The promised third collapse, where is it?!!

This was also the main reason the Anti-Entropy Conservatives hadn't completely fallen out with Cocolia.

Raiden Ryoma was, after all, an Executor of Anti-Entropy. Even if the excuse of financing the development of a super-high frequency electromagnetic field confinement was just a ploy to swindle about 3.4 billion US dollars, which was indeed a shocking figure, setting aside whether he actually did it or not, even if the situation were true, would the uncrowned king of ME Inc. be thrown in jail for embezzling some waste paper printed by a nuclear-powered money printer?

If that's the case, you're underestimating the laxity of capitalism. Haven't you seen the Imperial Britain's High-Speed Rail Line 2, where a mere 30-kilometer route cost a whopping 27 billion pounds (with a budget of 106 billion) and is still not completed? The High-Speed Rail project in California, USA, took nine years to build 476 meters and cost 11 billion US dollars. Have you seen any of the people involved suffer imprisonment?

He, Raiden Ryoma, was simply abandoned. Abandoned by some within the Conservatives behind him, and settled as a write-off.

Lisel Albert Einstein?

Frederica Nikola Tesla?

Cocolia admitted that in terms of scientific research, these two were indeed very capable.

However, Anti-Entropy had already developed for more than half a century. With deeply entrenched interests and the leader who held great power missing for a long time, the current Conservatives were no longer the sole authority of their founders.

Those guys hiding in the back wanted it all, wanting to gain benefits but not daring to do something that would offend heaven and earth.

But it doesn't matter.

Cocolia let out a cold laugh.

"What the Conservatives dare not do, I will do! What the Conservatives dare not manage, I will manage!"

"Let the people of the Far East suffer a little, and I will bear the infamy."

She suddenly reached out, slowly clenching her fist in the direction of Changkong City.

"Huddling in their own small corner, being slow and timid, how can we possibly resist the Honkai with such a group of insects?!"

The mountain mist, bathed in sunlight, was colorful and ethereal, swirling around Cocolia.

The patterns on her clothes surged and floated in the mist, as if alive.

The sun was probably considerate too.

Yae, who was on standby as the acting adjutant and driver nearby, couldn't help but reveal a hint of admiration and longing in her eyes.

This was Lord Cocolia, proud and cool, someone to be admired from afar but not to be trifled with.

She heard that her Ladyship was still single, and she wondered which lucky person would have the chance to be close to her in the future.

Yae, with her golden hair and golden eyes, her thoughts began to wander, so much so that she didn't even hear the suddenly ringing communication device.

Cocolia, of course, wouldn't be so careless. She collected her thoughts and placed her hand on the earring-shaped communication device: "This is Cocolia... What did you say?!"

After speaking a few words with the person on the other end, her expression changed drastically. She frowned, muttering "Bronya" as she turned back.

She opened the car door, sat in the driver's seat, and sped away with a stomp on the accelerator.

Yae placed her hand on her face, breathing in the exhaust fumes with a look of intoxication.

Ah~ As expected of Lord Cocolia, even her departure was so decisive~ It's just that leaving me here alone isn't great. In this desolate area, I heard that Yae Village had an earthquake and a mountain fire last night, and some people nearby heard the roar of a mysterious monster. If I were to be attacked, I, a mere B-rank woman...

"My lady, wait! Your subordinate is still here!!!"

The Yangwang U8, speeding down the mountain, paused and finally stopped reluctantly by the roadside.

Chapter 52: "You're the one with a lion in your eyes!"

As an international metropolis with millions of inhabitants, Changkong City was usually bustling with activity, if not teeming with crowds, then at least with heavy traffic.

But what was strange was that despite it being the afternoon rush hour, everyone had their doors and windows tightly shut, staying inside their rooms and shops, unwilling to come out.

—The Separation between Immortals and Mortals, a D-rank technique, developed and promoted by the hardworking members of the Shenzhou Supernatural Aftermath Committee.

By inscribing specific Honkai script on designated items, ordinary people within a certain range would develop thoughts like [The sun is very strong today, so I won't go out], [It's very cold outside, so I won't go out today], [The sun is strong, why is it still cold outside? I need to study the principle carefully, so I won't go out today (???)] This is a mind-interfering effect.

