She didn't think things were quite that bad.
The Kami might be dangerous and difficult to kill, but that hardly qualified Kiana to become an arms dealer.
"All of them?"
"Yes, all of them," Mei replied firmly.
This was a Pandora's box that should never have been opened—a weapon capable of bringing destruction with a single pull of the trigger, one that anyone could use.
She didn't want Kiana to bear such infamy.
Just as Kiana once told her—she didn't want to earn others' trust through someone else's sacrifice.
"What about healing potions?" Kiana asked cautiously.
Weapons were hard to control. Once they fell into the wrong hands, chaos was inevitable—they could even become the spark that ignited disaster.
But potions were different, weren't they?
One killed; the other saved lives.
"The one you threw near Sirin earlier?" Mei hesitated before asking.
The difference between the two was obvious.
But with something as unlimited as this, no amount of caution would ever be too much—especially since Kiana wasn't a native of Izumo.
"Yeah, that one. And there are other types too—like sprays. They're all cheap. You could buy one bottle just by slaying one of the weakest Kami."
"…"
So cheap?
Mei paused for a moment before asking uncertainly, "Are all the other weapons and that sword the same way?"
"Well, the expensive ones I can't afford yet."
Cheap, endlessly refreshing equipment.
What kind of catastrophe was this supposed to be?
Mei wanted to speak but stopped herself. She didn't want Kiana to take risks, yet these potions could save lives.
She had seen their effects firsthand—Sirin's quick recovery was proof enough. Distributing the potions freely might save countless lives.
But selling them…
Even one crystal as cost was already too much.
After a long silence and internal struggle, Mei finally looked Kiana in the eyes and spoke her conclusion.
"You can't sell them."
Kiana blinked, then nodded.
She understood what Mei was worried about—unlimited ammunition, daily-regenerating healing items… once sold, they'd be beyond her control.
And who knew what might happen then…
"But you can rent them."
That sudden twist caught Kiana off guard.
"Eh?!"
Mei met her surprised look calmly.
"Anyone who risks their life to fight the Kami is already a hero," Mei said softly, a hint of admiration in her tone. She thought of her father.
"…But Kiana, you're important too."
"You can't sell ownership of these items—at least not openly. But you can rent out the healing potions."
"Rent them?"
"Yes, rent," Mei confirmed. "And make sure to retrieve them periodically. Tell everyone they need to 'recharge' the potions after a while."
"Renting healing potions, huh…"
"Something tied to life and death can't really be priced," Mei continued. "If you sell them too cheaply, they'll flood the market, and everyone will know your products are extraordinary."
Her reasoning was sound.
"If you sell them too expensively, though…" Mei added with a faint smile, "you'd probably feel guilty, wouldn't you?"
Kiana scratched her cheek, awkwardly recalling how embarrassed she'd been about charging Sirin.
"So I think renting them is best," Mei concluded. "They have an organization behind them. You can work with them—and even build a new medical division around the potions."
Being an arms dealer was one thing—but a medic? That suited Kiana far better.
She could still save lives without putting herself in danger.
"Alright! Let's do it your way!" Kiana agreed brightly.
Changing "sell" to "rent" really did suit the situation better.
She browsed her options, picking several one- and two-star pieces of equipment as rentable items.
If that wasn't enough to stabilize the situation, she could release stronger gear later. Sooner or later, balance would be restored.
And besides the equipment—there were Stigmata.
With the Honkai Energy concentration reaching a record high, the Honkai had given her another gift, raising her Herrscher progression to a new level.
It also unlocked something new—
The qualification to purchase Stigmata.
At a glance, all the Stigmata were greyed out—and every single one looked familiar.
For instance, Spacetime Star Dream.
That was the Stigmata belonging to the Sirin from Houkai Gakuen.
Yes… the game character.
All of them were locked, unavailable for purchase. To obtain one was simple in theory—each cost a million Honkai Cubes.
Considering that Sirin still owed her five hundred thousand, Kiana thought one million for a Stigmata wasn't expensive at all—if anything, it might even be cheap.
There were only a dozen or so available in total, each labeled with a limit: 1/1 purchase only.
But as Kiana examined the Stigmata shop further, she noticed a small, easily overlooked feature.
—Customization.
That's right, the ability to create custom Stigmata.
However, using the customization function required ten million Honkai Cubes just to start the process.
With that much, she could buy a full set of max-star equipment. Who would bother making a Stigmata at that price?
And ten million was only the base cost—different effects required additional materials.
When she looked through the input slots, she realized the materials included abstract items like Memory and Belief.
When you couldn't afford it, you needed it.
When you could afford it, you didn't need it.
Chicken ribs.
Kiana sharply summed it up in her heart.
"At least we're back!"
Returning to the shrine, Kiana stopped researching the functions she couldn't afford to use and stretched lazily.
It had only been a short trip.
Yet somehow, it felt as if she had been away for ages.
"Tired?" Mei asked gently.
"No, not really. It's just… so much has happened these past two days."
She had made the fateful decision to press a button that could potentially destroy the world. Then came the thunderstorm triggered by Almighty Thunder, and the relentless battles against Kami.
She had even rescued a Sirin from the Imaginary Space.
Almighty Thunder had truly fallen into Nagazora City, and it had shown clear signs of transforming into a Honkai creature. That had scared her enough to immediately send Sirin and Mei to deal with it.
She had only activated her system three days ago—yet it felt like three months had passed.
"Yeah," Mei agreed softly.
She set Howl on the table, staring at the weapon that had changed after absorbing Almighty Thunder's power.
Her thoughts drifted to the shrine's once-revered Narukami, and then to the peaceful days she had spent with Kiana before it was taken away.
All the months they had known each other couldn't compare to the vivid, unforgettable experiences of the past few days.
Closing her eyes, Mei's mind filled with memories of everything that had happened—and of everything Kiana had said to her.
"It does feel like a long time has passed," Mei said at last. "But the storm clouds have finally cleared."
"So take a good rest. There are still other things waiting for us."
Even if not for Kiana—
For Howl before her, for everyone else, or even for her father…
If he were still alive, he would surely come too.