Thinking of this, Ming Yu stroked Hiyokumaru's little head, a sense of pity and shame rising in his heart.
He had already felt the pain of bearing that kind of hatred and was truly unwilling to let this little fox suffer it again.
But this was the only way. Only Hiyokumaru, as the Herrscher of Corruption, had the ability to annihilate the hatred within the sword. Moreover, he was somewhat confident that he could rescue Hiyokumaru again and prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
At this point, it was impossible for him to give up on Jizo Mitama. In any case, he wouldn't be satisfied without trying.
Holding the little fox up to his face, Ming Yu carefully studied her slightly chubby little face and her clear, bright blue eyes. Under Ming Yu's gaze, Hiyokumaru's little eyes showed a mix of confusion and shyness, her small body squirming uncomfortably.
Letting out a long sigh, Ming Yu asked in a heavy tone, "Hiyokumaru, you should be able to feel the resentment in this sword too.
If, only you have the ability to eliminate this hatred, to completely annihilate the resentment attached to this sword. But this process will be very dangerous. With the slightest mistake, you will be eroded by this sword's will and become a monster that only knows destruction.
Are you willing?"
As soon as he said this, a sense of regret arose in Ming Yu's heart.
If he had a choice, he would rather suffer ten times the pain himself than to semi-forcefully ask this of Hiyokumaru. In his eyes, the little fox was someone he was supposed to protect, not a tool to obtain a Divine Key.
But what was the difference between his current actions and that?
The current Divine Key was only a semi-finished product. Jizo Mitama, without being activated by Hiyokumaru, was unusable. Only by fusing with Hiyokumaru, this missing piece of power, would Jizo Mitama be considered complete.
Although Hiyokumaru was right in front of him, the focus of his vision passed over her and landed on Jizo Mitama, staring intently at its carvings and patterns as if trying to find something special.
He didn't dare to face Hiyokumaru, afraid of seeing disappointment and sadness in her eyes, worried she would think, "So you just wanted to use me too?"
If that were the case, he wouldn't know what to do next. If Hiyokumaru was unwilling, he couldn't force her, and then he would have to find another way himself.
After an unknown amount of time, perhaps an instant, perhaps a long while, the little fox said in a soft, sweet voice, "Big Bro Yu, I'm willing."
"Huh?" Looking at Hiyokumaru's eyes in surprise, Ming Yu saw determination and resolve in that shade of blue.
Hiyokumaru was truly willing to do this, willing to eliminate the resentment in Jizo Mitama, even though it was fraught with danger. It wasn't a compromise, nor was it a disappointed submission, but a genuine trust in Ming Yu and a willingness to help him.
Even though Ming Yu had promised nothing, she still believed that he would not harm her.
Although he was deeply moved, Ming Yu still asked with some uncertainty, "Think about it again. This is very dangerous. If an accident happens..."
"I've already thought it through," Hiyokumaru said, shaking her head and interrupting Ming Yu. "Even though Big Bro Yu came here for Big Sis Yae Sakura, I can still feel that you care about me. Besides, Big Sis Yae Sakura has also been very good to me.
So, I also hope I can help you both, to be able to do my part in this matter."
After a pause, the little fox gave a brilliant smile and said, "Besides, no matter what happens next, isn't Big Bro Yu here?"
This little fox, does she trust me this much? Ming Yu was a little stunned, and then his heart was filled with a wave of emotion.
Ming Yu did not refuse Hiyokumaru's good intentions again, otherwise, it would be a negation of her determination. Besides, wasn't he still here?
He was never blindly confident, but he never lacked confidence either. Even against Jizo Mitama, he believed he was by no means without a chance of winning.
Theresa quietly watched all of this from the side, her evaluation of Ming Yu rising a few notches.
When Ming Yu first looked at Hiyokumaru, she had thought of the same method. Only Hiyokumaru, who was once a Herrscher, had the ability to resolve the Divine Key made from her Herrscher Core. This was a task only she could accomplish.
But Theresa was also aware of the risks involved. If Hiyokumaru could not suppress the resentment in the Divine Key, then she would be controlled by it.
At that time, they would have to face an out-of-control Divine Key, which was no simple enemy. Even if the Divine Key's power couldn't be fully unleashed, it would be more than enough to give them a hard time.
If it were up to Theresa to make the choice, she would still unhesitatingly agree to let Hiyokumaru carry out this task. Although it was very dangerous, the existence of a Divine Key was worth them taking such a great risk.
However, in the face of the temptation of a Divine Key, Ming Yu could still consider Hiyokumaru, which made her think highly of him. Although this couldn't make her completely trust Ming Yu, it at least showed that he was not the type of person who would do anything for power.
In her opinion, an ordinary Valkyrie with feelings and loyalty was far more worth cultivating than a heartless killing machine. This was also the meaning behind her founding of St. Freya High School.
Hiyokumaru took one last look at Ming Yu and Theresa, nodded at Ming Yu, took a small breath, and slowly placed her hands on Jizo Mitama.
As Hiyokumaru moved, black flames suddenly erupted from the Divine Key, quickly covering the little fox's entire body. Compared to the flames caused by Ming Yu, this time they were not only larger in scale, but their color was also much deeper, making Hiyokumaru's figure within the flames appear indistinct and hard to see clearly.
Perhaps because this Divine Key was made from Hiyokumaru's Herrscher Core, it did not break free from her hands this time, and the entire Stigmata Space was incredibly stable. But Ming Yu and Theresa could clearly sense a tyrannical and dark aura rapidly rising before them, soon surpassing that of high-level Honkai Zombies and Templar-class Honkai Beasts, and quickly approaching the peak of lower-tier Honkai Beasts.
The black flames continued to spread, soon reaching Ming Yu and Theresa, forcing them to retreat continuously.
Ming Yu had already tasted the power of these flames and had no intention of trying again. Seeing Ming Yu retreat, Theresa had no plans for a personal experience either and quickly followed his footsteps.
The temperature of the black flames was not high, and they did not set the Tenshukaku on fire, so there was no need to worry about the Tenshukaku being destroyed by fire.
As the flames completely engulfed Hiyokumaru and the Divine Key, Ming Yu and the others could no longer see what was happening inside. They could only vaguely hear the little fox's pained cries and the low, alluring whispers of the Herrscher personality, Higokumaru.
"Hehe, give up the struggle. No one truly cares about you. They're just using you as a tool. Only I will not harm you.
Accept my power! Join me, and let's kill all those hypocritical humans!"
"Ah...
No, that's not true.
This is my own choice, it has nothing to do with Big Bro Yu and the others!"
"Haha! It's useless, you can't escape. After all, I am you, and you are me~
Those sins, those people you've hurt, do you really think you can get away, that you can truly forget?"
"No! It's not! Don't..."
Soon, both voices disappeared, but the evil aura within the flames suddenly broke through the peak of lower-tier Honkai Beasts and reached the level of an Emperor-class.
"What on earth is happening in there!" Theresa exclaimed in shock. "How long has it been, how could it be like this!?"
"Hiyokumaru!" Ming Yu's heart tightened, and he quickly shouted.
The black flames flickered, but no sound came from within.
Ming Yu's heart sank. Things had finally reached this point. Although he had anticipated this outcome from the beginning, when he actually faced it, his heart was still filled with endless regret and self-blame.
"Open, for me!" Ming Yu shouted angrily. He swiftly swung Sakura Fubuki, and a bright sword wave cut through the black flames, revealing the ferocious monster hidden within.