Just as the atmosphere between the two was heating up, the ground beneath them began to tremble, accompanied by the roar of a Vishap.
"It seems your little girlfriend is in trouble," Murata Himeko said with a smile. "Let's go take a look."
"Lumine isn't my girlfriend… yet," Akio waved his hand dismissively. "Let's go."
At that moment, Lumine was holding her Dull Blade, panting heavily as she faced the Vishap. The lizard's body was covered in purple-red patterns, and it exuded the same Honkai energy Akio had mentioned earlier.
Enhanced by the Honkai energy, the two Vishaps had grown to an enormous size. The lightning and water balls they spat out were highly corrosive, forcing Lumine to dodge frantically rather than take them head-on.
"Clang! Clang!" Lumine seized an opportunity amidst her dodging, striking the Vishap with a lightning-infused slash.
Her expression changed as she quickly retreated. The powerful recoil from the strike made her hand ache, and her Dull Blade was now covered in cracks, seemingly on the verge of shattering.
As for the Vishap, it had taken Lumine's strike head-on but showed no signs of damage. Not even a scratch was left on its armor.
"What kind of monster is this?!" Lumine was shocked. She had never encountered such a bizarre creature before.
"It's a Honkai beast! Well, not quite, but it's evolving!" Murata Himeko, watching from above through a hole in the ceiling, exclaimed.
"Oh? There were actually two that slipped through the cracks?" Akio noticed the two Vishaps. The Honkai energy on them was so faint, and they had been hiding underwater and underground, which was why he hadn't detected them earlier.
"Lumine has no experience fighting Honkai beasts. Leave this to me," Murata Himeko said, drawing Surtr. "This level of enemy is just a warm-up for me."
"Alright," Akio nodded. These half-baked creatures weren't even full-fledged Honkai beasts. To be honest, Himeko could crush them with ease.
Lumine's strength was actually more than enough to handle these half-baked creatures, but she was too reckless, always attacking the hardest parts of the Vishaps.
Speaking of Lumine's fighting style, it was really quite brash. She'd charge in without a second thought, like a headstrong fool, never considering whether she could actually win.
"Lumine! What do we do?!" Paimon was getting anxious as she watched Lumine struggle on the battlefield.
"Lumine! Fall back!" A loud shout came from above.
Lumine quickly retreated and looked up to see Murata Himeko descending rapidly from the sky, her greatsword ablaze with flames.
The massive sword came down with terrifying force, cleaving the ice-elemental Vishap in two and reducing it to ashes with the flames.
When Himeko landed, the impact caused the small stone platform to tremble.
Without a moment's hesitation, Himeko charged forward, Surtr in hand, the flames trailing behind her in a beautiful arc.
"Flames of Annihilation!"
Surtr, wreathed in flames capable of incinerating everything, decapitated the Vishap in one swift strike. The intense flames completely consumed the lizard's corpse.
"So… so strong," Lumine muttered in awe, watching the monster she had struggled against being effortlessly slain by Himeko in just two strikes.
"Himeko has spent her entire life fighting Honkai beasts. These small fry are nothing to her," Akio's voice rang out from behind them.
"Ahhh!" Paimon was startled, and the two quickly turned to see Akio standing there.
"Why do you walk so quietly?! You scared me!" Paimon pouted, patting her chest.
Lumine nodded in agreement.
"Is this the Bloodbranch Coral you were looking for?" Himeko walked to the center of the stone platform, where a blood-red coral branch had fallen.
She picked it up and handed it to Lumine.
"Yes! Thank you, Sister Himeko!" Lumine nodded gratefully.
"Aww~ what a sweet girl!" Himeko was overjoyed by Lumine calling her "Sister." Kiana always called her "Auntie"! How annoying! Did she really look that old?
Akio gave the two a strange look. He had no idea how old Lumine really was, but compared to her, Himeko was practically a child.
"Lumine, how old are you? Can you tell me?" Akio leaned in and whispered in Lumine's ear.
"No," Lumine replied crisply. Bad guy! Didn't he know you shouldn't ask a woman her age? Just by looking at her, anyone could tell she was forever 18!
"Alright," Akio shrugged. For long-lived species, age was meaningless. They didn't need to keep track of it.
"It's been a while," Akio said. "Now that Lumine has the Bloodbranch Coral, let's head back."
"Himeko, come to Inazuma with me," Akio invited.
"Sure," Himeko nodded. "I already said, wherever you go, I'll follow."
"Wow! What happened between these two just now?" Paimon whispered. "It feels like Sister Himeko has also been… is his charm really that strong?"
"Who knows?" Lumine felt inexplicably annoyed as she looked at Himeko. They'd only just met, yet they were already so close?
I've known Akio for so much longer, and we're not that close! I was here first!
"Ah! What am I thinking?" Lumine shook her head, dispelling her wild thoughts, and walked over to Akio.
Understanding her intention, Akio wrapped an arm around Lumine's waist and looked at Himeko.
Himeko, without a hint of shyness, leaned into Akio's embrace.
"Wow! What about me?" Paimon stared in disbelief as Akio's arms were already occupied by the two women. She flew over and clung to Akio's neck!
Well, Paimon really was like a little pet! Kitsune Saiguu also liked to climb onto her neck like a scarf.
Akio quickly flew upward, leaving Enkanomiya behind.
When Akio emerged from Enkanomiya with the three of them and arrived at Sangonomiya Shrine, Sangonomiya Kokomi was standing in the center of the shrine, her expression sorrowful. Behind her were rows of blood-soaked corpses, their heads placed to the side, alongside destroyed Delusions.
Seeing Akio and the others, Kokomi quickly approached and said, "Lord Akio! Everyone on the list has been executed. Please… take a look."
Akio glanced over and nodded in satisfaction. "It's good that these parasites have been dealt with. They would have only brought harm to Watatsumi Island."
"After we return, I'll have the Tri-Commission come to discuss compensation with you. Once everything is settled, the Shogun's army will be stationed on Watatsumi Island," Akio said calmly.
"As the Great Divine Sovereign commands," Kokomi nodded. She had no other choice but to accept.
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