Under the greenish-grey sky, the rain spun a dense web of morning mist like fine needles.
The city half-slumbered in the cold, watery hues. Moist vapor wrapped in a slight chill seeped into the gaps between the buildings. Puddles on the asphalt road reflected the residual neon lights, crushed into broken gold by the headlights of the sporadic early buses.
Leaving the residential area, Inazuma Ei quickly drove away in her Mercedes C-Class. Even if the car's performance outmatched the opponent's, Robin, who was a step behind, should not have been able to catch up.
Considering that the Honkai energy fluctuations released by Cold River Reflecting the Moon could easily cause unnecessary trouble, Fuli once again contacted Alice, the information broker, relying on her top-tier hacking skills to invade Sapphire City's traffic system.
For Houraiji Kyuusyou, whose ability manifested as the digitalization of her body, she possessed a unique advantage in remote assistance.
Wherever there was a network, it was her home field.
The silver McLaren weaved through the traffic. The Savior of Light, transformed into a figure-sized black-haired loli, flew around inside the car. After circling once, she jokingly gave a thumbs up: "As expected of Divine Departure! Just going out once and you hook up with such a beautiful and wealthy young lady!"
"Not hooking up, just a cooperative relationship with shared interests," Fuli corrected, then added curiously, "Alice, you don't know Robin?"
"Know her? Why should I know her?"
Kyuusyou huffed, crossing her arms with a face full of disdain. "A mere mortal shell of the 3D world, worthy of entering the eyes of this Savior—cough! This information broker?"
"Big star, look, there's someone here who doesn't know you."
Fuli teased.
"..."
Regarding this matter, Robin didn't care.
She wasn't money; she couldn't be liked by everyone.
But Prison Li's attitude was infuriating, so Baby Bird slammed on the gas pedal, and the intense push-back slammed this guy hard against the seat.
"Wow! What a rare scene!"
Houraiji Kyuusyou landed on his shoulder, clicking her tongue in wonder. "It seems our S-rank Valkyrie Killer has women he can't handle too. Not bad, not bad. This one called Robin, keep it up like this in the future!"
"What handle or not handle? I've always kept myself clean." Fuli glared at her, then suddenly said, "Eh? Your current look is completely different from your real self, right?"
"Of course!"
The Savior akimbo'd confidently.
Numerous alternate accounts were the trump card she relied on for survival as an information broker. So far, she had only been scared out of her wits once by Fuli accurately pinpointing her location.
"Then let me ask you." The boy said again, "Hiding behind a virtual image completely different from yourself all day, showing a false face to people—does someone like you count as a VTuber?"
"Pfft!"
Robin in the driver's seat couldn't hold it in.
"Don't just casually use new terms you hear randomly!"
Houraiji Kyuusyou bristled. "I'm not like those guys who can only rely on virtual images to cover up their real appearance. My main body is a Super High School Level Beauty!"
"Then let's make an appointment to meet some other day. Let me see how beautiful your main body is?"
"Uwah, this guy is a real shrimp-head (scumbag)."
The black-haired loli flew in a circle in the air and disappeared. Even Robin cast a helpless look, as if saying, Mr. Fuli, this isn't how you hit on girls.
"No, how is this scummy?"
The big boy waved his hand in protest, feeling quite aggrieved by this evaluation.
It wasn't the first time he'd been called that. He was clearly just being a bit enthusiastic. There was nothing wrong with caring about friends; he wouldn't bother caring about ordinary people.
With Houraiji Kyuusyou's assistance, the two soon arrived at their destination—Lianshan Cemetery.
This cemetery was built along the mountain. The tombstones were mostly on the mountain, but the parking lot was at the foot of the mountain with a barrier, so the two had to get out and walk.
That would have been fine, but since the entire mountain had been developed, the line of sight here was particularly open. As long as Ei, walking in front, looked back slightly, she would definitely spot the distinctive and familiar duo.
"Leave it to me."
Robin said confidently.
"Can you do it?" Fuli frowned. "That guy is sharp enough to notice me even in Presence Concealment. Conventional illusions will hardly work."
"Please trust me."
"How?"
Since she said so much, doubting her further would be impolite.
"First, take off this eye-catching security uniform."
"?"
"Please hurry, Miss Ei will be out of sight soon!"
"Alright."
Urged by the female rogue, Fuli in the passenger seat had to take off his jacket.
"Hum hum hum..."
At this moment, someone happened to pass by. A short black-haired girl with twin tails looked at the situation inside the car and skipped towards the security room.
A moment later—
Knock knock knock!
"Who is it?"
In the passenger seat, Fuli, being fiddled with by Robin, was very impatient.
