Such a Cryptic Old Hand

Honkai Impact 3rd was just like that. Characters did not require much grinding, and sometimes you could even get them for free. But fully gearing them up with weapons and Stigmata was where the endless spending began.

Other than certain expansion banners with built-in pity systems, they could practically be called bottomless pits.

Terrifying.

But none of that was what Hoshino needed to focus on. She watched the slowly advancing progress bar. Starting at one percent, it moved so slowly that she could not even tell whether it had moved at all.

Kallen Kaslana.

More precisely, Sixth Serenade.

That initial A-rank character renowned for her gun-fu.

This character's greatest traits were her cool moves and abysmal damage. Of the two happy Kallens, she was the less happy one. Though she was weak and had no opportunity to shine in the game, everyone knew that in a game full of cute girls, dedication mattered most. Hoshino loved every cute girl in her phone equally, and coupled with her subtle compulsive streak, she never passed up an opportunity to unlock one.

Besides...

Gyakushinn Miko was not some particularly powerful character either, yet judging by her performance in the world of Terra, she was still incredibly strong.

"Why are you closing your eyes?"

Lin Yuhsia asked.

Hoshino realized she had lost her composure. She had been staring at the progress bar with her eyes closed for too long; to outsiders, she probably looked as though she had fallen asleep. Hoshino hurriedly opened her eyes, desperately wanting to get a little closer to that retro-styled firearm.

The closer she got, the faster the progress advanced.

What kind of leap would it bring if she held it in her hands?

The thought surfaced in Hoshino's mind, and she immediately began considering how to put it into practice.

Unexpectedly, Rat King merely got things started and led Hoshino through the door before handing the conversation back to the younger people.

It seemed that he would only offer guidance when necessary.

Hoshino edged closer. She truly wanted to smash the glass and take out the antique firearm, but she could not display such desire in front of others. All she could do was pretend to examine it carefully as she slowly drew nearer.

"Hey, hey, hey, your face is practically pressed against it. Do you really like this little wooden toy that much?"

Lin Yuhsia was not impatient. She simply wanted to finish the job sooner.

"Shouldn't people from the Eastern country prefer katanas?"

"..."

Hoshino coughed, finding it a little unbelievable. Was her desire really that obvious?

She looked toward Rope. Rope knowingly nodded. Honestly, she could see her own reflection in her boss. Whenever Rope was starving to the point of seeing stars and had no money to buy food, she wore that same expression when she spotted a wallet on the ground.

It was practically the look of a lovesick fool.

Whenever she encountered something related to Kallen, the character Yae Sakura became this abnormal. That was probably part of her character setting.

Hoshino could only think carefully.

She sighed. "At the former Yae Shrine, I had a very close friend. Her weapon was also a pair of antique-styled pistols. Seeing this today suddenly made me sentimental."

"Seeing an object and thinking of someone?"

Lin Yuhsia's tone abruptly softened as she curiously asked, "When did that friend of yours die?"

"She isn't dead. And not long after I establish the shrine, she'll come to Lungmen."

"?"

So that friend of yours was not dead?

Then what was with that sense of mourning someone? Hoshino's expression and tone just now had been completely like that of a grieving widow. How deep did her grudge have to be for her to act like this toward a friend who was still alive?

Lin Yuhsia wanted to complain.

But reason told her not to, so she merely watched the shrine maiden's performance in silence.

The progress crept forward.

But it was far from enough. Her hand was already pressed against the glass. At this rate, she would need to stand perfectly still for a full forty minutes to unlock it completely. No matter what, Hoshino could not maintain this state for forty minutes.

She had to think of something.

Hoshino turned around, looked at Lin Yuhsia, and gave her a very polite bow.

"What do you want to do?"

"Since I'm concerned about my friend, could you lend me this craftwork? I'd like to offer a blessing for her right here."

"?"

What kind of grudge did you have against that close friend of yours?

The glass was like a signal jammer. Since it was only a decoration anyway, Lin Yuhsia did not bother asking anyone for permission. She took out the key and opened it, watching Hoshino's slender fingers gently brush across the wooden surface. The shrine maiden knelt down, and the entire scene immediately became solemn and dignified.

She was actually doing this?

Hoshino put on a grave expression as she wondered what she should recite. She was not familiar with shrine maiden mythology at all; all she knew were the haiku of famous generals.

Those were generally only recited before death.

"Five hundred years of life, all past deeds like a dream from yesterday. Beneath heaven, what could ever remain forever unchanging..."

Something was off.

Lin Yuhsia felt that the verse carried far too much murderous intent. It sounded almost like a curse.

Hoshino really only remembered this one line. It was only after staying up all night to finish Nobunaga's Ambition, then looking up Oda Nobunaga, that she had barely managed to remember this haiku, written long before and recited only before his death.

Seeing the progress bar begin to move rapidly, Hoshino gradually relaxed.

At this rate, she would unlock Sixth Serenade in another ten minutes. But however lingering a haiku's charm might be, it took only thirty-five seconds to recite. She quietly opened her eyes to a slit and observed Lin Yuhsia, who stood with her arms folded and an impatient expression.

Her round ears swayed back and forth, giving her an oddly adorable air.

Hoshino thought for a moment, then dragged things out for another twenty-five seconds.

[22%...23%...24%]

She truly could not think of anything else. Then an idea suddenly popped into her head.

Hoshino had sung a few Touhou Project fan songs back then, and their lyrics had been fairly mystic too. She wondered whether reciting one now might have some effect.

Whatever. Sitting here in silence was far too awkward.

"..."

"Blooming brighter than fragrant splendor, graceful and resplendent~ As elegant as a wandering bird, refined and enchanting~ The morning breeze caresses the heart, leaving the spirit refreshed~"

Lin Yuhsia tilted her head, looking extremely serious. She could not understand the words this time either, but the peculiar melody was pleasant. It did have the feel of a genuine shrine maiden, though it still did not seem related to offering blessings at all.

What exactly was she doing?

Lin Yuhsia thought carefully. Ten minutes later, after Hoshino had finished singing Flowers, Birds, Wind and Moon once through, a refreshing unlock notification sounded beside her ear. She quickly fell silent, opened her eyes, and carefully returned the antique craftwork to Lin Yuhsia's hands.

Lin Yuhsia was still thinking.

That was it. All of the shrine maiden's strange actions had ultimately been intended to stall for time. Her earlier deliberate reminder that a friend was coming had actually hinted that she was not alone. She had been reminding her to appropriately raise the terms, while also leaving her time to react.

That Cautus shrine maiden was truly scheming.

Lin Yuhsia muttered to herself, "She stopped chanting at this moment and suddenly returned the item to me. Could it be that she even calculated exactly how long I would need to think?"