In the game.
"One can only guide others; they cannot walk the path in their place."
This was something Theresa understood even before the mission began. She was not a stubborn person — if things turned so bad that they became irreparable, she could steel herself to mercilessly consume the dreams of those unwilling to wake.
Fortunately, reality was a little kinder than they had expected. The humans she visited did not disappoint her. The answer to humanity's self-salvation appeared before them in the Stigma dreamscape Project.
The challenge, however, was far from over — new ones kept arriving in quick succession.
At the core of the Stigma network, Theresa and Seele stopped their dream-rescue steps. According to the plan, she was now responsible for using the combined power of Chimera and the primordial Vishnu to devour Honkai Beast dreamscapes, locking onto the cocoon of Finality. This was her mission to complete.
While she was wondering whether Fu Hua's group could succeed, Herrscher of Sentience's distant voice suddenly tore through space, reaching her.
"Hey, you two — now's not the time to space out. Catch this!"
A burst of flame suddenly surged from the void, landing in Theresa's arms.
At its core was a cold, twisted power, like countless invisible blades piercing her bones and skin, nearly shredding her soul apart, melting her into the void along with the dreamscape.
"This… is… the power of Finality?"
Theresa's brow furrowed tightly. The pain scoured her entire body, her mind wavering for an instant. The force made every cell in her body scream; simply holding it brought her immense suffering.
Seele shot her a worried look, about to step forward — but was stopped by Black Seele's sharp voice:
"Are you insane?! We can't get close to that thing… we'll melt!"
Her tone was full of fear and dread. Even awakened Stigmata fighters could not easily approach that torch.
Theresa, enduring what felt like seconds stretched into years of agony, thought of many people — Fu Hua, Herrscher of Sentience… even Kevin. All of them… had experienced this same torment.
So… she could too.
She gritted her teeth, determination flashing in her blue eyes. Herrscher of Sentience's part of the mission was done — now it was her turn. As she tried to lock onto the cocoon, a sudden change struck.
In the skies above the Stigma network's core, countless rifts opened, and a dense swarm of Honkai Beasts poured out like locusts, charging relentlessly toward the flame — feeling neither pain nor fatigue.
Countless Honkai Beasts charged in pursuit, as if that flame ahead held a fatal attraction for them.
The collapse beasts arrived right on time.
At that moment, the Herrscher of Sentience gave a warning — they had to destroy the beasts before they got too close to the flame.
If not, the dreamscape would be completely filled with their shadows.
Seele and Black Seele did everything they could to stop this from happening.
Even working together with one mind, they couldn't fully hold them back.
This time, there were simply too many Honkai Beasts — no matter how many they destroyed, more would spawn endlessly, and inevitably, some slipped past and reached Theresa's side.
The flame in her chest began to dim.
That meant the dreamscape left behind by the slain Honkai Beasts was starting to fill that empty space.
All of Fu Hua's and the others' efforts were about to be rendered meaningless.
The fire in her chest burned her very bones and spirit, yet she had never once thought of giving up.
But if the flame — the symbol of hope — were to go out, that was something she could never accept.
Theresa considered other possibilities.
She had to make use of whatever power was still in her hands.
At this critical juncture, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly —
If only she were a little stronger, maybe Vishnu could devour all the Honkai Beasts here in a single strike…
But to strengthen herself, she had to consume something.
And the current Honkai Beasts were not exactly an easy meal to digest.
In her mental state now, it would be hard to unleash a second attack.
There was no time left to spare.
Unknowingly, at the edge of her vision, silver-white points of light began to gather around her.
They were the tiny dream fragments she had overlooked before, now coalescing into a majestic galaxy.
"…This is…"
Theresa's eyes widened. For an instant, joy flashed through them — then came a pained, hollow look.
At this moment, she truly wished… she hadn't noticed them.
In the past, she had always seen devouring human dreams as the absolute last resort.
And now… those words had become prophecy.
It truly was her final option.
So… what should she do?
