Chapter Twenty-Eight: Gunshots from the Direction of the Shelter

There were no additional effects.

It was just an ordinary baseball bat, but combined with her strength and a little Honkai energy, it could still take down one kid with every swing.

There was also one hundred Honkai energy crystals. She could buy an identical weapon, allowing the baseball bat to be upgraded to two stars.

But the two-star baseball bat still had no additional affixes. Upgrading its stars was inferior to simply buying a badge that increased melee damage.

The bonus from a one-star badge was only so-so. After thinking it over, Kiana gave up on buying one.

"I'll buy Mei a new sword too!"

Mei was already very powerful. With an even stronger weapon, she would be able to display even greater strength.

After settling her own weapon, Kiana planned to spend the remaining one hundred crystals on Mei. She had to support her wife!

There were not many melee weapons with a two-star maximum level. To Kiana's surprise, she found a two-star katana with an affix among them.

[Yamamoto Nightshadow Katana (one star): When hitting an enemy, there is a chance to inflict Bleed for three seconds.]

A weapon with an affix—was there any need to hesitate?

Buy it!

After spending all two hundred crystals, Kiana looked reluctantly toward the advanced equipment section again.

Equipment with a three-star maximum level cost ten times as much as two-star equipment: one thousand crystals. Four-star equipment cost ten thousand. The price increased tenfold with each additional star.

Kiana suddenly found herself motivated to hunt down Kishin across the entire world, although even killing them all might not be enough to afford the highest-level equipment.

Wait, wasn't the End Cannon rewarded by the system earlier a five-star weapon? And wasn't it a maxed-out weapon that didn't require her to buy duplicates to upgrade its stars?

How many Honkai energy crystals would that be?

"Kiana, you're awake?"

Mei's voice pulled her back to reality. Kiana shook her head hard, then happily produced a katana out of thin air. "Mei, try this!"

How could Honkai energy crystals compare to Mei?

Besides, Stigmata couldn't even be bought in the shop. The value of the Thunder Soul Imprint would only be higher than that of a five-star weapon.

If she got another Stigma next time, she would choose it again!

Mei looked a little bewildered. "What's this?"

Where had she taken it out from?

"Your new weapon!"

Kiana shoved the katana in her hand into Mei's hands. Seeing Kiana holding the new equipment, Mei wore a satisfied expression.

"This sword is enough for me."

Mei was an expert herself. She could tell at a glance how sharp the sword was and wanted to leave it for Kiana.

"You're not allowed to refuse me. This Yamamoto Night Shadow Samurai Sword was prepared especially for you!"

Kiana refused, then produced a baseball bat in her hand. She swung it twice and nodded in satisfaction.

"I'll use this!"

The weight was just right. It was easy to use and wouldn't hurt her hands.

The metal-sheened baseball bat looked extremely sturdy. It would definitely hit those monsters squarely with every swing.

Seeing the baseball bat in her hand, Mei hesitated, wanting to say that a sword would be a little better. Fortunately, she remembered Kiana's terrifying strength—the strength that let her swing Kishin around like sandbags.

The baseball bat... was actually pretty good too.

"...Then I'll accept it."

Mei did not inspect the sword. She hung it at her waist beside the ordinary sword she had brought along.

"We should go."

"Go?"

Kiana froze for a moment, returning from her excitement over admiring the new equipment. Indeed, the surrounding area was no longer safe.

Seeing the people from the residential compound carrying large and small bundles and standing not far away, gazing at them expectantly, Kiana understood.

This was probably Mei's doing.

There was no need to ask about the current situation.

"No problem. Leave the dangers on the road to me. Let's set out for the Shelter now."

"I know where it is. I'll lead from the front. Kiana, you... stay at the back of the group."

Mei ignored her previous words. Kiana had given her a Stigma and a new sword. If she still made Kiana fight, she would be letting down Kiana's concern for her.

There were quite a lot of people. If they all walked together, they might protect the front while neglecting the rear.

Thinking that the nearest Shelter was not far away, Mei planned to have Kiana guard the back of the group. That way, the chances of encountering danger would be lower.

"No problem." Kiana did not think much of it and nodded in agreement with Mei's arrangement, full of confidence. "Leave the rear to me!"

"Be careful." Seeing Kiana so confident, Mei could not help reminding her, "The Kishin we encountered should be among the weakest, but their abilities vary. There may still be some particularly troublesome ones."

"Mm-hmm, I know all that. I know what to do. All right, Mei, let's get moving. The sounds over there are getting louder..."

Mei was good in every way.

She just underestimated Kiana's strength too much.

Everyone said these were the weakest Kishin. Monsters of this level were cannon fodder before her. With her baseball bat, she could kill as many as came at her, all right?

But Mei's concern proved that she cared about Kiana. Hehe, by rounding up, Mei was worried about her—which meant she liked her.

Mm! No problem there!

Relying on the strike that had just slain the Kishin, as well as her reputation as the shrine maiden of Narukami Shrine, Raiden Mei organized the group while Kiana was pondering how to spend her Honkai energy crystals.

Now that Kiana was ready, the group could set out directly for the Shelter.

There was no time to mourn Osaka's death. It was obvious that the world had suddenly become abnormal.

Even with a powerful shrine maiden protecting them, no one felt safe, because monsters might attack from any direction.

The shrine maiden could slay monsters, but she might not be able to save someone suddenly attacked by one. Thus, everyone hoped they could reach the underground Shelter as soon as possible.

There was only one entrance there. As long as the door did not fall, the inside of the Shelter would be safe.

"Check whether anything has been left behind. We're about to set out."

