Sky Striker Princess, but the swan song of Valkyrie.

Elfnais responded with concern.

Lingyi's consciousness was too vast and too unique, with an information density many times greater than that of ordinary people. They had no way of predicting everything within this consciousness space.

"Okay, I understand."

Since things have come to this, we can only take it one step at a time.

Furthermore, based on the analysis of the memory scenes we see here, we can roughly deduce what happened... something... something...

Elfnein seemed to want to say something, but her voice suddenly became extremely slow, as if time was stretched out infinitely at that moment.

Click, click—

Before Tachibana Eryi could figure out what was going on, her attention was drawn to the jarring creaking sound of the wooden door opening.

P.S. Good evening.

Chapter Seven: The Flower of Goodness in the Mud

As the wooden door creaked open, a tall, blonde, blue-eyed woman wearing a nurse's cap and a red cross armband walked in and immediately went to the bedside where Lingyi was lying.

“％?%?##&** () ) ? ”

The question was asked, and feelings of doubt and concern arose from her. However, the words could not reach Rei's heart because of the language barrier, and what Tachibana Hibiki saw was also incomprehensible gibberish.

Where am I? Who is she? What is her purpose? What happened while I was unconscious? Her blonde hair makes her look like a foreigner—is this a foreign country? Was the language she was speaking English? What did she just say?

With her gaze focused, Tachibana Hibiki noticed a string of questions surfacing from Rei.

On the surface, this manifests as Lingyi subconsciously placing her hands in front of her body, adopting a defensive posture as she faces the woman's forward movements.

"……&&%??* () **%."

Lingyi's actions troubled the woman, who seemed unsure how to approach her. She tentatively said something, took a few steps back to indicate that she posed no threat, and tried to lower Lingyi's guard.

..........

The other person's actions seemed to calm Lingyi down slightly.

Thinking about it carefully, if they had any plans, they would have done them before I was able to resist; there was no need to wait until I woke up.

[Yes, that's how it is. Whew, relax. Even though I've died once, even though I almost died, even though I'm in a completely unfamiliar place.]

But there's no need to be wary of everything; at the very least, the person in front of you should be trustworthy...

Then, in Tachibana Hibiki's eyes, bubbles of similar thoughts kept rising from Rei's body, and her small body gradually relaxed from its tension.

"Ouch—it hurts..."

The moment she relaxed, the pain that had been suppressed by the hormones released from her vigilance surged back into Lingyi's consciousness, and she instinctively wanted to cover the painful areas of her body with her hands.

B……&&%%?#?! ”

As Lingyi made her movement, the blonde, blue-eyed nurse grabbed her arm, her expression serious as if reminding her of something.

"Um, I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying. Are you telling me not to touch the wound?"

Lingyi trembled at the other person's actions, suppressing the urge to resist, and tentatively began to communicate with the stranger in front of her.

"...oh!"

Seemingly realizing the language barrier, after Lingyi's tentative words, she finally understood something.

So, she turned around and left. Not long after, a new middle-aged nurse with black hair tied up neatly and wearing a nurse's cap was brought over.

"Can you understand me?"

This time, Lingyi was finally able to understand and remember his fluent words.

"Ah, I can understand..."

At the same time, countless intense confusions also arose from Lingyi's body.

Where am I? I've heard three different languages ​​so far, and what's even more absurd is why there's Indian Chinese that I can understand?

Such questions lingered in her mind; she hadn't expected that the hospital in this war-torn region would be so unexpectedly...international, which she didn't quite understand.

"Then let me ask you first, child, what is your name?"

"Ryou... Well then, little Ryou, how are you feeling? Besides the wounds around your eyes and thighs, is there anything else that's bothering you? Do you feel any discomfort anywhere else in your body?"

After confirming that Lingyi could understand, the nurse calmly squatted down and began to ask Lingyi about her condition as gently as possible in front of the bed.