'In the end… will I really have to do this to you?'
Theresa's eyes were filled with nothing but painful struggle.
She had once given humanity's answer to the hopeless St. Freya Plan, but now, on the brink of victory, before the dawn's light — this choice, the one she had hesitated to take from the very beginning, was placed back into her hands by fate.
Vishnu's food: countless sweet dreams.
The last hope of victory, now hovering just within her reach.
These dreams were not enemies — they belonged to ordinary people, simple and pure.
They were humanity's future, and humanity's hope.
— Just as she had promised before, she now had to choose between humanity's hope and humanity's future.
She stayed silent.
But the pain and struggle in her heart demanded she make a choice — not run away from it.
So, she made her decision.
"…Seele, I remember you can draw those dreams out, right? Then, pull them outside the Honkai Beasts' range."
"Leave the rest to me. As long as I remove the dream interference, I can wipe them all out!"
Theresa lifted her head to look at the still-fighting Seele, her blue eyes shining with determination.
She braced her body with her hands, assessing her own condition.
She still wouldn't give a firm answer like before, but she was willing to fight for humanity's hope, and she would never give up on its future.
She would give it her all.
She believed she could do it — and she must.
Seele hesitated, but with no better solution, she followed Theresa's instructions and withdrew from the battle once she was done.
[I am not strong, nor am I resolute… I'm not really a qualified leader, nor a true warrior.]
[When humanity stands at the crossroads of fate, I don't want to hurt anyone, yet I can't save them all.]
[So all I could do was hesitate, wandering without moving forward.]
"But even forcing yourself to make a decision — that's still a decision, right?"
Theresa took a deep breath, gripped Judas in her hands, and drew on her last reserves of strength, a bitter smile curling at her lips.
Now, even if she wanted to grow stronger by devouring dreams, she had already lost her source of nourishment.
She had, in truth, deceived Seele — those dreams were merely nutrients for her.
Without them, once she fully released the "Active Honkai Reaction," she didn't even know what she would ultimately become… only that it would be worse.
"This… this is my promise, as Theresa… as the Overseer of Schicksal."
"— This flame… will never be extinguished!"
The Blood Knight Moonlight's restraints were lifted.
Vishnu… fully unleashed!
The complete "Active Honkai Reaction" made her consciousness waver; memories flickered in her mind like a lantern-lit gallop.
For a moment, she thought she was dead.
Her awareness drifted like a tiny boat on a vast sea, tossed uncontrollably.
When she opened her eyes — as if waking from a dream — what greeted her was not the whisper of death, nor a grotesque monster… but the slender fingers of a young girl, her nails smooth and neat.
It was the girl she had been before she ever grew up.
Fate is always strange — just when she no longer cared about her life, the forgotten gift called "growing up" appeared before her again in this way.
It made the girl laugh and cry at the same time.
But she wouldn't forget her true mission now — she was the highest authority in the fight against the Honkai, the Overseer of Schicksal!
As her grandfather once said, she would walk her own path through her own actions.
No matter what, she was now ready.
---
[If Otto could see Theresa like this…]
[Wow, Theresa actually grew up! Stupid Durandal, super evolution—]
[Grown-up Theresa looks just like Kallen!]
[— From the awe of the current Overseer of Schicksal]
---
In Cecilia's villa.
"Hehe~" Misteln glanced over with a faint smile.
"Uuuh…"
Theresa, sitting on the sofa, hugged herself and buried her head between her knees like an ostrich.
Even at her shining moment, being seen by so many familiar faces was still terribly embarrassing.
"Theresa actually grew up. For so many years, we've never seen her change one bit," Shigure Kira said in astonishment.
Once, "Theresa" had practically become a byword for "never growing old."
She had once discussed this with the other Valkyries and agreed that Theresa would never change for the rest of her life.
"H-Hey, I-I… I can be tall too, you know!"
Theresa suddenly lifted her head, her face flushed, frantically trying to explain.
