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"Clank!"
Chains descended from midair, piercing the ground and forming a dense, shimmering golden grid.
Himeko's limbs were bound, hoisting her aloft as she was dragged before Theresa.
Suffering the same fate, Hera followed with a resigned expression on her face.
Himeko knew she had reached her limit—her strength depleted, Judah knocked away during their struggle, unable to sense even a trace of Honkai Energy now. Her insides felt like they were burning—it was clear she'd given it her all. As for Hera... Himeko suspected she might be putting on an act, but unfortunately, there was no proof.
"Agh!" With what little strength remained, Himeko tried desperately to break free from the chains' grip. Alas, pitting her weakened state against a Herrscher's weapon proved futile.
Finally, panting heavily, she gave up, allowing herself to be slowly pulled toward Theresa while praying that Hera had some backup plan. Otherwise, things would get complicated.
"Well, well, if it isn't my adorable and charming friend, Himeko! How did you end up looking so wretched?"
Himeko braced herself for being torn apart, but unexpectedly, Theresa didn't exhibit the murderous intent she had displayed upon their first encounter. Instead, Himeko felt Theresa's hand lift her chin, forcing her to face the delicate and charming, yet still youthful features of the girl.
At that moment, Theresa wore a dangerous smile—confident as if victory were assured, yet hinting at some nefarious scheme brewing within. Though undeniably cute, it exuded an ominous aura.
Most importantly, Himeko could no longer see the cunning wit or gentle warmth in those golden eyes; instead, she sensed an unfamiliar...arrogance? Or something akin to it.
"Theresa, you..."
"Shh! Don't disturb me. I'm trying to adapt to my new identity, newfound power, and this entirely transformed self. So please don't distract me, or else you'll end up like that Shenzhou-style shredded chicken we had at the cafeteria the other day—with a ripping sound and your blood staining my clothes red."
With her pink-painted nails, Theresa gently traced a line across Himeko's cheek, leaving a bloody scratch, before bursting into laughter.
"Ha ha ha! Incredible! Truly incredible! I feel utterly free now; there's nothing I can't accomplish! Yes, this is my true self - someone capable of shaping the world according to my desires, not a weakling manipulated by others and unable to face reality!"
Theresa laughed, her cold, emotionless eyes betraying no sentiment, yet tears streamed from their corners.
"Hmm? How strange, why am I crying? Is this what they call tears of joy?" Theresa caught a tear with her finger, smiling faintly as she murmured, gaze indifferent.
Then Hera chuckled softly, "No wonder you're Little Theresa. You've swiftly overcome the initial phase of mental turmoil, stabilizing your Herrscher persona already. Your aptitude truly is remarkable! What a pity though, if only I hadn't made that choice back then, perhaps Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie today wouldn't be Durandal but you!"
"Silence! Who gave you the right to utter that name!" Theresa's smile vanished instantly, her gaze filled with icy killing intent towards Hera. Four chains shot out from the void, piercing through Hera's abdomen and deeply embedding themselves into the ground below.
"Boom!!!"
Following the deafening roar, four chains pierced through Hera's slender waist, nearly splitting her body in half. Blood flowed profusely as labored breaths escaped from her pale lips.
Himeko's pupils contracted sharply.
'Oh no!'
Regardless of whether Hera had any contingency plans beforehand, given her current state, it seemed unlikely they would be of much use now.
In Himeko's moment of panic, Theresa reached out and gripped Hera's pallid face firmly.
"Don't mistake me for that weak-hearted pushover you once knew! Grandpa, there is no place for you in the world I intend to create. Since this is just one of your avatars, consider this merely an appetizer. After today, I'll track down all your bodies and crush them one by one into pulp! Grandpa, knowing how much you adore me, please cooperate, won't you? I'd greatly appreciate it—ha ha ha!"
"Cough! How passionately intense, quite unlike my obedient granddaughter..."
"I must thank you and Zeke for providing this opportunity. Without you both, I might never have discovered who the real 'me' should be!"
"...Little Theresa, take Grandpa's advice: gloating before me is enough; don't provoke Zeke. He holds grudges and will surely seek revenge." Hera coughed up blood while offering his cheerful counsel.
Seemingly losing patience, Theresa snapped her fingers, summoning an enormous golden gear from the sky. It crushed Hera's already mutilated body further into the ground, leaving him even more pitiful than many corpses around them.
"BOOM!!"
Smoke billowed but quickly dissipated near Theresa and Himeko, allowing their conversation to continue uninterrupted.
Then, Theresa extended her index finger, gently lifting Himeko's chin once again with a smile.
"Himeko, my dear friend, you now have two choices. One, kneel before me and join me in creating the new world I envision. The other... This place has quite a scenic backdrop, perfect for a grave. Rest assured, I'll always remember you."
"A new world... sounds intriguing. But Principal, shouldn't you at least describe what your new world would look like? Even if it's not 'pay on delivery,' I deserve to know the quality of the product, right?" Himeko asked, feigning composure amidst her labored breaths.
Theresa stroked her chin, tilting her head thoughtfully.
