Honkai Impact: The Dream Keeper

"So before that, at the very least, she wanted to see with her own eyes the place her sister had described to her countless times."

“—Yae Village, Canghai City,” Theresa paused before speaking.

"I...I have to go now. Thank you for granting my wish."

"No... it was just a small favor."

"So, could you grant me one last unreasonable request?"

"What are the requirements?" Long Qiao asked.

"Dance with me, right here."

Under the moonlight, the girl reached out her hand to the boy. The boy clearly sensed the gentle atmosphere around the girl conveying a faint smile. This must be the girl's original appearance. The boy smiled, gently took the girl's hand, and bowed.

"Extremely happy to..."

"I escaped with my sister, but I ran away from her again."

"Oh?"

"Her gentleness makes me dependent on her, yet it also makes me uneasy. Perhaps it would be more reassuring for her to show that she needs me in a simple and easy-to-understand way, like my grandfather. But that person seems to take it for granted, being so gentle to me without asking for anything in return. Does she really need me?"

"I feel at ease yet uneasy, uneasy yet warm, as if my emotions don't belong to me, and I can't feel grounded."

Long Qiao had been quietly listening to Theresa's story, and this time Long Qiao sensed that Theresa's words were no longer cold but filled with her own emotions.

"I am ultimately just a doll that Grandpa created for my sister's resurrection, but... can dolls have these kinds of emotions? Do they? Tell me, I completely don't understand anymore."

Theresa looked up at Long Qiao's resolute face, her expression pleading for help.

"No... In my opinion, you are not a puppet. You are a person, a living person. Real puppets don't have emotions, but you do. And I can feel your heart beating passionately. That is the best proof that you are a person."

Long Qiao's soft words brought the girl boundless tenderness to her ears.

"Tomorrow night... let's go to the amusement park... next time if there's a chance... let's go to an even better place." Long Qiao said to Theresa beside her, gazing at the distant lights.

After a moment of silence, the girl finally nodded.

The girl left, but Long Qiao and Mo Ye remained on the rooftop.

“This world is very unfair to her,” Mo Ye said, a rare occurrence for him.

“Yes… my dual powers are almost fully integrated with this body. When that happens, I’ll take Theresa away and let her leave this place for my world…” Long Qiao said after making up her mind.

"can."

"Alright, let's go, I'm leaving now, I'm so sleepy..." Long Qiao yawned and left.

After enjoying the wind by himself for a while, Mo Ye also walked into the depths of the shadows.

When Long Qiao woke up, it was already the second night. The empty room was covered with a layer of ink stains. Long Qiao sat up sleepily. The CPU restarted and he vaguely remembered the promise he made with Theresa last night. He was going to take her to Houmu Houmu Amusement Park tonight. But who came up with that name? It's so tasteless.

"Hmm... perfect timing, Kabuto!"

After transforming into Kamen Rider Kabuto, Ryuu Takumi activates his armor and disappears from the room. When Ryuu Takumi arrives on the rooftop, he discovers Theresa seemingly talking to someone, so he hides in the shadows and eavesdrops.

"I know it's wrong, but I can't help it."

“Sister, please…please give me one more night,” Theresa said.

“Because…I made plans with someone…to…go to…the…amusement park…” Theresa’s words were broken and intermittent.

“Theresa… I’m sorry, I can’t agree to your request,” said another white-haired girl.

“Many people have already been killed, and you are in far too much danger right now,” the white-haired girl said.

"Huh? That person looks like Kallen. Is he Kallen's counterpart? Are Kallen and Theresa sisters in this world? Interesting."

“We must deliver the final blow, Lady Kallen,” Himeko, who was standing to the side, suddenly said.

"...Where did I see Himeko just now? Holy crap! I must be going blind."

“I know… Theresa, my dear sister, I’m the one who brought you out. Before you lose your mind, at least I’ll be the one to help you…”

Just as Kallen was about to make her move, a black slash and a red shadow instantly swept across the battlefield, bursting into flames.

"Good coordination, Mo Ye."

"the same as you."

Then, Long Qiao, dressed in armor, and Mo Ye, wearing a black mask, appeared in front of Theresa.

Long Qiao turned around and looked at Theresa. After noticing that something was wrong with her, Long Qiao automatically deactivated her transformation and approached Theresa. When Long Qiao reached Theresa, Theresa pounced on her and bit Long Qiao's neck.

“I’m…sorry,” Theresa said weakly.

"It's okay, it's my own choice."

"It's a good thing you discovered your body's abilities, otherwise I'm afraid I'd break those two teeth of yours."

Theresa was wantonly sucking the blood from Long Qiao's body, and Karen, who was standing to the side, could no longer stand.

"Stop! Theresa!" Kallen shouted.

"I'm fine, let her suck it if she wants," Long Qiao said nonchalantly.

"Damn it! How can you have such a good appetite? You're going to die!"

When Long Qiao forced her eyes open, the surrounding scene changed again, everyone around her disappeared again, and the surroundings were plunged into darkness.

"...You bastard! What have you done to me this time? Is it fun to play with me like this?" Long Qiao's eyes gradually turned red, and his tone became irritable.

When Long Qiao opened his eyes for the second time, a brown-haired girl dressed in a maid outfit appeared before him, smiling at him.

Long Qiao stared at the girl expressionlessly, then suddenly lunged forward, grabbing her by the neck with one hand and questioning her.

"Is it fun? Who do you think I am?" Long Qiao's golden pupils turned blood red, and an intense sense of oppression instantly pressed down on the girl.

"Tell me honestly... what happened? Otherwise you'll die a horrible death." Long Qiao questioned after releasing the girl, exuding a wild aura like that of a ferocious beast.

The girl looked at Long Qiao with a flushed face, and the oppressive feeling emanating from her grew stronger.

"Ahem... It's just that time and space have been reset for some reason, and your mission is to find out a future where Lady Kallen won't die—please make sure you remember that."

“Karen…she’s not…hiss…who…is she?”

Just as Long Qiao was about to say that Karen was already dead, her mind suddenly went blank and she began to feel a sharp pain. The next second, however, Long Qiao forgot about Karen.

"Memory impairment caused by assimilation? Please recall your identity, Lord Long Qiao..."

The next moment... a heavy drowsiness suddenly overwhelmed Long Qiao's mind, and the girl's words faded into the distance...

"Today is the first night you agreed to investigate for Ms. Himeko... Please don't forget the time..."