"Howl?"
Raiden i wasn't surprised that Miss Hiko brought up Howl—only that she ntioned it right from the start.
"Yes, Howl. But please don't misunderstand—I'm not here to reclaim it," Hiko said with a gentle tone. "Sirin has already explained everything to us. The Almighty Thunder was ultimately slain by you, Miss Raiden, and you are its most compatible wielder."
i nodded calmly. "What is it you wish to say, Miss Hiko?"
"Are you interested in joining us?"
Hiko got straight to the point. The topic should've co up the day the Almighty Thunder was slain, but they had all been too shaken by the other news Sirin brought back.
And according to Sirin, Raiden i hadn't wanted to join the Sentinels at the ti. She had even been reluctant to interact with them at all.
So they decided to postpone the matter of Howl—first investigating the so-called Honkai Sirin ntioned, then waiting for another chance to speak with i.
They hadn't expected Sirin's latest mission to take her to Nagazora first—or for Raiden i to willingly participate. And now…
Hiko couldn't help glancing at the white-haired girl sitting beside i. If she wasn't mistaken, this was the sa girl who had supposedly slain the Whale of Transfiguration with a single punch.
A power beyond human comprehension.
Utterly unbelievable.
Still, since the girl ca from another world—one far more advanced than theirs—it wasn't entirely shocking that her physical capabilities exceeded human limits.
As for the stars beyond their skies, humanity here had never yet reached them. Just as their technology was about to advance into space, the Kami appeared.
And the long struggle began.
Even now, Izumo was still fighting those Kami—and the path ahead only grew more difficult.
More and more Kami were awakening.
"Join…" i repeated softly. She didn't imdiately refuse, but she didn't accept either.
"I believe Sirin and Sakura have already explained the Sentinels' purpose to you," Hiko continued with a smile. "I also imagine you have many questions. So—ask freely. I'll give you satisfactory answers."
"I already understand the duties involved," i said evenly. "But I value freedom. If I join the Sentinels, will you interfere with my choices—or my freedom?"
"Of course not. To be honest, every Sentinel joined voluntarily. We only offer guidance, not orders. If you don't wish to accept a task, we won't force you."
Those who joined were all driven by a noble spirit of self-sacrifice. They didn't need persuasion. Knowing the terror of the Kami, they understood that only by completely eradicating the Twelve Kami could Izumo endure.
Only then could they reach the end of this struggle.
After hearing Hiko's words, both i and Kiana instinctively glanced at Sirin—who was resting her chin on her hand, looking bored.
Noticing their stares, Sirin straightened uncomfortably. "...What are you looking at for?"
Hiko's calm, mature smile faltered for a second, but she quickly composed herself. "Sirin's the sa way," she said. "She complains constantly—but she's never once refused a mission."
Indeed, Sirin's grumbling was only ever on the surface.
Every task assigned to her was carefully chosen. Everyone understood her temperant—no one would deliberately give her aningless work.
"So, aside from when the Twelve Kami must be slain, I'll be free to act as I wish?" i asked.
"In theory, yes."
That answer was… interesting. In theory ant that, in practice, it wasn't always the case.
"I understand."
i caught the unspoken implication easily.
In theory, she could choose whether to comply—but behind every refusal lay countless lives at risk.
Just like the Whale of Transfiguration. If Sirin had refused to intervene—if she had chosen not to act—then without the overwhelming power of the Edict Edge, how many lives would've been lost before the creature was finally brought down, kept from reaching Sapphire City?
The answer was obvious.
Refusal wasn't truly an option.
That was also why Miss Hiko's answer had been deliberately ambiguous. They didn't force anyone to accept a mission—but who could truly turn their back and watch the sacrifices pile up?
Moral pressure?
No. It was the responsibility that ca with wielding the blade.
"I'll think about it," i said at last.
Relying on the Sentinels ant gaining the strength to slay more Kami—but she wanted to see how Hiko and Kiana would discuss things before deciding.
