The girl in black opposite her bristled instantly, fury nearly spilling from her eyes.
"Ha!"
She sneered, every word cutting deep.
"Aside from a stubborn rock like you, every other 'Feather of Yu Duchen' has to kneel and submit when they see me!"
"Only someone with a broken brain like yours would treat that nonsense as gospel!"
The air froze for a second.
The figure in white remained composed. "You're too obsessive."
"You're the one who can't face reality."
"You're still living in that old era."
"Treating yourself as that soulless tool in Dr. Mei's hands."
The figure in black began breathing faster, her chest heaving.
"Times have changed!"
She swept her hand sharply, as though dispelling those stale ideas.
"We don't need to be MANTIS anymore, or Valkyries, much less students at St. Freya."
"We can be ourselves."
"Our true, complete selves!"
"Watch."
The figure in black barked.
The space before them began to twist violently, like water being stirred.
The mist-wreathed, ethereal scenery of Mount Taixu collapsed in an instant.
In its place appeared a dark, damp city back alley.
The walls were mottled, the light dim, and an oppressive deathly silence hung over it.
She stepped forward, her retreating figure utterly alone.
"The source of every tragedy lies here."
"This is the most indelible fragment buried deep in my memories."
The viewers before their screens held their breath, carefully studying their surroundings.
A sense of familiarity washed over them.
It was precisely the location that had appeared in the previous chapter's flashback.
Her voice echoed through the empty alley, tinged with self-mockery.
"Looking back now, the signs were there all along."
"The monster that attacked Father was undoubtedly a HonKai Zombie."
"Honkai never arrived out of nowhere. Like poisonous weeds, it had always been growing in the