'I smell something… sweet. Cherry blossoms. I see cherry blossoms.'
"Any luck?"
Mei pressed fingers against her forehead. Finally she slapped her cheeks as though hoping to awaken something. Her mind remained frustratingly vague.
"Very tall sakura, cherry blossoms filtering down and a sweet fragrance. Nothing substantial or helpful."
Mei walked to the edge of the building and leant against the concrete railing. Several stories below the sea sloshed about, breaking against the glass and concrete towers that rose from the aquamarine depths. Mei knew she was close and yet so far. A maudlin mood took her heart.
'Perhaps Amarant is right. Maybe I really am grasping at the most ephemeral of hope. I have nothing to actually prove what I saw wasn't more than a concussion induced hallucination. I'm so desperate to keep a hold on my delusions of control in a mad world that I'll say or do anything. The odds that something like…'
The distinct electronic click of a virtual keyboard drew Mei out of her self-pity. Amarant had a curious expression on her face. Tongue poking out and pinched between teeth, her fingers whirred and eyes scanned across several projected holographic window.
"Thank the God's for bureaucrats," the blue-haired woman whispered.
"You have something?" Mei asked, steps quickened with desperation as she moved to stand behind the woman.
"Maybe. Possibly. A thread. But it's got possibility."
It was fascinating the way the guide went about her work. Mei's senses were inhuman in nature. Still she found herself tested in keeping up. Amarant flicked between multiple windows constantly, cross-referencing data, tying it back to a notepad she kept digitally active. Building records. Local Government and Prefectural public records. Horticultural texts archived within a portable general knowledge database similar to a digital encyclopaedia. Commercial land purchases. Employment agencies. A web slowly formed between the points. Mei began to grasp the greater picture. An outline of some strange shadow that might be her father.
"Gotcha!" Amarant finally shouted.
The woman did a little dance before taking a bow to Mei.
"You resident guide presents her latest work, dear customer. Interesting fact; there are very few Sakura that have a scent. For example prunus speciosa. Also known as the Oshima Zakura, native to the Izu Oshima island. It happens to grow to a great height. Prefectural governments take great interest in the transportation and propagation of species not native to the area. They could end up becoming an invasive species and destabilising the environment. Australia is something a cautionary tale in importing flora and fauna that inflict serious damage to the environment. So I check the records I have on requests to Dept of Environment for permits on growing this most unusual sakura tree. Then I see who made the request and compare against building ownership permits."
Amarant strode with confidence to the lip of the building and imperiously pointed toward a building roughly one hundred metres from them. Mei guessed that it was part of a strip of buildings that would have lined the side of a street. The structure stood close to twenty stories tall and was maybe a kilometre from the ME Corp regional office.
"Several Oshima Zakura were given clearance to be planted in the gardens surrounding that building. ME Corp wouldn't be stupid enough to rent space under their own name. I've got no idea what shell company they would operate under."
The guide put her back against the concrete lip and smirked.
"You said you were a child when your father was doing his little experiments. Someone did snaffle up an entire floor of the building in 2004. Sorry but I checked your own birth record. That puts you at 7. Matches up with your retained memories. They had private contractors shift a good amount of equipment into the location. Private contractor electricians brought in for unspecified reasons. Nothing surprising mind you. Plenty of private businesses do this sort of thing all the time. Just another cog."
Mei joined Amarant at the edge. She looked over the building the woman was referring to.
"And is that it?"
"Nope. Your father made one teeny-tiny mistake. The same one everyone does. People always forget the cleaners. You can be the most important scientist, businessman, actor or politician. But you still need someone to empty the rubbish bin and clean the toilet. Again private contractors. The catch is that I had a look at the sort of security clearances required for employment in cleaning that particular floor of the building. Really high-spec. You can expect these sort of people at high security establishments like the aforementioned scientists, businessman etc. If you want to appear normal, then you need to make it look like your cleaners are boring."
Amarant fist-pumped high into the air before wincing. She pressed her hand against the chest wound and managed a pained smile.
"I'll bet half my retainers fee that your father's little lab is on the 14th floor."
"Retainers fee?"
"We agreed I was being paid back in Arc City. What you pay before I begin to charge by the hour."
"And how much is that?"
The cheery guide made a gesture toward the holographic display. Another window opened. The sum was… enough to make an Ojou-sama wince.
"I cannot deny you deserve it. It is surprising how competent you are."