Anti-Entropy purchased the usage rights for the Separation between Immortals and Mortals and inscribed this technique onto mechanical constructs. As long as a small amount of Honkai Energy was input, they could be activated.

Coupled with the temporary wartime drill announcement issued by Changkong City, this caused pedestrians in the vicinity to either actively or passively avoid them whenever they appeared.

Of course, this did not apply to the pursued targets.

"Titan Mechs, two are done. Drones, six batches have been dealt with. Soldiers, there are twenty-seven left, but there are many more shooting elements and Atrac-type unmanned machines..."

Kiana, running through the alley, counted the spoils of war on her fingers. After counting for a long time, she painfully scratched her hair:

"Damn it, don't they know this young lady isn't good at addition and subtraction with numbers greater than two digits?!"

Despite Kiana and the others eliminating such a number of pursuers, the Anti-Entropy forces did not decrease; instead, they increased.

No matter how many enemies the girls repelled from behind, the forces swarming from all directions could still maintain an absolute numerical advantage, continuing their bombardment and encirclement.

At this point, Kiana understood why Fu Li had been laughing so gleefully earlier. Compared to individual enemies that were dealt with and then forgotten, the violence of Democracy was the most insidious.

"I'm sorry..."

Mei's low voice came from behind.

The girl's apology stemmed not only from Bronya's words, "Hand over Raiden Mei, and I can let you leave," but also from the prominent ME logo on many of the mechanical constructs.

Her own family's products being used by the enemy to beat herself up, what kind of ironclad joke was this?

"It's okay, Mei!"

'Biu!'

Seeing her friend dejected, Kiana raised her gun and shot down an armed drone before quickly trying to comfort her.

"These things are actually manageable, we can handle them with a bit of effort... The main thing is, I don't know why they can always track us. I remember the Far East doesn't have surveillance everywhere like Shenzhou!"

The girl had always remembered Fu Li's instructions, and had managed to shake off enemies several times with her mobility along the way.

But before she could catch her breath, the roar in her ears would once again send them scrambling, battered and bruised.

Recalling the subtle anomaly she had sensed during their previous battles, Mei tentatively asked, "Could it be... those dog barks?"

"Dog barks?"

Unlike Kiana, who wielded her gun with a 'Biu! Biu! Biu!', Mei, a master of the Hokushin Itto-ryu, engaged in close-quarters combat most of the time.

Combined with her naturally delicate feminine senses, it was normal for her to notice details that Kiana missed in such situations.

Her beautiful sapphire eyes flickered, and the white-haired girl, prompted by her friend, suddenly understood, "So that's it! I get it! It's the mechanical dogs!"

Kiana's Soth was something she bought from the black market near Changkong City. This wasn't to say the girl hadn't saved up enough money before, but rather that tracking-type autonomous machines like this were not readily available on the black market. Most people couldn't get their hands on them without connections.

Yet, she had managed to buy one. What did that imply?

It implied that someone was selling these in bulk, clearing out their stock, to the point where even an ordinary user like Kiana, who was unwilling to pay more or sell herself, could obtain one.

In all of Changkong City, there was only one force capable of mass-producing D-rank autonomous machines: ME Inc.

Since they were already dumping these things onto the black market, they must have a large supply at home.

"Mei! Come with me!"

Understanding this, Kiana grabbed Mei and braked sharply, turning into a corner and charging straight into a KFC.

"Ah!!!"

The shop owner, cowering under a table with his hands over his head, let out a startled scream. His already round body curled up even tighter.

Fortunately, the "burglars" who broke in were only after money, not people. After a ransacking of the kitchen, they made their escape.

The shop owner tremblingly looked up and found that their losses included, but were not limited to, Original Recipe chicken, deep-sea cod burgers, popcorn chicken, and Portuguese egg tarts...

All together, that amounted to about seven or eight sets of Crazy Thursday meals?

And strangely enough, the cash register was untouched!

