Calming the Tempest's Mutation
What appears on the table is a brand-new, specially designed sword case.
The entire piece has a silver metallic texture, with the St. Freya Academy crest clearly engraved on it, decorated with tree branches and leaves symbolizing vigorous vitality—the only simple decoration on the sword case.
Su Qing'an quietly stroked the surface of the sword case; the cool touch was refreshing. Lying inside this brand-new sword case was [Calming the Tempest].
Since Awakened, he had never touched the sword again. Even during this mission, Su Qing'an had been using a standard folding knife.
As for the reasons...
After all the strange Honkai Energy sources at the St. Freya Academy disappeared, [Calming the Tempest], which should have only shattered within the Stigmata Space and was unrelated to that battle in the real world, exhibited a similar Honkai Energy reaction.
Afterwards, the [Calming the Tempest] was naturally confiscated by the academy for safety reasons.
The sword, which originated from the Changguang Changchuan, first entered the Science Department for extensive reconnaissance and testing, and then returned to the hands of the Changguang Changchuan.
Finally, based on a series of conclusions and data from the Science Department, Changguang Changchuan concluded that only Su Qing'an could likely make this sword reveal its true changes.
At the same time, this sword case was also a gift from the Changguang Changchuan. It has the ability to shield the Honkai Energy reaction on [Calming the Tempest]. In addition to this main function, the sword case has many other interesting and practical functions.
Theresa, sitting in her office chair, said softly:
"Nagamitsu asked me to give this to you."
"We both understand what happened in the Stigmata Space, so the changes that have occurred in [Calming the Tempest] shouldn't be a bad thing."
"Perhaps, it was a parting gift from someone."
The boy nodded slightly.
He recalled the moment the girl whispered his name.
The dead butterflies scattered into black dust.
Pink and white cherry blossoms fall softly, their fragrance both cool and intense.
The image of killing Jizo Mitama while holding the Divine Key still lingers in my mind.
It seems that the longer Su Qing'an travels in this world, the more things she cannot forget.
Whether it's Kambara Shuichi, Yae Rin, or Leonid from yesterday.
Those were names that the boy had already memorized.
Each brief encounter leads to a similar yet different ending.
Theresa looked at Su Qing'an's complicated expression and continued:
"What exactly has changed? On the surface, what can be detected is a hardness no less than that of Soul Steel, and a toughness and sharpness that surpasses anything before. But the thing that trace of Honkai Energy corresponds to is something only you can understand."
"Why don't you open it and take a look?"
Su Qing'an nodded and said:
"Good."
As fingerprints pressed firmly onto the school emblem pattern on the sword case, the blooming branches and flowers gradually withered.
Such flamboyant details originated from Yu Xing's embellishment of the Changguang Changchuan.
Immediately, the lock on the sword case opened.
He opened the sword case, inside which was the same blade as always. The familiar Honkai Energy emanating from it made Theresa subconsciously frown and become wary.
The boy gripped the sword hilt without hesitation, seemingly unconcerned about the risks involved. Perhaps, at the very moment his fingertips touched the sword case, Su Qing'an sensed something familiar, which caught him off guard.
Simply by gripping the sword hilt, the Honkai Energy within it flowed slowly through his body like wisps of silk. This was clearly an extremely dangerous situation for Su Qing'an's physique, but his intuition and body did not perceive any danger or discomfort.
A warm, sun-like sensation spread throughout his body. The sword felt like an extension of his limbs, a part of his body. This blood-related intimacy made the boy completely unafraid of the strange Honkai Energy coursing through his body.
While in a daze, experiencing such bizarre sensory sensations, Su Qing'an seemed to hear someone speaking.
[This time, it won't break, big brother.]
Fragments of information drifted across the Sea of consciousness, a soft murmur that seemed both illusory and real, existing in a fleeting, overly real moment.
Su Qing'an was speechless for a moment, then, under Theresa's somewhat worried gaze, he said:
"It's different, Headmaster Theresa."
"This is not the power of Hiyori."
"It's Rin's."
Rin? That sickly girl, in essence, represents the human consciousness of the Herrscher of Corruption.
In the end, Su Qing'an's victory was likely due in no small part to her help.
Theresa remarked with emotion:
"That's good. Are there any other changes? On the surface, it seems there's no difference."
"However, this sword has an instinctive tendency to repel the touch of others. According to data calculations, if Valkyrie whose Honkai Energy resistance is insufficient tries to forcibly grasp it, she may be Honkai Energy and turned into a monster similar to Zombie."
"So your lack of any reaction when you hold it indirectly confirms Nagamitsu's statement."
"Perhaps, as I said before, this is a gift from someone to you."
"And you are undoubtedly qualified to accept it."
Su Qing'an didn't know how to respond to Theresa's praise, so he simply continued:
"There is a very strong power inside."
"I have a premonition, or rather, this sword itself is telling me that at a crucial moment, I might be able to unleash the true power of the Divine Key in a short period of time."
Upon hearing this, Theresa glanced at the Golden Cross behind her and murmured the profoundly meaningful phrase.
"The Divine Key? Good, that way I'll feel much more at ease when you go on missions in the future."
Immediately, the girl continued indignantly:
"I get angry just thinking about missions. How long have you been enrolled? You just completed your assigned mission not long ago, and you're still recovering from a serious illness. It's utterly absurd that headquarters would assign you a mandatory mission under these circumstances."
"It must have been Grandpa's doing. No one else would dare to do this to my student."
When Theresa said these words, her tone was full of gritted teeth and utter helplessness.
As the Archbishop of Schicksal, Otto's orders clearly carried far greater weight than Theresa's.
Or rather, the reason she can freely occupy this position and arbitrarily provide students with such a wonderful cradle is fundamentally due to that person's promise.
Theresa reached out to pat the boy's head, but due to her height, she subtly changed the spot to his shoulder, concealing her embarrassment.
She coughed twice and said with certainty and confidence:
"Next time you receive an order like this, come directly to me."
"Let the headmaster back you up!"
"As for this time, I'll go ask him for compensation myself later. You can also cancel out your assignments for next semester."
"And the task can't be done for free! As the headmaster, I'll squeeze every last drop out of you for the service fee and the qualifications."
Headmaster Theresa spoke with absolute confidence, and the reason she dared to say this was naturally the long-term vacation agreement that Otto had personally promised not long ago.
Unaware that she had fallen into a trap, Theresa was now immersed in the joy of showing off her abilities to her students, unable to extricate herself.