The red-haired woman looked at the boy's face through the observation window.
At least he had made a friend, little guy. She couldn't help feeling somewhat relieved.
But then the woman sighed inwardly.
That was a truly serious injury.
In a life-and-death escape where the slightest mistake would mean death, he must have experienced the terror and despair of the Honkai for the first time in his otherwise ordinary life.
When Himeko saw Hua's thoughtful report on the communicator, she fell silent.
The boy's stubbornness—swinging his fists even after his sword had been shattered—was exactly the same as usual. Could this be a certain degree of being the same inside and out?
No, he must have been afraid too. He must have been terrified. It would have been normal for him to break down and cry in humiliation at any moment. But until the very end, when he knew death was coming, he must have been unwilling to accept it. So unwilling that it overwhelmed his fear, so unwilling that it gave birth to a fierce resolve, so unwilling that even in death he refused to stop fighting back.
Hua seemed to have learned something from the headmistress, so her report included details of the boy's recent activities.
After challenging more than a dozen dojos, he had studied martial arts under Chen Junxuan, a martial arts grandmaster from Shenzhou?
In such a short time, the boy's martial skills had already far surpassed those of ordinary people.
That might have been what allowed him to kill Zombies.
Hua's final assessment was that Su Qing'an possessed unparalleled martial arts talent. A level that ordinary people might not reach even after fifty years of arduous training had been achieved by him in just a few weeks.
Adding in his performance during his first encounter with a Honkai Beast, analysis of his shattered blade showed that he had killed at least two-digit numbers of Zombies and Honkai Beasts. After that, he had even escaped from the jaws of an Emperor-class Honkai Beast.
If he had been female, judging by his record in his first battle, he definitely could have become a Valkyrie no weaker than Major Himeko.
But he was male. Testing showed that his Honkai Energy resistance was only enough to prevent Honkai Infection. If it had been even slightly lower, it would have been normal for him to become a Zombie during a Honkai outbreak.
Even this level of Honkai Energy resistance could be considered a miracle. Setting aside special cases like the Kaslana family, Su Qing'an was already extremely fortunate.
Major Himeko, the Logistics Department of St. Freya Academy might suit him. Perhaps sending him back to Tiangong City in Shenzhou would be better. It might be better for him not to come into contact with a world like this in Canghai City.
I understand all that, Hua.
But after seeing the real world, would he really be willing to jump back into a cage?
After understanding the falsehood of peace, would he still be willing to entrust his fate to the protection of others?
Perhaps it would have been better to let him stay in Shenzhou back then.
Pushing open the door, Murata Himeko sat down beside the hospital bed and couldn't help gently brushing the blood crust from the boy's cheek with her fingertip.
He was still as good-looking as he had been when he was young. His personality, though, was a little hopeless.
"Himeko... sis?" When he opened his eyes and saw that dazzling red hair, Su Qing'an, realizing that he was in St. Freya Academy, understood the true identity of the gentle big sister in his memories.
He should have realized it much earlier.
"Little guy, long time no see." The red-haired woman gently stroked his head and smiled.
"Yeah. I haven't seen you since I was thirteen." Su Qing'an turned his head away. The sky outside the window was blue and tranquil.
"Himeko sis, is this the Honkai?" the boy suddenly asked.
"...This is the Honkai, a calamity whose goal is to destroy civilization. Death, war, tragedy—the Honkai brought all of that."
"And the place where I work, St. Freya Academy, exists to train warriors who can fight the Honkai: Valkyries." Murata Himeko answered heavily.
"Valkyries... huh." Su Qing'an smiled, his emotions strangely complicated.
"You should have more or less realized it by now. When the Honkai first erupted, even if there were survivors, they could only be women."
"Of the more than 2.3 million people in all of Changkong City, you were the only male left alive."
"Men's Honkai Energy resistance generally isn't enough to survive a Honkai outbreak. You're one of the few exceptions."
As Murata Himeko said all this, she watched the boy's bitter smile and understood that immense sorrow as if she shared it.
"I know. I know I'm already very lucky. Being alive is enough. Surviving the pursuit of an Emperor-class Honkai Beast is already enough."
The boy looked at the clear blue sky outside. White contrails and wisps of cloud pulled into messy patterns.
He spoke in a casual, understated tone, indifferent as if he had never experienced that desperate struggle and were merely talking about something unrelated to him.
"Himeko sis, you don't want me to stay here, do you? I know. You're obviously such a forceful person, but you're always so cautious around me. I don't like that."
