AQK 231-240 (Patreon)

Chapter 231: Her Ideal Could Save the World, but Not Herself.

—Scene unfolds

After keeping her promise to Raven, Mei left the warship after making Kiana Sweet Pepper Curry and arrived at the agreed-upon location.

"You've come—"

A voice sounded from above.

Mei looked up and saw Raven sitting listlessly on a corner of the roof.

She landed lightly on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Exactly two hours, no more, no less. I like people who are as punctual as you."

"As promised, I came alone."

"Looks like I don't need to ask. You're already prepared. Come with me."

Seeing this, in the Q&A space:

Raven was taken aback, raising an eyebrow and asking somewhat strangely, "This is... me?"

Fu Hua's conversation with Kevin and Su hadn't been concealed from them, as they were Kevin's subordinates.

So Raven roughly understood what this so-called Q&A Space was.

But seeing herself appear in the video, talking to a girl named Raiden Mei and seemingly getting along quite well...

It felt a little odd.

Under Raven's strange gaze, the version of herself in the video walked with Mei, muttering to herself as they walked 

"It's become so quiet here after the children left."

"It's almost become like that ruin down there—quiet, desolate, and devoid of any life."

Raven complained in the video, and Mei knew Raven was referring to Sora and the others, so she couldn't help but feel curious.

"What will happen to them?"

"They'll receive further treatment in advanced and safe facilities, in an artificially controlled Honkai energy environment, with customized, procedural care and more space and freedom..."

Raven answered with a smile, but for some reason, Mei sensed a hint of resentment in her voice.

"Both the material conditions and the spiritual experience are worlds apart from life in the 'Nest.'"

"When the last treatment is over, those children will fully awaken their Stigmata. Then they can leave their past behind and begin a new life."

Hearing this, Mei scoffed and asked, "World Serpent will let them leave?"

"These children are precious Stigmata Awakeners. I don't think your companions will let them go so easily."

Mei emphasized the word "companions."

The person she was referring to was self-evident.

Although Jackal hadn't seen the previous episodes, from Mei's description in the video, she naturally knew that among Raven's companions, only she would be interested in the so-called Stigmata Candidates.

"Hmph."

She snorted coldly at Mei's obvious sarcasm, not bothering to argue.

Because it was indeed the truth, wasn't it?

If it weren't for that troublesome Raven, she probably would have already dismembered those useful brats for research purposes.

Of course, out of humanitarianism, she might have pieced them back together.

But their appearance would definitely be very different from before.

When Raven in the video heard the question, she smiled gently and spoke confidently.

"They will, because it's the Lord's order, the 'reward' he promised me."

"...'Reward'?"

Raven in the video smiled and said nothing more. After navigating the winding alleyways, the two finally stopped in front of an iron gate.

"We're here."

"The Lord is behind this door. He wants to see you alone."

She spoke somewhat casually.

Mei, however, replied very calmly, "Open the door."

"..."

This decisive, unwavering attitude left Raven speechless.

She glanced sideways at Mei, gazing at her slightly weary yet incredibly determined face, and couldn't help but sigh.

"It's truly astonishing. When we first met, I thought you were just an innocent, naive good girl."

"But in just a few days, your eyes have changed completely. You've undergone a transformation in such a short time."

She offered a blessing.

"...I hope you get the answer you seek. Go, and good luck."

The iron gate slowly opened, leading Mei into a dimly lit plaza.

Tap—tap—tap—

In the darkness, heavy footsteps approached through the quiet stillness.

"...Who are you?"

Looking at the approaching figure, Mei instinctively gasped.

The air grew colder with the man's arrival. Mei felt as if she were standing in an ancient ice cellar.

A sense of oppression surged from deep within her, rendering her immobile.

"Kevin Kaslana, leader of World Serpent."

The white-haired man in the trench coat introduced himself succinctly.

With that calm voice, the oppressive feeling vanished abruptly.

Mei looked into those eyes as if seeing two empty voids.

Within those voids, there seemed to be sorrow—a sorrow that time could not erase, a sorrow that would never heal.

Seeing this scene, some people turned their gaze toward Kevin.

The same feeling...

But a few couldn't help glancing at the otherworld Kiana.

This Herrscher of Finality bore similar marks.

But one thing was certain: the sorrow she carried far surpassed that of Kevin Kaslana.

"..." Kiana glanced at Kevin indifferently.

