According to the original story, Yae Sakura and Himeko Murata were defeated by Kiana and Mei in a tag-team battle shortly after awakening during the Fourth Honkai Eruption. That's why Himeko says in the manga that she was left weak after being defeated by those three women. After that, she became timid, even too afraid to face the newly awakened Herrscher Yuna, constantly urging Yae Sakura to flee.
I had planned to write this scene, but then I remembered that I'd brought Sparkle into the story. If Yae Sakura had fought Kiana and the others back then, Sparkle might have just blasted her away with a single shot, so I decided not to write it.
Here's a joke: Kiana and Mei defeated Sakura and Himeko with chainsaws and gatling guns, yet Sakura could tear Yuna apart with her bare hands, and Yuna could instantly kill Theresa, who in turn could easily defeat Kiana and Mei.
"Get lost", Yae Sakura glared fiercely at the puffed-up Himeko.
"Hmph," Himeko immediately backed down and dispersed her form.
"Thank you, Judah..." Yae Sakura hugged Judah, feeling Kallen's lingering thoughts and scent clinging to the weapon. But why was this scent so strong not just on Judah, but also on the two people standing nearby?
Yae Sakura turned to look at Ryn and Theresa. Kallen's aura was even stronger on Theresa...
Seeing Yae Sakura turn her gaze toward them, Theresa began to introduce herself. Since Judah hadn't attacked, they were clearly not enemies.
"Hello, Miss Yae Sakura. I'm the head of the Far East Domain. You can call me Theresa. This is Ryn, my student."
"Hello, Theresa. May I ask... are you a descendant of Kallen?" Yae Sakura sniffed Theresa's scent, unable to resist asking.
"Uh... in a way, yes?" Theresa thought of her own creation. After all, she was a clone born from Kallen's cells and Honkai Beast cells...
Upon hearing Theresa's reply, Yae Sakura's eyes dimmed slightly, but they quickly regained their usual sparkle. She smiled at Theresa and asked, "May I give you a hug?"
"Uh... sure," Theresa replied reluctantly, unsure how to refuse. After all, she was the Academy's mascot and often fed by the students...
"Theresa, you're so adorable," Yae Sakura said, cradling Theresa like an infant, her face radiating pure happiness.
As Yae Sakura and Theresa played their mother-daughter game, Judah and Ryn squatted nearby, bored and idly pulling weeds.
"See? I told you Theresa was just a child. My child-rearing methods work perfectly on her," Judah said proudly to Ryn.
"Indeed," Ryn replied with a helpless eye roll. Though Theresa was the Principal, she was more like a beloved child cherished by everyone at the Academy.
After a moment of tenderness with Theresa, Yae Sakura bid farewell to the group, preparing to leave.
"There's a terrifying presence within me. I'm sorry, I can't let it harm you. So, this is where we part ways. Judah... it was wonderful to see you again!"
Tears welled in Yae Sakura's eyes as she waved goodbye.
"No," Ryn and Theresa said in unison, rejecting her farewell.
They couldn't let Yae Sakura just wander off. Allowing a Pseudo-Herrscher, who could go berserk at any moment, to roam freely was like letting a live atomic bomb roll around unattended!
Theresa waved her small hand decisively, saying firmly, "I've established a Valkyrie Academy. We'll be responsible for your safety. If you lose control, we can intervene swiftly. Moreover, everyone at the academy has excellent Honkai adaptability, so you don't need to worry about being harmed by your Honkai Energy. St. Freya Academy is the best place for you."
Ryn chimed in, joining Theresa's efforts to persuade Yae Sakura.
"That's right. But more importantly, Kallen is still alive—though perhaps not in the way you expect. Never mind, you can sort that out later. Kallen is at St. Freya Academy, so come with us, Yae Sakura!"
Both Ryn and Theresa extended olive branches to Yae Sakura, but she looked uncertainly at Judah.
Judah nodded at Yae Sakura and said, "Kallen is still alive, though... well, she's still alive."
Judah didn't understand why the Kallen before her, who looked exactly like the Kallen she knew, wasn't the same person. Perhaps it was what people called a different soul! But what did that matter to a Divine Key like her? After all, her current master was Ryn anyway.
Yae Sakura remained hesitant. Theresa had also mentioned that she was Kallen's descendant... which meant Kallen must have married and had children. How could she face Kallen now?
"Alright, alright, don't overthink it. Yae Sakura, Kallen really wants to see you again, and I'm sure you want to see her too. So come with us!"
"Alright... thank you," Yae Sakura whispered. Even if Kallen had married and had children, she still wanted to see her again, even if it meant only being able to stay by her side.
Once, when Kallen had spoken with others, Yae Sakura had been so jealous that she'd even considered turning Kallen into a doll...
Fortunately, Kallen had taught her that love was never selfish. Love was about sacrifice...
Once aboard the airship, Yae Sakura looked around curiously. Theresa took her on a tour, explaining the instruments and pointing out the scenery through the window.
Meanwhile, Ryn and Judah sat by the hatch, sucking on lollipops and letting the wind whipped up by the airship's high speed blow through their hair. They silently gazed at the landscape below.
"Kallen, I brought you a surprise," Ryn typed into his communicator and sent the message to Kallen.
He had barely finished sending the message when Kallen replied instantly.
"What surprise? How did the mission go? Kiana, Sparkle, and Mei have been worried about you."
"It's a secret, but I guarantee you'll be thrilled. We're already preparing to return. Tell Kiana and the others everything went smoothly. The Savior effortlessly resolved the crisis once again, saving Nagazora City."
But all Ryn received in reply was a series of emoji stickers from Kallen: panda men giving the middle finger...