.

It didn't fade gradually; it was as if cut clean through with a single blade. One second it felt like being torn apart, and the next, there was complete numbness.

No pain, no sound.

Am I dead?

I really was too impulsive. I shouldn't have rushed in to find Mei without any preparation.

I just don't know if Kiana and the others can escape.

It's all my fault...

Just then, a faint floral scent drifted into Kaiwen's nose.

Kaiwen instinctively took a breath.

Sakura?

She abruptly opened her eyes.

A vast starry sky came into view.

Countless stars densely covered the whole canopy, as if someone had crushed a ribbon of light and scattered it across deep blue silk.

Before she could regain her senses, a slightly cool sensation came from behind her.

She turned her head slightly and realized she was lying face up on a completely still surface of water.

The water was very shallow, just covering her ears.

She slowly sat up, and not a single ripple appeared on the water's surface.

Endless water stretched out in every direction, reflecting the starry sky above like a mirror, making it impossible to tell sky from ground.

The faint scent of sakura still drifted in the air.

Right in the center of her view, an absurdly massive sakura tree rose from the water, its branches spreading out to cover a small portion of the starry sky.

Countless pink petals drifted down, melting the moment they touched the water.

Unfortunately, this perfect scene was being broken.

A corner of the starry sky split open into a rift, and countless deep-purple lightning bolts surged out, striking charred scars across the tree trunk one after another.

Beneath the sakura tree stood a figure.

Long pink hair fell to her waist, and she wore a shrine maiden outfit of white with red patterns. A pair of fox ears atop her head twitched slightly with the thunder.

Facing away from Kaiwen, she placed a hand on the trunk and looked up at the expanding purple rift.

"Yae Sakura?" Kaiwen's heart jolted, almost believing the pain was causing hallucinations.

"...Who are you? What is this place?"

Hearing the voice, the fox-eared girl slowly turned around, a subtle trace of weariness in her tone. "My name is Yae Sakura. This is your Stigma Space—or rather, the inside of your body."

Kaiwen froze for a moment.

"Stigma Space?"

"Since when do I have a Stigmata?!"

"You are still alive," Yae Sakura answered before she could press further, offering the most crucial answer. "Your consciousness couldn't handle the extreme pain just now, so I pulled you in here."

Right as she finished speaking, another muffled roar echoed overhead.

Several purple lightning bolts struck down simultaneously from the rift, directly hitting the trunk of the sakura tree and exploding into a flurry of sparks.

Yae Sakura tightened her fingers against the trunk. The pink light at her fingertips suddenly flared, barely forcing back the electrical arcs creeping toward the roots.

"I have been helping you expel the Honkai Energy she poured in," Yae Sakura said, her tone remaining gentle, though Kaiwen could hear the tiredness within. "But I can't hold out much longer."

Kaiwen looked at the scar-covered sakura tree, then up at the purple rift still expanding overhead.

She had a mountain of questions about the Stigmata, but now was clearly not the time to ask.

Besides, there were people waiting for her outside.

"What should I do?" She stood up, without a hint of hesitation in her voice.

Hearing her words, Yae Sakura finally turned fully around to face Kaiwen.

She drew a long sword from her waist with a reverse grip and pointed it at Kaiwen.

"Come here and grasp the blade."

Hearing her request, Kaiwen did not hesitate and stepped forward, reaching out her hand.

The moment she grasped the blade, warmth spread from her palm throughout her entire body.

The falling sakura petals around her seemed to be drawn in, slowly swirling around her.

"Close your eyes and feel this power," Yae Sakura's voice sounded softly by her ear. "Leave the rest to me."

...

The Riverside Garden could no longer be called a garden.

Scorched earth and rubble were scattered everywhere. The original pavilion had long been reduced to ruins, and the riverbank guardrails had completely collapsed.

Boom—

Another Subspace Spear thrust out from the void, but the figure mid-air dodged it with a slight lean.

Kiana knelt on one knee in the scorched mud, gasping heavily for air.

This was who knows how many spears she had condensed.

Her azure eyes had turned a faint gold, but blood continuously seeped from her nose and the corners of her mouth.

Bronya operated Project Bunny to guard the flank, its cannon constantly locked onto the figure mid-air, but she hesitated to open fire recklessly.

Herrscher of Thunder hovered in mid-air looking at her, a touch of pity in her tone. "Kiana, if you keep holding out, your body will break. Why not become my thrall as well? I'll take good care of you~"

Kiana didn't speak; she just gritted her teeth tightly and swung her right hand.

Another Subspace Spear materialized in the void, but this time, the shaft was crooked and its light patterns significantly faded. Expending her last bit of strength, she thrust it forward, sending the spear flying toward Herrscher of Thunder in mid-air.

Herrscher of Thunder simply raised her right hand slightly.

Blinding lightning manifested in her palm, instantly wrapping around the incoming spear.

Snap.

After a crisp snap, the spear shattered piece by piece, turning into countless golden motes of light that dissipated in the wind.

As the spear shattered, Kiana's body trembled violently. The golden light in her eyes faded, returning to azure, but losing all focus.

The girl swayed and finally collapsed, completely drained of strength.

Raiden Mei slowly descended to the ground and walked toward her step by step.

"Project Bunny, fire."

Behind her, Project Bunny's cannon locked onto Raiden Mei once again.

But without even turning her head, Raiden Mei gave a casual wave, and the beam shattered behind her as if slamming into an invisible barrier.

"Don't waste your effort," Herrscher of Thunder said in that same gentle tone. "Stop playing house. Do it too much and it gets boring."

With that, she withdrew her gaze and continued walking toward Kiana lying on the ground.

One step, two steps.

Right as she was about to touch Kiana, a sudden silence fell over the world.

The wind stopped.

The burnt smell filling the air was suddenly dispersed by a faint, delicate scent of greenery and blossoms.

It was the scent of sakura.

Herrscher of Thunder's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, her brows furrowing slightly.

Sensing something, she turned her head in surprise, shifting her gaze toward the charred patch of flowers behind her.

From within that patch of flowers, wisps of pink radiance had begun to seep out unnoticed.

The halo grew brighter and brighter, surging as if something were breaking through the earth.

In the next instant, a pink figure burst forth!

It was fast.

So fast that just as Herrscher of Thunder turned around, that stream of pink light brushed past the hem of her clothes, coming to a steady halt beside Kiana.

The light slowly faded, revealing Kaiwen's figure.

By now, Kaiwen's hair had turned entirely sakura-pink, and fine specks of pink light drifted from the edges of her slightly damaged clothing.

She slowly raised her head, meeting Raiden Mei's gaze.

Deep within her eyes, a faint streak of cherry-blossom light flickered quietly.

Herrscher of Thunder looked at her, her pupils shrinking slightly.

Then, the corners of her lips curved up slightly.

"Interesting."