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

What appears unkempt on others becomes a way for her to exude charm.

Himeko Murata leaned her head against her arm, her amber eyes filled with intoxication, but beneath this hazy state lay a sharp, clear-headed clarity.

Ultimately, she couldn't bring herself to completely indulge herself; the weight of responsibility and duty crushed Himeko Murata's sense of self.

As a teacher and captain of the Hyperion, even with Theresa awake, she cannot be too willful.

But given her personality, she wouldn't even indulge herself like this at this time.

But for her, Su Qing'an was truly special.

From the very beginning, Himeko Murata was extremely cautious in her preparations before even making any contact with Su Qing'an.

She put on youthful and beautiful makeup, applied light-colored lipstick, and wore approachable clothes, adjusting her smiling expression in front of the mirror.

Such behavior was simply unbelievable to her.

It wasn't just out of guilt or responsibility, but because she genuinely regarded the boy as family.

Treat them as your only family in the world.

As I gently stroked the boy's head, a strange and bright tenderness and warmth welled up inside me.

But now he won't wake up, and this time I still failed to protect him.

This has happened three times already, and every single time.

The first time was in Changkong City, where the third collapse had occurred.

The second time was in Changkong City, where they encountered a pseudo-Herrscher.

The third time was at St. Freya Academy.

It was as if he had just brushed past her again and again, and that boy was getting further and further away from her.

Now he lies on his bed, bathed in sea breeze and sunshine, like a book of poems that will never be turned.

"Clap."

The sounds of bubbles churning and metal tearing filled the room. The woman glanced at a pile of empty cans carelessly discarded to the side, tilted her head back, and gulped down the liquor.

One more bottle, please.

Anyway, she's unlikely to get drunk from this kind of low-alcohol beer.

Even alcohol couldn't fill the void left by her broken heart; she couldn't even immerse herself in a dream, and even simple escapism was a luxury.

Close your eyes and let the darkness completely engulf your vision.

But for some reason, the darkness vanished in an instant, and a large amount of sunlight shone in. The window was also opened, and the wind blowing through made her skin, which was wet with wine, feel a little cool.

In a daze, a familiar voice reached my ears:

"Himeko-nee, your room is still such a mess."

Himeko Murata opened her eyes in a daze, and a boy in a light-colored hospital gown came into view. He took the aluminum can from her hand, and the woman did not resist at all during the process.

The boy kept rambling on and on:

"Didn't I tell you we shouldn't drink like this?"

He immediately ignored Himeko's reaction, put the aluminum can aside, and pulled the thin blanket off the bed to cover her, obscuring a large area of ​​her exposed white skin.

He said helplessly:

"And even in your own room, you should at least care about your appearance. Himeko is a beauty, yet she's so sloppy."

The boy seemed to be reflecting on his own actions and condemning himself:

"Although it was a bit wrong of me to come in without permission."

Himeko Murata didn't speak. She pursed her lips, suddenly opened her arms, ignored the loose blanket, and hugged the boy in front of her.

She whispered, her voice choked with sobs, in his ear:

"Welcome back, little one."

The misty fog in those amber eyes condensed into tears that rolled down the boy's shoulder. The cool yet warm touch left Su Qing'an speechless as he hugged Ji Zi back.

All the words in the world can ultimately be reduced to a single sentence.

他 说:

"I'm sorry, I made you worry."

The woman's strong smell of alcohol and light perfume filled my nostrils, but she just shook her head silently, as if suppressing her pent-up emotions.

But Himeko Murata understood that no one could blame Su Qing'an.

Having survived an unknown and deadly battle, and barely regaining consciousness in the present world, he should absolutely not be met with blame.

"Yeah, it really gave me a lot of worry."

"But you did a great job, you must have worked very hard."

She took a deep breath, gently stroked Su Qing'an's hair, and smiled at him.

The tears in Himeko Murata's eyes had not yet been wiped away, and the gleam that flashed in her eyes for a moment, her slightly reddened eyes, and the curve of her lips made Su Qing'an stunned.

The woman's pure care and affection made him feel both uncomfortable and genuinely warm.

Even the most stubborn and headstrong person would have no choice but to admit defeat in such a situation.

Because if there really is someone in this world who cares about you so much, worries about you, and cries for you.

How could you bear to let this relationship suffer even the slightest bit?

We must accept it completely and honestly.

He nodded, and said softly, as if complaining:

"Yes, we've already tried our best."

"It's quite lucky that we survived."

Indeed, this was the case. If Fu Hua hadn't chosen to use Feather Dust, Su Qing'an would likely have met his true death while still unconscious.

But such an ending might simply be death.

Or perhaps it's just a game spoken of by the gods, and it's only just begun.

He has already died twice. According to the game's rules, the first two deaths were during the newbie protection period.

The first time was a trial by the gods, but even now he still doesn't understand what the so-called trial actually tested.

The second was the announcement of the rules of the game by the gods. Although many questions still remained, at least they understood their situation.

The third one has yet to come.

But Su Qing'an understood that if he died casually, he would definitely not be resurrected casually.

Atropos's words prove that the gods do not like cheap deaths.

It's impossible to use the so-called resurrection privilege as a cheat. The greatest value of this thing is that the gods can drag him into an endless cycle of reincarnation at will, as long as Su Qing'an can still provide them with pleasure in the eyes of the gods.

Then Su Qing'an will forever be a doll that will never break.

A doll?

The boy silently recited the ironic metaphor, yet an inextinguishable flame burned in his dark eyes.

The frozen lake of my heart became increasingly clear and serene.

A heart as clear as ice is a mirror.

He was getting closer and closer to that dangerous step. The moment Rin became the hilt of the Divine Key, the accumulation of his swordsmanship took another big step forward.

This time, Su Qing'an's mindset was completely different from when he was half-step into the dust of the sword.

Su Qing'an always felt that she still had a way out at that time.

Maybe he can continue running a deserted coffee shop in a remote little city in the future.

From now on, watch the clouds drift and the world unfold before you, a vast and boundless expanse.

Nothing concerns him; he could just drift through life like this without a care in the world.

Then why risk your life, right?

People who would abandon someone with such a potential future are simply hopelessly stupid.

Later he realized that perhaps he really was a bit beyond redemption.

Clearly, after leaving Changkong City, Su Qing'an had a way out behind him, yet he still embarked on a path destined to be stained with blood and fire.

He no longer had no other choice. Unlike being forced to stay in Changkong City to prepare for the Honkai outbreak, staying at St. Freya Academy was a decision he made himself.

The boy had a premonition that if he seriously chose to escape and live an ordinary life, the gods would not bother him.

Things like what happened in Changkong City will not happen again. If you deliberately force someone to make all the choices, the answers you get will naturally be predictable.

The game that the gods desire is not something so boring; the result of Su Qing'an's own choices and will is what He truly wants to see.

Whether that will be interesting is another matter entirely.

The collapse that Su Qing'an was forced to experience was likely the gods' hope that he would grow and become more interesting during this collapse.

It would be ridiculous to even consider someone like that as an enemy.

Su Qing'an could neither defeat the gods nor escape them.

It doesn't matter.

Compared to the things that might trouble and worry her in the future, Su Qing'an is more focused on the things in front of her.

The boy raised his head, his handsome face bathed in soft light, his expression serious and determined.

He said:

"Himeko-nee. I will protect you."

Himeko found it somewhat amusing that this child, having just escaped death, had uttered words that should only be spoken from his own perspective.

It's really hard to know what to say.

Finally, the woman gave her answer with a helpless smile:

"That's something an adult should say, you idiot."