"Individual strength alone can't change the tide of battle."
Sirin wanted to persuade her to give up. After all, this white-haired girl had saved her life—she didn't want the next time they met to be when Kiana's face had lost all trace of a smile, and something inhuman had begun to grow from her body.
"Unless that person is…" She paused mid-sentence, then lowered her head. "A wielder of an Edict Edge, like me."
"An Edict Edge? Like that Narukami Yae Sakura took away yesterday?"
Unfortunately, she hadn't activated the system back then, so she didn't know Narukami's rank or abilities.
Of course, even if she had, what she'd seen at the shrine wouldn't have been Narukami's true attributes—it was only a half-finished product.
Sirin nodded, then stated her point plainly. "What I'm about to say might sound harsh, but instead of recklessly cutting down Kami and burdening your body with a curse that could drive you mad in days, it would be better to focus on helping me recover as quickly as possible."
Her words might've been blunt, but they were true. In the fight against Almighty Thunder, if one wasn't among the Twelve Edict Edge wielders, then they were simply… expendable.
"Treatment, huh? That's not possible today—you'll have to wait until tomorrow." Kiana shook her head.
Her medical spray was only two-star at best. Even if she bought another bottle, she couldn't upgrade it further—it only restored ammo.
Besides, healing wasn't as simple as spraying Sirin again and expecting her to spring back to full health.
She had no idea how much more Sirin needed to fully recover.
What she needed most right now were Honkai Cubes.
"Why do I have to wait until tomorrow?"
Sirin's voice carried a hint of urgency.
"Because I'm broke."
Kiana's refusal was firm and righteous.
"…How much do you need?"
"What I need isn't currency—it's energy crystals. The kind left behind when you kill a Kami, those black crystals."
"What are you talking about?" Sirin looked at her in confusion, her expression turning odd. "What black crystals? When a Kami is slain, its power usually merges into the blade, doesn't it?"
So others didn't get any crystal drops when slaying Kami? Did they have no way to resist the corruption that seeped into their weapons?
"I mean the Kami's power itself. I need a weapon infused with that power—I can sacrifice it, and then use that energy to heal you."
"Sacrifice the power of the Kami?"
Sirin's eyes widened slightly. Izumo had studied the Kami for over a thousand years, yet they had never found a way to extract their power and repurpose it.
Any attempt to do so would only make the blade go berserk, corrupting its wielder and turning them into a mindless monster.
And now she was saying she could sacrifice a Kami?
She had never heard of anyone performing a Kami sacrifice before!
"Ahem, saving you wasn't cheap, you know…" Kiana wanted to tell the truth—but looking at Sirin, she decided she couldn't make a loss on this deal. So she puffed up her chest and declared, "It cost me the energy of ten low-tier Kami to save you!"
Might as well fleece the pufferfish while she could!
She even nodded to herself as she said it. "Bringing you back from the brink of death took quite a bit of effort."
Just ten low-tier Kami's worth of energy?!
"Heal me!" Sirin's eyes gleamed with resolve, her voice filled with urgency. "If you continue to heal me, I'll repay your kindness tenfold!"
Low-tier Kami?
Those weak things that fell in a single strike? She could kill as many as needed.
Being able to move again was far more important—she had to return to the battlefield and rejoin the fight.
Though she had always feared death and longed to rest, she would never retreat in Izumo's hour of crisis!
Kiana's eyes went wide.
Ten times?!
Ten times ten—that's a hundred!
That's ten thousand Honkai Cubes!
"Right now?"
This deal sounded way too good…
Two hundred in costs, ten thousand in profit—she'd need to slay ten Arachne-class monsters to get that much reward!
Ten thousand Cubes would be enough to buy a four-star weapon—one powerful enough to equip herself or Mei.
"Right now!"
Sirin met her gaze, her voice resolute. "Heal me. No matter the cost, I'll repay you tenfold. I swear it upon Sky."
She alone could pay it all back.
If Kiana needed them urgently, Sirin could even retrieve some cursed blades from the rear lines—dangerous weapons with heavy side effects—and give them to her.
After all, Kiana was only using them for sacrifices.
"Deal!"
Kiana's eyes sparkled as she agreed instantly and reopened the equipment shop.
Besides sprays, there were also throwable weapons that provided healing effects, weren't there?
Perfect—time to diversify her gear.
[HECO Healing Potion (★1): Creates a five-second healing field upon use. Ammo: 8/8 (refreshes every 24h)]
After retrieving the item, a small bottle filled with blue liquid appeared in Kiana's hand.
She curiously studied it for a moment. The bottle was small, barely the size of her palm.
"Do you drink it?"
"No."
Kiana smashed the bottle beside the bed where Sirin was lying. The sharp sound of shattering glass rang out—and before Sirin could even ask, a glowing healing field about two meters wide enveloped her bed.
Sirin raised her hand in the mist.
She could feel her strength returning bit by bit. This Kiana really did have a way to heal her quickly.
If only this power could be used for…
Before she could think further, another clear crack sounded beside her.
Kiana had thrown another potion.
When the healing potion broke, even the glass vanished with it—otherwise, Kiana would've had to fetch a broom later.
The effects stacked.
Her recovery accelerated noticeably.
Sirin's eyes shone as she watched the girl who could perform miracles.
There were dedicated healers among the Sentinels, but none who could simply toss a small bottle and instantly produce such visible results.
No wonder Yae Sakura had remembered her so fondly.
Sirin felt she might start remembering Kiana the same way. If she could have more friends like this, she wouldn't complain.
Kiana threw all eight of her freshly refreshed healing potions in succession, then stood quietly, watching as Sirin's figure vanished within the green mist.
The healing effect lasted only five seconds.
When it ended, the healing field faded without a trace, as if it had never existed at all.
"How are your injuries?"
Sirin flexed her hands. Her strength had returned—her body was about seventy percent recovered. "That's about eight hundred low-tier Kami, right? Can I have a few more bottles?"
Eighty thousand?!
Kiana nearly lost her composure. She stiffly nodded, her heart trembling as she purchased another potion.
But just as she considered combining it into a two-star version, her inner merchant instincts stopped her.
The violet-haired girl on the bed, looking at her with those bright, expectant eyes, no longer appeared like a pufferfish in her mind.
She was…
A golden goose!
Clutching the newly bought one-star potion, Kiana smashed two more bottles beside Sirin.
Hold it in, Kiana. Keep your poker face!
This was ten thousand—no, a hundred thousand Honkai Cubes!
Between ten thousand Cubes and her conscience, the choice was obvious!
Kiana stood there looking calm and composed on the outside, but mentally she was dazed, watching Sirin's figure wrapped in green healing mist.
Hunting Kami didn't seem nearly as profitable as doing business.