Honkai Impact: The Dream Keeper

2:44:36 AM, 2006 —

Long Qiao and Theresa met again, and they spoke the same familiar words.

"Human, tell me your name."

“My name is Long Qiao, Long as in Dragon King, and Qiao as in chocolate,” Long Qiao said.

“…Let’s make a deal, human. I will tell you the story of a girl connected to this event, but in return, you must help me… no, she, to fulfill a wish,” Theresa said.

"This deal... do you accept it?"

"Of course, if I can do it."

Just as planned and predicted, he gained Theresa's trust, just like the first time. Meanwhile, on the rooftop where the two had danced together for the first time, Karen was already hiding there.

Just like the first time, Theresa held Long Qiao's hand.

“I escaped with my sister, but I managed to escape from her again,” Theresa said.

"why?"

"Her gentleness makes me dependent on her, yet it also makes me uneasy. Perhaps it would be more reassuring if she showed me that she needed me in a simple and easy-to-understand way, like my grandfather did. 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. I can't feel grounded. In the end, I'm just a puppet that my grandfather created for my sister's resurrection."

"No matter how many times I listen to it...sigh..."

"But...do dolls have these kinds of emotions? Do they? Tell me, I'm completely confused."

Theresa looked up at Long Qiao, her eyes pleading for help.

“You’re not some doll…you are you. My troubles and struggles, and your smiles, are all proof that you are truly alive.” Long Qiao said with a smile, patting Theresa’s head.

"Eh?"

"You're not a doll, you're real. We all try our best to live, and so do you. Doesn't that prove it?"

Theresa stared wide-eyed at Long Qiao, then covered her mouth as tears streamed down her face.

"Strange... I think I said something similar the first time... Why didn't it happen this time? I know, it's a hidden Easter egg in the game!"

"Why are you crying? Did I say something I shouldn't have?" Long Qiao asked, scratching her head.

"No, no, all along, I have only ever wanted to hear someone say that to me."

As Long Qiao looked at the girl with tears streaming down her face, she reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of the girl's eyes. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet whizzed past Long Qiao's cheek, but was caught by a purple scorpion.

"Well done, Scorpion. Theresa, you... hurry up and go."

After looking at the scene before her, Theresa realized what was happening. She turned back and gave Long Qiao a deep look before leaping away and disappearing into the night.

"Oh, what do you mean by that?" Long Qiao asked Karen with a smile.

"enough!"

"Hey, hey, hey, you've broken our agreement."

"I've said enough!"

“Why give her hope?! Why give her tenderness?! Why… why…” Karen said.

“You’re not an investigator from Schicksal Headquarters at all. Theresa is the name I gave A-872. That’s right… the ‘sister’ who gave her freedom and then abandoned her is me.”

"If that's the case, why point a gun at her? Her wish is something we can do every day; she just wants to see the world," Long Qiao said, glancing at the night scene.

“But she’s too dangerous. Ever since she left Schicksal headquarters, she hasn’t been able to control her vampiric urges. If she’s allowed to continue living, there will definitely be more victims,” Karen said.

“I know… innocent people will die because of her, but those people… also have their own lives and various wishes… but that is not a reason to deprive a girl of her right to live! If we let her go back… would it make a difference?”

"It's useless. This is just your self-satisfaction. If I take Theresa back, the bishop will definitely not let her go. She will be treated even more severely. To prevent her from escaping again, the bishop may even completely deprive her of her mobility. Moreover, I have no information that I can take Theresa away unharmed. Once the Honkai Beast inside her awakens, even I will not be her match."

“Therefore, once the battle begins, I will definitely make killing her my goal and go all out,” Kallen said solemnly.

"If I remember correctly, if you kill Theresa, you will also..."

Just as Long Qiao was about to say something, he saw something called enlightenment in Karen's eyes. At that moment, Long Qiao understood, and he smiled bitterly.

She twisted her neck slightly, revealing the bloody bite marks on her neck.

“This body… died 500 years ago,” Karen said.

“Bishop… Otto… He used Theresa’s power to revive me, but I lost most of my senses and only have scattered memories of that person named Karen.”

"I don't know what I am. Theresa is my only family."

"But now I have no choice but to bury her, to repay her along with this false life. We... were things that should never have existed in this world in the first place."

After Long Qiao finished smoking a cigarette and exhaled a puff of white smoke, he could sense Karen's determination, and the things contained in that determination were far more profound than he had imagined.

"Although I don't know who you are, you are a very gentle person," Karen said softly.

"Gentle...? I don't think the Orphnochs would agree..."

