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

"I know, I know I'm very lucky. It's good enough that I survived. It's good enough that I survived being chased by an Emperor-level Honkai Beast."

The boy looked out the window at the clear blue sky, where white contrails and wisps of cloud stretched out in a messy pattern.

He spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if he had never experienced that desperate struggle and was simply talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"Sister Himeko, you don't want me to stay here, do you? I know that. Even though you're such a strong person, you're always a little cautious around me. I don't like that."

"My parents said they were archaeologists, but now that I think about it, they probably served a power similar to St. Freya Academy."

"I don't know how they died, but Himeko-nee, you must be blaming yourselves for their deaths and feeling guilty, which is why you suddenly became clumsy with me."

"What an idiot. I've faced Honkai Beasts before. I know that when facing Honkai, it's not surprising that anything unexpected happens. They've already made the necessary preparations. They're prepared to continue even if it means breaking their promise to me."

Finally, the boy looked at Himeko's stunned face and said seriously:

So, I don't blame you.

Himeko had always been unsure how to face Su Qing'an, but during their first meeting in the hospital ward after many years, the words the young man spoke struck a chord with her.

That was incredibly direct. Such frank and unvarnished words unexpectedly stirred something within me.

The deep-seated guilt was like years of accumulated snow warmed by a stove; even though she still stubbornly believed it was her responsibility, she felt as if she had been healed.

But as a mature adult, the woman outwardly appeared angry and embarrassed, and gave the boy a chop to the forehead, saying:

"Children should stay out of adults' business."

The gentle touch left Su Qing'an with only the impression of cold fingers, so he smiled in surrender, "Yes, yes, Sister Ji Zi, I understand."

"...In short, you should know that you don't have the potential to fight Honkai. Even if you are good at martial arts, killing a tank-class Honkai Beast is the limit for a normal human."

"Even Valkyries trained to fight Honkai have most of their combat abilities in the Valkyrie Armor. Since your Honkai resistance is barely above the passing level, you are not capable of using the Valkyrie Armor."

"You should understand what this means."

Himeko Murata stated the undeniable truth.

“I understand.” He nodded.

This means that even if he stayed at St. Freya Academy, he could only be in the logistics unit.

"So I'm giving you two choices: one is that I'll send you back to China, and I'll come to see you when I have time later."

"The second option is to stay at St. Freya Academy and receive training in the logistics unit. As for accommodation, you can live with me, or I can apply for a single room for you."

When the topic of accommodation came up, Himeko Murata laughed, as if she were teasing her.

“I choose the second one. There’s probably no absolutely safe place in this world anymore, so I might as well stay by your side, Himeko.”

Without responding to Himeko's teasing, Su Qing'an chose to stay at St. Freya Academy.

"Now that you've made your decision, I'm going to get back to work now. Get some rest, little one."

Himeko stood up and stretched, her mature figure exuding dynamism. Without hesitation, she prepared to turn and leave.

"Himeko-nee, I want to go to Chiba Academy again. I know it sounds selfish, but I won't be satisfied if I don't go."

Sato Yuno is dead.

Even without seeing the body, he could understand this fact.

But he would never be able to let go of it unless he went to Chiba Academy in person.

"I've passed by here so many times, and your shop is only open this time. When do you usually open?"

In her memory, after she had carefully finished the boy's coffee and given her fair assessment, she asked this question with some anticipation.

"Ugh! What do you mean, 'depending on my mood'? What if I want coffee?" The girl, shocked by the boy's absurd answer, couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief.

On a warm afternoon.

"Su Qing'an, you really like cats, right? Hmm? You're asking me how I know? It's obvious."

The girl who knelt down with him to feed the cat poked the boy's cheek with her fingertip and said:

"Look, isn't this smile so gentle? It's completely different from your usual cold face."

The girl's face wasn't particularly beautiful, but her refreshing smile, like a summer stream, permeated the memories of that day, making it unforgettable.

Sato Yuno is just an ordinary girl.

She appeared unremarkable among the more than 2.3 million people who died in Changkong City.

For Su Qing'an, she could be an ordinary regular customer at the coffee shop, a talkative high school student who jokes around with her, a kind-hearted person who feeds cats together, or one of her few friends.

That's also possible, and it's very important.

"...A month from now, Changkong City should be almost completely cleared out. If you've recovered from your injuries, you can go if you want."

This little guy can be so stubborn sometimes, it's a real headache, but that's part of what makes him so adorable.

Himeko Murata then left observation room A019.

"Thank you..." the boy murmured, closing his eyes.

46. ​​A Few Things About Sword Forging

2014年2月3日早9时15分。

"You want to use this broken sword to forge a new one? Why? The material of this sword is very ordinary. Even if it is reforged, it will not be as good as the weapon issued to you by the academy."

Theresa was somewhat puzzled. Standing in front of her was a slender young man. His fingertips traced a spot on the still intact hilt of the sword in his hand, as if he were reminiscing about something. This sword did not seem to be a simple weapon that he could simply throw away when it broke.

