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

They're all like that... Without exception, anyone who makes that expression is an extremely stubborn idiot.

The name that Theresa couldn't forget among those idiots flashed through her mind.

Cecilia.

"...It seems I can't convince you. But if you go too far, I'll have a serious talk with Himeko." Theresa was silent for a while, then finally resorted to her usual trick of threatening him.

This argument sounds like a teacher who has no other choice but to sue the students' parents.

Ignoring Su Qing'an's bewildered expression, Theresa continued:

"Okay, that's enough of that, I still have work to do."

"All you need to remember is that everyone at St. Freya Academy is waiting for you to come back."

After she finished speaking, Theresa hung up the call.

The projection disappeared.

The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Yuno, do you think the job the headmaster mentioned refers to reading comic books or processing documents?" Su Qing'an turned her head and said quietly.

"It's a document, isn't it? Principal Theresa is quite dedicated," Sato Yuno said with a puzzled look, as if she didn't know why Su Qing'an would ask this question.

Sato Yuno, who rarely interacts with others, is clearly unaware of some of the rumors circulating about St. Freya Academy.

For example, Principal Theresa spends half her day reading Houmu comics and the other half trying to rub Judas on tiptoe.

For example, Principal Theresa often pushes most of the workload onto Major Himeko due to the excessive workload.

Su Qing'an heard Ji Zi complain to him about these things when they occasionally drank at coffee shops, so their authenticity should be reliable.

However, in order to preserve Theresa's dignity as the headmistress, Su Qing'an ultimately chose not to explain things clearly to Sato Yuno.

44. Funeral, return to school.

Su Qing'an initially thought that she should apologize to Shen Yuanxi.

The girl's first reaction upon seeing the two was to gracefully bow to them and sincerely say thank you.

In the end, Su Qing'an could only remain silent.

He thought that perhaps he really didn't need to apologize. He had already tried his best; he had burned his life, used his holy marks, and honed his skills, even his soul essence and emotions, all of which had been combined to form a [momentum] that he unleashed with the sword. He had used everything he could to his advantage.

Even so, he still couldn't catch up.

He doesn't need to feel guilty towards Shen Yuanxi, because this is the limit that Su Qing'an can do.

How can you blame a cat for not being able to fly?

It was never going to be able to do that in the first place.

Su Qing'an is now like this cat, and he keeps ridiculously wondering why he can't fly, why...

It won't be able to hold on.

He couldn't help but wonder what he would do if one day he couldn't protect not Shuichi Kanbara, but other friends who were more important to him.

The boy couldn't find the answer for a moment.

Sato Yuno hugged Kanbara Yu and said sorry.

Actually, Sato Yuno doesn't need to apologize. If it weren't for her, and other B-rank Valkyries had come for this mission, the Kanbara family would have suffered an even more tragic fate.

But she was very sad as she said sorry, tears streaming down her face.

She thought that after becoming a pseudo-Herrscher, she would no longer be sad about other things, that her emotions and humanity had become detached. But now she is really sad, really sad.

She seemed even more heartbroken than Kanbara Yu, and she burst into tears.

The way Kanbaru Shuichi died in front of Sato Yuno made her feel as if she were reliving the loss of Sato Natsuno.

She had originally thought she could do it, and this time she was stronger, so she could protect it.

However, she couldn't keep either Sato Natsuyuki's Kyo-Yuzen or Kanbara Shuichi's Kyo-Yuzen.

The Kyoto Yuzen robe with cherry blossom patterns was annihilated by the black flames of the living doll.

Even the wreckage couldn't be found.

It was just like the Kyōyūzen she would have received when she was eighteen—so ethereal and elusive, as if it had never existed in this world.

Kanbara Yu tried her best to comfort her, but she didn't know any magic tricks, so she could only bury her head in Sato Yuno's body, her hands wrapped around her waist and back.

She hugged Sato Yuno back, holding her very tightly.

No one knows whether she cried.

On the day of the funeral.

Everyone was dressed in black formal attire; very few people could attend Shuichi Kanbara's funeral.

Shinbara Yu, Kitahara Shin, the old butler.

Besides these three, there are only Su Qing'an and Sato Yuno.