Amarant pressed up against Mei and leant her head affectionately against the girl.
"I pleases me to hear that, dear customer."
A crackle of static curled up Mei. Amarant let out a squeak and pulled back. The brief flicker of Honkai energy knocked the wind out of Mei. The woman gasped and fell against the railing. Her body broke out in a cold sweat.
"Are you—"
"Fine. Fine. Anyway, how were you able to locate and collate this information so quickly?"
"Like I said, I have an archive of useful materials. Government records and the like are made for people like myself. Some clients needed me to locate people or locations through piecemeal information. So I built up quite the archive in my Nagazora days. Oh and cleaners. Always keep records of the cleaners. You get good at it with enough practise. My work is done. It's up to you to go exploring. I suggest punch straight through the window on the 14th and see what's what."
Mei shook her head. That motion was enough to rouse a dull headache. Her hands in their leather gloves tingled. She pulled up the cuff of her jacket. Honkai burn marks pulsed crimson and white.
"That doesn't look healthy."
Mei had been distracted by pain and the unexpected sight of the burn marks. The distraction had given Amarant the opportunity to sneak up. From the corner of her eye Mei assessed her target. The woman was certainly competent. She didn't pick her for a plant. Something about her didn't mark her as Schicksal, AE, World Serpent or anyone else.
'She's more than she seems. A free agent with her own knowledge and agenda. That works fine for me. We're both free agents currently.'
The look in Amarant's green eyes was what drew the most attention. Scrutinising. Clinical. She knew what she was looking at and coming to a decision.
"Will you be okay to scout out the building?"
Mei waved the woman off.
"Getting through the sunken entrance will be the hardest part."
"Uhhh. Did you not hear me? Your lab, if it does exist, is up on the 14th floor. You can blast your way through."
Mei shook her head.
'I know Oto-sama too well. That is the last thing I should do.'
"My father isn't paranoid. But he is incredibly methodical and pragmatic. There would be security measures in place. A perimeter breach would awaken defensive systems or even shaped charges to destroy any evidence of the lab."
"The lab has been abandoned for several years."
"We assume it has. They could have been operating right up until the Third Eruption. I know whatever protections he put in place would certainly outlast anything short of complete destruction. The lab is still dangerous and I cannot afford to make any assumptions."
"Your plan of attack?"
Mei considered her father. She both knew a great deal and yet very little about the man. Enigmatic was an appropriate description. But what she could recall, she was certain of. The little details of his mind were the sorts of eccentricities she had inherited. Though she had long suppressed them, Mei was finally beginning to embrace the darker aspects of herself. The same aspects and pragmatism that had driven Raiden Ryoma to use his only daughter as an experiment. To conduct all manner of test upon her and then wipe her memories of those experiences. All she could recall was being a victim and then being in grade school years afterwards. Her very essence was repressed and warped. Raiden Ryoma had a great deal to answer for. Even these musings were based upon groundless suppositions and Mei's underlying dissatisfaction with her remaining parent. But that doubt gnawed away at her unconscious mind and bled into her real-life actions.
'You were up to something, Oto-sama. Something important enough to take it from me just as soon as I might have earned it. Something you were afraid of me recalling.'
"You are my eyes, deadweight. Watch our surroundings and find the most efficient path for me to get across to the building."
"I've no problem with that."
Amarant shifted to her knees and looked over the rim of the building. Her sweater had damp red marks around her chest. If she didn't want to talk Mei wasn't going to ask. The guide pulled out a portable two-way radio and handed it over to Mei.
"I'd say these will work to several hundred metres at most before the Honkai radiation completely degrades the signal. I've fully charged them. You've got probably a days' worth of constant use."
Mei switch the power on and pocketed the device in an inside pocket of her jacket.
"How do you plan to get down?" Amarant inquired.
Mei hopped onto the rim of the building and stepped off the edge. She reached her hand toward the glass and steel as she fell downward. Calling upon the power within, Mei electromagnetically drew herself upward and slowed her descent. Immediately she was wracked with pins and needles of delicate pain. Her chest tightened. Her vision lost all its colour. Mei ground her teeth tightly together and held onto her Herrscher power. The Honkai energy extending from her hand started to thin. Descent accelerating, Mei felt her panic rise as the ground began rushing far too quickly up. She pulsed the power within and desperately lashed out, pulling herself painfully up just before she hit the ground, limbs protesting at the sudden jarring. A few metres above the wooden planking Mei lost complete control. Like a sack of grain she plummeted and hit the wooden jetty, falling into a groaning heap.
