Prelude to the Christmas Blood Sacrifice (III)

Winter may be cold, but people's hearts are not.

Students are frantically studying for final exams, while working people are also looking forward to their year-end bonuses as they work overtime in a fierce competition.

Christmas trees were set up in the shops. Although it is a Western holiday, there is nothing wrong with experiencing foreign customs. As long as we do not abandon our own culture or blindly worship foreign things, it is fine.

The streets were peaceful, pedestrians walked orderly along their routes, and traffic was stable—it couldn't be more ordinary.

Everything should have been this way.

The merciless flames burned and devoured everything, radiating astonishing heat and incinerating everything in their path.

The building was teetering on the brink of collapse as it burned. The soldiers who rushed inside to fight the fire and carry out rescue operations gritted their teeth and persevered, determined to save as many lives as they could.

"Don't let go, whatever you do, don't let go!"

He swiftly grabbed the girl who was engulfed in flames and was about to jump off the building, and an inflatable cushion was quickly erected below. At that height, the chances of survival after jumping were very low.

If a life passes through my hands, I will make sure it lives.

A foreign teacher once asked a Chinese student this question: A serious fire broke out in a hotel with 500 guests, and 50 firefighters rushed in. What is the minimum number of guests who could survive?

The student answered 500, and the teacher shook his head, saying that he didn't understand probability. The student retorted that he didn't understand Chinese firefighters.

Oh, in my personal opinion, both of them are **.

People wailed and prayed, longing for a savior to descend from heaven.

Just then, a miracle happened: people's prayers turned into light, the legendary light... Sorry, that's a long way off for permanent residency in Otka.

People's prayers were answered, and the peace-loving, well, kind-hearted, cough cough, super cute Magical Girl Luming, descended.

The armor's built-in radar quickly scanned the disaster site and, after confirming that the ignition source was a conventional object, Luming first released a large-scale freezing spell to extinguish the surrounding fire, and then quickly searched for the injured.

She caught a girl who was falling due to a collapsed balcony, along with a firefighter who was holding her tightly. Luming Meng safely placed them on the ground and then continued to rescue the next person.

The firefighters, no, wait, the firefighters stared in disbelief at the girl bustling back and forth in the air. What was that? Was the profession of Magical Girl just something that existed only in fictional works?

As the saying goes, we must keep up with the times, so many young people have emerged in various positions, and among them... cough cough, you should understand, right?

"Come on, please take this uncle who's so scared he's covering his mouth with a wet cloth to prevent poisoning to the hospital. Never mind, I'll just cast a healing spell." Using a traction spell to drag the survivor over to the firefighters, the witch grinned and erased some of their memories. After confirming that the fire had been extinguished, the burning materials cleared, and all the trapped civilians had been rescued, she wobbled away.

Hey, I didn't run into any monsters this time and was able to fly away safely. Am I really dreaming?

Luming pinched her cheek. Hmm, it didn't hurt. It's probably fake.

Help... help... me...

"What's that sound?" She stopped flying and looked around, but saw no one. However, based on her previous and current experiences, Luming could tell that this was not a hallucination, but rather that she had somehow gained the ability to listen to other people's prayers from a distance.

"Where are you?"

There was no response from the voice. Luming frowned slightly and decisively activated the Honkai Vision.

Relying on a vague, unseen sense, she looked in a certain direction, her gaze piercing through numerous obstacles to reveal a distant scene.

Bright red particles are erupting from a great distance like a volcanic eruption.

Oh no, this energy reaction... it looks like the Heavenly Fire Judgment...

Meanwhile, Star Sea Wind and his two companions, buried in snow, were still having a snowball fight. Worried about her sisters who hadn't returned yet, Shian, the adorable girl, secretly ran out, took out her spare Beast Emperor Sword, and summoned Fangbagou from her forest to go find her sisters and Luming.

"Wait a minute, why didn't I give it to Sister Stardust and the others before?" The little girl's expression suddenly became interesting as she was about to take her first step. It seems she's lived too long and can't think of things right away.

