Chapter Forty-Five: Friends

The ground shook like there had been an earthquake.

Kiana: "..."

Speak of the devil. Did it really have to happen so soon?

"It really is heading straight for Changkong City!"

Kiana was stunned. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

"No. It seems to have suffered severe injuries and is at a disadvantage. It might be close to death." Mei stared at the place where the giant dragon had fallen, her expression gradually turning solemn.

Severe injuries?

Close to death?

"Can we go pick up the scraps?"

Kiana's eyes lit up.

"Do you remember Narukami, the one that was taken away?" Mei shook her head and said rationally, "Don't forget, they're preparing to forge twelve Edict Blades."

Kiana's excitement instantly cooled. She had already tried it—even personally killing a Kishin didn't give her experience, much less any rewards.

Takemikazuchi's power would definitely be used to forge a Resonating Blade.

Sacrificing an ordinary Edict Blade was one thing, but twelve national treasures of that caliber were not something she could casually sacrifice.

"We should still go take a look."

Otherwise, if it started rampaging and brought down the Shelter, how many people would die?

In the darkness, they could vaguely make out the enormous dragon's body in the distance. It had smashed through countless buildings and homes.

The dark clouds in the sky looked even more ominous. The electric arcs were blood-red, unnaturally eerie.

"I'll go with you."

Takemikazuchi's condition was dire, so its danger had been greatly reduced. It had also fallen from the sky, and because of that strange sense of connection, Raiden Mei wanted to go take a look as well.

"We'll go together. If things look bad, we'll retreat for now."

"Cough, cough—"

In the ruins, a bloodstained hand reached out and grabbed a stone. A figure covered in dust and blood swayed as she slowly stood up.

Her golden eyes were fixed on the enormous dragon head in the distance, which was as large as a room. In her hand was an Edict Blade that had withdrawn from its released form.

This was Sirin, who had pursued Takemikazuchi here. She did not know what had driven Takemikazuchi mad or what had infected it.

But Kishin were enemies that had to die!

Takemikazuchi had gone berserk, leaving massive openings all over its body. How could she give up this perfect opportunity to unleash an all-out attack on it?

If she gave up this chance, wouldn't she be admitting defeat to Welt, who had dared to risk his life to heavily injure Takemikazuchi?

Welt had dared to do it. Why shouldn't she?

Her stamina was exhausted.

Humans were ultimately not Kishin. They lacked that terrifying power, seemingly endless stamina, and the recovery speed of a Kishin.

Dragging her exhausted, heavy body, which could collapse at any moment, Sirin's grip on the Edict Blade remained firm.

In her extremely weakened state, she could feel the blade corroding her body in return.

Takemikazuchi's aura was feeble, and its eyes were already closed. Black-red blood flowed from the countless wounds covering its body, winding across the ground and spreading in every direction.

Any life that touched its blood—including plants such as weeds—withered instantly.

She had reached her limit, but the dragon before her, which had suffered one abnormality after another for unknown reasons and was now on the verge of death, had reached its limit as well.

But a Kishin's recovery exceeded that of a human. She could not simply sit around and wait for someone to bring the Resonating Blade.

Blood also trickled from her wounds and slid down her arms. Everything before her alternated between clarity and blurriness.

Every step was becoming difficult.

She had to hold on. She had to unleash Void Descent one more time, trap Takemikazuchi here, and prevent it from recovering.

That was what she told herself, but her vision grew increasingly blurred, and the strength in her hand weakened.

"Sirin?!"

Who was that?

Through her blurred vision, Sirin saw a white figure running toward her.

Chapter Forty-Five: Friends

Anyone who could call her by name was surely someone familiar.

Sirin collapsed with complete peace of mind.

The person calling Sirin's name was none other than Kiana and Raiden Mei, who had just rushed over from the shrine.

Kiana sprinted to Sirin's side. Seeing that Sirin was in even worse shape than when they had met in Imaginary Space, she quickly crouched down and felt her neck.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. She still had a heartbeat.

Taking out a healing potion, Kiana generously threw a fully upgraded healing potion beside Sirin.

"How is she?"

"She's alive. She isn't dead yet, so she can be saved."

As Kiana threw potions and replenished her ammunition, she said, "She'll wake up in five seconds."

Raiden Mei nodded.

She was not familiar with Sirin at all.

However, Takemikazuchi seemed to have been gravely injured by her. To fight such an enormous dragon to a standstill...

Sirin was indeed very strong.

In no hurry to investigate Takemikazuchi just yet, she gripped the unsheathed samurai sword in her hand and watched the ruins around them.

Her body, parched from a long drought, rapidly regained its strength and vitality. Sirin, who had just collapsed, felt the familiar sensation spreading through her body and opened her eyes.

"Kiana?"

"It's me. I really didn't expect us to meet again so soon."