"Mei. Mei! You alright? What happened?" Amarant called over the radio.
The Herrscher muttered a few curses as she dragged herself to her feet. The pins and needles were slowly fading. What worried her was the pain in her chest. It wasn't abating.
"I didn't think I was still that fatigued after my fight with Durandal," Mei replied.
"Don't give me a heart attack like that."
"I'll try to take your feelings into consideration next time."
"Snarky as ever. You're fine."
"How do I get across?"
"Go left and around the building. You'll find a ramp ascending to the roof of a building. Someone's put a couple of stable pontoon pallets in place beneath its northern side. Hop across those to the buildings and you'll reach a large building on the opposite side. Then it's into the water and maybe a 50-metre swim to the entrance to the ME lab. After that you're on your own."
Mei followed the directions as given. Jumping between the pontoons tested her sense of balance. The first few leaps were followed by a lengthy rest. By the final jump Mei had recovered from whatever had assaulted her earlier.
'My ability to properly wield and manipulate Honkai energy is unravelling. Even touching upon it to try enhance my athleticism leaves my limbs numb and chest clenching tightly.'
The rooftop was covered in flora waving about in the sea breeze. Tufts of stubborn grass pressed out from the cracks, healthy creepers winding about the satellite dishes and radio tower, small shrubs nestled in the corners of the low concrete lip surrounding the roof. Multiple heavy air conditioning units were scattered about. What looked like temporary generators pressed against the radio tower with a high chain-link fence to keep out the curious.
"Mei, stop right there."
The cautious woman did as instructed. She took the warning for what it was, dropping to a crouch and scanning her surroundings. She couldn't hear anything but the sea breeze as it passed through her and rippled her hair. Her fingers were pressed against the ground as she crouched in wait. A ripple passed through gloves hands. Then another. The ground was quaking ever so faintly. Mei drew the radio to her lips and dialled the volume right down.
"There's something nearby."
"I can see motion near the radio tower. My vision is blocked by the generators. But something shifting about."
"Nothing Human would survive in a place like this."
Mei eased the 12th Divine Key from its scabbard and ghosted on silent feet toward the radio tower. Years spent mastering the Raiden Itto-ryo's ninjutsu techniques were put to use. She made no sound and even with the minimal cover of greenery her presence all but disappeared. Reaching one of the air conditioning units, Mei stilled her breath and pressed her fingers against the concrete floor. The pulses were not simple regular pulses or erratic fluctuations. They had a distinct pattern to them.
'Something heavy is walking nearby.'
Pressing herself against the metal of the air conditioner, Mei leant out enough to glance through the corner of her eye. Her enhanced senses took in the scene with only a second of observation. Pulling back she clicked her teeth once. A chariot level Honkai beast was lumbering about, the airspace above it filled with several radical level beasts.
'Honkai beasts don't appear at random,' Mei mused. 'They are drawn to humanity, to humans and what they create. Nagazora has been abandoned so they have no reason to be here.'
Logic said it wasn't worth pursuing. Pragmatism said that picking a fight with the Honkai whilst suffering from unknown and random injuries was foolish. Intuition said check again. Mei leant back around and conducted a quick scan. When she drew back this time her face was a grimace. The Honkai beasts hadn't detected her presence. But they had noticed a figure in a blue cloak lying behind the chain-link fence.
"There's a civilian nearby. Honkai beasts near them," Mei whispered into the radio.
"The wooden structures were an obvious clue. I still didn't believe anybody would actually live here."
Mei was presented with two options. She could walk away and leave whoever it was to their fate. Or save them. She didn't know who this person was. They could be a foe. She was ill-prepared and suffering from unknown injuries. Her Herrscher powers were currently debilitating. Even if she somehow won, Mei could sustain injuries that would leave her unable to protect herself or Kiana.
The deadweight didn't factor into her thoughts.
Saving this person made no logical or tactical sense. Her priorities were herself, Kiana and whatever secrets her father had hidden. The Herrscher crept away from the fatal scene. Halfway across the rooftop Mei stood up and began walking. Her gait slowed. Her feet grew heavy. Her gloved hands clenched tightly about the katana's hilt. Mei let out a low, frustrated growl and clenched her eyes shut. She knew it was the best thing to do for everyone that mattered.
