Atop a building hundreds of meters high, Kiana held onto a lightning rod with one hand, while the other fished a thick, heavy book out of her four-dimensional skirt.
"The Catalogue of Peerless Martial Arts of Illusory Arms! Ever heard of it?"
She tossed the object up and down in her hand, asking triumphantly.
"Never heard of it."
The 'Shadow Trailing Slash' sword energy, transformed into a peace dove, flew across the hundred-meter distance to the girl's side, snatching it away when she wasn't paying attention and bringing it back.
Fuli, catching it on the deck, immediately activated the Third Rated Power of Jizo Mitama to read the specific data of the item in his hand.
[Name: Catalogue of Peerless Martial Arts of Illusory Arms]
[Grade: A]
[Classification: Item / Knowledge]
[Effect: A peerless catalogue recording fourteen major categories of martial arts: Cultivation Methods, Footwork, Secret Techniques, Fist Styles, Palm Styles, Leg Styles, Finger Styles, Sword Arts, Blade Arts, Polearms, Strange Arts, Hidden Weapons, Archery/Shooting, and Music.
Every time it is opened, the contents of this book will change. The reader can specify the type of martial art they wish to search for, and the catalogue will present the most suitable martial art based on compatibility with the reader.
The level of the martial art will not exceed the catalogue's grade minus one. Each reading requires a certain cooldown period, which varies depending on the manifested martial art. The better the martial art, the longer the cooldown (D-Rank: 3 days, C-Rank: 1 week, B-Rank: 1 month).]
[Note: "May you find the book you desire."]
"What a treasure."
Fuli's eyes lit up.
To be honest, Himeko really paid a heavy price this time.
Don't look down on it just because the upper limit for obtaining skills is only B-Rank. By now, everyone behind the screen understands just how heavyweight A-Rank skills are.
The Vermilion Knight sword that ignores power levels to directly reduce the maximum HP cap; the Herrscher of Thunder's Superconducting Neural Network that moves at the sixth cosmic velocity; 'Heavenly Time Theft' that permanently accelerates the overall development of civilization within a certain range; the ultimate assassination technique 'Divine Departure' (Kamusari) that penetrates all energy shields to strike the main body directly—which of these isn't broken among the broken?
If the Catalogue of Peerless Martial Arts could actually refresh A-Rank skills, Himeko definitely wouldn't have given it away so freely, even if saving her life was a debt as heavy as the sky.
After treasuring the book away, Fuli waved his arm at Kiana below. "Thank Himeko for me when you get back! Let's drink together next time we have the chance!"
The white-haired dumpling, still puffing her cheeks in anger over the peerless catalogue being snatched away so easily, yelled upon hearing this:
"Drink? No!"
"Why not?"
"Ah-Li, both you and this Young Lady are only 16! The law doesn't allow drinking!"
"Oh, it's fine. Didn't that Messenger of Azathoth—His Excellency the Crawling Chaos—say: 'It's not a crime if you don't get caught!' Look at Kuaishou and Douyin; so many people post short videos of giving their kids alcohol, and you don't see the police actually arresting them."
The boy shrugged. "Besides, my future area of activity will be the Pacific Ocean. Don't movies always say crimes in international waters go unpunished?"
Actually, there is jurisdiction, but Fuli, who only intended to brush it off, didn't need to elaborate.
"Having that kind of mindset is no good!"
Kiana wouldn't have it. Under the sun, she clenched her pink fists, flames burning in her eyes. "Alright! It's decided! This Young Miss will also stay with you guys to supervise you, lest Mei's heart get stolen by an outlaw like you who has no martial ethics while I'm not around!"
Mei, who was adjusting the AI inside the battleship, paused, and her fingers entered several wrong parameters again.
"...Go with us?"
Fuli stopped in his tracks and turned around, his attention focusing once again on the incredibly well-fitting St. Freya uniform on the girl:
The bright white fabric The bright white fabric and accessories outlined her curves perfectly. The towering mounds that couldn't be grasped in one hand propped up the buttons on her chest eye-catchingly, while the form-fitting material perfectly traced the flatness of her lower abdomen, allowing the charm of her extremely flexible waist to bloom fully.
He lowered his eyes. "You've already enrolled in St. Freya, you know? Backing out halfway... isn't good, right?"
"I'm not backing out!"
A wicked 'Finally fell for it!' grin appeared on Kiana's lips, which, paired with her delicate and beautiful face, only made her look cute.
"It's true that this Young Miss has already enrolled in St. Freya, but that doesn't mean I can't go on adventures with you guys!"
Fuli blinked, suddenly realizing something.
"Online classes?"
"Bingo!"
She crossed her arms, lifting her delicate nose arrogantly under the sun. "What era is this? Having to arrive at school on time, stay there all day, and then go home after school is way outdated! I've already agreed with Auntie and Auntie Himeko. I'll study the academic subjects properly, listen to lectures online seriously, and go back for practical tests and final exams—in exchange, this Young Miss gets a tiny bit more freedom than other students."
The girl extended her hand, gesturing a 'universe at her fingertips' (tiny amount).
