MGSFV?! Chapter 556. Theresa's Life Is as Stable as Her Height??; Wraith Teaching Manual
The last time Theresa removed the Blood Knight's limiter was... the last time.
Ahem, to be precise, it was during the incident in Sea Abyss City.
But that time wasn't a full release. This time, it was a full release—artificial Honkai Eruption included.
As for the danger of artificial Honkai Eruption...
Judging from other fusion warriors' experiences, no one has outright died from artificial Honkai Eruption. They just lost control and caused surrounding destruction.
After all, not every fusion warrior is capable of an artificial Honkai Eruption. The "qualification" threshold is already very high.
If not for Theresa throwing out one death flag after another and even offering herself up as Vishnu's food; if not for Hokuto saying things like "Goodbye, my lovely little Theresa" and "I didn't lie"...
Their reactions probably wouldn't have been this extreme.
You could say the intense reactions in the livestream were the result of multiple factors stacking together.
However...
Elysia now felt something within herself stir.
So, not panicked, she calmly continued watching.
The upcoming part of the story—
In the game.
After Theresa lifted Vishnu's seal and turned herself into fuel...
Corroded by Vishnu, she became dazed, as if she had fallen into a dreamlike stupor.
Fragments of the past surfaced like starlight over the sea—appearing, then vanishing instantly.
Her thoughts drifted like a small boat lost at sea in the depths of her mind, aimlessly wandering.
Simply put, it was flashback time for the players.
First, it was the period when Theresa had just been "born," leaving the lab and adapting to the human world.
At that time, she sometimes couldn't even tell who she had met the day before.
She might've spoken to a Valkyrie named Helen yesterday, but today someone else came to interact with her. As long as they had a nose, two eyes, and a feminine slender figure, she would still think it was Helen from yesterday.
Unless they reminded her otherwise.
Next, time moved forward. Theresa had already adapted to human life and met Cecilia.
"The night here is beautiful."
Theresa and Cecilia stood atop an ordinary residential building, gazing at the thousands of lights.
[This place feels like the rooftop where Eden and Elysia first met.]
...If this world had a Moonlit Encounter scenario, many would probably say it looked like the rooftop where Moonbeam and the Captain met.
Now, for Captains who haven't picked the "Shoot Kallen" or "Shoot Theresa" routes...
No chance of any nostalgic feelings here.
Hmm.
Speaking of which—should we let players catch up on that?
It's a delicious story arc… highly effective in treating low blood pressure.
Though perhaps it's best to check with Theresa first.
Hokuto pondered this.
Others tapped to continue the plot.
"Why?" Theresa glanced outside, slightly puzzled by the ordinary view of city lights.
"Don't you think the light shining through those windows is beautiful?"
"That's just standard civilian fluorescent lighting. Not bright enough, no fancy decor... completely incomparable to the ones at Schicksal HQ."
"But those lights are warm."
Cecilia looked toward a patch of that myriad lights. Several silhouettes—tall and short—moved about in the windows, busy but not chaotic.
"Each light represents a family. Even if the lights look the same, each reflects a different kind of life."
She spoke softly, eyes glimmering with emotion. The warmth and peace of those lights seemed to ripple in her gaze.
"Who are the people behind those lights? What stories do they have? Are they waiting for someone?"
"Thinking about that... it makes me happy, knowing such a night can be protected."
"..."
A small smile unconsciously formed at the corners of her lips.
And beside her, Theresa—moved by Cecilia's words about "protection"—
Curiously stepped to the edge of the rooftop, gripped the railing with both hands, stood on tiptoe, craned her neck, and tried her best to take in the view that brought Cecilia so much joy.
Someone walked their dog outside, leash in hand. Someone else took their family for a stroll by the river.
Someone, exhausted from work, smelled dinner and quickened their pace.
Someone gathered friends, ready to "devour" a few smoking skewers downstairs.
The world came alive.
She... seemed to understand what Cecilia meant.
It really is a joy to protect a night like this.
The scene shifted in the game.
To the familiar St. Freya Academy.
Which immediately startled the players.
Why switch to St. Freya now?
Something feels off.
[Come to think of it, this feels like a death montage.]
[Don't say that! Theresa's life is as stable as her height.]
That line… it's hard to tell whether it was a blessing or a curse.
["Otto" just said all that, and you still call it stable? Might as well sharpen your blades now.]
[Now that I think about it calmly—any time "Otto" says something like "I didn't lie," you know there's some twisted wordplay involved. Something's up! I swear, something's up!!]
[Then tell us—what exactly is the issue? He lied?]
[Well... maybe not exactly lied.]
The chat went wild.
Some believed, some didn't, some jinxed it, some tried to reverse-jinx... all kinds of takes.
But none of that compared to—
"Done lecturing?"
Himeko's voice—long absent—suddenly appeared in the scene.
Players: ...
Players: FFS. They already said something's wrong. And now it's St. Freya… and then this?!
[Let's talk this through. Just don't display her CG.]
[I really can't handle it right now.]
This time, miHoYo actually granted their wish.
Himeko's character sprite did not appear on screen.
They were spared the pain of seeing her again.
A rare moment of mercy?
"Sigh, it's more exhausting than a battle. These kids—none of them let me relax."
"Haha, they're young. Energetic. Understandable."
