—o—
Durandal and Rita arrived, weapons in hand.
This was clearly not good news.
If it were just Rita coming armed, Chiaki could understand.
But for Durandal and Rita to arrive armed together, the problem had escalated significantly.
It must be that son of a bitch Otto’s doing, damn him!
He knew being Otto’s pen pal wouldn’t end well, but Chiaki never imagined that the 500-year-old geezer would be so two-faced.
For a man like you, how can you be so narrow-minded?
When guests arrive at your door, whether friend or foe, it is only proper for the host to greet them.
At this moment, Durandal and Rita had already reached the entrance of the Raiden residence, waiting for the group to come out.
If possible, they hoped to resolve things peacefully.
“Ladies, did you forget something?” Chiaki asked.
Understanding just how troublesome Durandal was, he didn’t waste time with pleasantries.
He slung Jizo Mitama onto his waist and stuck one hand into his trench coat pocket, gripping the silver pistol engraved with the letters “S.E.E.S.” that lay within.
It was the ‘Persona Evoker’ he had brought along just in case.
“My wallet,” Rita, shouldering her scythe, replied with her usual smile.
“It’s inside.
Why don’t you come in and talk?
I’ve prepared some refreshments.
We have coffee and tea,” Chiaki offered.
“Alright…” Durandal started to agree, but Rita stopped her.
“I’d be honored, but now isn’t the time.
Perhaps it would be better if Lord Chiaki returned with me to Schicksal.
Then, whatever flavor you desire, I can personally brew it for you.”
If I agreed to go inside, the moment my front foot crossed the threshold, a brick would probably slam into the back of my head, Rita thought.
Chiaki clicked his tongue with a “Tsk.”
“What’s the plan?
Fight or…?” Talulah’s expression was grave.
The two people before them were not opponents who could be easily defeated with superior numbers.
In terms of strength, a member of Ursus’s fearsome Emperor’s Blades, a force that struck terror into the hearts of many, probably wouldn’t last ten rounds one-on-one against that blonde girl.
And right now, Talulah’s own strength was at best equivalent to 1.5 Emperor’s Blades.
In other words, in a solo fight, she was a guaranteed captive for Durandal.
“I can try to persuade my sister.
She’s just been temporarily deceived by Otto,” Kiana said.
She then took a step forward, her tone gentle.
“Sister Durandal, perhaps you don’t remember me, but the blood that connects us is proof.
Can you tell me what orders Otto has given you?”
Hearing Kiana call Durandal “sister,” Rita’s smile faltered for a second.
Durandal, however, didn’t notice the change in her adjutant’s expression and answered Kiana’s question honestly.
“My mission is to resolve the crisis in Nagazora City.
Cocolia has already been dealt with by me, but the unstable element that is the Herrscher of Thunder still remains.
For the sake of Nagazora, I need to bring Raiden Mei back to Schicksal for containment.”
Kiana, who had just been planning to persuade Durandal, changed her tune on the spot.
“I’m calling you sister out of respect, but you’re really pushing your luck!
If you dare lay a hand on Mei, I don’t care if you’re my real sister, I won’t let you get away with it!”
Whoa, sis, talk about a quick 180.
In an instant, a flood of information rushed into the Stupid Goose’s brain.
How is Kiana my sister?
Does that make Raiden Mei my sister-in-law?
Wait, I haven’t even acknowledged you as my sister yet, and now my sister privileges have been revoked?
Her mind was in a bit of a turmoil, unable to process so much information.
Luckily for her, she didn’t need to process it right now, because Kiana’s attack had already arrived.
Two Lances of the Void descended from the sky, piercing towards Durandal.
The lances were incredibly fast, and under the control of her spatial authority, they could strike with unpredictable effect.
But Durandal was even faster.
Her body blurred into an afterimage and vanished from her spot.
“This is…
the Herrscher of the Void?” Durandal recognized the power Kiana was using.
“I see.
It seems I’ll have to take you back as well.”
“Enough with the big talk!
Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson on behalf of my father and mother, you sister who can’t tell right from wrong!” Kiana commanded the two lances to continue their assault, giving Durandal no time to breathe.
Though the lances looked light, each strike contained astonishing force.
Under the relentless barrage, Durandal, dressed in her sportswear, began to breathe faster.
Her sports top and shorts were soaked through, becoming translucent, and strands of her long hair clung to her cheeks and neck, adding a touch of disheveled allure.
This gave Kiana a glimpse of victory.
I!
Can win!
“A battle between sisters…” Raiden Mei stared, captivated, at the earth-shattering fight between the two, her heart pounding with exhilaration.
