Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

The two of them timed their moves perfectly, striking the moment Theresa and Quinn were locked in a stalemate, unable to move. Bianka attacked while Rita provided cover for Theresa. The two of them achieved this coordination without any communication, not even a single glance.

Bianka instantly closed in on Quinn's undefended rear flank, her spear aimed straight for its shoulder armor.

Rita's gun was loaded with blanks, which would only leave a mark upon impact. But Bianka's spear couldn't be arranged in such a way, and she couldn't actually aim for a vital spot.

So, they had also agreed on this: other, non-critical parts of the body would represent vital points. For example, the shoulder Bianka was aiming for represented Quinn's power unit.

Just as the spear was about to strike, Quinn's crimson body suddenly erupted with another massive burst of steam.

The white cloud rushing towards her made Bianka momentarily consider retreating. Putting herself in a situation where her senses were impaired was definitely unwise.

But Quinn was currently in a stalemate, and there were clearly no allies here to help it. Therefore, at this very moment, pressing forward was the best choice!

"Hah—!"

Bianka let out a sharp cry as her spear plunged into the mist.

An extremely hard feedback traveled up from her hand. The unimaginable resistance caused the shaft of the spear in Bianka's hand to bend.

This isn't right... How is it so hard?!

Bianka didn't know what Overload Mode was, nor was she aware of its advantages and disadvantages.

But her intuition told her that the opponent's defense in this state was weak. The previous moment had been the best time to attack.

But the feedback she was getting now was clearly wrong. Could this level of hardness be called "weak defense"?

A sudden gust of wind dispersed the mist. Bianka took the opportunity to retract her spear and retreat, landing a short distance away.

Back in the original spot, Theresa was still locked in a struggle with Quinn, separated by the cross. But now, Quinn was no longer in its previous crimson state. It looked no different from any other normal Titan.

"Instant cooldown... I see..." Rita's expression was grave. She didn't know if this was Fire Moth's technology or the work of some other faction cooperating with them.

But regardless of where Quinn was created, what it was displaying now was enough to shock Rita.

Overload Mode and Conventional Mode. These were two completely different states, two extremes of a Titan mecha, two modes that were universally acknowledged as mutually exclusive.

But now, that barrier was gone. A Titan mecha that could switch between the two modes at will... This had probably truly reached the level of strength that the original Titan mecha designers had envisioned.

Bianka stared intently at the shallow wound on Quinn's shoulder. That was the damage her spear had just inflicted.

Even if that strike had hit a vital point, it wouldn't have caused any substantial damage.

It seems I'll need more attacks to break through its defense... Bianka calmed herself, preparing to launch her next attack at any moment.

And at that moment, the struggle between Quinn and Theresa finally reached its conclusion.

Flesh and blood ultimately struggled against the tide of steel. Theresa's small figure began to tilt backward, falling into a disadvantage.

Just as Bianka and Rita were preparing to move in and support Theresa again, the Judah Replica, which had been sandwiched between them, opened up.

Like a sword case, a spear, a sword, and even firearms—a total of eight different weapons—shot out from the sides of the cross.

Theresa reached out and caught a spear that had ejected from the cross.

The moment the spear was in her hand, a faint blue current crackled from its blade, lighting up a pale purple crystal.

Quinn's body shuddered. Rita could actually read such obvious shock from a Titan.

"This is... a Honkai Energy weapon?" Quinn instantly retreated, pulling away from Theresa.

The giant cross, like a heavy shield, was placed firmly at Theresa's side.

A confident smile played on Theresa's face as she raised the spear in her hand.

"That's right. This is the latest Honkai Energy weapon Grandpa developed. I was looking for you this time to test them out," Theresa said, twirling the spear that was almost twice her height before crouching down.

"Let's begin!"

This time, the cross was left behind. Unburdened by its massive weight, Theresa's speed increased by another two levels, already surpassing Bianka's earlier charge.

A spear thrust, identical to Bianka's, came straight from the front, but neither its speed nor its power could compare to Bianka's earlier move.

This spear could truly pierce through Quinn!

Another burst of steam erupted from the Titan's body. Quinn instantly entered Overload Mode, barely dodging Theresa's spear. Its immediate counterattack was aimed straight at Theresa's waist.

But a sword, launched through the air, spun and struck Quinn's counterattacking arm with its hilt, interrupting the attack.

Since it was an attack with the hilt, Quinn's counterattacking hand wasn't damaged, but it still retracted its arm and retreated again, trying to create distance.

The opponent was fully capable of blocking it with the blade, which would not only have completed the interception but also caused significant damage.

Since the opponent had chosen to show mercy, it couldn't press its luck.

But... who was it?

As it retreated, Quinn turned its head, looking in the direction the attack had come from.

Rita still held the armor-piercing weapon, and Bianka's position was always at its rear flank, making it impossible for her to throw a weapon from that angle to stop it...

Finally, Quinn's gaze locked onto the cross that Theresa had left in its original spot.

On the sides of the deployed cross, there were now only six weapons left.

Quinn's guess was not wrong. The sword that had interrupted its attack had indeed ejected from the cross itself.

An unconventional weapon, unexpected intelligence...

Quinn had to admit, the Theresa it was fighting now was completely different from the one three months ago.

Every movement in battle had become her body's instinct. Her combat thinking, her decision-making... the previous signs of inexperience were now gone, replaced by practiced skill.

And that cross was the final piece of the puzzle named "Theresa." At this moment, Theresa had become the third expert in this base to set foot in the "S-rank."

No, perhaps there was another.

Quinn remembered Kallen. Yesterday, Kallen had also come here with the same model of cross as Theresa, but she hadn't asked it to be her training partner.

The flying sword spun and landed in Theresa's other hand. With a spear in one hand and a sword in the other, Theresa, all by herself, was now suppressing the crimson, Overloaded Titan.