In Izumo, Making Honkai Great Again

The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.

Kiana: "..."

Speak of the devil, must it be this fast?

"It's really heading straight for Changkong City!"

Kiana was astonished, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

"No, it seems to have suffered a severe injury and is at a disadvantage. Perhaps it's about to die." Mei looked at the place where the giant dragon's body had fallen, her eyes growing solemn.

Severely injured?

About to die?

"Can we pick up some scraps then?"

Kiana's eyes lit up.

"Do you remember Narukami, which was taken away?" Mei shook her head and said rationally, "Don't forget they are preparing to forge twelve Imperial Blades."

Kiana's excitement instantly cooled. She had tried it before; even if she personally killed an Oni God, she wouldn't gain experience or rewards.

The power of Takemikazuchi would definitely be used to forge a Narukami Blade.

Ordinary Imperial Blades could be sacrificed, but for national treasures like the Twelve Imperial Blades, she really couldn't casually sacrifice them.

"Let's go take a look."

Otherwise, if it rampaged and collapsed the shelter, how many people would die?

In the darkness, a giant dragon's body could be vaguely seen in the distance, having smashed through many buildings, including skyscrapers and residential houses.

The dark clouds in the sky also felt wrong; the lightning arcs were blood-red, eerily strange.

"I'll go with you."

Takemikazuchi was in a bad situation, so the danger had greatly reduced. Moreover, it had already fallen from the sky. Due to a special sense, Raiden Mei also wanted to go take a look.

"Let's go together to see. If the situation turns bad, we'll retreat for the time being."

"Cough, cough--"

From the ruins, a blood-stained hand reached out and grabbed a stone. A figure covered in dust and blood swayed and stood up.

Golden eyes stared intently at the giant dragon head, the size of a house, not far away. In her hand, she held the Imperial Blade, which had been returned to its non-liberated form.

This was Sirin, who had come to pursue Takemikazuchi. She didn't know why Takemikazuchi had gone mad or what kind of corruption it had suffered.

But Oni Gods were enemies that had to die!

Takemikazuchi had gone berserk, its entire body revealing huge openings. How could she give up this perfect opportunity to unleash a full-power blow on Takemikazuchi?

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

Welt dared, why shouldn't she?

Her stamina was exhausted.

Humans were, after all, not Oni Gods. They didn't have such terrifying power, nor endless stamina and the recovery speed of Oni Gods.

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

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

Takemikazuchi's aura was weak; it had already closed its eyes. Black and red blood flowed from its numerous wounds, spreading across the ground in winding streams.

Any life that touched its blood, like common weeds, withered instantly.

She was at her limit, but this dragon, which had inexplicably appeared repeatedly and was now on the verge of death, was also at its limit.

However, the recovery ability of Oni Gods was superior to humans. She couldn't just sit and wait for someone to deliver the Narukami Blade.

The blood flowing from her wounds also slid down her arm. Everything before her eyes blurred and then cleared intermittently.

Every step was a struggle.

She had to persevere. She had to release Void Descent one more time to trap Takemikazuchi here and prevent its recovery.

She thought this in her heart, but her vision grew increasingly blurry, and the strength in her hand holding the blade weakened.

"Sirin?!"

Who was it?

Sirin vaguely saw a white figure running towards her.

Chapter Forty-Five: Friend

Anyone who could call out her name must be an acquaintance.

Sirin fell down with a sense of peace.

The one calling out Sirin's name was none other than Kiana and Raiden Mei, who had just rushed from the shrine to the vicinity.

Kiana sprinted to Sirin's side, seeing her in an even more disheveled state than when they'd met in the Imaginary Space. She quickly crouched down and felt for a pulse at Sirin's neck.

Phew, she's alive.

Taking out a healing potion, Kiana didn't hesitate to throw the max-star healing potion next to Sirin.

"How is it?"

"Still alive, not dead. She can be saved."

Kiana continued to throw potions and reload her ammo, saying, "She'll wake up in about five seconds."

Raiden Mei nodded.

She wasn't familiar with Sirin at all.

However, it seemed Takemikazuchi was severely injured by her. To fight such a massive dragon to a standstill was impressive.

Sirin was indeed very strong.

There was no rush to investigate Takemikazuchi right now. Mei gripped her unsheathed katana, scanning the ruins around them.

Sirin's body, revitalized by the healing potion, quickly regained its strength and vitality. She felt a familiar sensation as her body recovered and opened her eyes.

"Kiana?"

