With everything taken care of, it was time for the invincible team of three to depart.
Anyone could see that Kiana's earlier antics were just to let the disheartened and physically exhausted Mei rest for a bit.
Now that Fuli had returned like lightning with his spoils of war—Bronya—there was no need to linger here any longer.
"Oh dear, what should I do, Ah-Li? I look good in everything!"
Kiana, having changed into a new set of clothes, looked at herself in the mirror with an intoxicated expression. Her and Mei's clothes, like Fuli's, had been tattered in the previous chase, so this was a good opportunity to change into something new.
"Could you have a little shame?"
Fuli's retort lacked its usual punch, mainly because the girl truly did look good in everything.
Not only did she have a face of natural, hard-to-abandon beauty, but her figure was also top-tier among the top-tier.
Catching this hint of weakness, the white-haired beauty sidled up with a wicked smile, her star-like eyelashes just a hair's breadth from the boy's cheek.
"Oh my? Did someone's words just now not quite match their thoughts?"
That snake-like waist swayed over, so slender and soft it made one wonder if she'd had a couple of ribs surgically removed.
"You're full of it!!!"
Fuli refused to admit it. He would defend his aloof status to the death!
Then they saw Mei walk out, "puchi puchi," in a panda mascot costume.
Kiana, who had been fantasizing about it, immediately drew out a long whine, "Mei—! How could you wear this!"
"Because we need to be careful about the scent," Mei retorted weakly, holding the panda head in her hands. "This outfit is thicker, so it should block some of the smell, right? And it's warm. The wind in March is very cold. It's also convenient for moving around..."
"I think it's pretty good."
Fuli judged seriously, conveniently changing the subject. "In a critical moment, you can put the head on and confuse the enemy."
"Please!" Kiana shoved him. "A single panda wandering around on the street, and you're telling me that's confusing?"
"Who knows, maybe Chiyou has been revived and is riding his mount to conquer the Far East."
"This young lady is Chiyou!"
"You want to ride Mei-na? That's a pun, you'll be fined!" (Translator lazy beep beep beep)
Bickering with her, Fuli placed a stack of Yukichi Fukuzawa banknotes on the clothing store's counter. The shop was closed for the day, which was why the girls had chosen to enter it earlier.
"You're actually paying!"
Kiana observed this scene strangely. He had clearly scammed Susannah out of so much equipment before.
Oh, not scammed, exchanged for merit. The only small problem was that he hadn't gotten the girl's consent.
"That's a different matter."
That's just how Fuli was. He wouldn't cheat an all-you-can-eat buffet because of his increased appetite, and he would pay for the damages he caused to a clothing store.
Because they were ordinary people.
Susannah was different. No matter how innocent, good-natured, and harmless she was, she had already stepped into the world of Honkai.
Since she had stepped into this inhuman domain with full awareness, Fuli would show no mercy.
"Hey."
Kiana stared at Fuli thoughtfully, her small mouth opening as if to say something.
"Woof woof woof!!!"
The PAW Patrol, though late, had arrived.
The three of them had been here for nearly twenty minutes. Fuli had kept his Presence Concealment active the whole time; otherwise, Kiana wouldn't have had to grope him for so long without realizing he was a real person.
The other two didn't have this luxury. The dogs had followed the scent and found them.
"Aaargh, so annoying!"
Interrupted by the PAW Patrol, Kiana accidentally forgot what she wanted to say.
"The world is so beautiful, yet you are so irritable. Not good, not good."
"Annoying! You're not the one whose train of thought got interrupted!"
The girl retorted to Fuli, who was making light of the situation. Anyone who's experienced the feeling of a sneeze about to come out but being held back knows how uncomfortable it is.
Mei, dual-wielding the Galactic Baseball Bat and the dagger, took up a two-sword stance. Hearing the exchange, she soothed, "Let's talk about it after the battle."
"No need. We can talk now."
As soon as Fuli's voice fell, five Tracer Swords flew back into the store, each skewering a mechanical dog.
"This should be the vanguard. I don't sense any coordinated combat units like Titan Mechas nearby for now."
This wasn't good news. Mechanical dogs without accompanying mechanical creations were like a tank unit without infantry-tank coordination.
Either the enemy was too incompetent, as pathetic as the Israeli Heavenly Soldiers.
Or the enemy was too rich, not caring how many were blown up.
Fuli thought it was likely the latter. The enemy had ME Corp at their disposal. With the resources of such a multinational corporation, as long as the production line was running, D-rank mechs could be produced endlessly.
Kiana didn't see things from as broad a perspective as Fuli. The simple-minded girl, who was always lazy to think when in a team, nudged his arm with her shoulder. "Got a plan?"
"Yep."
Fuli didn't disappoint her. He selected the best-preserved one from the five mechanical dogs and then held out his hand. "Give me Sauce's chip."
"Oh!"
Kiana unthinkingly reached into her pockets, then, realizing, she spread her legs and rummaged around in her four-dimensional skirt. The crude action made Mei's eyelids twitch.
"Here, got it."
Fuli took the chip the girl had dug out and inserted it into the mechanical dog's hidden slot.
A red light flashed in the dog's dim eyes.
The white-haired Tuna thought for a moment, then raised her hands without warning. "Revive, my beloved dog!!!"
"Woof..."
The reactivated dog stood up, shook its head to get its bearings, then pounced at its master's feet, circling her.
"Woof!"
"Haha! Sauce!"
Kiana happily picked it up and rubbed its head.
"Awoooo!"
Sauce also stuck out its tongue and licked her cheek affectionately, its tail wagging so fast it was almost like a helicopter rotor.
Mei poked Fuli, who was watching this scene with her. She brought her thin lips to his ear and whispered, "Envious?"
"Not envious."
The boy showed a look of disgust. "It's getting saliva all over her face. How disgusting."
Compared to dogs, he still preferred cats.
Preferably a white Persian cat. One with heterochromia of gold and blue would be the best!
"Uh..."
Mei felt that Fuli's perspective was incredibly biased. He had turned a touching Hachiko-like scene into a sweat-inducing one with his words.
Her eyes darted, and she continued to play wingman. "Are you jealous because you saw Sauce being affectionate with Kiana?"
"The premise of being jealous is having romantic feelings for that Paramecium."
Reaching behind him, he placed the panda head on Mei's head. Fuli walked forward and said, "We can interact later. I have a job for Sauce."
"Huh?"
"Woof?"
Human and dog turned their heads back with perfect synchronization.
Then Sauce looked at Kiana, as if seeking its master's opinion.
"Listen to him, Sauce," the girl said crisply. "Just think of Ah-Li as your other master."
"Awoo?"
The dog tilted its head and responded, "Woof!"
It trotted happily towards Fuli and rolled over, exposing its belly.
Simultaneously, in its smart brain, it changed his status from [Suspicious High-Threat Unit] to [Master Kiana's Male Mate].
Fuli rubbed its furry belly and said with satisfaction, "Good dog!"
"Awoo-awoo!"
"Alright, stop licking. Remember what I told you to do."
He wiped the saliva off his face with his sleeve. "When those people come later, you do this, and then this..."
"Woof!"
He didn't seem to mind the dirtiness this time.
Mei face-palmed. She finally understood. This Fuli wasn't disgusted by dirt; he just disliked dogs that didn't listen to him.
Look at him now. Discovering the dog was well-behaved and obedient, he was petting it so happily.
...