Kallen Kaslana.

Village.

Sparks ignited across the fields.

Su Qing'an walked silently through this scene.

The mountains and forests were engulfed in raging flames, and the villages were in ruins.

Corpses piled up to form bizarre mountains and seas, a world entirely woven from blood and fire, their grotesque forms seemingly proving that this was not the real world.

In the dark, starless night, the firelight illuminated the boy's face. Looking at all this, he murmured to himself:

"Is this the spiritual world? I originally thought it would be a more direct approach, but things seem to have become more complicated."

"However, this is probably not the situation you wanted. The reason it has escalated into such a troublesome state is not only because of me, but more importantly because of her."

Because of the incident in Kambara Village, Satou Yunona told Su Qing'an everything that happened in Changkong City that day.

Yae Sakura.

Hiyori.

Game characters and level bosses.

This was his first reaction upon hearing it.

Getting back to the main point, if the individual doesn't receive treatment within an hour, they will likely bleed to death.

It's impossible to confirm whether there's a difference in the flow of time between this world and the outside world, but worrying about it won't help.

At the very least, if someone is going to die, the headmaster must be saved before that happens.

At this moment, Su Qing'an began to use the information he had gathered during this period of uncertainty, which might last for an unknown amount of time, to analyze the current situation.

Yae Sakura and Hiyori, together using Stigmata as a medium, resided in Theresa's body, and then, for some reason, chose to retaliate today.

It now seems that the reason things were peaceful for the previous two months was because the Miko held an absolute advantage.

Five hundred years have passed, and with Yae Sakura's willpower, she shouldn't be suddenly overwhelmed two months later.

After a brief moment of confusion, Su Qing'an understood the reason.

Yes.

It's only natural that we would lose.

The Miko asked about Kallen, and she already knew her fate. For Yae Sakura now, the only remaining necessity for struggling was so-called responsibility.

The meaning and obsession with living vanished after learning of Kallen Kaslana's fate.

Five hundred years have passed, and facing a world without Kallen Kaslana, Yae Sakura's scarred heart is filled only with deep-seated sorrow and hatred.

Stripped of her obsession and love, Yae Sakura could no longer suppress the pent-up resentment accumulated over countless years.

It's quite remarkable that Yae Sakura was able to suppress Hiyori for two months under such circumstances.

Now, two months later, she is on the verge of defeat.

The boy silently stepped over countless pieces of wreckage and severed limbs, and understanding some key points, he sensed the severity of the situation.

It's like fighting a battle in an area dominated by the opponent; the odds of winning are clearly not high.

The most important thing now is to find the headmistress as soon as possible; she's probably been pulled into this world too.

The headmistress is clearly the kind of warrior who fights solely based on superhuman strength and Honkai Energy. In terms of pure combat skills, her level is probably only that of a normal soldier.

In a battle where victory or defeat could be decided solely by Judah's smash, so-called skill was indeed of little use to Theresa.

But in this spiritual world where physical abilities are mediocre and communication with the Honkai Energy cycle is impossible, Su Qing'an should be much more reliable than Theresa.

Worried that Theresa might be eaten by wild beasts because she was powerless to fight Su Qing'an made finding her his top priority.

A voice broke Su Qing'an's reverie; it was a voice as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, yet filled with unwavering willpower.

"A complete stranger..."

Su Qing'an looked in the direction of the sound and saw a blank area among the corpses.

A nun collapsed to the ground, her abdomen pierced by a sharp instrument, leaving a fist-sized hole. The blood that had flowed onto the ground had dried, and the remaining traces had congealed into a poignant deep red.

The nun's veil lay to one side, stained with blood.

Her white hair was as flawless as a precious jewel in this world.

The nun looked up at Su Qing'an; those eyes were the familiar azure blue.

Resolute, gentle, and kind.

Kallen Kaslana.

Su Qing'an's expression was complicated. Was this scene a true historical event?

Is it the lingering echo of memory, or the malice of Hiyori?

