Sky Striker Princess, but the swan song of Valkyrie.

Soon, Hibiki Tachibana understood what she wanted to do.

Before living here, she had been asked by Lingyi to cover for her so that Lingyi could freely do whatever she wanted.

It's the same this time.

Zhi ya—

The dilapidated wooden door creaked and rattled as the two entered the dormitory.

"Phew, that's all for now, thanks."

After thanking Tachibana Hibiki for covering for her, she saw Rei walk briskly to her bed, rummage around for a bit, and then take out a laptop. She then turned it on with an expectant expression.

It seemed that Lingyi had pestered a nurse with whom she had a good relationship for a long time to get a personal laptop so that she could learn some information she wanted.

"Okay, finally the download is complete. Sigh, should I say I'm glad this place still has basic internet, or should I complain that the internet speed here is so slow that even downloading a document takes so long?"

As she said this, Lingyi focused her gaze entirely on the screen, and Tachibana Hibiki followed suit and sat down on the edge of the bed with her, remaining quietly silent.

It wasn't that she didn't want to find topics to talk about; it was just that she really couldn't understand how Lingyi could look at those obscure formulas and texts on the computer screen with such relish, formulas and texts that would make her drowsy after thirty seconds.

Although each character in Tachibana Hibiki's writing can be understood through some unknown principle, when they are combined together, they become a completely incomprehensible meaning.

Therefore, even though she tried her best to find more topics and more opportunities to learn more, she was unable to penetrate the thick barrier formed by the knowledge barrier that was difficult to overcome.

[……&&%%?****&]

[Hehehe, no matter how many times I've experienced it, the satisfaction of gaining knowledge is really comforting. If my brain had been this sharp before, I might actually have been able to forge a real 'Sparkling Blade' by hand.]

[Yes, I've got it. Once things settle down, I'll try to reproduce it. It's rare to encounter such a miraculous phenomenon; it would be a shame not to take advantage of these opportunities!]

Ah—it feels so good, this feeling of being able to understand everything so quickly…

As she waits and watches Rei's lively and adorable thoughts pop into her mind as time goes by, this is the only thing Hibiki Tachibana can do right now.

[This isn't so bad, is it? Looking at Rei-chan like this, I feel my inner anxiety gradually calming down...]

As Hibiki Tachibana thought this, looking at Rei's slightly excited profile, a sense of relief welled up inside her.

Many times, she felt that just watching Lingyi, watching her live such a stable and happy life, might also be a kind of enjoyment.

[...Thinking back on it carefully, really a lot has happened since I met Rei-chan.]

Silently watching, in the quiet atmosphere, for some reason, Tachibana Hibiki recalled the first time she met the other person, and the many things that happened afterward.

In the midst of a leisurely daily life, she accidentally came into contact with another side of the world. After becoming a musician, she participated in battles without stopping, and after that, she constantly encountered setbacks and self-doubt, but she rose again.

[Speaking of Jiuqi, she clearly had the experience of fighting alongside Lingyi before, but after that, she never had that kind of opportunity again.]

Memories flooded her mind, and Tachibana Hibiki recalled the time when she was still at odds with Finney.

At that time, she went berserk because she could not withstand Durandal's power. It was Zero who used a mysterious power to regulate and soothe the power in her body and clear her mind.

Even now, I still remember the feeling of that time. Back then... um, back then, I lifted Durandal and defeated Miss Ko... um, no, that's strange, so strange, there must be something else.

Suddenly, the memory of Hibiki Tachibana felt a little strange, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

The process was going very smoothly, but she remembered that there was something she was particularly concerned about. However, no matter how hard she tried to recall, she couldn't remember the specifics of that matter.

It's like being covered by a veil, only able to glimpse the general shape from the outside, but unable to explore the specific contents inside.

"What's wrong, Tachibana? You look like you're in a lot of pain. Did what happened just now really hurt you badly?"

Just as Tachibana Hibiki was struggling with her decision, Rei's concerned voice came from the side.

"Ah, no, it's just that I feel like I've forgotten something very important..."

"Could it be amnesia? No way, that was just a sandbag. What else could be wrong? Does he still recognize who he is?"

