“Fascinating… The Herrscher of Corruption’s body contains almost all of Rin’s data.”
While sifting through the memories of Higokumaru from 50,000 years ago, Enoxia discovered this strange phenomenon.
“In the Previous Era, a human consciousness could never overpower a Herrscher’s will—Herrschers weren’t supposed to possess humanity. Yet, after Sakura’s death, the Herrscher of Corruption malfunctioned, giving Dr. Mei the opening she needed to seal it away…”
Enoxia theorized that, much like herself, the Previous Era’s Herrscher of Corruption had struggled with its newfound authority upon awakening.
“After Rin died, it devoured all her data and recklessly abused its power. The result? Its own consciousness merged with Rin’s, birthing a new soul—essentially, a corrupted version of Rin.”
What truly confirmed Enoxia’s suspicions, however, was Higokumaru’s reaction upon learning its true identity. It wasn’t just about seizing control of the sealing program—it was jealousy.
Both were Herrschers of Corruption, both hybrids of a Herrscher’s will and a human soul. They were alike in every way… yet their fates couldn’t have been more different.
Higokumaru had witnessed Sakura die right before its eyes shortly after its birth. Meanwhile, Enoxia had found a family among humans, embracing bonds of love and kinship.
By restoring Enoxia’s memories, Higokumaru was essentially “If I suffered, so should you.” It believed that if Enoxia realized she was the Herrscher of Corruption, she too would become an avatar of slaughter and destruction.
But in this era, Herrschers—thanks to Elysia’s influence—could retain their humanity from the moment of awakening. Higokumaru, having seen Enoxia’s memories, knew this… yet refused to accept it. Its self-imposed delusions led only to self-inflicted despair.
“Perfect. The missing fragments of Rin’s data in Higokumaru are all present in Sakura’s memories… Time to get to work!”
…
A Realm Within the Herrscher
On a small island, Rin stared at her own body in disbelief.
“This isn’t heaven or hell. You’re just… special. Your soul was accidentally preserved by the Herrscher of Corruption after your death.”
Enoxia stood calmly on the water’s surface, her expression relaxed.
“Elysia? No… You’re not her!”
“Mhm. I’m definitely not Elysia—our colors don’t even match. I’m the next era’s Herrscher of Corruption, Enoxia . Doesn’t this form, paired with this name, make me seem like her sister?”
“Where… is this?”
“Inside the Previous Era’s Herrscher of Corruption. After your death, you became part of it. I’ve temporarily separated you from its body.”
“What do you want from me?”
Seeing Rin’s guarded expression, Enoxia smiled.
“To free you from it completely.”
Rin let out a bitter laugh. “Free me? My mind remembers everything that happened after I died. My sister died right in front of me… and I launched nuclear strikes across the world!”
Enoxia tilted her head. “So, to some extent, you can control the Herrscher of Corruption?”
Rin’s eyes remained hollow. “What does it matter? Can my sister come back to life? If you truly want to ‘free’ me… just end me now.”
Enoxia shook her head. “If your soul could be preserved, why not Sakura’s? Seeing is believing—relax. Let me show you proof.”
She stepped forward and transmitted fragments of data from the Elysian Realm.
“This… This is—!”
Under a cherry blossom tree stood a figure with pink hair, sharp yet gentle eyes, and a blade at her waist—Sakura, identical to Rin’s memories.
“Yes. Sakura’s ‘memory clone’—her personality, her memories, all intact. Think of her as a fragment of Sakura. It was through her memories of you that I was able to reconstruct Rin’s soul.”
Life returned to Rin’s eyes. “What… What should I do?”
“That depends on how badly you want to reunite with Sakura. Every step you take outward means gaining a little more control over the Herrscher of Corruption.”
Though 50,000 years had passed, to Rin, her time with Sakura felt like yesterday. She stared at the vast ocean before her… and took her first step.
As her foot touched the water, the sea retreated, solid ground forming beneath her.
Rin broke into a run. With each step, more land emerged—but the further she went, the heavier her legs became.
“Sister… She must be waiting for me. I have to keep going…”
The pressure grew until her legs felt like lead. The horizon remained endless.
“After finally getting this chance… I’m still useless!”
Nothing was crueler than despair after hope. Rin collapsed to her knees, pounding the ground as tears streamed down her face.
Enoxia’s voice cut through her grief.
“You don’t have to turn the entire ocean into land to succeed.”
She helped Rin up. “You’ve done enough. Leave the rest to me.”
With a reassuring smile, Enoxia withdrew from Higokumaru’s inner world.
…
The Birth of a Divine Key
Back in the physical realm, the child-like Higokumaru had vanished. In its place hovered a katana.
“Just as I thought.”
Higokumaru had been on the verge of becoming a Divine Key. By restoring Rin’s data within it, Enoxia had essentially forced a human consciousness onto the Herrscher, plunging it into internal conflict.
Though Rin’s will couldn’t fully dominate Higokumaru, her outburst weakened its resistance past the critical threshold.
Now transformed into a Divine Key, the Herrscher’s malignant aspects were purged like a virus under an antivirus scan.
As the sealing program’s timer expired, Enoxia recalled the “capture orb” into her body and grasped the katana—“Jizo Mitama”.
The moment her fingers closed around it, a surge of power flooded her senses, sharpening her mind.
“It ends now. Jizo Mitama—Zeroth Power Release: Reconstruction of the True Self!”
Like the Herrscher of Corruption, this sentient Divine Key could target itself with its ultimate ability.
A radiant light erupted, reshaping Higokumaru’s soul according to Enoxia’s will. The glow enveloped Yae Village, and Rin’s data was cleanly extracted—transformed into a memory clone, just like Cecilia.
When the light faded, not only had Yae Sakura and Yae Rin reappeared, but the villagers of Yae Village returned as well. Even Rin and Kallen’s memory clones materialized—though this Kallen was merely a manifestation of the data world’s lingering regrets, unrelated to Otto’s ambitions.
Enoxia tossed the katana forward. In midair, it morphed into Higokumaru’s petite, fox-like form.
“Nee-san!” Higokumaru immediately clung to Enoxia’s side.
The Divine Key retained its sentience—but now, it was utterly harmless, viewing Enoxia as its true master.