"The wound... it hurts and itches, but it's bearable. Other places... well, I don't feel anything wrong for now. As for other things..."

Although there are still many things I don't understand, I should cooperate for now. After all, they saved my life, and they shouldn't harm a kid like me who seems worthless and could die on the battlefield at any moment.

As Lingyi pondered this, she listened to the nurse's question and watched as the nurse meticulously recorded her information in a notebook already filled with notes using a ballpoint pen that was no longer very reliable.

"...So calm and obedient, he's nothing like a child. Is it because of the war again?"

After recording the information, the nurse sighed, her expression filled with an incomprehensible helplessness and sorrow, as if she had seen it all before and was not surprised by Lingyi's reaction.

"……Well."

[I had mentally prepared myself for what to say about my identity, but I completely misunderstood things and didn't use my knowledge at all.]

Lingyi didn't know what to say. She had been thinking about how to answer questions about her identity, but she didn't get any answers.

"Little Lingyi, don't be afraid. We're not bad people, and it's safe here. You don't need to be scared anymore. Just rest quietly. If you have any health problems, you can talk to the adults around you."

"The people here will help you if they find out... Oh, right, you don't speak English. Anyway, after you find someone, the head nurse, the one who just came to visit you, will send me over."

"I'm busy, I'll be going now."

The middle-aged nurse gave these instructions, stood up, and was about to leave, but a moment later, her clothes were pulled back.

"Is there anything else?"

Turning back to look at the girl on the bed, the nurse asked in confusion.

"Why...did you save me?"

Biting her lip, holding onto her questions, Lingyi felt compelled to get answers.

"Do you need a reason to save someone?"

Lingyi's question seemed to have stunned the nurse, who seemed unable to understand why there would be such a question.

"No, I mean..."

Taking a breath, Lingyi earnestly sought the answer.

"I don't understand. There has been no conversation or negotiation, no exchange of terms, no equal negotiation, and not even a threat."

"Why did you save me when I had absolutely nothing..."

This question seemed so important to Lingyi that she insisted on knowing the answer.

When she asked this question, she received a warm hug, gentle patting, and warm affection in return.

“I understand what you may have been through, but for me personally, the thing I can’t understand is not saving and treating children who have been so badly injured.”

The nurse, who had been an ordinary person, released her and responded to her concerns with equal seriousness.

"You may not understand, but everyone here came here with the intention of minimizing, even the smallest, suffering."

"In short, you can trust us. We won't hurt you like the people you've encountered in the past. You are safe here, and we will take you to a safe place later."

It seemed there was some misunderstanding. The nurse was so gentle in comforting Lingyi on the bed, her eyes revealing genuine worry and concern.

"So don't worry, no one here is asking you to do anything. In fact, your health and cheerfulness are the best reward for us."

The nurse patted Lingyi's petite head, tried her best to show a kind smile, and stood up again.

"Um, ah, I've taken up too much time. I'll be going now. If you're not feeling well, feel free to call me anytime."

As she spoke, she quickly left the room, looking tired and busy.

........

Have they left...?

After the nurse left, Lingyi silently lay back on the bed and began to think after she had calmed down.

[My eyes really can't see anymore, the stinging pain in my thighs feels incredibly real, the smell of disinfectant in the air is strong and pungent, and even the rough texture of the bedding doesn't feel out of place.]

So, I really did time travel, really, and I'm all alone again, with no friends, starting from scratch... well, I guess I didn't really have any friends before anyway...

Such thoughts projected into Lingyi's mind, and now that she was freed from the chaos, she had the energy to reflect on her experiences.

[War has made this place very unsafe. Once I recover, I need to leave as soon as possible, preferably to a safe and familiar place. No, it's a must. I can't bear to endure this situation where I could be killed at any moment any longer. If I stay any longer, I'll go crazy.]

After leaving and obtaining my identity, the rest is self-explanatory; I've done it many times before. After all, it's not the first time I've tried living alone. I've always been alone, so I'm used to this kind of life.

