Chapter 12: Are You Hurt?
***
Although she was quite unfamiliar with this city, Elysia was still able to navigate through Nagazora City with ease using the backup mobile terminal she had borrowed from Mei, relying on the map software.
Unfortunately, along the way she hadn’t seen the white-haired, blue-eyed girl who might look a bit foolish that Jiang Qiao had told her about — Kiana Kaslana.
However—
“So this is ME Corp where Mei’s family works? It looks so impressive!”
Elysia looked up at the towering building in the distance, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight, somewhat amazed.
This was inevitable, after all, ME Corp was the leading enterprise in mechanical technology throughout the Far East region. As the headquarters of ME Corp, the ME Corp building could truly be called a landmark of Nagazora City due to certain special purposes it served.
She wore a small, delicate communication device in her ear to maintain communication and contact with Mei, who had split up to act separately.
This wasn’t Mei’s equipment. Although ME Corp didn’t lack similar devices, now that Ryoma was imprisoned and their assets frozen, Mei, who was not far from being penniless, naturally couldn’t have such high-end gear.
In fact, this was something Elysia had asked Jiang Qiao to send over. It was produced by Fire Moth, and you could see the Fire Moth logo on its side.
Hearing Elysia’s casual chatter through the communicator, Mei didn’t know how to respond and could only ask casually:
“Uh… I rarely paid attention to father’s business, and I didn’t visit that building very often. How does it look now?”
The identity of ME Corp’s eldest daughter had always been her acclaimed asset, but Mei herself didn’t really like it. Still, it was her father’s life’s work, so after hearing that Elysia had arrived at ME Corp, she was somewhat concerned about the company’s current situation.
“Mm, I’m not really sure, but it looks like it’s operating normally… By the way, isn’t today a rest day?”
Elysia observed ME Corp but obviously didn’t gain much. Thinking of something, she asked with some confusion.
Don’t ME Corp employees get days off?
This question was obviously something Raiden Mei couldn’t answer.
“Well, I can’t really tell much from here. Should we try going inside to take a look?”
“!”
Mei on the other end of the communicator was obviously shocked by Elysia’s bold idea, but before she could respond, Elysia laughed and replied:
“Just kidding, it wouldn’t be good if we alerted them~”
“I haven’t gained much here for now. How are things on your end, Mei?”
“I haven’t either… ah—!”
A girl’s scream came through the communicator.
This instantly changed Elysia’s previously smiling expression, and she nervously asked: “Mei, what happened?”
“There’s… there’s a monster— beep beep.”
A trembling, terrified voice came through the communicator, but before she could finish speaking, all sound disappeared.
“Hey! Mei! Hey! Can you hear me?”
Elysia tried to contact the other party, but the bright red color on the communicator undoubtedly meant they had lost contact.
Her expression darkened.
Elysia: “Oh no, Mei seems to have encountered some danger!”
Jiang Qiao: ?
Seeing this message, Jiang Qiao was completely confused.
No way, why do you keep running into problems, little sister?
Soon, after learning the situation from Elysia, he fell into silence.
This situation.
Jiang Qiao really couldn’t say whether Elysia was going to save the cooking girl or send her to her doom.
She had approached the girl and nearly drove Mei to depression and suicidal thoughts, then took Mei out to look for someone, only for danger to appear again.
…Sweetie, maybe we shouldn’t save Nagazora, let’s just run away with the cooking girl?
“What about the tracking device I told you to put on Raiden Mei?”
Elysia: “Ah! There was tracking! I almost forgot! I’ll go save Mei right away!”
After seeing Jiang Qiao’s reminder, Elysia, who had been anxious, instantly remembered that she had specifically set up tracking after getting the phone from Mei.
The broken portable communicator had made her somewhat panicked.
Now she finally had a direction.
Mei’s personal mobile terminal seemed to be working fine. From the movement trajectory, she appeared to be fleeing northward, obviously being chased by something.
“Wait for me, Mei!”
…
Even in a major economic metropolis like Nagazora City, there was no shortage of narrow alleyways and side streets.
And at this moment, the girl named Raiden Mei was fleeing in panic, with no choice of direction.
Buzz buzz buzz~
Like flies, the sound of high-speed wing beats came from three pale, purple-striped alien creatures that looked like mosquitoes.
— Seraph-class Honkai Beasts.
The lowest-level life forms in the Honkai Beast system spawned by Honkai. According to Schicksal standards, a B-rank Valkyrie could easily handle such weak Honkai Beasts — provided they weren’t in groups.
But all the above information was useless to Raiden Mei, who was currently fleeing.
Being just an ordinary person, even the lowest-level Honkai Beasts like Seraph-class were beyond her ability to handle, let alone three of them.
It had to be said this was truly the highlight moment for these Seraph-class Honkai Beasts.
Do you understand the value of us Seraph-class Honkai Beasts?
Making the future Herrscher of Thunder and Herrscher of Origin run away with their head in their hands, completely flustered.
Soon, this chase reached its end.
“Dead end!”
Looking at the wall in front of her, Mei instantly froze, her expression becoming somewhat desperate.
She turned to look at the three Seraph-class Honkai Beasts pressing closer step by step, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Was she going to die here today?
She had finally met… someone important in her life.
She wanted to resist, but the katana she carried had already been lost and damaged along with the portable communicator during her initial escape.
“I’m sorry, Jiang Qiao. It seems I can’t save this city with you.”
Looking at the approaching Honkai Beasts, the girl slowly closed her eyes, very apologetic and regretful.
But, this was fine too.
If she died, she wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore.
People often say that choosing death is the most cowardly decision.
But wasn’t she a coward to begin with?
…There was nothing left to fear.
The expected pain didn’t come. Mei couldn’t help but think: So death doesn’t hurt? Such a strange thought, but when she opened her eyes, what she saw was a white-haired figure from behind.
She swung a baseball bat, heavily striking the Seraph-class Honkai Beast’s head, sending it flying with one hit.
The defeated Honkai Beast turned into purple light particles and scattered into the air.
Leaving behind only the white-haired girl carrying the baseball bat.
She tilted her head, her azure eyes carrying a hint of concern:
“Are you hurt?”