"You've stumped me there; I haven't fully figured it out yet. Let's just say it'll be to my liking! For instance, a world without Grandpa. Also, having Kiana and Durandal by my side. Oh, and might as well erase that idiot Siegfried while we're at it. As for other details... feel free to imagine wildly or suggest ideas; who knows, I might even consider them!"
"Ah, so you're painting a grand illusion, trying to get something for nothing?"
"Hmm, indeed. After all, I've recently undergone a complete transformation inside and out, so being slightly immature is only natural. But things will improve eventually. Himeko, since I adore you, I'm willing to keep you close. You should cherish this opportunity," Theresa said arrogantly.
"Woah, is that supposed to be a confession? My standards are quite high, mind you. Even from the cutest Principal, I expect flowers, fine wine, and candlelit dinners!" Himeko managed a smile, displaying her unwavering determination despite her age.
Theresa chuckled in response. The chain wrapped around Himeko's right hand tightened with a menacing force. Amidst a chilling sound of tearing flesh and bone, Himeko's arm was brutally crushed and twisted, sending waves of agony surging through her brain.
"Aaaaargh!!!"
Himeko screamed hysterically as tears streamed down her pale cheeks.
Theresa leisurely picked up the silver syringe that had fallen from Himeko's hand and crushed it with a snap. Watching the light blue liquid seep between her fingers, she said,
"An anti-Honkai energy inhibitor—special Herrscher-enhanced version. Quite impressive, but my new world has no need for such things. So what do you say? I've been quite lenient with you already, Himeko."
"You can go f—"
Amidst a string of profanities, Himeko struggled fiercely one last time before collapsing limply, gasping heavily. Her lips turned deathly white, devoid of any color.
Theresa raised an eyebrow and casually cleaned her ear as if nothing was amiss. Just as she prepared to snap again, crushing Himeko's remaining four limbs, her other hand suddenly grabbed hold of her poised fingers.
"Hm? Are these lingering emotions causing trouble? Seriously, what's there to resist? Haven't we suffered enough from this absurd world already? My past self hesitated, but now, I fear nothing! Since you won't comply, it seems you're better off in another world!"
Muttering to herself, Theresa decided to ignore the faint resistance and proceed directly to tear apart Himeko's body.
In the next instant, from the direction where Hera had fallen, a silver injection tube shot forth, hurtling straight towards Theresa.
"Resilience isn't always a virtue, especially not before me!"
With a swift motion, Theresa caught the injection tube and crushed it effortlessly. She wasn't some foolish comic book villain who squanders their advantage through carelessness; when faced with a potential threat, she knew to eliminate it immediately.
"Crack!"
The second custom-made anti-Honkai energy inhibitor met its demise. With a thought, Theresa readied her chains and gears in mid-air, planning to annihilate Hera along with all remaining backup inhibitors in one fell swoop.
"Theresa!!!"
Just as Theresa was about to strike, Hera, dragging her battered upper body, charged through the smoke and approached Theresa from behind.
"As if I'd let you succeed! Die!"
Theresa turned, coldly observing Hera's desperate struggle. The fully primed chains and gears descended instantly, once again subduing the charging Hera.
"BOOM!!"
Countless powerful attacks hit the ground, eliciting deafening roars. Yet, Theresa deemed it insufficient; she began preparing more assaults, determined to resolve the issue completely.
In Theresa's blind spot, Himeko noticed an injector flying towards her, causing her pupils to contract momentarily before a smile spread across her pale face.
Himeko's right arm was utterly incapacitated; all that remained bound by the chains was a mass of torn flesh wrapped around shattered bones. The pain was excruciating, making even breathing difficult for Himeko. However, at the same time, the strength of her restraints weakened.
She sensed her Honkai Energy recovering, though unsure how Hera managed it. It was merely a negligible amount, far too weak to harm Theresa now, but—sufficient to destroy her own limbs.
Theresa, this is my final stand! Wake up! Himeko screamed internally, swiftly crushing the bones of her left hand and both legs, mustering her last reserves of strength to propel herself forward.
With an inner roar, Himeko instantly shattered her left hand and both legs' bones, mustering her last strength to surge forward.
"Crack!"
Breaking free from the chains, she severed her restrained limbs amidst spraying blood. Leveraging momentum, she lunged with the syringe towards the back of Theresa's neck.
"Fzzt!"
The syringe pierced Theresa's nape, injecting a blue liquid—but only a tiny amount managed to enter her body.
"Snap!"
Theresa effortlessly crushed the syringe lodged in her neck, turned around, and grabbed Himeko by the throat. Her face, covered in warm blood, remained expressionless.
"So this was your backup plan? Excellent, now I'm truly furious! Himeko, you failed to cherish your chance; go reflect on it in another world!"
"Pff!"
Himeko's battered body hung suspended in mid-air. What once was a beautiful and captivating figure now dangled as mere remnants of flesh and bone attached to her limbs. In truth, Theresa didn't even need to choke her; Himeko was already struggling to breathe.
Himeko's consciousness began fading, her dimming vision fixating on Theresa's murderous face. Her mind, weakened, could no longer form coherent thoughts.
"Th...er...esa..."
Whispering almost silently, Himeko's eyes finally closed entirely, plunging into darkness.