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

And no matter what happens next time, he will hold on to it.

Even if everything is burned to ashes.

46. ​​Himeko's worries.

She tied her apron behind her back with her hands behind her back, carefully folded up the cuffs, revealing her fair skin.

While washing the dishes, the girl would occasionally tuck her hair behind her ear, because she had been in a hurry when she tied her hair up, resulting in her hair not being properly combed.

In fact, with her sword heart and martial arts intuition, even though Su Qing'an's footsteps were habitually silent, she should have been able to detect him the moment he stepped through the door.

But in fact, she only realized what was happening after Su Qing'an pushed open the door.

Has her recent comfortable life made her a little relaxed?

Or is most of your attention focused on the game?

Or perhaps... this place unexpectedly makes her feel at ease?

The eerie, misty sense of déjà vu always made her wonder what kind of existence Su Qing'an meant to her.

You can make ripples on the water's surface with your fingertips, and the porcelain bowl and wooden chopsticks sway gently in the water before silently sinking.

Her mind returned to peace.

Those are fragments of memories that are harder to trace than those lost normally; they are as illusory as flowers in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water.

If it weren't for her barely preserved sword heart realm allowing her to keenly perceive the fluctuations in her heart lake, it would be normal to consider it an accident or a coincidence.

In Fu Hua's view, it was the ripples caused by the insignificant ashes left after the Feather Dust burned away.

It's pointless to even try to find it.

What we need to think about right now are other things.

Is there a way for Su Qing'an to become stronger? She gazed at the water, fragmented memories flashing through her mind…

Su Qing'an sat obediently in the chair, and from his angle, he could clearly see the girl's slender back as she washed the dishes.

The pink apron had a cat paw print-shaped tie for knotting, and the girl carefully tied it into a neat bow.

Kiana gave him this apron. Although it wasn't exactly to his liking, he usually wore it while cooking.

It was only when Fu Hua put on the apron that he realized how ridiculously cute it was.

He originally wanted to wash the dishes with Fu Hua, but the way she wore an apron while washing dishes was quite different from her usual image. That abrupt and clear girlishness made him a little uncomfortable.

Even the frozen lake of the heart seemed to be shaken.

"What are you planning to do later?" Fu Hua asked as she slowly wiped the water-stained bowl with a cloth.

“Go train. I want to test some things in a combat simulation scenario,” Su Qing’an replied.

He had used the Stigmata many times inside, but the data framework inside regarding the detailed flow of Honkai energy and the reactions of the body when artificial Stigmata were in operation was not perfected to the level of comprehensiveness.

The skillful application described there differs somewhat from reality.

Practicing controlling artificial holy marks inside is not very useful; on the contrary, the negative physical reactions it simulates will make Su Qing'an feel very uncomfortable.

Even if it only has a slight effect, it is still more worthwhile than directly consuming one's life force to practice experiments.

Su Qing'an wasn't unafraid of the consequences brought about by the Holy Mark of the Imperial Guard. The detached and illusory feeling of being gradually informed of the approaching death was so intense that it would be a lie to say he wasn't afraid.

Compared to a straightforward death, the feeling of being acutely aware, step by step, of one's own impending doom is far more agonizing.

He could choose without hesitation to burn his life to feed the demon called the Holy Mark, because there were things even more hateful than these that were forcing him forward.

However, it's far from enough to just train the accuracy of the Stigmata and improve some combat power that he would have to pay such a price.

The lifespan of the Holy Mark that can burn is one of his few bargaining chips.

And when gamblers hold their last chips and are about to make their final bet, they will also carefully calculate and plot, right?

“You just came back from a mission. Even training requires a balance of work and rest.” The girl retorted to Su Qing’an’s answer, frowning as she put the dried dishes back into the cupboard.

"Then I... I'll open a coffee shop." After thinking for a while, Su Qing'an realized that her only form of entertainment besides games was gaming.

"You own a coffee shop? I've heard others mention it. For you, running a shop is a way to relax?"

She took off her pink cat paw apron, folded it neatly, and placed it on the table.

Su Qing'an's gaze lingered on the apron for a few moments before she nodded and said, "I really enjoy making coffee."

Not noticing any change in the boy's eyes, Fu Hua nodded seriously and said:

"Oh, I see. You really like it? Whether it's relaxing or having fun, it's only meaningful to do things you enjoy. Let's go together then. I haven't made coffee in a while."

"Can hua do that too?" he asked.

But then he realized that if it were Hua, it wouldn't be surprising at all.

Su Qing'an readily accepted this fact, after all, even the experiences in the girl's remaining memories were already far beyond what ordinary people could reach.