She reminded the crowd one last time, but they had long since grown anxious from waiting. Voices calling things like "Let's get going already" came from all around.

Seeing this, Raiden Mei no longer hesitated. She glanced toward the end of the group. After seeing that white-haired bundle, she turned around and walked to the very front to lead the way.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Gunshots from the Direction of the Shelter

The group moved forward in great force.

Along the way, quite a few people who had not encountered any Kishin and did not understand what was happening joined them.

This made the group grow quite large, and Raiden Mei at the very front had no choice but to remain extremely vigilant.

Then, amid the unending peals of thunder, after walking through the darkness for nearly half an hour, they were about to reach the Shelter's entrance.

Raiden Mei had grown accustomed to the thunder. Within it, she heard a different sound.

—Gunshots!

The sound of gunfire came from the direction of the Shelter.

Many people were shooting.

But there was no sound of bullets striking flesh, nor any screams. Judging from the frequency of the gunfire, the firepower was not weak.

"There's gunfire ahead."

Raiden Mei stopped and looked back at the person in charge, Granny Zhuohua, who was following behind her.

"Take them and hide where you are. Get inside a building. I'll go ahead and take a look."

"They're shooting up ahead. Could they have encountered the same situation we did?" Granny Zhuohua asked anxiously.

She had lived for more than seventy years, and this was the first time she had encountered anything like this: monsters, and a shrine maiden who slew monsters.

It had completely overturned the worldview she had built over her many years. There was also the unending thunder in the sky, which reminded her of what Kiana had said about Takemikazuchi when she found her yesterday.

Granny Zhuohua had a wealth of life experience, but whether that experience was useful against monsters was another matter.

"Very likely."

Unfortunately, because of the pitch-black thunderstorm, visibility in the city was extremely poor. They could not see what was happening over there.

It could be said that Raiden Mei was now the backbone of everyone who had witnessed Osaka being killed by a monster.

Granny Zhuohua did not agree with her leaving, but she understood the situation and knew that following her would only lead to even greater casualties.

Besides, if there really were Kishin ahead, it would be best for the Narukami Shrine Maiden to go and resolve the trouble in advance.

They could not hold her back.

"Go, Shrine Maiden. I'll help settle everyone down and find them somewhere to hide."

Raiden Mei nodded, then glanced toward the back of the group with some hesitation. After wavering several times, she did not ask Granny Zhuohua to tell Kiana to stay there and not approach.

She put herself in Kiana's place.

If Kiana were the one heading into danger, she would certainly worry too and would not be willing to stand there waiting.

After nodding to Granny Zhuohua, Raiden Mei charged alone toward the Shelter and soon disappeared.

"Everyone, stop for a moment. Tell the people behind you to find a safe place nearby and rest. There's danger ahead, but the Shrine Maiden has already gone to investigate. I'm sure we'll have an answer soon."

Granny Zhuohua's voice was not loud, but her prestige on Zhuohua Street was high. Moreover, her words concerned both the current situation and the shrine maiden.

Those at the front who had witnessed what happened and heard the news relayed Granny Zhuohua's instructions to the people behind them.

However, some people in front were displeased when they saw this and spoke up. "Granny Zhuohua, how could you let the Shrine Maiden leave alone?"

The speaker's tone was rather harsh. She was worried that Raiden Mei would abandon their group and leave on her own.

Although they could reach the Shelter's entrance in less than five minutes at full speed, wasn't it dangerous over there?

Without the shrine maiden leading the way,

how were a group of ordinary people like them supposed to get there?

Granny Zhuohua swept her eyes over the woman, then looked at those who said nothing but seemed to agree with what she had said.

In a quiet voice, she asked, "Do all of you think that way?"

"...Yes, Granny."

"The Shrine Maiden has left. What are we supposed to do? If another monster comes, we won't be able to do anything!"

"Exactly. You didn't see Osaka. You know, the lame uncle who sold sushi? He died horribly! That monster's claws were sharper than knives. It only took one strike, and Osaka was killed!"

"Yes, it was terrifying. What if there are more monsters..."

The crowd's dissatisfaction spread. Human nature was selfish, especially when life and death were at stake. In such circumstances, that selfishness would be magnified without limit.

"Hmph!"

Granny Zhuohua slammed her cane against the ground. Her cloudy eyes swept across the crowd as she scolded them. "You're truly a pack of ungrateful ingrates. The Shrine Maiden has no obligation to save us at all. She went ahead to scout the way for our sake."

"If you're dissatisfied, leave the group and follow her. This old woman won't stop you. Anyone who's afraid can follow her. Don't stay with everyone else."

After Granny Zhuohua finished speaking, the scene fell silent for a moment. In the end, the unknown situation ahead was simply too frightening, while Granny Zhuohua's prestige was deep enough.

"Please don't be angry. We were just frightened. How could we not know that the Shrine Maiden was doing this for our sake?"

"Yes, exactly."

Those who had complained moments ago all changed their tune. More than anything, they were afraid that Granny Zhuohua would complain to the Narukami Shrine Maiden later.

That Narukami Shrine Maiden did not seem like someone with a soft heart. Everyone who had visited Narukami Shrine knew that it was different from other shrines.

The power Raiden Mei had used had directly solved some of the mysteries that had remained unanswered in their hearts for years.

They attributed Raiden Mei's power to Narukami of Narukami Shrine, believing that Narukami had bestowed power upon the shrine maiden.

Hadn't they seen that Narukami was a blade, and that the shrine maiden also used a blade? Besides, didn't the blade carry lightning power capable of driving out ghosts and monsters?