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Bronya's condition rapidly deteriorated.
With Xia Chen controlling the numerical barrier using his Core, Kiana gritted her teeth and reassured Bronya, "Don't worry, Big Sister Bronya. I won't let everyone down."
Now was not the time for her to give up.
Kiana swiftly entered the church.
Holding Bronya, Seele's eyes filled with sorrow and confusion.
"Other me, please help Big Sister Bronya."
"Tch, silly Seele, do you really think I'm omnipotent?" The other Seele in her mind scoffed but didn't reject Seele's plea.
"Seele, go fetch that large knight lance."
"Okay, yes."
Carefully placing Bronya on the ground, Seele approached the Abyss Flower embedded at the entrance of the church.
As she touched it, she suddenly felt a familiar yet peculiar power emanating from the Abyss Flower.
"This is..."
"I don't know either." Clearly unwilling to reveal more, the other Seele responded, "For some reason, there's a familiar force within it, which I can utilize."
The other Seele took control of Seele's body and harnessed the power of the Abyss Flower.
White flower, Key of Creation.
Intense life-generating energy flowed into Bronya's body. Under Seele's astonished gaze, Bronya began to recover.
"Wonderful! Other me, Big Sister Bronya has awakened."
"Another me?"
"Another me?"
On the verge of tears from anxiety, Seele heard the other Seele say reassuringly:
"I'm still here.
"Let me rest for a moment."
"Oh, thank goodness," Seele couldn't help but feel relieved.
Time does not always flow continuously forward; it can pause momentarily or even briefly reverse.
As Durandal collected several Memory Fragments, she faced successive trials along the way.
These Memory Fragments, akin to the imprints from the Heroic Spirits of the Paragon Realm, served as tools to develop and refine Stigmata. However, unlike the imprints, these memories specifically pertained to the House of Kaslana.
In this slowed-down time, she experienced the past civilization transitioning into the present one.
She lived through the memories of every warrior from the House of Kaslana.
The trial for the Kaslana's Stigmata was straightforward:
Find a reason worth fighting for.
It wasn't merely declaring a verbal commitment to fight for all humanity but rather requiring her will to gain recognition from the entire universe.
Thus, Durandal confronted choice after choice.
These choices ranged from small dilemmas like saving a cat or a person to significant ones such as confronting Finality head-on or seeking refuge... Each decision emerged from memory fragments of the Kaslana family, forming unique trial spaces. Guided by her true self, she steadily progressed towards the end.
Finally, she stood before the symbolic ancestor of the House of Kaslana.
As for Homu, who had been accompanying her, he did not appear, seemingly lost within some memory space.
"Congratulations on reaching me, successor."
Standing before Durandal was a consciousness indistinguishable from Kevin, his expression cool and distant. "Your arrival here is much swifter than I anticipated."
"Hmm, yes, these trials were far more tedious than I expected."
Durandal understood that this place likely served as a crucible for tempering one's character. Each Memory Fragment represented a life experience; upon collecting them, she effectively lived through those moments.
For an ordinary person experiencing multiple individuals' memories, there would be a high risk of becoming disoriented, possibly even forgetting their own identity. This is why Otto advised Durandal to maintain her anger—it acted as a means to stay grounded amidst such experiences.
However, Otto underestimated Durandal. She seemed uniquely resilient, needing not rely on anger to remain clear-headed; her rationality alone sufficed.
"What is this place?" she asked directly.
"The Stigmata Space, specifically, the legacy Stigmata Space of the House Kaslana. Those who reach here inherit all the power bestowed by the Kaslana lineage."
This was the ultimate reserve of the Kaslana family.
Throughout history, the Kaslanas had long been warriors against Honkai, gaining exceptional societal status swiftly due to their remarkable talents.
However, alongside the power of the Stigmata came the curse of the Kaslana family. Every member of the Kaslanas was influenced by Kevin, instilling within them an urge to save the world.
They were natural heroes born in every era, leading with pride as saviors of mankind.
Maintaining their lineage through countless eras of saving the world has been no easy feat for the House Kaslana.
The secret behind each generation's immense strength lies right here—the complete Legacy of the Stigmata.
"You are the perfect creation of Project Stigma, possessing the power to lead this world beyond Honkai."
He revealed openly, "You are the savior of this world."
"Please spare me such words." Durandal shook her head. "I acknowledge this power and am willing to bear its responsibility. However, sustaining the world is not something I can accomplish alone. There's no need to call me a 'savior' anymore."
"Furthermore, if simply blending bloodlines could save the world, I highly doubt you haven't tried such a straightforward method before."
Durandal couldn't believe that her uniqueness stemmed merely from the fusion of Schariac and Kaslana bloodlines. Such simplicity would be an insult to the intelligence of those involved in executing Project Stigma.
There must be an even greater secret within her, one that even the World Serpent has yet to unravel.
If creating Project Stigma's perfect vessel were so straightforward, it would have been mass-produced long ago.
Kevin gazed at Durandal, his eyes unfocused.
"You're right; your secret is indeed unique, and even I am unaware of its nature," he said. "Are you prepared to accept this Legacy?
"The belief carried for fifty millennia will now rest upon your shoulders—a burden heavy enough to break a person."
"I've seen your memories," Durandal replied. "No matter the cost, humanity will triumph over Honkai.
"My resolve mirrors yours."
At this moment, Durandal realized why Otto had exiled her here.
Her anger towards him may have dissipated, but she still could not condone his plan to trade all humankind for a chance to return five hundred years back in time.
The fate of humanity should be determined collectively by everyone, neither controlled by Honkai nor dictated by any single individual.
With the mission to save the world and bearing the weight from 50,000 years past, Durandal stood resolute, forging a path toward the future.
Meanwhile, Rita placed Gnius somewhere in Klostern.
"Lady Durandal must have succeeded by now."
At that moment, within the World Serpent Base:
The Ark Fortress continued its meticulous operations unabated. Suddenly, as if sensing something, Kevin looked beyond the confines of the base at the world outside.
"The final piece of Project Stigma's puzzle has been completed."
"The spark of Legacy has finally ignited into a flame."