"…I won't do anything beyond my limits—and you shouldn't either, alright?" Raiden Mei said, meeting her gaze.
So Mei wasn't worrying about others… she was worrying about me?
Her eyes were easy to read.
They were filled with concern.
Kiana fell silent for a moment—not because she was unwilling, but because Mei's repeated concern made her realize something.
She might have really… captured Mei's heart.
The progress bar was at least at ninety percent.
Her mind wandered a little.
"Kiana!"
Mei quickly reached out, grasping Kiana's hand tightly, her eyes filled with a pleading intensity.
"Please, don't throw yourself into danger."
"Ah—sorry, sorry, I zoned out for a moment."
Kiana forced a sheepish smile to hide her thoughts. She tried to scratch her head out of habit, but Mei's grip was firm—she couldn't pull her hand free.
Such determination!
"Please promise me."
She really was that worried Kiana might charge recklessly at Almighty Thunder.
If she truly clashed head-on with Almighty Thunder…
Kiana took a deep breath and simply said, "Don't worry. I haven't lived enough yet—I'm not about to go looking for death."
"…If you must do something to put your heart at ease," Mei said softly, "then please take me with you."
"Trust me," Kiana replied seriously. "On this planet, the least likely person to die… is me."
Her system panel's changes had nothing to do with slaying Kami or collecting Honkai Cubes.
After an entire day of testing, she had a rough theory.
Faith—or perhaps the resolve to grow stronger?
Something intangible, mysterious.
She suspected that if she were ever truly cornered—facing a life-or-death crisis—her conviction alone could push her beyond her limits.
She hadn't faced IX directly, so she didn't know whether the Authority of Finality or Honkai's power could oppose the power of Nihility.
But if anyone had the highest chance of survival on this planet… it would be her—and Raiden Mei, who in the future would become Acheron herself.
"…I understand."
That was a refusal.
Raiden Mei released Kiana's hand.
Kiana had her own thoughts and convictions—and would follow them wherever they led. That was a good thing.
Her role wasn't to hold Kiana back out of fear—she couldn't let herself become a burden.
She'd already promised herself long ago: no matter what Kiana chose to do, she would walk beside her.
So she should support Kiana—not restrain her.
Not let her fear of Kiana being hurt—or dying—turn into chains that held her back.
"Um, Mei, I…"
Kiana saw Mei's expression and wanted to explain that wasn't what she meant—that she did listen to Mei.
But how could she explain something like, "If I get too excited, I might turn into the Herrscher of Finality"?
What was she supposed to say? That there was no need to fear the bosses, because she would become the final boss herself?
Mei would probably just pat her head and tell her to stop staying up so late.
"I just got too nervous." Mei's gentle smile returned. "I said before—no matter what you decide to do, I'll support you. This time is no different."
"I feel the same, Mei!"
Kiana leaned closer, grinning and hugging Mei's arm affectionately. "But really, there's no need to worry about Almighty Thunder. My hidden power is even stronger than it."
"It's just that using it might bring some bad consequences—you saw what Honkai's influence can do. If I use too much power, it'll deepen Honkai's effect on Izumo. It could even trigger a Honkai Disaster, no different from a Kami's descent."
"I won't use it carelessly—but if I have to, I won't hesitate."
Just as she finished speaking, a massive dragon fell from the sky, crashing violently into the city in the distance.
The ground trembled like an earthquake.
Kiana: "…"
Speak of the devil. Seriously?
"It's really heading for Nagazora City!"
Kiana was stunned, rubbing her eyes in disbelief.
"No—it seems heavily wounded, at a disadvantage. It may be close to death," Mei said, her eyes narrowing as she stared toward the massive form where it fell.
"Heavily wounded? Almost dead?"
"Then can we go in and finish the job?"
Kiana's eyes lit up.
"Do you remember Narukami, the one they took away?" Mei shook her head, speaking rationally. "Don't forget—they're preparing to forge the Twelve Edict Edges."
Kiana's excitement instantly cooled. She had already tested it—killing Kami with her own hands didn't grant her any experience or rewards.
Almighty Thunder's power would definitely be used to forge one of the Edict Blades.
Ordinary Edict Edges could be sacrificed, sure—but something on the level of the Twelve Edict Edges, national treasures of Izumo… she couldn't just sacrifice one on a whim.
"Still, we should go take a look."
If it rampaged freely, it could destroy shelters and kill countless people.
In the darkness, they could faintly see the massive dragon's body, sprawled among the ruins of collapsed buildings and shattered towers in the distance.
Even the clouds above were wrong—blood-red arcs of lightning snaked through the storm, painting the sky in a sinister glow.
"I'm coming with you."
Almighty Thunder was gravely injured, meaning the danger level had dropped drastically. And besides, having felt that strange resonance, Raiden Mei wanted to see it with her own eyes.
"Let's go together," she said. "If things look bad, we'll pull back for now."
...
"Cough… cough—"
From within the rubble, a blood-stained hand reached out, gripping a broken slab of stone. A figure, covered in dust and streaks of blood, slowly stood up.
Golden eyes locked firmly on the massive dragon's head nearby, large enough to fill an entire room. In her trembling hand, she clutched an Edict Edge—its liberation form long since withdrawn.
It was Sirin. She had chased Almighty Thunder all the way here. She didn't know what madness had seized it—or what corruption had taken hold.
But to her, Kami were the enemy. And enemies had to die.
Now that Almighty Thunder was in a frenzy, its massive body riddled with openings, how could she abandon such a golden opportunity? How could she not strike with everything she had?
If she hesitated now, wouldn't that mean being outdone by Welt, who had risked his life to seriously wound Almighty Thunder?
If Welt dared—why couldn't she?
Her stamina was nearly gone.
Humans weren't Kami—they didn't possess that terrifying, near-limitless strength or the regenerative power that allowed them to keep fighting endlessly.
Dragging her exhausted, trembling body that could collapse at any moment, Sirin held onto the blade with all her remaining strength.
In this state of extreme weakness, she could feel the Edict Edge beginning to corrode her body from within.
Almighty Thunder's breath was faint; its eyes were closed. Black-red blood poured from its countless wounds, spreading across the ground in thick, snaking rivulets.
Every blade of grass that the blood touched withered instantly.
She was at her limit—but so was this dragon, wracked by some unknown corruption and now teetering on the edge of death.
But Kami healed faster than humans. She couldn't afford to just stand by and wait for someone to bring Narukami.
Her own blood dripped from her wounds, sliding down her arm. Her vision wavered—sometimes clear, sometimes blurring into nothingness.
Each step forward felt heavier than the last.
She had to keep going. She had to summon the Imaginary Realm once more—to trap Almighty Thunder, to stop its recovery.
That was all she could think about.
But her vision grew darker, her grip on the blade weaker.
"Sirin?!"
Who was that?
Through her fading sight, Sirin saw a white figure running toward her.