This Chat Group's Vibe is a Bit Off

"It's all laid out inside. Why not come in and talk? I prepared some tea and snacks for you; coffee or black tea, either is fine," Qianyi said.

"Alright..." Durandal wanted to agree, but Rita stopped her. "I'm honored, but now isn't the right time. How about you come back to Heavenly Mandate with me, Lord Qianyi? When the time comes, whatever flavor you'd like, I can brew it for you myself."

If she agreed to go inside, she'd probably get a brick to the back of her head the moment she stepped through the door.

Qianyi clicked his tongue.

"What do we do? Fight?" Talulah's expression was grave. The two before them weren't opponents who could be dealt with simply by outnumbering them.

In terms of strength, even one of Ursus's terrifying Inner Guards might not last ten exchanges against that blonde girl in a one-on-one fight.

And at present, she herself was only worth at most one and a half Inner Guards. In other words, in a solo fight, she'd definitely end up as Durandal's captive.

"I can try persuading my sister. She's only been temporarily deceived by Otto," Kiana said. Then she stepped forward and spoke gently. "Sister Durandal, perhaps you don't remember me anymore, but the blood connection between us still proves it. Can you tell me what orders Otto gave you?"

When she heard Kiana call Durandal "sister," Rita's smile faltered for a moment.

Durandal, meanwhile, failed to notice the maid's expression beside her and answered Kiana's question honestly. "My mission is to resolve the crisis in Changkong City. I've already dealt with Cocolia, but the Herrscher of Thunder remains an unstable factor. For Changkong City's sake, I need to bring Raiden Mei back to Heavenly Mandate for supervision."

Kiana, who had just been planning to persuade Durandal, immediately changed her expression. "I only called you sister to show you some respect, and now you're pushing your luck? If you dare lay a hand on Mei, even if you really are my biological sister, I won't let you off!"

Sis, changing your face that fast doesn't cost you beans?

In an instant, a flood of information poured into Dudu's mind. Like, how was Kiana her little sister? Could Raiden Mei be her brother-in-law? Wait, she hadn't even acknowledged Kiana as her sister yet—how had she already been stripped of her sister status?

Her mind was in chaos, unable to process so much information at once. Fortunately, she didn't need to process it for now, because Kiana's attack had already arrived.

Two Void Spears descended from the sky, piercing toward Durandal.

The Void Spears were incredibly fast, and under the control of spatial authority, they could strike with unexpected effect. But Durandal was even faster. Her body became an afterimage and vanished from where she stood.

"This is... the Herrscher of the Void?" Durandal recognized the power Kiana was using. "I see. It seems I'll need to take you back with me as well."

"Quit talking big! Today, on behalf of our father and mother, I'm going to teach you, you sister who can't tell right from wrong, a proper lesson!" Kiana controlled the two Void Spears and continued attacking, giving Durandal no time to catch her breath.

Those seemingly light spears carried astonishing force with every strike.

As the relentless attacks continued, Durandal's breathing gradually quickened. Her athletic shirt and shorts became translucent with sweat, while her long hair clung to her cheeks and neck, lending her an even more disheveled allure.

That let Kiana see the dawn of victory.

I! Can win!

"A battle between sisters..." Raiden Mei stared without blinking at the earth-shattering clash between the two, her heart pounding with exhilaration.

An older sister who had become the lackey of an enemy due to amnesia, and a younger sister fighting to protect the one she loved—this sort of plot that existed only in comics and novels was actually unfolding before her eyes.

Damn! Seeing a battle this spectacular would make dying worth the price of admission!

"Now! I've got you!"

Seizing the opportunity, Kiana transformed the Void Spears into Void Bands, swiftly binding Durandal's right arm and right leg. After restricting the movements of Heavenly Mandate's strongest S-rank Valkyrie, Kiana was just about to taunt her when Durandal spoke first. "Mm, warming up's over."

"?"

Under Kiana's disbelieving gaze, Durandal suddenly swung her right arm. The Void Band that should have been under Kiana's control whistled out like an unbridled wild horse under Durandal's overwhelming strength, slicing through the air and striking Kiana precisely. It instantly wrapped around her, restraining her in turn.

