Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

Everyone realized that something was about to happen, but they couldn't hear anything; they only felt that a celestial star was about to fall and thunder was about to strike.

Anna's eyes lost their former clarity, replaced by obvious anxiety and rage, and she struggled even more fiercely. Even she realized the danger, but she was trapped in place by three soul steel chains, and she could not escape without removing them.

The atmosphere suddenly became strange, both anxious and silent.

"Run! Eighteen seconds left!" In that brief moment of suffocation, someone suddenly crawled out of the rubble, holding up their phone and shouting, "Mom! You all need to evacuate now! The nuclear bomb will be falling in sixteen seconds! This is intelligence from Destiny Headquarters! It was sent personally by the AI ​​secretary in the database!"

Cecilia stared in disbelief at her daughter. She hadn't expected that members of the Shaniat would be lurking in the midst of such a fierce battle, let alone that it was her own daughter. Kiana's words, however, caused panic among all the Valkyries present, even those from World Serpent.

Raven only needed a brief moment to realize that this was something World Serpent and Schicksal had planned! This was part of the plan! They originally intended to use the Herrscher to cause Cecilia to die from overwork, but what if Cecilia became so strong that even the Herrscher couldn't weaken her? There was only one way: force her to choose sacrifice!

Here lies Kiana, there's Ana trapped in her tracks, and there are city center residents who haven't yet evacuated. If you can't kill someone head-on, then use this despicable method to send them to their death!

Vicious!

Raven gritted her teeth. She knew her identity entitled her to disregard morality, but this was the first time she had discovered how wicked she truly was. She was also an executor of these plans, one of the masterminds who drove the saintess to her death. Two powerful forces at the pinnacle of the supernatural world wanted Cecilia dead, and even with her unparalleled tyranny and strength, she was powerless to stop them.

But she is clearly a good person, and even now, despite her anger, she has never killed anyone in the World Serpent.

But good people are often killed in a conspiracy.

Using such despicable means! Using such despicable means!

Cecilia lowered her head and pulled out a pocket watch from her bosom; the seconds ticked by. At this moment, everyone was unusually quiet. Except for Anna frantically pulling at her chains, everyone else stopped moving, because their strength was undeniable; even escape would be futile. That sky-based weapon was a nuclear warhead, powerful enough to destroy several city blocks.

"It was the same sixteen years ago," Cecilia thought silently. Sixteen years ago, she faced the same choice. But that time was much more painful than this time. That time, her closest relatives were on the scales; this time, she is on the scales herself.

Then there's not much to choose from.

Anna was still struggling. This Herrscher was pierced by Soul Steel from birth and then encountered a monster like her. It was really pitiful.

Cecilia looked up at the people around her. The torrential rain blurred her vision, and she couldn't see clearly, only a sea of ​​people. It was strange; were there really so many people in this place? How many people had the World Serpent and Destiny planted for their plan? But what was the point except to die together?

She imagined those pairs of eyes filled with longing and sorrow, as if gazing at a statue of the Virgin Mary in a church. These people might be hoping she would make a saintly choice, but perhaps they also felt ashamed. But she wanted to tell them they had no reason to feel ashamed, because the desire to live is the most basic and greatest right of humankind, a right that even the saints in the Bible could not accuse them of being wrong.

But Cecilia suddenly didn't want to look at them anymore. She shifted her gaze to the distance, to the white lines that stretched through the Alps, the highways leading into the distance.

Will Sirin come back? Has Pandora already returned?

Cecilia suddenly realized that her indifferent courage, which had disregarded life and death, was fading slightly. She gazed into the distance, a slight tremor running through her. She was about to face her death; would he be able to see the children's jewel-like, clear eyes one last time?

She suddenly realized that at the moment of making her final decision, the person she thought about most was the child named Pandora. Perhaps every mother would love her youngest child more? Pandora was someone she had taken in and fostered by Maria, but she actually treated Pandora as her own child. Now that Sirin and Kiana both had their own lives, only Pandora would be with her every day, talking about their daily lives and whispering secrets in that cold, white ice cellar.

Cecilia thought of the handsome boy, and her heart suddenly felt unsettled. For some reason, she realized she still harbored a sliver of unrealistic expectation: would Pandora come to rescue her? Pandora… that boy with waist-length black hair, delicate and refined, who liked to feign innocence and obedience to get rid of problems, yet whose true nature was so resolute and persistent. Kiana, Sirin, and even Anna unconsciously relied on him, and even Cecilia looked forward to those two hours each day when he came to the ice cellar—would he come to save her?

