An Uneventful St. Freya Academy

May 6, 2014.

When the clock on the school building struck six, dusk, as always, was immersed in a thick sea of clouds, and the azure tide was gilded with gentle golden hues.

In the blink of an eye, the fog on the artificial island dissipated amidst the shimmering water.

The sun, sinking into the sea, cast a soft light, illuminating the entire St. Freya Academy, starting from the edge of the coastline.

Kiana gently placed the girl on the hospital bed with swift and tender movements, as if the girl's weight were as light as a feather.

Compared to the small number of students, St. Freya Academy is quite large, so finding a place to place an unconscious student is not a difficult task.

The eerie fog had no effect on Kiana; her naturally strong resistance to Honkai Energy made her feel perfectly comfortable in such an environment.

She was quiet and somewhat silent at this moment; this was Kiana's twenty-seventh student to be settled.

She had already heard about what was happening at the academy.

The mass coma left the still-conscious trainees at a loss, but the girl's calm command at the crucial moment saved the scarce staff and teachers a lot of trouble.

Unlike her usual self, she is always exceptionally reliable in times of crisis.

Su Qing'an is currently seriously injured, and the fact that Headmaster Theresa in a coma has not yet been made public.

But she also had some uneasy speculations about the two who hadn't shown up yet.

What exactly happened? The source of this fog is truly something that makes one's imagination run wild.

Her first reaction was that there was an invasion by foreign enemies, but apart from the large number of people who were unconscious due to the fog, everything was fine.

It's like a nonsensical prank, the purpose of which is to let everyone get a good night's sleep and relieve the fatigue from training.

That's a really bad joke, she thought.

The sudden, bright light made the girl instinctively look up at the window.

She was stunned.

As the last rays of sunlight faded, the thick, dark red fog vanished almost instantly.

She whispered to the girl beside her:

"Mei, the sun is out."

As the scene before her changed, Raiden Mei's furrowed brows relaxed, clearly showing that, like Kiana, her heart was filled with unease and confusion.

The situation before her indicated that things seemed to be developing in a positive direction, so she naturally felt somewhat relieved.

She looked at the sun outside the window and replied:

"Yes, the sun is out, Kiana."

The girl on the bed opened her eyes in confusion, staring at the scene before her, and murmured:

"Hmm... where am I?"

Bronya, observing the newly awakened Valkyrie, made her judgment:

"She's awake, and seems to be in good health right now, with no serious problems."

Soon, the unconscious students began to Awakened one after another. The Valkyrie who were already awake and in charge of the rescue couldn't help but let out a small cheer. Almost every one of them knew each other and felt genuinely relieved and happy that their companions had regained consciousness.

Kiana remained silent, gazing quietly at the setting sun hidden in the sea of clouds.

Why can't I feel relaxed inside?

Everything before my eyes clearly indicated the end of the crisis.

What else could possibly concern her like this?

The girl was a little confused, but seeing Mei unable to suppress her smile, she also smiled slightly.

Perhaps, it really is all over.

Ten minutes later, at the School Doctor clinic.

As the Honkai Energy Inhibitor, scalded by body heat, gradually cooled, Nishikujo Sara watched the machine automatically stop adding Honkai Energy Inhibitor to the incubation tank, her expression subtly shifting.

The headmaster's body temperature returned to normal within ten minutes.

What exactly happened in the Stigmata Space?

Regardless, this is a good thing.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but rub her temples with her fingertips. In just a few short hours, her life had been shortened once again, and the immense mental pressure made it difficult for her to show her exhaustion.

But now, things seem to have taken a turn for the better.

She leaned against the wall with her hands behind her back, watching the numbers on the data screen change, silently waiting for the results.

Theresa's face was mostly covered by the respirator. Her slightly furrowed brows, as if she were having a nightmare, slowly relaxed. Her loose hair floated quietly like seaweed. The Honkai Energy Inhibitor gradually sank and receded as her body temperature returned to normal.

After a long yet fleeting five minutes, the girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the next second she opened her eyes.

Those clear, azure eyes gazed blankly at the surrounding scenery, as if they hadn't yet awakened from that dream.

Yes.

Perhaps it was all just a dream.

It is a remnant of history, a reversal of time, an echo of the past, and also...

This is an undeniable fact.

Whether it's the white fox that's like a demon, the sickly girl with a charming smile, or the Miko who twirls cherry blossoms with her fingers, they are all incredibly real.

And in the very end, the boy who walked down a path completely different from his own...

What exactly did he do? His efforts, his desperate actions, and even the outcome he experienced were all things the girl could never know.

But one thing is clear: Su Qing'an, who did it all by herself, must have gone through unimaginable hardships and tribulations to achieve such an outcome.

Given his personality, he must have pushed himself to the limit.

The girl's heart remained unsettled by the words the Miko hadn't yet uttered. Even though she understood that the crisis had dissipated like dust in the wind, that unease still bound her heart like shackles, preventing her from feeling any lightness.

Theresa straightened herself up, looked at the woman in the distance who was giving her a helpless smile, and asked:

"Shaluo?"

