A Person in Izumo, Making Honkai Great Again

Normally, only intelligence personnel responsible for delivering information to her have her contact details and can reach her at any time.

"...Thank you."

"No, you're welcome."

Raiden Mei was actually quite easy to get along with.

Tanaka Nao couldn't help but have a sliver of doubt about the rumors she'd heard.

"What about Yae Sakura?" Kiana retracted her spray can, remembering someone who was with them. "Do you know Yae Sakura? Do you have her contact information?"

"Miss Yae?"

Tanaka Nao glanced at Kiana in surprise, then nodded. "I haven't added her. After all, we're not responsible for the same area, but she's easier to talk to than Lady Sirin. I can ask some other friends for you."

"Yae Sakura?"

Mei remembered the name. The woman who delivered her father's letter, took the Resonating Blade, but injured Kiana.

"Maybe she knows Sirin."

Kiana nodded as she said this, feeling it was quite possible. Judging by Yae Sakura's strength, which caused the temperature to plummet and frost to cover the ground just by drawing her sword.

She was definitely one of the strong ones.

She had also told Kiana about the Imperial Blades, and the sword she held was one of the unfinished ones.

Just like the Narukami before.

"Miss Yae?" Tanaka Nao thought for a moment and nodded. "That's indeed very possible."

Seeing that it was getting late, Mei and Tanaka Nao exchanged contact information and didn't continue chatting on the mountain.

The three of them went down the mountain together and parted ways at Mirror Lake. Tanaka Nao said she would tell Mei immediately if she got Yae Sakura's contact information.

Only when the two of them were heading back did Mei take out the crystal she obtained from defeating the Oni God.

The crystal was as black as before, but also different from the previous ones.

"It seems to contain Honkai energy."

"Is that so?"

[Special Honkai Crystal (B): Can upgrade 'Demon Blade' series equipment, and has a small chance to add affixes to 'Demon Blade' series equipment]

It was indeed very different from the inferior energy crystals she had seen before. Not only had the effect increased by one line, but the name had also changed drastically.

"Honkai Crystal... Mei, the Oni God you killed has completely transformed into a Honkai creature."

Seeing the description about the small chance of adding affixes, Kiana didn't recycle the crystal immediately but put it away for now.

"Why not offer it as a sacrifice?"

"It has other uses," Kiana explained. "I can offer it as a sacrifice anytime, but this crystal can enhance the power of the Demon Blade, so let's keep it for now."

"Will it have any effect if I keep it by my side like this?" Mei asked worriedly.

"Of course not!" Kiana shook her head and spread her hands, making something appear out of thin air. "And I'm not carrying it on me."

Mei nodded, relieved as long as she wasn't carrying it. Whether it was an Oni God's curse or Honkai's erosion, they were nothing.

"As for that Oni God, I killed it too quickly, so I didn't really have any special feelings about it."

If she still had the strength she had before obtaining the Resonating Blade, she would know what was different about the Oni God that had been transformed by the Honkai.

"Did your strength not improve much?"

"It doesn't feel as good as the previous spider," Mei thought for a moment and gave an example. "That spider, besides Takemikazuchi, was the most difficult enemy I've ever faced."

The Oni God just now and the previous spider were both much stronger than the weakest Oni Gods, but the spider with the human head was several times more troublesome than the Oni God just now.

Although for her current self, they were all things that could be resolved in one move.

"It seems that even if weak Oni Gods undergo Honkai transformation, the power increase isn't particularly exaggerated."

"Oni Gods on the level of Takemikazuchi, and the next tier of Oni Gods, might be different. The stronger ones become even stronger."

"That makes sense."

Kiana nodded in agreement.

Of course, there was another possibility.

The reason why this not-so-strong Oni God's strength didn't become outrageous after its Honkai transformation, and its changes didn't seem very significant, was because the Honkai energy concentration was not high enough.

After their Honkai transformation, they didn't have the ability of those particularly powerful Honkai beasts to raise the Honkai concentration in their surroundings along with them.

...What exactly is the standard for measuring this Honkai energy concentration?

She could feel the increase in Honkai energy concentration as the numerical value rose, but so far, she hadn't seen any news of Stigmata, nor had she heard of any Honkai disasters breaking out anywhere.

What would happen when the progress reached one hundred percent?

Unknown.

She didn't know what would happen.

But the arrival of The End was definitely unavoidable.

"Once we contact Lady Sirin, we might get more information."

Mei recalled some of the news Tanaka Nao had revealed earlier and vaguely guessed why Sirin had said that.

She had probably verified the existence of the Honkai and informed the Demon Slaying Bladesmen about it beforehand.

That's why even Tanaka Nao, whom they didn't know before and had just met, could accurately identify it as Honkai.

Whether it was due to distrust or a desire to protect Kiana, Mei felt a sense of relief.

At least Kiana wasn't exposed.

