She had just asked Yae Sakura about Sirin and learned that Sirin claimed she hadn't joined the godslaying initiative by choice—she'd been forced to.
But her compatibility with the Edict Edge was simply too high. Even after more than a decade, no one else had been found who could match her level of synchronization.
Hearing that… wasn't surprising in the least.
"Since we're all going together, there's no point wasting time in Nagazora. Go pack your things—we'll leave right away."
Sirin had originally planned to stay in Nagazora a bit longer to catch up with Kiana before leaving, but now that Kiana and the others were coming along to Sapphire City, there was no need to linger.
They could catch up on the road.
With urgent business ahead, sooner was certainly better. After all, no one knew if the Whale of Transfiguration would stay submerged—or when it might resurface.
It wasn't far from Sapphire City.
If it made a move, its first destination would definitely be the city.
If not for the guilt of still owing money, Sirin's travel plans probably would've been the other way around—Sapphire first, then Nagazora.
But she hated the feeling of being in debt… and besides, Raiden Mei was here too.
Well, truth be told, she'd half expected Mei to ask to come along anyway—after all, she hadn't yet tested the Narukami in real combat.
A Kami of the Whale's level wasn't just another mindless monster—it was one of the strongest beneath the Twelve Kami.
With Mei present, Sirin could easily play support, hang back, and let Mei take the lead.
The flight from Nagazora to Sapphire City wasn't long—four hours at most.
Kiana, lacking any identification documents, didn't even need to buy a ticket. She followed Sirin straight into a special military cabin.
A novel experience, to say the least.
Perhaps it was precisely because she didn't have these privileges that she found them intriguing. For Sirin, as a key figure in combating Kami, such special treatment was perfectly normal in a world still struggling to maintain order.
The Sentinels were never without their blades.
"It'll be four hours to Sapphire City. If you're bored, get some sleep."
As the plane took off, the cabin temperature dropped slightly. Mei handed Kiana a blanket from her side.
Kiana draped it over herself and looked at Mei with a spark of excitement. "When we get to Sapphire City and meet the Whale, can I try fighting it?"
"You want to fight it?"
"Mhm." Kiana nodded eagerly. "I've gotten stronger—I want to test my strength."
She'd even bought herself a handgun, though it served only as a limiter. Whenever she faced a strong enemy, she'd set the gun aside and rely on her fists.
"Alright," Mei said softly, "but don't act on your own."
"Don't worry, Mei."
On the other side of the cabin, Sirin rubbed her chin, glancing at Yae Sakura beside her. "Hey, don't you think those two are a little too close?"
Yae Sakura, who'd been resting with her eyes closed, opened them slightly. "What makes you say that?"
"Just look at them," Sirin whispered. "Who's that touchy?"
Kiana had rested her head on Mei's shoulder, and Mei didn't seem to mind—she stayed perfectly still, eyes closed, quietly meditating.
Yae Sakura took a quick glance. "That's normal."
"Normal?" Sirin frowned in disbelief. Was her understanding of friendship wrong? Was this what real friendship looked like?
"When people are close, it's natural to be affectionate," Yae Sakura said calmly.
"So you're saying I'm not close with her?" Sirin's expression darkened.
Kiana was her friend—her acknowledged friend—and no way was this woman going to outclass her there.
Yae Sakura nodded, then added before Sirin could explode, "You've only met her three times."
She'd simply returned Sirin's own earlier words to her in the same matter-of-fact tone.
Sirin glared at her but couldn't refute it. Huffing, she shut her eyes. "Sleep."
The flight was smooth, and by the time they arrived at Sapphire City's airport, night had already fallen.
Despite the late hour, the city shone as bright as day. Neon lights shimmered between skyscrapers, and the crowds and cars streaming along the roads painted the night in vivid color.
"There are so many people," Sirin muttered, frowning. She didn't enjoy wading through crowded places to find someone.
"So lively!"
Kiana, on the other hand, was wide-eyed with wonder. The scene before her was as bustling and vibrant as any metropolis she'd known before her transmigration. It was hard to imagine this was the same war-scarred Izumo.
"It's certainly more lively than Nagazora," Mei remarked softly. "Sapphire City has great potential—it's the heart of this entire region."
Mei wasn't particularly interested in the scenery, but she noticed Kiana's expression—beneath the awe, there was a hint of nostalgia.
Was she remembering a home she could never return to?
So Mei thought.
"Stop staring and come on. Over there."
Sirin quickly spotted a man in a suit waving in their direction. Grabbing Kiana by the wrist, she led her over.
Mei blinked, momentarily startled, before hurrying to follow.
Watching the scene, Yae Sakura sighed lightly and shook her head. Having put her cloak back on after disembarking, she followed quietly at the rear.
"Thank you for waiting, everyone. This way, please," said the man in the suit, leading them to a waiting car. "Lady Sirin, it's already late—I'll take you to the hotel first, shall I?"
"Fine, the hotel will do."
If they weren't being taken to see the Whale immediately, that meant the situation wasn't too severe yet—the creature likely remained deep beneath the sea.
The man said no more, driving them toward their destination while briefing Sirin on the latest intelligence concerning the Whale.
They couldn't operate in such deep waters, so all data came from remote technological monitoring.
"Many other marine Kami have been influenced and now follow it," the man explained. "Please, Lady Sirin, be cautious of them. Each Kami's abilities differ, and our data on underwater entities remains… incomplete."
Humans were far less durable than Kami.
If killed, they stayed dead.
No one wanted to see a wielder of the Edict Edge—someone capable of dueling the Almighty Thunder—fall in some unforeseen accident.
"I understand the situation," Sirin said, then turned her head. "But you should really be briefing her, not me."
She nodded toward Raiden Mei, who was listening carefully.
"This is Raiden Mei," Sirin introduced. "I've transferred the Whale of Transfiguration mission to her. After all, the Narukami is far more suited for slaying Kami than I am."
"Mi… Miss Raiden?"
The Narukami was legendary—everyone knew the name. But since all available records were text-based, the man hadn't recognized Mei at first glance.
"…Yes, that's me," Mei said with a nod. She couldn't help feeling a little awkward. Was everyone she met going to react like this?
She knew only a little about what Sirin had told others.
But whatever Sirin had said to describe her, it must have been quite something—to shock every person who laid eyes on her.