Chapter 228: A Foxian Tale of the Haunted 『 Part Three 』
「 "By this stage, the head of the possessed is no longer occupied by their former self, but by a Heliobus—similar in nature, yet entirely distinct. The host's body will soon be drained dry by the parasite, akin to firewood burnt to ash."
"So, Tail is dangerous too?" Stelle asked.
Tail corrected her with evident dissatisfaction: "Watch your mouth, little girl! What do you mean by 'dangerous too'? Yours truly is the most dangerous of the lot!"
Huohuo gazed timidly at Stelle, whispering an explanation: "Tail… has already been suppressed and sealed onto my tail by Madam Hanya. There's a seal, so he won't hurt anyone."
Upon hearing the word "seal," Tail's hackles visibly rose, his temper flaring instantly: "Seal, seal, seal… Pah! Sooner or later, I'll make you tear that thing off."
Huohuo, wearing a look of utter grievance, complained in a hushed tone: "You think… I want to be stuck with you?"
Ignoring the bickering duo, Hanya continued her lecture with an expressionless face: "The headache is that Heliobi are not creatures of flesh and blood; they are difficult to extinguish. Therefore, before the Creation Furnace is repaired, the Ten-Lords Commission intends to erect a [Fiend-Quelling Formation] within this ruined garden to imprison these demons."
Since the formation was not yet complete, to ensure their safety, Hanya insisted on escorting them out.
The good news: no ghosts were running amok in Fyxestroll Garden.
The bad news: there were alien parasitic organisms skittering everywhere… which was obviously far more terrifying. 」
「 .....」
〜Naruto World, Future Timeline〜
"It seems this Heliobus was sealed by force; neither side looks particularly thrilled about it."
Shikamaru glanced lazily at Huohuo.
"A dangerous Heliobus sealed within her body… Wait, this Huohuo is a lot like you, Naruto?"
"Like me?"
Naruto pointed at himself, looking completely bewildered.
"Yeah. Huohuo is basically a Jinchūriki for a Heliobus,"
Shikamaru mused.
"Heliobi can possess human bodies. Although I haven't seen it happen, I imagine it must be similar to when Kurama's power used to go berserk within you, right?"
"Haha! Now that you mention it, that's true! But Kurama is way more temperamental than Tail."
Naruto scratched his head and laughed.
"By comparison, that Heliobus calling himself 'Yours Truly' might look fierce on the outside and have an awkward relationship with Huohuo, but he hasn't actually done anything dangerous to her."
"Heh, who knows?"
Shikamaru spread his hands, smiling helplessly.
"But Tail claims to be from the most dangerous batch of Heliobi. If he's not bluffing… I don't believe for a second that he didn't intend to possess Huohuo's mind in the beginning."
"As it stands, the possession failed. We don't know the specific reasons, but the fact that the Ten-Lords Commission was willing to recruit such a timid little girl as a Judge is likely related to the Heliobus inside her, don't you think?"
—
「 On the way out of Fyxestroll Garden, the two followed closely behind Huohuo. Suddenly, Guinaifen seemed to hear something, and with a piercing scream of "GHOSTS!!!!", she scared Huohuo so badly that the girl couldn't even move her legs.
She turned around, shaking like a leaf, her teeth chattering violently: "Waaahhh~ Wh-wh-wh-what is it?"
"D-d-don't be scared!" Stelle comforted her.
"I-I-I'm not scared, I… I just lost my footing… By the way, where is Miss Guinaifen? Miss Guinaifen—" Huohuo looked behind Stelle. The entire courtyard was empty; Guinaifen had vanished!
"…N-no way… did we lose her…"
Huohuo told Stelle not to wander off so they could find Guinaifen together. But as Stelle passed through a narrow bamboo path and arrived at an enclosed courtyard, she turned back only to find that Huohuo was gone as well.
Just as Stelle intended to turn around, the wooden gate behind her slammed shut with a creak. She scanned her surroundings; the courtyard was devoid of people. Aside from a pile of antiquated vases and old junk, only an ancient mirror stood lonely in the center.
"Is this… a mirror? It looks exceptionally creepy."
Stelle rubbed her eyes and leaned closer to the glass, raising her hand to greet the beautiful girl in the reflection who looked exactly like her.
Realizing that her behavior was a bit foolish, Stelle smiled awkwardly and prepared to turn away. But at that exact moment, the "Stelle" in the mirror suddenly reached out and yanked her inside! 」
「 .....」
〜Record of Ragnarok World〜
Watching Stelle get dragged into the mirror world by the "ghost," Buddha pressed his palms together, closed his eyes, and began to chant softly.
"Buddha, I didn't realize you cared so much about Stelle's safety? Are you actually praying for her?"
Zeus chuckled. Although Buddha usually acted erratically and rebelliously—like a teenager going through a phase—as the deity who loved humanity the most, his compassion was showing in this moment.
"Hah? What nonsense are you spouting, old man?"
Buddha opened one eye.
"I'm praying for the 'ghost' that grabbed Stelle. I'm praying it doesn't get beaten to death by her on the spot."
"After all… any ghost with a shred of intelligence wouldn't go looking for trouble with someone who can tank hits from Phantylia, right?"
"Hard to say, isn't it? Heliobi lack bodies of flesh and blood. Even if Stelle is capable, how will she fare against a formless entity? Furthermore, a body like Stelle's… once possessed, hehe…"
Hades smiled significantly.
"Oi, oi, do you think the Stellaron inside her body is just for decoration?"
Buddha patted his chest.
"Stelle's 'here'… is already at full capacity! Even if a Heliobus possessed her, it certainly wouldn't last long. Besides, do you think the Ten-Lords Commission is just for show?"
"Compared to those two employees of the Ten-Lords Commission… Hades, even you, the King of the Underworld, seem far more 'wholesome'."
—
「 When Stelle regained consciousness, she found herself in a sealed space. It resembled Fyxestroll Garden, yet upon closer inspection, it seemed subtly different.
Stelle wandered around the space in circles several times, returning to her starting point each time like she was caught in a ghost loop. After careful observation, she keenly noticed paper effigies on the nearby walls, and finally found the correct path.
Simultaneously, a sinister voice echoed in mid-air.
"Hehehe, it seems you have noticed. Here, ten thousand paths are a maze…"
"Come now, lost soul. Do you yearn to leave? If so, come find me…"
Following the direction of the voice, Stelle arrived at a spacious courtyard. Four or five clusters of ghostly fire suddenly materialized, surrounding her.
"Hiss… you have a peculiar scent. You are…" The voice hesitated. "I heard the whispers of the fallen leaves in the Garden. They say a powerful vessel has approached…"
"They say that person carries the aura of one who fought Phantylia… You are… the one who drove Phantylia away…" 」
「 .....」