"Since Almighty Thunder's death, there haven't been any more Kami attacks reported in Nagazora City."
Mei had wanted to stretch her limbs a little, maybe slay a few Kami to earn some Honkai Cubes—but she couldn't even find a single one.
For the past few days, she had stayed idle at the shrine.
First, to report to the armament division that everything was normal. There were no sightings or rumors of anything strange—nothing remotely related to Kami.
Second, to wait for Sirin's people.
After waiting three days, Mei was fairly certain—they weren't coming anytime soon.
She hadn't exchanged contact information with Sirin, thinking they would meet again soon anyway, and she hadn't brought any communication devices with her.
"Yeah… there's been no news about the Honkai either," Kiana nodded. The system had made it sound so terrifying that she thought once Almighty Thunder was dead, Honkai outbreaks would immediately start erupting across Izumo.
Yet several days passed—and nothing happened. Everything remained calm and peaceful.
It was as if her system panel had been lying to her.
If not for the fact that she could feel the Honkai Energy concentration truly increasing—and that Mei's power had noticeably grown stronger—she might have thought it was an error.
But thinking about it carefully…
Izumo had no Herrschers, no strong Honkai beasts, and the rise in Honkai Energy wasn't on a massive scale. It was normal that nothing major had changed yet.
Even in the Honkai world, it wasn't as if outbreaks happened every other day, with one place collapsing after another.
"No news can also be good news," Mei said, walking over and sitting beside her.
She no longer planned to stay at the shrine waiting for anyone. If they wanted to reach her, they had countless ways to do so.
Three days without a word could only mean one thing—they didn't intend to contact her for now.
Sirin probably did something again.
"How about I take you out for a walk?" Mei suggested.
"But what if they show up while we're out?"
"If they really want to reach us, they have a hundred ways to do it," Mei shook her head. "Staying here doesn't serve much purpose."
"That's true…"
Kiana frowned slightly. Whether for better or worse, this involved Howl. Wasn't it strange that no one had come to talk about it?
Was Howl really that unimportant?
It didn't make sense.
Kiana didn't know that after Almighty Thunder's death, most of the Sentinels had returned to their previous lives, many going back to their hometowns to continue slaying Kami.
Meanwhile, at the Sentinels' Command, after hearing Sirin's report on Almighty Thunder's abnormality, they began an investigation—and discovered a new type of substance emerging across Izumo.
That discovery shocked both the Command and the research division.
Preliminary studies showed that this new substance was even more dangerous than Kami corruption itself!
"How about we go back to Zaohua Street?" Mei suggested. "The residents from the underground shelters have started returning home. The people of Zaohua Street should be back too."
"Back to Zaohua Street… sure, let's visit Granny Zaohua."
Having made up her mind—and with the Honkai growing harder to control—Kiana wasn't sure how to face others anymore.
Once decided, they acted immediately.
The two soon prepared to leave the shrine.
With Narukami gone, the shrine had suspended operations, so Raiden Mei no longer had anything keeping her there.
The once-empty streets now bustled again with people, hurrying along as if nothing had ever changed.
Their area was one of the least damaged parts of the city.
But as they walked—
Before even reaching Zaohua Street, they encountered someone who recognized Mei and Kiana: a resident who had joined their group en route to the shelter during the evacuation.
Upon seeing Mei, the woman's face lit up with joy. She rushed over, spoke excitedly, and even tried to give Mei the things she had just bought. Mei firmly refused her gifts before the woman reluctantly left.
—Respect. Admiration. Awe.
Mei could read all of those emotions from the woman's expression upon seeing her.
Listening to the constant words of gratitude and praise, Kiana, who couldn't even get a word in, finally muttered weakly, "Maybe we should just forget it?"
Everyone they met along the way reacted the same way.
If they actually went to Zaohua Street, wouldn't Mei end up surrounded by people—being revered like a goddess?
That would be terrifying.
If they got stuck in that situation, it'd be a real hassle to get away.
Mei rubbed her forehead. "You're right. Let's wait a little longer. I should've realized… I forgot—"
"Oh come on, how was anyone supposed to know they'd be that enthusiastic?" Kiana laughed, pulling Mei's hand down. "Besides, it'll be the same later. Maybe after some time, their reverence for you will fade a bit."
"Many shops still haven't reopened, and Nagazora City's supply chain probably hasn't fully recovered," Kiana thought aloud before suggesting, "Why don't we take a trip to the outskirts instead? You've probably been wanting to find something—or someone—to test your sword on, right?"
"The outskirts, huh…"
The Kami that had suddenly appeared in the city likely came from the outskirts. The chance of encountering one there was indeed higher.
But not by much.
If Kami were that easy to find, she wouldn't have gone her first ten years without ever seeing one.
Still, Mei didn't want to dampen Kiana's enthusiasm. After a moment's thought, she said, "Speaking of the outskirts, I know a place about ten kilometers from the city—a beautiful lake. You've been in Izumo for so long, but you haven't really seen its scenery, have you?"
"Huh? A sightseeing trip, now?"
Kiana blinked. Of course, she was tempted. Rounded up, this was basically Mei inviting her on a date.
But in such a dangerous world…
Then again, the world had already been in crisis for a thousand years—what difference would another day or two make?
Was she really acting like she was some kind of savior, keeping herself on edge every day?
The realization startled her.
Without noticing, she'd started developing that kind of mindset. No, no—that wouldn't do. She needed to relax.
Mei was about to explain that it wasn't necessary to treat every day like the end of the world. "It should be safe for now—"
"Let's go!"
Kiana's tone turned firm, her earlier hesitation gone.
There was no point in worrying about things beyond her control. And right now, they had rare free time.
If she didn't take this chance to spend time with Mei—to have an actual outing together—she might regret it later when things got busy again.
"The place you recommended must be great, Mei. I want to go on a trip with you!"
Mei didn't hesitate either. She glanced at the time and said, "It's still early. The round trip won't take long."
If they happened to run into a Kami on the way, then so be it—it would just be bad luck for the creature. If not, they could treat it as a perfect little outing.