Hiko saw through her thoughts imdiately.
During their talk, Raiden i's eyes kept drifting toward the girl beside her. It wasn't hard to interpret.
To convince Raiden i, she would first have to convince that girl.
Hiko sighed inwardly. If only she had instructed Sakura to bring Raiden i and Narukami back together that day, perhaps there wouldn't be so many complications now.
"Miss Kiana," Hiko said, turning toward her. "You've heard our discussion. Would you be interested in joining us as well?"
"Sorry," Kiana shook her head. "I'm just a rchant. I have no intention of joining any organization."
That was also what she and i had agreed upon beforehand.
For her, it didn't matter either way.
Whether she joined or not, she would still do her part—for i, and for the friends she had made in this world—to help Izumo however she could.
"But I'm willing to cooperate with you—and provide so assistance," Kiana added.
"...Assistance?"
Sirin hadn't told them much about Kiana. She'd only ntioned her when asking for an ID to be made—saying she was a visitor from another world.
Hiko's understanding of her ca mostly from reports—the sa reports describing the girl who punched the Whale of Transfiguration to death, the one who had slain the Spider-Woman in Nagazora. Her strength had no equal.
"An external mber, then?"
"Not exactly."
Kiana produced a small bottle of dical spray, setting it on the table before Hiko. "I can help the Sentinels establish a dical system beyond anything you can imagine."
"dical?" Hiko repeated, confused.
Sirin cleared her throat. "I forgot to ntion this before—it was Kiana who pulled back from the brink of death."
"...You forgot to ntion that?" Hiko blinked. They'd asked Sirin how she had escaped and why she had shown up in Nagazora, but Sirin had brushed it off as unimportant—so they hadn't pressed further.
Kiana suddenly drew a short blade and sliced her own palm. Crimson blood spurted from the deep wound.
i's eyes widened in alarm, glaring at her disapprovingly—she hadn't expected Kiana to pull sothing like that.
Kiana calmly sprayed the mist over her injured hand. The gash closed within seconds, the skin returning to normal.
Incredible recovery speed.
"It doesn't just heal surface wounds," Kiana continued. "As long as the person still has a breath of life left, the spray can pull them back from the edge of death. It doesn't repair tissue—it replenishes life force."
As long as there was even one breath remaining, this spray could save them.
Hiko imdiately understood the implications—the magnitude of change this tiny object could bring.
"Then what's the cost?"
In battles against Kami, injuries were inevitable. If they had access to such a spray, they could recover far more quickly.
"I don't want money," Kiana said. "Only cursed blades."
"Cursed blades?" Hiko repeated.
"One spray can be used sixteen tis per day. A single bottle lasts for one month. After that, it can still function—but the risk becos uncontrollable, so I'll need to retrieve it."
"Lease only, not for sale. Minimum trade—ten low-grade cursed blades per bottle. However many you provide, that's how many sprays I'll give you."
Sixteen uses a day, lasting a month—and all for the price of ten low-level Oni blades. A bargain.
"Bulk orders get a discount. Rent ten, get one free."
"...I see." Hiko exhaled, eyeing Kiana carefully. "And the price for using the spray? What's the cost to the one being healed?"
"The cost?"
That question caught Kiana off guard. She thought for a mont, then glanced at Sirin. "Why would sothing I give you have an extra price to pay? There's no such thing. The spray I'm offering has nothing to do with the Kami's power."
"No cost?" Hiko asked again.
"Right, no additional cost," Kiana replied, then added, "But how much recovery a single spray provides—you'll have to test that yourselves."
"…If it really works as you claim, and if there's truly no cost, then I'll take as many as you can provide," Hiko said.
Kiana smiled. "You can have as many as you want—and I also have other cooperation projects, if Miss Hiko is interested in hearing them."
"Also dical-related?"
Kiana shook her head, raising her now fully healed wrist. "The spray alone is enough for your dical needs."