But she couldn't take another step.
"FUCK."
Mei pulled the radio from her jacket pocket and sighed before speaking.
"I'll need a few minutes. Get back to the camp if I die. Look after Kiana. There's a slip of paper in Kiana's jacket pocket. A contact from AE that could get you in touch with Tesla. You're smart. I'm sure you could find some intact satellite equipment if you try hard enough."
"Mei. Damnit Mei. Just what do—"
Mei turned off the radio. Her resolve held firm. She could be cold. She could be ruthless. She could even kill. But she wouldn't do things the way Schicksal, AE or World Serpent did. She wouldn't treat life cheaply. Her rules. Her life. Her way.
'You better bloody well be worth it,' Mei grizzled as she strode back toward the Honkai beasts.
Rounding the corner, Mei suppressed her presence and snuck up behind the chariot level Honkai beast. Mei had no Honkai energy or Herrscher power to call upon right now. She would begin and end this fight with human talent alone. Before the beast could respond the ninja struck, utilising the Hokushin-itto-ryo iajutsu she had long ago mastered. The broad horizontal sweep was enough to sever the stumpy rear legs of the Honkai beast. The beast fell to one side, letting out a low sonorous howl of pain. Mei dashed forward and ran up the side of the beast, letting the tip of the katana drag against the beast's flesh and scour a magenta path. At the apex Mei jumped toward a radical level beast and cut the creature in two. Landing on her feet she ducked under the razor blades of another aerial Honkai beast, shifting left and right on nimble feet as two more attacked. Weaving her blade about, Mei deflected one attack and used the momentum of the parry to skewer another beast. A radical beast dove at her head-on. Mei held her blade vertically, bracing the top with her palm, and took the blow. Her boots slid along the ground from the impact. The Honkai beast finally veered away.
The injured chariot level beast had not been idle. The creature had managed to pull itself back up. Mei had enough time to look up and recognise sonorous howl shifting pitch to a deep rumble. A moment later the howl went up one hundred or more decibels, the sonic pulse striking Mei with enough force to send her flying backwards. Intuition and years of martial training took over. Mei reversed her katana's grip, point downward, and place the blade flush with her spine. As anticipated more radical level beasts had heard the commotion and were drawn like moths to a Honkai flame. She crashed into another one, the blade taking much of the blow and injuring the beast. Already on her feet, Mei ducked under the wing-strike of the aerial beast. Two more swept in, the air rippling as they zoomed toward their target. Mei rolled under the first beast, blade slashing up and cutting the creature apart. Ending the roll, Mei jumped into the air and over the second attack, blade slashing down and clipping the beast's wings. This was the essence of Hokushin-itto-ryo; attack and defence as one.
The beasts Mei had felled slowly disintegrated into magenta fragments. Flicking her blade to one side, the woman wasted no time and charged the injured chariot level beast. The creature lifted one of its huge forelimbs and tried to crush Mei. She slid beneath and repaid the favour with a heavy slash, severing the limb. The creature finally began to crumble under the injuries. This left Mei with the other chariot and the knight. Weighing up the dangers and returns on efficiency, Mei chose to retreat. She disappeared between the air conditioning units. The chariot level beast gave chase, heavy body charging forward, the rooftop shaking under every footfall. Once within the maze of machinery Mei ducked between two units, jumping at one and kicking back off it to reach the top of the other. From her elevated position she watched the beast barrelling towards her. Counting the seconds, Mei waited until the beast was about to hit the unit she stood upon before leaping down to one side. The beast slammed into the chunk of machinery, kicking up concrete dust and sent it tumbling away. The beast shook what approximated its head and attempted to recover. A shadow appeared in the dust, katana landing several quick slashes before disappearing. The beast was surprisingly agile for its bulk, shifting about and trying to locate the source of its pain. Concrete dust filled the air. Another shadow. Another series of painful slashes. The beast let out an angry howl and slammed its heavy forearms into the floor. The kinetic pulse cleared the air. Around it was nothing but cratered concrete and fragmented remains of the air conditioning units.
A white-hot lance of pain ran up the beast's chest. It hadn't sensed the presence of someone hiding behind it when it struck the ground. It hadn't sensed them sneaking beneath it. It hadn't sensed the lethal intent. The chariot beast jumped backward, trying to see its foe and capture them. It landed three metres back. All alone. The source of its pain was missing. Then the beast was tumbling to one side. A blade had severed one of its forearms. The next slash was mercifully quick, bisecting the beast's swept back skull and ending its existence.
