What Suits You / She's Here!

She was eager to do something.

Meanwhile, a red light flickered past the corner of her eye, making her somewhat irritated.

Red light and shadow...

Red...

"Um?!"

As if something had struck him, Chen's eyes widened instantly, he straightened his back and turned to look.

Right there beside her, Maria silently sheathed her sword.

"A decent weapon, but... it doesn't seem to have ever actually been used in combat."

Maria gave her assessment and placed the Chixiao back on the table.

Chen, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Just...

Chixiao...

Has it been unsheathed?

It was drawn from its sword right in front of me, didn't it?!

Chapter 89 What Suits You

Chen was still reeling from the shock of Maria pulling out the Chixiao.

Maria, however, appeared calm and composed.

"I understand your general thoughts. As for your situation, I can't say much more, but... I respect your choice, whether it's right or wrong."

Maria spoke up, simply stating her position.

"Ah... th... thank you."

Chen stared blankly at the tall, upright woman, then hesitated as he looked at Chixiao, who was lying quietly on the table.

She hesitated for a moment, then walked over, picked up the Blades, and tried to draw it from its sheath.

Unfortunately, even though she used all her strength, she couldn't pull it out an inch.

She had heard before that Chixiao was a weapon with its own consciousness; it could choose its own master and whether or not it should be drawn.

If this isn't just false advertising by Raythean Industries to inflate prices, then does it mean that Chixiao clearly identifies with Maria more than she does?

This plunged her into a state of confusion regarding her worldview.

Hoshiguma glanced helplessly at Chen, then turned to look at Maria.

"Let's not talk about these things for now... Maria, you've been in Lungmen for a while now, haven't you? How are you feeling?"

"A vibrant city, though it may not satisfy everyone who comes here," Maria said calmly, offering her assessment of the city from her own perspective.

He was full of energy, and everywhere you could see people striving and working hard.

But similarly, she could also see Infected, who were not accepted by mainstream society, struggling desperately in almost every alley.

This is a city with distinct divisions.

But Maria had no intention of changing it.

Maria had long understood that she couldn't accomplish the feat of changing the world; all she could do was change her own environment within her own power.

All she knows is killing.

With a sigh, Maria nodded to Hoshiguma before getting up to leave.

Meanwhile, Chen grabbed Maria's hand even faster.

"Please wait a moment!"

She pursed her lips, almost pleading, and looked up at Maria before her.

In her right hand, she still gripped the crimson Blades tightly.

"Could you... demonstrate it again?"

As she spoke, she personally handed Chixiao to Maria.

She was still somewhat incredulous.

Although Maria found it strange, she did not refuse him.

Turning around, she picked up the weapon and gently drew it from its sheath.

The sharp edge drew a graceful arc in the air. This weapon seemed to never hide anything; the moment it was drawn, a silent wind seemed to rise around it.

The red light flickered and danced in the air, and a faint rumbling sound could be heard.

Chen witnessed all of this firsthand, and his expression grew increasingly complicated.

"This is a very good weapon."

Maria once again offered her assessment, her gaze falling on Chen.

"But I don't seem to have seen you use it... Why is that?"

Don't you like it?

Maria spoke, but apart from sincerity, there was no other meaning in her words.

But even this sincere inquiry made Chen's face grow increasingly embarrassed.

Does she not want to use it?

Does she not want to use it?!

With a complicated expression, Chen took Chixiao from Maria's hands and, unwilling to give up, tried again.

But the result was exactly the same as before.

The Chixiao, which Maria could easily draw, seemed to be fixed to its scabbard in her hands; no matter how much force she used, it wouldn't budge.

Clearly, she is far from being worthy of Chixiao's approval.

On the contrary, Maria easily gained the other party's approval.

Although he knew beforehand that Maria's hidden power far surpassed his own, Chen was still confused when the comparison actually occurred to him.

She was at a loss for what to do.

Maria found this rather strange, but fortunately, Hoshiguma was there to provide commentary.

"This weapon... is a bit special."

