"Welt's... ideology?"
Theresa frowned slightly, her eyes flickering momentarily.
She was indeed aware of this matter. Given the close friendship between Himeko and Welt, there was no reason for Theresa not to pay attention to the ideology he vigorously promoted. Since Himeko took interest, it was inevitable that Theresa would notice as well.
Books that merely expound on theories tend to be rather dry, especially for those unfamiliar with the subject matter.
Theresa had once skimmed through Himeko's collection, but given Schicksal's internal ban on its dissemination and the sheer boredom of the content, she chose to turn a blind eye—her greatest effort regarding this ideology.
"Why...are you making such a request?" Theresa asked skeptically, more out of curiosity than resistance.
She didn't fully grasp why Otto imposed the ban, nor did she understand that once Zeke breached the barrier—ideas can indeed spread like contagion.
Zeke didn't bother concealing his intentions; there was no need to do so. He explained straightforwardly:
"To consolidate power within Schicksal under my control."
"Count me in!" While still unclear about the specifics, Theresa felt it must be beneficial.
Zeke raised an eyebrow and turned to Fu Hua. "Agreed on these terms. Fu Hua, help remove the shackles from her consciousness domain."
"All right, I'll do my best."
Fu Hua placed her hand gently on Theresa's forehead. A radiant golden feather emerged from her palm and slowly merged into Theresa's head.
"Gulp!"
In the solemn atmosphere, Wendy couldn't help but swallow nervously. She tiptoed up to Zeke and tugged at his sleeve.
"Hey, was Principal Theresa really mind-controlled?"
"Not that extreme. Otto wouldn't directly control her thoughts; he just kept her utterly naive while unconsciously preventing actions against him... something along those lines. From his perspective, it's actually meant to protect her."
"Hiss... How disgusting! If it were me, I'd never tolerate my mind being manipulated like that! Ah! That hurts!"
Zeke held up a recently plucked hair with hints of green amidst its black strands, examined it briefly, and nodded in satisfaction.
"What did you do that for?!"
"Pop!"
Wendy swung her tiny fist, stirring a gust of wind, aiming straight for Zeke's face—but he casually caught it mid-air.
Then, he proceeded to pull out a few more strands from Wendy's head.
"Agh!"
"Don't fuss over a couple of hairs—it's not like I'm cutting off your flesh."
"To girls, it might as well be! You jerk!"
"The essence of Soulium is nano-mechanical technology combined with components from a Herrscher's body. Welt isn't a native Herrscher, and his current form was even constructed using abilities; it has no practical use. You're different—using your biological tissues will undoubtedly create genuine Soulium."
"Who asked you that?!"
Wendy swiftly kicked Zeke's chin with a sharp and vicious motion. On one hand, she disregarded any concerns about the threat her Herrscher powers might pose to him; on the other, she didn't care about exposing herself either—after all, it was just Zeke, making both aspects irrelevant.
"Tch!" Zeke clicked his tongue, grabbed Wendy's ankle mid-kick, and yanked upwards.
"Eek!"
With an adorable shriek, Wendy dangled upside down in mid-air, her dress flipping over to cover her upper body and face.
"Calm down. This should be enough for today. Once I've created a sample, I'll inform you how we'll utilize your body moving forward."
"You bastard! Put me down, quickly!"
"Oh, sure."
Zeke released his grip.
As Wendy plummeted headfirst towards the ground, just before hitting face-first, she waved her hand, summoning a gentle breeze to lift herself back up. Straightening out her dress, she then lunged fiercely at Zeke, aiming to scratch his face.
"Zeke, you mutt, I'll make you pay with your life!"
Whack!
A forceful chop struck Wendy's head, causing her to reel and momentarily lose balance before collapsing onto the ground.
So what if she's a Herrscher? Hmph, still as weak as they come!
Zeke curled his lip, looking down at the girl's tear-filled face twisted with anger. He leaned over and gently pinched her cheek.
"Don't be naughty, behave yourself."
"Augh!" ( ̄皿 ̄///)
"Are you a dog now? Let go, that's not hygienic at all."
"Pfft! You're the dog! Your whole family is dogs!"
"My family... only has me left," Zeke replied calmly, gazing steadily at Wendy.
Wendy's grip on his hand loosened; her pupils contracted, and the fury on her face instantly vanished, replaced by deep remorse.
"...I'm sorry," Wendy murmured softly, releasing Zeke's saliva-covered hand and standing up from the ground.
She obediently positioned herself next to Zeke. After a moment of hesitation, she pulled out a few strands of her hair and silently placed them in his hand.
Seeing the additional experimental material, Zeke's lips curved upwards, and he patted Wendy's head.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. Just let me know if you need more. Also, please don't say things like that again. We are here for you; you're not alone." Wendy spoke tenderly, carefully taking one of Zeke's hands and offering him a gentle smile.
["Great job! Keep it up, strike while the iron's hot, and win Zeke over tonight!"]