That day, the logistics team of the Far East Branch was collecting Honkai energy from the surrounding area. They found the original remains of the living doll in the area around the shrine.

The heavy darkness prevented the two people who were rushing to the rescue from finding it at that time, but fortunately it was found by the logistics personnel. The piece of debris will then be sent to the science department of the Far East branch.

It was raining on the day of the funeral.

Because it was drizzling, no one was using an umbrella.

After placing a bouquet of white flowers in front of the tombstone, the two left the spot to Kanbara Yu.

The girl crouched down and whispered to Shuichi Kanbara. She spoke very seriously and in a very soft voice, as if the man were still there.

Yuu Kambara still fondly remembers the scene in the courtyard with Shuichi Kambara that day, watching the sparklers burn. She thought sparklers were indeed much prettier than fireworks.

No matter how grand or dazzling the fireworks are.

The drizzle gradually dampened the girl's hair, but no one offered her an umbrella. Even the kind old butler and Kitahara Shin, who cared for her, understood that Shinbara Yuu shouldn't be disturbed at this time.

Even though the action of opening the umbrella is so light and insignificant.

The rain gradually intensified.

Kanbara Yu still didn't use an umbrella, and raindrops rolled down her cheeks.

The rain scatters the white flower petals in front of the tombstone.

She smiled.

But no one knew whether what fell from the girl's cheeks was tears or rain.

But if you ask Kanbara Yu, she will only say that she did not cry.

If she says that, then she really didn't cry.

The two still embarked on their journey back.

2014 4 Month 21 Day.

After saying goodbye to Yuu Kambara, they boarded the plane.

The planes were still empty; the arrival and departure were the same.

In just a few days, Su Qing'an and Sato Yuno seemed to have changed a lot.

"Aren't you reluctant to part with it?" he asked.

"A little, I'm a bit worried," she replied.

Sato Yuno sat by the airplane window. They didn't sit together, but each sat on one side of the window, gazing at the ground gradually receding into the distance.

Su Qing'an thought for a moment, unsure whether to comfort her or herself, and said:

"Mr. Kitahara and the butler will take good care of her, and as they said, Miss Yu is a strong girl."

"Her future will be bright, just as Mr. Kambara hoped. She will go to school and make many friends."

Su Qing'an began to contemplate the girl's future, and he continued:

"From now on, she can enjoy the city scenery and visit some interesting shops on her way home from get out of class. On weekends, she can go to amusement parks and nearby attractions with her friends."

"She can travel during the holidays and see the world for herself."

"The world is so big, there are many things far more beautiful than cherry blossoms, she will see them."

Shuichi Kanbara hopes his daughter will embrace the future.

This should be what it looks like.

Upon hearing this, Sato Yuno looked somewhat lost and said:

"Yes, that kind of future sounds wonderful. But could such a world really be so gentle?"

Sato Yuno recalled that day in Changkong City. The collapse was so sudden. The calamity called Collapse was so terrifying and abrupt. If she hadn't been chosen by the Collapse consciousness, she might be a suicide soldier or a corpse now.

As Yuno Sato said, this kind of world is never gentle.

Su Qing'an said earnestly:

"That's why destiny exists, isn't it? St. Freya Academy exists for this purpose. The sacrifices of the Valkyries of St. Freya were not meaningless; they must have protected something for this world."

"Just like Principal Theresa said, we fight to protect the beauty of the world."

He wasn't just comforting Yuno Sato; he also hoped that Yuno Sato could find meaning beyond revenge.

Cocolia deserves to die. Even Su Qing'an harbors murderous intent towards her. He doesn't think Sato Yuno's desire for revenge is wrong.

He hasn't told Sato Yuno the reason why Cocolia was the trigger for the collapse of Changkong City: even with the power of a pseudo-Herrscher, he doesn't believe Sato Yuno can successfully take revenge.

Su Qing'an wouldn't say anything until she had truly matured and grown up.

Besides that, he also believed that a life with no other desire than revenge was too pathetic.

This girl's life shouldn't be this tragic.

Sato Yuno nodded and remained silent without replying.

But something had indeed planted a seed in her heart.

Perhaps under some circumstances, this seed will perish, or perhaps it will quickly sprout and grow into a towering tree.