Chapter 73: The Source of Honkai Energy Pollution
"Rovel, and... Raiden Mei. It's you two."
Kiana's voice held a note of surprise. Her gaze fell upon Raiden Mei, lingering for a moment longer than necessary before she offered a polite, if slightly stiff, greeting. She was wearing the jacket Rovel had given her the day before, the dark fabric a stark contrast to her white hair. She tugged at the sleeve, a small, unconscious gesture that suggested she was already quite fond of it.
"Hello, Kiana," Raiden Mei replied with a gentle nod, her expression open and warm, a clear signal of goodwill.
There had never been any true animosity between them, just a series of unfortunate misunderstandings. Now that the air was cleared, things were already feeling much more natural.
"By the way, Rovel," Kiana began, her tone shifting from casual to serious, "the frequency of Death Soldier appearances in Changkong City has been increasing lately. I suspect a Honkai Energy pollution source might have appeared somewhere near Chiba Academy. Have you noticed anything unusual around here?"
A flicker of genuine worry crossed her face. The Kaslana family were the sworn knights of humanity; protecting the innocent when the Honkai descended was a duty etched into her very soul.
"Sorry, as a Descender, I have a two-week information gap on this server. I'm not entirely clear on the current situation in the city," Rovel explained, then turned his gaze to the girl beside him. "Mei, have you noticed anything?"
Mei's brow furrowed in thought. "Hmm... now that you mention it, yes. Including the one from yesterday, this is the eleventh time I've encountered a Death Soldier this month. In the past, I'd be lucky to see even one in a whole month."
"Eleven times?!" Kiana's eyes went wide, startled by the number. "It's only the eighth day of the month, and you've already run into eleven of them?" She couldn't decide if that was terribly bad luck or some strange form of good luck.
"Yes," Mei confirmed with a sigh. "It's happened so often that I've started carrying a blade with me whenever I go out, just to be prepared for these situations."
"Something is definitely wrong," Kiana insisted, her brows knitting together in concentration. "I have to find that pollution source, and soon." If it were just Death Soldiers, the local police could eventually handle them. But if a Honkai Beast were to appear... that was a threat ordinary people had no hope of surviving.
Even the weakest Charger Class Honkai Beast possessed a carapace capable of deflecting bullets, and a single one of its charges could shatter a concrete wall into dust.
'Bella is a complete anomaly,'Rovel thought to himself with a wry internal smile.'I've never seen or heard of another Charger Class Honkai Beast the size of a mosquito...'
The difference in power between a common Death Soldier and a true Honkai Beast was like night and day.
"Grumble~"
Just as Kiana finished her heroic declaration, her stomach let out a loud, uncooperative protest, completely shattering the serious atmosphere.
A blush crept up her neck. "Uh... well, let's fill our stomachs first. I was just about to go buy some instant noodles. Want me to grab some for you guys?"
"Instant... noodles?" Rovel's mouth twitched, an amused yet pained expression on his face.
"Instant noodles are delicious!" Kiana declared proudly, puffing out her chest. "And they're so convenient! Just add hot water, and you're ready to eat. When it comes to the art of instant noodles, I'm an expert!"
"I have absolutely no idea what part of that is supposed to be a point of pride," Rovel muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead.
'If I'm pointing fingers,'he mused,'this is all Kevin and Dr. MEI's fault. First, Kevin managed to hardwire the Kaslana family's obsession with instant noodles directly into their DNA. And then there's Dr. MEI... who else is to blame for the fact that no Kaslana seems capable of cooking a decent meal?'
"...Eating too much of that can't be healthy, can it?" Mei interjected gently. "Why don't you come over to my place for a meal? I was just planning to buy some groceries to take home anyway." She offered the invitation with a soft smile, considering it a small apology for their previous confrontation.
"Eh? Really?" Kiana's eyes instantly lit up like twin sapphires. "Won't it be too much of a bother?"
