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

He tried his best to suppress his grief and coldness in his throat and heart. The old butler knew that the person who was more saddened than himself was this girl.

"Miss Xi..."

The old man turned to look at the girl who was bowing her head and remaining silent. He gently called her name, but then found himself speechless.

What should I offer as comfort?

If you say that Lord Kanbara's wish has been fulfilled, and that you are still alive and well, he will be very happy in heaven and will have no regrets.

It's a good thing that the fate and tragedy of the Kambara clan have finally come to an end.

They say that Lord Kambara has paved the way for your future, and the funds he left behind are enough for you to squander for the rest of your life. You are free; the world is vast, and you can go to many, many places from now on.

But in the end, he found that all of this was meaningless.

For this little girl, no amount of comfort could overcome the fact that her father had died.

"Grandpa Butler, I'm alright." The girl raised her head, her expression sorrowful, and her voice trembled with sobs.

But in the end, she still didn't cry.

Actually, Yuu Kanbara really wanted to cry, even though Shuichi Kanbara had touched her head and said before he left that his father wouldn't be able to stay by Yuu's side anymore.

She had long known that there was a high probability that Osamu Kanbara would not survive.

But how could I not be sad?

But the man said that Xiaoxi was a very strong child.

Then you can't cry.

The girl stubbornly clung to this sorrow, refusing to show any sign of vulnerability or helplessness.

It was as if they were imitating that man's strength and will.

She told herself, "I can't cry, I can't cry."

And then she really didn't cry.

Kanbara Yu took a deep breath, looking at the worried expression on the old man's face, and said:

"Grandpa Butler, please take me back."

"Take me to meet my dad."

After nodding silently, the old butler said to the boy on the other end of the phone:

"Mr. Su, we understand."

"okay."

The phone hangs up.

Then the Maybach's engine broke the silence of the night once again.

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

Kanhara ancestral home.

"Is this really alright, Mr. Kitahara?" Su Qing'an put down the microphone and spoke to the silent man beside her.

Kitahara Shin.

This man, who chose to fight to the death, ultimately failed to hold that line of defense.

When the two arrived at the ancestral home of Kambara, the villagers, in order to find Kambara Yu quickly, did not stop to kill him.

Kitahara Shin and several mercenaries collapsed to the ground, their massive blood loss and injuries bringing them to the brink of death.

Finally, Sato Yuno quickly used her powers to remove the bullet and heal his wounds, thus saving his life.

“Mr. Su, Miss Xi is a strong child,” Kitahara Shin said.

The man still vividly remembered the scene of wailing like a child when he saw Shuichi Kanbara's body, but now he had regained his composure.

He understood that there were still people he had to protect with his entire life.

Just like when he went to war, Shuichi Kanbara said that if he died, he would take care of his parents.

Now that Shuichi Kanbara is dead, then as a retainer and friend...

I also have the obligation to serve and protect the person who is by my side.

"Okay, then you can rest and wait here for a while." After saying that, Su Qing'an and Sato Yuno walked into the room where the communication equipment had been placed.

Because Shuichi Kanbara had deliberately calculated the power of the Gatling gun, he specifically instructed the two on the location of their belongings in the room to avoid being affected by it.

In fact, the Gatling gun's power was indeed as exaggerated as he had imagined. All the houses in that area were violently torn apart, and a small part of the ancestral home of the Shinbara family had been reduced to ruins.

Su Qing'an opened the silver-white box and entered the password.

A blank projection appears.

After the number was entered, and after waiting for about three seconds, a girl dressed in a nun's habit appeared on the projector.

Looking into those familiar azure eyes, Su Qing'an politely said:

"Headmistress Theresa, it's been a long time."

43. Theresa's admonition.

"Long time no see. Yuno, Su Qing'an."

"You guys have exceeded expectations for this mission. You've really been a handful. I received the data and brief report from your school badge earlier. Based on the Honkai energy fluctuations and reactions, this mission is at a level that requires the deployment of an A-rank Valkyrie."

The girl sitting in the office chair in the projection leaned forward a little and said to the two of them in a lecturing tone, "I told you long ago, something like a live doll is obviously an abnormal mission, and the personnel should be reassigned. You two are quite stubborn."

