"Elysian Realm? Mobius?" Hearing unfamiliar names, Theresa turned to Kiana.
"What's that?"
"The Elysian Realm is a special device left by the Previous Era, storing the data memories of the thirteen Flame-Chasers, warriors who fought Honkai in the Previous Era. Mobius is one of them, and also the foremost biologist of that era."
Shiraki gave a clear, concise explanation.
"Previous Era!?" Raiden Mei's expression froze, exchanging a glance with Bronya, both seeing shock and surprise in each other's eyes.
Possessing abilities akin to the Void Herrscher and knowing intel about the Previous Era—what kind of person was Kiana's mysterious boyfriend?
Never mind. Regardless of who Shiraki was, as long as he was confirmed an ally for now, it wasn't a pressing issue.
The sheer volume of information in his words sent the three girls' minds into overdrive. After grasping the situation, they suppressed the flood of questions rising within.
Raiden Mei and Bronya asked in unison, "Can she heal Teacher Himeko?"
"I can't be certain, but as long as there's a sliver of hope, it's worth trying." Shiraki shook his head, answering honestly.
"Exactly!" Kiana nodded firmly.
With current non-Honkai-based technology, Himeko's injuries had no effective treatment.
She was only being kept alive by the treatment pod, and waiting for a Shiraki with advanced healing magic to enter the mysterious space could take who-knows-how-long.
Time wasn't yet at a desperate, second-by-second urgency, but it was close.
Each day delayed increased the treatment's difficulty and dimmed Himeko's flickering life force.
This was something Shiraki—or rather, Kiana—absolutely wouldn't allow!
"So what do we do? Where's the Elysian Realm?"
In such a short time, Theresa couldn't fully trust Shiraki, but she absolutely trusted Kiana!
"The Elysian Realm is at World Serpent's headquarters. As for how we proceed specifically…" Kiana pursed her lips, falling into a subtle silence.
Right now, World Serpent's Gray Serpent was executing the Eye of the Abyss plan to bring Kevin back, Jackal was preparing a small-scale Stigmata Plan experiment in Sky City, and Raven…
Though Kiana and Sirin entered the mysterious space at the last moment, recovering Shiraki's memories and averting Himeko's fall into the endless imaginary abyss, everything prior unfolded nearly identical to the game's plot. Sirin's revival triggered a global Honkai tide.
When the Queen descended, a certain black dodo bird, who'd scrimped and saved half her life to finally afford a down payment, saw her hard-earned savings destroyed by Honkai before she could celebrate, evolving into Island Explosion Raven.
This World Serpent senior cadre was now firmly anti-Honkai and anti-Herrscher, her heart shattered as she embraced Kevin's resolve: "Humanity must eradicate Honkai!"
If Kiana, the Void Herrscher and culprit behind it all, visited World Serpent now, it'd be like enemies meeting, eyes blazing with hatred!
Raven was a minor issue. The bigger problem was…
Kiana slapped her forehead with a smack.
"This is gonna be a hassle, and we have something to confirm first." Tilting her head in thought, Kiana glanced at Shiraki.
Even without physical contact, their unspoken understanding remained. Shiraki nodded. "Principal Theresa, does Hyperion have lab mice?"
"Lab mice? Why would a battleship have those… uh, what do you need them for?" Theresa tilted her head, puzzled.
"For experiments, obviously." Reverie's transmigration confirmed that inanimate objects could pass through the mysterious space's hub.
But whether living beings other than Shiraki could transmigrate through it was still unknown.
"Experiments?" Shiraki's words made the girls exchange glances.
"If the ship doesn't have any, no worries. We can test at the Anti-Entropy base. I have another question, Da—cough, Theresa."
Kiana's memories made Shiraki instinctively call Theresa "Auntie."
"What's that?"
"About three years ago, during the Third Honkai Eruption, you encountered a fox shrine maiden and, with her help, defeated a pseudo-Herrscher, right?"
An S-rank Valkyrie wielding the God Key, Oath of Judah, nearly dying to a mere pseudo-Herrscher? Honestly, no other S-rank could match that kind of record except Theresa.
In the Honkai Herrscher hierarchy, she was practically the Wendy of S-ranks.
Utterly embarrassing!
If Judah had a soul, it'd probably say: I don't need such a foolish wielder!
"Uh… that's true." Theresa coughed twice, suppressing her fluster, a flush creeping onto her youthful cheeks.
Having her glorious crash-and-burn history brought up stirred some shame. Thinking back, Theresa herself felt she'd embarrassed herself to the ends of the earth!