'...'
["I never expected someone as timid as you to show such boldness! Impressive!"]
'...'
["Wait? Why so quiet all of a sudden? Is it... because you're too shy, your thoughts have gone blank? That's all you've got?!"]
In the real world, facing Wendy's unchanging, forced smile, Zeke pondered for a moment before frowning.
"You don't...like me, do you?"
"Huh? How could that be possible? Are you dreaming? There's absolutely no way I'd like a brutish, dim-witted blockhead like you!"
Wendy abruptly shook off Zeke's hand, took a few steps back, and wore an expression filled with arrogance.
Simultaneously, both personalities mentally berated themselves—Oh no! With such a perfect opportunity, how did it slip away so easily?!
Zeke rubbed his chin, scrutinizing Wendy's stiff demeanor. For a moment, he couldn't discern if she was just being her usual tsundere self or genuinely expressing disdain towards him.
'Hopefully, I'm overthinking this... I mean, even though I occasionally discipline her, it's not like she's a masochist; there's no way she could actually like me, right?'
With mixed feelings, Zeke nodded slightly and sighed.
He fervently hoped he was indeed overthinking!
The situation regarding Kiana seemed more or less settled.
Now, Sin's issue appeared particularly thorny. Her worldview differed significantly from most people's, and from Zeke's perspective, the likelihood of her willingly leaving him was practically zero.
Could Kiana accept this? Would Sin agree to it? Moreover, Sin was still underage... In short, he had no clue how to handle this delicately!
Rubbing his forehead, Zeke felt this predicament was giving him more headaches than the Major Honkai Eruption itself.
Zeke's conversation with Wendy was brief. After just a few minutes, Fu Hua's expression shifted abruptly, and she took a step back.
At the same time, Theresa slowly opened her eyes. Those bright blue irises, shimmering like precious gems, displayed an unusual tranquility tinged with subtle sorrow.
"Whew... So this is what my grandfather did to me?"
Theresa placed a hand over her heart and tilted her head back. Under the moonlight, a single tear slid down from the corner of her eye.
"Cecilia... Kiana..."
She whispered their names, carrying an utterly heartbreaking depth of grief.
"Principal?"
Wendy stepped closer, concern etched on her face as she looked at Theresa.
As Wendy had earlier acknowledged, she understood that Theresa didn't intentionally harm her out of malice. Consequently, it was difficult for Wendy not to care about someone she once admired so deeply.
Theresa lowered her gaze, offering Wendy a warm smile reminiscent of a loving elder—gentle, graceful, filled with profound remorse and affection.
Her presence felt akin to the soft glow of moonlight.
Wendy stared at this scene, blushing slightly before being enveloped by a soft and sweet embrace.
"I'm so sorry—it was all my fault that you had to go through those things. I'm glad you've managed to move on and start anew."
"Pr-Principal..."
"My apologies—I don't know how to make it up to you right now, but from here on out, please feel free to come to me whenever you need anything. Stay strong and strive for a life as bright as sunshine, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am (?o?o)!"
Theresa released Wendy, gently pinched her flushed cheeks, and smiled warmly.
Then she turned toward Zeke, gesturing towards the distant weapons storage room.
Whizz!
Boom!
With a sound tearing through the air, a golden streak pierced the night sky—a massive black cross with golden edges. It swiftly arrived in Theresa's hand.
She caressed Judas's Oath, letting out a soft sigh.
"I will implement this Ideology Introduction throughout the academy. If Grandpa fears it so much, there must be immense power hidden within. Besides, I trust Welt's character; his soul shines brilliantly. Moreover, for any future requests you have, I'll do my best to accommodate them. However, I need your help with one more thing."
"The Oath of Judah?"
"Yes, its prototype was the 'Key of Binding' from the previous era—a domain-type weapon originally designed to disperse and suppress Honkai Energy. After Grandpa modified it, its close-quarters combat capabilities significantly improved. But precisely because he altered it, using Judas against him is impossible... No one knows how many fail-safes Grandpa may have left behind. Zeke, knowing that your technical prowess matches or even surpasses Grandpa's, could you please recreate Judas for me? What I need is a Judas's Oath wholly mine!"
"Fascinating challenge, count me in."
Just as Zeke nodded, golden radiance illuminated the night sky, followed by a colossal surge of energy striking the ground.
"BOOM!!"
The earth trembled, sending debris flying, while intense Honkai Energy dispersed like a gale, scattering the surrounding Titans and firepower formations chaotically.
Stomp! Stomp!
Amidst the smoke, a blonde-haired girl clad in a noble crimson gown emerged, her crystal-like high heels striking the ground with each step. Holding a golden feather slowly dissipating into particles of light, her expression cold as ice, she stepped into view.
Hera surveyed Theresa, Zeke, Fu Hua, and Wendy one by one before crushing the golden feather in her hand and sternly declaring:
"Zeke, Fu Hua, you two... have gone too far!"