The Comatose Boy and Kiana's Resolve

May 7, 2014.

Early morning.

The boy lay on the pristine white hospital bed, his face pale and unhealthy, seemingly due to excessive blood loss.

The sunlight streaming in from the window rested on his cheeks like a gentle kiss.

Su Qing'an's expression was so serene that it gave off a somewhat lazy feeling. He seemed to be taking a nap with his eyes closed on an ordinary early spring afternoon, and he would open his eyes again in a little while.

And in those clear eyes, there is still the spirit and purity of youth, like a white dove spreading its wings in the distance and the unchanging golden sea at dusk.

His profile faced the azure sky outside the window, and his delicate, spring-like eyebrows made him appear somewhat slender. A feminine beauty, rarely seen in young men, was harmoniously present at this moment.

Her black eyelashes had turned white from the sun, and her gentle and beautiful sleeping face resembled a painting created by overlapping multiple elements.

It contains the wind blowing atop the Eiffel Tower, a gondola drifting leisurely on the canals of Venice, the Uyuni Salt Flats seen from above Bolivia, and the spray of Seljalandsfoss at sunset...

But all the beauty was frozen in a fixed moment in time, and the boy's eyelashes remained unblinking for a very long time.

What should have been a lazy afternoon nap under the warm sun felt like a long and unreasonable slumber to the girl.

"Su Qing'an..."

Kiana let out a soft sigh.

The girl's face was calm and indifferent; she tried her best to suppress all her emotions, but her eyes, lingering on the boy's face, still flashed with a hint of sorrow and pain.

It's always the same.

Why are you always so unlucky?

Not long after you arrived in Changkong City, the Changkong City experienced its Third Honkai Outbreak.

Even though Changkong City had already cleared out all the Honkai Beast, you still arrived there badly injured and barely managed to survive.

This time is no different; you were there again right when the headmaster had the accident.

Now look, things are much better.

You can finally get some rest, in this way...

Her heart felt pierced and ravaged by a sharp emotion; the intense sorrow seemed to tear through her outer shell, causing her to experience phantom pain.

Kiana reached out and gently touched the boy's cheek and hair with her fingertips, as if she were handling a precious piece of porcelain.

The girl murmured:

There must be a way in this world to wake you up.

"I can't do it simply because I'm too weak."

"I'll do it soon, just get some rest before you Awakened."

"Idiot Shopkeeper."

After leaving those words, Kiana turned and left. She had stayed long enough; for a full three hours, she had practically sat there, staring blankly at the fresh bouquet in the vase beside the hospital bed, her face expressionless.

She could always recall the scene when the boy asked her if she wanted to work there.

After careful recollection, it feels like it happened a very long time ago.

In just a few months, her world had been turned upside down.

The time spent with Su Qing'an in the coffee shop is perhaps an indelible and important part of the girl's memories.

A breeze stirred a corner of the curtains; in the empty hospital room, the boy slept soundly alone...

School Doctor clinic.

Nishikujo Sara frowned as she looked at the various data on the screen. She hadn't slept for a day and a night. Her desk was covered with miscellaneous documents and several packets of instant coffee.

Unwashed coffee cups lay haphazardly to the side, and the floor was covered with residue from accumulated cigarette ash.

She pressed her temples hard, trying to clear her head; the current situation was challenging the medical systems and knowledge she had previously studied.

In such a world, things related to Honkai are difficult to explain using common sense, especially those involving Herrscher.

Su Qing'an's current situation is quite simple; in the simplest terms, he is in a state where he cannot wake up.

Normally, if the function of the cerebral cortex is severely damaged, the victim will be in an irreversible deep coma and will be unconscious for a long period of time.

The subcortical center can continue to maintain spontaneous breathing and heartbeat.

This state is known as a "vegetative state".

Patients in this state are also known as vegetative state patients.

Judging from the results alone, Su Qing'an is now practically in a vegetative state.

The problem is that although Su Qing'an's cerebral cortex is intact, his brainwaves are strangely weak, fluctuating only every few seconds.

In other words, physical factors alone are not the key to whether he can Awakened, nor are they the culprit that prevents him from waking up.

This involves the knowledge gaps of Nishikujo Sara. Theoretically, it would be more appropriate for the Science Department to study this and arrive at the answer.

In fact, the Science Department has already resumed operations, but even so, it is completely helpless in dealing with Su Qing'an's situation.

This is understandable; without understanding the key points, it's impossible to know where to begin.

The only data available for reference now is the brainwave data of Theresa and Su Qing'an when they were both in a coma.

Through data comparison with similar data, Nishikujo Sara discovered a reality that left her speechless.

Compared to yesterday, Su Qing'an's brainwave activity was even lower. Although it was only a minor change, the fact that it was still declining while she was in a drowsy state was an extremely dangerous sign.

This matter cannot be told to Satou Yunona and Himeko yet. If they were to learn of the reality that this boy is slowly walking towards death, Nishikujo Sara would find it difficult to predict their reactions.

Leaving aside Murata Himeko, her concern was naturally about the well-worn issue of the rate of Stigmata erosion.

However, Satou Yunona is in a more troublesome situation.

This child was already abnormal, and after becoming Pseudo-Herrscher, her emotions were more easily out of control than those of a normal person.

The residual information from the Honkai Consciousness has the effect of making people irritable and easily angered. Satou Yunona, whose emotions are already difficult to stabilize, is not suitable to know about this.

Even she could see just how special and important Su Qing'an was to her.

Last night, the girl returned to the school looking sharp and decisive. She seemed to still carry the traces of Siberia snow and wind, and her gaze was sharp and indifferent as she looked at everything.

This girl, who was essentially very disciplined, showed no intention of reporting her mission or handing over her duties. Instead, she asked Nishikujo Sara:

"Where is Su Qing'an? I need to see him."

When you face such a resolute and determined gaze, it's hard to refuse, especially since it wasn't a demanding request at all.

Thus, the Pseudo-Herrscher's power completely healed the boy's injuries.

Even after seeing it more than once, Nishikujo Sara was still amazed by the power and wonder of the authority.

But what impressed women the most was the moment when the girl saw the boy, and the icy killing intent in her eyes, like a frozen lake, completely dissipated into tenderness.

Su Qing'an, without realizing it, you've become very important to many people.

Even I wouldn't want you to die like this.

The woman sighed inwardly, continuing to search for a glimmer of hope amidst the massive amount of data.