Sister Rescue Plan

"Sakura, you've held so many sacrificial ceremonies, there shouldn't be any accidents, right?"

Yae Sakura shook her head: "I will fulfill my duties as a shrine maiden."

To be honest, this discovery was exactly what Izayoi Mirai had expected. Yae Sakura hinted that he should run away at night for the same reason, so that the offering to the god could only be a lucky villager randomly caught in the village.

Suddenly, Yosuke Mirai felt the God's gaze pierce through the wall and fall on him.

He suddenly stood up: "That outsider was hiding outside and overheard our conversation."

This scene was completely unexpected for Izayoi Mirai. Shouldn't he be an ordinary person? Izayoi Mirai turned and ran, startling a large flock of birds returning home late.

"catch him!"

The deity issued a command, and as he watched the departing figure, a purple light flashed in his eyes.

The village chief and other old men rushed out in alarm, ready to mobilize the whole village to search for him, as the sacrificial offerings were at stake and no mistakes could be made.

"Did you do something, Yae Sakura?"

The god looked at Yae Sakura.

Yae Sakura calmly said, "No, maybe he just wandered out on his own and happened to be there."

"Is that so? That's good." The god instructed, "Yae Sakura, go and bring that person back. If he's disobedient, sever his tendons in his hands and feet."

Yae Sakura's pupils contracted slightly, and her hands, resting on her knees, clenched unconsciously. The priest smiled and said, "Don't forget your sister's wish."

"My sister will become the most outstanding priestess in the future."

The childish voice echoed in her ears, and Yae Sakura seemed to see the figure again. She stood up and walked out: "I understand, I will bring him back."

Watching Yae Sakura's departing figure, a fox-like black mist gathered before him, letting out a smug laugh:

"Waaaaah."

Yuuyo Mirai was running away, pursued by many people. He needed to detour to someone's house to retrieve some self-defense tools, which made him realize why there were so many children in a family in ancient rural areas—

They don't have televisions or computers, so their only evening entertainment is having children.

He heard a loud commotion as he passed by, and the people behind him made even louder noises. Then there was no more sound from inside the house, so he was afraid that the person was no longer able to get up.

Yuxiao mourned for a second for the future of them and their wives, then continued running away.

It wasn't that no one tried to get in front of him, but how much fighting power could an ordinary person have? Even if his physical abilities were now comparable to those of an ordinary person, the outcome wouldn't change. Those who tried to block his way were easily taken down by him, as if he were going to defeat Musou.

Should we go out?

Yoru ran towards the village entrance, intending to lure the Honkai Beasts away from the surrounding mountains and forests.

Yosuke Mirai has never had any sympathy for people who practice human sacrifice and try to use him as a sacrifice.

However, due to a slight mishap, he was unable to get out.

The village entrance seemed to be blocked by an invisible wall, and no matter how much Yoyo Mirai punched and kicked, she couldn't get out. Occasionally, red ripples appeared in the air.

What's happening here?

Izayoi Mirai realized that this was the Stigmata Space, which was formed from Yae Sakura's memories. Only Yae Sakura and the consciousness of that Herrscher, Himeko, could have this ability.

Just then, a crowd gathered around, looking at Yoyo Mirai with fear, holding unreliable weapons such as shovels and brooms, but not daring to come forward.

A path parted in the crowd, and Yae Sakura walked over. She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword and sighed.

The instructions were so clear, why didn't you leave immediately?

Chapter Twenty-Two: You'll Get Your Retribution Sooner or Later

When Yae Sakura entered the arena, the outcome was obvious: in her current state, Izayoi Mirai was no match for Yae Sakura unless she summoned that crimson flame again, which would contradict her purpose.

So, Izayoi Mirai was hung up.

Right in the center of the village, on that square platform, he was tied to a tall wooden stake in a slightly shameful posture.

He said to Yae Sakura, who had taken out a rope to bind him, "Miss Shrine Maiden, I am still injured. Please take good care of me."

Having lived in the village all her life and remaining untainted by its corruption, Miss Yae Sakura obviously couldn't understand the filth in his words. After all, this desolate place didn't even have storybooks or novels, let alone figures like the Imperial Uncle.

"The smell of blood on you is gone."

Yae Sakura sniffed, a hint of doubt in her eyes. She slipped her fingers into Yoshou Mirai's collar, seemingly wanting to explore further, but stopped herself in time. Putting aside the need for propriety between men and women, the scene, with many villagers watching nearby, was certainly not a place to concentrate on medical research.

"I clearly warned you, but unfortunately, you can't escape now."

The shrine maiden didn't know whether she was lamenting the impending death of Izayoi Mirai, or regretting that there wasn't time to find out the reason for Izayoi Mirai's rapid recovery.

Yosuke Mirai noticed something: Yae Sakura didn't seem to mind killing people as sacrifices to the gods.

This isn't what we agreed on!

Youxiao Mirai stared into those blue eyes, calm as a lake, without a trace of gloom. Yet, the lake was too deep, as if a giant beast was hidden beneath it.

"It's a pity, you weren't supposed to become a sacrifice, you were just very unlucky."

Yae Sakura tightly bound Izayoi Mirai, saying, "We used to only use virgin sacrifices."

"Then why..."

"Because there have been too many sacrificial rites in recent years, there are not enough girls in the village. After all, if we want to reproduce, the number of women cannot be too small."

A chilling laugh reached Izayoi Mirai's ears. He looked at Yae Sakura and noticed that her lips were tightly pursed, as if mocking herself, yet also carrying a heavy pain.

