Kiana felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She hurriedly grabbed Lierre's small hand in excitement and anxiously asked, "Auntie, is what you're saying true!?"
Everyone understood the principle that the dead could not be brought back to life.
Summoning the deceased Cecilia was, strictly speaking, a power that was no longer within the control of humans.
However, Kiana didn't think that far ahead. Because she lacked her memories from before she was eight, she always had one regret in her heart.
That was wanting to hug Cecilia just once.
"What's fake can't be real, and what's real can't be fake. I guarantee it's real."
Lierre stopped walking and patted the back of Kiana's hand. Then, she earnestly made up an excuse to explain, "Since I only recently acquired this ability, it's still quite weak. This means I can only let Cecilia out for three minutes a day. Please forgive me."
Lierre continued to add to her own setting. She wanted to give others the illusion that as long as they could drag out the fight long enough, they could win.
Then, she would 'temporarily' break her limits and summon another new 'Heroic Spirit'. This meant giving the enemy a sliver of hope first, only to bring them an even greater despair later.
Presumably, the expressions of the enemies, looking as if they had eaten shit, would definitely be very interesting.
"Only three minutes..."
A trace of disappointment flashed in Kiana's eyes, but it was quickly swallowed by an immense, pleasant surprise. She said, "That's enough, three minutes is fine. Auntie, can I... can I meet Mom right now?"
After saying that, she nervously looked at Lierre, deeply worried that her request would be rejected.
"Not right now. According to my investigation, someone is planning to release Honkai energy in Nagazora and actively trigger the Third Honkai Eruption. When that time comes, everyone in this city will lose their lives!"
Lierre shook her head and explained with a serious expression, "Therefore, I need Cecilia's help to crush the enemy's conspiracy. Because of that, I can't casually waste today's summoning time."
"What! Why would someone actively trigger the Third Honkai Eruption? Are human lives really that worthless?!"
Hearing this, a ball of fury rose in Kiana's heart, and she angrily clenched her fists.
Every Honkai eruption caused the deaths of tens of thousands of humans and brought irreparable tragedy to countless families.
It was already a natural disaster that people couldn't avoid fast enough, yet there was actually someone insane enough to deliberately trigger the Third Honkai Eruption!
Unforgivable!
Kiana understood the severity of the matter. The moment she thought about how this concerned the lives of nearly ten million people in Nagazora, she immediately suppressed her impulse to meet Cecilia.
The Kaslana family's ancestral teachings told her that in the face of such atrocities, she absolutely could not sit idly by and watch!
"Don't worry, Auntie. I'm not the type to fail to distinguish between what's important and what's not. I roughly understand the purpose of our outing this time. So, where do we start investigating?"
Kiana pulled out a metal baseball bat from the backpack behind her and tested it with a few practice swings.
Before leaving, she had brought this bat thinking she was overreacting, but she never expected that she was actually underestimating the situation.
But it couldn't be helped. The only presentable weapon she had on hand was this baseball bat.
Seeing that Kiana had come up with a reason for this operation all on her own, Lierre went along with it and said:
"This matter is related to ME Corp, so we'll first go visit Raiden Mei, the daughter of the former ME Corp president, and then make a trip to the main headquarters of ME Corp."
ME (Massive Electric) Corp, a world-famous multinational electronics manufacturer.
The former president and one of the Anti-Entropy organization's executors, Raiden Ryoma, was framed by Cocolia, who was also an Anti-Entropy executor. He was charged with defrauding approximately 3.4 billion USD under the guise of financing the development of ultra-high-frequency electromagnetic field confinement. Not only was he dismissed from his position as president by the board of directors, but he also suffered imprisonment, causing his reputation to plummet.
His daughter, Raiden Mei, was also implicated. Whether at school or in society, Raiden Mei was frequently insulted, spat upon, isolated, and treated with cold violence, living a very unsettled life.
Inside a neatly tidied bedroom.
Raiden Mei, wearing pajamas, pulled the curtains shut with tired eyes.
The moment she turned around, something was suddenly stuffed into her mouth, and a burlap sack rapidly expanded over her vision.
"Mmph...!!!"
Raiden Mei instantly lost all sleepiness. She struggled frantically, making muffled sounds as she tried to cry for help.
A-a kidnapper?!
Coming for me?
But I don't have much money on hand, and the funds in my father's accounts have also been frozen.
Could they be after my body...?
That must be it. Just now, there really was a perverted hand groping all over my body.
Thinking that she was about to lose her virtue, Raiden Mei was so frightened that crystal-clear teardrops squeezed from the corners of her eyes as she closed them in despair.
Inside Raiden Mei's bedroom.
Kiana firmly pinned down Raiden Mei, who was stuffed inside the sack, keeping her flat on the ground and unable to move.
"Don't get handsy with her. Don't frighten this young lady."
Seeing that Kiana's hands and feet weren't behaving, Lierre voiced a reminder.
"Ahem, she was the one moving around. It has absolutely nothing to do with me!"
Kiana guiltily averted her gaze.
Although she had also only recently entered Chiba Academy and had heard the name Raiden Mei, this was the first time she had actually seen her.
She had to admit, Mei was quite pretty. Definitely her type.
"Business is what's important. Hurry up and carry her off. We shouldn't stay here for long."
"True, this matter concerns the safety of all of Nagazora. We can't delay!"
"?"
Hearing their conversation, Raiden Mei's struggling suddenly paused.
Girls' voices?
It seems the possibility of them being after my body can be ruled out.
But what do they mean by 'concerns the safety of Nagazora'? Does that have any necessary connection to kidnapping me?
A sense of weightlessness hit her. Raiden Mei felt herself being slung over someone's shoulder and carried off at a rapid pace toward an unknown location.
She didn't know how long had passed. When the sack over her was removed, Raiden Mei was so blinded by the glare of a flashlight that she couldn't open her eyes.
After she adapted, she nervously peeked around, assessing her surroundings.
This place seemed to be an unfinished building. She was currently tied to a pillar, unable to move, with two silhouettes—one tall and one short—standing in front of her.
With the help of the flashlight's peripheral glow, Raiden Mei finally got a clear look at the true faces of her kidnappers.
At the same time, the object stuffed into her mouth was also removed.
"A-a little kid?!"
When Raiden Mei clearly saw Lierre's appearance, she subconsciously blurted this out.
"Pfft... Auntie, she called you a little kid."
Kiana snickered, then handed over the saliva-soaked handkerchief. "Your handkerchief... By the way, Auntie, how old are you this year?"
Lierre waved her hand in disgust and casually replied, "Not even fifty."
Raiden Mei: "..."
Are you guys playing house in front of me?!
She silently glanced at Kiana again, unable to stop herself from mentally complaining: Calling someone much younger than yourself 'Auntie', and you're not even embarrassed!
Immediately after, Raiden Mei spoke up, interrupting their conversation: "So, what's your purpose for kidnapping me?"
===
T/N: Btw, Lierre is from Jashin-chan Dropkick