"Welt's... theory?"
Theresa furrowed her brows slightly, her eyes flickering.
She was aware of this matter.
Given Himeko's friendship with Welt, there was no reason for Theresa not to pay attention to the ideology Welt was promoting.
Since Himeko was interested, it was impossible for Theresa not to notice it.
However, books that explained ideologies tended to be rather dry, especially for someone who hadn't been exposed to such content before.
Theresa had flipped through Himeko's collection, but Schicksal had banned the dissemination of this material, and to be honest, it was quite boring.
As a result, turning a blind eye to Himeko's actions was the biggest effort Theresa had made in regard to this ideology.
"Why... are you bringing up this condition?"
Theresa asked in confusion, her tone more curious than resistant.
She didn't fully understand the reason behind Otto's ban on this ideology.
Naturally, she wouldn't realize that once Sigurd opened a breakthrough—through ideology—it would spread like wildfire.
Sigurd made no attempt to hide his intentions and explained openly, "It's to gather Schicksal's power into our hands."
"Then I'm in!"
Theresa didn't fully grasp it, but she was certain it had to be a good thing.
Sigurd raised an eyebrow and looked toward Fu Hua.
"Then it's settled. Fu Hua, help her remove the shackles in her consciousness."
"Alright, I'll do my best."
Fu Hua raised her hand, placing it on Theresa's forehead.
From her palm emerged a shimmering golden feather, which slowly merged into Theresa's head.
Glurp!
In the silent atmosphere, Wendy couldn't help but gulp nervously.
She took small steps toward Sigurd, tugging at his sleeve.
"Hey, do you really think Principal Theresa's mind has been controlled?"
"It's not really mind control. Otto just keeps her in a state of naivety while subconsciously making her avoid digging deeper into his experiment. From his perspective, it's actually a way of protecting her so he would have no reason to hurt her."
"Ugh... that's so disgusting! If it were me, I'd never tolerate having my mind twisted like that! Ahh! It hurts!"
Sigurd held a freshly pulled black-and-green strand of hair, spreading it out in his hands. After a moment of observation, he nodded in satisfaction.
"What are you doing?!"
Wham!
A small fist, accompanied by a gust of wind, shot towards Sigurd's face, but he caught it casually. Then, he plucked a few more strands from Wendy's head.
"Aaah!"
"Stop whining. It's just a few hairs, I'm not cutting into your flesh."
"For a girl, that's practically the same as cutting flesh! You jerk!"
"The essence of Soulium lies in nano-machine technology combined with a Herrscher's body composition. Welt, after all, wasn't an original Herrscher. His current body was constructed through his power, so it's of no real use. But you're different. Using your body tissue, I can definitely create real Soulium."
"Who cares about that?!"
Wendy aimed a high kick at Sigurd's chin.
Her movements were sharp and ruthless, showing no concern about whether her Herrscher's power might pose a threat to him. Nor did she care about the risk of exposing herself—after all, it was Sigurd standing before her, so neither of those concerns mattered.
"Tsk."
Sigurd clicked his tongue, grabbing Wendy's raised ankle and pulling it upward.
"Yaaah!!"
With a cute scream, Wendy was left hanging upside down by one leg. Her skirt flipped over, covering her upper body and face.
"Behave. That's enough hair for today. Once I make the sample, I'll tell you how to use your body from now on."
"You jerk! Put me down right now!"
"Okay."
Sigurd released his grip.
Wendy, headfirst, fell toward the ground.
Just as her face was about to hit the dirt, she summoned a gust of wind with a wave of her hand, propping herself back up.
She stood upright, straightened her dress, and then lunged at Sigurd with her claws extended, aiming for his face.
"Sigurd, you dog! I'm going to kill you!"
Smack!
A heavy karate chop landed on Wendy's head, leaving her dazed.
She staggered a few steps before collapsing onto the ground.
Sigurd curled his lip, then leaned down to pinch her face as she sat on the ground, angry tears welling up in her eyes.
"Stop fussing. Behave."
"Argh (￣皿￣///)!"
"Are you a dog? Let go, that's not sanitary at all."
"Ptuh! You're the dog! Your whole family is dogs!"
"My family... I'm the only one left."
Sigurd said calmly, looking at Wendy with a serene expression.
Wendy's hands, which had been clinging to him stubbornly, froze. Her pupils contracted, and the anger and agitation on her face vanished, replaced by a deep sense of guilt.
"...Sorry."
Wendy mumbled, releasing Sigurd's saliva-covered hand.
She climbed up from the ground and, after a moment of hesitation, pulled out a few strands of her own hair and quietly handed them to Sigurd.
Seeing the extra experimental material, Sigurd smiled and patted her head.
"Thanks."
"No need. If you need more, just ask. And... don't say things like that. You've still got us by your side, you're not alone."
Wendy replied softly, cautiously taking Sigurd's hand and giving him a gentle smile.
…
[Well done! That's right, now go for it, seal the deal with Sigurd tonight!]
'...'
[I never expected you, of all people, to be so bold!]
'...'
