Theresa's Resolve, the Paths of the Two.

Su Qing'an hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, and then replied:

"I understand. Dividing forces is indeed a viable option given the current situation. Since Headmaster Theresa has brought it up herself, it means you've already made your decision."

The current Stigmata Space is probably on the verge of Honkai, just like the data space where he encountered Kallen before, which could turn into a dark and boundless wasteland at any time.

Time is undoubtedly crucial in this situation, and Theresa must have had sufficient means to protect herself to dare to make this proposal.

Unlike Su Qing'an, an outsider who forced his way in, this place is essentially Theresa's home turf. Even though she has lost all her advantages now, it's only natural that she still retains some tactics.

Although he didn't know what the method was, Su Qing'an could guess that it wasn't some cheap card that could be used casually.

This is also the reason why she hadn't taken action before.

Theresa nodded and said:

"We'll go to Yae Shrine and the village separately to find Yae Sakura. You take Rin to the village, and I'll go to the shrine."

"When we arrive, whether we find Yae Sakura or not, we'll meet up first."

Whether it's to keep the promise with Rin or because of this only clue we can currently find, finding Yae Sakura is the top priority.

Next, the two spent less than a minute deciding on a meeting point and decisively ended their rest, heading in different directions.

Su Qing'an once again carried the silent Rin on his back. Before leaving, he watched the girl's slender figure in a kimono gradually disappear into the black smoke and intertwined branches.

Without hesitation, the boy turned and walked towards the village.

Yae Sakura at the shrine.

The girl clutched the silver cross to her chest, a subtle yet undeniable force guiding her toward the source of the danger.

There was an unspoken understanding between her and Su Qing'an.

Finding Yae Sakura now would probably be very dangerous.

Regardless of Yae Sakura's current state after her defeat, it's highly likely that the monster will be near the Miko.

The girl gazed at the sky, now painted in the darkness of night, and smiled:

"I will let you out, Su Qing'an."

This is an adult matter, and adults should face their own problems.

How can children so easily go to war for adults?

Theresa stubbornly believed this; in her eyes, the world that required girls to wear armor was already unlovable enough, and she absolutely did not want her students to risk their lives for her.

And then there's that Miko.

Despite her current predicament, the debt of gratitude she owed that was half her life remained real and undeniable in Theresa's eyes.

It might be a silly idea, but that's just the kind of person the girl is.

Hiyori is Hiyori, Yae Sakura is Yae Sakura.

Whether facing the Herrscher or Enyi, Theresa decided to repay them both with the cross she held.

Killing that monster will certainly prevent it from escaping this shackle.

St. Freya Academy is Theresa's Achilles' heel, and she's willing to pay any price for it.

So the girl decided to end it all and embarked on a journey.

"Big brother, do you know? My sister killed Dad."

Rin's words rang in her ears; she so casually uttered something that she, from her position, could never possibly know.

Su Qing'an's steps remained steady, and her smooth Breathing Technique minimized the consumption of physical energy.

He didn't speak, but a wave of emotion surged within him.

Countless thoughts flooded my mind.

Is the girl, light as a feather, now riding on my back truly just a fleeting shadow of history?

Why would she say that her sister killed their father?

If what Rin said is true, then perhaps this is the reason why Yae Sakura was defeated.

Yae Sakura murdered her father.

She made a choice she would never have made before. This Miko trampled on a part of her past personality, broke through five hundred years of perseverance and forbearance, and killed Yaehiko.

What follows is a void in the heart and a low point in willpower.

The result is that the current Stigmata Space is beginning its march towards destruction.

Ignoring the boy's reaction, the girl continued:

"Last night, Dad came into my room with a knife, and then my sister subdued him and took him away."

Su Qing'an's pupils contracted slightly. He knew that Yae High Priest would make a move against Rin sooner or later, but he didn't expect that Yaehiko would make a move on the very night they arrived at the Yae Shrine.

This is clearly unusual.

The boy hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"Rin... do you know why Mr. Yae came here?"

The girl buried her face in Su Qing'an's back, her voice muffled as she answered.

"I know, because my father told me a few days ago that Rin is to be sacrificed for the village. It's the Yae family's duty, and it's a necessary sacrifice for the village."

"Rin's health has always been poor, and she probably wouldn't have lived much longer, so I agreed, but I'm also a little sad."

The girl said somewhat defiantly:

"Even though Rin has done nothing wrong, why does Dad always look at me with such disgust?"

Yae Rin was clearly disappointed, and her tone became low.

The boy couldn't see the girl's specific expression at that moment, but the emotion was still conveyed to Su Qing'an through Rin's words.

Is it because my health is too poor?

"If my sister finds out, what will she think? She'll be even more upset."

"Ke Lin doesn't want her sister to be sad."

"Besides, it's no use even if my sister finds out. She can't defy our father; she has always been that way."

The girl's answer veered off-topic; it didn't seem like she was answering Su Qing'an's question, but rather like she was confiding something.

"My father is a very cautious and suspicious person, so the reason he was holding a knife that day was probably to make sure I had no way to escape."

"Once my Achilles tendon is severed, even if my sister decides to run away with me, it will be impossible."

"But then my sister came out. Before she took my father away, she touched my hair. At that time, I pretended to be asleep because I didn't want her to worry, but I always felt that my sister knew I was pretending to be asleep."

She told me, "Rin, don't be afraid, it will all be over soon."

"In the morning, I didn't see my father. When my sister waved goodbye to me, I felt that she was going to do something that wasn't something a sister would do."

"But I know that whatever my sister did, it was all for Rin."

"But I was so panicked at that time. I had a feeling that this might be the last time I saw my sister."

Su Qing'an listened attentively to Rin's words. His doubts were not wrong. The girl on his back was not simply a reflection of Yae Rin from history.

The girl who exists today is a combination of a little girl named Rin from 50,000 years ago and the reflection of Yae Rin from 500 years ago.

Su Qing'an was unaware of these things, but his intuition told him that Lin was not lying.

She was afraid, she was sad, she was grieving.

But the sense of bewilderment, mixed with a deeper meaning, was especially profound.

The boy said:

"Rin, this won't be the last time you see your sister."

"I promised you, and Theresa is working hard with you too, right? So don't worry."

You will see it.

Rin nuzzled the boy's nape and replied:

"Yes, I will see him."

On the road where sparks and forests echoed each other, Su Qing'an continued toward the path he had to face.