"It's just setting one more place at the table," Mei assured her. "Please, don't worry about it."
"Then... okay! Thank you!" Kiana nodded enthusiastically, her impression of Mei improving by leaps and bounds. As much as she loved her instant noodles, even she had to admit that a change of pace was nice every now and then.
A short while later, Chef Mei had prepared a table laden with a dazzling array of dishes. Rovel, remembering the previous day, had specifically warned her that Kiana had a formidable appetite, so she had made sure to cook extra.
"How did you know Kiana eats so much?" Mei had asked, a little confused. "Haven't you two only just met?"
"When I found her yesterday, there was a mountain of ten empty bun steamers piled up on her table," Rovel had recounted, the memory still fresh in his mind.
Now, looking at the feast spread before her, Kiana was practically drooling. She fought to restrain herself, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. No matter how hungry she was, she had to wait for the host to begin eating first; to do otherwise would be terribly impolite.
"Please, eat," Mei said with a warm smile.
"Then I won't be polite!" Kiana declared, grabbing her chopsticks and launching her assault.
It was a sight to behold. Although Rovel had warned her, seeing it in person still left Mei slightly stunned. Chopsticks flew in a blur, moving from dish to dish with practiced efficiency. Was Kiana the reincarnation of a starving spirit?
A table overflowing with food was systematically demolished. Nearly three-quarters of it vanished into Kiana's stomach, and the entire rice cooker was scraped clean before she finally leaned back, patting her belly with a satisfied sigh.
Rovel had seen this coming and wasn't the least bit shocked. Fortunately, neither he nor Mei were particularly big eaters, so the awkward situation of someone being left hungry was neatly avoided.
"Uh... I think I ate a little too much," Kiana said, scratching her head with an embarrassed grin. "But Mei, are you a master chef? This food is way too delicious! Especially this curry! It's a little spicy, but it goes so perfectly with the rice!"
She didn't hold back her praise in the slightest.
Receiving such heartfelt affirmation, Mei's mood brightened considerably. "Mr. Fang Ruobai prefers spicier food, so I made it with a bit of a kick," she explained, covering her mouth with her hand as she let out a soft chuckle. "Next time, I'll make a bell pepper curry for you. That one isn't spicy at all."
"Thank you, Mei! Let me handle the cleanup. It wouldn't be right to just eat and drink for free!" Kiana insisted, proactively taking on the task of washing the dishes.
After the satisfying meal, the three of them headed out to begin their search for the Honkai Energy pollution source near Chiba Academy.
"That's the fourth one..." Rovel murmured, sliding his blade back into its sheath with a clean, metallic ring. They had been searching for less than an hour, and they had already encountered four Death Soldiers. The number was far too high to be a coincidence.
He knew Cocolia was planning to trigger a Honkai energy tide, but he didn't know the exact location she would use as the epicenter.
'Should I... go ask Bronya?' he wondered, his gaze drifting towards the towering headquarters of ME Corp in the distance.
Suddenly, he felt a soft weight against his shoulder. Mei had gently rested her head against him, and his arm instinctively wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her close.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly, his voice full of concern.
"I feel... a little tired," Mei whispered, her complexion looking paler than usual.
"Could it be that you haven't rested properly since your spar with Kiana yesterday? How about I take you back home to rest first?" Rovel suggested.
"Mm..." Mei nodded weakly, a wave of dizziness washing over her. Her head felt heavy, as if filled with lead.
After seeing Mei safely home, Rovel rejoined Kiana to continue the search.
"I feel like the number of Death Soldiers has suddenly decreased," Kiana muttered after a while, a puzzled look on her face.
She and Rovel patrolled the area for another two hours, but in that entire time, they only found a single, lone Death Soldier.
"..." Rovel's eyes flickered, a sudden, chilling thought taking root in his mind. A horrifying possibility began to dawn on him.
Could it be...
That the source of the Honkai Energy pollution... was Mei herself?
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