Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches of the cherry blossom trees lining the road, casting light upon the path covered with pink cherry blossom petals. The crimson petals were rendered into a cherry-colored halo in the light... An occasional breeze would sweep up a few cherry-colored petals, sending them flying into the sky.
"Yae Village..." Theresa murmured, looking at the scenery before her, not even noticing a cherry blossom petal landing in her hair.
"I can't believe it was hidden in a place like this..." Theresa said as if in a dream, gazing at the red torii gate under the cherry blossom petals.
"Yeah..." Li Xuan took a deep breath of the faint floral scent lingering in the air and sighed. He reached out and caught a crimson cherry blossom petal.
"But... ugh..." Just as Theresa opened her mouth to say something, her vision suddenly blurred... On her fair back, a red mark lit up again...
"Drought, ritual, deity..." Theresa clutched her head as strange words suddenly appeared in her mind, repeating themselves and refusing to go away...
"These words... what do they mean?" Theresa said in a low voice, enduring the throbbing pain in her head. She knew this was another memory being released from the Stigmata...
[Some things cannot be changed... Kallen.] A blurry figure suddenly appeared before Theresa's eyes. It was the figure of a young girl. The girl turned her head and looked at her faintly, her gaze seemingly piercing through time and space.
"Kallen... that name is?!..." A glint flashed in Theresa's eyes. She looked up and asked the girl who was quietly gazing at her.
"..." The long, sakura-pink-haired girl remained silent, her pair of azure eyes fixed on her. Her figure gradually became illusory and began to disappear.
"Wait! Who exactly..." Theresa snapped back to her senses and reached out to grab the other person, but she grasped at empty air... In her hand was only a crimson cherry blossom petal.
....................
"Hey, hey! Principal Theresa, what's wrong with you all of a sudden?!" Li Xuan forcefully shook the certain white-haired loli nun who was standing there motionless as if possessed.... seeing her blank expression was like she was possessed by a ghost... it felt a little eerie.
"L-Li Xuan...?" Theresa's eyes opened in a daze, and she subconsciously said his name upon seeing the face right in front of her.
"Principal Theresa, you're awake!" Li Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and leaned in to stare at Theresa's face, which had just regained its senses, his brow furrowed as he scanned her face.
"...Hmm?... Mmm!" Theresa suddenly realized something, her small face flushing red as she abruptly pushed away the face that had gotten too close. Then, dragging her weary body, she took a few steps back, clutching the golden cross 'Judah's Oath' that was standing on the ground, her expression one of shame and anger.
"Wh-what are you doing getting so close to me?!" Theresa clutched her chest with both hands and said, looking at the bewildered Li Xuan with a wary expression.
"..." Li Xuan remained silent, just lowering his head to silently glance at the certain loli nun's chest, which was as flat as an airport runway, and maintained his silence.
"What's with that look in your eyes?!" Theresa saw the pitying gaze from someone, and her face, as red as a chili pepper, stomped her foot and shouted angrily, her tied-up white hair trembling slightly.
"Ahem... it's nothing." Li Xuan coughed lightly to divert his gaze and said awkwardly. He changed the subject.
"Principal Theresa, you were just standing there motionless as if you were possessed... what happened..." Li Xuan looked at Theresa, whose face had just lost its blush, with a hint of worry.
"...." Theresa looked up and saw the worry in Li Xuan's eyes, feeling a little touched... So Li Xuan did care about her... Why was she suddenly so happy? Theresa was a bit confused about where these feelings were coming from.
Just as Theresa was feeling touched... Li Xuan's next sentence instantly shattered the trace of emotion that had just risen...
"If something happened to you... how would I get back?" Li Xuan murmured in a low voice. "I don't know how to fly a plane..." Without being able to fly, he would never be able to get back to the academy... After all, the academy was on a small island in the south...
"..." Theresa's expression froze. She felt she was truly an idiot... to have even a hint of emotion for this man before her...
Before Theresa could speak, a strange event suddenly occurred...
"Plff! Crackle!~" An arm suddenly shot out from the damp soil at the base of a cherry blossom tree, moist from the recent rain. The arm extending from the soil exuded a strong Honkai energy aura. Its black fingernails clawed at the dirt, and a Honkai Zombie crawled out from under the ground, seemingly slowly but with great speed.
