Regarding the question of whether one thousand lives are enough to beat Honkai Impact 3rd.

52. Theresa's dream.

The flames flickered violently, the rain pattered crisply, and the knife made a soft slicing sound as it cut through a human body.

That's the amount of information that's poured into the mind by mixing all these elements together.

Finally, the priestess knelt on the ground, with a lonely fox shadow behind her, just like her.

Her eyes turned bloodshot, tears still wet on her cheeks, and then she threw her head back and laughed.

She was gritting her teeth in hatred for something, she was genuinely happy for something, yet at the same time... she was very sad.

The scene abruptly ended.

Consciousness surfaced as if emerging from the water, lifting the veil of illusion.

The girl woke up.

She opened her eyes, looked at the red bed curtains above, and couldn't help but whisper.

Was it a dream?

In the still-dark night, Theresa awoke, her delicate body lying on the pristine white bed, fine beads of sweat rolling down her snow-white skin, which shone even brighter than the sheets.

Sweat soaked through her thin white camisole nightgown.

That illusory dream allowed her to see the shrine maiden with cherry blossom hair once again.

Why did that witch just disappear like that?

Is the possibility that her body will be completely cured the reason for her disappearance?

Theresa had always been very concerned about the witch who appeared in Changkong City that day.

Whether it's the other party's true identity, abilities, or background.

Both publicly and privately, Theresa should investigate thoroughly.

In fact, she did just that, and with her access, she eventually found those clues in Destiny's database.

Theresa has seized the fragments of time that the priestess left behind in the mortal world, which is why she attaches great importance to the mission of Su Qing'an and Sato Yuno.

If St. Freya Academy hadn't had such a limited pool of qualified personnel to support the two, it wouldn't be surprising if Theresa had chosen to send someone to help. And even without support, the logistics team arrived at the scene in almost an hour.

It can be said to be extremely efficient.

The discovered fragment has already been analyzed and evaluated by professionals in the research lab underground at St. Freya Academy.

Is the reason I dream really just because I'm dreaming?

Theresa got up, her bare feet touching the cold floor, and walked to the open window.

A breeze blew by, and my body felt slightly cool under my thin clothes.

"Let's get another check-up today," she said.

Even though Theresa had undergone a full medical check-up and received a report that she was in good health when she returned from Changkong City last time, she still made this decision.

After she finished speaking, she looked at the starry night sky and thought that the dream was definitely not such a simple thing.

Because if it were just a dream, how could it leave her feeling so empty?

The moment the witch began to laugh, Theresa's bewildered consciousness resonated with her.

That pain, that sorrow, that hatred.

Theresa caught it all in that instant, and even now, after waking up, the lingering emotions still leave a persistent echo in her heart.

If... she meant if.

If I can help that shrine maiden, if I can make her less sad.

Theresa was willing to help her, even at a cost.

But she was already dead, and Theresa ultimately couldn't do anything for her.

I feel like I can never repay this debt of gratitude that saved my life.

Hmph. That damned bastard is truly... the most annoying thing ever.

In the darkness of night, the girl leaning against the window let out a silent sigh.

Then, the girl took off her thin white camisole nightgown and underwear.

She was completely naked.

Snow-white skin and a youthful, tender body were bathed in moonlight.

The girl put her sweat-soaked clothes into the basket and stepped barefoot into the bathroom.

The bathroom was huge, and the soft sound of footsteps echoed forlornly on the floor, creating a sense of loneliness.

Actually, Theresa has gradually come to dislike very large places.

In empty and vast places, she would inevitably feel lonely.

Despite having been through a lot, she still retains some childlike qualities.

There's nothing we can do about it; some people in this girl's world have shown her too much kindness.

So she thought that if she were truly mature, she would no longer show that kind of smile or say those naive things, and all the decisions she made in the future would always be cold and correct.

If she knew what I was like, would she be sad?

Theresa didn't like that person being sad.

Even if that person... can no longer see her.

The bathtub was filled with hot water, and steam filled the air, obscuring the girl's fair skin beneath the water.

She curled up and hugged herself.

It seems that the emptiness in Theresa's heart cannot be filled because of the emotions brought about by that dream.

The warmth of the hot water tried to fill the emptiness and loneliness in the girl's heart, and her skin was gradually tinged with a delicate pink.

"I should take a rest," she thought.

"It's still a long way from dawn..." she muttered softly.

Consciousness rose and drifted away with the intertwining water mist.

The girl fell asleep to the sound of dripping water.

Three hours later.

Theresa stepped out of the bathtub filled with cold water, expressionless. After drying herself with a towel, she looked at the white-haired girl with wet hair in the mirror.

He cursed himself for being an idiot.

It wouldn't be surprising if someone caught a cold because of their unusual constitution.

After drying her hair with a hairdryer, Theresa dressed herself neatly.

The girl in the mirror was dressed in a solemn nun's habit. After carefully tying the cross ornament around her neck, she leaned closer to the mirror and carefully aligned the veil on her head.

Until it's exactly the same.

A familiar scene suddenly flashed through my mind: the woman half-squatting down, adjusting my clothes and veil, then nodding and smiling with satisfaction, saying:

"Yes, it's perfect. Theresa is also very cute today."

She paused for a moment, then shook her head, pulling herself out of the vortex of memories.

What's wrong with me today?

Isn't that a bit too sentimental?

That dream was definitely not normal.

Intuition made Theresa feel increasingly uneasy, but the source of this unease was too vague.

That shrine maiden, Yae Sakura.

He should be dead already.

"I'll go to the research institute today and see the latest progress on that fragment for myself," Theresa said to herself.

The only thing he currently possesses that can be connected to the shrine maiden is that fragment.

Perhaps she can find some key clues here, thus getting closer to the truth.

"Kamihara Village, I hope Su Qing'an and Yuno can get over their guilt soon." Theresa couldn't help but feel worried when she thought about what happened during that mission.

Perhaps in such a world, being too kind-hearted is not a good thing.

However, going with the flow and becoming the kind of person you hate the most is definitely not the right thing to do.

Theresa herself couldn't find a so-called right answer, so she respected everyone's choice.

Putting aside all distracting thoughts, the girl stepped out of the bathroom.

She glanced at the golden cross in the corner, stretched, and said:

"Hmm, wipe Judas off and then head out."

The current time is 6:30 AM on April 29, 2014.

Today, St. Freya Academy remains peaceful and tranquil.

53. The riot at the research institute.

St. Freya Academy.

Underground research institute.

Theresa is listening to the researcher's report.

It was a young man in a white lab coat, his face pale. He adjusted the silver metal frame of his glasses with his fingertips and said:

"Minister, after testing, this fragment is essentially a special Honkai energy condensate, and its abilities are almost identical to those described in your report. It has a similar ability to infect."

"No, erosion would be a more appropriate description."

"Both inorganic and organic substances will be eroded and lose their autonomy within three seconds, including specially designed mechanical instruments."