"Self-satisfaction is also a kind of gentleness, but a little bit of gentleness can't change anything. Take this gun; it contains a special bullet that the bishop gave me. This bullet is lethal to both Theresa and me. With it, you have a choice. As a member of the Kaslana family, I can't let Theresa continue like this..."

"...I had no choice, but you are different."

After Long Qiao took the gun, he just watched Karen leave.

"I still can't bear to see the story end like this..."

"The ending of the story... should be decided by me! How can I give up until the very last moment!" Long Qiao said through gritted teeth, a hint of determination in her eyes.

At the same time, something the size of a lunchbox suddenly appeared above Long Qiao's head and landed in front of her. Just as Long Qiao was about to pick it up, a sword hilt appeared from the ground. Long Qiao couldn't help but laugh when she saw it, and then the system's voice appeared again...

"It's my turn. The ending of the story...I will write it!"

After tying up her loose hair and putting away the two items that had appeared, Long Qiao hurried towards the battlefield.

Following the sound of gunfire, Long Qiao ran at top speed through the alley. Perhaps it was a cruel twist of fate, but at a familiar corner was the alley where he met Theresa and said goodbye to Himeko. Theresa and Kallen were fighting, and not far away, the wounded Himeko was kneeling, barely supporting herself with her sword to keep from falling.

“Why, why you?” Theresa asked, looking at Karen.

“I thought that my sister was the only one in the world who loved me,” Theresa said.

“Theresa, you are in far too much danger right now. I must take care of you before new infected appear…”

“Theresa, my dear sister, I am the one who brought you out. It is my sin. Do not be afraid, at least I will be with you…”

"No! I still have a wish that hasn't been fulfilled! I absolutely cannot die here!"

Just as Theresa was about to go berserk—

"Blazing Sword! Brave Dragon~! The First Volume of Blazing Fire! When the Courageous Dragon and the Fiery Sword clash, the Crimson Sword will pierce through evil!"

"Fire! Dragon! One-hit kill! Fire!"

A red sword shadow flashed across the alley, and Long Qiao, now transformed into Kamen Rider Saber Brave Dragon form, slowly entered the battle.

"A choice? I'm sorry... I have a serious case of decision paralysis."

After saying that, Long Qiao threw the gun that Karen had given him on the ground and stomped on it until it was destroyed.

"Mo Ye, please help! I need to speak with Theresa for a few minutes."

"coming!"

Himeko and Kallen on the battlefield instantly felt an intense pressure that made them unable to get up. Then, a figure in a trench coat walked out and subdued them with one hand.

"Time... Realm"

Long Qiao transformed into the form of an Orphnoch and whispered. Then, Long Qiao and Theresa vanished instantly. In a space filled with a sea of ​​golden flowers, Long Qiao transformed back into human form and reappeared with Theresa.

"Theresa..."

"Skilled!" Theresa exclaimed in surprise and then pounced on Long Qiao.

“Hey… Theresa, behind that spacetime rift is a world where there’s no one. No one will hurt you there… I’m sorry… To prevent innocent people from getting hurt again, I have no choice but to… I have no choice but to do this…” Long Qiao said, biting her lip.

"I...don't blame you...thank you..."

“Hoo... Theresa... I swear in the name of the Holy Blade, I will come to get you, and then I will take you... home.”

"...Qiao..." After hearing Long Qiao's words, Theresa finally couldn't hold back her tears and they flowed down her cheeks.

Here, the golden light from all around converged in the sky and transformed into two fantasy books. Long Qiao took them; the fantasy book in her left hand was called "The Story of the Vampire Girl and the Boy," and the fantasy book in her right hand was called "The Vow Between the Boy and the Vampire Girl."

At the same time, a new fantasy book also fell down... The Dragon Knight Fantasy Book. Long Qiao gave the fantasy book in his right hand to Theresa and kept the fantasy book in his left hand for himself. After Theresa received the fantasy book in Long Qiao's right hand, the fantasy book actually turned into golden light and merged into Theresa's body.

"I will keep this safe..."

Long Qiao took the brightest and most beautiful yellow flower from the space and put it on Theresa's head, watching Theresa enter that place that no one knew.

The space collapsed, and when everyone saw that Theresa's figure had completely disappeared, only Long Qiao appeared with his back to them.

"Hmph... Let's go, Mo Ye, this is not our world after all..."

"Ah."

"By the way, Karen, you're alright now. I've sent Theresa to another world."

After Long Qiao finished speaking, a blue space-time tunnel appeared. Long Qiao and Mo Ye stepped into it together. The portal disappeared, and the two had already left this world.