"I can also provide large quantities of special close-combat weapons—ones immune to curse corrosion."
Before coming here, she and i had tested them on Kami. The Yamato NS katanas could absorb Kami energy without becoming cursed blades—their power simply imbued new attributes into the weapon.
Only one cursed-blade property could be added at a ti, and the so-called Kami curse beca nothing more than a life-draining debuff.
And that debuff could be nullified by the spray.
"…So once again, however many we need, you can provide?" Hiko asked.
"Exactly. As much as you need—if you can handle it."
Hiko narrowed her eyes cautiously. "And what does Miss Kiana want with so many cursed blades?"
"The Kami here are fascinating," Kiana said smoothly. "They're not the Antimatter Legion, not Denizens of Abundance, and they have nothing to do with the Swarm. I want to collect more cursed blades to study which Aeon their power truly originates from."
She had prepared that answer long in advance.
"So Miss Kiana is a scholar, then," Hiko said, jotting down notes.
"…Just a curious person, really. I wouldn't call myself a scholar."
Whatever Kiana's true motives were, Hiko couldn't know—but with both Sentinels vouching for her, she decided to trust her for now.
Standing up, Hiko said, "If you don't mind, Miss Kiana, we can run a quick field test of your product. If it performs as you claim, I'll place an order imdiately."
"Of course!" Kiana stood as well, looking quite pleased. Supplying equipnt ant major profit for her.
If she could close this deal—drain Izumo's entire weapon stockpile—she could easily make hundreds of millions. One step straight to the top.
"We happen to have a patient currently under treatnt. I'll take you there," Hiko said briskly. True to her decisive nature, she led them out of the conference room and down to the underground research facility.
Not long after they left, soone entered the now-empty eting room and quietly collected the small pool of blood Kiana had spilled when cutting her arm.
Kiana had no idea—and never would've guessed that anyone would think to study her blood.
The underground lab looked entirely different from the floors above. Everything was white and brightly lit—sterile, clinical, and spotless.
"This way."
"Sirin," Kiana asked, "the injured person Hiko ntioned—don't tell it's Welt?"
Sirin hadn't left either, following along. But upon entering the lab, her expression grew oddly strained.
Who else would be treated in a research facility instead of a hospital room?
No one but Welt ca to mind. And she really hadn't seen that guy for a while.
"Yes, Mr. Welt," Hiko confird without hesitation. "During the battle against the Almighty Thunder, he fell from high altitude and suffered total-body fractures. Thankfully, he was found in ti, otherwise…"
Sirin didn't even know what kind of expression to wear. That man really was reckless—and lucky.
No wonder no one had ntioned him lately.
"How's the recovery?"
"Not just fractures," Hiko explained. "He suffered internal injuries and energy corrosion too. At least six months of rest, minimum."
"We're here."
Hiko stopped in front of a door, knocking twice before a voice inside answered, "Co in." Only then did she open it.
Kiana looked around curiously. The person who had spoken wasn't Welt, but a doctor in a white coat and mask.
Welt lay on the bed, still unconscious, wrapped nearly head to toe in bandages.
"Miss Hiko?"
The doctor clearly recognized both her and Sirin, though the number of visitors surprised him. "You're here to see Mr. Welt? He hasn't woken up yet."
Sirin stepped forward, looking down at the man on the bed. Despite herself, she couldn't feel the satisfaction she'd expected—only the mory of the mont he'd risked his life against the Almighty Thunder to give her a chance.
If only they'd had Howl then…
Next ti—next ti they fought the Kami, with three Edict Edges in hand, it wouldn't have to be so difficult.
Sirin turned to glance at Raiden i.
"We have a newly developed healing agent," Hiko said, "and we'd like your help evaluating it. If it's safe, we'll use it on Mr. Welt."
"Healing agent?" i asked.
"This," Kiana said, stepping forward and handing the doctor a small spray bottle. "HECO Healing Spray. Go ahead and test it."
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