Su Qing'an Dutifully Heeded the Teachings.

As that phone call ended, time slowly rolled into the next month.

The 3,726 miraculous beams of light have stabilized, and their number and fluctuations in Honkai Energy have remained unchanged.

This was quite unusual compared to the previous situation where things changed almost daily, and it naturally attracted the attention of the troops stationed in the area.

At midnight on the seventh day, the intelligence was exchanged once again.

After reaching a consensus that everything would remain calm, the Moth to Fire urgently convened a meeting with all the team captains.

However, they are now facing an unprecedented calamity, and all hypotheses can only be based on vague speculation.

These speculations are easily overturned and completely refuted once reality changes.

No one could find any clues or devise a meaningful solution from these vague ideas and few leads.

So, aside from increased security, the meeting ended in a somber atmosphere.

But everyone understands one reality—if this isn't the Honkai itself, then it will have to resort to other underhanded tactics.

The countdown to the Third Honkai Outbreak had begun.

This global catastrophe hangs like the Sword of Damocles over everyone's face, ready to fall at any moment.

Himeko was unusually silent that day. Standing on the outside of the base, she silently turned off the virtual screen.

The woman gazed at the ever-present sandstorm, remaining there even as night deepened.

The pillar of light remains unbroken, like a bonfire burning brightly in the center of an ancient cannibalistic tribe.

Countless branches curled up in the flames, their writhing, withered cries echoing loudly in Himeko's ears, as if they were weeping.

Crackle, crackle.

Everything gradually cracked in blood and fire.

The day after the meeting ended, Himeko sent Su Qing'an a message.

The boy then realized that the current Honkai was no longer under anyone's control, like Mount Aconcagua at an altitude of 6,959 meters.

This extinct volcano in Argentina silently displays its fangs, yet its resurrection is so unprecedented that the timing of its eruption is unpredictable.

So people can only hope that this dormant volcano will actually erupt; at present, only the timing is uncertain.

Su Qing'an understood what Himeko was worried about and afraid of.

It is unknown.

But it's not about the unknown time.

Rather, it's the unknown location of the outbreak.

If that day truly comes, Mount Aconcagua will remain silent, but Mount Popa, far away, will quietly lose the flowers on its summit.

The scorching lava will engulf the Nat Temple and the stupa, carrying hellish sulfur as it tumbles down the seven hundred steps, sweeping across the world and unleashing a devastating fire.

The moths, which should have been drawn to the flame, lost their way and plunged into the deepest hell along with the 37 statues that collapsed on the mountaintop.

If things don't go according to plan, the losses, far exceeding human budget, will shatter all the original arrangements like a hammer blow.

By then, the enormous ship will be rotting away, and no one will be able to escape its effects.

The Honkai of Canghai City is a foregone conclusion.

This area is not far from the base where Himeko is stationed.

If the beam of light erupts, causing the interception plan to fail miserably, then such an outcome would be unavoidable.

Su Qing'an already understood the extent to which the Third Honkai Outbreak would overwhelm humanity.

But simply knowing this only makes one feel more pain.

The next 27 days passed peacefully and uneventfully, and the daily life at the academy remained calm.

He did nothing, and he couldn't do anything.

His resolve remained unwavering, but his Mind Lake was restless and uneasy day and night.

Whenever this moment arrives, the crimson feathers would invariably break free from Fu Hua's consciousness, landing gently on the Mind Lake, swaying with the waves.

It seemed to understand the mountain of guilt and sorrow piled up in the boy's heart, its soft feathers brushing against his soul and consciousness, offering a few bits of comfort.

Occasionally, Su Qing'an would wonder if Udu-dust's spirituality was too abundant.

This feather is essentially just a part of the Divine Key; the most crucial Herrscher Core is not even present within it. Even the explanation that what exists inside is actually the Herrscher's consciousness is difficult to justify.

Ultimately, the boy could only attribute it to changes in the Udu-dust after the reboot, changes that defied easy comprehension.

Given that it is currently linked to the only soul that he cannot control, Su Qing'an had some guesses.

