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

She whispered to the girl beside her:

"Mei, the sun is out."

Raiden Mei's furrowed brows relaxed as the scenery before her changed, clearly showing that, like Kiana, her heart was filled with unease and confusion.

The situation before her indicated that things seemed to be developing in a positive direction, so she naturally felt somewhat relieved.

She looked at the sun outside the window and replied:

"Yes, the sun is out. Kiana."

Immediately afterwards, the girl on the bed opened her eyes in confusion. Looking at the scene before her, she murmured:

"Hmm...where am I?"

Bronya, observing the Valkyrie who had just awakened, made a judgment:

"She's awake and seems to be in good health right now, with no major problems."

Soon, the unconscious students began to wake up one after another. The Valkyries who were already awake and in charge of the rescue couldn't help but let out a small cheer. Almost every one of them knew each other and felt genuinely fortunate and happy that their companions had regained consciousness.

Kiana remained silent, gazing quietly at the setting sun hidden in the sea of ​​clouds.

Why can't I feel relaxed inside?

Everything before my eyes clearly indicated the end of the crisis.

What else could possibly make her care so much?

The girl was a little confused, but seeing Mei unable to stop smiling, she also smiled.

Perhaps, it's really all over.

-----------------

Ten minutes later, at the school clinic.

As the Honkai energy inhibitor, scalded by body heat, gradually cooled, Sara Nishikujo watched the machine that had automatically stopped adding Honkai energy inhibitor to the cultivation tank, her expression subtly shifting.

The headmaster's body temperature returned to normal within ten minutes.

What exactly happened in the Stigmata Space?

Regardless, this is a good thing.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but rub her temples with her fingertips. In just a few short hours, her life had been shortened once again, and the immense mental pressure made it difficult for her to show her exhaustion.

But now, things seem to have taken a turn for the better.

She leaned against the wall with her hands behind her back, watching the numbers on the data screen change, silently waiting for the results.

Theresa's face was mostly covered by the respirator. Her slightly furrowed brows, as if she were having a nightmare, slowly relaxed. Her loose hair floated quietly like seaweed. The Honkai energy suppressant liquid gradually sank and receded as her body temperature returned to normal.

After a long yet fleeting five minutes, the girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the next second she opened her eyes.

Those clear, azure eyes gazed blankly at the surrounding scenery, as if they hadn't yet awakened from that dream.

Yes.

Perhaps it was just a dream.

It is a remnant of history, a reversal of time, an echo of the past, and also...

This is the most undeniable truth.

Whether it's the white fox that's like a demon, the sickly girl with a charming smile, or the shrine maiden who twirls cherry blossoms with her fingers, they are all incredibly real.

And in the very end, the boy who walked down a path completely different from his own...

What exactly did he do? His efforts, his desperate actions, and even the outcome he experienced were all things the girl could never know.

But one thing is clear: Su Qing'an, who did all of this on her own, must have gone through unimaginable hardships and tribulations to achieve such an outcome.

Given his personality, he must have pushed himself to the limit.

The girl's heart remained unsettled by the words the priestess hadn't yet uttered. Even though she understood that the crisis had dissipated like dust in the wind, that unease still bound her heart like shackles, preventing her from feeling any lightness.

Theresa straightened herself up, looked at the woman in the distance who was giving her a helpless smile, and asked:

"Saluo?"

Nishikujo Sara sighed and said:

"I really don't know what to say, Principal Theresa. Although I have a lot to say, let me say something else first."

The woman's expression softened, and her beautiful face, which had previously been sometimes solemn and sometimes dismissive, was now filled with genuine joy. She said:

"Welcome back, Headmaster."

Theresa paused for a moment, then smiled and replied:

"I'm back, Sara. Thank you for your hard work while I was away."

"Although I don't understand what's happening outside, it must have kept you all busy and flustered. I'm such an unreliable headmaster."

"By the way, are the students alright?"

The look on her face when she asked that question was filled with unease, and that somewhat immature demeanor amused Nishikujo Sara.

