Perhaps because Shun had talked with Kallen for too long, by the time he rushed to this forest and discovered traces of the bear, he suddenly remembered the first crisis Theresa encountered in the Return to the Past chapter.
He was burning with anxiety and raced along the trail, finally finding Theresa. At the critical moment, he saved her. Of course, this was not without cost.
Just as he had thought, the moment Shun stepped into the Stigmata space, his physical condition was weakened to that of an ordinary person. When he saw Theresa, he was still quite far away and it was already too late. To ensure Theresa remained completely unharmed, Shun used the relic "Tsukimi Scarlet" borrowed from Sakura—which was the four-star Reminiscence in the Elysian Realm.
Using the power of "Tsukimi Scarlet," Shun swung Sakura's Setsuna slash at the critical moment, stopping time and saving Theresa. However, after use, "Tsukimi Scarlet" had clearly dimmed considerably. Fortunately, it was not destroyed, meaning it should still be rechargeable, though definitely not as easy as in the game where five perfect dodges could fully charge it.
Even if this relic could no longer be used in the Stigmata space, Shun did not regret it at all. His purpose on this trip was to save Theresa; as long as she was safe and sound, that was enough.
At this moment, Shun still had "Forget-Me-Not," which could grant him swordsmanship on par with Sakura's, the Akazome Sakura that could deploy the "Sakura Curtain Barrier," and a pendant with a photo of the two sisters. Although this pendant currently had no effect, it might serve as a foreshadowing payoff at some critical moment.
"Sorry, Theresa. I was late." Facing Theresa's reprimand that carried a coquettish tone, Shun did not talk back. This was not because a subordinate couldn't talk back to his superior, but because having survived a great disaster, it was reasonable for Theresa to vent her emotions. Moreover, at this time, he had no time to dwell on the slightly awkward relationship between the two of them.
"Do you know that if you had been a little later, I would have been eaten by that bear!" Recalling the thrilling experience of nearly becoming bear cookies, Theresa still felt lingering fear.
However, she didn't know that her survival will had been too strong earlier, triggering the Vishnu Factor within her body. If Shun had been even a little later, what he might have seen was not Theresa being eaten, but her turning around and feasting heavily on the bear. If the Vishnu genes went berserk, she might even have gnawed on the entire Stigmata space. Fortunately, Shun arrived in time, and the Vishnu Factor that had just begun to awaken in Theresa was suppressed again.
"Cough, cough…" At this moment, an untimely light cough came from beside the two. Shun and Theresa turned their heads and saw a cherry-haired miko wearing a revealing-armpit miko outfit looking at them somewhat awkwardly.
Seeing the two direct their gazes toward her, the cherry-haired miko spoke: "I am Yae Sakura, a miko of the Yae Shrine in Yae Village. I heard the villagers say that a man-eating bear has appeared on the mountain nearby, so I came to subjugate it." With that, she showed the sword at her waist.
"May I ask, this warrior sir, did you slay this bear?" Yae Sakura pointed at the ice slices beside them and asked.
"Yes." Shun nodded, his eyes carrying a trace of vigilance. Although Yae Sakura appeared normal at the moment, no one could say for sure whether she would suddenly erupt and attack. After all, after cycling for five hundred years in this space, her spirit was already on the verge of collapse. They had to be on guard.
"This young lady is…" Yae Sakura looked at Theresa buried in Shun's embrace and instantly became somewhat dazed.
This girl looked too much like Kallen… Not only did their appearances resemble each other, but she also exuded Kallen's aura.
"Oh… this is." Shun was about to introduce Theresa, but Theresa spoke first.
"My name is Theresa. I am his wi… fiancée." Theresa hurriedly interrupted Shun and spoke first. After saying that, she looked up at Shun. The meaning in her eyes was self-evident: Since you already know my feelings for you, I won't hide them anymore. With this, Theresa's feelings were now known to all.
Since Theresa had already made her stance clear, Shun couldn't very well refute it, lest he arouse Yae Sakura's suspicion, so he could only acquiesce.
"Yes, her name is Theresa." However, Shun did not fully acknowledge it. This was the art of language.
"We were traveling in Shinano Province not long ago and encountered bandits on the way, causing us to be separated. Afterward, I discovered this bear attacking her. Fortunately, I arrived in time and drew my blade to save her."
Yae Sakura nodded on the surface, but in her heart she secretly thought: Actually, I was nearby earlier and could have drawn my blade to save this young lady, but someone was faster than me. I didn't even notice when he appeared nearby or when he drew his blade. By the time I reacted, the giant bear had already been sliced into several pieces. If even such an expert could be scattered by bandits, I really have to suspect whether those bandits were all as powerful as Kallen.
"Look! Yae Sakura, that girl looks so much like Kallen. Same white hair, blue eyes, and even her aura. I remember that woman also had a fiancé, right? Don't tell me she's the descendant left behind after Kallen returned to Schicksal, got married, and had children? Yae Sakura, she betrayed you, yet you're still bitterly holding on here. How pitiful."
At this time, the seductive voice of Higanbana rang out in Yae Sakura's heart.
"Shut up! Kallen would never betray me!" Yae Sakura hurriedly rebuked. This sudden outburst startled both Shun and Theresa, who were talking with her.
"Sorry, I was talking to myself. I didn't mean for you to shut up." Realizing that her rebuttal to Higanbana had been heard by the two, Yae Sakura quickly apologized.
Shun naturally understood that Yae Sakura was probably clashing with Higanbana again. Theresa widened her eyes in surprise upon hearing Kallen's name from Yae Sakura's mouth.
Subconsciously, she looked up at Shun. After receiving Shun's reassuring look, she didn't ask. After all, she was completely confused about the current situation. Not disrupting Shun's arrangements was the best course of action.
"By the way, Miss Yae, it's getting late. Continuing to travel outside might lead to another encounter with wild beasts. Could my companion Theresa and I stay in Yae Village for a while? Once I contact my family, I'll have them send a convoy to pick us up."
Yae Sakura looked at the sky. The sun had indeed begun to set in the west. She then looked at Theresa—this girl who resembled Kallen so closely—and finally nodded.
"Very well. Then please stay at my shrine for a few days."