"It's me. I never thought we'd meet again so soon."

Seeing that Sirin wasn't in good shape, Kiana made a small joke to lighten the mood, "Time is tight, so I haven't prepared any surprises for you yet. But I bet you haven't prepared my payment either, right?"

Her tense nerves relaxed the moment she saw Kiana, knowing she was saved.

Though she felt a bit guilty thinking this, she was fortunate that Takemikazuchi had been brought down in Changkong City.

Otherwise, there would have been more variables.

Having lost both herself and Welt, two wielders of the Imperial Blades, even if Takemikazuchi was at its last breath, it would have been enough for the remaining people to handle, and many would have died.

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

"Huh? This..."

Kiana instinctively looked back at Mei, because this wasn't her hometown; it was Mei's.

The areas she cared about were the ones that had taken her in, like Zhuohua Street. As for the rest... it would be best if they could be saved, but if not, she could only offer her apologies.

A dozen seconds had passed as they spoke. The healing Kiana had just used had worn off, and Sirin had recovered more than half of her stamina.

"Thank you for healing me again. I wasn't paying attention earlier, but I'll pay you ten times the usual fee."

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

Fifty thousand was already more than enough for her to feast on. This wasn't how you farmed wool; you didn't shear it to death.

The highest level of wool farming, of harvesting leeks, was when you made a fortune, and the leeks were still grateful to you, feeling like they'd gotten a great deal.

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

"Of course not!" Kiana quickly shook her head. To her surprise, Sirin was unhappy that she refused the extra payment. Kiana quickly added, "You said before that we're friends. Since we're friends, the treatment is free!"

Friends?

Raiden Mei emerged from her indifferent listening state, her gaze shifting from Kiana to the disheveled Sirin.

Since when?

Kiana hadn't mentioned it to her.

"Friends are friends, but this..."

"This is how I treat my friends, right Mei?" Kiana turned to Mei again.

This is how she treats her friends?

Does that mean Kiana's care and concern for me will be the same for every new friend she makes after making other friends?

Everyone wants to feel special.

Raiden Mei was no exception.

She felt a pang of annoyance.

Without receiving a response from Mei, Kiana quickly added to Sirin, "Of course, the five thousand I mentioned before was before we became friends, so you still owe me that."

Sirin got up from the ground and picked up her Imperial Blade. "Of course, I'm not a deadbeat who defaults on payments."

"If you don't accept the 'friend' excuse, then consider this healing an added service for the five thousand," Kiana said, a little sheepishly. "After all, I didn't spend much on it."

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

"Since you've recovered, should we kill Takemikazuchi now and end all this?"

Raiden Mei suddenly spoke.

"If you want to kill it, it's best to use a Narukami Blade. That way, the Imperial Blades can fully inherit all of its power," Sirin said, sighing slightly. "If I had known the final battlefield would be Changkong City, I might as well have kept the Narukami Blade with you."

"Are you waiting for the Narukami Blade before you act? But what if it recovers and escapes by the time the Narukami Blade arrives?" Kiana worried.

"So I can't let it escape."

Sirin walked towards the Imperial Blades in Takemikazuchi's hand, unleashing its power once more, no longer allowing it to corrupt her body.

The dying Takemikazuchi opened its blood-red eyes and stared at the purple-haired girl who had struck it down.

"Void Descent!"

Using the Heavenly Blade as a foundation, Sirin sealed off all space around Takemikazuchi. Countless chains bound it, piercing its flesh. While it had no strength to resist, she completely imprisoned it.

"Ah?!"

What was Sirin just saying?

Did she just hear something incredible?

Void Descent?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing, this should be enough. Aren't you afraid it'll break free?"

"Worsen its injuries and restrain its movements," Sirin explained. "The Narukami Blade will be sent soon. Once it arrives, we'll use it to deliver the final blow."

As she spoke, Sirin glanced somewhat strangely at a silent Raiden Mei. "Your family has worshipped the Narukami Blade for generations. How about you handle this?"

This statement wasn't just about handing the task over to Raiden Mei, letting her deliver the final blow to Takemikazuchi.

It was about the ownership of the Narukami Blade.

"Is this also an Imperial Blade?"

Raiden Mei looked at the strange sword suppressing Takemikazuchi, its blade hollow.

"The Imperial Blade of Heaven, forged by Amatsukami. It's also what gave me the strength to fight Takemikazuchi."

By mastering the Imperial Blades, one could immediately gain the power to fight against a monster that exuded terrifying pressure just by lying there?