Perhaps, as the Soul Essence continues to rise and ascend to even more distant realms, Udu-dust will undergo some incredible transformation.

The special nature of this feather could only be truly confirmed by Su Qing'an after the appearance of the Herrscher of Consciousness in this worldline.

Regardless of whether it will play any role in the end, it will remain a priceless treasure in the boy's heart.

As it silently landed in her hair and tumbled and played happily, Su Qing'an couldn't help but reveal a gentle smile.

Actually, he also thought that Udu-dust was kind of cute.

The setting sun casts its rays upon the layers of soft snow piled up on the marble, refracting them into graceful arcs of light.

Su Qing'an's day as a teacher has come to an end.

He stepped out of the classroom bathed in the afterglow, the feathers on his shoulders drooping listlessly at the tips, looking utterly listless.

The boy said, somewhat speechless:

"Stop pretending. During class, Hua and I were less than a hundred meters apart."

"The classical Chinese class is right next door; the Honkai Energy can definitely be transferred to you. It's impossible for it to be completely depleted."

Upon hearing this, the crimson feather froze for a moment, then shamelessly chose to play dumb.

It tumbled once and rolled into the pocket of the young man's shirt, looking at first glance as if a vintage quill pen had been half-placed inside.

Su Qing'an pointed to the feather with her finger and asked:

"Do you dislike Hua? She should be your master."

Udu-dust shook the end of its tail, indicating a double negative.

He roughly understood what the other person meant.

He doesn't dislike Fu Hua, but he doesn't consider her his master either.

Su Qing'an found it somewhat amusing.

... Isn't that just being clingy?

Feather noticed the boy's raised lips and then retreated into the Sea of consciousness, no longer appearing in the outside world.

The boy paused for a moment, then couldn't help but sigh.

Even a single feather can be a bit hard to understand.

The road home wasn't far, but on both sides of the clean and tidy road, snowmen of different styles had been stacked up as if by prior arrangement.

The girl squatted by the roadside, trying her best to sculpt a more complete shape for one of the crudely made snowmen.

She wore a brown-red beanie, with purple hair cascading down her back behind her ears. Her oversized black coat and long skirt were the same color, and her matching thermal tights and black Doc Martens created a subtle cool tone.

A thin, light gray cashmere sweater could be seen under the open coat, and a red scarf wrapped twice around her neck almost reached the ground as she squatted down.

Satou Yunona's casual and simple outfit exudes a heartwarming beauty, like a fruit tart nestled among frosting.

In the sub-zero temperatures, her fair skin appeared even more translucent, with only her fingertips, which touched the snowdrifts, turning slightly red from the cold.

Under Su Qing'an's watchful gaze, Satou Yunona took out the strawberries she had brought from the cafeteria at noon from her pocket.

She glanced longingly at the two pink fruits, hesitated for a moment, and then quietly took a bite of each before savoring the sweet taste of the flesh and contentedly placing them on the plump snowball.

The purpose was probably to use them as the snowman's eyes.

The girl swayed the snowman carefully for a while, then picked up two dead branches from the bushes and stuck them on either side of the snowman.

Satou Yunona stood in front of the snowman, which was half her height. She looked around for a while at the snowman, which looked a bit clumsy and adorable because of its size, and a hint of pride unconsciously appeared on her face.

Su Qing'an stared at this scene, speechless.

Satou Yunona was always meant to be this kind of girl.

She possesses a mischievous charm with a touch of cunning, and a mature demeanor tempered with cuteness.

She will continue to enjoy black coffee and charcoal pudding, have an inexplicable obsession with the fortunes represented by zodiac signs and colors, occasionally worry about her weight and grades, and possess a clear courage for what she believes is right.

If he could, the boy would want her to be happy more than anyone else.

From the initial Honkai of Changkong City to the subsequent Pseudo-Herrscher incident, Su Qing'an never chose to give up.

Later on, he worked hard for both the Kyo-Yuzen and the so-called fireworks festival.

What is the reason?

Because of the agreement.

It was as if the tragedy of his parents had placed a morbid shackle on the boy's soul.

