Kiana and the others spent over an hour teleporting from island to island, only to end up back where they started.
After returning to their starting point, they discussed the situation. Finally, Fu Hua recorded the group's route and discovered something strange.
Along the way, Fu Hua had sensed that this might be a formation based on some kind of bagua array, specifically the kind used to seal something.
After seeing the route map, she was even more certain. This was a bagua array for sealing evil beings, which was likely meant to seal Chiyou. But Himeko's whereabouts were still unknown, so everyone began to search for a way out based on the bagua array route that Fu Hua had deciphered.
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Outside Jiuyou, Theresa was peacefully taking a nap, using Judah's lap as a pillow. Theresa had originally invited Ryn and Kika to join her, but Ryn, thinking about how Kiana and the others were still exploring the ruins, felt she couldn't possibly rest and sternly refused Theresa.
After being rejected by Ryn, Theresa also understood that it wasn't the time for a nap. So she lay in Judah's arms, took out a manga, and placed her communicator nearby, ready to receive news from Kiana's group at any moment.
In the end, under Judah's tender care, Theresa still drowsily fell asleep...
As expected of Theresa. Ryn and Kika both rolled their eyes helplessly. Judah, however, didn't mind at all. After all, in her view, a child needed to get plenty of sleep.
And if Theresa was going to sleep, Judah would even softly sing a lullaby to help her. This made Kika drowsy as well, so Ryn could only offer her own thigh as a lap pillow for Kika.
"Let me know if anything happens. I'm just going to close my eyes for a bit."
"Okay."
After receiving Ryn's reply, Kika snuggled closer to Ryn and wrapped her arms around him.
"What are you doing?"
"This is enough. Let me hold you for a while."
"Fine..."
Ryn pinched Kika's small face, deciding to indulge her this one time.
Judah looked at the two in their ambiguous posture, glanced at Ryn with disdain, and then teased.
"Tsk, your circle is a real mess."
Ryn reached out and rapped Judah on her foolish head, retorting irritably.
"You should worry about your own daughter first!"
"Hmph, Theresa is not my daughter. If she's anyone's daughter, it's Kallen's daughter."
"Hmm? Tell me more. How is she Kallen's daughter? I thought Theresa was a descendant of one of Kallen's relatives."
"Well... uh, I don't know if I should say. But the higher-ups at Schicksal all know Theresa's origin, so it shouldn't be much of a secret. I'll tell you.
Back when I was still in my original weapon form, Otto gave me to Theresa not long after he had recognized her as his granddaughter. From that time on, I was always by Theresa's side.
Growing up, Theresa was often the subject of gossip. Although they were all afraid of Otto and wouldn't dare do anything to Theresa, their undisguised fear and malice still hurt her deeply. It was from those rumors and my own investigations that I learned Theresa's story.
Theresa is a synthetic human created by Otto using Kallen's cells and the cells of a Honkai Beast, with the designation A-10. Among all the Kallen clones Otto created, only A-310 and A-303 possessed complete consciousness.
As children, A-310 and A-303 became very good friends, sharing an intimate relationship where they told each other everything. But Otto didn't consider this batch of test subjects successful and eventually prepared to dispose of them, so he made the A-series test subjects fight each other to the death. The slaughter continued until only A-303 and A-310 were left to fight a duel. A-310 defeated A-303, but at the final moment of delivering the killing blow, A-310 threw away the dagger in her hand.
At that moment, Otto seemed to see Kallen in A-310. He felt that A-310 was Kallen's reincarnation, so he bestowed upon her the name Theresa Apocalypse and recognized her as his granddaughter. As for A-303, she is now Otto's secretary—Amber Apocalypse.
Although Theresa didn't kill Amber, the friendship between Theresa and Amber was never the same again, and the two eventually drifted apart.
I don't like Otto. I dislike him very much. He performed countless experiments on Theresa, causing her unspeakable pain. Even though Otto now treats Theresa as his spiritual anchor, doing everything in his power to be good to her, I still cannot approve of him."
Judah gently caressed Theresa's cheek. Although Theresa didn't resent Otto, the pain Otto had caused her was still a fact. The most Judah could do was to try her best to restrain herself from smashing Otto's Soulium face whenever they met.
"Was Theresa's past that tragic?" "Poor Theresa..." Both Ryn and Kika looked at Theresa with a hint of pity in their eyes.
Just then, an untimely voice spoke up.
"Heh, no resentment? How is that possible! I'll never believe that Theresa doesn't resent Otto." The Herrscher of Corruption, still bound by Judah, had woken up. She sneered at the group. "Do you really believe that there's no such thing as hatred? A debt of blood must be paid in blood!"
Higokumaru kicked the soundly sleeping Theresa awake. As Theresa stared blankly, Higokumaru pressed her forehead against Theresa's.
Sensing that something was wrong, Ryn flung Higokumaru away. Judah immediately activated her binding power to restrain her again, and Kika summoned Sabayon, aiming it at Higokumaru.
Although everyone acted quickly, Higokumaru's power of corruption had already invaded Theresa's mind. In Theresa's memories, Higokumaru saw...
"Found it! I've successfully found the resentment in your heart!
This man named Otto not only grievously harmed your body, but he also took the life of the person you cherished. Have you forgotten Cecilia, Theresa!
Hehe, it's the same situation as Sakura... having a cherished person taken away by a relative. How could there be no hatred after something like that?"
"You want revenge but lack the power, don't you? Theresa, if you are willing to accept me, you can obtain my power! Together, we can go and kill all those we hate!"
Although her power had been completely neutralized by the binding force, the hatred endlessly churning in her heart made Higokumaru's will incredibly firm.
"Cecilia... hatred... to kill?"
Higokumaru's words triggered Theresa's memories. Theresa clenched her fists; she would never forget Cecilia...
Cecilia was the eternal pain in Theresa's heart.