"I..." A trace of guilt appeared in Higokumaru's eyes.
"It's okay even if you have doubts at first. As long as you can bravely take that step, we will all accept you," Ming Yu continued to persuade. Hearing that Higokumaru might listen to his advice, he felt a sense of relief.
"Then..." A cunning glint suddenly appeared in Higokumaru's eyes. Her great mouth opened, and black flames gushed out. "...you can just go and die!"
Caught completely off guard, Ming Yu had no time to dodge. He could only watch as the black flames engulfed him.
Seeing this, Higokumaru let out a cackling laugh. The black flames that had swallowed Ming Yu suddenly expanded, enveloping Higokumaru as well.
For a moment, only the black flames were left burning fiercely on the field.
"Ming Yu!" Theresa shouted. *This kid, doesn't he know how to be cautious? Can't he see that fox hasn't changed its ways? Letting his guard down before the enemy has lost the ability to fight.*
*Someone like that deserves to die!* Theresa cursed inwardly.
But the thought of Ming Yu possibly dying made her anxious again. Although this guy was full of mysteries and disrespectful to the Principal, and she had often wanted to crack his skull open...
...remembering how Ming Yu had protected her during this time, fighting a bloody battle against the pack of beasts, Theresa still felt a little touched. *Fine, if he survives, I'll cross off one demerit from his record in my little book.*
As she thought, Theresa scanned her surroundings for anything that could be used as a weapon. After all, it wasn't the Principal's style to stand by and do nothing while her student struggled between life and death.
Noticing Theresa's anxiety, Yae Sakura squeezed her small hand and pointed to the cross standing in front of them, comforting her, "Miss Theresa, don't worry, he'll be fine."
Hearing Yae Sakura's words, Theresa felt an inexplicable sense of calm. Looking up, she saw the cross still standing there quietly, glowing with a faint golden light. The pattern in the center hadn't changed at all, which indicated that Ming Yu was not in any immediate danger.
After being engulfed by the flames, Ming Yu didn't feel any burning sensation. Instead, he was plunged into a pitch-black darkness.
Here, he couldn't feel temperature, couldn't sense light, and even lost his perception of time. His thoughts became muddled.
He shouted loudly but couldn't hear a single sound. He opened his eyes wide, but all he saw was darkness. He tried to move his body but couldn't even perceive himself.
In this space, there was no direction, no air, not even time.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Ming Yu was about to go mad, his vision was suddenly flooded with bright light, leaving him dazed.
When he came to his senses, he found himself being escorted by a group of fully armed soldiers. They wore exoskeleton armor and carried various weapons, from futuristic firearms to well-crafted cold weapons.
Although he was unarmed and shackled at his hands and feet with an unknown material, most of their attention was focused on him, their weapons aimed firmly at him.
*Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?* A series of questions flooded his mind, but he couldn't answer a single one.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the person at the very front finally stopped. He opened a room, and someone immediately pushed him roughly inside.
As soon as he entered, the transparent door slammed shut, as if they were afraid he would escape.
*What's the big deal? It's not like I'm some dangerous criminal,* Ming Yu grumbled to himself.
"Is he the Herrscher for this time?" a woman in a white lab coat said.
In a military base like this, someone in a white lab coat wasn't just a doctor; they could also be a researcher. This woman was clearly the latter.
"He doesn't look that special," the woman muttered.
The lead soldier seemed a bit surprised. Wiping away non-existent sweat from his forehead, he said respectfully, "Doctor, you can't say that. You know the Herrschers best. They're not as harmless as they appear."
"If these things go berserk, who knows how many people will die!" he said fiercely, his tone laced with undisguised hatred.
"Of course I know," the Doctor said slowly, pushing up the glasses on her nose. "But in here, not even a Herrscher can cause any trouble."
"We're relieved to hear you say that," the lead soldier said, seemingly breathing a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how worried the men were on the way here."
"Thank you for your hard work," the Doctor said with a smile.
"Not at all, not at all. It's our duty," the soldier said, waving his hands humbly.
The soldier took one last look at the figure in the cell and said to the Doctor, "We'll leave the Herrscher to you, then."
The Doctor nodded with a smile, signaling that they could leave.
Listening to their conversation, Ming Yu was filled with confusion. He couldn't remember many things, but he vaguely recalled that Herrschers were supposed to be pretty useless. Like a certain green-winged Herrscher who fought with three B-rank individuals for half a day, only to be taken out by a bunch of robots in the end.
*Are these things really that terrifying?*
After the soldiers left, the Doctor looked at Ming Yu in the cell through the glass, her eyes flickering, her thoughts unreadable.
Ming Yu also leaned forward curiously, looking at the woman before him.
Her long black hair was simply tied into a ponytail. Her features were gentle but couldn't hide a deep exhaustion. Her face was pale with a sickly cast and somewhat gaunt, which didn't seem to match her status.
"Can you let me out?" Ming Yu asked loudly. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to stay here.
The Doctor seemed a little surprised. Looking at Ming Yu's sincere eyes, she seemed to feel a bit of pity, but in the end, she shook her head and said, "I'm sorry. You are a Herrscher. I can't let you out."
"Is it a crime to be a Herrscher?" Ming Yu naturally accepted his identity but still didn't understand why these people were afraid of Herrschers when they were all so weak.
The Doctor hesitated for a moment, but then said firmly, "Herrschers are all guilty!"
"But I haven't hurt anyone," Ming Yu said innocently. He had always been a law-abiding citizen, loving his country and supporting the government. He was just short of a 'Good Person' certificate.
The Doctor looked at Ming Yu's slightly childish face. Though she felt some pity, the determination in her eyes didn't waver in the slightest. "You haven't hurt anyone now, but you are still a Herrscher. If I let you out, many people will surely die at your hands."
"When that time comes, I will be a sinner to all of humanity." The Doctor looked at Ming Yu, and after an internal struggle, she made her choice. "So, you must stay here until it's confirmed that you are truly harmless."