Funeral, Return to School

Su Qing'an initially thought that she should apologize to Kambara Yuu.

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, burned his life, used his Stigmata, and honed his skills over the years. Even his Soul Essence and emotions had formed 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 didn't need to feel guilty towards Kambara Yuu, because this was the limit of what Su Qing'an could do.

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

It was never meant to be.

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

It won't hold.

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

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

Satou Yunona hugged Kambara Yuu and said sorry.

Actually, Satou Yunona doesn't need to apologize. If it weren't for her, and other B-rank Valkyrie had come for this mission, the Kambara Family would have suffered an even more tragic fate.

But now she is very sad, saying sorry, tears streaming down her face.

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

She seemed even more heartbroken than Kambara Yuu, and she burst into tears.

The way Kambara Shuichi died in front of Satou Yunona was like making her relive the experience of losing Satou Natsuno.

She had always thought she could do it, that this time she was stronger and could protect what she had been given.

However, she couldn't keep either Satou Natsuno's Kyo-Yuzen or Kambara Shuichi's Kyo-Yuzen.

The Kyo-Yuzen with cherry blossom patterns was annihilated by the black flames of the Living Doll.

Not even the wreckage could be found.

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

Kambara Yuu tried her best to comfort her, but she didn't know magic, so she could only bury her head in Satou Yunona's body, her hands wrapped around her waist and back.

She hugged Satou Yunona back, holding her very tightly.

No one knows if she cried.

On the day of the funeral.

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

Kambara Yuu, Kitahara Shin, the old butler.

Besides these three, there are only Su Qing'an and Satou Yunona.

That day, the Logistics Department of the Far East Branch was collecting Honkai Energy from the surrounding area. They found the true remains of the entity that caused the existence of the Living Doll in the area around the shrine.

The thick darkness prevented the two people who were rushing to the rescue from spotting it at that time, but fortunately it was found by logistics personnel, and the fragment will later 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 Abyss Flower in front of the tombstone, the two left the spot for Kambara Yuu.

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

Kambara Yuu still fondly remembers the scene in the courtyard that day when she and Kambara Shuichi watched 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 Kambara Yuu shouldn't be disturbed at this time.

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

The rain gradually intensified.

Kambara Yuu still didn't use an umbrella, and raindrops rolled down her cheeks.

The rain scatters the Abyss Flower petals in front of the tombstone.

She smiled.

But no one knew whether the tears falling from the girl's cheeks were tears or rain.

But if you were to ask Kambara Yuu, she would only say that she didn't cry.

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

The two still embarked on their journey back.

April 21, 2014.

After saying goodbye to Kambara Yuu, 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 Satou Yunona 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.

Satou Yunona 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 just 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 browse 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 her 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."

Kambara Shuichi hopes his daughter will embrace the future.

This should be what it looks like.

Upon hearing this, Satou Yunona looked somewhat lost and said:

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

Satou Yunona recalled that day in Changkong City. The Honkai was so sudden. The calamity called Honkai was so terrifying and abrupt. If she hadn't been chosen by the Honkai Consciousness, she might be Zombie or a corpse now.

As Satou Yunona said, this kind of world is never gentle.

Su Qing'an said seriously:

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

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

He wasn't just comforting Satou Yunona; he also hoped Satou Yunona could find meaning beyond revenge.

Cocolia deserves to die. Even Su Qing'an harbored murderous intent towards her. He didn't think Satou Yunona's desire for revenge was wrong.

He hasn't told Satou Yunona the reason why Cocolia was the trigger for the Honkai Changkong City: even with the power of Pseudo-Herrscher, he doesn't believe Satou Yunona 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 truly pathetic.

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

Satou Yunona nodded and then remained silent.

But something had indeed been planted in her heart.

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

At that time, Satou Yunona will not live solely for revenge.

Perhaps, as Su Qing'an said, this girl who wields power Pseudo-Herrscher will fight to protect the beauty of the world.

But before that day arrives, the girl and Su Qing'an are undoubtedly still immersed in the aftermath of Kambara Shuichi's death.

For the first time, they were fully committed to saving something and felt they had the power to do so.

But they still failed.

The pain born from this mixture of frustration and sorrow left scars on their hearts.

In the end, time will numb everything.