It would have been better if she hadn't said anything. As soon as Tachibana Hibiki said that, Rei immediately grabbed her hand, brought it close to her face, and began to carefully examine her forehead.

"No problem, I don't think it's the sandbag. Maybe I'm just too tired. A little rest should do the trick."

Faced with such concern so close at hand, Tachibana Hibiki felt a little uncomfortable with Rei's enthusiasm.

After all, from the past to the present, Lingyi has basically been on the opposite side of them, with a cold face and an expression of not knowing what she is thinking. To be honest, it is hard for people to get used to her being so enthusiastic.

"Really? That's good. I thought something had happened when I saw you looking so pained, Tachibana."

Lingyi breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's alright, it's alright. It's just that some seemingly important things from the past are a bit blurry. I should be able to remember them if I think about them carefully."

Hibiki Tachibana smiled and said to Rei.

"But, Tachibana, if the memory is blurry, it probably isn't a particularly important memory, or it's a memory that you want to forget."

"If that's the case, then I think it's better for you, Tachibana, not to overthink it."

Lingyi sincerely made this suggestion.

"Ahaha... Sorry to have worried you, Rei-chan. I'm fine now."

Hibiki Tachibana chuckled sheepishly.

"This doesn't look like anything's wrong."

Could it be post-traumatic stress disorder? I've heard it's very common during major disasters... Hmm, I guess I can't just ignore it.

Although Tachibana Hibiki said that, it didn't seem to convince Zero-chan, who still looked at her with worried eyes.

"However, Tachibana, if you ask me, whatever you're thinking about, remember to let bygones be bygones. Focus on the future and stride forward – that's the right way."

"In any case, humans are creatures that live in the present and move towards the future. It would be a very sad thing if we were always bound by the past and unable to move forward."

Immediately, Zero, with a serious expression, grasped Tachibana Hibiki's hand and expressed her thoughts.

"Hey, Zero-chan, there's no need to be so serious. Actually, things aren't what you think."

Sensing that she had misunderstood something, Tachibana Hibiki tried to explain.

"Well, let's leave it at that... Tachibana, why don't you try learning too? You might find it useful in the future."

After saying this, Lingyi nodded, no longer dwelling on the topic. Instead, her eyes sparkled as she pushed the laptop screen in her hand in front of Tachibana Hibiki.

"Please, spare me, Zero-chan! Looking at this stuff will keep me awake at night because I'm fainting during the day!"

"Quickly look away from the screen that's practically hypnotic," Tachibana Hibiki said sheepishly.

"Hmm, it's okay, just wait a moment, I'll find you some course materials that even Tachibana can understand..."

Completely disregarding Tachibana's thoughts, Rei seemed to be seriously considering the proposal.

"Zero-chan, are you a devil?!"

Hibiki Tachibana was starting to lose her composure. How could someone be forced to review the old and learn the new even in the mental space?

"Hehe, just kidding. Even if I wanted to find it for you, the network here doesn't support downloading. I'll keep watching."

Fortunately, perhaps due to the missing rendering module, Zero didn't pull out a practice book or anything like that for Tachibana Hibiki, but instead immersed herself back in those incomprehensible books.

Hmm, I'm feeling a little out of sorts right now, but, well, like Rei-chan said, focusing on the present and the future is what's important.

After being interrupted by Rei, Hibiki Tachibana felt that the uncomfortable feeling had disappeared, and then stopped caring about such a trivial matter.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, cascading down the platinum blonde girl's long, flowing hair. Combined with her past experiences, this created a captivating charm in both stillness and movement.

Just as Tachibana Hibiki had thought before, simply experiencing such a peaceful and beautiful, miraculous daily life, her heart could feel an involuntary joy.

I couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be if time could stay like this forever.

Squeak—I ⊙ seems to pull the ripples 0—

"Ah, as expected, Little Lingyi, you've run away and come here again."

Just as the two were engrossed in their studies and silently observing each other, a simply dressed nurse pushed open the door and entered, disrupting the harmonious scene.

Chapter Thirteen Interrupted

"Hey, wait a minute, please, let me look at it a little longer. I'll figure out this key point soon. I won't be able to sleep tonight if I don't understand this. I'll do anything after I finish looking at it!"

Noticing the nurse's arrival, Lingyi's expression turned anxious.

