As a symbiotic being, I raise children amidst the chaos.

Theresa took a deep breath, her eyes turning dangerous. She slowly stood up, gripped the cross in her hand, and fixed her gaze on A-303 not far away.

“Chen Yuan, thank you,” Theresa said softly, “but I can’t let you do this for me. This is my own choice.”

"Really? Then I'll leave it to you." Chen Yuan paused for a moment, then nodded and said no more. Since Theresa had made her decision, he would leave it to her, and he trusted her to handle the matter well.

Taking a deep breath, Theresa slammed her hand on the cross. Instantly, it stretched out, and countless chains burst forth from it, dancing rapidly in the air like living things, emitting a series of whooshing sounds.

Seeing this, A-303 showed no emotion. He also unfolded the cross, took out two silver-white spears from it, and looked coldly at Theresa.

"Now, let's begin the second round." Theresa's cross emitted a soft hum, and the chains danced in the air like serpents as they hurtled towards A-303.

A-303 reacted just as swiftly, his two silver-white rifles flashing like lightning, accurately deflecting every chain attack. The sound of clashing metal echoed once more in the training ground, each impact seeming like the tolling of a bell of destiny.

"Hmph!" With a light snort, Theresa grabbed the cross and charged toward A-303, simultaneously retracting a certain number of chains back into the cross, while the rest shot out like sharp arrows in all directions toward A-303.

Under the cover of the chains, Theresa appeared before A-303 in the blink of an eye. At that moment, all the chains were retracted. The latter swung the cross and struck A-303 squarely across the waist.

The A-303 was sent flying backward by the blow, crashing heavily to the ground with a dull thud. However, it did not immediately lose its mobility; instead, it quickly rolled over and stood up, a flicker of pain in its eyes.

This time, Theresa gave A-303 no chance to breathe and immediately launched a new offensive. The cross in her hand spun like a storm, unfolding again, and the chains, like vines in a gale, frantically wrapped around A-303.

The latter clearly did not expect Theresa's attack to be so swift. Although she reacted immediately, the chains were too fast and almost completely blocked her attack route.

With a loud "bang," Theresa swung the cross again, slamming it heavily onto A-303's shoulder. The impact was immense; although A-303 tried its best to dodge, it was still knocked off balance and nearly lost its footing.

Having landed a successful blow, while A-303 regained his footing, Theresa planted the cross on the ground, grabbed both sides with her hands, and jumped up, her feet landing directly on A-303's chest.

Theresa's kick was powerful, and A-303 felt a strong impact coming from his chest, causing his body to involuntarily take a few steps back.

"Wow!" Chen Yuan secretly gave Theresa a thumbs up as he watched her combo. Theresa's movements were undeniably clean and efficient.

“It’s time to end this…” Theresa murmured to herself, a resolute look in her eyes. She extended a chain to bind the cross on A-303 in the distance, and then began to swing it forcefully.

After swinging it two or three times, Theresa released the chains, and the cross flew towards A-303 in an instant. For the first time, a trace of panic flashed in the latter's eyes; the scene in front of her was clearly beyond her control.

Theresa crossed her two silver spears in front of her to block the flying cross, but theresa's strength was too great. The cross, like an arrow released from a bow, instantly broke through A-303's defenses and slammed into her stomach.

"Ugh..." A-303 groaned, and the next second it flew backward, embedding itself in the wall. Watching A-303 fly backward, Theresa felt a mix of emotions.

“You did a great job, A-310.” Otto’s voice came again from the monitoring room, tinged with approval. “Now, all you have to do is walk up to her and end this.”

Theresa walked heavily towards A-303, her heart filled with turmoil and inner conflict. The girl before her had the same face and the same genes as her, like a twin sister.

He crouched down, looking at A-303, whose eyes had lost focus and who seemed to have lost consciousness. His hand trembled slightly as he reached out and gently stroked A-303's cheek, his eyes filled with deep regret.