"Police! We received a report that someone is engaging in indecent behavior in a public place. Please open the door for inspection!"
"Fuck!"
About thirty minutes later, Ei, dressed in black, arrived alone halfway up the mountain.
She moved her steps mechanically, her expression as downcast as a flower wilted by rain, yet she maintained extremely high vigilance, looking back from time to time, her pale purple eyes sweeping over the empty mountain path.
"Take a look, take a look!"
"Top-quality goods at a 90% discount!"
Aside from the weird duo by the roadside who looked like the Heavenly Cripples (Tian Can Di Que) from Kung Fu setting up a stall, nothing unusual was found.
The girl turned and continued forward.
"See, I told you it would work."
Wearing mini sunglasses, Cripple Bird pushed her frames triumphantly.
"This is just the beginning."
Cripple Fuli, wearing a rather comical mandarin jacket and small pitch-black sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, occasionally played an erhu in his hand.
Sure enough, after advancing some distance, Ei looked back again.
This time, looking at the lingering Heavenly Cripples duo trailing not far behind, a trace of doubt appeared in her pale purple eyes.
Hesitating for a moment, as if making a certain determination, she turned and walked towards the stall.
"Um, hello?"
"Take a look, take a look—Eh, is this miss planning to buy something?"
Cripple Bird stopped shouting and switched to a warm smile to introduce the items on the stall.
Mostly various cosmetics, jewelry, and bags, all things she grabbed casually from the car.
As a fellow trendy girl, Ei's gaze was immediately attracted by these dazzling treasures. Those exquisitely packaged, niche brand, or even out-of-print cosmetics emitted a fatal temptation in her eyes.
After all, these were collections of an international superstar. Even goods casually left in the car were enough for ordinary people to desire but never reach in a lifetime.
But Ei was still puzzled. She thought they would be selling paper money, ingots, flowers, and the like here.
"Selling this stuff at a cemetery stall?"
"Yeah!"
Fuli put his arm around his companion's shoulder and laughed loudly. "My buddy here has severe social anxiety and dares not set up a stall in crowded places."
According to the prior agreement, this was clearly my line!
Robin's eyes glared at him from behind the sunglasses, and her cheeks puffed up slightly.
What social anxiety? This is clearly because the goods just stolen are hard to sell, right!
Keenly catching a few subtle signs of use on the bags, Ei hesitated for a long time but ultimately didn't buy these suspected stolen goods out of greed for cheapness.
"Thanks, I'm good."
Her inner doubts completely dispelled, she turned to continue up the mountain.
Lost in thought, she stumbled, tripping over a protruding stone, losing her balance, and falling heavily to the ground.
"Are you okay?"
Robin's heart tightened, and she subconsciously moved to help.
"Don't come over!"
Ei sprang up with unimaginable speed like a startled rabbit, clutching the wound on her arm and speeding away.
"Surely not?"
Robin froze in place, her outstretched hand stiff in mid-air.
She just wanted to help.
"It might be."
Fuli's voice sounded from behind, carrying a trace of gravity.
Compared to Robin, who was eager to help, the calm Fuli saw more comprehensively.
He clearly saw blood faintly seeping from the shallow scratch on Ei's arm caused by the fall.
The color of that blood had a faint golden tint.
Time passed minute by minute. The drizzling rain unknowingly turned into a curtain-like downpour. Ei finally arrived in front of a nameless tombstone.
The location of this tombstone was very hidden, half-concealed by several lush pines and cypresses and messy shrubs. If not deliberately searching, it would be hard to find.
Gazing at the cold, nameless tombstone, the girl's eyes were full of sorrow, ignoring the rain dripping from her hair tips.
After a long silence, she finally made up her mind. She took out a shovel from the cloth bag she carried, aiming the tip at the soil in front of the tombstone, seeming—
"Seem to be planning to dig up your own biological sister's grave to find out the truth?"
A voice extremely similar to Ei's, but full of exaggerated mockery and playfulness, penetrated the drizzling rain curtain like a ghost.
Ei shook all over and looked up abruptly!
"That is—!"
In the distance, Robin, peeking through the gaps in the shrubs, felt her pupils shrink suddenly.
At some point, a pale purple figure was lazily leaning on top of the tombstone.
She propped her chin with one hand and waved the other casually, her posture as relaxed as if lying on her own sofa.
Inazuma Makoto, the sister Robin had been monitoring recently, was appearing here right now.
Compared to the gentle aura like spring cherry blossoms in memory, this Inazuma Makoto lying on the nameless tombstone had a nearly malicious, mocking smile constantly raised at the corner of her mouth.