It's like when you're playing a competitive game and your mom calls you to dinner during a crucial team fight, and you're frantically trying to figure out how to win the game the fastest, so you're frantically browsing information.

"Um, Zero-chan didn't run away. She brought me back to recuperate because I was injured."

At the same time, Tachibana Hibiki immediately stepped forward, her expression serious as she defended Rei.

"Hey, hey, let's just leave it at that. Don't worry, I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had time to use the computer at all, so you don't need to be in such a hurry, Xiaolingyi."

"Besides, now that you've made friends, Xiaolingyi, I don't need to worry about you too much."

The nurse waved her hand, glanced at Tachibana Hibiki blocking her way, and indicated that she didn't care about such a trivial matter at all.

"You should have said so earlier. What's wrong?"

Hearing this answer, Lingyi breathed a sigh of relief, closed her notebook, and then asked about her purpose for coming.

"As you know, we've finally made contact with an agency here. In a while, we'll be sending you to a relatively stable country to live temporarily. It might be quite far, so we hope you're prepared."

"There's another thing. They need some information for their files, so I need to send you all an electronic one-inch passport photo as part of your files."

The nurse gave a brief explanation to the two people present.

This has been a clear fact for a long time. After all, it is impossible to take in these war orphans indefinitely. With the situation deteriorating and relief supplies becoming increasingly difficult to reach, sending them away has become the cheapest option.

[Is that so? So that's why Zero-chan appeared at the orphanage, just like Chris said.]

Upon hearing this information, Tachibana Hibiki had some guesses in her mind.

[Hmm, so, after Rei-chan was sent to the orphanage, she went through a lot?]

Hibiki Tachibana subconsciously thought this.

After all, things are going smoothly no matter how you look at it, and according to the analysis Lingyi gave us, the possibility of an accident is not particularly high.

"Where do we need to go to take the photos?"

"Ah, no need for that, a mobile phone is fine. There's no professional equipment here, so let's keep it simple."

After a brief exchange, the nurse led Rei and Hibiki Tachibana to the relatively clean white wall and took two selfies with their phones against the white background.

"Hmm, it works very well. Xiaolingyi, you look very cute. Okay, then I won't disturb your studies any longer, Xiaolingyi."

After taking the photos, having achieved her goal, the nurse smiled gently, greeted the two of them, and left the dormitory.

She has so much work to do and doesn't have much time to rest. She's already very happy to be able to come and visit here.

"Alright, I'll hurry up and continue."

After watching her leave, Lingyi continued her unfinished studies.

"Zero-chan, you really like watching these kinds of things."

Seeing Rei's impatient look, even though she had seen it many times before, Tachibana Hibiki couldn't help but sigh.

"Well, like I said before, we should look to the future and move forward step by step. Learning more will always be useful... Ah, wait, why isn't this circuit working?"

Responding casually, Lingyi's attention returned to the ocean of knowledge.

Soon, the time spent studying always passed very quickly, like the tide washing over the world, letting night replace day, and it was time to go to sleep.

I closed my laptop, stretched, yawned, and then relaxed by moving my stiff shoulders.

Even if Lingyi seems to have inexhaustible energy, she still needs sleep. Not to mention, no matter how much energy she has, it can't withstand the physical and mental strain from morning to night.

"Hmm... Qin, Tachibana?"

Then, looking to the side, Rei noticed Tachibana Hibiki, who looked sleepy but was still trying to stay awake with her eyes open.

"Ryou-chan..."

Hibiki Tachibana, who retained a sliver of consciousness, regained consciousness upon hearing Rei's call.

Although she tried to stay awake, the complex and incomprehensible knowledge in Lingyi's hands made her involuntarily doze off, causing her consciousness to jump between sleep and wakefulness for a considerable amount of time.

"I thought you had already left. Have you been standing here in a daze the whole time?"

Seeing her like this, Lingyi showed a puzzled expression.

"Because I have to keep an eye on Rei-chan the whole time, and this is such a rare opportunity..."

That's what Tachibana Hibiki said.

She didn't know what Lingyi wanted her to know, so she tried her best not to miss any information, which is why she clung to Lingyi as much as possible during her time there.

Since we need to give an explanation, we must keep a close eye on everything.