Nishikujo Sara sighed and said:

"You really leave me speechless, Headmaster Theresa. Although I have a lot to say, let me start by saying something else."

The woman's expression softened, and her beautiful face, which had previously been sometimes solemn and sometimes dismissive, was now filled with genuine joy. She said:

"Welcome back, Headmaster."

Theresa paused for a moment, then smiled and replied:

"I'm back, Sara. Thank you for your hard work while I was away."

"Although I don't understand what's happening outside, it must have kept you all busy and flustered. I'm such an unreliable headmaster."

"By the way, are the students alright?"

The look on her face when she asked that question was tinged with unease, and that somewhat immature demeanor amused Nishikujo Sara.

She comforted her, saying:

"Don't worry, Headmaster. During the time you were unconscious, a large amount of Honkai Energy mist filled the entire academy, and many students fainted. However, within five minutes before you Awakened, the mist completely dissipated, and the students gradually Awakened."

"The medical examination report is not yet available, but based on preliminary assessment, it is highly likely that there are no major issues."

"So, this matter should be considered over."

"The next important thing is your physical condition."

The School Doctor's expression turned serious, and he said:

"Even if various phenomena indicate that the Stigmata in your body has disappeared, our previous experiences have proven that with our current level of technological observation, it is difficult to determine whether it truly does not exist or continues to lurk within your body, waiting for the next counterattack."

"My suggestion is that you, Headmaster, go to the Schicksal Headquarters for another physical examination. They might be able to detect things that the Far East Branch's equipment cannot."

Theresa shook her head, her expression suddenly darkening for a moment.

Grandfather...

She quickly suppressed her emotions about that matter and replied to Nishikujo Sara's suggestion:

"Sara, no need. I can feel it's gone."

"Completely vanished."

For some reason, a woman could sense a sense of melancholy in her words.

But this is clearly a good thing, so why would I feel sad?

Therefore, Nishikujo Sara guessed that Theresa's emotions stemmed from some conflicts with the current bishop, but from her perspective, she could hardly offer words of comfort.

So she simply remained silent and chose to listen to what the girl had to say next.

Theresa continued:

"What's important right now isn't my condition, but Su Qing'an's."

Nishikujo Sara frowned. She thought Su Qing'an's surgery was successful, and even if he had to stay in bed for a few months, he was out of danger. And with Theresa's Awakened, that unusual brainwave state should have...

No, the woman realized the problem.

Why would she assume that just because Theresa Awakened, Su Qing'an was destined to Awakened as well?

She didn't understand what had happened in the Stigmata Space, but anything involving Herrscher must have been an incredibly fierce and difficult battle.

In such a battle, it wouldn't be surprising if anyone were to sacrifice themselves.

It seems that the headmaster's Awakened has ultimately affected her, preventing her from immediately accessing Su Qing'an's data.

But it's not too late now.

Just as Nishikujo Sara was about to check the data, the door made a sound.

Murata Himeko stood at the doorway, her originally bright expression now clouded with gloom, clearly indicating that Theresa had overheard her words.

The red-haired woman, no longer displaying her usual decisive and efficient demeanor, hesitated for a second before asking:

"Su Qing'an, what's wrong?"

Without waiting for their reply, Murata Himeko muttered to herself:

"He was seriously wounded, right? I know that. It was a really, really serious wound. I've been on the battlefield for so many years, and this kind of injury is not something I do often."

"It must hurt a lot, but it's okay. I've been injured many times, some less severe, some much, much worse."

The woman's words were seemingly casual, yet they carried a hint of gritted teeth.

"I'm still alive today."

She stared at a point in the void and repeated:

"I'm still alive today."

The two were speechless.

They haven't told Himeko about Su Qing'an's transplanted Artificial Stigmata yet because the Artificial Stigmata in her body has entered its final stage, and strong emotional fluctuations would greatly accelerate the erosion of the Stigmata.

This is a white lie.

But it's still an arrogant lie, based on the assumption that it's for the other person's good.

Now, even if they can still hide the transplantation of the Artificial Stigmata, they can no longer hide Su Qing'an's current situation.

Nishikujo Sara silently projected the data onto the screen.

The three of them stared at the boy's data, and the entire room was deathly silent.

Data that doesn't lie is like a perfectly straight electrocardiogram, symbolizing a cold, hard reality.

Perhaps in the face of a war that leads to Honkai, sacrifice is always inevitable.

Theresa felt a sense of disorientation, and the unspoken words of the Miko seemed to have found their answer.

She... failed to protect her students, and in the end, he saved them at such a cost.

I'm so useless.

Murata Himeko stared blankly at the meaning represented by the data, her clear Amber eyes gradually losing focus.

Subtle voids were slowly carved out of her heart by something sharp, time and again. At every stage of her life, the woman named Murata Himeko was always forced to lose something.

It could be the death of a father, the ordinary future that can never be returned after the transplant of Artificial Stigmata, the death of a close comrade-in-arms, or...

Su Qing'an will never Awakened again.

That quiet and earnest child, that boy who always helplessly took the wine bottle from his hand and called out to his older sister.

He won't Awakened.