“I’m sorry…” Theresa whispered, “I…I really didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Theresa, come here, I’ll teach you a few phrases, I guarantee they’ll work.” Seeing Theresa’s hesitation, Chen Yuan whispered in her ear. “Like this, like this, and like that…”

“Otto…” Theresa stood up upon hearing this, abandoning her usual honorifics and looking at the monitor with a sorrowful expression. “I’ve learned this before, and I’ve always believed this: to protect all the weak from the cataclysmic destruction of the Honkai…”

Upon hearing Theresa's words, Otto's pupils began to tremble violently. He stood up uncontrollably, listening intently to what Theresa would say next.

"No matter what it is, including this girl, they are all people I must protect." Theresa took a deep breath and shouted, "I'm willing to give my life for this!"

The last sentence kept echoing in the training room. Otto recalled the night before Kallen died, when Kallen said the same thing to Theresa.

Countless memories flashed through Otto's mind, images of Kallen rapidly switching before his eyes like a slideshow. Kallen's smile, her perseverance, her courage to protect others at all costs—all were so similar to Theresa before him.

After a while, Theresa saw that the microphone still wasn't working, and she grew increasingly uneasy. She whispered to Chen Yuan, "Chen Yuan, is this trick really reliable? I'm starting to feel more and more uncertain..."

"Don't worry, it's absolutely reliable," Chen Yuan patted his chest and assured him. Aside from Otto, no one knew better than him how much those words affected him. Seriously? True damage, kid! And a critical hit at that!

Sure enough, no sooner had Chen Yuan finished speaking than the training room door opened, and Otto strode in. Normally maintaining his dignified and elegant demeanor, he now appeared somewhat flustered.

Theresa's heart skipped a beat when she saw Otto enter, but she quickly regained her composure. Taking a deep breath, she tried to remain calm and awaited Otto's next reaction.

Otto walked up to Theresa, looking at her with a complex expression, then turned to the unconscious A-303. His eyes held a hint of disbelief. Finally, he sighed softly and said, "A-310, you and Karen are so alike."

"Very well, since you've said that, I'll grant your wish. You've passed all my trials, and this child won't die."

Upon hearing Otto's words, Theresa breathed a sigh of relief, and her tension and unease dissipated. She bowed slightly to Otto and said gratefully, "Thank you very much, Bishop Otto."

Otto nodded, a complex emotion in his eyes. "Now that you have passed my test, I should keep my promise. A-310, I will bestow upon you a new name."

“Theresa…” Theresa looked up, gazing into Otto’s beautiful eyes, and mustered her courage to continue. “My name is Theresa!”

"Theresa?" Even Otto was taken aback when he heard Theresa's words; the name was exactly the same as the one he had in mind.

'Is this your gift to me... Kallen?' Otto shook his head, squatted down, and ruffled Theresa's little head. 'Alright, from now on your name will be Theresa. Theresa Apocalypse.'

"You no longer need to address me as bishop. I bestow upon you the name Apocalypse. From now on, you are my granddaughter, and I am your grandfather..."

--------

After some time, Otto led Theresa to a new room. "My lovely little Theresa, this is your new room. Go inside and take a look. If there's anything that doesn't suit you, just tell Grandpa."

“Thank you so much, Bishop Otto… no, Grandpa!” Theresa thanked him softly, then eagerly pushed open the door and entered the room. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the pink interior. “I love it here, thank you, Grandpa!”

Otto smiled as he watched Theresa's retreating figure, his heart filled with satisfaction. He quietly left the room, giving Theresa some private space to adjust to her new environment.

"Is it really necessary to be so happy?" After Otto left, Chen Yuan crossed his legs and sat on the table, looking at Theresa bouncing around on the bed, and said helplessly. "It's just a new room, isn't it?"

"Hmph, of course. This room is really pretty!" Theresa jumped off the bed, ran to the bookshelf, and grabbed several books. "And they even have comics, and a lot of them I've never read before!!"

"Alright, whatever makes you happy." Chen Yuan sighed, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at Theresa's joyful expression.