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

The double images before my eyes gradually crumbled into nothingness, and darkness enveloped everything.

The battle is over.

The girl's body leaned limply against the immortal, her abdomen completely pierced by the enemy's sword.

The sword was stained bright red with blood, obscuring its original color.

Even the power could not suppress the healing wound, and blood flowed out in large quantities from the cut left by the sword.

Whether it was a minute or longer, the last remaining blood slowly dripped into the pool of blood at his feet, creating weak ripples.

She wanted to struggle.

But in the immortal's embrace, it was like being immersed in a beautiful dream that would never fade away. The body felt terribly heavy, and consciousness gradually became mostly blank.

She was scared.

Yuno Sato is very scared.

This life, ending without accomplishing anything, this abrupt end before fulfilling the promises made to them, terrified her.

Also, it hurts so much.

The excruciating pain of the sword piercing his abdomen felt like it was burning his nerves and torturing his soul.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered the ancient legends of China.

Legend has it that there is an object called the Demon-Revealing Mirror. Any monster that is reflected in the Demon-Revealing Mirror will suffer unbearable pain and reveal its true form.

Are pseudo-law enforcers equivalent to monsters in this world?

That monster...shouldn't it die?

You won't die.

【Demons and monsters are all insignificant things; how could you be such a laughable and lowly being?】

【Yuno Sato, you are my apostle.】

Come back into my arms.

[If you're willing, such an enemy can be no match for you.]

The will from the distant other shore descended, and in Sato Yuno's almost blank consciousness, any sound at this moment should have been a heavenly rite of salvation.

just.

I hate it.

Extreme disgust and deep resentment filled the void, and even in this moment of confusion when she had little judgment, Sato Yuno instinctively hated this existence.

So, the girl gritted her teeth and suppressed her fear of death.

They chose the path of Asura.

"I refuse."

So the girl's connection with that voice was severed once again.

He disappeared again, gone forever.

"Yuno Sato, you did a great job."

The gentle voice turned the world upside down, and everything before Sato Yuno's eyes finally aligned into true reality.

Inside Fu Hua's bedroom, the gently falling feathers slowly dissipated.

The illusion created by Yu Duchen has withered and ended.

Looking at the peaceful scene before her, the bewilderment in her eyes had not yet dissipated, and her right hand subconsciously covered her abdomen.

No injuries.

What... exactly is going on?

In the final moments of the previous battle, the girl used that ancient sword, which seemed to be made of brass, to easily slice through the armor formed by Honkai energy.

Immediately, the sword light swiftly and decisively annihilated all her abilities, piercing her abdomen without fail. After the tangible sensation of her life gradually fading away, this was the scene before her eyes.

Sato Yuno snapped out of her reverie and silently watched the girl sitting in front of her quietly making tea.

Her training clothes remained completely undamaged and spotless.

Fu Hua put down her teacup and gently pushed another teacup to the girl's table.

Sato Yuno paused for a moment, then nodded slightly and held the cup with both hands.

The battle we experienced earlier must have been something like an illusion. Was the voice we heard earlier also an illusion?

This near-real experience of dying made her realize that she was still just as fragile at heart as she was in Changkong City.

In Sato Yuno's mind, the cowardice, sorrow, fear, and lingering attachment she felt before her death were all symbols of weakness.

After quietly filling the teacup halfway, Fu Hua asked:

"Do you think you're weak?"

The immortal's eyes reflected the girl's speechless expression after her thoughts were seen through. She continued:

“Yuno Sato, this is absolutely not weakness. Your attachment to and fear of death are the best symbols of your humanity.”

"This precisely proves that you are not a puppet controlled by the Honkai."

The girl remained silent; this was the first time anyone had ever spoken to her like that.

Weakness is wrong, fear is unacceptable, and one cannot become stronger without it.

These prejudices and stubbornness were habits that Sato Yuno had developed over the years, but the girl sitting opposite her completely shattered this notion, telling her earnestly that this was good enough, and that this was proof of her being human.

How could she not be shaken by this?

"Class monitor, what exactly are you..." Her question stopped halfway through.

Since the other party has never mentioned her identity, she should respect her.

Then, we can simply avoid mentioning each other's secrets.