Mei took a long, deep breath and centred herself. She was silhouetted by the chariot level Honkai beast as it disintegrated into magenta sparkles. Her eyes were fixed on the real danger. The sanctuary level Honkai knight beast hovered silently in the middle of the rooftop. She had kept any injuries to a minimum. Expended the necessary amount of stamina possible before facing the greater threat. At three metres tall the knight possessed enough power to overcome anything with either brute force or finesse.
Simple violence called upon simple violence.
There was nothing subtle about the sprint. Mei plunged headlong into combat. The distance between Herrscher and Honkai beast disappeared in moments. The knight reared up and slammed its lance down. The rooftop cracked under the blow, Mei feinting to one side and trying to get around the back of the beast. The beast pulled the lance from the roof and swept the weapon in a wide arc. Mei had enough time roll under the sweep before dodging away from the second thrust. Coming up on hand and knee, Mei leapt at the beast and slashed at the vulnerable joint between the lance arm and elbow. The knight was too fast, pulling the lance loose and bringing the shield to bear. The blade glanced off the shield before she was slammed with the ivory tower. Mei tumbled back several metres before finally getting her footing. A steady trickle of blood rolled down her forehead. Her arms throbbed from the impact with the shield. Before she could get her breath, the knight flickered from sight. An instantaneous opening had appeared. Mei dove forward. An eyeblink later the beast appeared where Mei would have been, lance raised again to strike. The weapon pierced the air where she had once crouched. Mei had already landed and turned to strike. Her movements were clinical and efficient. With the knight's limb outstretched, Mei stepped around the side and attacked with a powerful upward slice, severing weapon from body. As anticipated the knight spun around to protect itself with the shield. Mei rolled under the beasts' legs, sheathed her sword and slapped the creature on the back. The knight spun about again. The creature did not see its prey. It hadn't heard the woman withdraw a little before starting to sprint toward the lance where it struck out of the ground.
Mei whistled loudly. The beast turned in time to see Mei sprinting up the lance before leaping off the end. The knight Honkai beast brought it's shield up. Having expected this, Mei grabbed the lip of the shield and vaulted over it. She twisted in mid-air and drew her blade, a final iajutsu to sever the knight's head from its chest. Landing lightly on her feet, Mei wiped the sweat from her face and sheathed her katana.
"You had better be worth this," Mei grizzled.
Mei strode toward radio tower. She could see the small figure collapsed on the ground; their features hidden beneath a blue cloak. Fortunately, there was no blood. Maybe they still lived.
Something ropey and incredibly strong wrapped itself several times around Mei's right forearm before hauling her backwards. Her vision turned blurry before she hit the ground and tumbled several times over. Mind rattled at the sudden assault, Mei's body turned to years of training burnt into it. She rolled to one side as ropy limbs crashed into the concrete rooftop. Mei was on her feet and pulling back before any conscious thought. Shaking off the daze, the Herrscher took stock of her surprise enemy. The Honkai beast was unfamiliar to her, level and designation unknown. It looked like jellyfish of pale white, graphite grey and magenta highlights on the underside and tentacles.
"Kurage?" Mei muttered.
Mei spat away some blood and steadied herself. Her shaking limbs settled, her breathing relaxed, her heartbeat slowed. Hand tight about hilt, Mei charged toward her foe. The kurage's limbs stretched out to abnormal lengths, slamming down and leaving long rents in the concrete roof. Mei used a quick iajutsu to knock away the attacks. Each deflection reverberated through her body. Though it looked soft the creature's strength was comparable to that of a sanctuary level Honkai knight. Possibly more. Two of the tentacles darted toward Mei. The woman parried twice as she continued her approach. Sensing an opening Mei rushed in. She ran into a solid obstruction and fell hard onto her back.
'Just what the hell happened?!'
There was no time to waste. Mei kipped onto her feet and retreated. Beyond the distance of the tentacles, Mei took stock of the situation. The kurage had created a block of pure magenta Honkai energy just before she had struck. The energy density was high enough to approximate physical properties temporarily.
'The question is the limitations of that ability. Does it need time to draw Honkai energy from the surroundings. Is there a limit of the number of fields it can manifest. How much gross physical damage can the field take before it's integrity collapses?'
