April 14, 2014.
It's already winter now; in Japan, this would be the season for people to wear short sleeves in Okinawa and down jackets in Hokkaido.
The temperature at the St. Freya Academy was quite pleasant for Su Qing'an. He stood under an ancient tree near his dormitory, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt. He had just withdrawn his fist, his muscles and bones stretched and relaxed, and the blood and energy surging within him were so healthy that they did not resemble a body gradually being eroded by the Stigmata.
A gentle breeze caressed his face, bringing a slight coolness to the boy.
Having stopped his morning practice, his mood improved considerably.
Su Qing'an had heard that April is the most beautiful time for cherry blossoms in Japan. In the timeline that had been restarted after the previous one had vanished, he died in Kiyomizu- Kiyomizu Temple in March 2014, amidst the fluttering cherry blossoms.
He has come this far step by step, and before he knew it, he had been in this world for quite some time.
The cherry blossoms in March were beautiful enough in Su Qing'an's eyes, but she wondered if not being able to see the cherry blossoms in April was a regret.
In the distance, Fu Hua wiped her pale face with a towel, and put her red glasses into her bag. In Su Qing'an's opinion, the girl looked much better without glasses, especially with those frames of this color and style.
This is probably the communicator Fu Hua uses to contact Otto, only disguised as a pair of glasses.
As for this color and taste, we can only attribute it to Lord Otto's perverse sense of humor.
Another obvious example of Lord Otto's perverse tastes is the Valkyrie armor called Swift Feather.
Even though Fu Hua chose to incorporate elements of her homeland Shenzhou, into her special armor, the final design and taste of the finished product undoubtedly do not meet Schicksal's standards.
In short, just pin the blame on Lord Otto.
Although Fu Hua and Otto are equals in terms of the right to grant permission from Schicksal, given Fu Hua's indifferent nature, she wouldn't care about such trivial details as cosmetic items.
It's even questionable whether Fu Hua herself knows that she has the same licensing authority as Otto in Schicksal.
Of course, even without any special dressing up, the girl was perfect enough in Su Qing'an's eyes.
It seems that because it's the weekend, she's not wearing the St. Freya Academy uniform.
Instead, she was wearing a slightly antique-style black and white dress, which made her slender figure appear even thinner.
The girl's free and easy posture when she practiced her boxing was like an elusive light and shadow in the mountains and rivers. Perhaps it was because the clothes suited her so well. Compared to the girl's usual attire, this time, the ancient-style black and white dress combined with her boxing movements was sure to make the Valkyrie of the St. Freya Academy even more excited.
Su Qing'an herself felt that this outfit suited her temperament better, and she was also glad that her dormitory was not close to other girls' dormitories.
This area seemed to have been specially designated for him, the only male student.
That's why Fu Hua and Su Qing'an, who are both considered focal points in a sense, weren't silently watched by the polite and enthusiastic girls when they did their morning exercise together.
After being wiped with a damp towel, the girl's fair skin gained a slight rosy glow, making her appearance even more beautiful.
"Huh, want to play games?" Su Qing'an asked.
Fu Hua was somewhat taken aback by the invitation.
The relationship between the two has always been like that of gentlemen, light and detached. They rarely talk when they meet. Even when she teaches Su Qing'an martial arts, she doesn't need to say anything. The boy can understand it after just a few demonstrations.
The same applies to practicing boxing under the tree in the morning. In most cases, after they finish practicing quietly, they nod to each other or exchange a glance, and then turn around and leave without hesitation.
Occasionally, the two would meet at the edge of the coast and naturally sit together, watching the sunset.
The light faded, and the clouds darkened.
But they just didn't speak. Apart from their first conversation at dusk, they never exchanged even simple greetings like "You've come," "Oh," or "Okay."
It's as if a single glance or gesture is enough to achieve such perfect understanding that words are unnecessary, allowing them to remain completely silent.
Fu Hua assumed it would be the same this time.
"Didn't you say yourself that you need to balance work and rest? Just working hard all the time won't work," Su Qing'an said quietly.
She did indeed say that, but she shouldn't have said it to Su Qing'an.
"Is this your advice to the class? I was forced to learn a lot on my first day in the class, especially about you. You're very popular in every sense of the word."
That statement is half a lie. The fact that Su Qing'an knows so much about Fu Hua is entirely the result of her deliberate manipulation during conversations with others.
The truth is that Fu Hua is indeed very popular.
"Okay." Actually, on this weekend, Fu Hua, who rarely has any tasks, has some free time.
Therefore, there is no need to specifically refuse.
The girl, as if possessed, nodded in agreement.
Fu Hua doesn't dislike playing games.
To put it more bluntly, it's more accurate to say that she really enjoys playing video games.
