Chapter 13: Theresa: Why Are You All Herrschers? A night of silence.

The next morning, Yunduo got up early, and after finishing breakfast, she went for morning exercise.

She had promised to teach Kiana Gun Kata, and she couldn't go back on her word.

Yunduo needed to practice all the details of the Gun Kata from her memory a few more times.

Right now, Kiana's Gun Kata was a fragmented version taught by Siegfried; it wasn't complete and hadn't formed a systematic set of moves.

She might be fine against some Rush-type Honkai Beasts or ordinary Death Soldiers, but in a fight against a Valkyrie of the same level, or someone from the Kaslana Family, she would very likely be exploited for her openings.

Today was Sunday, a day off.

The day before, Kiana had promised to wake Yunduo up, but she didn't get up until nine in the morning.

"Ahhh~ that was a good sleep."

After Yunduo woke Kiana up, the latter dawdled for quite a while, but as soon as she heard about learning Gun Kata, she became as excited as a giant panda that had found its bowl of milk.

"Oh, by the way, Yunduo, Aunt said she has something to discuss with you and asked you to go to her office."

After two hours of teaching, once the first light of dawn had passed, Kiana suddenly spoke up.

"I understand."

Yunduo nodded.

Theresa already knew about the Challenge Space, so naturally, she wouldn't just sit idly by.

As the Headmaster of St. Freya Academy, although she appeared soft, cute, and harmless, she was actually a very responsible person.

Theresa's office was located behind the academy's teaching area, obscured by many trees.

The office doors were tightly shut, and Yunduo knocked politely from outside.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Who is it?"

A childish, milky voice asked from inside the room.

"Yunduo."

"Oh, come in."

Hearing the voice, Yunduo pushed the door open and walked in.

The office was grandly decorated.

There was a desk piled high with documents, a bookshelf filled with books, and a "child" whose face was putting on a deliberate show of seriousness.

Yunduo took a peek and noticed a poorly hidden comic book on the desk titled "roam adventure," a book intended for ages 8 to 12.

Theresa was wearing a form-fitting nun's habit, snow-white stockings, and the Schicksal emblem was printed on her skirt.

Yunduo could see her soft little tiger fangs and the remnants of bitter melon juice on the corners of her cherry-pink lips.

She wasn't wearing her habit's veil either.

In Yunduo's memory, Theresa had never really worn the nun's veil.

This didn't mean she hated the veil or was too forgetful to wear it.

—It was simply because the coat rack where the veil hung was a bit too high for her.

At this moment, her azure, innocent eyes were looking at Yunduo. Perhaps because she was trying to act serious, she looked incredibly cute.

"Hello, Headmaster Theresa. Kiana said you were looking for me."

Following her instructions, Yunduo sat down across from Theresa.

"Ah, was I—oh, oh, yes. Cough, cough~"

Theresa used a tissue to wipe the bitter melon juice from her lips. She hadn't been paying attention to Yunduo's question and didn't react immediately.

To maintain her dignity as the Headmaster, she deliberately pretended nothing had happened, while quietly pushing the comic book—of which she had only a little left to read—deeper into the stack of books.

Throughout this, Yunduo kept a calm face, helping her sustain her Headmaster's authority.

—But such a thing was as impossible as Theresa needing an adult ticket to watch a movie; it just didn't exist.

"How is your body? Kiana said you fainted after coming out of 'that place.' The doctor said you weren't injured, just that your mind was overly fatigued."

Theresa hopped down from her desk with a series of thuds and helped Yunduo pour a glass of dark green liquid. It was her favorite bitter melon juice, something ordinary people rarely got to taste.

Yunduo took the drink, which others considered terrifying, and downed it in one go.

A rich bitterness spread from the tip of her tongue throughout her entire body, followed by a faint sweetness that slowly emerged.

She had drunk a lot of this stuff back when she had been reborn as Theresa.

Supposedly, it could help you grow taller!

Theresa cast an appreciative look her way.

The two chatted casually for a moment about trivial matters, such as Yunduo's usual classes, whether Kiana had been bullying her, and if Mei's cooking was to her liking.

Once the small talk was over, Theresa finally got down to business: "Kiana already told me a bit about the situation regarding 'that place.'"

"As the Headmaster, I must be responsible for you, and for all the Valkyries of St. Freya Academy."

"However, my niece is usually a bit airheaded, and her explanation was incomplete. Can you tell me the details?"

"I can."

Yunduo nodded, not minding Theresa knowing all this.

In any case, the matter of the Challenge Space couldn't be kept secret forever; they would find out sooner or later, and besides, Yunduo was willing to trust Theresa.

"Come closer, be careful of eavesdroppers."

Yunduo leaned forward, her body resting on the desk.

Theresa agreed and nodded, took off her small shoes, and stood on the chair behind the desk.

As Yunduo leaned close to Theresa's ear, she caught a whiff of fresh gardenia fragrance.

Theresa's earlobes were as pink and tender as jade fat, and they would twitch slightly whenever she heard an important part.

Because she was sensitive, the air Yunduo exhaled made the transparent fuzz on Theresa's ears sway gently, and the tips of her ears turned a shade of red.

This Headmaster, who looked like a twelve-year-old girl, endured her sensitive ears while listening to Yunduo's account of the Challenge Space.

Finally, Yunduo finished and returned to her seat without a change in expression; she had played a good prank without letting Theresa know.

The Headmaster's ears were very sensitive—a fact that probably only she knew.

The supposedly composed Headmaster coughed twice and rubbed her earlobes, which were as red as ripe persimmons.

"You're saying that the Challenge Space really allows one to know what happens in a future parallel space?"

"This... is simply unbelievable!"

"And Sirin... you took on Kiana's form and killed the Herrscher of Domination?!"

"Fu Hua and Bronya might also become Herrschers?!!!"

Theresa was instantly dumbfounded by the reality of it all.

How was it that St. Freya Academy was full of Herrschers?

She knew that the Herrscher of the Void was sealed inside her niece Kiana.

She also knew that Raiden Mei had become the Herrscher of Thunder.

But Bronya, Fu Hua—how are you all Herrschers too?!!

Even Yunduo, who looked no different from an ordinary person, had transformed into the Herrscher of Flamescion not long ago to kill the Twelfth Herrscher—The Mara!

Now, was she the only one who wasn't a Herrscher? (Table flip!)

Theresa spent a long time calming down, unable to wrap her head around the situation.

Until suddenly, an urgent call came through the communicator, and Murata Himeko's anxious voice rang out.

"Headmaster! A massive Honkai Energy reaction has suddenly appeared outside St. Freya Academy. A large number of Honkai Beasts are gathering and heading towards the academy. I can see many Chariot-class and Knight-class Honkai Beasts. We need heavy reinforcements!!!"