Fuli retorted, "This is clearly an abuse of power, right? Don't do whatever you want just because you're the Principal's niece, you nepotism baby!"
"No, no, no, this is preferential treatment for a B-Rank Breaker."
Kiana wagged her finger. "Besides, Teacher Himeko said so too: with my strength, attending regular classes would just be a waste of time!"
St. Freya or the Invincible Squad—why choose one? Whether it's Auntie's side or Ah-Li and Mei's side, Kiana Kaslana wants it all (claws grasping)!
"You really pulled one over on me!"
Fuli facepalmed, but the strange emotion surging in his heart made him smile uncontrollably.
"Hehe, this Young Miss is going to be a fickle woman with a foot in two boats!"
The girl rubbed her nose and raised her hands high in a cheer. "Let's team up in an Invincible Squad forever!"
Her azure eyes were as clear as a wash, like a pure corner plucked from a cloudless sky. Her smooth skin was rosy white, radiating a healthy, youthful aura.
Kiana! Sortie!
"We don't want fickle people, you know?"
Fuli asked jokingly. Just as he was about to reach out his hand to the girl, the aerial battleship beneath his feet suddenly vibrated.
The four engines beneath the ship sprayed out pale blue flames, and it continued to ascend, preparing to leave.
He was stunned and hurriedly called out to the person piloting the ship via the data network: "Bronya?"
"Boss said, depart from the Far East at 11:30 sharp."
The girl on the other end blinked her big eyes, full of seriousness.
What? Kiana?
Don't know that kid~
However, from Kiana's perspective, that was a huge problem.
"Eh?"
Watching the aerial battleship start moving in the sky, carrying her large bundle, she let out a dumbfounded sound.
"Eh, eh, eh?"
Her eyes turned into dots, as if anime-style snot was running down her nose.
"EH, EH, EH, EH, EH!!!"
Realizing the battleship was really moving, the girl couldn't care less about anything else.
"Wait!"
"Don't go!"
"I still have things to say to you!"
She hurriedly started running, traversing the tops of row upon row of skyscrapers, disheveled and dusty but persevering as she closed in on the target in the sky.
"Please! If Ah-Li and Mei aren't there, I...!"
"What do I have to do to make you stop!!!"
This scene made Fuli feel both exasperated and amused. He didn't know whether to say this girl was playing a Metal Gear Solid meme or genuinely expressing her feelings.
He hurriedly told Bronya, "Alright, alright, stop. If you don't stop, that idiot really won't catch up."
"Can't stop!"
Unexpectedly, the person who said this wasn't Bronya, but Mei, who had rushed over.
Her pretty face was icy, filled with anger, her expression carrying a chilling severity. "We should walk this jerk like a dog, save us from worrying blindly again!"
Would it kill her to tell us in advance that she was coming? Wasn't one night plus a whole morning enough time?
And she specifically waited for the finale to make a grand entrance? And used such misleading phrasing to play with plot twists? Making our hearts go up and down like buckets in a well?
This jerk Kiana needs to be taught a lesson so she remembers it!
"That is correct."
Bronya shrugged at Fuli, her tone still steady, but the schadenfreude in her eyes when looking at the screaming Kiana couldn't be hidden.
Haha! Serves her right!
Of course, this didn't mean Mei was truly heartless.
"Anti-Entropy bastards, actually killing my comrade!"
A bunch of guys also equipped with Delta armor rushed toward Kiana from all directions, clearly intending to kill the nearest target to avenge the man who just died.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
The Type-3315 Close-In Weapon Systems on both sides of the Svetovid roared in unison. Twenty-two barrels of 60mm CIWS fired 23,000 rounds of caseless Icon and high-explosive ammo within a single minute, utterly obliterating any insects daring to approach Kiana into slag.
Mn, 'not so heartless' refers to friends.
"Ah-Li! Ah-Li, how can I live without you, Ah-Li! Mei, you can't leave, Mei!"
And so, the silver-white battleship soaring through the sky, and the white-haired girl traversing skyscrapers wailing as she chased after it, punctuated by the roar of overwhelming artillery fire, became a wondrous sight in the eyes of countless people.
They passed through Nagazora City, through the suburbs, flying over the heads of everyone who participated in this grand drama of the Third Eruption, galloping across the horizon to become the brightest new star.
...
Meanwhile, in a dim alley in a corner of the city, tassel-like pink hair draped fluffily over fragrant shoulders.
The elf maiden raised her head, her delicate hand level with her brow, smiling as she gauged the sky where the battleship departed.
"Fufu, Little Li and the others have left~♪"
Buzz buzz!
She took out the vibrating phone from her pocket, her slender finger coated with flower juice tapping the screen to unlock the fingerprint-locked Divine Key (phone).
[Why didn't you meet with Fuli and the others? Elysia came to Nagazora City mainly to confirm his safety, right?]
The content of the text message was just that, and the sender—
"Little Miyuki is really something! We're so close, yet you still use text messages to contact me. Miss Elf will feel like she's being disliked, you know! Wu, I want a hug!"