——Red Gate——

In the Luming's Courtyard, Fu Hua quietly packing her luggage in her room. Theresa had already arrived, and she would definitely be able to take Little Xing back to the St. Freya Academy without any problems. So, she wouldn't be needed here anymore, and it would be better to leave as soon as possible.

I felt utterly ashamed to face that child. Not only had I failed to help her at all, but I had also upset her, especially on a holiday when she should have been enjoying herself.

My self-righteous approach to education was clearly wrong. I shouldn't have imposed my will on her. A parent like me, who doesn't understand children's thoughts and can't even have normal communication, thinking about correcting her mistakes... is simply a pipe dream! It's clear that Theresa is more suited to guiding her than someone as dense as me...

PS: When Fu Hua's Father wanted to fix the model, he was stopped by Little Te, who wanted to fight her.

Fu Hua was lost in thought and didn't notice Theresa had entered her room at some point and was quietly watching her until Fu Hua turned around to get her suitcase.

"The headmaster?"

"Could I take a little of your time? I'd like to talk to you about something, about Little Xing."

"...Um."

"Okay, where should I start? Right, let's start with your relationship with Grandpa and Little Xing. Can you answer me truthfully why you work for Grandpa and why you favor Little Xing?" Theresa asked the question she had asked Fu Hua when Xing told her that Fu Hua was an undercover agent sent by Otto, and Fu Hua 'Fu Hua answer was that she had something difficult to say and could not say it directly.

But now, Fu Hua's expression wavered. She looked at Theresa, then looked down at her own hands, and sighed deeply, as if she had made up her mind.

"Headmistress, no, Theresa Apollyon, do you really want to know?" Fu Hua's tone became serious. Theresa could clearly sense that the other party's aura had undergone a qualitative change. If the previous Fu Hua looked like an ordinary-looking but actually unassuming master, now she was like an immortal who had descended to earth to inspect the suffering of the people.

Theresa had a premonition that she would not only learn Fu Hua's true identity, but also open up a completely new realm.

"Where should I begin? Please allow me some time to think." A look of reminiscence flashed in Fu Hua's eyes, and several red feathers appeared in her hand.

"Feather Crossing Dust?"

"Not bad. Although it's just a few remnants, as the Divine Key that has been with me for tens of thousands of years, I can still unleash its power." Fu Hua swept her sleeve, and the space where the two were suddenly collapsed. The next second, Theresa was surprised to find herself in an unfamiliar base.

"Please don't worry, everything you see now is just an illusion I created using Feather Crossing Dust, and only here can I show you—"

Theresa stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Fu Hua, who was slowly walking towards her, and the twelve figures behind her.

No, based on her attire and the scene that is currently unfolding, she should be called—

"Let me formally introduce myself. I am Hua, a warrior of the present Previous Civilization, and also the twelfth seat of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, [Fleeting Life]."

"I am also one of the few survivors of the Previous Civilization after the Finality, carrying the mission and responsibility of spreading the seeds of revolution in this era and helping you fight against the Honkai."

The scenes kept changing, from ancient times to the present, and one after another, huge and spectacular scenes washed over Theresa's mind, bringing her unparalleled shock.

"For five thousand years, I have wandered the world in various guises, and people have given me many different names. Among them, the most well-known is—"

The gray-haired woman used her fingers as a sword, and the scene changed to Taixu Mountain. She wore a light, flowing ink-wash dress, and the immortal stood on one foot on the mountain peak like a dragonfly skimming the water. A slight misstep would send her tumbling off the cliff.

"Red Yuan Immortal."

Theresa hadn't recovered from her earlier shock and subconsciously said, "That, that's not the legend of Shenzhou... no, that's clearly just a figment of imagination, isn't it?"

"That's not the case. I can attest to that. It was indeed me, but I am not an immortal. It's just a title given to me by people who marvel at my power."