"Wish I had your patience. After all the mental gymnastics I do with them every day, it's either death by stress or exhaustion."
"Oh come on, didn't you say last month at the entrance ceremony..."
Himeko paused, then teased: "That Valkyries fight and bleed so that ordinary people can live in peace?"
…Don't!
To hear such words from someone who's long gone—someone who has already bled and died...
Too much emotional damage.
Now they understood why miHoYo skipped the sprite.
If they had made Himeko appear smiling right then… it'd have been unbearable.
It was considerate of them, really.
Phew~~
Back in the scene, hearing Himeko say that, Theresa naturally refused to agree.
"They're not ordinary people!"
"Aren't they?"
Theresa: "..."
At this moment, Theresa had to carefully consider her answer.
At this·very·moment.
Present-day Theresa would answer without hesitation:
They're all Herrschers.
But she would still wish they could live freely, like ordinary people.
That's the change in Theresa—what sets her now apart from her past self.
Regardless—
The Valkyries of Schicksal, Cecilia, Himeko... Theresa had witnessed everything.
She had talked to them, learned why they protected the world, understood their thoughts, feelings, and desires...
And so, the flames they carried left their mark on Theresa too.
Quietly, the wave of memories faded.
The screen went dark.
Only Theresa's inner monologue remained.
"What was I thinking back then…"
"It's hard to remember now. After all, I've changed so much since those days."
"Thanks to them. They helped me see the world anew… helped me realize how I'm both the same as others, and different."
[Buffs fully stacked.]
[Strange feeling now: it's heavy, yet somehow uplifting?]
[Heavy, but not sad; hopeful, but not quite smile-worthy.]
[It's like standing at the edge of night, waiting for the dawn.]
[Thanks… I hope dawn really is coming. Though… I kinda feel like it's more likely…]
Clearly, the plot had reached a turning point.
Those who felt something off watched intently, though not too nervous.
Those who believed Hokuto's "sincere" farewell wore serious faces, eyes glued to the screen.
Everyone with their own thoughts, their own reactions, but all focused on what came next.
And then...
The flame no longer flickered. It simply burned—quietly.
Theresa could feel its scorching heat...
Huh!! Something bad?!
But the chilling, soul-piercing cold never returned to her mind.
Hmm? Huh!!
At some point, she regained feeling in her limbs.
This… could it mean?
[!!!] *N
[Is this the dawn?]
[Theresa fans rejoice!]
["Otto" was lying?! That whole "Goodbye, my lovely little Theresa" thing—I should've known not to trust a single word from that man.]
As joy bubbled up—
Theresa's internal monologue continued.
"Is it over?"
"But... after experiencing a complete artificial Honkai Eruption, I'm probably not the same person anymore."
"I wonder… will Rita and the others still recognize me?"
[???]
[What does that mean?]
[Is she saying she really did turn into a monster like we feared? And maybe… can't turn back?]
[Eh, it's fine. As a Theresa fan, I'm not shaken. Honestly, monster Theresa might be pretty cool.]
But the reality—
Theresa's transformation was even more "drastic" than players had imagined.
As they held their breath, clicked carefully, braced for what came next...
Subtitles appeared silently, then faded.
After much hesitation, Theresa slowly opened her eyes.
The once-black screen now revealed its hidden truth.
Theresa—holding the flame.
[Huh? She doesn't look like she went through artificial Honkai Eruption. I kinda wanted to see what that would've looked like.]
[It's so obvious… can't you tell the difference…]
[Theresa... suddenly grew up.]
[Theresa—Artificial Honkai Eruption form: Kallen Kaslana.]
[Who says the next Kallen battlesuit has to be Kallen?（）]
Players quickly pointed out the truth.
She—
[Little Theresa became Big Theresa!!]
[I take it back. Theresa's height really can improve.]
[...Now it makes sense why someone could say "Goodbye, little Theresa" and also say "I didn't lie."]
[I even said "Goodbye, little teacher"…]
Once all the dots connected...
Players realized—slightly speechless—that Hokuto's phrasing made perfect sense.
So that's what it meant. Truly...
When it comes to wordplay and semantics, Otto still reigns supreme.
I…
Some words came to mind—
But, well, seeing that Theresa's okay this time… I'll let it slide.
Hmm...
But then again—
Could this shift in our attitude… also be something Otto anticipated?
...Surely not.
After a pause, the players shook their heads and dismissed the thought.
That'd be a little too paranoid.
Even several moments after seeing Big Theresa—
The chat was still flooded with:
[Kosma just angrily left the livestream.]
[Kosma: Why does everyone's Honkai Eruption feel like a beauty treatment?!]
This artificial Honkai Eruption form—
Was the very image Theresa once saw in a dream.
Though she never expected to fulfill that long-forgotten wish under such circumstances.
[Is it possible Theresa didn't consume as many Honkai beasts as Kosma did?]
[Theresa: Who wrote "Do Not Touch" on Stage Five? Show yourself!]
[↑Otto.]
[That old bastard Otto's so damn evil. Of course he didn't want to see his granddaughter turn into Kallen.]
[Still... we should probably thank Otto for protecting Theresa so well.]
[Thank Otto?]
Now they were wide awake.
[We can thank "Otto"—he just taught us how to react when someone else hits this part of the story.]
[Honestly, yeah. He really did give us a perfect crash course—like a textbook on how to wail like a ghost.]
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