After uttering her worried reproaches and complaints, Theresa adjusted the veil over her white hair and said solemnly:

"Congratulations on completing your first mission."

"But even if I say congratulations now, you won't be happy, will you?"

The girl's voice suddenly softened, and she looked directly at the two silent figures projected onto the communicator with her gentle, azure eyes, as if trying to soothe them, and said:

"I originally planned to have you return to St. Freya Academy directly on Schicksal's armed helicopter, but how about I give you a break now? You already have two tickets on your communicators that allow you to return at any time within the next three days."

"At least, attend his funeral."

Theresa had seen countless similar examples; the world's collapse events were in a constant cycle of birth and death, almost every minute.

The allocation of tasks by Heaven is inevitably sometimes inadequate due to the sheer number of tasks.

This mission, which was clearly beyond their capabilities, was just like that. In Theresa's opinion, it was already quite an achievement that the two of them were able to complete the mission. Moreover, after hearing their mission report, Theresa could tell that the client's death was an unexpected and sudden event.

But even if I comfort them now, saying that they've done a good job, it will only make them more upset.

Even if the two are indeed outstanding, they cannot avoid feeling guilty.

After all, they are still children who need to grow.

Until then, I, as the headmaster, will tolerate their willfulness.

"Thank you, Principal Theresa." Su Qing'an nodded in response. He could feel Theresa's gentleness and kindness, and the boy silently kept it in his heart.

He really liked the headmaster, and if given the chance, he hoped to repay such pure kindness.

Even with such tolerance, it's difficult to ease his turbulent emotions.

The boy, who had suffered so much hardship, was still too naive.

In such a world, he is still...

I don't want to lose anything.

"Kiana and the others' mission is just as troublesome as yours. Why are you all so unlucky?" Theresa sighed helplessly, seemingly deeply understanding the unusual situation the five of them were going through this mission.

"However, they can be considered to have completed the mission. Although there were some bumps along the way, fortunately, there were no major setbacks in the end."

"They'll probably be back at St. Freya Academy today. They specifically asked me to let you know they arrived safely."

"So, cheer up, Yuno," Theresa said to the girl who had been silent.

Upon hearing this, Sato Yuno responded with a faint smile and asked:

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Principal Theresa. Please rest assured, I am much better now."

"By the way, are Kiana and the others injured?"

The way you're saying that makes me even more worried.

Theresa became increasingly distressed, knowing that she needed to ask Himeko to pay more attention to her after Sato Yuno returned.

"Don't worry. Compared to Su Qing'an's injuries, theirs are just minor injuries that can be ignored quickly."

Theresa looked at the boy with a helpless expression and said:

"Although I know that you will only use the Stigmata in a very critical situation, I still hope that you can be a little more cautious in using the Stigmata."

Theresa's tone gradually became heavy. She still couldn't forget the violent rejection reaction and the final strangeness that the artificial stigma had shown on the boy's body that day.

“Your situation is different from that of ordinary artificial stigmata transplant recipients. You should understand that, right?”

“…I understand.” Su Qing’an was silent for a moment before replying.

It's not that he doesn't understand these things, it's just that without the Stigmata, he doesn't even have the qualifications to help Sato Yuno finish off the enemy.

Whether it was the sword that severed the barrier or the sword that killed the living puppet, assuming no Stigmata were used, relying solely on martial arts skills and his own Honkai energy adaptability, Su Qing'an would only be slightly stronger than a B-rank.

However, if it is the moment of burning one's life force and wielding the Stigmata, even a Honkai Beast of Emperor level would be a match for the boy's sword.

Su Qing'an has experienced helplessness far too many times, and now, with just a small price to pay, he can protect more precious things.

He was destined to never stop.

The power of the Stigmata is an addiction he can't break.

Su Qing'an did not covet power.

He just... hates losing.

I hate it, I hate it.

He, too, will one day burn out because of this reason.

Theresa understood the meaning of that expression; she felt a phantom pain as if her heart were clenching, and the past surged up like a tide and then vanished in an instant.