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

"But you understand this yourself, right? So what I'm trying to say is that I was the one who was trembling with fear with you earlier, and made the terrible choice to stand by and watch someone die. So if this can be considered murder."

"Then let's say Hua and I killed him together."

The term "super straight ball".

"...Hmph...You sound like an accomplice." The girl buried her head back in her legs and muttered in a dissatisfied tone.

However, her small earlobes were flushed.

Is she already shy? That's too cute, Hua.

Hiding the purple markings on her wrist behind her back, Su Qing'an smiled as she looked at the girl.

The third day has passed.

3. The so-called end times

Fourth day.

Unlike the relatively peaceful state of the past.

A third party appeared in a shelter where the atmosphere was harmonious with only two people.

It was a woman, about twenty years old. Her face was obscured by dried blood and filth, and only her cold and dull eyes could reveal her emotions. When she slid down from the crack above into the shelter, the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.

The moment she saw the two of them, she wavered. Her indifferent pupils suddenly contracted, and then her expression turned fierce, letting out an irrational roar.

But strangely, her vocal cords seemed to be damaged, and she couldn't make any sound. The reason why the other person was screaming was simply because of the way her mouth was open and her overly ferocious expression.

It was strange. Both of them realized the strangeness of the newcomer. Unlike Hua's self-protective vigilance, the woman's vigilance carried a strong sense of aggression.

Just as Su Qing'an had already grabbed a stone brick to counter the woman's possible attack.

Rumble. A gigantic Honkai Beast passed by.

The woman stopped her silent screams, from which Su Qing'an could tell that she remained fearful of the Honkai Beasts.

This shows that even though the other party is somewhat abnormal, they still care about their own life. In this special period where even the slightest sound could lead to disaster, this can be considered a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune.

However, we must remain vigilant.

Having made this judgment, Su Qing'an's gaze toward the woman grew even colder.

After the Honkai Beasts left, a delicate atmosphere remained between the three.

The woman sat alone in the corner, eating the food from her bag. Her gaze didn't linger on the food for even a second; her eyes were blank and aimless as she stared ahead.

It was like a madman who had lost his mind, lost his ability to speak, and only retained the basic instinct to survive.

Su Qing'an frowned as he looked at the scene. His will, ravaged and crushed by fear, had become extremely sensitive, and the other party's behavior was undoubtedly challenging his nerve limits.

The boy glanced at the girl curled up, and a hint of murderous intent arose in his heart.

She's dangerous, if she could...

What is your name?

I've already forgotten.

The woman forgot about this boring information.

All she could remember was her mother and father turning into monsters and swinging their blades at her; to save herself, she killed them.

It was just such a simple story, that's what the chaotic consciousness told her.

The woman swallowed her food mechanically, as if it were a routine.

Because humans need to eat, she has to do the same.

Common sense can also bind her, and she will feel uncomfortable if she doesn't do it this way.

But why had she lost her sense of taste? She wondered, but didn't pay much attention and continued to swallow the tasteless food with a blank expression.

The fourth day at the shelter passed just like that.

As night fell, Hua subconsciously moved closer to Su Qing'an.

The woman's strange behavior and inability to communicate kept both of them awake. Without discussion or words, they tacitly took turns keeping watch over each other at night.

Even light sleep is dangerous under such uncertainties, so the two took turns sleeping.

The woman hadn't actually fallen asleep; she seemed neither sleepy nor tired, and even though she habitually wanted to sleep, she could only simply close her eyes.

Consciousness can never fall into a deep sleep.

As time passed, memories slowly flashed through her muddled mind, making her understand something.

The parents did not actually become suicide soldiers.

But she did kill her parents, that's true.

The one who became a suicide bomber that day was the woman herself.

The moment she realized she was no longer human, she felt no sadness or grief; instead, she laughed silently, the white and gray color spreading rapidly from the parts covered by her clothes to her entire body.

It was her limit to retain a sliver of human consciousness to get here. This woman, who was struggling on the edge between being human and being a suicide soldier, had her human consciousness completely worn away at this moment, and had become a mindless suicide soldier.

The woman's laughter made the two of them realize at the same time that something was wrong.

The moment the sunlight fell, Hua's nerves tensed up completely when he looked at the woman. Her unusually pale skin was exactly the same as that of the assassins outside.