"If you really were that tall, our Headmistress wouldn't be so troubled~" Cecilia gently exposed the obvious nonsense, softly stroking Theresa's silky hair. Of course, she had full confidence that Theresa could accept this truth on a fundamental level. Besides, if the Headmistress really had grown taller, such news would have spread across the whole academy in no time.
"...Damn it, in reality I don't even have that Vishnu gene. How am I supposed to grow taller?" Theresa sighed in frustration. Then, looking startled, she forcibly dragged the conversation back on track after having drifted away from it.
(T/C: isn't she was able to since she is a Herrscher?)
"Obviously we're supposed to be talking about how we found Finality's cocoon parts, not obsessing over those little details."
"Finality's cocoon… Indeed, tracking the cocoon through the Inversion and pinpointing its direction was a very feasible course of action."
"But the effect of the Honkai on human growth potential is also a research subject of considerable significance." Prometheus stated calmly, her expression unreadable. If one didn't pay close attention to the faintest lift of her lips, they might not even notice she was making a rare half-joking remark.
"Since Theresa doesn't want to talk about those 'details,' then let me just say this—Theresa, you shouldn't underestimate yourself."
"What defines a qualified leader and soldier? You need to have more confidence in yourself—you've already done many outstanding things." Cecilia tapped a finger against Theresa's forehead in reassurance.
"Ah, I… but I haven't really done anything…" The password was incorrect; the account had already been logged in elsewhere. Theresa lowered her head slightly, forgetting entirely that she had just declared herself the 'key' to the world.
"Haha~ In truth, if we really can overcome Finality, and people later evaluate our contributions, without a doubt half the credit belongs to you—because we had a department head who understood reason!"
"If you hadn't created this relaxed and warm environment, people like Luo Mo, Mei, Wendy, and the lively little Senti wouldn't have stayed here for long."
"You supported them in doing these things—that's already enough. Most other department heads couldn't have done it to this degree." Cecilia smiled as she explained.
Indeed, that was the truth. At least, Luo Mo couldn't imagine he could so casually ask those big shots to do voice work. As for Theresa… she was still far too easy to fool… easy to talk into things. Choosing to be here wasn't his first choice, but the fact that the environment here wasn't oppressive had indeed helped him greatly.
Theresa blinked, a warm feeling welling up inside her. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something, and a chill shot through her limbs. So… if people in the future were to evaluate things, would half the responsibility for the Far East Demon's Lair fall on her shoulders?! She hadn't been standing tall to begin with—now she was completely flattened.
---
In the Recording Room.
"Ah—wait, this… something feels wrong. Big Aunt Theresa actually grew taller?!" Kiana exclaimed, mouth agape as if she had witnessed something unbelievable.
Luo Mo gave her a side-eye, wondering what the point of that comment was. Did she realize what kind of psychological damage such words could cause the tiny Headmistress?
"Bronya doesn't understand why we're not helping fight the enemy. And… the class president and the others haven't appeared either."
"Is this a plot hole?" Bronya blinked. She didn't really get it. If they were facing the Herrscher of Finality, she could understand why she might end up tasting defeat in the story—but against a few random mobs, she was confident the Herrscher of Truth could wipe them out easily. This was the perfect opportunity to showcase her abilities.
"Not really… Anyway, that torch flame can't last forever—they have to seize every second. And when it comes to pinpointing the core location of Finality's cocoon in the Saint White network, only Seele and Theresa could do it." Luo Mo stroked his chin as he recalled.
In fact, looking at the outfit interface earlier, other than the dark circles under Theresa's eyes that had mysteriously appeared recently, there was no sign of the Honkai affecting her—which was annoying in its own way.
"Theresa still did very well—she didn't let down me or Old Timer… Speaking of which, Vishnu and Kosma are both this type of Honkai Beast, aren't they?" Herrscher of Sentience asked casually, giving a thumbs-up before suddenly realizing.
"That's right. But there's no evidence to suggest that has anything to do with physical growth." Fu Hua nodded.