"This sword was a token of love given to my teacher by his wife. Although my teacher gave it to me, he said that even if it broke on the battlefield, it was its destiny and there was no need to regret it."

"But without this sword, I probably wouldn't be alive today."

In Su Qing'an's hand was the ancient sword [Ding Feng Bo], which only had half of its blade remaining. This sword had already taken on a special meaning for him.

"So, I want to rebuild it, please ask the headmaster."

Theresa looked at the boy who was bowing earnestly to her and couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. If he was always this serious and earnest, I would be very troubled.

"Ahem, although the formalities haven't been completed yet, you're already my lovely prospective student. I can still grant such a reasonable request, so don't bow anymore. If Major Himeko sees this, she'll think I'm making things difficult for you."

The girl sighed and rubbed her forehead, then took a white card from the cabinet, placed it on the table, and said:

"This is a one-time pass to the Destiny Weapon Research Institute. If you're lucky, the director might take a liking to you and forge a sword for you himself. However, that guy's personality is a bit unpredictable, so it all depends on luck."

"As for materials, you can ask the director. Anyway, upgrading your sword to a standard weapon shouldn't be a problem."

"Thank you, Principal Theresa." Su Qing'an took the pass from the table and thanked her sincerely.

"Wait here for a bit. There's a Valkyrie who just took on a mission to help the director test his sword. We can have her take you along."

Theresa, devoid of any dignity, leaned her head against the table and waved her hand as she spoke.

No one would guess at first glance that this adorable girl, who looks only 12 years old, is actually over forty.

Aside from being serious and reliable when it comes to important matters, the other person is practically like a child in everyday life.

His hobbies include drinking bitter melon juice and secretly reading the "Houmu Adventure" comic during office hours.

"Knock knock." It was the sound of knocking on the door.

"You're here so quickly! As efficient as ever. Come in."

Theresa clearly knew who was knocking on the door, and quickly resumed her "dignified" posture of sitting upright.

"Headmistress, I'm here to get my pass to the Destiny Weapon Research Institute." A girl with long gray hair entered through the door.

Red-rimmed glasses rested on her small, straight nose, and through the non-prescription lenses, her eyes, as blue as the sea, resembled an ancient spring that, though dead, remained clear.

This face and eyes left a deep impression on Su Qing'an, and in just a moment he realized that this was the Valkyrie who had saved him that day.

Fu Hua, one of the strongest warriors of humanity in the pre-civilization era.

The legendary immortal of China has protected the land to this day for a promise.

After learning Ji Zi's name, Su Qing'an realized that his feeling of seeing an immortal at that time was not an illusion.

This woman is indeed a fairy from mythology, even though she has lost most of her power and forgotten most of her memories.

When she throws a punch, Su Qing'an can understand the true and undeniable nature of the martial arts that has been ingrained in his soul over the long years.

That is a martial art that combines the use of Honkai energy and human skills. The martial arts of the present-day Shenzhou were passed down by this immortal.

Unlike the killing martial arts that Chen Junxuan created himself while confined to a cage, this was a martial art used to fight against Honkai Beasts.

“Fu Hua, he’s going to the weapons research institute too, why don’t you take him with you?” Theresa said, taking another pass from the cabinet and handing it to Fu Hua.

"I understand, Headmaster. I'll take my leave now." The girl nodded, signaling Su Qing'an to follow, and then she walked out of the office.

Su Qing'an closed the door.

The girl's clothing was designed to be as light and airy as martial arts attire, while also incorporating a touch of Chinese style. From Su Qing'an's perspective, her waist appeared exceptionally slender.

"Is your injury healed? You must be feeling a bit weak right now after your first encounter with a Honkai Beast?" the girl asked.

"Thanks to you, I still have the energy to think about these messy things."

The boy was a little embarrassed. It was the first time he had ever owed someone a life, and being bad at socializing and speaking, he didn't know how to face Fu Hua.

At the same time, the inexplicable familiar feeling he had about Fu Hua made it impossible for him to show excessive respect for her, even though he knew her identity.

He had already understood the source of that familiar feeling.

"Major Himeko must have already mentioned her future plans to you, right?"

"...I will enroll in school."

Fu Hua was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. Her surprise was not because it was the first time a male student had enrolled at St. Freya Academy.

Instead,

"Do you understand the consequences of enrolling in school?" the girl questioned.

"Well, even if we can only serve as a logistics unit, contact with Honkai Beasts is inevitable."

"Technicians like my parents can die if they're unlucky, so it's not surprising that any accident could lead to their deaths. I've come to understand that."

Su Qing'an nodded, and then he said to Fu Hua what he had once told Himeko:

"But is there really a place in this world that is absolutely safe? Neither humans nor the Honkai are reasonable things."

Fu Hua didn't know that Su Qing'an was referring to Cocolia, but she could only agree with the Honkai's view.