"Please bring me a basin of water. Thank you." Yae Sakura handed Sheng Jiu a washbasin, then smiled at him apologetically. "How rude of me. I haven't even asked your name yet."
"Just call me Sheng Jiu."
Yae Sakura smiled and nodded to Sheng Jiu, then picked up a bowl of herbal medicine, scooped up a spoonful, and fed it to Theresa.
Sheng Jiu leaned to one side, gazing at Yae Sakura with a troubled look. "Sakura, do you know how we can defeat that vine monster?"
"It'll be difficult, Mr. Sheng. That's an immature Pseudo-Herrscher. Based on what we've seen, the two of us aren't strong enough to defeat it."
"..."
"Cough, cough." Just then, Theresa, nestled in Yae Sakura's arms, let out a couple of groans and slowly opened her eyes.
Looking at Yae Sakura in front of her, Theresa reached out hazily and gently pinched her cheek, a relieved smile appearing on her face.
"Theresa..." Sheng Jiu started to remind her, fever still raging, but Yae Sakura raised a hand to stop him.
I am Theresa Apocalypse. I was born in a laboratory, an artificial human created by combining human cells with Honkai Beast cells.
My grandfather, Otto, the Overseer of Schicksal, told me that because of certain defects, my body would never grow up.
I have the bloodline best suited to fighting the Honkai, and through my own efforts, I became the strongest warrior.
But after accomplishing all that, was I truly happy?
...No...
Everyone in the organization suspected me and feared me. In their eyes, I was a monster, more frightening than a Honkai Beast...
Until the day I met her—Cecilia, the Saintess of the Saniate family. She was the only one who didn't treat me like a monster, always treating me with kindness.
From the day I was born, my grandfather taught me to protect everyone. But deep down, I never agreed with his reasoning.
I had never truly wanted to protect anyone—until that day, when I finally found someone I truly wanted to protect.
When Cecilia smiled at me, I thought, I'm done for. To see that smile again, I'll probably do all sorts of things I know I shouldn't...
I once thought that Cecilia and her family could live happily ever after. But that day, with the launch of twelve Honkai Energy fission warheads, I lost both the person I most wanted to protect and the person I had promised to protect...
Two months ago, after losing everything, I was living like a walking corpse. Then I met you again, Kiana, Cecilia's daughter. At last, I had a chance to fulfill my promise.
In her delirium, Theresa saw Kiana lying in a hospital bed. She slowly reached out and cupped Kiana's chin...
Theresa gazed at Kiana with deep affection. "...I'll... protect you..."
"..." Yae Sakura held Theresa gently in her arms, saying nothing as Theresa stroked her face.
Theresa's hand slowly fell, and she sank into unconsciousness once more.
Looking down at the sleeping girl in her arms, Yae Sakura saw a familiar figure appear in her mind:
"Sakura, I'll protect everyone..."
"Sakura! I'll fight alongside you!"
"Sakura, no matter what happens, we'll face it together..."
"Sakura..."
At some point, Hiyori appeared beside Yae Sakura. "That woman is dying. I advise you not to waste your time on her."
"No! There has to be another way. If I kill that damn monster, it'll all be over, right? I'm going now!" Hearing Hiyori's words, Sheng Jiu urgently drew Zheying and tried to rush out the door, but his body stiffened and he collapsed. "...What... is happening...?"
"Hmph. It's no use, you useless scrap. The Honkai Energy is corroding you more and more. The pills can only slow the corrosion, not eliminate it... If you don't get the serum injected in time, you'll turn into a zombie..."
Before you continue