Putting away her phone, Elysia puffed out her pink cheeks and opened her arms toward Asakura Miyuki, who was pretending to be a telephone pole not far away.
Perhaps having learned from previous experiences of being caught, this time the person involved actually managed to dodge.
The phone vibrated again.
[N-N-N-No, it's not that I dislike you! It's just that I'm not used to physical contact with people yet...]
"Alright then."
After chatting for a while, the Elf Miss, who had even found out the color of the girl's panties, pouted, knowing that this matter had to be taken step by step.
Seeing she no longer insisted, Miyuki breathed a sigh of relief and continued typing:
[Um, about the previous question?]
"You mean that? The reason is simple!"
Elysia answered playfully, "My purpose in coming here was to confirm Little Li's safety. Since he is safe and sound, meeting or not meeting doesn't really matter, does it~♪"
Actually, we've already secretly met!
Of course, the method of meeting isn't quite convenient to tell Little Miyuki.
'Miss Elf didn't lie, you know! From start to finish, I never admitted that I hadn't met Little Li, right~♪'
Unaware of this, Miyuki nodded gently.
If you are well, it is a sunny day... is it?
I'll remember that.
"This isn't saying that giving shouldn't be rewarded! If Little Miyuki likes Little Li, you must pursue him bravely! Never, ever become a woman who gives silently from behind the scenes; you'll only get your peaches picked by those bad women with impure intentions!"
"Waaaaaaah!!!"
Elysia, who suddenly flashed in front of her, startled Miyuki into stumbling. After realizing the meaning of the words, she turned into a steam engine once again.
"Haha!"
Having successfully teased her, the scumbag Ely clasped her hands behind her back, walking leisurely in the alley. "Speaking of which, Little Miyuki, you mentioned before that the name of the school you attend is St. Freya."
She asked gently, "I want to join it too, is that okay?"
"It's okay, but... why?"
"Because the name St. Freya is beautiful!"
Reaching the end of the alley, the girl turned her profile. The bustling traffic at the exit instantly replaced the previous silence in Asakura Miyuki's eyes.
"Such a beautiful name really suits Miss Elf, doesn't it~♪"
Boundless light spilled onto Elysia, as if she were this splendid and colorful world itself.
But Yuno didn't think so.
"Fine if you want to join that St. Freya place, but why drag me along?"
A figure suddenly appearing in the corner startled Miyuki. Hiding behind Elysia, she looked over timidly.
"Um, um, who are you?"
"Yuno. Amami Yuno. A Nagazora City local like you."
Yuno pointed gloomily at a certain Ely in front of her. "One of the unlucky victims forcibly dragged along by this overly familiar normie."
One of?
Noticing this word, Miyuki blinked. Suddenly, a hearty and unfamiliar voice rang out above her head. "Wahahaha! That fellow 'Divine Departure' did pretty well! It wasn't in vain that this Savior of Light specially sent a clone to assist earlier!"
If Bronya were here, she would definitely retort: You were clearly trapped in Nagazora City and couldn't run away earlier!
Unfortunately, she was currently floating away on Fuli's broken ship, so no one could blame Lord Kyuushou for standing on the wall looking smug.
That's right. Asakura Miyuki, Amami Yuno, and the currently laughing Houraiji Kyuushou were all dragged by Elysia to join St. Freya!
After all, if Fuli could pat his butt and abduct theThree Houses/Main Trio who occupied extremely important positions in the plot, she, as the Grand-Auntie, definitely had to help clean up the mess.
This was also the decision she made after discussing with Prometheus last night. in laymans terms, it was seeking a 'plot pity system' guarantee.
Even if Fuli and the others really screwed up one day, at least there would be a chance to stage a comeback.
Among them, Yuno was easier to find. Nagazora City being safe meant she didn't have the chance to become a Pseudo-Herrscher.
Plus, her parents had become believers (?) of the Pink Elf Miss during the previous commotion. When Elysia came to visit, they enthusiastically sold out their daughter.
Lord Kyuushou, well, was even easier to find.
As the saying goes, criminals always like to return to the scene of the crime.
Houraiji Kyuushou was the same. The previous Genesis magic cannon blast had practically exploded her chuunibyou soul. Running over for a 'Holy Land Pilgrimage' was all too normal.
"Alright, alright."
After they clamored for a while, Elysia clapped her hands.
"Let's go. This dangerous element secretly snuck out, so we can't keep the tiny, cute Principal waiting too long~♪"
With that, the girl turned around, carrying the fragrance of birds and flowers, and stepped towards the direction outside Nagazora City.
The three with different expressions exchanged glances. Even though their mouths were still saying messy things, their steps were uniform.
The Herrscher of Poison, the Savior of Light, a top-tier Stigmata awakener, plus a temporarily unawakened Herrscher of Origin.
It seems that even without Kiana and the others, the title of the 'Far East Demon Cave' could continue to be carried forward?
Assuming they don't turn into the 'Four Himeko-Heads' targeting a certain person named Fuli halfway.
After all, these ladies truly each possessed unique skills.
...