Immediately afterwards, Lingyi seemed to begin thinking about strategies for her next move.

Yes, that's right. Others are not trustworthy. Just maintain a reasonable social distance. So-called close relationships are far less reliable than those built on mutual benefit.

Even with fairness and justice, one must strive to achieve them. Therefore, you can only truly rely on yourself; to survive, you must depend on yourself.

This was just luck; such good fortune is a miracle, not the norm. Ultimately, altruistic behavior that completely disregards one's own interests is a very strange thing.

[Fighting alone, without partners, my heart fights alone in solitude, detached from the masses. This is me, this is 'Zero's' fighting style, and this is why I chose this deck.]

Therefore, don't have high expectations; living in isolation is the right thing to do...

In the end, as if convincing herself of something, Lingyi solidified her belief.

However, as this thought arose in her mind, and as she reaffirmed this belief that she had held for who knows how long, a short tear welled up in the corner of her eye and dripped onto the bedding.

.....

"Zero-chan".

Because it was in the mental space, Hibiki Tachibana could easily sense that Rei was not as calm and composed as she appeared, peacefully recuperating her body.

Judging from the emotional fluctuations emanating from her, Hibiki Tachibana was certain that her experience of being rescued after suffering severe injuries had had a significant impact on Rei.

A girl who has always lived alone and found peace in solitude, and who doesn't place much trust in others, continues to uphold her principles even after arriving in a strange world.

She, in such a state, was saved by kindness without any reason, so it's only natural that she would be somewhat shocked and slightly moved.

"But why did such a touching beginning ultimately blossom into such a terrible flower and bear such terrible fruit..."

However, Tachibana Hibiki, who already knew the ending, felt an uncontrollable panic about this storyline that carried a sense of redemption.

If things continued to develop like this, it would be a completely positive development. However, she did not forget why they had come to Lingyi's consciousness space in the first place.

If a good start ends in a terrible ending, then all the good things along the way could at some point sink into a very bad direction.

This was something that Hibiki Tachibana found hard to accept.

"Keep watching, you have to understand what exactly happened to Zero-chan."

With these mixed feelings, Hibiki Tachibana clenched her fists, watching nervously as the plot rapidly unfolded with the passage of time.

The clock hands never stop turning, and with each rotation, Lingyi's body in the consciousness space visibly improves.

About a month, or maybe half a month, passed. Once this repetitive period of time without any special events began, Hibiki Tachibana in her conscious space couldn't properly perceive the passage of time.

However, because she remembered the important things very well, Tachibana Hibiki was still able to confirm roughly what happened during this period.

During this time, Lingyi gradually became familiar with the nurses and doctors at the hospital, and at the same time, she learned about the general situation of the place.

This is a place plagued by war for various reasons, and this hospital was built by an international humanitarian organization to help children displaced by the war.

Because of their limited power, they cannot influence the war, but they can still provide some humanitarian aid that is acceptable to both sides.

For example, humanitarian organizations that, like now, help children injured in war and send orphans with nowhere to go to live in other relatively peaceful places.

As an international humanitarian organization, its members are naturally international as well. Therefore, the people here are basically people from all over the world who are willing to take action for this idea.

This is why Lingyi was able to see nurses and doctors in this hospital speaking English with all sorts of different accents—Chinese, American, British, French, Russian, Japanese, and so on.

They are all people who abandoned their peaceful and stable lives, using their knowledge and actions to do things that minimize suffering in the world.

According to Zero's assessment at this time, they were all a group of...

P.S. Good morning.

Chapter Eight: The Little Things About Being Discharged from the Hospital

Sunlight streamed through the window, bringing a touch of heat to the exposed skin; a gentle breeze brushed against the ends of the hair, tickling and quite annoying.

Lingyi stood by the window, looking out into the distance.

By this time, her leg injury had basically healed, and the wound around her eye was no longer worsening. Short periods of activity would be more beneficial for her rehabilitation and recovery.