Without giving her a chance to break free, Durandal pulled again. The Void Band dragged Kiana rapidly toward her, while her fist was already poised to strike.

Then she threw a punch. The Imaginary Barrier Kiana had created shattered on impact. With one more punch, the white-haired pufferfish who had been so cocky moments ago saw the shape of her own death.

Fuck! Did you fill in your stats with your feet?!

At that moment, Kiana truly understood what it meant to have ultimate stats—the kind that let someone be pierced through by debris, fall thousands of meters, and still not die.

I've learned my lesson. Please spare me.

As teammates, the others naturally couldn't just watch Kiana get blown apart by Durandal's punch. The instant before Durandal's fist fell, Talulah, Seele, and Bronya appeared around Durandal and launched attacks from different directions.

Durandal's eyes swept across the three of them, and she made her judgment in an instant. She changed her punch into a grab, seized Kiana by the ankle, and swung her out as a weapon. Realizing that their attacks would hit their teammate before they struck Durandal, the three instinctively held back their strength—only to be swept away along with the white-haired ball in their hands.

Her movements were clean and decisive.

"Whew, it's been a long time since I had such a satisfying warm-up."

Durandal became even more determined to bring these people back to Heavenly Mandate. As long as they became Valkyries, joined the Blade of the Unbroken, and trained with her, she believed they would all have a chance to become S-rank Valkyries in the future.

"Let's stop here. Retreat for now. Once the mission time ends, you'll be able to go back," Kiana said. She understood that Durandal wasn't an opponent they could defeat at their current stage, so she intended to send everyone away and hold these two off by herself.

Just as she gathered Honkai Energy to forcibly teleport everyone away, Qianyi placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. "Calm down. Leave this to me."

Kiana froze. "Are you serious...?"

"Mm."

Qianyi held Ksitigarbha in his right hand and the Persona Summoner in his left. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he raised the silver pistol to his temple and slowly pulled the trigger.

"Pe...r...so...na!"

Protagonist Ability Overview

A list of the protagonist's abilities so far

① Persona: Susanoo-no-Mikoto

One of the creator gods in Japanese mythology, the forerunner and father of countless gods, who ruled the three realms of heaven, sea, and night.

Arcana: The World

Destructive Power: A (Enough to dispel all false facades and lies; Like the Act of Nation Founding causes damage to fluctuate.)

Precision: A (Able to assist its wielder with extreme precision while eating Cosmic Colossus Ramen, ensuring that every noodle and every sip of broth is at just the right temperature, without wasting a single second.)

Durability: A (Victory Roar—after every victorious battle, it can swiftly restore itself to peak condition through various means.)

Speed: A (Able to accept invitations from multiple friends in a single day—or even at the same time—and attend every gathering.)

Attack Range: A (Enough to span the distance between reality and cognition.)

Growth Potential: A (Though it has already reached the pinnacle of Personas, it still possesses the power to evolve according to its wielder's heart. Forming new bonds grants corrective enhancements, and it seemingly holds the potential to become the Unified God, "Soubi.")

(A brief explanation: A Persona is another self within its wielder's heart, sometimes transformed from a Shadow. Every Persona can more or less cast certain forms of magic, as well as launch attacks through physical or magical means. Personas evolve along with their wielders' spiritual growth and can be summoned by their users like Stands for combat.)

② The Twelfth Divine Key: Ksitigarbha

Ability: Governs the power of "erosion." It can project and freely manipulate its user's consciousness, enter electronics and networks, seize all electronic permissions, and control all electronic devices. At the same time, it possesses the ability to take over human bodies and minds, making them its own.

③ The Persona Summoner. By firing a gun at one's own temple and experiencing death through suicide, one can awaken the power of a Persona, allowing it to be summoned even in reality.

Ace vs. Ace

When he raised the gun to his own head, what surged within the depths of his heart—unyielding courage, or endless fear?