After the girl stopped asking questions, she subconsciously took a sip of warm tea. She glanced cautiously at the other person's face and then looked away, instead focusing on the tea leaves floating in the cup to distract herself.

When those azure eyes, tinged with a hint of amusement, looked at her face, she couldn't help but look away, choosing to refuse to meet their gaze any longer.

After calming down and relaxing, she realized a problem.

Why is this person so strangely good-looking?

It wasn't the kind of arrogant beauty that seemed to draw all eyes to it, but rather a beauty that was light and ethereal yet undeniably real.

She usually looks fine with her glasses on, but now that she's not wearing any, her porcelain-white skin and her gentle, ethereal features are exquisitely beautiful, like flawless works of art. In this enclosed space with only the two of them, she forcefully draws Sato Yuno's gaze to her.

She used to enjoy watching beautiful high school girls, and although Sato Yuno is now a beautiful girl herself, this hobby obviously won't change because of it.

After spending a long time at St. Freya Academy, Sato Yuno was no longer swayed by ordinary-looking beautiful girls. With her tastes becoming more discerning, only beauties like Kiana could still make her feel endlessly attracted to them.

Fu Hua has clearly always been a part of this ever-popular list.

Just as doubts were stuck in her throat and countless thoughts were drifting aimlessly away, Sato Yuno heard the other person speak.

"Sato-kun, let's call it a day. Although you probably still have many questions, you should know that some things are best kept secret."

"Just like your current identity, I will help you navigate the path to mastering this power without making things too complicated. In return, please keep this a secret."

"It's 6:40 now. Although it's only been ten minutes, I believe you should have already gained something."

"Please go back and get some rest."

Upon hearing this, Sato Yuno nodded and said:

"Thank you for your help today, class monitor. I will keep this a secret."

"Then I won't bother you any longer, I'll head back now."

After a quiet thank you, Sato Yuno chose to leave. When she was alone with Fu Hua, she always felt very awkward if there was nothing important to do.

Having gone through this unforgettable training, Fu Hua now feels more like a mentor to Sato Yuno than a classmate or senior.

Neither she nor Fu Hua would deliberately acknowledge this relationship.

Fu Hua leisurely sipped her tea; today's exertion was not as great as she had originally expected.

Sato Yuno's performance in the realistic illusion created by Yu Duchen did not disappoint her.

Whether it was the ability to quickly adapt to the instinctive aversion to armor or the willpower to regain control of one's mind after the power went berserk, both are commendable.

What truly convinced Fu Hua of the opponent's strength was the moment the battle ended.

Just as the link to the broken consciousness was about to re-emerge along with the negative emotions of the fear of death, Sato Yuno, as if it were an instinct engraved in her soul, directly rejected the response.

He might descend upon her because of the emotional void created by Sato Yuno's near death, something she had anticipated before the battle and had been waiting for.

She deliberately set the battlefield in the illusion within the Feathered Dust Realm, just in case, so that she could sever the fragile connection in time when Sato Yuno succumbed.

Sato Yuno's fighting prowess in this battle did not exceed her expectations, but in the end she still had to draw the Xuanyuan Sword to decisively end the battle.

My strength is still dwindling, and my situation is getting worse and worse.

But let's not think about those things right now.

Sato Yuno's final choice made Fu Hua feel that she wasn't doing something meaningless.

Perhaps, her wavering and change will usher in a new beginning for the war.

Finally, the girl recalled the strange sound effects emitted by the Emerald Armor during battle and fell into deep thought.

Sato-kun, do you like Kamen Rider?

Unaware that this was actually Kiana's hobby, Fu Hua had already labeled Sato Yuno as a tokusatsu fan.

If Sato Yuno knew what Fu Hua was thinking at this moment, she would probably be incredibly embarrassed.

Fu Hua briefly imagined what it would be like to have her Valkyrie armor with sound effects added.

Although there's a subtle kind of fun and a strange sense of excitement about it, I'd better just pass.

She saw online that netizens commented that no man could resist Kamen Rider, and perhaps she could ask Su Qing'an to verify how accurate this assessment was.

"Drip drip."

A faint sound interrupted Fu Hua's rare moment of relaxed thoughts.