She gripped the sharp-edged stone tightly.

But the woman was faster; she pounced on Hua in an instant.

Ignoring his sprained ankle, Su Qing'an rushed over and smashed the brick into the back of the woman's head with all his might.

Taking advantage of the woman's momentary lapse in concentration, Su Qing'an grabbed her by the neck and pulled her away from the girl.

Without time to hesitate or think, the boy, who had never fought with anyone before, coldly and ruthlessly killed Hua the moment he was in danger.

Even a strong, adult male of normal human descent would have a chance of dying instantly from such a heavy blow, let alone the subsequent full-force chokehold that closes in and compresses the trachea.

However, as a suicide soldier, the woman had lost most of the weaknesses of a human being. Being unable to breathe was not a fatal thing for her. Unless the boy could break her neck in an instant, it would be a joke to kill her with one blow.

The woman's strength was so great that even though he had the upper hand, the boy, whose body had been gradually weakening over the past few days, began to lose control of her movements.

The boy's fighting skills were not particularly advanced; his attacks were always designed to target the body's weaknesses.

With only his legs left as a weapon, Su Qing'an indifferently used his knees to repeatedly pound the woman's spine.

He had never exerted his physical strength like this in his previous life; this was almost the only chance he could kill a woman.

If she regains her mobility, there's a high chance that she and Hua, with their injured ankles and weakened bodies, will be killed.

This was a life-or-death struggle, and the boy, who understood this, had already given it his all. He could feel the joints of the arm that was locking the woman's arm groaning in pain, and the intense pain told him that in a short time, he might be forcibly dislocated.

At that point, there would be no chance of survival.

Realizing this, the boy opened his mouth and began to bite at the woman's neck like a wild beast.

Whether it's barbaric, ugly, or utterly deplorable, in order for himself and Hua to survive, as the weak, he has no choice but to use all the weapons at his disposal.

Even if it's a tooth.

That was the sound of a sharp weapon slicing through flesh; the corner of the stone in Hua's hand pierced the woman's temple with pinpoint accuracy.

The woman's struggling strength gradually faded, and the boy, panting heavily, slowly released his grip.

He didn't choose to rest, but continued to pick up the bricks at his feet and smash them against the woman's head. No amount of caution was too much when facing such a monster.

Only after completely smashing his head and neck did Su Qing'an finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Then he saw the girl crying uncontrollably.

She was crying, crying uncontrollably.

Is it because you're afraid of the woman's previous attacks?

Was it because you were thinking about the deaths of your parents and friends?

Or is it because of the endless despair brought about by this collapse?

Su Qing'an couldn't think of anything else. Hua's crying left him at a loss. In this situation, no words could comfort the girl.

Finally, he hugged the girl.

In this shelter, bathed in only a few rays of sunlight and filled with the stench of blood, the boy gently stroked the girl's gray hair and said:

"You've done a great job, we've all done a great job, that's why we've all survived. Now, Hua, you should rest well."

Despite the pain in her arm, Su Qing'an carried the flower to a corner.

The girl was lighter than I had imagined.

After Hua calmed down and fell asleep, he began to rest.

After struggling with the woman, he felt his physical discomfort begin to worsen.

How long can such a body last?

The boy stared silently at the woman's corpse, perhaps thinking that his own death wouldn't be much better than this.

That night.

The girl was a little embarrassed and didn't dare to look at the boy's face. Now, recalling how she had cried, she felt so ashamed that she couldn't remain calm.

"Can you tell me your name?" he asked, pretending not to notice the girl's awkwardness.

This was the second time Su Qing'an had seriously asked the girl's name.

“…I am Hua,” the girl looked up, her emerald eyes like clear streams, and she repeated earnestly, “I am Hua.”

"Oh, I see." The boy turned his face away somewhat embarrassed.

The girl's earnest words became the only colorful scene in his short, bleak experience of coming into this world.

I guess I won't forget it. Su Qing'an thought to herself.

4. Breaking the promise

Honkai infection. Su Qing'an understood what was happening to her.

Hua once said that it would be difficult for a man like himself to survive a Honkai outbreak, and that women's bodies seem to be naturally more adapted to Honkai energy than men's.