Collapse, I'll Transform and Punch You Directly

Bai Chen bit his lip, looking at Mei with pity. "Does the Collapse warp a person's consciousness?"

"Because of you, I didn't want mother to worry, so I didn't tell her..."

Bai Chen raised his gun, intending to inflict pain on Mei before proceeding to the next step. Suddenly, she smelled something like flowers in the air.

Not good!

Aware of Mei's abilities, Bai Chen ignored her and immediately turned back, leaping a few steps to stand before a dazed Theresa.

He scooped up Theresa's light frame and jumped out the window, having also kicked Judas, which belonged to Theresa, down to the lower floor.

Bai Chen couldn't help but flee. Didn't Mei gain the ability to poison the air only after collecting Honkai energy for a period of time?

Could it be that she had become a Herrscher in Changkong City, causing the concentration of Honkai energy there to be higher than in the original timeline? Did mentioning her mother exacerbate her mutation?

Bai Chen was baffled. To prevent the already poisoned Theresa from worsening, he had no choice but to take Theresa and leave first.

Held in Bai Chen's arms, Theresa felt the hard-won warmth and showed a relieved smile.

Then, she reached out and caressed Bai Chen's face. She felt like she was being held by her mother right now, even though she hadn't seen her mother in over forty years since birth.

Afterward, Theresa lost consciousness and fell into a peaceful sleep.

"Kallen? Is that you?"

The moment Bai Chen walked out of the school gate, a figure in cherry blossom colors emerged from under a tree, staring at Bai Chen and Theresa in his arms with a complex gaze.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Yae Sakura

"Give me your body. There's nothing left for you to linger for in this world. Five hundred years have passed, and everything has changed. Why won't you give me your body?"

Yae Sakura wandered through Changkong City. Perhaps the Honkai energy concentration had reached the required level, or perhaps the seal's timing was just right, allowing Yae Sakura to see the light of day again.

Ever since Yae Sakura awakened, the Herrscher's consciousness had been trying to tempt her, attempting to drag her into darkness once more.

But Yae Sakura had been awakened by Kallen during the sealing. After five hundred years, she wouldn't be so easily tempted again.

Furthermore, after being defeated by Kiana and the other two, Yae Sakura's Honkai power had weakened considerably. Now, Yae Sakura had completely taken control of her body.

"Over five hundred years! That Kallen is long dead. There's no one you know left in this world. What business do you have with this broken world? Do you want to protect this world? Don't forget, you're also a demon who kills without batting an eye."

The Herrscher's consciousness, also known as Hiyori, was still trying to interfere with Yae Sakura, unwilling to give up.

"You're also a pseudo-Herrscher, no different from that thing born in the school..."

Hiyori's words were cut short as Bai Chen, carrying Theresa, rushed out of the school gate, desperately trying to find a quiet place to cure Theresa's poisoning.

"!!!!"

Hiyori was so shocked her jaw almost dropped. Her words had been proven wrong the moment she spoke them. This woman might still be alive after five hundred years!

Impossible! This woman must be a fake! But this scent told her that the woman before her was Kallen herself!

Kallen? Yae Sakura walked towards Kallen in disbelief. She had already prepared herself for a final farewell with Kallen, but she never expected Kallen to appear before her like this.

As she got closer, Yae Sakura suddenly noticed the "child" in Kallen's arms. That child looked extremely similar to Kallen, even carrying Kallen's scent.

Is that Kallen's child? They had also been in a deep sleep for five hundred years.

Yae Sakura approached Bai Chen with a complex mix of emotions.

"Kallen?"

Hearing Yae Sakura's call, Bai Chen instinctively looked over and saw the person he had been waiting for.

"Sakura?"

Hearing Bai Chen's response, Yae Sakura immediately confirmed that the Kallen before her was the one she knew and excitedly stepped forward, hugging Bai Chen from behind.

"Uwaaa!!"

Bai Chen felt a softness from behind him, sending a shiver through his body.

"I'll leave it to you."

After saying that, Bai Chen immediately went offline, sinking his consciousness into his sea of consciousness to let Kallen take over.

"It's great, Sakura. You're really alive."

Kallen, who had taken over, finally saw Yae Sakura again after a century. Tears of excitement streamed down her cheeks.

If she weren't holding Theresa in her arms, she would have turned around and hugged Yae Sakura directly.

After a brief moment of warmth with Yae Sakura, Kallen became serious again. Theresa's poison had not been cured yet, and they had to race against time.

"Sakura, the situation is urgent. This little one is poisoned by that Herrscher. You'll have to follow me closely to a place where she can receive medical treatment."

Having spent a few days at school within Bai Chen's body, Kallen naturally understood what needed to be done next.

After receiving Yae Sakura's consent, Kallen, holding Theresa in one arm and Yae Sakura's hand in the other, led them to an open area.

Thanks to Himeko's support from above, a small spaceship descended moments later, picking them up and taking them inside the Hyperion.

As someone from five hundred years ago, Yae Sakura stood by the window, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked at the world outside, seeing things she had never even imagined.

"Tch, country bumpkin."

Hiyori disdainfully cursed. She had seen much better things than this; what was this kind of stuff to her?

"Bai Chen! How's Auntie?"

Kiana, who had been watching the battle unfold from above, couldn't sit still when Theresa was poisoned. Seeing Theresa brought up, she immediately rushed over.

"Don't worry, Kiana. Miss Theresa's poisoning isn't serious."

Kallen comforted Kiana. In truth, it was hard to tell how bad the situation was, but Fu Hua could see it. On the way here, she had followed Fu Hua's instructions and administered emergency treatment to Theresa.