The older sister who, due to amnesia, had become a pawn for her enemy, and the younger sister fighting to protect the one she loved—a plotline that only existed in manga and novels was unfolding right before her very eyes.
Gah!
To witness such a legendary battle, I could die happy!
“Now!
I’ve got you!” Seizing an opportunity, Kiana transformed the Lances of the Void into Bands of the Void, swiftly wrapping them around Durandal’s right arm and right leg.
After restricting the movements of Schicksal’s Strongest S-rank Valkyrie, Kiana was just about to open her mouth to taunt her when she heard Durandal speak.
“Well, warm-up’s over.”
“?”
Before Kiana’s disbelieving eyes, Durandal violently swung her right arm.
The Bands of the Void, which should have been under Kiana’s control, howled through the air like untamed stallions under Durandal’s overwhelmingly superior power.
They tore through the air and struck Kiana with perfect accuracy, instantly binding her.
Giving her no chance to escape, Durandal yanked again.
The bands pulled Kiana in at an astonishing speed, and Durandal’s fist was already coiled back, ready to strike.
She threw one punch.
The imaginary barrier Kiana had created shattered on impact.
She threw a second punch.
The white-haired pufferfish, who had been so puffed up just a moment ago, now saw her life flash before her eyes.
Holy shit!
Your stats must have been plugged in with someone’s feet!
In that moment, Kiana truly, deeply understood what it meant to have ultimate stats—to be pierced by fragments and fall from thousands of meters without dying.
I’ll be good, please let me go.
As her teammates, the others couldn’t possibly stand by and watch Kiana get pulverized.
The instant before Durandal’s fist was about to land, Talulah, Seele, and Bronya appeared by her side, attacking from different directions.
Durandal’s gaze swept across the three of them, making an instantaneous judgment.
She changed her punch to a grab, seizing Kiana by the ankle and using her as a weapon.
Realizing their own attacks would hit their teammate before they hit Durandal, the trio instinctively held back.
Durandal swung Kiana in a clean, decisive arc, sending the three attackers and the white-haired dango in her hand flying.
The movements were crisp and efficient.
“Hah, it’s been a while since I had such a satisfying warm-up.” Durandal became even more determined to bring them all back to Schicksal.
As long as they became Valkyries, joined the Immortal Blades, and trained with her, she believed they all had the potential to become S-rank Valkyries in the future.
“This is as far as it goes.
For now, retreat.
Once the mission timer runs out, you can all go back.” Kiana understood that Durandal was not an opponent they could defeat at their current level.
She planned to send the others away while she held the two of them off alone.
Just as she began to channel her Honkai energy to forcibly teleport everyone, Chiaki placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
“Calm down.
I’ll handle this.”
Kiana was stunned.
“Are you serious…?”
“Yeah.”
Chiaki gripped Jizo Mitama in his right hand and the Persona Evoker in his left.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he raised the silver pistol to his own temple and slowly squeezed the trigger.
“Pe…r…so…na!”
Overview of Protagonist’s Abilities [As of the Current Chapter]
① Persona: Izanagi-no-Okami The progenitor god from Japanese mythology, father of countless deities, and ruler of the heavens, the seas, and the night.
Arcana: World
Destructive Power: A (Sufficient to dispel all falsehoods and lies, its power to alter damage is comparable to the act of creating a nation.)
Precision: A (Can assist its user with such extreme precision as to ensure every noodle and every spoonful of soup in a Cosmo Megaton Ramen is at the perfect temperature, wasting not a single second.)
Durability: A (Possesses Victory Cry, allowing for rapid and complete recovery through various means after each battle.)
Speed: A (Able to accept multiple invitations from different friends in a single day or at the same time, and successfully attend and resolve every engagement.)
Range: A (Sufficient to cross distances on both a physical and cognitive level.)
Growth Potential: A (An existence that has already reached the pinnacle of Personas, yet still possesses the power to evolve based on its user’s heart.
It grows stronger as new bonds are forged and seems to possess the potential to become the unified god, ‘Chuangbi’.) (Info: A Persona is another self that resides within its user’s heart, sometimes formed from a Shadow.
All Personas can use some form of magic and attack through physical or magical means.
Personas evolve as their user’s spirit grows.
They can be summoned by the user for combat, much like a Stand.)
② 12th Divine Key: Jizo Mitama
Ability: Wields the power of “Erosion.” Can project the user’s consciousness for remote manipulation, enter electronic and network spaces to seize control of all digital authority and devices.
Also possesses the ability to take over a human’s body and mind, making them its own vessel (possession).
③ Persona Evoker
By shooting oneself in the temple, the user experiences a sensation of death amidst the act of suicide, which stimulates the power of their Persona, allowing them to summon it even in the real world.