Your Existence Has Caused a Change / The Chosen One?

"Okay."

Kiana needed the crystals left behind by slain Kishin, and she also needed to increase her strength. Once she took up an Edict Blade, all she had to do was slay some Kishin. The two things did not conflict.

"Think it over a little longer?" Kiana whispered to Mei. "After the Resonating Blade is forged, I'll take a look at it for you. If the side effects are too severe, we won't use it. Even without an Edict Blade, I believe Mei won't be inferior to anyone."

As she spoke, Kiana blinked at Mei, reminding her not to forget that she still had her Stigma.

Chapter 46: Your Existence Has Caused a Change

"As long as your compatibility with the Edict Blade is high enough, you won't be corrupted and turned into an oni by the Kishin's curse."

Hearing Kiana's concern, Sirin began explaining to them, "Just like me."

She had slain quite a few Kishin, but compared to Yae Sakura, there were no obvious signs of Oniification on Sirin.

But Raiden Mei in the normal timeline had definitely been affected by the power of the Edict Blade. Her body showed signs of Oniification.

Yomi, who had appeared in the PV, looked somewhat similar to the complete Herrscher of Thunder. Both had red Oni Horns on their foreheads.

Come to think of it... Once the Honkai energy concentration rose, would Mei be turned into the Herrscher of Thunder?

"By the way, Sirin, does Narukami really have to slay Takemikazuchi to forge the Edict Blade? Can't we kill it first and then pour its power into Narukami?"

"There's only one chance to forge the blade. If conditions allow, it's best not to do that." Sirin shook her head. "The vessel is important."

"Poor-quality materials won't affect the Resonating Blade's power, but they will make it more aggressive. That's true for ordinary Kishin, and the backlash from a Kishin of this level will only be more severe. It'll be a genuine Cursed Sword!"

Did they really have to use the twelve unfinished blades left behind to slay the Kishin before they could forge the complete Edict Blades?

Some people had questioned it before, but after a thousand years of verification, this point had been proven true.

The twelve unfinished blades were the best vessels specially created by the pioneers a thousand years ago to contain the power of the twelve Kishin.

The materials of the blades and their compatibility with the Kishin would affect the completed Edict Blade.

The most obvious effect was reducing the burden on the wielder, making it less likely for wielders whose compatibility was not as heaven-defying as Sirin's to be corrupted.

Using Narukami to slay Takemikazuchi and forge the true Resonating Blade was for the sake of the Resonating Blade's future wielder.

Before the blade was successfully forged, no one could guarantee that they would find another wielder in Izumo who possessed compatibility with the Edict Blade as extraordinary as Sirin's—someone who would hardly be cursed by the Kishin's power under normal circumstances.

"A poor-quality vessel?"

Kiana almost instinctively remembered the Octopus Demon that she and Mei had slain by the river two days earlier. After that Kishin died, it had attached itself to Mei's sword, turning the ordinary blade into a poor-quality Cursed Sword.

Her memory was pretty good. She remembered some of the Cursed Sword's descriptions. One of them had indeed said, "Poor-quality blades increase the cost to their wielder," which was why that sword inflicted twice the usual corruption on its user.

"So does that mean the stronger the vessel, the stronger the Resonating Blade?"

Sirin shook her head. "The blade's power shouldn't change much. The vessel affects the degree of corruption inflicted on people. Compatibility is still the most important factor. Narukami was made specifically for Takemikazuchi. There won't be a blade in Izumo better suited to becoming the vessel for the Resonating Blade."

It wasn't that there wasn't one. I'm just too poor.

Kiana once again felt how badly she needed Honkai Crystals. If she had enough crystals, she could immediately buy a seven-star-limit blade and use it as the vessel for the Resonating Blade.

But she couldn't even afford four-star-limit equipment right now. Rather than daydream here, she might as well think about when the blade Sirin mentioned would arrive—and when Sirin would repay the money she owed.

She couldn't wait to go on a huge shopping spree!

"Kiana."

Mei, who had somehow walked in front of Takemikazuchi, suddenly called out to Kiana. Her eyes held a hint of gravity and confusion.

"What is it?"

Hearing that, Sirin looked toward Raiden Mei as well. Mei had boldly walked right up to Takemikazuchi. Her courage really was impressive.

Mei frowned. First, she glanced at Sirin, seemingly wary of her presence.

She did have something to say.

"Want to whisper?" Sirin seemed to see right through Raiden Mei. She raised her chin slightly and haughtily said, "Fine. Go talk over there. I won't eavesdrop."

What important thing could girls that age have to say? They had probably seen how absorbed she and Kiana were in their conversation and disliked Kiana being monopolized by her, so Mei had spoken up to draw Kiana's attention.

Raiden Mei was certainly not that bored.

Though she was indeed somewhat uncomfortable.

"Did you notice something?" Kiana walked with her for a while. After covering several dozen meters, they stopped.

Raiden Mei looked at the enormous dragon body beside them and said softly, "I feel the power of the Stigma slowly growing stronger. At first, I thought it was an illusion, but after carefully sensing it just now, I found that it really is happening. The increase is also continuing to accelerate."

After a pause, she found a suitable way to describe it. "It's like winning one battle after another. The increase isn't much each time, but accumulated over time, it can't be ignored."

The problem was that she hadn't been fighting.

At first, when she had approached Takemikazuchi and noticed something abnormal, she hadn't paid much attention. After all, she had vaguely sensed that Takemikazuchi's power was impure even while it was still in the distance.

There was Honkai energy within it. That wasn't strange. She had discovered it long ago.

"Honkai energy?"

Kiana's expression changed. She turned toward the battered Takemikazuchi and the conspicuous markings covering its body.