The Herrscher sheathed her sword and sprinted toward her foe. The kurage slammed all of its limbs on the concrete roof. From the impact a wave of small translucent magenta pillars rippled outward, rising like a cresting wave before disintegrating into glittering sparks. Mei timed her movements, adjusting her footing and jumping just in time to catch the lip of the wave and boost herself higher still. She landed adroitly and continued her sprint. Now with an idea of her foe's abilities, Mei judged the beast's movements and anticipated what was to come. Just before reaching striking distance Mei jumped again, legs ready, one arm braced in front and the other extended. Just as before the solid cube of Honkai energy appeared. This time Mei was ready. One hand took the impact, the other grabbed the lip and hauled her over whilst she swung her legs up. The kurage had retreated backwards and into the air. Keeping up the momentum, Mei slid over the cube's top, pressing feet against the opposite and leaping higher. Again reading her opponent, Mei readied her body for the impact and scrabble. Another Honkai cube appeared just as the kurage retreated in the opposite direction. Mei parkoured up the cube's face before kicking hard off it and toward her opponent. The kurage's defensive strategy was coming undone. In quickly summoned yet another cube. Again reading the distance and when it would appear, Mei braced herself, slammed into the cube and pulled herself atop. This time the kurage fled back toward the ground. Mei had waited for this. Keeping her momentum and movements fluid, Mei shifted across the cube and grabbed the lip before pulling herself over the edge, pressing her legs against the vertical face and kicking hard off. Mei overshot the kurage, landing in a tuck-roll behind the creature and rolling to halt with gloved hands pressed against the concrete.
The kurage had made a mistake in utilising the same tactic multiple times. Mei observed that though it could manifest the cubes quickly, they were always of the same uniform size and density. If someone remained close enough to the kurage then it would be unable to conjure any of the cubes. Mei now crouched before the kurage, their distance less than that of the cube. Utilising a seated iajutusu she had mastered, Mei drew her katana just as the kurage struck. The blade severed several of the tentacles that lashed out. Mei gave the Honkai beast no time to retreat again, pressing the attack and moving quickly enough to continuously harass her foe. More tentacles lashed out, snaking through the air and trying to entangle limbs. One snagged Mei around her left forearm. In response Mei took a gamble and jammed the blade between limb and tentacle just before it started to tighten. The coils caught on the blade and tried to unwind. Mei pulled her arm tightly against her body, trapping the writhing limb as she put her weight on the blade. With a rough shove the katana severed the tentacle into multiple ringlets. Using the shock of the movement, Mei held her katana up high and went in for the kill. A single neat stroke cut the Honkai beast in two. The fragments of the kurage floated to the ground, disintegrating into flickers of magenta Honkai energy.
Panting from the pain and exertion, Mei sheathed her sword and exhaled slowly. She walked back to where the radio lay. Turning it on, she was greeted with the sound of enthusiastic clapping.
"Here I was hoping that a sudden heart-attack had robbed me of your presence."
"I could never abandon you, dear customer. Certainly not mid contract."
"One can hope."
"That was pretty damned impressive."
"And I'm about to find out if the risk was worth it."
Mei strode over to cloaked body. The chainlink fence still held. A quick slash of the katana destroyed the decaying lock on the gate. Mei pushed through the rattling gate and knelt beside the body. Rolling it over revealed a child's face, closed eyes framed by pink bangs.
"It's a child. A girl, perhaps 11. She's breathing. No obvious injuries but there are bandages."
"Maybe a survivor of a recent plane crash perhaps? Check her clothes."
Mei padded the girl over.
"Her clothes are a mish-mash. It looks like she's been scavenging like us. But it's all decently maintained. I think she's been here a while. She's bandaged all over. The dressings are fresh."
Mei began unwinding the bandages from one of the child's arms. She stopped partway down.
"Amarant, I need you to bring up your maps and plot a route back to the mall for me. Please take into account that I will be carrying the child and as I such I wish to avoid Honkai beasts and any strenuous physical exertion."
Radio silence persisted for several seconds.
"Since when do you ever say please?"
Mei looked down at the girl's forearm. An unfamiliar but distinct red pattern marked her arm. It wasn't a tattoo or skin pigmentation marking. The red pattern was artificial in nature but seemingly incomplete. The pattern turned into red fractals partway down the arm.
"I also need to ask for your assistance and support when exploring the databases you have in your phone. Just how much information would you say have regarding Stigma?"