If it's a promise, it can't be broken. Even if it's a one-sided promise in one's heart, Su Qing'an will risk death to do her best to fulfill it.

This is a belief that he himself considers somewhat distorted.

However, his feeling that Satou Yunona was undeniably genuine, which is why he unconsciously stopped and a faint smile appeared on his face.

In order not to disturb her, Su Qing'an activated [Hidden] the moment she saw her.

Satou Yunona waved to the girl running towards her from afar, her eyes shining.

As she spoke, she wrapped the red scarf around her neck again, breathing on her bright red fingertips to warm them, looking charmingly naive.

The girl pointed at the snowman and said earnestly:

"Carole! Look, look, mine is better than yours, right? I came over as soon as class was over to polish this snowman."

Carole slowed her pace, strolling leisurely to her side. Glancing at the oddly shaped snowman while cautiously rubbing her calf muscles to prevent them from getting too bulky, she muttered:

"Yuno, why would you be so extravagant as to use strawberries for your eyes?"

"And this level of skill is a complete insult to your opponent. At least make a snowman's waist! Right now, it looks like a snowball."

Satou Yunona pointed defiantly to the much more refined-looking snowman next to her and said:

"What right does Carole have to call me extravagant? I ate half of the strawberry properly before using it as eyes, while you just used a brand new, unused button as the snowman's eyes."

The little girl added, quite confidently, halfway through her sentence:

"It's a complete waste!"

Carole responded somewhat guiltily:

"Buttons can be removed and reused later, but you can't just keep eating your strawberries after you've picked them Yuno."

Although that's what she said, she knew she was probably too lazy to take the button back, which is why her words lacked a bit of self-righteousness.

So she quickly added insult to injury:

"And you still haven't explained why your snowman turned out like this."

Because I'm lazy.

Satou Yunona tried hard to hide the real answer that immediately popped into her mind, and answered righteously:

"Unexpected things can happen at any time. I clearly made two snowballs yesterday, but today there's only one left."

"I originally wanted to build another snowball to restore it to its original perfect form, but I think snowmen also need diversity. Look at this school, it's full of snowmen with normal body shapes, so I built a chubby one to try to respect nature."

Carole was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then helplessly pinched the smooth cheek with her cold fingers, ignoring the other person's protests.

She said:

"Yuno, you can only use words like that to fool Hua. Only someone as serious as her would believe such fallacies."

Satou Yunona rubbed her suddenly cold face and said in a muffled voice:

"That's why I like Hua the most; Carole isn't quite there."

Carole squatted on the ground, drawing circles with a dry twig. She looked at another perfect snowman, so meticulously crafted that it seemed almost excessive.

"It looks like we lost. Hua's stack was definitely better."

She raised her head and said with a smile:

"Is Yuno going to just admit defeat, or is she going to resort to cheating and unreasonable arguments?"

Satou Yunona's response was perfectly reasonable:

"I'm not that tasteless, so Carole and I will split the bill and buy three milk teas."

Carole said quietly:

"You're saying some really tasteless things right now."

But soon, she stopped dwelling on that point and instead said:

"Why hasn't Hua arrived yet?"

Satou Yunona pointed to Fu Hua, who was standing in the distance but strangely motionless, and said in a puzzled tone:

"She's there, but I don't know why she hasn't come over yet."

At this moment, Fu Hua is facing an unprecedented crisis.

She watched as someone took her hands and stuffed them into their pockets, her ten slender fingers gently held in the young man's palm, making intimate contact within the fabric.

Despite it being a cold winter day, the girl's face began to feel hot involuntarily.

The warm, comforting temperature seeped through the skin and spread into the bloodstream, releasing the corresponding hormones and increasing the body's oxygen supply, making the head feel slightly dizzy.

Fu Hua pursed her lips slightly, lowered her head to stare at her boots, and said softly:

"Are you... all covered up? Yuno's still waiting for me behind us."

Su Qing'an felt the cool softness in her hands quickly warm up, and loosened her grip on the other person's hands inside the coat.

He watched the girl's disheveled figure quickly turn and leave, speechless.

Seele seems to be right.