The instant he pulled the trigger, the bullet left the chamber, tore through fragile skin and muscle, passed through his brain, exited through the other temple, and burst into blue fragments.

That intangible death was like thick black fog, gradually condensing into a mass and turning into sharp fear. It silently seeped into his lungs and organs, like inhaling countless tiny particles of dust, slowly eroding his breath until it tightly cinched around his life.

Qianyi recalled the fairy tale "Snow White" he had read before. In it, Snow White had eaten a poisoned apple after being deceived by her vicious stepmother. But perhaps Snow White had not been killed by her at all—perhaps she had committed suicide. Maybe she knew it was a poisoned apple when she bit into it, because her stepmother had already found her hiding place, and she had nowhere left to run.

Despair—the despair of being poisoned by her mother, the despair of having her life tightly gripped by another. A hopeless despair, born from the world itself. That was why Snow White ate the poisoned apple and killed herself.

But death was not the opposite of life. It was part of it.

Only by swallowing the poisoned apple and drawing infinitely close to death could one briefly glimpse life's answer.

"Susanoo-no-Mikoto! Come forth!"

A mysterious creature slowly appeared behind Qianyi. It wore a gleaming silver trench coat and a silver mask, standing a full five meters tall. Its arms, legs, and chest were clad in exquisite, radiant armor. In its hand, it held an Ōdachi with a circular guard, its blade glinting with cold light. Noble and sacred, it seemed like a deity stepped out of an ancient legend, carrying endless majesty and solemnity.

Its name was Susanoo-no-Mikoto!

The next instant, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Qianyi, and Durandal collided violently, producing a deafening boom mixed with the sharp crack of breaking bones. The impact forcibly sent them apart. Qianyi spun three hundred and sixty degrees before tumbling backward, while Durandal returned to her original position and pulled her lance from the ground.

"So big!" This was not the first time Kiana had seen Qianyi summon that thing, but she clearly remembered it being only normal human size last time. This time, it was actually five meters tall. Was it related to that gun?

"Susanoo? Isn't that a god from Far Eastern mythology?" Raiden Mei, who had extensively studied Far Eastern literature, immediately recognized the origin of the true name Qianyi had called.

"Is Susanoo really that powerful?" Seele had never heard of him at all.

"It's not a matter of whether he's powerful or not. He's the father of the gods, and the origin of Far Eastern mythology!" Raiden Mei's eyes gleamed with envy. "As expected of the Captain."

"Captain versus Captain?" Durandal understood. It seemed Qianyi was the strongest member of the opposing team. If that was the case, then as long as she defeated him, the remaining team members should obediently return to Heavenly Mandate with her.

But the other side was not that strong. In their first clash just now, her force had already broken his right forearm.

As she thought that, Qianyi raised the gun to his temple and fired another shot.

"Savior's Heal."

Behind him, Susanoo-no-Mikoto spun the Ōdachi in his hand, making it rotate rapidly like a propeller. It swept over Qianyi's right arm like the wind, healing the injury. At the same time, a cherry blossom-shaped tattoo appeared on the back of Qianyi's sword hand.

Stigmata: Yae Sakura.

When he obtained Ksitigarbha, Qianyi had acquired this Stigmata as well. He had not intended to use it, but Otto was being such a goddamn bully that if he did not turn into "Yae Sakura" and thoroughly cuck him, he would be letting down the promise he had made to become Otto's pen pal.

Qianyi and Durandal exchanged a glance, then charged out at the same time.

Ksitigarbha and Black Abyss White Flower clashed, sending brilliant sparks flying. Scorching heat rushed at Qianyi's face.

Even with the Stigmata's enhancement, there was still too great a gap between his strength and Durandal's. Susanoo suddenly moved, swinging his Ōdachi at Durandal's throat. Forced to defend herself, Durandal could no longer keep suppressing Qianyi. As she guarded against Susanoo, Qianyi, who had lowered his body, slashed at her knee.

As Qianyi's Persona, Susanoo needed no coordination whatsoever. Any thought Qianyi had could be carried out decisively by Susanoo. In the truest sense of the words—I am thou, thou art I.

