Those ghostly things could be corrupted too?
How should she even put it?
Part of her wanted to say it was impossible—but with Almighty Thunder's enormous corpse still lying before her, Sirin couldn't deny it anymore.
So it was true.
The invaders from Takamagahara were finally facing their own retribution. Sirin felt conflicted—but also a little satisfied.
"Let them taste corruption and degradation for once… not such a bad thing, is it?"
"It's not exactly a good thing either," Kiana said softly, lowering her head. "Honkai creatures attack all living things. They destroy everything—even civilizations."
"And if they don't change, the Kami won't stop killing, won't stop spreading chaos, and certainly won't go back to Takamagahara," Sirin scoffed.
She wasn't wrong.
The Kami would always kill.
"We've never had any option with them other than kill or be killed."
Kiana couldn't argue with that. It was true—but once the Kami fully transformed, their fusion with the Honkai might amplify their destructive power even further, making the resulting disasters far worse.
"Do you need help?"
Kiana had made up her mind.
If the Kami were going to be corrupted by the Honkai, their disaster would only grow wider and deadlier—just as she had feared.
But that didn't mean she was powerless.
A single person's strength was limited—but if the Honkai could empower the Kami, it could just as easily empower the slayers.
Izumo was doomed one way or another.
Adding a bit of Honkai to the mix would only raise the stakes—escalating the battle, boosting both sides' potential.
That, in its own way, was an opportunity.
The Kami were only the immediate obstacle—not the final catastrophe. Their real goal should be to overcome—or rather, escape—the Shadow of Nihility.
"I can provide assistance," Kiana said at last, her thoughts taking shape. Though nervous, she managed to keep her smile steady.
"I can offer you comprehensive Honkai-related support. The cost is simple—you only need to pay in energy crystals."
She held up the pitch-black crystal in her palm, her words flowing more confidently now. "Medicine, weapons, or direct power enhancements—I can provide them all."
It was an alluring offer.
But Sirin wasn't without sense. Despite the temptation, she managed to hold on to reason.
"Hard to refuse," she admitted with a small smile.
"After all, Honkai—"
"Kiana."
Mei placed a hand on her shoulder, interrupting her before she could continue.
She knew what Kiana was about to say.
It would've been something along the lines of how the Honkai was her doing—how she was responsible for bringing it here, and thus had to step up and take responsibility.
It was complicated—but Mei supported her. She had already decided she would help her no matter what.
But there was a difference between thinking and saying.
Having lived independently from a young age, Raiden Mei was more mature than most her age.
Some things didn't need to be spoken outright. There was no need to hand others a reason to direct their resentment at you.
The truth—only she and Kiana needed to know it.
"There's no need to say more. Let me speak with Miss Sirin."
Her tone was calm and smooth—so natural that it didn't sound like she was interrupting on purpose.
Kiana hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll leave it all to you, Mei."
"After all, the Honkai is an unknown force—unlike the Kami, which at least have physical forms." Mei turned to Sirin, recalling what Kiana had said before. "The Honkai manifests in many forms. What Kiana described is just one of them. Even more terrifying are the plagues, disasters, and other phenomena we can't even comprehend yet."
"This force has already disrupted your world's balance, hasn't it? Kiana can use Honkai power to forge tools capable of resisting it. To fight the fusion of Honkai and Kami, one must use the power of Honkai itself. To defeat the Honkai, you must fight fire with fire."
Kiana stared at Mei in shock.
"I believe in Kiana," Sirin replied after a pause, shaking her head. "But Raiden Mei, your explanation… even I can't completely believe it."
She wasn't saying she didn't trust them. She was willing to believe—for now. But she wasn't the only one who had to decide.
This Honkai power they had just encountered—it was still too new, too uncertain.
Whether it was as terrifying as they claimed… that remained to be seen.
When it came to entities she didn't fully understand, caution was always wise. Their war against Takamagahara had gone on for so long, yet even now, they couldn't claim to truly understand the Kami who had descended from there.
What were they really here for?
No one had ever been able to find an answer convincing enough for everyone.
"I trust Kiana," Sirin said at last. "But others… they'll ask why Kiana has the power to fight back using Honkai."
"Because of the Stigmata!" Mei interjected quickly, before Kiana could respond with the truth—just as she'd been waiting for Sirin to ask that question.
"You've been wondering about my power too, haven't you? It's because of the Stigmata—it gave me the ability to command lightning. I don't need an Edict Edge to slay Kami. I can wield thunder itself to protect what I want to protect."
"The Stigmata are gifts born of the Honkai."
She lied without hesitation, making sure not to drag Kiana into the explanation.
Though her father had once been part of the organization, Raiden Mei remained deeply cautious toward strangers—especially mysterious organizations or people she didn't fully know.
"Everything has two sides. Honkai is a double-edged sword, just like any other," Mei continued calmly.
And she wasn't wrong.
Kiana felt a little embarrassed, a little guilty—but also quietly happy.
"You know what kind of person Kiana is," Mei said gently. "Neither of us want to see Izumo suffer any more casualties."
Sirin nodded. "You're right. Kiana truly is a good person."
"Good person, huh…" Kiana smiled awkwardly, scratching her cheek. She didn't feel like she deserved the praise. Sure, she had saved Sirin—but she had also charged her half a million for it.
Her moral compass wasn't completely broken yet. She still needed some practice before she could swindle people without shame.
"Don't belittle yourself, Kiana." Sirin smiled faintly. "I trust my judgment—and I trust you."
"Enough questioning for now," she added with a wave of her hand. "This is starting to feel like an interrogation. You're my savior, and Mei—the one recognized by Howl—is my future comrade."
There was no point in pushing further. Being saved by Kiana, and later healed through her strange medicine, had already tilted Sirin's heart in her favor.
All her questions stemmed not from distrust—but from concern. She was worried about what others might say, how they might view Kiana.
"I trust you both," Sirin said firmly. "If others doubt you, that's their problem. I'm willing to stand by you—and to buy from you directly."
"After all, they're just Kami. Monsters that should've been wiped out long ago. There's nothing wrong with using waste productively."
Others could think what they liked—Sirin would act on her own.
Even if the others hesitated to approach Kiana, or refused to engage with the power of the Honkai, she could still be Kiana's customer.
She was faster at slaying Kami than most Sentinels anyway.
Oh, and there was Yae Sakura too.
Judging by her attitude earlier, Yae Sakura also seemed to have a good impression of Kiana—and surely wouldn't mind a little "waste utilization" if it meant supporting her cause.