Of course not. He's in England right now, and he might not know anything yet, or even if he did, he wouldn't be able to escape the inescapable net of the Destiny headquarters.

He may be in danger, but I'm sorry, Pandora, I can't save you... and I may not be able to protect you in the future either.

Fifteen seconds later, the supersonic airburst crashed down like a sword in an instant! The mere wind pressure it generated caused buildings in the city center to explode from top to bottom; cement and lime walls peeled off like dead skin, tearing apart dark clouds and torrential rain. The bright red meteor approached, as dazzling and scorching as a burning sun! It descended with the force to destroy everything in its path!

Durandal didn't run away. She was the only one who could have escaped in fifteen seconds, but she didn't. Instead, she pulled up the Eternal Silence of Heller and crashed straight into Cecilia's arms!

But it was too late. She couldn't stop Cecilia; instead, she was enveloped by the soft light emanating from Cecilia.

"No...no!" Durandal cried out, a cry that teetered between terror and collapse.

Cecilia plunged the Black Abyss White Flower into her abdomen, her body arching in excruciating pain! The next second, she gritted her teeth and revealed a ferocious yet relieved smile, a crimson holy mark appearing on her back, followed by a deafening explosion!

A nuclear explosion occurred! Temperatures exceeding 6,000 degrees Celsius melted the ground, and a blinding white light engulfed the city, leaving no escape. The shockwave shattered buildings, twisting and crushing even the supporting reinforced concrete. Debris flew everywhere at supersonic speeds, tearing apart the streets where everyone was. All the ice instantly vaporized, bursting into a brief rainbow, beneath which countless ruins concealed the figures of the mother and daughter.

The nuclear explosion lasted a full minute before dissipating. The Valkyries were stunned. They hadn't died. They had witnessed the nuclear explosion so close yet remained unharmed. This was because they were enveloped in vines. Countless thick vines, as thick as buildings, sprouted from the ground, bearing beautiful white flowers. These white flowers enveloped them, forming an absolute defense, unaffected even by the nuclear explosion. The only thing they couldn't block was the sound. The Valkyries could only cover their ears and open their mouths to prevent their eardrums from rupturing.

Chapter Seventy: From this day forward, if there is no torch, I will be the light!

A burning billboard in the distance tumbled and crashed into the scorching crater. The blackened ground was gradually cooling lava; the high pressure and heat of the nuclear explosion had created this terrifying crater. In the center of the crater, Cecilia knelt on one knee, one hand resting on the Black Abyss White Flower, looking down at the two girls she protected beneath her.

This is the very center of the nuclear explosion, but the surrounding area is a transparent protective barrier—a capability achieved by the Black Abyss White Flower. While the Black Abyss White Flower shouldn't technically possess such defensive capabilities, when the input Honkai energy level reaches near-infinite levels, its "decomposition" ability can even break down "matter waves."

Even the destructive power of a nuclear explosion can be completely eliminated in the face of the "decomposition" of the Black Abyss White Flower.

"Why?" Durandal asked softly.

“I once swore to protect my family and everyone I love. But I was too arrogant. In reality, my abilities can only protect a few people; most others can only watch them perish.” Cecilia stroked her face. “But this time, didn’t I manage to protect you?”

Durandal and Anna were unharmed, as Cecilia protected them with her powerful "Disintegration Domain." In fact, it could be said that no one else present was injured. The vines sprouted by the Black Abyss White Flower withstood the destructive force of the nuclear explosion's outer zone, suffering only some radiation damage at most.

Given the Valkyrie's physical strength, a brief exposure to radiation wouldn't be a big deal, especially since Cecilia had even considered that. The entire city was enveloped in green vines, from which red blood flowed and white flowers bloomed.

As the fragrance of the flowers reached the noses of each Valkyrie, the immense healing power rapidly expelled the radioactive material from their bodies. Cecilia, in order to resist the nuclear explosion and protect everyone, released Honkai energy that surpassed human limits. Human limits are actually quite easy to surpass, as long as she finally gave up on the bottom line of life.

Holy Blood Liberation - White Flowers and Deep Blood.

The final fate of the past Saintesses of the Schariacs: Last time, Cecilia used this technique to neutralize the contamination of the Honkai energy fission bomb, saving tens of thousands of lives in Siberia affected by the Honkai. The price she paid that time was confining her to a cold ice cellar. This time, she saved hundreds of Valkyries and an unknown number of ordinary people who had not evacuated from downtown Munich, at the cost of her own death.