Seeing that Sirin was not in good shape, Kiana made a small joke to help her relax. "There wasn't enough time, so I haven't prepared a surprise for you yet. But I'm guessing you haven't prepared the money you owe me either, right?"

The tension in Sirin's nerves relaxed the moment she saw Kiana, because she knew she was saved.

Although it was somewhat unethical to think this way, fortunately, she had brought down Takemikazuchi in Changkong City.

Otherwise, there would definitely have been more variables.

With both herself and Welt—the two people capable of using Edict Blades—out of the fight, even with Takemikazuchi now at the end of its rope, it might still have been more than the remaining people could handle. Many would have died.

"Sorry, I didn't realize this was Changkong City." She was relieved, but she still felt apologetic. "I'm sorry for bringing the war to your hometown, but I'll resolve it immediately. I won't let this city suffer any more damage."

"Huh? This..."

Kiana instinctively turned to look at Mei, because this was not her hometown. It was Mei's.

The only place she cared about was the area around Zhuohua Street, which had taken her in. As for the rest... saving it would be best, but if she could not, all she could do was apologize.

More than ten seconds had passed as they spoke. The healing effect of the potion Kiana had thrown had just worn off, and Sirin had recovered most of her stamina.

"You've troubled yourself to heal me again. I didn't notice earlier, but I'll also pay you ten times the treatment fee."

"No, no, no, you don't have to!"

Five hundred thousand was already enough to stuff her belly. Even exploiting someone for profit had its limits.

The highest level of exploiting people and harvesting leeks was to make a fortune while the leek still thanked you and felt like it had gotten a great deal.

"How can that be?" Sirin frowned. "Do you think I can't afford it?"

"Of course not!" Kiana hurriedly shook her head. She had not expected Sirin to be unhappy about her refusal to charge extra, so she quickly said, "You said before that we're friends. Since we're already friends, of course the treatment is free!"

Friends?

Raiden Mei emerged from her absent-minded listening. Her gaze shifted away from Kiana and landed on the battered Sirin.

When had that happened?

Kiana had never mentioned it to her.

"Friends are one thing, but this..."

"I treat all my friends this way, right, Mei?" Kiana turned to look at Mei again.

She treated all her friends this way?

In other words, once Kiana made other friends, the concern and care she showed Mei would also be given to every new friend she made?

Everyone wanted to be special.

Raiden Mei was no exception.

She felt a vague sense of irritation in her heart.

When Mei did not respond, Kiana turned back to Sirin and quickly added, "Of course, the five thousand units we agreed on earlier was before we became friends, so you still have to pay me that."

Sirin rose from the ground and picked up the Edict Blade beside her. "Of course. I'm not some deadbeat who refuses to pay her debts."

"If you can't accept the friends explanation, then consider this treatment an additional service for the five thousand units." Kiana sounded slightly embarrassed. "After all, it didn't cost me much."

"...I still prefer your first explanation," Sirin said helplessly.

"Now that you've recovered, should we kill Takemikazuchi and put an end to all this?"

Raiden Mei suddenly spoke.

"If we're going to kill it, we should use the Resonating Blade. Only then can we completely inherit all its power."

Speaking of this, Sirin could not help sighing. "If I'd known the final battlefield would be Changkong City, I would have left the Resonating Blade with you."

"You're going to wait until the Resonating Blade arrives before making a move? What if it recovers and runs away once the blade arrives?" Kiana asked worriedly.

"That's why I can't let it run."

Sirin walked toward Takemikazuchi and released the Edict Blade in her hand once more. This time, it no longer corroded her body.

Takemikazuchi, on the verge of death, opened its blood-red eyes and stared at the purple-haired girl who had brought it down.

"Void Descent!"

Using the Imperial Blade of Heaven as its foundation, Sirin sealed all the space around Takemikazuchi. Countless chains bound it and pierced into its flesh. Taking advantage of its current inability to resist, she completely restrained it.

"Ah?!"

What had Sirin just said?

Had she heard something incredible?

Void Descent?

"What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing. This should do, right? Aren't you worried it'll break free?"

"It worsens its injuries and restrains its movements," Sirin explained. "The Resonating Blade will be brought here soon. Once it arrives, we'll use it to deliver the final blow."

As she spoke, Sirin gave the somewhat silent Raiden Mei a rather strange look. "Your family has worshiped the Resonating Blade for generations. How about leaving this to you?"

She was not merely talking about handing the matter over to Raiden Mei and letting her deliver the final blow to Takemikazuchi.

She was also talking about ownership of the Resonating Blade.

"Is this one an Edict Blade as well?"

Raiden Mei looked at the strange blade suppressing Takemikazuchi. Its blade was hollow.

"The Imperial Blade of Heaven, forged by Amatsukami. It's also the source of the power that allowed me to fight Takemikazuchi."

By wielding an Edict Blade, one could instantly gain the power to fight a monster that emitted a terrifying oppressive force even while merely lying there?