"Elysia-nee!"
Shiraha broke into a quick jog, already scanning for a taxi. With his current physical fitness, trying to track her down on foot would probably just end with him collapsing from exhaustion halfway there.
Wait no.
Shiraha screeched to a sudden halt, his small body pitching forward slightly. He stood frozen at the intersection.
"What's wrong?"
Elysia had run past him. She turned back, grabbed his hand, and tried to tug him forward again.
Shiraha jogged a few reluctant steps, his gaze fixed on Elysia's legs as he moved. "Elysia-nee… how are you stepping on the ground?"
"Hmm. Not entirely sure." Elysia didn't slow down. "Have you ever played Block Game?"
"Block Game?"
Shiraha blinked. What game was that?
"You've never played Block Game?"
Elysia tried to elaborate. "You know, you dig blocks, place blocks. Build cobblestone generators, torment villagers, mine for diamonds and fight the Ender Dragon."
"You've seriously never played it? I remember it being the most popular single-player game out there."
Shiraha was silent for a beat, then arranged his face into an expression of sudden realization. "Oh, that. Yeah, I've played it. Go on, Elysia-nee."
"I'm basically like Spectator Mode." Elysia lifted one hand, grasping at empty air. "Sometimes I can pass through things. Sometimes I can kind of touch them. But even when I can touch… I can't really do anything."
Sigh.
This ghost-like existence was genuinely disheartening. But fate had allowed her to keep walking this world, to witness all its vibrant life. Elysia could be content with that much.
She'd even gone to school in this lifetime! Sure, the teacher would never remember having her as a student, but still.
Spirits buoyed by the thought, she picked up her pace, sprinting onward until she realized Shiraha was gradually slowing to a stop behind her. She turned back, puzzled.
Shiraha stood his ground and extended his hand toward her.
Elysia tilted her head. What's this about?
"So, to summarize: even if you're not touching me, you won't suddenly fall out of the universe or anything. But when you do touch me, you can use me as a medium to exert a little influence on the world. Is that about right?"
Elysia nodded. "That's a fair way to put it."
Shiraha stretched his hand out further. Elysia opened her mouth, then closed it.
She sighed. "Shiraha, little brother… if only you were a real innocent little flower."
But this wasn't the time for such laments. Elysia scooped Shiraha up into her arms without further ceremony, lifting him effortlessly against her chest.
She stepped lightly onto a nearby fire hydrant. The next instant, they were standing atop a building dozens of meters high.
"Onee-chan Express—launch!"
Shiraha felt the fierce wind buffet his face. The most primal of human desires, the yearning for the sky, sent a thrill racing through him.
Security cameras had definitely caught that. No matter. He'd just play dumb with Uncle Ryoma and blame it all on his "Stigmata."
What Stigmata? The Origin-brand Stigmata, of course.
Elysia bounded between high-rises.
With her level of Honkai perception, as long as Mei wasn't deliberately suppressing her presence, Elysia could locate her from cities away.
In just over ten minutes, Shiraha was out of the suburbs and into the city proper.
From the heights, Shiraha silently memorized the layout of the streets below. Then, at a certain point, Elysia came to a stop. She stood on the rooftop of an old apartment building in the older district and gently set Shiraha down.
"Here?"
"Third floor."
Their exchange was clipped, efficient. This wasn't the time for theatrics.
The rooftop access door was locked. But something this trivial didn't even require Elysia's help. Shiraha extended a finger. Honkai energy seeped delicately into the lock cylinder. A subtle twist, and the door swung open.
The stairwell was dark. The motion-sensor lights had been broken for who-knew-how-long. Only the emergency exit sign in the corner cast a sickly green glow.
Shiraha descended, his breathing growing shallow. He stopped outside the target door. Inside the modest, unremarkable apartment, voices were casually discussing how best to sell Mei off for a high price.
"The boss got himself killed two years ago over this same brat. Squeezing the Raiden family for more is dangerous."
A male voice. Unclear who.
"Someone's offering big money." A second voice, steadier, middle-aged. "Wants the girl delivered intact. Something about a 'Stigmata'… I don't get all that religious mumbo-jumbo, but those fanatics' money spends just fine."
"Brother, you sure you're not being played?"
A younger voice, tinged with skepticism.
"Down payment was thirty million." The middle-aged man chuckled. "You think that's fake?"
"At the door, Shiraha's hand froze mid-motion. Thirty million… just for the down payment?
That was excessive. Was Mei worth that much? Absolutely. But for a down payment? For a bunch of kidnappers? That figure was absurdly high. Suspiciously high.
Beside him, Elysia didn't stay silent. She was, after all, a seasoned warrior.
"Shiraha. When you push that door open, I'm going to teach you a skill. One that, for now, belongs exclusively to your Elysia-nee."
Shiraha took a deep breath and obeyed, pushing the door open. At this stage, he trusted the Herrscher of Origin even more than he trusted himself.
The door groaned loudly. Inside, everything went dead silent, followed immediately by the sharp click of safeties being thumbed off.
Shiraha took in the scene. An old two-bedroom apartment. Mei was tied to a wooden chair, tape over her mouth, her head hanging low.
"Mei. You awake?"
Elysia asked it. Shiraha repeated it aloud.
Mei nodded frantically, muffled sounds escaping from behind the tape.
She didn't fully grasp the situation yet, but this wasn't her first kidnapping. She had experience, in a manner of speaking.
Shiraha shook his head. Mei let out another stifled whimper.
"What the—? Just some brat."
The youngest-looking kidnapper exhaled in relief, though his gun stayed trained on the doorway.
The oldest of the group picked up a photograph, holding it up beside Shiraha's face for comparison. He looked utterly composed.
"Wait a second… This one's the Raiden family's adopted kid." He narrowed his eyes, the corner of his mouth curling upward. "Might be worth something too."
"Pack it up. This location's blown for sure. Remember keep both brats in front of you. Human shields."
"Inagawa, tie up that brat quickly. An extra bargaining chip never hurts. The boss and the others… their deaths shouldn't be for nothing."
"At the very least, we're set for life after this."
The most composed-looking man issued orders while packing up. No one paid Shiraha any real attention. A gun was still pointed his way, what could possibly go wrong?
The young man by the window grunted in acknowledgment. His gun barrel wavered slightly as he started walking toward Shiraha.
Shiraha acted as though he hadn't heard. His hand was held in Elysia's grip, index and middle fingers pressed together, thumb raised high, like a gunsight.
Under Elysia's guidance, he adjusted the angle of his hand just slightly, aligning it with the approaching young man.
Elysia spoke suddenly. "A shame, really. Little Mei's probably going to have nightmares for days after this."
I really haven't been very good to that girl. Not only did I send her a fake little brother… now I've become the source of her childhood trauma.
"Bang!"
That was the sound Shiraha made with his mouth. The little boy looked perfectly innocent.
Almost laughable.
Bang!
That was the sound of a head bursting open. Gray matter mixed with red. The splattering cranial fluid choked the words from every throat in the room. The man's body remained standing, his gun still vaguely aimed in Shiraha's direction, but his finger could no longer pull the trigger.
Elysia, after all, wasn't truly alive. She didn't dare hold back. In this moment, she trusted her own abilities even less than Shiraha did.