"That's great. Wait, are you, Kallen sister?"

Kiana felt that Bai Chen's demeanor was off. She had a feeling it was Kallen sister.

"Huh? You? The strange fellow from Changkong City?"

At this moment, Kiana also noticed Yae Sakura, who had been silently following behind Kallen.

"I am Yae Sakura. Miss Kiana, I offended you greatly a month ago."

Seeing that they were chatting, Yae Sakura didn't want to embarrass Kallen and took the initiative to apologize to Kiana.

"Huh? You've met before?"

Kallen looked at the few of them, bewildered. Why is there a vibe that only I'm not in the loop?

"Yes, when I first broke free, there was some friction with Kiana."

Yae Sakura explained.

"What? Is something wrong?"

Bai Chen was a little confused. Isn't that a common trope in manga? After all, the earliest Honkai Impact 3rd manga followed the Gacha game's lore.

"Kallen."

Yae Sakura suddenly tugged at Kallen's sleeve and asked with a confused expression, "Why did Miss Kiana call you Bai Chen at first?"

Hearing this, Kallen's expression turned sorrowful, and she looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't. Kiana and the surrounding staff, sensing the awkward atmosphere, moved away.

Within a few breaths, the previously crowded area became instantly empty.

Seeing that Kallen remained silent, Bai Chen had no choice but to log back in and say, "I'll do it."

"Kallen?"

Yae Sakura felt that Kallen seemed to have changed, but she couldn't pinpoint how.

"Miss Yae Sakura, I am not Kallen. I am actually a male named Bai Chen. Currently, Kallen is temporarily residing within my body due to my abilities."

Understanding that it was best to inform her sooner rather than later, Bai Chen quickly revealed the truth.

"As for Kallen..."

Bai Chen then explained Kallen's current state, how they were in the same body, and even the effects of their abilities to Yae Sakura.

After hearing the entire story, Yae Sakura felt her mind reeling, a greater impact than any of the airships.

But there was one thing she understood very clearly: Kallen was worried that she wouldn't accept her current self.

"Kallen, Kallen, our memories are the same. Of course, you are my beloved Kallen."

Would Kallen, who once saved me from the Honkai's erosion, now dislike Kallen at a time like this? Even if it's just Kallen's memories, she's still Kallen!

As soon as Yae Sakura expressed her thoughts, Bai Chen immediately felt Kallen's mood improve. As expected, the one who tied the knot must untie it.

"Listen, she's your Kallen, of course she is."

"I'm listening, I'm listening!"

Kallen hid in Bai Chen's body, her face flushed with embarrassment, unwilling to show herself. This is too shameful!

Chapter 23: Battle!

"Teacher Himeko, how is the Dean?"

Mei, who had been guarding the door, saw Himeko emerge from inside and quickly asked. Although she had heard Kallen's answer, she felt more at ease getting a professional's opinion.

"Theresa's condition is stable. The poisoning wasn't severe, and with the help of the medical system, she should wake up in a few hours."

After Himeko delivered the good news, everyone visibly relaxed.

However, Himeko didn't tell them that the reason Theresa could wake up so quickly was also because the Honkai Beast cells within Theresa were consuming the toxins.

"Hmph! Theresa, an S-rank Valkyrie, and she choked up right at the start. She's not as good as Bai Chen transforming into Kallen sister."

Knowing Theresa was safe, Kiana immediately started teasing her. If Theresa heard this, even while unconscious, she'd want to punch Kiana twice.

Seeing that Theresa was no worse than expected, Bai Chen immediately turned to leave. After all, transformation consumed stamina. Although the non-combat consumption wasn't much, the previous battle had taken a toll, and it was best to finish quickly.

"Gulp..."

Bai Chen hadn't gone far when he heard a stomach growl from behind him.

He turned around and saw Yae Sakura. Yae Sakura covered her stomach with a blush, looking a bit flustered.

Having not eaten for five hundred years, her consumption due to the Honkai energy had lessened. However, in a low-concentration environment like the Hyperion, she easily got hungry.

"Hungry?"

Bai Chen asked, simultaneously recalling the location of the Hyperion's mess hall. What a hassle. He hadn't actually eaten on the Hyperion before.

He guessed only Mei and Kiana would know where the mess hall was.

Too bad the Nutrient Solution didn't fill him up. If only Mei had that box of cookies, that box of cookies would be perfect. Too bad it wasn't there.

As Bai Chen was thinking this, a small silver light screen accompanied by a pink glow suddenly appeared, covering one of Bai Chen's hands without anyone noticing.

When the light screen disappeared, a box of cookies was miraculously in Bai Chen's hand.

Feeling something was off, Bai Chen raised his hand to look at the cookies in his hand and fell into thought.

The box was warm, just like the one Mei had given him, as if it had been freshly made not long ago.

Why? The color of the box wasn't the same as the ones Mei took. Wait, did Mei really take three boxes?

"Yae Sakura? Look, ta-da! I happen to have a box of cookies here."

Bai Chen didn't make a sound as he discovered this. He guessed it might be one of her abilities, but her control over it seemed poor.

"Ah, thank you, Kallen. Would you like to try one?"

Yae Sakura took the cookies and thanked him. After taking a few bites, she found the taste surprisingly good. Yae Sakura's sharp gaze fixed on him. Kallen's position as a cook absolutely cannot be challenged!

"I'm Bai Chen now. I don't really care, just don't mispronounce Kallen's name."

Bai Chen teased with a good mood, then turned to leave.

"Bai Chen, what are you going to do?"

Seeing Bai Chen leave, Yae Sakura also followed closely behind.

"I'm going to save a poor soul."