The immortal's eyes dimmed. If she were truly an immortal, so many things wouldn't have happened. Beneath the title of immortal, she was merely a mortal woman.

"Wait, wait a minute, I'm not a three-year-old. You say you're an immortal, no, Flame-Chasers, or even from Previous Civilization... what proof do you have?!" Theresa patted her slightly dizzy head and questioned.

Fu Hua remained silent, her Feather Crossing Dust flashing in her hand. The next second, the two arrived at the lunar battlefield.

At that moment, upon seeing the enemy facing the eight warriors, Theresa felt an unprecedented, soul-deep fear, and her legs went weak, causing her to kneel on the ground.

Note: There are only 8 characters. Sakura died in battle before this point, Elysia returned to the Imaginary Number, Little Griseo is going to carry out the Ark Project and cannot participate in the battle. Sue is on Earth, and Aponia and Elysian Realm have merged into one.

Seeing the terrified Theresa, Fu Hua wasn't surprised and said calmly, "You should have guessed who she is, right?"

Fu Hua's inner thoughts: Hmm, I have to say, Little Xing's thinking is sometimes quite useful. Instead of explaining to the other party again and again, it's better to just throw the evidence in his face.

"Could she be the Finality...?"

"Good."

Theresa swallowed hard. So, the ultimate enemy this civilization would face in the future was such a terrifying monster?

There's no mistake, this overwhelming sense of suffocation and unimaginable oppression can't be achieved through illusions alone; it's a memory the other person personally experienced.

"Unfortunately, my power is far less than before, so I have to work for Otto and seek the help of Schicksal. Although he is indeed a villain... Ironically, it is precisely because there are such 'villains' in Previous Civilization and current civilizations that humanity has been able to find a glimmer of hope from the Honkai."

"Then, then you and Little Xing are..." Theresa's tone unconsciously became humble. She originally thought that she, who looked like a loli but was actually an aunt, was old enough, but the other party was at least 50,000 years old. She couldn't compare. This was a very, very, very senior!

"Uh, Little Xing is..." Noticing Theresa's change in wording, Fu Hua felt a little embarrassed, but now was not the time to dwell on it. When it came to talking about his relationship with his son or daughter, Flame-Chasers had never backed down even when facing the Finality, suddenly became hesitant and found it difficult to speak.

Damn it, I'm going all out! What can't I say?!

After some internal struggle, Fu Hua came to the above general conclusion. Don't misunderstand, she is very well-mannered; the above is a straightforward translation.

"Little Xing, Little Xing has my blood in his veins." After saying this, Fu Hua felt much lighter, as if she had just finished fighting Otto and felt refreshed.

"Oh, I see." Theresa nodded, but a second later, her slow reaction time made her realize something was wrong, and the following equation flashed through her mind:

Little Xing has Fu Hua's blood in her veins = Little Xing is her child = Fu Hua is Little Xing's mother?!

"Hey, wait a minute, I'm Little Xing's..." Theresa was about to argue when she saw Fu Hua, her face flushed with embarrassment, wave her hand. It's not what you think. Try to think about it from a different perspective.

Having Fu Hua's blood = having her genes ≈ genetic offspring = descendants of Fu Hua's descendants left behind during her travels in the present civilization.

Thinking about it this way, Theresa suddenly understood. Ah, so that's how it is!

"No, that's not it either." Having activated Feather Crossing Dust, Fu Hua now knew Theresa's general thoughts and rejected it again.

Seeing her confusion, Fu Hua stammered, "Little Xing and I are direct descendants, that is, he is my true offspring. Cough cough, wasn't Little Xing's original DNA composed of two bloodlines? One half comes from my comrade Kevin Kaslana's descendant— Kallen Kaslana, and the other half comes from me..."

After saying all this, Fu Hua felt her face burning as if it had been roasted by the Heavenly Fire Judgment, and wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Theresa had this formula in her mind:

Little Xing's Shenzhou comes from Fu Hua + I am Little Xing's mother = Fu Hua is Little Xing's father?!