Durandal stared at her, desperately trying to recall every moment she had spent with Cecilia. She wondered if there had ever been a moment when Cecilia felt a pang of regret, guilt, or perhaps maternal love. But she didn't know. So she didn't know what to say, and could only look up at her figure reflected in the light.

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry." Red and black marks appeared on Cecilia's body, the backlash of Honkai energy after losing her Holy Blood, which began to erode her body from the inside out, but a gentle smile still appeared on her tired face. "From now on, there are some things I have to entrust to you."

"No...no, no!" Durandal reached out in terror to grab Cecilia's hand, but when she did, she only felt its icy touch. Instead, her blood surged as if it were burning.

"The person I've wronged the most in my life is you, my darling," Cecilia said softly. "But you are my best daughter, and I can only hope for you. Anna will go berserk soon. You don't know how terrifying the Herrschers are. Only by taking over the Holy Blood can Anna be truly subdued. You must take good care of her. Don't hand her over to anyone else. You are sisters, you share the same blood."

"No! Take it back! Take the Holy Blood back!" Durandal's face was filled with terror. If Rita were here, she would be utterly shocked. The cold, powerful, self-disciplined, and mature Chief of Destiny could actually lose his composure like this. Her beautiful face was covered with tears that she herself did not notice. She desperately touched Cecilia's body, even drawing her sword and cutting open her own arm to let the blood flow out, as if this would allow the Holy Blood to return to Cecilia's body.

Cecilia's body gradually changed from fair and healthy to being covered with streaks of red and black.

“No! This can’t be! This is your blood, this is your blood! I don’t want it, I don’t need this kind of thing, I’ve never needed this kind of thing! I don’t owe Shaniat anything, I’m not a Shaniat! It was Shaniat who betrayed me, I never betrayed Shaniat!” Durandal roared angrily, clutching her mother’s shoulders, but in the end she couldn’t hold on any longer. Her voice lowered, tears streamed down her face, and she knelt on the ground, clutching her mother’s dress. “Take it back… I beg you… The Holy Blood is yours, the Holy Blood can only be yours… I beg you…”

How many things in life do we only realize at the very end that we didn't actually hate Cecilia as much as we thought? Sometimes, what we call sixteen years of hard work and resentment is nothing more than an unwillingness to let go of those fragmented memories of happiness from our childhood.

“Next is that child, Sirin. You know, she can’t accept my death and is easily devastated, so you have to be responsible for keeping her in check. You are the older sister, you are the strongest, and you have to guide your younger sisters onto the right path.” Cecilia smiled faintly. “Durandal, you have to protect everyone, your younger sister, your younger brother, and many, many more people, so you must become stronger and stronger, and you cannot die.”

Durandal held her tightly, gritting her teeth.

“I’m sorry, even at this critical moment, I still leave you with so many demands.” Cecilia’s voice grew softer and softer. “I know you’re in pain, my darling, but you’re a child of the Saintess lineage. We are born this way, even if we are in immense pain, we must regroup and protect everyone. Take everything from me, and then become the new Saintess.”

"Why...why are you doing this to me? Why..." Durandal whispered, "Why are you so cruel to me alone?"

Cecilia patted her head.

"Because this world is full of filth, full of conspiracies, scheming, and rampant materialism. Destiny, anti-entropy, the World Serpent, or the United Nations—their intentions are all pretty much the same. So you understand very well that the current transcendental side needs a saint, not the saint commonly seen in popular culture, who can only serve as a mascot, or a rogue saint who plays on contrasts, but a true saint. In this filthy transcendental side, the lineage of saintesses must become the embodiment of beauty and virtue, a beacon guiding all selfless people."

Durandal suddenly felt the fabric she was holding tear. She looked up abruptly and saw her smiling. The white-flowered spearhead pierced her chest. This was Cecilia's chosen fate. Rather than be corrupted into an incomparably powerful assassin, a Valkyrie of her caliber preferred to have the Black Abyss White Flower repair her genetic code. Although she couldn't resist the Honkai energy's corruption, at least she could die with a human form and dignity.

“I’m exhausted, but before I rest, the final task must be completed. Durandal, you are the most suitable child to become a saint. The saints of Shaniat throughout history will be watching you from Valhalla, watching you, the child who has gone astray,” Cecilia said. “If there is no torch in this world, you must be the only light.”

“How foolish,” Durandal said softly, putting her arm around Cecilia’s shoulders. “Fine.”

"Can you call me Mom?" Cecilia smiled.

“Mother,” Durandal whispered in her ear, “I have never revealed Sirin’s identity all these years.”

