'Knock, knock, knock—!'
Alongside the sound of knocking, came a girl's anxious voice.
"Mei-senpai!"
"Mei! Mei-senpai! Are you home? It's Kiana—are you okay?"
Still, there was no response.
The girl with delicate features bit her lower lip, her deep blue eyes filled with worry.
Kiana kept knocking for quite a while before finally stopping.
"Damn it… Where the heck did she go?"
Her fair, slender fist clenched tightly and slammed against the door in front of her. Her face was full of anxiety.
"Hold on. Don't panic. Raiden Mei is most likely still inside."
Sensing Kiana's growing distress, Nagami gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Huh?"
Kiana opened her mouth to ask how he knew, but before she could speak, she saw him close his eyes.
Inside Nagami's house, CC also shut her eyes, focusing all her psychic energy into Nagami's body.
Holding his breath, Nagami released the combined power of their dual awareness.
With the heightened sensory perception granted by their shared link, Nagami could faintly detect a human presence within the apartment—even through the thick walls.
And something else.
Something that sent a chill down his spine.
'No way…!'
Nagami's eyes flew open in shock.
He met Kiana's puzzled gaze but didn't offer an explanation. Instead, he scanned their surroundings carefully.
"Nagami? What's going on? What are you looking for?"
Kiana blinked in confusion, a hint of helplessness flickering in her eyes at his sudden behavior.
"I've always had sharper senses than most people," Nagami explained. "That's how I know Mei and something else in there—and that something's not right. We need to find a way inside."
As he spoke, his gaze landed on the black hairclip pinned in Kiana's snowy-white hair.
Without hesitation, he reached out and took it.
"Let me borrow this."
"How are we getting in?"
Though surprised by his sudden move, Kiana didn't resist.
Instead, she focused on the key part of his statement, curiosity beginning to stir within her.
"Just watch."
With a slight smirk, Nagami snapped off the decorative part of the hairclip, leaving only the black wire-like base.
He crouched down so his eyes aligned with the keyhole, tilting his head slightly to keep Kiana from seeing his eyes.
A violet six-pointed star, inscribed with intricate patterns, began to slowly spin within his pupils.
Model projection… Structure analysis…
Using the blueprint his Replication Eye had generated, Nagami began to manipulate the wire, twisting it with practiced precision.
He slid the now lock-shaped wire into the keyhole and adjusted the pressure.
A faint clicking echoed through the hall, and the doorknob began to turn.
Kiana's eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't expected Nagami to be skilled in lockpicking.
Holding her breath, she stayed silent so as not to disturb his concentration.
But just as the knob turned, Nagami suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong? Why did you stop?"
Instead of answering, Nagami simply reached out and pushed the door.
It creaked, but didn't budge—it was still tightly shut, as if actively resisting any attempt to break in.
"Your turn. Smash it open. Don't worry—it won't break."
This apartment was one of the most secure buildings in central Nagazora City.
A simple wire wouldn't be enough to fully unlock a door of this caliber.
He'd loosened it, but it wasn't fully opened.
"You could've said that earlier!"
Kiana clenched her small white fist and punched the door with all her strength.
A dull boom rang out as the door flew open.
Strangely, the frame remained completely intact.
That was the result of what Nagami had done moments ago.
When he turned back to look at Kiana, she had already stepped inside without hesitation.
All he saw was a flicker of flowing white hair disappearing through the entrance.
Light flooded in like a tide, illuminating the apartment.
Nagami followed close behind.
The lavish living room, though clearly belonging to someone wealthy, felt as still and lifeless as a tomb.
The LCD screen was still on, broadcasting a news anchor's report on the massive screen.
Raiden Mei was curled up in the corner of the sofa.
Her face was deathly pale, her eyes rimmed with red.
Faint tear stains lingered on the high-end cotton couch.
Though the light fell gently across her delicate face, it somehow cast an unshakable shadow over her expression.
At last sensing someone's presence, she slowly lifted her head like a machine winding up.
Her lavender eyes were filled with despair and helplessness.
In the dim light, particles of deep purple and black hovered faintly around her lithe figure, as if emanating an ominous glow.
Tiny arcs of electricity flickered across her skin.
But the moment her gaze met Kiana's, those almost imperceptible particles and faint arcs vanished.
And along with them, the slowly rotating violet magic circle faded away.
There was no longer a trace of anything unusual about Mei.
"Mei-senpai!"
With a desperate shout, Kiana dashed to the sofa and threw her arms around Raiden Mei, pulling the dazed girl into a tight bear hug.
Her eyes brimmed with worry.
"Mei, are you okay? Mei!"
From the moment she stepped into the room, Kiana—who had dealt with Honkai since childhood could sense the faint presence of Honkai energy around Mei.
It was barely there, just a trace, but even the smallest amount meant danger!
"So… that's Honkai energy…" Nagami whispered as he stepped inside.
He had been prepared for this.
With Kiana completely focused on Mei, he quietly activated his Alpha Stigma at full power for the first time.
The slowly spinning purple hexagram in his pupil marked its full activation.
The analysis only lasted three seconds—too short to gather any truly valuable information, but enough for him to get a glimpse of the surface-level phenomena.
After all, it was his first time witnessing Honkai energy in person.
His fascination was only natural.
"Ki…ana…chan"
Mei's gaze slowly came into focus as she looked at the familiar face in front of her.
Her hoarse voice trembled in the silence.
"Thank goodness… Mei-senpai, you're alright!"
Despite her pale complexion, Mei didn't seem to be under Honkai's direct corruption.
That alone was enough to ease Kiana's heart.
With the worst seemingly behind them, Kiana was about to bask in the joy of holding Mei so close, but when she saw the helpless look in Mei's eyes, that feeling quickly melted away, replaced with sincere concern.
"My… my dad… he didn't scam anyone… he… he didn't commit any crime…"
Her voice was fragile and raw.
After crying for so long, her once-rosy lips had lost their color.
Clutching Kiana's hands tightly, Mei's violet eyes shimmered with a faint, desperate hope. She needed someone—anyone—to believe her.
Ah… right…
Kiana had at least heard of the stock market and business tactics, but… you couldn't really expect her to understand anything beyond the basics.
The fact she remembered red means gains and green means losses was already impressive.
She had no clue what was actually going on, but Raiden Ryoma—Mei's father—was someone she was more than willing to trust.
A man who raised a kind and gentle daughter like Mei couldn't possibly be a criminal.
"Mei, I believe you. I'm sure your dad's innocent."
Meeting Mei's hopeful gaze, Kiana tried her best to sound confident and reassuring.
"Kiana… thank you."
Mei's lips curled into a faint smile—an expression both touched and pained.
She knew Kiana didn't fully understand the situation.
But that didn't matter. What mattered was that her friend trusted her unconditionally.
With Kiana's help, she struggled to sit up.
Her legs were numb and tingling painfully after staying in one position for too long.
Then, a calm but firm voice echoed from the corner of the living room.
"Raiden Ryoma was definitely framed. Anyone paying attention to the sudden shifts in the stock market could see something suspicious at play. The people using this as an excuse to attack you clearly have ulterior motives."
The boy's words rang clear with a strange sense of authority.
They weren't just comforting—they felt convincing, like light driving out the shadows.
Mei suddenly looked up.
Standing before her was a boy wearing a gentle smile.