Himeko gradually came to understand this through her interactions with the other party, which is why she said Fu Hua was very versatile last time.

"Yes, I learned a little bit when I was doing missions in some places before, but it's just at a very basic level," Fu Hua said.

However, no one knows what standard she was using to describe "ordinary".

So the two of them went out.

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

Sato Yuno stood in front of Himeko's house.

After she and Su Qing'an went to the Equipment Department to hand over the remaining equipment, she went to the office of Principal Theresa Academy to inquire about the next steps and follow-up reports.

The other party ended the conversation in less than five minutes, gently patting the two on the head to tell them to go back and rest.

So she used the key to open the door.

"Welcome back. Your first mission must have been tough." The red-haired woman was lounging on the sofa, dressed rather lightly despite it being winter.

Himeko turned her head, smiled, and waved to Sato Yuno, saying...

If you could just ignore the beer in her hand and the empty can hidden under the coffee table, that would be the best scene.

Sato Yuno glanced at the cold beer can in the other person's hand and said speechlessly, "Major Himeko, if you keep drinking like this, your stomach will break down sooner or later."

"Don't worry, Yuno. As a mature adult, I know how to take care of myself," Himeko said, though it might not be entirely reliable. She then changed the subject, saying, "Anyway, you've all worked hard this time. Where's Su Qing'an? Did he go back to his dorm first?"

"Yes. He went back to the dorm. But I feel like he'll probably go to the training ground later," Sato Yuno nodded, stating her guess.

“They’re all people who can’t stop. He’s also an idiot who doesn’t even know how to rest properly.” Himeko Murata gave a rather complicated smile.

She immediately downed the wine in one gulp.

She placed the empty aluminum can on the coffee table, the sound of it clattering together was somewhat crisp.

The woman stood up and said:

"Kiana and the others went grocery shopping. They should be back soon. I'm going to go to sleep now."

After speaking, Himeko turned and headed towards her room. Then, as if remembering something, she suddenly stopped and said to Sato Yuno, who had not yet spoken:

"Please help me tidy up, Yuno."

Sato Yuno sighed and said:

"I just can't do anything with Major Himeko. If Mei sees you like this, she'll give you a very gentle lecture."

“That’s the only one I absolutely don’t want.” Himeko’s expression was indescribable.

It's naturally hard to refuse someone who genuinely cares about you and whose advice is given in a very gentle way and with a very kind tone.

However, after agreeing, the feeling of being caught repeatedly for the same mistake is truly embarrassing.

In this respect, Su Qing'an is indeed easier to deal with.

Himeko Murata let out a heartfelt sigh of helplessness.

"Only once, now you should get some sleep." Sato Yuno gave Himeko a satisfactory answer.

"Then I'll have to trouble you," Himeko yawned and complained softly, "I stayed up really late last night helping the headmaster with a report."

If it weren't for wanting to see how Sato Yuno would look when she returned, Himeko would have gone to sleep long ago. Of course, she also used that as an excuse to drink a few cans of beer to stay awake.

However, given the child's current state, perhaps Kiana's own experiences and significance to her can offer her more comfort.

So I left early.

Exhausted and sleepy, she entered the room with this thought in mind.

47. Bronya is cute.

After cleaning up Himeko's criminal traces, Sato Yuno sat on the sofa watching TV, deliberately turning the volume down.

She stared at the screen, but her eyes were unfocused; the girl's mind was still wandering.

A rustling, noisy sound came from behind.

They must be back, she thought.

The door opened, and unsurprisingly, the three people who had said Himeko had gone out to buy groceries entered.

"Yuno, you're back already? I was thinking of making lunch before you got back. You must be tired from your journey, so please rest for a bit. Lunch will have to wait a little longer."

Raiden Mei neatly placed her shoes in the entryway, then walked into the room, placing the groceries she was carrying on the table as she spoke softly to Sato Yuno.

"Thank you for your help, Mei. I'm not very hungry, so you don't have to rush. Take your time." Sato Yuno handed the remote control to Bronya, who was sitting down next to her, and replied with a smile.

"Haha, Yuno might not be in a hurry, but Kiana gets hungry very quickly, so she might not be able to wait." Raiden Mei teased Kiana beside her with a smile.

"Mei, really, you're making me sound like a glutton," Kiana retorted, then sat down on the other side of the sofa next to Sato Yuno.

"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore. I'll go cook now." Raiden Mei looked at the three people huddled together on the sofa, and a beautiful smile naturally appeared on her lips.

Even after experiencing a rather difficult mission, Raiden Mei still thinks life at St. Freya Academy is great.

She cherishes these days.

After the others nodded in response, Raiden Mei carried the ingredients into the kitchen.

The status of the cook will never be shaken.