She comforted him, saying:

"Don't worry, Headmaster. During the time you were unconscious, a large amount of Honkai energy mist filled the entire academy, and many students fainted. However, within five minutes before you woke up, the mist completely dissipated, and the students gradually woke up."

"The medical examination report has not yet been released, but based on the preliminary assessment, there is a high probability that there is no major problem."

"So, this matter should be considered over."

"The next important thing is your physical condition."

The school doctor's expression turned serious, and he said:

"Even if various phenomena indicate that the stigmata in your body has disappeared, the previous experience proves that with our current level of technological observation, it is difficult to determine whether it truly does not exist or continues to lurk in your body, waiting for the next counterattack."

"My suggestion is that you go to the headquarters of Destiny for another physical examination, Headmaster. They might be able to detect things that the Far East Branch's equipment cannot."

Theresa shook her head, her expression suddenly darkening for a moment.

grandfather……

She quickly suppressed her emotions about that matter and replied to Nishikujo Sara's suggestion:

“Shaluo, no need. I can feel it has disappeared.”

"Disappeared completely."

For some reason, the woman could sense a sense of melancholy in her words.

But this is clearly a good thing, so why would I feel sad?

Therefore, Nishikujo Sara guessed that Theresa's emotions stemmed from some conflicts with the current bishop, but from her perspective, she could hardly offer words of comfort.

So she simply remained silent and chose to listen to what the girl was about to say.

Theresa continued:

"What's important right now isn't my condition, but Su Qing'an's."

Sara Nishikujo frowned. She thought Su Qing'an's surgery had been successful, and even if he had to stay in bed for a few months, he was out of danger. And with Theresa's awakening, that unusual brainwave state should have disappeared...

No. The woman realized the problem.

Why would she assume that just because Theresa woke up, Su Qing'an was destined to wake up as well?

She didn't understand what was happening in the Stigmata Space, but anything involving a Herrscher must have been an incredibly fierce and difficult battle.

In such a battle, it would not be surprising if anyone were to sacrifice themselves.

It seems that the fact that the headmaster woke up ultimately affected her, preventing her from accessing Su Qing'an's data immediately.

But it's not too late now.

Just as Nishikujo Sara was about to check the data, the door made a sound.

Himeko Murata stood at the doorway, her originally bright expression now clouded with gloom, clearly indicating that Theresa had overheard her words.

The red-haired woman, no longer displaying her usual decisive manner, hesitated for a second before asking:

"Su Qing'an, what's wrong?"

Without waiting for their reply, Himeko Murata muttered to herself:

"He was seriously wounded, right? I know that. It was a really, really serious wound. I've been on the battlefield for so many years, and this kind of injury is not something I usually experience."

"It must hurt a lot, but it's okay. I've been injured many times, some less severe than this, many, many times."

The woman's words were seemingly casual, yet they carried a hint of gritted teeth.

"I'm still alive today."

She stared at a point in the void and repeated:

"I'm still alive today."

The two were speechless.

They haven't told Ji Zi about Su Qing'an's artificial holy mark transplant yet because the artificial holy mark in her body has entered its final stage, and strong emotional fluctuations would greatly accelerate the erosion of the holy mark.

This is a white lie.

But it's still an arrogant lie, based on the assumption that it's for the other person's good.

Now, even if they can still hide the transplantation of the artificial holy mark, they can no longer hide Su Qing'an's current situation.

Sara Nishikujo silently projected the data onto the screen.

The three looked at the boy's data, and the entire room was completely silent.

Data that doesn't lie is like a perfectly straight electrocardiogram, symbolizing a cold, hard reality.

Perhaps in the face of a war that leads to collapse, sacrifice is always inevitable.

Theresa felt a sense of disorientation, and the unspoken words of the witch seemed to have found their answer.

She... failed to protect her students, and in the end, he saved them at such a cost.

I'm so useless.

Himeko Murata stared blankly at the meaning represented by the data, her clear amber eyes gradually losing focus.