Gaming can be considered Fu Hua's only form of entertainment. She has played a wide range of games, including Kallen Fantasy, Homonculus Fantasy, Honkai Impact 3rd, Honkai Divine Realm in Schicksal, and Valkyrie in Anti-Entropy, among others.
Furthermore, their dedication, skill level, and dedication are all at the top-tier player level.
Aside from the ruler of the entire Honkai Divine Realm, a being known as Metal Gear Bulangya, Fu Hua has almost never been defeated.
Currently, Su Qing'an and Fu Hua are playing a new DLC for Kallen Fantasy, whose selling point is its hellish difficulty level, which even true pros find difficult to complete in one life.
Then, with Su Qing'an's calm and meticulous control and Fu Hua's incredibly skilled top-notch technique, the two of them easily and smoothly cleared this hellish two-player level, which was said to be impossible for even the most skilled players to complete in one life.
"Su Qing'an, your skills are surprisingly high. I was originally planning to complete this level by myself using two controllers." Fu Hua easily stated that he could not do anything that most people could do, and he rarely showed a happy expression.
Her expression was very faint, so faint that people unfamiliar with the girl would hardly notice it, but Su Qing'an was certain that Fu Hua was genuinely happy.
The girl's usually indifferent and rigid expression seemed to have gained a touch of liveliness at this moment.
"Let's continue. This time, let's try using blank equipment," Su Qing'an suggested, indicating a desire to increase the difficulty.
Nodding her head, Fu Hua focused intently on the screen, giving the game every single second.
For a girl who has forgotten most of her memories, filling in the gaps with new ones is undoubtedly a pleasant thing, and obviously, winning a game can also be a memorable experience.
For Fu Hua, the only thing that brings her joy without creating much contact is games.
Therefore, this scene, which should have amused those who knew the girl's true identity, was, in Su Qing'an's eyes, a great tragedy.
The girl is someone forgotten by the world.
What about him? After being Artificial Stigmata Erosion, will he be resurrected, restarting the timeline of the world, and then forgotten by everything?
Su Qing'an couldn't accept such a future just by imagining it.
Death is simple; it is merely eternal tranquility after annihilation.
But to keep living, to keep going alone with wounds all over one's body, is a difficult thing.
Because she is alive, she can feel pain; because she is alive, she has emotions; therefore, she understands loneliness, feels sadness, and feels lost. Fu Hua, however, possesses the ability to embrace all of these emotions with unwavering willpower.
Fu Hua was not overwhelmed by the endless despair that had accumulated into an abyss.
What is it that has sustained her all this time?
Ten minutes later, the game character killed the level boss with almost full health.
As Su Qing'an gazed at the girl's profile, he was momentarily transported back to that day.
The girl was curled up in the corner with her back against the wall. Her eyes evoked the imagery of boundless blue water, but their pure color was shrouded in a gray mist, making them dull and lifeless.
Looking at the patches of light cast on the ground, she said, "In a world like this, death is perhaps the only escape."
If.
Su Qing'an meant "if".
For Fu Hua, who was already so broken and devastated, death, which she had spoken of that day, was the only way out.
Doesn't that make it more convincing now?
Is death in a flower the best destination?
Rather than dragging along this tattered shell and fragmented memories, driven by a promise and an obsession, they burn the remaining embers and silently advance towards an unknown end.
Wouldn't it be easier to die sooner?
Su Qing'an's words were understandable.
Fu Hua's power is constantly fading away, becoming weaker than she was before, just like an ocean that is constantly evaporating its waters and will never flow back.
The martial arts the girl practiced every day were meaningless; she wouldn't become stronger. It was like a piece of porcelain with cracks gradually widening—it would eventually shatter. How could you add anything superfluous to it?
That will only cause it to break down prematurely.
Fu Hua understood her body better than anyone, and then she said to Su Qing'an, "The path of martial arts has no end."
Yes, the path of martial arts is endless.
But humans have limits. Whether it's Su Qing'an or Fu Hua, the only difference lies in the level of their limits.
Just as martial arts couldn't help Su Qing'an defeat Ganesha, martial arts couldn't save Fu Hua's broken body.
But at this moment, Fu Hua, who could understand every second that her power was slipping away, and Su Qing'an, whose life was being slowly eroded by the Stigmata, started the next game.
Who cares about that kind of thing? Thinking about it too much is pointless and only makes things difficult for yourself.
Making the most of the present and enjoying the everyday is the right thing to do.
But if I must express my opinion...
If we disregard Fu Hua's own will and feelings, and only consider Su Qing'an's personal perspective...
He was happy to see her again.
It's like drawing the best fortune slip when visiting a shrine.