"Hmm… Old Timer… Somehow it feels like, even though we're both 'born of the Honkai,' we still lost in one area…" The Herrscher of Sentience muttered to herself, her eyes lingering briefly on Theresa's more developed chest, then recalling Fu Hua's figure from memory for comparison. In strength, she had never lost—but her body shape had never changed either.
---
In the Schicksal Headquarters.
Although Finality had previously been unwilling to return, the accumulated mess of affairs still required her to show up in person to handle them.
"Theresa… haha, she will become a qualified principal." Kallen couldn't hide her delighted smile. In her heart, Theresa had earned an impressively high score, and her actions in the game had completely reassured her—dispelling the shadow of that odd impostor.
It really had just been a farce—Theresa was still someone she could trust.
"Indeed… the only pity is, Lady Theresa seems to have grown taller too…" Rita felt that the beauty of the world had suddenly gained a little instability.
"Hmm?…" Kallen hadn't caught what Rita just said.
"My lady, I was saying—just as civilizations grow beyond their childhood, Lady Theresa, too, will one day grow up and leave her childhood behind." Rita's face was perfectly composed, her smile concealing any other meaning.
"Well, her age isn't really that of a child anymore, so 'childhood'…" Kallen said with a helpless chuckle. After all, Rita and Durandal were the same age, and Theresa was actually Durandal's elder. So… such titles were indeed amusing—enough to make one endlessly curious about Theresa's actual age.
---
In the Game.
Miracles may occur, but they are ultimately born from the efforts of those who deserve them—dedicated to those worthy of such miracles.
Hare just happened to arrive, reminding Seele, as an observer, that she should be finishing her task now—and also awakening someone who should be awake by now.
Her name was Ai Hyperion Λ—an anomalous person.
Seele awoke in the great white of her dream. She had been testing the Stigma Project, experiencing a uniquely human dreamscape—but had been trapped within it, unable to escape.
Now, having been awakened again, she could no longer call upon the Time Crystal. But she still retained the ability to influence the current situation.
Together, she and Seele went to where Theresa was. The Honkai Beasts had already been almost completely wiped out—not a trace of their corpses remained. Only Theresa lay quietly on the ground, a faint flame flickering weakly on her chest.
Around the young girl, countless silver shimmering lights floated and swirled. They brushed against each other gently, calm upon meeting, brimming with hope, symbols of the future. Hare took a deep breath—once again moved by the actions of humanity. Even at the final moment, Theresa still protected the fragile dreams of humankind.
So great, yet so small.
And she—she wanted to carry on her work.
The mechanical girl reached out toward the flames, connecting with the Cocoon of Finality, continuing to search.
It also meant… the story between humanity and the Cocoon of Serenity would reach its conclusion here and now.
At that very moment, deep within the anti-entropy base, a massive metallic device rumbled loudly. Tesla and Einstein let out sighs of relief. The final coordinates of the Cocoon of Finality had been updated—there had been no major problems in the plan.
They immediately transmitted the precise coordinates to the waiting trio—Kiana and the others. They knew their mission was now complete, having brought about a decisive result for the situation.
Now, it was time to choose someone—someone who could face the Cocoon's existence, intercept the Herrscher chosen at random, or before any other "release" mechanism could activate, find a way to become an artificial Herrscher of Finality.
…And so, the stage was set.
---
In the recording room.
"Hmm-hmm—finally, it's my turn?" Kiana, who had long been anticipating this moment, looked on with eyes shining brightly with hope. Becoming a hero, saving the world—this was once a slogan she kept on her lips, a dream she had boldly declared when she was young.
Though her understanding of "heroes" and the "world" had long since surpassed the ideal she held back then, that seed within her had never withered. It hadn't been crushed by fear after seeing how vast and cruel the world could be, nor had it been destroyed by the hardships faced by those who sought to be heroes.
Instead, it had grown strong inside her heart. Step by step, she had walked to this moment.
---