Black Abyss White Flower knocked back the Ōdachi and was about to immediately block Ksitigarbha when Durandal discovered that Susanoo had already swung a second slash with the exact same posture and trajectory, striking Black Abyss White Flower as it withdrew its force and shifted targets. Then came the third slash, the fourth, the fifth, and finally—

Legend had it that Uesugi Kenshin of the Warring States era called herself the incarnation of "Bishamonten," the God of War. To display her strength, she had once unleashed several heavy slashes in succession, concentrating them upon the same point of her opponent's weapon in an instant, ultimately cutting the weapon apart. That move was called—

True Bi Slash!

Black Abyss White Flower's quality was beyond imagination. Had it been even slightly inferior, it would have already snapped apart. Yet the Divine Key, forged primarily from Soul Steel and a Herrscher Core, was clearly not something that could be easily broken through brute force alone. Even so, that move forced the super goose-like Durandal into pure defense, while Ksitigarbha's attacks from below made her retreat again and again.

Kiana could not help clapping and cheering for Qianyi, but before she could voice her praise, she saw Durandal split her lance into the two guns, Black Abyss and White Flower. One above and one below, they simultaneously blocked Qianyi's and Susanoo's attacks. Then, with a single strike, she forced both of them back and reclaimed the initiative.

Seeing this, Rita could not help letting out a soft snort. Compared to Lady Durandal, anyone would seem inferior. But then she suddenly noticed Durandal gathering countless points of light. They drifted around her like fireflies, so numerous that they densely filled the air around her like willow catkins in spring. Rita sensed that something was wrong.

Durandal, surrounded by the points of light, had no time to break through before Qianyi pressed the Persona Summoner to his head and pulled the trigger.

"Megidolaon."

The points of light instantly converged, sweeping down like dozens of machine guns firing at once. A mushroom cloud from the explosion rose over Changkong City.

—BOOM!

The sight made many Far Easterners break out in cold sweat, crying, "Holy shit, is that Third Impact?"

Durandal emerged from the explosion looking quite disheveled. Fragments of her tracksuit fluttered through the air, revealing large swaths of flushed skin. Sweat slid down her neck, and beneath her torn clothing, the toned lines of her well-trained body could be vaguely seen.

Her chest heaved violently, both from the intensity of the battle and from emotions she could not suppress. Her white lace bra was half-hidden beneath the torn fabric, accentuating her fair, delicate skin.

Just then, Rita's voice rang out.

"Lady Durandal, Valkyrie armor support has been summoned for you."

I'll Help You!

I don't need it.

Durandal instinctively wanted to refuse Rita's Valkyrie armor support, but after looking at the clothes she was currently wearing—clothes that would probably expose something with even the slightest movement—she silently chose to accept.

Her clothes were practically shredded. She had no choice but to put something on.

"You're not going to stop me?" she asked, looking at Qianyi.

"I like letting the other side go first. Your turn—do as you please." Qianyi casually spun Ksitigarbha in his hand, watching a tiny point of light in the sky.

"Thank you." Durandal nodded and waited for Bright Knight: Moonbeam to descend. Since this trip had not seemed particularly dangerous, the people at Helheim Laboratory had wanted her to bring along this still-in-development fourth-generation godslayer armor to test it against a few Titans and Honkai Beasts.

Who would have thought Cocolia would be so fragile? There had been no chance to use it, only for it to come in handy here instead.

With no intention of stopping her, Qianyi simply stood there and watched as Bright Knight: Moonbeam fell from the sky and merged with Durandal.

Huh?

Was he seriously that dense?

Qianyi, what the hell were you doing?!

Seeing that Qianyi was actually standing by without doing anything while Durandal put on her Valkyrie armor, Kiana, Talulah, Seele, and the others fell silent.

Why didn't he take her life while she was weak?!

Didn't he see that her clothes were already torn? If she fought him and made any large movements, she would expose herself. The tears in her already damaged clothes might even spread further.