Looking at Cecilia,
Theresa nodded heavily.
"So that's how it is."
"Well? Feeling tempted now? Everything I just mentioned—teachers and staff get to enjoy it too."
"A campus brimming with youth… that really suits your style."
"Oh, right! Speaking of youth—there has to be a huge swimming pool on campus!"
"Then why not build it by the sea, or on an island? We could go out and play during summer!"
"Ah! And not just outdoor activities—we need claw machines, an arcade, an amusement park! I always thought arcades were super fun!"
"…Wouldn't that affect studying? Maybe it'd be okay if they were only open on weekends."
"…Actually, what I really want is for them to have lives of their own. Lives that have nothing to do with profession or responsibility—lives where they can wholeheartedly pursue happiness. Even as Valkyries of Schicksal, they should see the world with their own eyes, walk it at their own pace, and come to know it in a real, three-dimensional way."
Cecilia smiled gently—
so gently it was almost dazzling.
Even the viewers watching from outside the screen couldn't help but feel moved.
And those within St. Freya Academy
were unconsciously witnessing Cecilia and Theresa's old dreams,
watching Cecilia speak of her hopes and expectations for the academy.
Their eyes reddened, tears blurring their vision.
St. Freya Academy…
was indeed built just as she had envisioned, just as she had hoped.
And yet, she remained forever within Theresa's memories,
never given the chance to witness it with her own eyes—
never to see those beautiful scenes she had imagined come true.
"I hope that one day, they'll be able to decide their own destinies.
That they'll choose for themselves what they want to protect."
"I hope that when they shout 'Fight for all that is beautiful in this world,'
beautiful memories will rise in their hearts—
and they'll truly understand what those words mean."
"And all we need to do… is to witness and protect all of this?"
"Yes. That's right. Theresa, it's fine even if you don't become a teacher."
"Why bring that up again all of a sudden?"
"But I hope you can spare some time now and then, come visit the school—see Kiana, see her future classmates. I'm confident you'll be pleasantly surprised."
"Haha, then I'll look forward to it!
But such a unique school—calling it the Far East Branch Affiliated Academy sounds a bit stiff, doesn't it? Why not give it its own name?"
"Ah, you're right…"
"Hm… I'll have to think carefully…"
"How about calling it St. Freya?
After all, it's a name that represents youth~"
"..."
Hearing Cecilia laughing as she named it,
laughing as she envisioned the futures of all the students and Valkyries—
many in the chat couldn't hold back their tears.
Cecilia…
someone as kind and beautiful as an angel.
And yet now, she would never be able to see everything she hoped for come to pass…
All of this… was because of Otto.
Or rather—because of the Honkai.
It robbed this world of its beauty.
At that thought,
everyone clenched their fists, teeth grinding as they stared at the screen.
They were waiting—
waiting for the final confrontation with Otto,
waiting for Schicksal and Anti-Entropy to unite,
waiting for Otto's conspiracy to be shattered—
waiting for the world Cecilia hoped for,
the world countless people of the past dreamed of,
to finally be born.
A beautiful, free, peaceful world.
[Furina: Cecilia… she's incredible…]
[March 7th: So that's why St. Freya was founded… wuwuwu…]
[Himeko (Honkai): Sigh… Kiana! Fight for all that is beautiful in this world!]
[Kiana: We have to… we have to win!!]
[Theresa: QAQ Cecilia…]
[Ningguang: Such a pity… Cecilia will never see St. Freya's future…]
[Hu Tao: I believe… she'll see it somehow!]
[Tesla: All these tragedies… they're all because of Otto!!]
[March 7th: We have to win!! We must let the world Cecilia hoped for come true!!]
[Himeko (Star Rail): Defeat Otto… stop Otto!!]
[Kiana: But… the Principal has to come back safely too!!]
[Himeko (Honkai): She will! I believe in Theresa!]
[Theresa: Call me Principal!]
The chat was aflame with emotion.
They fought for the beauty Cecilia hoped for,
grieved for Cecilia's passing,
and burned with passion for Theresa's struggle in this very moment.
As white light slowly brightened,
Theresa's memories came to an end.
Looking at the God's Grace Barrier, expanding relentlessly before her—
as vast as Otto's conspiracy and ambition—
Theresa murmured softly:
"…Just like you said, Cecilia."
"The students of St. Freya have grown to a degree even we never dared imagine."
"They can already decide their own destinies, choose what they want to protect.
Even when separated by great distances, they'll never stop walking toward tomorrow."
"Though… St. Freya's students really do cause all kinds of trouble…"
"But you were right, Cecilia."
"This… is the future we must protect."
Filled with emotion,
Theresa took a deep breath.
"Judas, my old friend. You've always been omnipotent, so…"
"For the last time—help me once more!"
Facing the sky-filling gears,
their overwhelming power,
Theresa's eyes hardened with unprecedented resolve.
This was her promise with Cecilia.
But it wasn't only their promise.
It was the longing and dream for beauty that lived in every human heart.
It was the future every person in this world yearned to pursue.
She—Theresa Apocalypse!
The successor Archbishop of Schicksal!
The Principal of St. Freya Academy!!
She had the responsibility,
the obligation,
the reason she had to do this!
She would protect everything she wished to protect!
[Oath of Judah! Zero-Rated Output!]
[God's Grace Barrier—Directional Deployment!]
In an instant!!
Blinding white light swallowed everything!
It all happened in a flash!
The divine key's chains struck the Imaginary Seed with pinpoint accuracy!
A chain reaction followed—
the gears filling the sky instantly lost all power!
