Five Pulls, Seven Golds

Faced with Kiana's questioning, Shu really wanted to just make up some excuse and brush it aside.

It wasn't because he wanted to keep his abilities secret from others. Shu didn't have that kind of mindset.

Kiana and the others were all partners that Shu could completely trust. Even Otto wouldn't just casually try anything on him because he coveted his abilities.

It was simply because there were more pressing matters at hand.

Two trained killers, not necessarily strong collaborators, were likely hiding somewhere in this bar. They could be watching them already, and the longer they lingered, the more dangerous it became.

But Kiana had this fixation on his special ability. Shu still remembered how she'd been muttering about wanting to see his hidden powers in action.

"I'll tell you about it later, you can watch me use my abilities as much as you want." Shu waved his hand, pushing Kiana away from him slightly.

"Listen, right now there are likely two special Honkai soldiers here, one white and one black. They're characterized by dual-wielding swords, are tall and slender, and have horn-like ornaments. They look similar to Far Eastern samurai."

Shu turned his head and passed the gun he was holding through the gap in the gate.

"The white Honkai soldier can dodge bullets, but it's not strong in close combat. Don't even think about using a gun, that guy's bullet-dodging ability is practically on another level."

Shu recalled how that soldier could go from unconscious to an all-out attack in the blink of an eye, and he couldn't help but shiver, instinctively reaching up to touch his face. Thank goodness my handsome face is still intact.

The fleeting moment of self-admiration from Shu made Kiana roll her eyes. "So, does that mean there's also a black one that's good at close combat and should be dealt with using a gun?"

"Uh… basically, yeah." Shu stared at Kiana, and after seeing her somewhat bewildered expression, he concluded that she didn't possess any special abilities.

"Really?" Shu's confirmation actually made Kiana feel a little unsure of herself. "Really… is it really that simple?"

"Yep, it's that simple." Shu nodded, then added something ambiguous, "Though the guy who created them is obsessed with asymmetry, they're surprisingly well-matched."

As he spoke, Shu couldn't help but let his gaze drift downwards.

Kiana was wearing denim shorts, and around her thigh was a plain leg ring.

Yeah, they really are obsessed with asymmetry, especially with leg rings.

"Mei, you and Bronya stay outside and keep a lookout, constantly monitoring the surroundings. If there's an attack, make your own decisions." Shu gave a final warning, then turned and beckoned to Kiana, who was still deep in thought, and walked into the shack.

Stepping through the door, even though he'd been here once before, Shu was still taken aback by the difference between the inside and outside decor.

It had been nighttime then, and it was a miracle he could even see the bar's general structure in the dark.

Now, the sky outside was bright, and the bar was well-lit, allowing Shu to see much more clearly.

It was luxurious, flamboyant, as if the person who had built it wanted to loudly proclaim to the world that they were rich.

"Look, that gun was found on this guy." Kiana pointed to a corpse closest to the entrance, the black suit turned inside out, showing that it had been completely looted.

No, wait, he still has his clothes on.

"Be vigilant," Shu warned. Then, looking at Kiana, who had already started looting another corpse, Shu added, "Trust your instincts."

"Got it!" Kiana mumbled, her looting movements unusually skillful. "Where's the gun…?"

Shu: "..." He suspected that Kiana had some kind of innate talent for this.

"Ah! I found one! Full magazine!" Kiana had pulled a gold, and Shu's fingers suddenly twitched.

Crap, my gacha addiction is acting up.

With this thought, Shu couldn't help but look at the corpse by his feet. After swallowing hard, he muttered a few random words in his mind.

"Amen, hallelujah, may the three pure ones protect me, and… I hope you get reincarnated." Shu offered a prayer for the dead, carefully turning the corpse over. "It's not that I'm too greedy, it's that you were born in the wrong era. May you be born into a better life in your next life, free from the Honkai's influence."

The turned-over corpse stared blankly at Shu with empty eyes, as if saying what are you going on about?

Shu put his hands together in prayer, closing the corpse's eyes, and then reached into the pocket of its suit.

He pulled out a car key for a small electric scooter.

Shu: "..." What an unlucky item. I really hate these kind of probability games.

"Ah! Another gun! Shu, look! This guy actually had two guns on him!" Kiana, a short distance away, excitedly waved a gun at Shu.

Shu rolled his eyes, then decisively stuffed the electric scooter key into his pocket and walked away from the corpse.

So what if you're a loot goblin? You'll never understand the struggles of a non-whale!

Shu silently consoled himself.

"Kiana, there's a metal baseball bat over there. Wanna give it a try?"

Watching Kiana pull "five golds from three pulls," Shu leaned against a glass display case, directing her to a place where she wouldn't be such a bad luck magnet.

After appeasing his gacha desires, Shu focused on surveying his surroundings, keeping an eye out for any movement.

Turning his head, Shu spotted various alcoholic beverages on the bar. Shu didn't know much about liquor, but it all looked incredibly high-end. He couldn't resist picking up a bottle and holding it up in front of his eyes.

The golden liquid, illuminated by the light streaming in from the door and refracted through the glass, made Shu think he was holding a pure, solid gem rather than alcohol.

Of course, it was just that – it didn't have any special appeal to him.

He really didn't know anything about alcohol.

"Kiana." Shu called out, and Kiana, now carrying a baseball bat in one hand, returned to him. Clearly, she was very satisfied with her new loot.

"Do you drink?" Shu asked, holding the bottle. He was wondering if he should get a couple of bottles for Himeko as a gift.

Kiana paused, then finally noticed the expensive-looking liquor in Shu's hand.

"I'm not of age yet, I can't drink." Kiana looked at the liquor in Shu's hand with disdain.

She didn't have any positive feelings for alcohol. After all, the two heavy drinkers she knew became… very troublesome when they were drunk.

Like her dad, who would try to tickle her with his beard while drunk, and Himeko, who would climb into her bed late at night smelling of alcohol…

What would Shu be like when he's drunk?

Kiana suspiciously turned to look at Shu. Shu, feeling embarrassed, put the alcohol back down.

"Ahem, what a coincidence, I don't drink either."

Kiana "tsk"ed, stuffing all the guns into Shu's hands, then turned to go back and continue her loot search.

Just then, a sudden gunshot rang out from outside. The two exchanged a look and rushed towards the entrance.