Past Events

"So, you two snuck onto the Hyperion to hitch a ride with me?"

Theresa looked at Kiana and Sheng Jiu, who stood beside her with their heads bowed.

"Um... actually, I was the one who insisted on coming. It wasn't Kiana's fault..."

"That's not true! I wanted to come myself, it has nothing to do with the lazybones!" Kiana stubbornly interrupted Sheng Jiu.

Theresa looked at the two of them making excuses for each other and flashed a "kind" smile. "Alright, you've done very well."

"Then..." Sheng Jiu covered Kiana's mouth.

"When we get back, I'll have to ask your teacher if this is how he usually teaches you!"

Theresa's tone shifted, startling the two of them. She angrily pinched Kiana's cheek. "Ki-a-na! Do you know how dangerous this is! Two B-rank Valkyries running off to Changkong City, do you know what you're doing?! If anything happened to you, how would I explain it to Siegfried!"

"And you, Sheng Jiu! Did you get too arrogant after Headquarters sent you a new weapon? What do you two think I am? I'm a former S-rank Valkyrie, a mere Herrscher wouldn't be able to defeat me!"

"Mmph, Thtop it, my face..." Kiana's eyes welled up with tears from the pain. Theresa then remembered she was still pinching Kiana's cheek and quickly let go.

"Also, you two must return the way you came immediately." Theresa glared angrily at the remains of the death warrior not far away. "This time, you were lucky. The Loyal Ninja-Warrior Death you encountered had no combat experience. If you had met a mature Loyal Ninja-Warrior Death, it would have taken an entire Valkyrie squad to deal with it. No, you two are going back right now!"

"But Headmaster~" Kiana hugged Theresa and started to act cute. "We traveled so far to get here. It's so late now, it's dangerous for us to go back. What if we run into those death warriors again? Just let us stay with you. I promise I'll follow your orders, right, lazybones?"

Kiana winked at Sheng Jiu, who immediately chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, Headmaster, we can help you a lot if we're with you."

Feeling the soft sensation on her head, Theresa's anger gradually subsided. She let out a soft hum and tapped Kiana's nose. "You two really don't make things easy. Fine, you can stay with me for now. But you absolutely cannot disobey my orders, or when we get back, you'll be hung from the flagpole by Judas!" With that, she glanced demonstratively at the [Oath of Judas] placed nearby.

Meanwhile, in the girls' dormitory, "What? You're saying they're with you?!" Himeko's voice rose an octave. "Yes, I understand."

"What's wrong, Himeko? Is something the matter?" Yae Sakura asked worriedly, looking at Himeko's tightly clenched communicator.

"Do you know what those brats Kiana and Sheng Jiu are up to?! What do you mean 'internet cafe overnight'? They secretly followed the Headmaster to Changkong City!"

"What?" Yae Sakura looked at Himeko in disbelief. "How is that possible? How did they get to Changkong City?"

"They must have snuck past the guards and hidden on the Hyperion. When they get back, I'm going to teach them a lesson!" Veins bulged on Himeko's forehead...

At dawn, faint morning light filtered through the broken windowpanes, casting shadows on the empty street and illuminating the outlines of ruins. Dust particles floated in the air, and the streets and alleys were filled with the scent of decay and desolation. The prosperity of the past was long gone.

"Next, we just need to go through two more blocks... Hmm?" Theresa turned around and found Sheng Jiu standing still in front of a dilapidated building, lost in thought.

"Lazybones? What are you doing?" Kiana waved her hand in front of Sheng Jiu's eyes, finally pulling him back to reality.

"Sorry, Headmaster. This... this used to be my orphanage. Can I go in and take a look?" Sheng Jiu said sheepishly, looking at the words "Changkong City Sixth Welfare Institute" above the entrance.

"Let's go take a look together," Theresa said, leading the two inside.

Sheng Jiu slowly walked into the building and gently pushed open the slightly ajar door.

Inside, it was a mess, chaotic and cluttered with garbage and debris everywhere. Sheng Jiu bent down and began to tidy up. "When I was six years old, I lost all my memories of the past... From then on, I was plagued by nightmares, which would disturb me every few days. My classmates treated me like a monster and wouldn't play with me. Only the director treated me like a normal human being."

"The director was a very cheerful woman. She always had a smile on her face and a good temper. Even when we made mistakes, she would smilingly tell us it was okay..."

"She always remembered what each of us liked to eat the most, and she would always bring back all sorts of toys and snacks when she returned from outings..."

Kiana and Theresa crouched down, helping Sheng Jiu clean up the garbage.

"When the Honkai broke out, I remember the director lured away the mutated students to protect us, buying us precious time to escape..."

"I remember the last time I saw her, she was fighting a Honkai Beast in the hallway to protect a classmate who was being surrounded..."

Sheng Jiu stood up and opened the door to the hallway. Dried bloodstains remained on the walls, and many mummified corpses lay on the floor. Sheng Jiu stepped forward, gathered all the corpses together, and set them ablaze. He watched the rising black smoke for a long time. Kiana stepped forward and gently patted Sheng Jiu's back.

Sheng Jiu wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and regained his usual talkative demeanor. "Let's go, let's end this."