Seeing this, the shop owner's eyes welled up with tears.

What a conscience!

Then, he saw a group of heavily armed individuals storm in, muttering, "Damn those two wanted criminals! They even robbed an innocent shop owner like this!" as they grabbed the cash register and other valuables before running off.

The shop owner became surprisingly enraged! Son of a bitch!

If it weren't for the fact that each of them was carrying some kind of weapon he couldn't identify, making a "dada dada da" sound, he would have definitely shown these shameless thugs who slandered the two heroines why the flowers were so red!

Some time later, in a clothing store on another street—

"Mei, you know I used to travel all over the world, right? Once, I was waiting for a high-speed train at a station in Tianqiong City, Shenzhou, with my luggage. A police dog sniffed my suitcase and then sat down in front of me."

Kiana, tucked away in a corner, chattered on, "That dog had incredibly pure fur! And it looked so cute with its tongue hanging out! Just as I reached out to pet it, a group of police officers rushed over with a 'whoosh,' and without a word, they set up yellow caution tape all around me!"

"I was so scared at the time, I cautiously asked them what they wanted."

"They looked at my white hair and said they needed to inspect my luggage, and then, hehe~"

The girl wiped her nose and said with a chuckle, "Then they took out a Texas-style roasted chicken that I hadn't had a chance to eat yet~"

Even as she boarded the train, Kiana could still see a police officer lecturing the dejected dog.

"You mean...?"

"Exactly! We'll use these!"

Kiana said triumphantly.

Before entering the clothing store to rest, she had specifically circled the area three or five times.

She had scattered the Crazy Thursday meals she'd "acquired" throughout the nearby streets and alleys. The strong, pungent aroma of the seasonings filled the air, emitting a mouth-watering scent.

"Even mechanical dogs will be attracted by the smell of these things and ignore us, whose scent is masked! Hmph, it's the 'darkness under the lamp'!"

Mechanical dogs are different from normal dogs...

Normally, Mei would have probably responded with a helpless sigh and a complaint.

However, this time, she simply nodded gently, her delicate body weary, and slid down the cold wall.

Seeing this, Kiana walked over and sat beside her.

The girl had noticed her friend's low spirits from the beginning; her earlier chatter was mostly for show.

But she assumed Mei was just worried about Fu Li, unaware of the delicate heart beneath the girl's ample bosom, filled with guilt for implicating her friend.

Because in Kiana's eyes, the idea of "Hand over Raiden Mei, and I'll let you go" was utter nonsense!

She would never abandon a comrade, just as she believed Fu Li and Mei would never abandon her!

Therefore, Kiana confidently said, "Mei, you don't need to worry too much about A Li. That guy never does anything he's not sure about."

"What about pursuing you?"

The girl asked back in a soft voice.

"Gah?!"

The incessantly chattering white-haired furball immediately got stuck.

"Uh, um..."

She guiltily turned her head away, glancing at the dummy model beside her dressed in a light green kimono. With a feeling she couldn't quite describe, she tried to brush it off:

"Speaking of which, this mannequin is really lifelike. Its face feels soft when you pinch it, the hair is implanted really well, and even its features are exactly to my liking. The more I look at it, the more pleasing it is..."

"Is it fun?"

The mannequin suddenly spoke.

"It's fun."

Kiana, who had been rubbing its face, answered subconsciously. Then, she shot away like a rocket.

"Mei, Mei, Mei, Mei, Mei!!!"

Her teeth chattered as she hid behind Mei, burying her face in Mei's back and trembling as she pointed: "H-he's alive! He's alive!"

Miss Kiana, who feared nothing, had only one weakness: ghosts.

"Don't be scared, Kiana!"

Mei, having snapped back to reality, quickly pulled out her bat. After getting a clear look at the mannequin's appearance, she exclaimed with surprise: "Fu Li!"

Fu Li, dressed in a loose kimono, raised his hand. "Yo, my beauties, did you miss me?"

"Miss—"

"Miss your ghost head!"

A suddenly raised voice immediately suppressed Mei's eager response. Miss Kiana unleashed a 'NekoCharm!' charging kick.