In that instant, the white-haired dwarf's mind went through the entire process from the Big Bang to the origin of the planet, from the extinction of dinosaurs to the birth of humankind, and finally came to a conclusion: born of a mother.

(Oh, I made a meme out of him here, you should be able to tell, right?)

"You, you, you!" Theresa's expression was even more terrified than when she saw the Finality, and she pointed at Fu Hua, stuttering with excitement.

Her gaze quickly swept over Fu Hua's Father's androgynous (?) face, his flat chest, and, under psychological influence, his slightly bulging crotch...

"So the rumors those little girls were spreading were true? Are you really a man? Or a pervert who's liked cross-dressing since the Previous Civilization era?! Get away from Little Xing! Get as far away as you can!!!" Theresa instantly threw away her humility. What Flame-Chasers? Don't even think about getting close to my son, oh wait, it's currently my daughter.

Hmm, thinking about it carefully, she—oh no, he used to like locking Little Xing in a dark room under the pretext of practicing boxing, and then Little Xing would limp out clutching her butt when it was over. Now, he's only been here a few days, and Little Xing has already run away from home in anger... It's terrifying to think about!

"That's not how it is!!!" Fu Hua was on the verge of tears. How did things get so worse?

So, the Silly Mom refused to believe it no matter what, finally accepted the fact that she had actually had a child with another woman after her Fu Hua's Father handed her the Feather Crossing Dust and asked her to inspect it.

Hmm, thinking about it that way makes it even weirder, doesn't it?

Theresa and Fu Hua exchanged an awkward glance. Finally, Theresa broke the silence.

"Ahem, I think I understand why Little Xing and you had a fight. Did you two argue?"

"... Yes, I don't get along with that child. We're fine most of the time, but she becomes very resistant when it comes to Little Xing's private space. Why is that?"

Theresa blinked, her small eyes revealing great confusion. Kiana could understand this, so what was going on with this woman?

"This is easy to understand, right? If Bronya were to publicly announce on St. Freya's platform that you've spent all your money on gacha pulls and still haven't gotten anything, you'd be angry too. Cough cough, this wasn't Little Xing Xiaoxing told me secretly."

It seems that the child deserved that slap.

Seeing Fu Hua deep in thought, Theresa continued, "Besides, you seem like the honest, upright, and serious type of person. What child would share their preferences with a parent like that? It's easy to understand, isn't it?"

"Huh? But I don't object to him playing those things. I'm not that rigid, and besides, he hasn't fallen behind in his studies..."

Theresa countered, "Is this what you think, or what Little Xing thinks?"

Fu Hua remained silent.

Seeing her silence, Theresa continued, "Little Xing doesn't need scolding or instruction. He's mature and sensible, acting rationally and decisively, though he can also be emotional. But in important matters, this child will definitely make rational choices. Besides, who's qualified to teach him? Although you are Flame-Chasers, I can tell you're... the type who isn't good with words. Even with all your experiences, it would be difficult for you to give advice that resonates with the younger generation, wouldn't it?"

Fu Hua fell silent again.

"Little Xing really, really works hard. He carries so much on his own and doesn't tell anyone around him. He prefers to keep it all to himself. Don't be fooled by his cheerful demeanor all day long. You don't know how much pressure he's under inside. He's just numbing his nerves this way. Otherwise, he would go crazy."

"So, I think Little Xing is lacking in love. He wants to be patted on the head, wants to be hugged, and wants to do some childish things to express affection. In fact, it is an outward reaction to his lack of security and fear of loss. I have secretly observed that when he sleeps with me, Little Xing's sleep quality is much better than usual."

After saying this, Theresa gave a self-deprecating laugh, "After all, not every child wakes up with their hands instinctively on a weapon, right? It's only when she's with me, or with Kiana and the others, that Little Xing lets her guard down."

Or, be even more vigilant.

These are the words Theresa kept hidden in her heart.

