Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 71

“So that’s how it is. It’s not that Wang Luowei crossed into this world and became the Herrscher of Corruption—it’s that the Herrscher of Corruption became him… but not completely.”

Yet, Enoxia still couldn’t understand why Higokumaru would help restore her memories. Not only had it resolved many of her doubts, but it also gave her a deeper understanding of the Herrscher of Corruption’s powers. Wasn’t this just handing her an advantage on a silver platter?

The scenery around her shifted, and Enoxia found herself back in Yae Village. Everyone, including Yae Sakura, had vanished. Only Higokumaru remained, standing before her in its fox form.

Enoxia spread her hands. “All that fuss, all that drama, and this is how it ends?”

Higokumaru ’s expression darkened.

“Do you even know who you are?”

Enoxia blinked, thinking carefully.

“The second-generation Herrscher of Corruption… who inherited all the parameters of a human?”

“If you know that much, then you should also know that there will always be a wall between you and the people you think you’re close to. Just like in the previous world, no matter what you do, no matter how things unfold, you’ll always be nothing more than an observer!”

Enoxia stared at it, puzzled. “But you’re the one who broke that wall, aren’t you? Before this, I was worried that no matter what I did, I’d always be from a different world than Sirin and the others.

“Now, you’ve shown me what happened before I was born. You made me realize that, just like Sirin, I’m a native of this world. So, from that perspective… I should actually thank you.”

With that, Enoxia gave Higokumaru a deep bow.

“You—! You saved Cecilia, saved Sirin, saved Cheng Lixue… but in their hearts, there’s still someone more important than you! Your sacrifices and your rewards don’t begin to balance out!”

Enoxia scratched her head, even more confused. “I saved them because I wanted to. If saving someone meant they had to pledge their undying loyalty in return, wouldn’t that just be emotional blackmail?

“And as for your whole ‘sacrifices and rewards’ thing… you’re only seeing what I’ve done for others. You’re ignoring what they’ve done for me. It’s not like the only thing that counts as ‘giving’ is someone throwing their life away for me.”

Enoxia never considered herself some selfless saint who did good deeds without expecting anything in return. If she gave everything and got nothing back, she’d feel resentful too.

But wasn’t becoming family with Cecilia, Sirin, and the others the greatest reward of all? Whenever she was feeling down, Cecilia and Alexandra would notice and immediately pull her into a heart-to-heart talk. They wouldn’t let her leave until she was smiling again—no issue was left unresolved. With that kind of support, how could she not be emotionally healthy?

Enoxia didn’t care much about her birthday, and she never treated it as anything special. But Sirin, who had only heard her mention it once, remembered the date perfectly. Even though Bella could’ve handled it, Sirin insisted on baking her a cake herself.

And Ivan? He’d give her gifts based on things she’d casually mentioned. Even though Cecilia and Alexandra, as memory constructs, couldn’t give physical presents, they still offered their heartfelt blessings. How was having such an amazing family not a reward?

And that wasn’t even getting into the physical perks.

How slim Cecilia’s waist was? You’d know after hugging her.
How round Sirin’s cheeks were? You’d know after squishing them.
How silky Bella’s hair was? You’d know after running your fingers through it.
And how warm Elysia’s body temperature was? Well, she just had to stand still and let Elysia grope her to find out.

If she wanted, she could spend every day being hugged and cuddled by Bella, Sirin, Cecilia, Elysia, and more. A life surrounded by beautiful women—wasn’t that basically heaven? What more could she ask for?

Especially Sirin. Whenever she puffed out her left cheek, Enoxia would poke it with a finger. With a soft “pfft,” the cheek would deflate, and Sirin would let out a tiny huff… only to immediately puff out her right cheek instead. Watching Sirin alternate between puffing and deflating was endlessly entertaining.

And on quiet nights, she could sneak into Sirin’s room and use her Herrscher powers to record her sleeping face, then later review the footage with Bella for… appreciation.

Elysia, meanwhile, often invited her to her room to “show her something fun,” assuring her that since they were both girls, there was no need to be shy. She told her to focus on the “process of entering and accepting,” and sometimes even brought Eden along to practice…

Enoxia’s thoughts spiraled further into excitement, her face flushing slightly.

Meanwhile, Higokumaru’s face was also turning red—though for a very different reason. It was furious that Enoxia was so lost in her own world that she couldn’t even be bothered to attack.

After what felt like an eternity of Higokumaru glaring at her in silence, Enoxia spread her hands again. “What, are you trying to stare me to death? I thought you had some grand final move, but you’re just out of energy, huh? No wonder Dr. Mei wiped the floor with you 50,000 years ago. Pathetic.“

Seeing that Higokumaru’s weakness wasn’t an act, Enoxia didn’t hesitate any longer. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed the power of Corruption directly into its body.

Higokumaru shrank rapidly—from a fox demon larger than a house down to a cub no taller than a man’s knee—before finally vanishing entirely.

The Corruption process had been too easy. A flicker of unease passed through Enoxia’s mind.

Back when she finished off the Herrscher of Wind, she had transformed herself into an arrow and pierced its body. Now, Higokumaru could’ve done the same—using her Corruption as a chance to invade her body.

Realizing Higokumaru’s plan, Enoxia immediately initiated a “virus scan.” But Higokumaru, as if possessed, charged forward recklessly.

“Oh no—its target is—!”

By the time Enoxia realized Higokumaru’s true goal, it was too late.

Higokumaru had set this up from the very beginning. It had lulled Enoxia into lowering her guard, all for one purpose: seizing control of the Poké Ball-like device that Vill-V had given her.

“Heh. You can block me out, but I can block you too. While you were busy shielding yourself from my interference, I slipped a part of myself into your body… But in the end, I really do have to thank you. Thanks to you, I could use my full power without restraint. Right now, Yae Sakura is still lost in her sweet dreams with Kallen Kaslana. She won’t be interfering with my plans anytime soon.”

“A Herrscher of Corruption carrying a program designed to control the Herrscher of Corruption… to use against another Herrscher of Corruption? Stupid. So stupid. If you hadn’t brought this thing along for ‘insurance,’ I never would’ve found a way to turn the tables.”

Now fully in control of the device, Higokumaru emerged from Enoxia’s body. Though its remaining energy only allowed it to maintain the form of a young girl, it was more than enough to activate the program Vill-V had written.

“Point the white side at the enemy, the red side at yourself, then press the button in the center.”

Higokumaru had memorized the instructions long ago. The moment it emerged, it pressed the button.

The device shot into the air, expanding like a cage as it descended.

“Once I take your power, I’ll finally be free of this place. Then, I’ll seize control of every nuclear silo on the planet and reduce the world to ashes! Ahahahaha—!”

But its laughter died abruptly.

Because the one being trapped…

…was itself.