The one calling her name had to be someone she knew.
Sirin let herself collapse without worry.
The voice calling her wasn't anyone else—it was Kiana and Raiden Mei, who had rushed over from the shrine.
Kiana sprinted to Sirin's side, dropping to a crouch as she checked the girl who now looked even worse than when they had first met in the Imaginary Space. She quickly reached out and pressed her fingers to Sirin's neck.
Thankfully—she still had a pulse.
Pulling out a healing potion, Kiana didn't hesitate to throw down one of her fully upgraded healing vials beside Sirin.
"How is she?"
"She's alive—not dead yet. I can save her."
While tossing more potions and reloading her stock, Kiana added, "Just wait five seconds—she'll wake up."
Raiden Mei nodded quietly.
She wasn't familiar with Sirin at all.
But if Almighty Thunder had really been the one Sirin fought—and she'd managed to seriously injure a dragon that huge—then Sirin was undeniably strong.
There was no need to rush into investigating Almighty Thunder now. Mei held her unsheathed blade at the ready, keeping watch on the ruins around them.
Sirin's battered body absorbed the healing mist like parched earth drinking rain. Feeling her strength slowly return, she opened her eyes.
"Kiana?"
"It's me. Wow, didn't expect us to meet again this soon."
Seeing her still weak, Kiana tried to lighten the mood with a small grin. "Time was too tight, so I didn't get a chance to prepare any surprises for you. But I'm guessing you haven't prepared to pay off your debt either, right?"
The tension drained from Sirin's body when she realized who it was—relief washing over her. She knew she was safe now.
Though it might be a bit selfish to think so, it was a good thing she'd brought down Almighty Thunder here in Nagazora City.
If she and Welt—two of the Edict Edge wielders—had both fallen elsewhere, then even with Almighty Thunder near death, the remaining forces would have struggled, and many more people would have died.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize this was Nagazora City." Despite her relief, she still felt embarrassed. "I'm truly sorry for bringing the battle to your home. But I'll end it soon. I won't let this city suffer any more damage."
"Huh? Uh…"
Kiana glanced over her shoulder instinctively toward Mei, since—technically—this wasn't her hometown. It was Mei's.
The only place she really cared about here was Zaohua Street, the area that had taken her in. As for the rest… well, she'd save it if she could, but if not, she could only apologize.
As they spoke, several seconds passed. The potion's effect had ended, and Sirin's strength was more than halfway recovered.
"Sorry to trouble you for healing me again," Sirin said. "I didn't realize earlier, but I'll make sure to pay you ten times the treatment fee this time as well."
"No, no, that's not necessary!"
Five hundred thousand was already more than enough. Even she had limits—she couldn't just keep milking the same golden goose forever!
The highest art of profiting from someone was when you made a fortune… and your client still felt grateful, convinced they'd gotten the better deal.
"How could I not pay?" Sirin frowned. "Do you think I can't afford it?"
"Of course not!" Kiana waved her hands quickly. She hadn't expected that refusing payment would offend her instead. "You said it yourself—we're friends now! Since we're friends, the treatment's free!"
Friends?
Raiden Mei, who had been quietly listening, lifted her gaze from Kiana to Sirin.
Since when had that happened?
Kiana hadn't mentioned it to her at all.
"Friends or not, still—"
"I'm like this with all my friends. Right, Mei?" Kiana turned back to Mei with a cheerful smile.
Like this with all her friends?
So that meant—Kiana's care and affection for her, the way she treated her—she would treat others the same way once they became her friends?
Everyone wanted to feel special.
Raiden Mei was no exception.
A faint heaviness settled in her chest.
When Mei didn't respond, Kiana quickly turned back to Sirin and added, "Of course, the five thousand we agreed on earlier—that was before we became friends, so that part still counts."
Sirin stood up, picking up her Edict Edge beside her. "Of course. I'm not the type to default on debts."
"If you can't accept the 'friends' excuse, then just treat this round of healing as a complimentary service for the five-thousand-Kami deal." Kiana scratched her cheek a little awkwardly. "It's not like I really spent any resources anyway."
"…I still prefer your first explanation," Sirin replied helplessly.
"Now that you've recovered, should we slay Almighty Thunder and end this once and for all?" Raiden Mei suddenly spoke up.
"If we're going to kill it, it's best to do it with Narukami. Only an Edict Edge like that can fully inherit its power."
At that, Sirin sighed. "If I'd known the final battlefield would end up here in Nagazora City, I might as well have left Narukami with you."
"You're waiting for Narukami before making a move? But what if it recovers and escapes again before it gets here?" Kiana asked worriedly.
"That's why I can't let it escape."
Sirin walked toward Almighty Thunder. The Edict Edge in her hand once again entered its liberated state—but this time, it no longer tried to corrupt her body.
The dying dragon opened its blood-red eyes, glaring at the violet-haired girl who had brought it down.
"Void Unleashed!"
Using Sky as its core, Sirin sealed the entire space surrounding Almighty Thunder. Countless chains of light shot out, wrapping around its massive form, piercing into its flesh. While it was still too weak to resist, she bound it completely.
"Wait—what?!"
Did she just say what I think she said?
Void Unleashed?!
"What's wrong?"
"N-nothing! This should keep it from breaking free, right?"
"It'll worsen its injuries and restrain its movements," Sirin explained calmly. "Narukami will arrive soon. Once it's here, we'll use it to deliver the final strike."
As she spoke, she cast a curious glance at the silent Raiden Mei. "Your family has worshipped Narukami for generations. How about we leave this matter to you?"
Her words weren't just about who would strike the final blow—they hinted at something deeper.
The ownership of Narukami itself.
"This one… is an Edict Edge too?"
Raiden Mei's eyes lingered on the strange weapon pinning Almighty Thunder down—the blade hollow and filled with shifting light.
"Yes. The Heavenly Blade—Sky—forged to strike down Eternal Zenith itself. It's what allowed me to stand against Almighty Thunder."
So holding an Edict Edge meant gaining the power to fight a monster that could crush entire cities just by existing?
"I understand."
Kiana needed Kami slain to harvest their Honkai Cubes, while Mei needed strength to protect others. Taking up an Edict Edge to hunt Kami didn't conflict with that at all.
"Maybe think it over a bit first?" Kiana said quietly to Mei. "After Narukami is reforged, I'll check it for you. If the side effects are too strong, we'll just skip it. Even without an Edict Edge, I know you're not weaker than anyone."
She winked playfully at Mei as she said it—a small reminder that Mei still had her Stigmata, too.