Hoshiguma stood beside Maria, explaining the unique features of the Chixiao to Maria while also showing concern for her friend's feelings.

"It's a bit strange, but it's true. It seems to have its own intelligence, only choosing those it approves of and drawing its sword in situations it deems appropriate... Old Chen has carried it with him since he joined the company, but he's never drawn it even once..."

"Is that so?"

Maria frowned slightly after hearing Hoshiguma's explanation.

"What's the point of keeping weapons like this?"

"Huh?" Hoshiguma was somewhat taken aback.

"There's no need to keep such a weapon around," Maria shook her head.

She didn't understand the idea that weapons had their own thoughts, but for a practical person like her, the choice of weapons was clearly more carefully considered.

Maria turned around, took a few steps closer to Chen, cupped his face in her hands, and looked him in the eye.

"I don't know why you always carry this weapon, but since you are a warrior, you should know that we are the ones who hold the sword hilt, we are the ones who choose the weapon."

"This weapon may hold many profound memories for you, but in my opinion, no matter how much significance it carries, it's just an added layer of meaning. At most, it proves that it's suitable to be hung somewhere as an ornamental item."

"Blades that cannot be drawn is less than a piece of iron to us. On the battlefield, no one will tell you that they can temporarily cease fighting and wait until you can draw your weapon before fighting again."

"Life and death are always separated by a mere instant. A weapon is a weapon; there's absolutely no need to carry a weapon that doesn't suit you."

Maria spoke, her words very serious.

Chen, however, was somewhat at a loss as Maria approached him again and again.

"But... Chixiao is..."

"No buts, girl... If you go to war with such naive thoughts every time, I can assure you that you're only alive today by pure luck!"

Maria's words were more serious and forceful than ever before.

Her relationship with Chen wasn't particularly deep, but they could at least be considered friends.

As a friend, she also felt obligated to share her thoughts with the other person.

It's not just a matter of weapons; it's more about the girl's mindset.

Because of anticipation, is it that you keep a weapon that can never be drawn and cannot be used in battle with you?

What kind of joke is this?

"There are no miracles in this world, only the sole path chosen through countless trials!"

No one goes into battle in a state of prayer.

Maria spoke.

His greyish-white eyes stared intently at the girl in front of him...

Chapter Ninety: She's Here!

"Ah..."

Maria's words came from the bottom of her heart.

She might not be able to speak about weapon forging or craftsmanship, but she was extremely knowledgeable about how to use weapons.

It's safe to say that there's absolutely no one in the world more familiar with weapons than her.

Therefore, she could tell Chen with absolute certainty not to be fixated on a weapon that was not suitable for him.

Perhaps it does indeed conceal some unknown powerful force, but... so what?

What use is immense power if you can't draw it?

It's not even as useful to you as a stone on the roadside!

Faced with Maria's sincere words, Chen's attitude was summed up in one sentence...

'Too close...'

Chen really wanted to hear Maria's words and also wanted to think carefully about what she was saying.

Unfortunately, with each of Maria's opening remarks, their faces drew ever closer.

In the end, she even had to stand on tiptoe to get used to the way Maria was holding her face.

Maria bent down and silently pressed her face close to the other's.

Her strange posture further aroused her feelings for Maria, and her heart raced faster and faster.

She could feel nothing but Maria's face...

Ugh!

Chen's face began to flush. She struggled to free her pouting cheeks from Maria's grasp and took several steps back before she could catch her breath again.

"I'll think about it carefully..."

As she spoke, her eyes darted around.

Her blue tail swayed restlessly behind her, revealing her unease.

Meanwhile, Hoshiguma, who had witnessed everything, smiled kindly.

Isn't this great?

Although Maria's words sounded somewhat exaggerated to her ears, her intention was correct.

Admittedly, when she and Lao Chen teamed up, the other side was often equipped with two weapons, so the scenario of being unable to fight, as Maria had described, didn't occur. However, if possible, she did hope that Lao Chen could start in the best possible condition.