Disintegration.
Dissipation.
Collapse.
Theresa Apocalypse achieved the victory she had anticipated—
At the cost she had also anticipated.
Under everyone's gaze,
the sky fell silent.
—Did it work? Was it a success?
The Imaginary Seed shattered.
The gears in the sky faded away.
The Authority of Constraint was gone.
—That's… great…
Theresa's vision blurred, the sound of wind in her ears gradually fading.
She wanted to speak, but her lips—no, her entire body—had lost all sensation.
—Am I… falling?
She couldn't feel the wind.
Only the receding gears and strands of hair passing through her vision reminded her of the truth.
—Kiana… Bronya…
—Everyone… as long as you're safe…
Theresa's inner monologue brought tears to the eyes of everyone watching.
Such a small body,
bearing far too much.
From the moment of her birth, she carried the destiny of saving the world.
The saintly blood flowing through her veins filled her with pure kindness toward all.
And now—
To save her students,
Theresa willingly offered her own life.
Watching this—
watching Theresa fall helplessly from the sky—
the entire chat fell silent.
Shock washed over every face.
Then realization struck.
Theresa had struck the God's Grace Barrier.
Theresa had resolved the immediate crisis.
But… the price was just as brutal.
She succeeded at the cost she had foreseen.
And that cost—
was something no one wanted to accept.
[Raiden Mei: Principal!!]
[Kiana: How could this happen!!]
[Himeko (Honkai): That woman… still pushing herself this hard!!]
[Theresa: At least… it's resolved! Cecilia!!]
[Theresa: I also… have a reason I must win!]
[Tesla: You idiot… why gamble your life like that?!]
[Durandal: Lady Theresa… leave the rest to the future me.]
[Kiana: QAQ]
[Paimon: Principal, please be okay!! Paimon would be heartbroken too!!]
[Ningguang: Sigh… all those who fight for a better tomorrow are truly great.]
[March 7th: But some people aren't fighting for a better tomorrow—like Otto!!]
[Tesla: That bastard… we should've killed him back during the Second Honkai Impact!]
And at that very moment—
Just as everyone's hearts were bound to Theresa's falling form—
High above the sky!
[A sacred white light descended from the heavens. It carried no sense of danger—only reassurance.]
[In Theresa's memories, she had seen such holy light only on one person.]
But in the next instant—
The scene shifted.
The perspective moved to… Durandal, imprisoned within the Imaginary Space!
!!!
For a moment,
no one in the chat could know whether Theresa was safe.
But that final ray of holy light—
was proof that a turning point had arrived.
And it allowed everyone to breathe a little easier.
[Some time earlier]
[At the root of the universe, where laws converge]
[Here, time cannot be understood by common sense, nor can phenomena be explained by mechanics]
[An ordinary human without special protection could scarcely maintain their own existence here]
[But the girl was an exception]
[Not long ago, she had ventured deep into Imaginary Space and returned safely with her companions' support]
[Sumeru Karna faithfully recorded that invaluable experience]
[She once believed that returning from Imaginary Space to reality was no longer difficult for her]
[It wasn't that her judgment of her own strength was wrong… but now, she had indeed encountered something unexpected]
(That sound in my head… what is it?)
(I can't hear it clearly at all…)
(Strange… is this noise some kind of entanglement phenomenon in Imaginary Space?)
Unknown noise echoed endlessly in this void,
sending ripples outward.
The ripples overlapped,
revealing tangible spatial structures—
and pulled the girl into them.
Before everyone's eyes,
a scene like a desert of intensely saturated crimson appeared.
"…!"
Durandal stepped onto the sand, surprise flashing across her face.
"Although I've passed through absolute nothingness, I clearly haven't returned to Sumeru Karna's interior."
"Genius's signal is extremely unstable—communication and precise positioning are impossible. Is this due to that noise just now? Or…"
"In any case, let me clarify the situation"
Durandal frowned, thinking.
"In my earlier battle with the Archbishop, I managed to defeat him briefly—but he seized the chance to exile me into this Imaginary Space."
"Judging by my perception, this still seems to be part of Imaginary Space, but…"
"The spatial ability the Archbishop used—did it come from Thousand Worlds in One Ride? Was my exile location random, or intentional?"
"…No. This isn't the time to dwell on that."
"Whatever his method or purpose, I need to return to the outside world as soon as possible. Standing here thinking won't solve anything."
"Genius can at least indicate a rough direction. I'll head that way and see what clues I can find."
With that thought,
Durandal moved immediately.
Others might not realize it—
but she knew all too well:
Time was running out.
Otto's twelve hours were no joke.
Once twelve hours passed,
no one might be able to stop him.
As Otto seized more and more divine authorities,
Durandal grasped the severity of the situation with chilling clarity.
Along her path,
countless Imaginary monsters emerged across the crimson desert.
With her Star Armor unstable in this place,
she had to fight fiercely just to keep moving forward.
In the chat,
everyone stared in amazement at this blindingly red desert.
[Ningguang: So this is… the Imaginary Space Otto exiled Durandal to?]
[Hu Tao: It's so desolate… and terrifying!]
[March 7th: Durandal, you have to make it back!!]
[Paimon: Is Principal Theresa okay? QAQ!]
[Kiana: She will be! She has to be!]
[Jean: That ray of holy light means a turning point has appeared!]
[Theresa: That was… Cecilia's light…]
[Theresa: But… how is that possible?!]
And at this moment—
No one in the chat realized yet that this dazzling crimson desert—
Before long—
would also become the final stretch of the Archbishop of Schicksal's life journey.
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