Fu Hua was at a loss for words. Seeing this, Theresa sighed helplessly, stood on tiptoe, took her hand, and said earnestly, "Neither of us are good parents, and we both have things to learn from each other, but let's not talk about that now. Christmas is coming soon. Let's work together to give Little Xing a happy Christmas memory, shall we?"

However, after Christmas, Theresa looked at Lumeng riding on Kiana's head and Luming a flurry of punches, and thought that this might be a pleasant memory.

Unbeknownst to both parents, while Fu Hua was creating illusions and having a heart-to-heart talk, there was someone outside the door who listened to the entire conversation without uttering a sound.

This is impossible, because before Fu Hua cast the illusion, she was absolutely certain that there was no human presence around her.

But this one is not human.

The man raised his head, and two fierce glints flashed behind his mask.

"I don't care about Flame-Chasers or anything like Flame-Chasers, or my parents... I only know that there won't be a third time!"

Meanwhile, Luming also encountered an emergency.

"Oh dear, I really want to slap myself across the face for my bad luck." The witch floated high in the sky, looking down at the volcano that was about to erupt, scratched her head in annoyance, and sighed helplessly.

In the scorching lava, a petite figure could be vaguely seen, barely recognizable as human.

However, Luming could also sense the violent, out-of-control destructive aura emanating from the other party.

The newcomers seem hostile; well, I have no choice but to fight them.

"Traversing the vast expanse of stars~"

The cell phone buried in the snow gave a pleasant call notification, but the three of them, who were having a great time playing in the snow, completely ignored it. Shi'an, who had just found the place with the barking dog, was about to call her sisters home when Xingchen pulled her away.

"Brother Jie called us earlier and said that Luming went back by herself and came to play with the sisters! But she has to go back for dinner on time in half an hour."

Luming was immediately overwhelmed when she saw the unanswered call message on the screen, and dialed another number:

"Whatever you say~"

At the St. Freya Academy, Kiana trained diligently, "Huff, 114,514 squats..."

While exercising and pondering what to eat for lunch, the fluffy little girl blatantly ignored her incessantly ringing phone, which she had placed on the table.

"Corrupt binary codes infecting my mind~"

In Ya Ya's bedroom, the little girl with spiral twin ponytails was excitedly playing Yugi while wearing headphones, completely unaware of the phone next to her that was frantically sending out call notifications.

"Goose, goose, goose. Its neck arches towards the sky, singing a song~"

In the simulated combat room of the Schicksal Headquarters, Durandal diligently continued the intense competition to the very end, "Huff, 415,411 squats..."

The Clumsy Goose, who was pondering how many monsters she would have to fight tomorrow, also grandly ignored her phone, which she had turned off and locked in the locker. She should concentrate on training.

Seeing the "No answer" message pop up on the screen multiple times, the child's face immediately turned as dark as Fu Hua's.

Damn it, I finally wanted to start a raid, but why are all my teammates offline? I don't want to solo this time!

There was nothing Luming could do. Perhaps this was fate. Let General Xing clear this dungeon in one life!

Ha, you nameless nobodies, don't come here to die. I, General Xing, only play high-level games. Nobodies are not worthy of my attention!

Seemingly sensing Luming's will, the figure gradually flew out of the lava. Upon closer inspection through the air distorted by the high temperature, it was discovered that it was a girl dressed in a red dress. Her short, fluffy, peach-pink hair burned and spread like flames. She wore feather hair ornaments, asymmetrical gloves of different lengths, black stockings with some red embellishments on her delicate thighs, and red ankle boots.

Notably, a crimson triangular crystal floated on the girl's flat... cough cough, slightly heaving chest before rapidly merging into her body.

Seeing this, Luming's heart skipped a beat, and she knew something was wrong.

Based on her attire and the scene before her, Luming was absolutely certain that this was the last of the Five-Dimensional Sisters she had been waiting for—the second eldest, the one who wielded the power of fire, and the one with the strongest single-target destructive power.

Chi Yu

Isn't Xiaoyu handsome?