She and Mei had thought the same thing. Neither found it strange that there was Honkai energy within Takemikazuchi. They had already been shocked by it once and had even found it somewhat absurd.

After all, the Honkai energy concentration in this world was still not high. In theory, it shouldn't have been able to corrupt a Kishin of Takemikazuchi's level.

But the facts were right before them. She had no choice but to believe them.

When she had just arrived, she had sensed that the Honkai energy concentration here was somewhat higher than in ordinary areas. But Takemikazuchi showed signs of corruption and carried Honkai energy within it. Since it was now dying here, a slightly higher concentration was normal. She hadn't paid much attention to it.

However, after Mei's reminder, she also noticed something wrong. The Honkai energy concentration here had indeed increased compared to when she had first arrived. If she sensed carefully, she could feel that the Honkai energy in this area was still rising.

This frightened Kiana into immediately opening her panel. She was afraid that the Finality Process had increased by several points without her realizing it.

Name: Kiana

Faction: [Honkai]

Talent: Power of Finality

Skill: Phase Shift (Void)

Finality Transformation Progress: 7.4% (↓)

Honkai Energy Concentration (Izumo): 11.5046% (↓)

Summary: Your existence has already caused some kind of change.

The good news was that her Herrscher transformation process had not increased. The change in the Honkai energy here had not been caused by her.

The bad news was that the increase in the Honkai concentration had nothing to do with her. It was related to Takemikazuchi lying beside them.

The even worse news was that the summary on her panel had changed!

Chapter 47: The Chosen One?

The combination of these one good and two bad pieces of news conveyed a troubling message to Kiana.

Her existence had caused a change.

The Takemikazuchi before her was the greatest change brought about by the rise in Izumo's Honkai energy concentration.

It had been corrupted by Honkai energy.

And the corruption was continuously deepening.

Realizing what this represented, Kiana immediately walked toward Sirin.

"Sirin!"

Sirin had just been pondering how to give Kiana the five thousand Kishin she had promised as payment after resolving the matter with Takemikazuchi. She froze for a moment.

Why was she in such a hurry?

She looked curiously at the approaching Kiana and Raiden Mei following beside her.

"Are you two finished talking?"

Kiana shook her head and said, "Nothing else matters. The most important thing now is to deal with Takemikazuchi immediately!"

They shouldn't wait for the Edict Blade or worry about the side effects of being corrupted by Kishin power!

Kiana believed that given enough time, the power she could unleash would definitely be comparable to that of an Edict Blade.

Once Mei fully developed the Thunder Soul Imprint, the power she could unleash would definitely not be weaker than Takemikazuchi's, much less the power of the Resonating Blade!

From the moment she had appeared in this world, the Edict Blades had ceased to be essential to Izumo.

Whether they were willing to accept it or not, one ironclad fact could not be changed.

The Edict Blades could not save Izumo.

Honkai was the main theme of the future!

It was also Izumo's only path to be reborn from certain death!

"What did you two talk about?" Sirin looked at them suspiciously, especially Raiden Mei. In a calm voice, she said, "Didn't I say that Narukami is already on its way? At most, it'll be delivered to Changkong City in half an hour."

"I know you're in a hurry. I'm in a hurry too, but we can't panic right now," Sirin said.

"Half an hour..."

Kiana's expression twisted with hesitation. Judging from the signs of corruption on Takemikazuchi, after half an hour...

"No, we can't gamble!" Kiana shook her head fiercely and looked at Sirin stubbornly. "The situation is bad. We have to kill it here and now!"

Sirin frowned. If Kiana hadn't always been helping her, she might not have been able to listen any longer.

"Give me a reason." She suppressed her impatience.

"It's being corrupted."

Kiana took a deep breath. "I don't know when it'll be completely transformed into a Honkai Beast, but if that happens, you and I will have to face Takemikazuchi after it returns to its prime—or becomes even stronger than before!"

What level of Honkai Beast would it become?

Kiana had no idea.

Although Izumo's Honkai energy concentration was not high, at only around ten percent, if it gathered in one place...

That was no small amount.

"Honkai? Corruption?"

"I can explain Honkai to you slowly later, but right now, we have to kill it and stop the transformation!"

The terms were ones Sirin had never heard before.

But corruption...

Sirin thought of all the abnormalities during her battle with Takemikazuchi, as well as its power fluctuating between strength and weakness.

"I'm not lying to you!"

Seeing her fall silent and seemingly waver, Kiana immediately assured her.

Sirin struggled internally.

If this had only concerned her, she would have thought it over and agreed.

But this did not concern only her.

The Edict Blades concerned the future wielder of the Resonating Blade. They were an important force for subjugating the remaining Kishin in the future.

Whether it was her Imperial Blades of Heaven or Welt's True Edict Blade, the roles they could play in their hands were not those of pure offensive Edict Blades.

The Resonating Blade...

Once forged, its power would inevitably become the main force in slaying the Twelve Oni Gods.

"...If it completely turns into a Honkai Beast, it'll trigger an extremely large chain reaction. This area—no, all of Changkong City—will be affected by the Honkai."

It couldn't escape the fate of Changkong City.

If the Herrscher of Thunder never appeared and the city were destroyed by Takemikazuchi after it was corrupted by Honkai energy, that dark joke would gain another entry.

"If that's the case, let me do it." Mei drew the Yamamoto Night Shadow Samurai Sword from its sheath.

She walked slowly toward Takemikazuchi, her voice calm. "Didn't Miss Sirin say earlier that Narukami Shrine has worshiped Narukami for generations? Let me deliver the final blow to Takemikazuchi."

"The Resonating Blade isn't yours yet." Sirin lowered her voice in warning. "Your ability to wield the Resonating Blade is only my guess. Until the complete Resonating Blade is forged, there's no evidence that you'll become its master!"