"A Honkai Zombie?!" Li Xuan's eyes widened as he watched these Honkai Zombies crawl out from under the cherry blossom trees like evil spirits. He had never seen Honkai Zombies crawl out of the ground before, so he was somewhat frightened and took a few steps back.
"How did they appear under the cherry blossom trees..." Theresa frowned, also a little surprised.
'Cherry blossom trees?!...' Li Xuan glanced at the bases of the other cherry blossom trees and was relieved to find no other Honkai Zombies appearing... He had once heard a Japanese legend that the reason cherry trees were crimson... was because the bodies of brave samurai were buried beneath them... The trees took root in the corpses, which is why the flowers were as splendid and beautiful as fresh blood.
"Looks like it was a coincidence..." Li Xuan focused his gaze on the Honkai Zombies swaying as they charged towards them, about to rush forward and finish them off with his fists...
"Rustle!~" Suddenly, the sound of rustling leaves came from the bushes on both sides of the path.
"Roar!!~" Red lights suddenly lit up in the somewhat dark bushes. Honkai Zombies with glowing red eyes roared as they charged out of the bushes, their pale bodies emitting a faint Honkai energy fluctuation... their tattered clothes were even somewhat moldy and rotten...
"Principal Theresa!..." Li Xuan was not afraid... He looked at Theresa beside him with a hopeful gaze and said, "Principal Theresa... I'll leave them to you." All along the way, it had been Theresa who had been dealing with the attacking Honkai Zombies. Li Xuan was well aware of Theresa's combat power.... she was simply overwhelmingly strong. Despite her petite body, she possessed a strength several times greater than that of the strongest man.
These Honkai Zombies would be tricky for him to deal with, but for Theresa, it was a simple matter. He just needed to safely pick up the scraps from behind and collect Honkai energy crystals... Life was good~
"No..." Theresa said flatly, leaning against the golden cross beside her.
"Alright, I'll leave it to... uh... what's wrong?" Li Xuan looked at the approaching Honkai Zombies with some panic and confusion, turning to Theresa.
"Because... I'm out of strength." Theresa rolled her eyes helplessly and said weakly. She had already exhausted her stamina on the way here. How could she have any strength left to kill Honkai Zombies...
"Student Li Xuan has survived in Nagazora City for so long, you can surely protect your respectable Principal, right~" Theresa said lightly, silently watching the dumbfounded Li Xuan.
"Er..." Li Xuan was speechless... He could naturally take out these Honkai Zombies quickly, but... that would also expose some things.
"Alright, hurry up... This principal will keep your secret, I won't see a thing..." A look of "all according to plan" flashed in Theresa's eyes. She really didn't know much about Li Xuan... In fact, this was intentional. It was a good opportunity to observe the abilities of this mysterious male Stigmata wielder.
"Hmm... really?" Li Xuan asked hesitantly.
"Really, really!" Theresa nodded affirmatively, even giving him a thumbs-up as if to say, "I've got faith in you."
"Sigh!~" Li Xuan turned to face the group of Honkai Zombies that was slowly surrounding them. He slightly raised his right hand and closed his eyes with a sigh.
"I still have to reveal it..." Li Xuan said softly with some resignation. The next moment... a deep blue toy box flashed in mid-air, and in a faint glow, it suddenly transformed into a golden cross that fell heavily, its base stake plunging firmly into the ground.
Under the sunlight, the cross 'Judah's Oath' in front of Li Xuan flashed with a golden brilliance.
"Judah's Oath?! How is this possible?!" Theresa couldn't contain her surprise and shouted loudly. Then she added strangely, "How come yours is smaller than mine?"
"..." What can I do?! I'd like to know too...
Li Xuan silently glanced at the 'Judah's Oath' beside Theresa, his mood complicated... The other person had something he also had, and hers was bigger...
Not far from Li Xuan and the others, under a cherry blossom tree, an ancient red torii gate stood quietly. Amidst the sakura-colored petals, a Japanese-style shrine was faintly visible...
(End of this chapter)