Going Back

Her pale fingers gently pulled the trigger. The surging Honkai energy instantly erupted, propelling the bullet from the sniper rifle at a staggering 3,000 meters per second.

The electromagnetic sniper rifle, forged from the Third Herrscher's core and transformed into the Divine Key Seven Thunders of Retribution, was silent and invisible. Under the cover of an ambush, there was almost no way anyone could dodge it.

With the mechas acting as bait, the Herrscher of the Void had no chance of avoiding this shot.

In the next second, the Herrscher's head would explode in a bloody mess. The thought made Raven's smile widen even more.

"Kiana!"

Just as the sniper bullet was about to reach its target, a familiar voice suddenly rang out next to Kiana's ear.

Then, an intense electric light flickered. The amplified Crimson Impulse armor allowed Mei to unleash the full power of an electromagnetic pulse.

Bang!

The sniper bullet's trajectory was altered by the pulse, causing it to miss Kiana's face and explode against the cement wall, leaving behind a deep crater.

Only then did Kiana react. She quickly realized someone had tried to snipe her. As the danger hit her, she immediately sensed that she was being locked onto again.

Without hesitation, she raised her hand toward the direction where the bullet had come from. A circular spatial rift appeared in the air.

In the next second, Raven's second bullet arrived. But as it neared, it simply vanished into the rift, not even leaving a ripple behind.

Raven, observing through her sniper scope, clicked her tongue in frustration. The surprise attack had been one thing, but once the Herrscher of the Void was alerted, there was no chance of landing a successful shot. Helpless, she was forced to abandon the attempt. She put away the Seven Thunders of Retribution and quickly retreated.

World Serpent's plans in ARC City had been fully set, and their hidden forces were now exposed. What awaited them next was a purge by Schicksal and Shenzhou.

Now that Jackal had already left and Rita's Immortal Blades squad was still searching for her, there was no reason for Raven to stay.

Hopefully, the Honkai bomb would be successfully detonated.

Kiana, who had just been sniped, was still on high alert. She could sense the danger gradually disappearing. The enemy had abandoned their attack.

The spatial rift dissipated, and just as she was breathing a sigh of relief, her body suddenly froze.

The voice that she had heard earlier echoed in her mind. Kiana slowly turned around, before she was suddenly embraced by a soft body.

"Mei…"

Kiana had imagined countless scenarios of reuniting with her friends, but none of them had been this sudden. Though it should have been a joyful reunion, Kiana found herself at a loss for words.

Feeling Mei's embrace, Kiana's voice trembled with a hint of panic. "Mei, why are you here…? Th… this place is dangerous…"

However, Mei remained silent, tightly embracing Kiana, as if Kiana would disappear the moment she let go.

"I've caught up to you, Kiana. I made it. If I had been even a little later…" If she had been even half a second late, then Mei would have watched helplessly as Kiana died under Raven's sniper bullet. She didn't dare think of that scenario, and didn't even want to think about it.

At this moment, she could only tightly embrace this girl, watch Kiana remain safe and sound beside her, and feel her real presence.

"I almost lost you." Tears soaked Kiana's collar. Mei pressed her chin on Kiana's shoulder. Tears kept flowing down her face. "I can't let you be alone anymore. Come back with me, okay, Kiana? Back to the Hyperion. Everyone is waiting for you."

"…"

Go back? During her time wandering, that thought had appeared in her mind countless times. But once something had been experienced, it left a scar, a permanent mark. Even if she forced a smile, it only made the wound more obvious.

After the Herrscher of the Void incident, she had lost the courage to return to her normal life. She had already committed even more sins, and she was doing her best to atone for them.

But if she left now, her soul would never find its place.

"I'm sorry, Mei, but I can't go back yet."

"Why? You should have come back with me to the Hyperion last time. What are you afraid of?"

Kiana didn't answer. Her past memories burned in her heart, making her want to run away.

But every time she thought of giving up, she would remember that light—the faint glimmer that had illuminated a path of sanctuary for her in the vast darkness.

She suddenly realized that she was probably afraid—not just of facing her former friends, but also of losing the boy who had lit a flame in her heart.

Her lips parted slightly. Kiana wanted to say something, but Mei interrupted her.

"I see. That man was right. You definitely wouldn't want to go back now." Mei released her hold on Kiana and wiped away her tears with her sleeve. Although the sadness on her face hadn't faded, she didn't ask any more questions.

That man?

Confusion crossed Kiana's face. Aside from Ren, she couldn't think of any man who would know her so well. But before she could ask, Mei fell silent.

The silence made Kiana uneasy.

"In any case, ARC City is facing a crisis right now. We can talk about other things once this is over." There was just over an hour left before the bomb would detonate, but they still didn't know where it was. Kiana didn't have much time.

"Let me be with you, Kiana." Mei hung her katana at her waist, faint sparks crackling from it under the power of her Crimson Impulse armor. "I've become a lot stronger. I'll definitely be able to keep up with you."

"Okay."

With the two of them working together, their efficiency improved dramatically. After dealing with the mecha forces that World Serpent had stationed around the city's outskirts, Kiana finally got some useful information.

To cover the entire city, the Honkai bomb would be placed at the highest point. Kiana hadn't figured out where that was, but Mei immediately named the location of the signal tower.

"How did you know?" She had been wandering in this city for over a month, and still wasn't entirely familiar with the city's layout. Mei, on the other hand, had only been here twice.

"Uh, I guessed."

Actually, she didn't.

It was information that Ren had specifically given to her.

Of course, he hadn't directly told her that World Serpent would be placing a bomb in the signal tower, but he had casually mentioned that the highest point of the city was the signal tower, which was why she had immediately guessed the location after combining that information with what was happening now.

"I feel like you're hiding something from me, Mei." Kiana eyed her friend suspiciously. The awkwardness from their reunion had faded, and now, back to their usual dynamic, Kiana could easily detect the unnatural tone in Mei's voice. Mei wasn't very good at lying.

"It's just a small matter." Mei lowered her gaze to the katana in her hand, avoiding Kiana's eyes. She had made a promise to someone, and because of that, she couldn't tell Kiana everything.