[Wait, why so quiet? Are you too shy to think straight? Is that all you've got!?]
...
In reality, Wendy's smile remained frozen on her face. Sigurd looked at her thoughtfully, then frowned.
"Don't tell me... you like me?"
"Huh? No way! Are you dreaming? I could never like a violent, thick-headed brute like you!"
Wendy abruptly let go of Sigurd's hand and took a few steps back, wearing an expression of exaggerated arrogance.
Meanwhile, her Herrscher personalities inside her cursed themselves internally—Damn it! Such a perfect moment, how did it end up like this!?
Sigurd stroked his chin, scrutinizing Wendy's stiff demeanor.
He couldn't quite tell if she was being her usual tsundere self or if she genuinely disliked him.
'Hopefully, I'm overthinking this... I've disciplined her so many times, there's no way she'd like me, right? She's not a masochist, after all.'
Half-believing his own thoughts, Sigurd nodded, letting out a sigh.
Hopefully, it was just his imagination!
With Kiana's situation mostly resolved, now the issue of Sin Mal seems more complicated.
That girl's worldview is unlike anyone else's, and from Sigurd's perspective, the chance of her willingly leaving him is practically zero.
Can Kiana accept that? Can Sin Mal accept it? Especially since Sin Mal is still a minor...
Honestly, how should this be handled properly? Sigurd rubbed his forehead, finding this dilemma more of a headache than the Honkai itself.
...
The interaction between Sigurd and Wendy was brief.
After just a few minutes, Fu Hua's expression suddenly changed, and she stepped back.
At the same time, Theresa slowly opened her eyes.
Her bright, jewel-like blue eyes now reflected a calmness and faint sadness completely different from before.
"Phew... So this is what Grandpa did to me?"
Theresa placed a hand over her heart, looking up. In the moonlight, a tear slid down her cheek.
"Cecilia... Kiana..."
She whispered, her voice filled with heartbreaking sorrow.
"Principal?"
Wendy quickly stepped forward, her tone tinged with worry.
As she had said earlier, Wendy understood that Theresa hadn't acted against her out of malice, and it was hard for Wendy to ignore someone she once admired.
Theresa smiled warmly at Wendy, her eyes as gentle and soft as moonlight, filled with deep regret and compassion.
Wendy stared blankly at her, her face flushing, then suddenly found herself pulled into a soft, sweet embrace.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault that you went through all of that. I'm so happy you were able to move on and start a new life."
"Pr-Principal..."
"I don't know how to make it up to you right now, but from now on, if you ever need anything, come to me anytime. Keep going, and make your life as bright and beautiful as the sunshine, okay?"
"Mm! (๑•͈ᴗ•͈)"
Theresa released Wendy, gently pinching her flushed cheeks with a soft smile.
Then, she turned to Sigurd and raised her hand toward the distant weapon storage room.
Whoosh!
Boom!!
With a tearing sound, a golden streak shot through the night sky.
A large black and gold-edged cross sped towards Theresa's hand like lightning.
Her snow-white hair danced lightly in the wind, giving her an air of striking heroism as she stroked the cross known as the Oath of Judah, letting out a soft sigh.
"I'll introduce that ideology in the academy. After all, if Grandpa feared it so much, it must hold great power. Plus, I trust Welt as a person; his soul shines so brightly. Aside from that, I'll cooperate with whatever else you need, but I have one more favor to ask."
"'The Oath of Judah'?"
"Yes. Its original form was the 'Key of Restraint' from the previous era, designed to disperse and suppress Honkai energy. After Grandpa modified it, its melee capabilities were greatly enhanced. But because he altered it, as long as I use it, I can never truly go against him... Who knows how many contingencies Grandpa left inside. Sigurd, I know your technical abilities rival Grandpa's. Please, help me rebuild Judah. I need a 'Oath of Judah' that belongs solely to me!"
"That sounds like an interesting challenge. I'll do it."
Sigurd had barely nodded when the sky lit up with golden brilliance. A massive force crashed to the ground.
Boom!!!
The earth trembled, stones flew, and the powerful Honkai energy burst out, scattering the surrounding Titan mechs and firepower in all directions.
Tap! Tap!
Out of the smoke, a young blonde girl in a regal red dress, wearing crystal-like high heels, stepped forward.
She was holding a golden feather that slowly disintegrated into light particles.
Her cold face exuded an icy demeanor as she walked into the group's view.
Hera arrived on the scene, her gaze sweeping over Theresa, Sigurd, Fu Hua, and Wendy.
Then, she crushed the golden feather in her hand and coldly declared:
"Sigurd, Fu Hua, you've gone too far!"
<+>
Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please go to my Ko-Fi[1], just for $5 each month, you can read till the latest chapter.
Latest Chapter in Ko-Fi: Chapter 274: Infighting? A Hundredfold Payback![2]
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[2] https://ko-fi.com/post/Chapter-274-Infighting-A-Hundredfold-Payback-E1E31DBJY8
[3] https://ko-fi.com/post/Chapter-274-Infighting-A-Hundredfold-Payback-E1E31DBJY8
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