Chapter 171: I understand the feeling of soaring in the sky!
「 "Caiyi, since you're recuperating in the rear, I'll just dump them on you."
"Space combat is different from ground combat. Although both involve life and death in an instant, it is rare to see severed limbs and broken bodies in space, which led me to misjudge the brutality of this war. It wasn't until recently, as the situation on the front lines worsened, that the bloody reality gently but indisputably presented itself before me."
"The people I ate with today are gone tomorrow. The recruits I praised today are gone tomorrow. The officers I argued with today are gone tomorrow. The ground forces I encouraged today are gone tomorrow."
"At this point, I don't dare to form emotional connections with anyone. Perhaps they'll die tomorrow, perhaps I'll die tomorrow, perhaps we'll all die tomorrow…"
Midway through the diary entry, a biting evening breeze surged through the camp tent. Yukong's hand, clutching the pen, paused slightly, her gaze instinctively sweeping over the empty cot beside her—the family photo still stood on the bedside table, the child in the picture smiling. On the more distant cots, pillows still bore the indentations left by their owners before their departure.
They… would never return. 」
「 .....」
〜Shingeki No Kyojin World〜
The kerosene lamp in the Survey Corps dormitory swayed in the wind, mirroring Levi's utterly somber mood.
As the captain of the Survey Corps, no one understood the pain and numbness in Yukong's heart better than he did. He stood alone in the center of the room, the voices in his ears surging like a tide, instantly engulfing him.
…There was the sound of bones cracking when Petra was crushed, the dying whispers of Oruo spitting blood, the agonizing screams of Eld before his brutal end… and the suffocating gasps of countless soldiers as they drew their last breaths.
Their voices could no longer be heard, yet only in dreams could he feel them all standing behind him.
"Captain Levi, we…"
Suddenly, a crisp voice rang out beside him, as if Oruo's whisper overlapped with it. Levi's eyes snapped open instinctively, and he spun around—
Eren merely poked his head in from outside the door, asking in confusion,
"Captain?"
He didn't understand why Captain Levi looked so tense even when alone in the dorm.
"What is it?"
"Uh, about our training later…"
Eren's voice was a little nervous.
Levi sighed, finally resting his gaze on the "Hope of Humanity" before him, and said flatly,
"You'll train with me tomorrow."
—
「 "After you died, they wanted to award me a medal. Frankly, I find it ridiculous."
"They're giving me a medal, calling me a hero pilot, for no other reason than I was lucky enough to survive that catastrophic battle."
"If you had been just as lucky, we could be receiving our medals together right now. After the ceremony, we could both run off to Aurum Alley, have a couple of drinks, and mock their absurdity."
"Alas, your luck ran out. We no longer have that chance."
.....
Reading this, Yukong's anguish nearly overflowed from the words, stifling one to the core.
But just then, Master Yanming suddenly appeared, interrupting the two and scolding, "What are you two doing? The Helm Master's precious daughter is here, groping around with an outsider! What kind of behavior is that?"
Yanming was shocked by their audacity, but fortunately, Qingni explained in time, and Master Yanming understood her actions.
When Miss Caiyi, who appeared in the diary, was mentioned, Master Yanming also recalled her: "Caiyi was one of the top combat pilots back then; countless people wanted to fly with her."
"Her husband, Master Guangyuan, was also a pilot. A husband and wife piloting a starskiff together—it was truly enviable."
"However, her most compatible and frequent partner had to be your mother. The number of times the two of them sortie'd together even surpassed Master Guangyuan. Especially after Master Guangyuan's demise, Caiyi hardly partnered with anyone other than your mother."
Master Yanming sighed mournfully, "Ah, what a pity, Caiyi was gone not long after. Such is the life of a pilot; no one knows if this flight will be their last."
Caiyi's death was a tremendous blow to Yukong. After that battle, Yukong would often reread Caiyi's diary.
Yanming understood Qingni's feelings and chose to turn a blind eye to the matter. Once he left, Stelle and Qingni immediately began rummaging through Yukong's desk and indeed found Caiyi's diary.
In her early entries, Caiyi's words and mood were equally lively; she was so excited to soar through the skies with Yukong that she could barely sleep.
Later, after Guangyuan's demise, Caiyi, though heartbroken, also comforted Yukong… because in her attempt to console, Yukong ended up crying even more sorrowfully than she did.
Still later, while Caiyi was on maternity leave in the rear, she sent word to Yukong that she was safe and had already decided on her child's name.
—Qingni.
Seeing those two characters, Qingni felt as if struck by lightning, her eyes glazed over, almost losing her grip on the diary. 」
「 .....」
〜Demon Slayer World〜
"So Qingni is the child of a comrade… no wonder,"
Shinobu Kocho sighed.
"Perhaps Miss Yukong sees Qingni as an extension of Caiyi's life? Last time, she failed to protect Caiyi's safety, so this time, she must protect her child."
"This is the last responsibility she can fulfill for Caiyi. If anything were to happen to Miss Qingni… she probably wouldn't be able to forgive herself. Rather than letting Qingni face near-certain death, she wishes for her to live a stable life."
"But…"
Mitsuri Kanroji worried,
"Miss Qingni has already tasted the sky."
If one has never seen light, of course, they can endure darkness, but once they have… Shinobu could roughly guess that Miss Qingni wouldn't give up easily.
Ultimately, although both Yukong and Caiyi had experienced the taste of "freedom," Qingni had not. Even if that freedom came with extremely high risks, she would dive in without hesitation.
To be willing to sacrifice one's life for one's dream… perhaps only with such resolve could Yukong be persuaded?
"Oh, I don't know which side to take…"
Mitsuri Kanroji shook her head in distress, her pink braids swishing.
"If I support Qingni becoming a pilot, and if war breaks out again someday and something happens to her, making her a second Caiyi… I can't even imagine how heartbroken and regretful Yukong would be."
"But if I side with Yukong and prevent Qingni from becoming a pilot, that would be too cruel to her… Is it truly fair for her to never realize her dream in her entire life?"
—