"My parents said they were archaeologists. Thinking about it now, the people they served must have been an organization similar to St. Freya Academy."
"I don't know how they died, but Himeko sis, you must have blamed yourself for their deaths. You feel guilty, right? That's why you suddenly became so awkward around me."
"You're such an idiot. I've faced Honkai Beasts too. I know that when dealing with the Honkai, nothing strange about what happens would be surprising. They must have been prepared for that. They must have been resolved to continue even if it meant breaking their promise to me."
Finally, the boy looked at Himeko's stunned face and said seriously:
"So I don't blame you."
Himeko had never really known how to face Su Qing'an, but during their first meeting in the hospital room after so many years apart, the boy's words struck straight at the woman's heart.
He was incredibly direct. His unreserved honesty unexpectedly shook her heart.
The guilt buried deep within her was like years-old snow warmed by a furnace. Even though she stubbornly continued to believe it was her responsibility, her entire being felt as if it had been healed.
But as a mature adult, the woman put on an embarrassed, angry expression and gave the boy a chop to the forehead, saying:
"Leave adults' business to the adults, little boy."
The blow was gentle, leaving Su Qing'an with only the lingering impression of her fingers' coolness. So he cooperatively raised his hands in surrender and smiled. "Yes, yes, yes, Himeko sis. I understand."
"...In any case, you should know that you have no potential for fighting the Honkai, right? With a normal human physique, no matter how good your martial arts are, killing a Chariot-class Honkai Beast is the limit."
"Even the Valkyries trained to fight the Honkai rely mostly on their Valkyrie armor for their combat ability. With your Honkai Energy resistance barely reaching the passing line, you don't have the ability to use Valkyrie armor."
"You should understand what that means, right?"
Murata Himeko stated the unvarnished truth.
"I understand." He nodded.
It meant that even if he stayed at St. Freya Academy, he could only serve in the Logistics Department.
"So I'm giving you two choices. One is for me to send you back to Shenzhou. I'll visit you when I have time."
"The second is for you to stay at St. Freya Academy and study with the Logistics Department. As for lodging, you can live with me, or you can apply for a single dormitory room."
When she mentioned the living arrangements, Murata Himeko smiled as if teasing him.
"I choose the second. There probably aren't any absolutely safe places left in this world. In that case, I might as well stay by your side, Himeko sis."
Without answering Himeko's teasing, Su Qing'an chose to remain at St. Freya Academy.
"Since you've made your decision, I'll go to work for now. Get some good rest, little guy."
Himeko stood up and stretched. Her mature figure was taut with vitality. Then she prepared to leave without any hesitation.
"Himeko sis, I want to go to Senba Academy one more time. I know it's selfish to say this, but if I don't go, I won't be able to accept it."
Satou Yunona was dead.
Even without seeing her body, he could understand that fact.
But if he didn't personally go to Senba Academy once, he would never be able to let go.
"I've passed by here so many times, but your shop has only been open this once. When do you usually open?"
In his memories, she had carefully finished the boy's coffee and given her fair assessment before asking with some anticipation.
"Whaaat?! 'Whenever I feel like it'? What kind of answer is that? What am I supposed to do if I suddenly want coffee?" Shocked by the boy's ridiculous answer, the girl couldn't help letting out an exasperated cry.
One warm afternoon.
"Su Qing'an, you really like cats, don't you? Hmm? You're asking how I know? It's obvious." The girl, crouching beside him to feed the cats, poked the boy's cheek with her fingertip and said:
"Look, see how gentle your smile is? It's completely different from that cold expression you usually wear."
The girl's face was not particularly beautiful, but that bright, refreshing smile, like a summer stream, soaked through the memory of that day and made it impossible to forget.
Satou Yunona was nothing more than an entirely ordinary girl.
Among the more than 2.3 million people who died in Changkong City, she seemed completely unremarkable.
To Su Qing'an, she could be an ordinary regular at his coffee shop, a talkative high school girl who bickered with him in daily life, a kindhearted person who fed cats with him, or one of his few friends.
She could also be very important.
"...In about a month, Changkong City should have been more or less purged. Once your injuries have healed, go if you want."
Little guy, sometimes you were stubborn enough to give people a headache. But that was also part of what made you lovable.
Afterward, Murata Himeko left Observation Room A019.
"Thank you..." the boy murmured, closing his eyes.
Before you continue