Is it because of Yae Rin?

Yosuke sighed. If this system had been implemented earlier, her sister might have been spared. After all, Yae Sakura was a shrine maiden.

After securing him tightly, Yae Sakura tugged at the rope a couple more times to make sure it was tight and wouldn't come undone. She straightened Izayoi Mirai's clothes, her expression already calm, and said softly:

“You should have heeded my warning. Now that you’ve been chosen as a sacrifice, I can’t let you go.”

“I would like to leave, but I can’t get out,” Yushou Mirai sighed. “Didn’t you notice? I couldn’t leave the village at all before. Something was blocking the way in front of the village.”

Since Yae Sakura was unaware of the situation, it could only be Hishiyomaru who was behind it.

"Can't get out? What's there?" Yae Sakura wasn't restricted, so of course she couldn't sense anything. She whistled and warned, "That wound on your body was left by those monsters outside, right? I don't know why you can heal so quickly, but to survive those monsters, you shouldn't be as weak as you seem. From tonight until tomorrow before the sacrificial ceremony, try to escape."

Escape? The map restricts our movement, how can we escape?

Yae Sakura turned and left, her figure graceful and slender. People nearby quickly made way for her. Perhaps it was because the festival was approaching, and the sacrifice was a complete outsider. The fear in their eyes lessened and was replaced by an indescribable sense of relief.

Finally, they no longer had to worry about it being their turn. They looked at Izayoi Mirai with a hint of condescending pity in their eyes. They were used to the rituals, yet they also feared them. The shrine maiden's extraordinary strength was something they could not contend with, so they could only endure it. Now that a stranger was suffering the same thing as them, wasn't that something to celebrate?

After all, outsiders cannot enjoy the blessings brought by the gods.

The villagers even considered sharing their treasured dried meat with Yoshou Mirai to thank him for his selfless act, but in the end, no one did anything so wasteful. They were going to die tomorrow, what was the point of eating? They even felt sorry for the rice balls and herbs that the shrine maiden had wasted today, which could have been saved.

Several people wanted to climb onto the altar to get a closer look at this outsider, because he was quite handsome, but they were scared off by Izayoi Mirai's gaze.

As night deepened, the crowd gathered around the altar gradually dispersed. They had work to do the next day, and it was too dark to see clearly at night, so it was better to wait until the daytime when they could see the gods clearly.

Yosuke Mirai closed his eyes to rest, and a very faint red light emanated from his body.

…………

The next day, a group of villagers gathered in front of the altar. The shrine master stood on the edge of the altar, while in the center was Yoshou Mirai, who was tied to a wooden stake, and Yae Sakura, who was half-squatting beside him.

Yae Sakura lowered her head, her voice barely audible: "You didn't run away? Why?"

There's no need for that.

Izayoi Mirai spoke softly, looking at the dense crowd, "You probably don't like this kind of thing, so why do you insist on doing it?"

Yae Sakura tightened her grip slightly on her lap, remaining silent. Rin had tasked her with becoming an excellent shrine maiden; how could she not persevere? Moreover—

Her long pink hair fluttered in the wind, shielding her from the possibility of Yoshou Mirai peeking at her expression.

The chief priest announced, "It's almost time. Let's begin the ceremony."

Yae Sakura's hand trembled. At that moment, Izayoi Mirai cleared her throat and spoke:

"Wait a minute, why are you trying to kill me when I've done you no wrong? Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

The god frowned; he clearly disliked this unexpected situation: "Since you are a sacrifice offered to the gods, enjoy this glory."

"That's right, as a sacrifice to the gods, this is your glory!"

The quiet crowd below the stage gradually became noisy, their emotions surging, as if they had become the most steadfast believers, using this to erase the unease that had driven others to their deaths.

"What more could you ask for than to serve the gods?"

"This is an opportunity to meet the gods, how can you, a stranger, try to refuse?"

Before the altar, waves of sound surged forth, seemingly threatening to engulf Izayoi Mirai. Yae Sakura whispered, "It's no use, they won't listen to anything."

The deity reached out and pressed down lightly, and the villagers gradually quieted down. In their eyes, the deity still held great authority.

He looked coldly at Izayoi Mirai: "Sakura, there's no need to wait, let's begin, or do you want me to do it?"

Yae Sakura stood up, just as she was about to make a move, but Izayoi Mirai also moved.

A few sparks flashed across his body, burning through the ropes. He drew the sword from Yae Sakura's waist and looked at the crowd below the altar with a cold smile: "Retribution has come."

Chapter Twenty-Three: A family should be complete.

"Sakura, what are you standing there for? Quickly take him down!"

The god was both surprised and furious. Youxiao Mirai's movements were not very fast, so how could she have drawn Yae Sakura's sword so easily?

"By letting the offerings disrupt the ritual, have you forgotten your duties as a priestess?"

Yae Sakura trembled, and Yoshou Mirai followed up, saying, "Don't listen to this old bastard's nonsense. I'll help you take him down and avenge your sister."

Yae Sakura's already hesitant movements stopped abruptly. The God looked at Izayoi Mirai with shock and anger: "Who are you? How do you know about this? Sakura, you..."

The rest of the words could not be conveyed. Yushou jumped in front of him and, with a swift stroke, chopped the man down.

The sharp blade sliced ​​through the muscle, encountered only slight resistance, and passed through smoothly; the bones were no obstacle at all.

From the left shoulder to the right side, Yosuke Mirai cleaved the god in two with a single strike. Blood gushed out like a fountain, quickly soaking the ground, and internal organs spilled out onto the ground.

died?