Those eyes, which should have been filled with gentleness, were now full of playfulness and scrutiny, like a predator high above looking at prey that had fallen into a trap with interest.
Ei's reaction was the strongest.
"You fake!!!"
She didn't hesitate to swing the shovel in her hand, like wielding the Musou no Hitotachi.
The pitch-black shovel face tore through the rain curtain, tracing a trajectory in mid-air, hysterically slashing towards Inazuma Makoto's slender and fragile neck.
The head flew at the sound.
The body and head separated.
But no one let their guard down.
"Oh my, my cute little sister, did you know?"
The bell-like melodious voice sounded again, carrying a creepy cheerfulness and ease.
"A few days ago, a robbery happened on the street. As a result, I, passing by, was taken hostage, and a knife was held against my neck."
"I was really scared at the time! If someone chopped my neck off with one slash, wouldn't I die?"
The head in mid-air spun a few times before landing in the hands of Inazuma Makoto's headless body.
That head blinked, long eyelashes fluttering, and the mouth grinned in an arc exaggerated to the point of being comical. "Luckily, I had a flash of wit. I lifted my hand and took my head off, and then Mr. Robber kindly let me go!"
"W-What exactly are you?!!"
This scene beyond common sense made Ei subconsciously retreat, her voice trembling due to the fear of the unknown.
"Don't be so nervous, my cute little sister."
Inazuma Makoto's body easily pressed the head back onto the neck, turning it casually twice to tighten it, as if just tightening a bottle cap.
"Let me guess, your little brain must be full of question marks right now—you clearly saw your sister die in front of you with your own eyes, but the next day she appeared on TV intact. Not only did the police have no objection, but even Yae Miko, who has always been by her side, didn't notice."
She raised a slender finger. "So, unable to hold back after a few days, you finally couldn't help but want to visit her grave to see if your sister really came back to life, or if the one on TV was just an impostor pretending to be her."
"It's just a pity. Your sister, indeed, is no longer in this world."
Inazuma Makoto clapped her hands to keep the beat. "That sister who depended on you for life since childhood really died on that rainy night over ten days ago, exactly the same rainy night you are in now! Dead as a doornail! Her heart stopped beating, and her newly awakened Golden Descendant blood was drained dry. Body fat percentage 5%, becoming as shriveled as Erii!"
With every sentence she spoke, she took a step closer, admiring the expanding despair in Ei's eyes.
"And..."
She opened her arms again, as if announcing the opening of a grand play, her voice suddenly rising, full of morbid excitement. "The next target for this treatment is you, my cute little sister..."
"Surprised? Unexpected? Do you like this big gift of sisterly reunion? Hahahahaha—!"
The wild, twisted, malice-filled laughter echoed in the silent cemetery, penetrating the rain curtain, piercing the eardrums, making scalps tingle and spines chill.
This laughter stopped abruptly. Inazuma Makoto changed her face to a regretful expression, even sighing exaggeratedly:
"However, actually, you originally had a chance to be saved." Her tone shifted. "That newly hired security guard guy is super tricky. Handsome, skilled, and the key is he seemed quite interested in you. On the first day, he wanted to add your account to ask after your well-being and inquire about the situation."
"But, hee hee, I logged on and rejected him for you!"
"We are biological sisters with no blood relation (sic). If we are single, we are single together. If I let you find a high-quality warm man to escape singledom first, how lonely would your big sister be! Right?"
"Just as I expected! The misunderstanding between you two deepened! Look at you, now scared enough to wake up in the middle of the night, running specifically to this gloomy cemetery. Is part of the reason also to avoid that little security guard who makes you both afraid and annoyed?"
"Avoiding the only savior like a scorpion, dodging like the plague. My good sister, how can you be so cute?"
Fuli, eavesdropping in the distance, suddenly understood.
He did indeed intend to approach Ei with similar intentions at the beginning, but unfortunately had gained nothing so far.
Turns out he was banned by a hidden hand.
"The situation is clear enough now." Fuli's hand unconsciously touched the Plasma Kagehide. "That guy pretending to be Makoto isn't a good person. Using violence now shouldn't be a problem."
"No." Robin shook her head firmly. "Mr. Fuli, you cannot use violence."
"Who said before that they didn't object to necessary force?"
"No, I mean, once the destruction caused by your use of force is too great, there is a possibility of being targeted by the Taixu Front officials, and thus unable to leave Shenzhou territory safely."
"So you mean?"
Fuli realized something.
"Yes, just as you imagine."
Robin stood up, striding through the rain towards the tombstone.
"I'll do it!"
Her eyes, sharp as an eagle!