“Good child, really… good child.” Cecilia’s voice gradually faded, and Durandal felt her body grow heavy. She sniffed, not looking at the woman in her arms, but simply tilting her head back to look at the sky.

In the past nineteen years of Durandal's life, there had never been a moment like this.

At that moment, Durandal desperately wanted the woman in her arms to live, wanted her to see the morning sun, wanted to wake up and find that nothing had happened, and that the woman she had resented for sixteen years was standing in front of her bed, her white hair falling like rays of light in the sunset.

She finally understood Cecilia's reasoning. Just as she had to accept the Holy Blood to save everyone, Cecilia had made the same choice sixteen years ago. She watched her mother die, just as Cecilia watched her daughter die. What was the Saintess? The Saintess was the only beacon in the wounded hearts of all the Valkyries on this transcendent side, the last thing those Valkyries who had almost become accustomed to the filth of the world believed in.

A lighthouse guides everyone, so it cannot be biased towards anyone.

“But I am willing to be the torch, not the saintess.” Durandal grasped the Black Abyss White Flower, this magical weapon naturally acknowledging its third master. She whispered, “I’m sorry, Mother, I’m still young, I can’t let go.”

--------

An angry howl echoed from the horizon, and a ram-like creature engulfed in white flames fell from a great height into the deep pit of the city. It was as powerful as thunder and lightning, yet it landed silently, like ripples spreading across a lake.

Riding on his back were a boy and two girls with identical appearances. Sirin and Kiana stumbled and rushed over, wailing loudly, while Shen Liang hesitated for a moment.

He then got down and walked to Cecilia, who was leaning against a vine. She lay with her eyes closed beneath a beautiful, blooming white lily, seemingly asleep. Durandal watched his movements; the wind pulled open his coat, and his long black hair billowed out.

He looked like a delicate young girl, yet his steps were heavy, like those of a mournful soldier.

“Anna has been contained.” Durandal picked up the unconscious Anna and looked at Shen Liang. “She is currently asleep, but her next awakening will be another major disaster. I think she should be placed under the supervision of the Shaniat family, and I will personally take charge of her care.”

"You, Shaniat?" Shen Liang shifted his gaze from Cecilia, looked at the sleeping Anna, and tilted his head in confusion.

“From today onwards, I will resume my Shaniat origins and retain my name, but I will take over the Shaniat Holy Blood.” Durandal didn’t know what expression to wear when facing him, her younger brother, and her two younger sisters, so she remained expressionless. “From this day forward, Bianca Durandal Atagina will leave the Destiny Organization and join the Shaniat family, assuming the responsibility of protecting the family in place of the Holy Maiden.”

"Stop talking." Shen Liang looked away.

"Rest assured, I relinquish all of Cecilia's power within the family. Miss Sirin will continue to lead the family, and I will only serve as a force to support Cecilia," Durandal said.

"Who do you want to replace?" Shen Liang said in a low voice. "Stop talking, I don't want to hear it."

"I will replace Cecilia as..."

Shen Liang suddenly grabbed Youlandail by the neck and slammed her hard into the ground! Youlandail instinctively tried to resist, but the Black Abyss White Flower in her hand had disappeared without a trace, and Shen Liang was now holding the lance and stabbing it into her throat!

"You can't replace Leah! You'll never replace her! Do you hear me? Shut up!"

In that instant, Durandal felt as if the boy's ferocity was about to tear her apart. His crimson eyes gushed forth a torrent of venom, savagery, despair, and sorrow—a multitude of emotions coalescing into a true aura of malevolence. Durandal finally understood what malevolent aura truly meant. But ultimately, that fierce gaze dimmed. Durandal looked at him, bewildered, for she seemed to see in him a child who had lost his mother.

“So you’re just like us.” Durandal was pinned to the spot, her eyes flickering slightly. Her voice was hoarse from being choked, but she didn’t resist. “But there’s no going back. Mother won’t protect you anymore. Next is me.”

Durandal reached out and touched the boy's face, whispering, "I will love you in Cecilia's place, Pandora."

Shen Liang took a deep breath, put her down, and turned to get up. He had been following the whole thing live with Kallen and knew exactly what had happened. He felt immense anger towards Durandal, but she was Cecilia's daughter.

She eventually admitted her identity.

But this pent-up, dark rage had nowhere to go.

He arrived too late. It wasn't that he failed to protect Anna; the Schariac family had perfectly fulfilled their duty to protect their clan, even managing to handle the Herrscher. However, he hadn't anticipated that, in the end, all the blame would fall on Cecilia, the most powerful yet most innocent victim.