Or perhaps, it's just an illusion?

This is the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal five hundred years ago, and the one deeply loved by the current Lord Bishop.

Kallen Kaslana extended her hand to the boy.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Su Qing'an stepped over the blood and bones, knelt down beside the nun, and asked.

She was dying. He understood that.

Rather, it's incredible that this body, which has almost bled out of its life, still has a sliver of vitality to support her speaking.

Even though he knew that everything here was an illusion, the boy couldn't help but feel a little sad.

He doesn't like seeing people die.

Moreover, this person is Kallen, who looks so much like Theresa.

The nun loosened her clenched fist, and the Black Rope between her fingers held the golden cross.

It was a small, exquisite piece of jewelry.

A gray haze settled in her azure eyes, and a weak voice struggled to escape her lips:

"If... you encounter a Miko with long, cherry-blossom-colored hair nearby..."

"Please, you must give this to her..."

"If this is your wish," Su Qing'an nodded and accepted the cross.

She concluded by saying:

"... That's it."

The nun closed her eyes forever, a faint smile curving her lips, like a relieved smile after finding someone to whom she could entrust her life.

Su Qing'an gazed at the lifeless corpse, remained silent for a long time, and then said:

"Oh, I agree."

He must keep his promises.

The boy gripped the cross tightly in his hand; the coldness of the metal seeped into his bones, and the hardened emotion stung his nerves.

Su Qing'an will not allow such a scene to happen.

Absolute.

In such a world, even burying the nun would only be a pointless psychological comfort.

It's not only meaningless, but also a waste of valuable time.

But Su Qing'an stubbornly did it anyway.

He carefully cradled the nun's feather-light body and walked a very, very long way.

Flames are everywhere here.

The young man was determined to find her a peaceful and tranquil burial place.

Deep in the mountains, Su Qing'an found a secluded and cool ancient spring.

There was no fire or corpses here; it was so quiet, it felt like a completely different world.

Perhaps it was too simple to serve as a tombstone, so the boy found a bluestone slab.

After the burial, he carved a sentence on a stone slab.

[This girl, who passed away in the prime of her life, rests here in eternal peace, having protected this beautiful world.]

[Kaslana Kallen.]

It is a short epitaph, as is customary at the St. Freya Academy.

Su Qing'an thought, "But that's enough."

Such brief words were enough to satisfy the idiots in the academy.

The nun naturally wasn't dissatisfied, because they were all the same—they were all such fools.

The boy grasped the cross, turned, and left.

What he didn't see was that the scenery behind him shattered in an instant, tearing the world apart into endless desolation, creating a huge void and darkness.

Just as darkness was about to engulf the boy, the cross in his hand emitted a faint but clear light...

Suddenly, Su Qing'an's vision went dark, and everything abruptly changed.

He was already in a fragment of another Stigmata Space.

It was still the same mountain forest, but it was springtime, with birds singing and grass growing. The daytime scenery was gentle and peaceful.

There was no blood, no fire, and no corpses.

The mountain forests where Yae Village has been inhabited for many years have been restored to their original state.

The nun's crucifix helped Su Qing'an successfully escape the fragments of memory within the Stigmata Space, preventing him from being swallowed up and lost in the darkness.

Su Qing'an looked at the Golden Cross in her palm, its light gradually fading, and understood the reason.

It was that nun who saved her. Kallen Kaslana.

But was that nun really Kallen? Su Qing'an couldn't help but wonder.

Whether it was the history of Schicksal he learned at St. Freya or the fragmented game storylines he knew, Kallen's ending should not have been dying in Yae Village.

Wrong.

Su Qing'an suddenly understood the reason.

She is Kallen Kaslana, and she has to be.

This is the Stigmata Space of Hiyori and Yae Sakura, so trying to find a complete logical chain here is a foolish thing to do.

But Su Qing'an was certain of one thing.

The nun's death proved that Yae Sakura's complete defeat was drawing ever closer.