"That's right, Sirin might have been researching the Honkai with others during this time."

After Mei's reminder, Kiana also remembered that Tanaka Nao had directly called out the name "Honkai" when facing the Honkai-corrupted Oni Gods.

This showed that Sirin had spread the word about what she had said, and quite a few people already knew that Oni Gods could be corrupted by Honkai energy.

However, the good news was that some less powerful Oni Gods, even if corrupted by Honkai, didn't become outrageously strong.

Kiana had been most worried about everyone becoming ridiculously powerful, and now that she knew that wouldn't happen, she felt a weight lifted off her shoulders.

The advantage is still mine.

Thinking about the Honkai Crystals dropped by the Oni Gods, Kiana felt that the benefits brought by the Honkai seemed to outweigh the harm.

At least at the current concentration, that was the case.

Chapter 60: What's the Difference Between This and a Confession?

Kiana believed the advantage was hers.

As long as she could accumulate enough capital to confront it before the concentration skyrocketed to an absurd level.

Those enemies would become nourishment for her snowball, becoming the power she needed to resist Izumo pulling her into the shadows of the Void.

But she urgently needed a startup fund and an opportunity to start snowballing her development.

All hope rested on Sirin.

Kiana had never missed someone so much, not for any other reason than her concern for the money Sirin had promised her.

Amidst this deepening longing.

Tanaka Nao finally brought them good news the next morning.

After a night of effort, she successfully obtained Yae Sakura's contact information from a friend, contacted Yae Sakura, and after getting her consent, forwarded her contact details.

Thank you, kind Miss Tanaka.

Mei clicked on the contact information she had recommended. The profile picture wasn't of the person herself, but a cherry blossom forest with falling blossoms.

"Yae Sakura?"

Kiana said she was a good person.

Sending a friend request, Mei simultaneously pondered the unclear thoughts from yesterday, only having a general understanding.

"She agreed!"

"Don't rush, I'll ask now."

Mei entered the chatbox and was about to say hello when the other party sent three words: 'Please wait'.

Please wait?

"Is she busy with something?"

Kiana also couldn't quite understand. She frowned in confusion. The fact that she could reply immediately meant she wasn't in battle.

"It's fine," Mei said after thinking for a moment. "I can send the message first, and she should reply when she's free and sees it."

"Oh, right, leave her a message."

It wasn't something that required immediate communication, just a question about whether she had Sirin's contact information. When she's free, she'll see it and reply.

'Hello, I am Raiden Mei.'

'Apologies for the intrusion, do you have Miss Sirin's contact information?'

'I have an urgent matter to discuss with her.'

"This should be fine, right?"

After sending the three messages, Mei pondered how to start the conversation if she could actually contact Sirin.

She was somewhat concerned about what Tanaka Nao had said and definitely wanted to clarify it. Also... there was the treatment fee Kiana was owed, which Kiana cared a lot about.

But how should she bring up the debt collection?

She had no experience with that.

Yae Sakura's side suddenly displayed 'Typing...' for five words. Mei's eyebrows raised, thinking the other party was about to send a message.

But 'Typing...' appeared and then disappeared, as if she had misread it. Yae Sakura's avatar quickly dimmed.

"Offline?"

"Maybe she really has something urgent?" Kiana touched her chin, realizing with a sudden understanding, "Maybe it's a meeting."

"...A meeting?"

"Yeah, look, isn't a meeting a very important thing that you can't just play on your phone?"

"That's true."

The Demon Slaying Bladesmen have meetings in their daily lives too?

Mei admitted that her initial thoughts when Kiana mentioned a meeting were a bit too old-fashioned.

Kiana pressed Mei's hand down and said, "It's fine, she'll definitely reply when she sees the message."

"I hope she knows Lady Sirin."

"It doesn't matter if she doesn't," Kiana shook her head. "I can be the bridge to introduce them later. Plus, being able to contact Yae Sakura is an unexpected bonus. She knows your father, and also, she probably knows more than Tanaka Nao. We can ask her about yesterday's events too."

"...Father replied to my message."

Mei had wanted to tell Kiana about this yesterday, but she accidentally fell asleep, so Mei kept it hidden again.

"Huh?"

She lowered her head, not looking entirely unconcerned. "It was a very short message. I don't know what he's truly thinking, but none of that matters anymore."

Seeing Mei looking a bit sad, Kiana grabbed her hands, offering comfort clumsily, "Don't be sad, Mei. I'm here with you. No matter what, I'll always be by your side."

She'll always be by her side?

Mei looked up in surprise, "Really?"

Kiana nodded repeatedly, smiling, "Of course, it's true! As long as Mei needs me, I'll always be here!"

As long as she needed her, she would stay by her side forever?

Tears of emotion welled up in Mei's eyes. She instinctively clasped Kiana's hands. "...Thank you, Kiana."