I'm in Teresin, dedicated to playing badly

Accumulate strength.

Once your body is in optimal condition, then—

boom--

The gates opened.

He exerted force with his feet instantly and rushed out in the first instant—

crackle.

The anticipated sprint did not materialize.

Because it was at the very moment of full power unleashed.

The world before the Emperor of the East Sea.

Broken.

Chapter 323: Breaking Limits

No one can really explain what "breaking the limit" means.

Neither Ma Niang, Shanish, nor even the Three Goddesses could explain what this thing was.

Necha and Sirius's breakthroughs can only be considered as partial breakthroughs, or even that would be a stretch.

The overflowing emotions that lead to the breaking of boundaries are like a fish poking its head out of the water; it may seem like it's making contact with the outside world, but that's all it is.

The real breakthrough comes from leaving the waters on which one originally depended for survival and launching an assault on the unreachable heavens.

No, if the sky is the target, then it's somewhat understandable.

But after the world shattered, what appeared before the Emperor of the East Sea was nothingness.

It was neither darkness nor despair.

It means literally nothing.

Is this some kind of hallucination?

The Emperor of the East Sea stopped and looked around.

Without a playing field, without opponents, there is nothing.

Even her sense of self and her body have disappeared.

She didn't know how she stopped, or even if she had really stopped.

She didn't even know how she 'saw' things.

Because now, she doesn't even have eyes.

She tried to call out, but the faint flame flickered for only a moment before going out.

But in that fleeting moment of firelight, she 'saw' many things.

Or rather, I saw many emperors of the East China Sea.

Having achieved an undefeated three-crown victory, he succeeded Rudolph as the new student council president, becoming the Emperor of East Blue...

The Emperor of the East Sea, who suffered a fracture during the match but miraculously recovered after being declared dead...

After suffering an unexpected defeat during his debut battle, losing his edge and confidence, the East Sea Emperor faded into obscurity...

If these segments were still relatively normal, then what followed started to be a bit confusing for her.

Without horse ears, she's just an ordinary human girl, the East Sea Emperor...

The Emperor of the East Sea, a unique finisher who roams the city wielding strange weapons...

Rising from his grave, his body covered in decay and curses, the Eastern Sea Emperor was told before he even opened his eyes that he was to be sent to rekindle the fire...

If these things are still within her understanding, then the rest...

Wait, what is that strange four-legged creature? Why is it also the Emperor of the East Sea?

What are warp demons? Why is there such a bizarre-looking East Sea Emperor? That thing isn't even a living being anymore.

Staring at the fragments illuminated by the flames, she, having lost everything, fell into a state of confusion.

Who is the Emperor of the East Sea?

What was the Emperor of the East Sea like again?

It seems to be one of those things.

After all, they were all emperors of the East Sea.

So the Emperor of the East Sea should be...

"You are my responsibility, Emperor of the East Sea."

In the boundless void, a voice rang out.

It felt familiar and warm.

“You are not any of the emperors of the East Sea, but my responsibility, the emperor of the East Sea.”

The voice rang out again, and a hand reached out and cupped her cheek.

She regained her body.

"Trainer... San?"

She stared at the person in front of her, momentarily lost in thought.

"How will you be here?"

"Because I think you need help."

Shinji Kitahara looked at her.

He didn't know what had happened, but he sensed the abnormality of the East Sea Emperor the moment the match started.

Then, almost instinctively, he came here and cupped her almost vanished cheeks.

The Emperor of the East Sea regained his senses and looked at the fragments that had just been illuminated by the firelight.

"Trainer, those..."

"None of those are you."

Shinji Kitahara also saw the fragments and felt a very strong sense of familiarity with them.

It was as if he had seen this kind of thing countless times in the past.

Even though he didn't want to, even though his eyes were bleeding, even though his brain was exploding from the overwhelming amount of information, he still stared intently.

It was as if it were his responsibility, the meaning of his existence.

But that's all in the past.

People should look forward.

Regardless of what he was before he transmigrated, regardless of what he experienced before transmigrating,

He is now Shinji Kitahara, the trainer of the Emperor of the East Blue.

This is enough.

So he put that feeling out of his mind and slowly opened his mouth.

"Your Majesty, do you still remember that neatly trimmed flowerbed in the academy?"

"remember."

The Emperor of the East Sea nodded.

"what happened?"

"What you see now is a flower garden called 'Emperor of the East Sea'."

Shinji Kitahara grasped the hand of the Emperor of the East Sea, raised it, and flames ignited, illuminating the fragments once more.

"They may look like you, or have similar or even identical experiences to you."

"But you are you, not them."

"There may be two leaves in the world that are exactly the same, but no matter how similar they are, they are still two different leaves."

"Different worlds may have many different emperors of the East Sea, but only you, standing here, as the one I bear the responsibility for—"

"It is you, the only you."

"Instead of being called the 'Emperor of the East Sea'."

silence.

The Emperor of the East Sea gazed at the fragments.

After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly raised her head and looked at Kitahara Shinji.

There was a burning flame in his eyes.

"I understand."

Although he didn't know what she understood, seeing the fire in her eyes, Shinji Kitahara nodded and released her hand.

"Just do what you're supposed to do."

The Emperor of the East Sea nodded, took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and then—

boom--

His fist slammed into the fragments, creating a sound wave unlike anything he had ever experienced in the empty void.

But that's not enough, not nearly enough.

As the East Sea Emperor gazed at the barrier formed by the fragments before him, the flames in his eyes burned ever brighter.

To completely break the limitations, one must surpass the power of the horse girl.

To surpass the power of the horse girl, one must forge a path different from hers.

Although I saw many 'East Sea Emperors' in the fragments that were not horse girls.

But as trainer Sang said, those were 'East Sea Emperors,' but not her.

She wants to forge her own path, shoulder more responsibility, and create a unique path that brings happiness to everyone.

and so--

"Everyone, please help me."

The Emperor of the East China Sea raised his hand.

But there was no response, since the surroundings were nothingness.

Then, flames began to burn.

Something grasped the hand of the Emperor of the East Sea.

One, two, three...

Ten, a hundred, a thousand...

An almost inexhaustible force gripped her hand.

Nothingness is the original state of this world, but the unwavering belief of humans and horse girls gives it meaning.

The efforts of the three goddesses over the years have finally blossomed and borne fruit at this moment.

Those were hollow, adrift in this void, and had even transformed into the benevolence of nothingness, which coalesced in the hands of the Emperor of the East Sea.

The flames surged.

The Emperor of the East Sea emerged from the soaring flames.

His victory and defeat attire transformed into golden armor, and the enormous cloak on his back fluttered loudly.

He now wears a laurel crown on his head and holds a giant sword that is burning with flames in his hand.

However, instead of directly shattering the barrier formed by the fragments in front of her, she turned to look at Shinji Kitahara.

"it is good."