"But how do you know about that?" Shaking off the rising embarrassment, Theresa looked at Shiraki in surprise.
She'd only discussed it with Himeko, who'd laughed her head off, pounding the table, which killed any urge to publicize it.
An S-rank Valkyrie defeating a pseudo-Herrscher—what's there to boast about?
"I have special intelligence sources, not something I can explain in a few words." Shiraki had no intention of elaborating, brushing it off.
"That shrine maiden, before sealing the Stigmata space, left a blade behind, right?" Shiraki's expression grew slightly odd as he said this.
In the "Sakura Samsara" storyline, after Yae Sakura defeated the Jizo Soul, Hikenmaru finally surrendered. Dr. MEI's program in the black box activated, completing the twelfth God Key!
Hikenmaru gave this God Key to Yae Sakura, allowing her to use its power to revive in reality, but Yae Sakura, with no ties left in the modern world after 500 years, chose to remain in the Stigmata space forever.
So, Yae Sakura tossed the Jizo Soul out, letting it land at St. Freya Academy.
The Key of Corruption, Jizo Soul, replicates the Herrscher of Corruption's abilities. A katana with the ultimate "corruption" power, it can erode anything, the bane of technological creations!
Not just machines or programs, but even living beings can be perfectly corrupted!
Combine it with Hane Dust, and you could start some galge or doujin-style world-tuning mode—what an overpowered ability!
Yet, miHoYo's writers seemed to completely forget this God Key. In later plots, not a single frame or mention of Jizo Soul appeared.
That's just ridiculous!
Forget the rest—if Raiden Mei took Jizo Soul to the Elysian Realm, would the Flame-Chasers there still need to play shard-puzzle with Elysia?
It's certain this God Key never fell into Destiny's—or rather, Otto's—hands.
Not because Shiraki believed Theresa wasn't foolish enough to hand over a God Key, but because—
With such a weapon, Otto wouldn't not use it. With his mind, he'd wield that blade to dazzling effect, and it would've shown up in later plots.
Since Otto never used corruption-based abilities, the blade must still be at St. Freya, or in Theresa's hands!
"A blade? A blade… oh! You mean that God Key?" Theresa's eyes widened as Shiraki's hint jogged her memory.
"God Key!?" Raiden Mei and Bronya exchanged strange looks. How didn't they know the Principal had another God Key besides Judah?
"Yes, is Jizo Soul in your possession?"
"Well, that blade is indeed at St. Freya Academy."
"…"
Though he'd been over 80% sure, it was still a guess. Theresa's confirmation made it ironclad, and Shiraki's expression turned odd.
You actually forgot about it?
"Auntie, why never mentioned that God Key?" Kiana's lips twitched uncontrollably.
"W-well…" Theresa scratched her head awkwardly.
"That God Key's origins were unclear. It just appeared at St. Freya out of nowhere. Who knows if it was part of some scheme? So I handed it to the research department to investigate. They found nothing unusual."
"But I figured it couldn't be that simple, so I told them to keep studying. They found nothing, so I told them to keep going…"
After several rounds with no results, Theresa grew skeptical.
It's a God Key, for crying out loud!
In a game, it'd be a server-wide limited, exclusive weapon!
A God Key on par with Black Abyss White Flower and Oath of Judah!
Just dropping into your "house" like that?
Like gold bars falling from the sky into an ordinary person's home—how could anyone use it with peace of mind?
When things seem too good to be true, they usually are!
Theresa decided to keep researching until they found something.
Eventually, the research department stopped bothering with reports, and the blade was gradually forgotten.
After Theresa's explanation, the room fell silent.
The girls looked at the sheepish white-haired dumpling with varied expressions, itching to shout "Genius!" but holding back.
Shiraki's eyes widened. So you're blaming Yae Sakura?
Just tossing a massive treasure over without a word?
You're not usually this cautious, are you?
Shiraki thought it over and could only conclude—classic Theresa!
"Ahem, so, Shiraki, you know about that God Key?"
Feeling awkward under their strange gazes, Theresa coughed twice, waving her small hands to shift focus.
"I do." Shiraki's heart was filled with indescribable emotions. "Once we reach the Anti-Entropy base, please, Principal Theresa, return to St. Freya to retrieve Jizo Soul. We'll need it to find Mobius."
No matter what, snagging a God Key for free was a win, thanks to Theresa's… oversight!
"Auntie, we're counting on you!" Kiana added.
Theresa glanced at Shiraki, then at Kiana and Shiraki's joined hands, nodding. "Alright, no problem!"
She still couldn't fully trust Shiraki after such brief contact, but as always—
She trusted Kiana!