The traces of Finality lingering on him earlier had already caught her attention.

As for the slightly similar aura to her own, she hadn't paid much attention to it.

Now, looking at him more closely, she could see that his life was filled with stories.

Mei in the video was taken aback.

"...Kaslana?"

This naturally caught her attention. After all, Kiana's surname was Kaslana.

But Kevin obviously wasn't going to say anything about that.

With a calm expression, he cut straight to the point.

"Raiden Mei, you have someone you want to save, but Schicksal and Anti-Entropy cannot fulfill your wish."

"I promise you, World Serpent can save that girl."

A transaction is always two-way.

To gain something, you must give something in return.

Mei naturally understood this principle.

Looking at the terrifying white-haired young man before her, she hesitated for a moment before asking:

"...What are your conditions?"

"You."

The man's words were calm and brief, yet carried a heavy weight, like a law etched into an ancient pillar, unalterable and inviolable.

Upon hearing this already familiar answer, the expressions of those at St. Freya were generally grim.

However, Kevin's two comrades...

Su couldn't help but smile slightly.

Fu Hua, on the other hand, helplessly covered her forehead.

She had known this might happen.

After all, Mei was far too similar to the Dr. Mei she knew.

Whether in appearance or intelligence, the similarity made one wonder if reincarnation truly existed.

Fu Hua believed Kevin could distinguish between Mei and Dr. Mei.

...But believing was one thing.

She didn't believe Kevin would simply watch and not make a move to recruit a girl so similar to Dr. Mei.

Not to mention flirting... this 50,000-year-old lifelong bachelor was practically guaranteed never to find another.

But, knowing Kevin as she did,

this guy would definitely want to keep Mei by his side, protecting her from any harm.

Kevin himself, however, showed no reaction.

He remained indifferent, arms crossed, his gaze on his reflection in the image seemingly detached from himself.

...

"...I need to know the specific method, and then see her escape danger."

Facing the weight of those words, Mei hesitated for only a moment before giving her answer.

She looked at Kevin and whispered:

"If you can really do it... then I'll do anything for you."

Perhaps it was because they were so alike.

Kevin was very forthcoming with Mei.

He spoke calmly, yet with a touch of warmth.

"The girl named Kiana is on the verge of death. The core's erosion has exceeded her limits."

"To save her life, the excess core must be removed from her body. There is only one way."

"I will make you the Herrscher of Thunder again."

"...What?"

Kevin's answer startled Mei, leaving her in disbelief.

But Kevin continued:

"You are the chosen Herrscher, and a portal connecting you to the Imaginary Tree will forever remain within your body."

"When the residual energy of the Third Eruption is absorbed by that portal, you will awaken once more and reclaim the Herrscher of Thunder's power from Kiana."

"A new Herrscher Core will solidify within her, while the Gem of Conquest will disintegrate and disappear. Reducing the number of Cores will alleviate her symptoms."

The cold voice struck Mei, reminding her of the strange events of the past few days.

Dr. Tesla's diagnosis, the sudden dizziness, and Raven's abrupt change in attitude...

She suddenly understood everything.

Mei looked at Kevin, her face expressionless, and asked:

"If I become the Herrscher, Kiana will be saved?"

"That's right."

She received an affirmative answer.

In an instant, Mei's face showed a mix of emotions, including relief and ease, but no hesitation.

"...Then I have nothing to hesitate about."

"Three years ago, she led me out of the darkness. Without Kiana, I wouldn't be who I am today. For her sake, I'm willing to return to that darkness."

She spoke calmly, her eyes unwavering with resolve.

But Mei still thought of a potentially unpleasant possibility. She looked at Kevin and said proactively:

"But if I'm manipulated by Honkai again, I hope you can..."

Before she could finish, Kevin interrupted.

"You don't need to worry. That won't happen."

"What you should really care about is what happens after you become a Herrscher."

"...?"

Mei was puzzled.

Kevin calmly uttered words that changed Mei's expression.

"This time, you saved Kiana, but next time, she will still put herself in danger."

"She will continue to use the power of the Herrscher of the Void again and again for those around her and for this world."

"As long as Honkai exists, as long as Herrschers are born, she will always step forward, constantly pushing herself to the brink of death—"

He spoke solemnly.

"Until she gives her life."

"I have seen countless people like her."

"Even in the face of death and fear, they still firmly do what they believe is right and walk the path they believe in."

"...They left, and none of them came back."

These seemingly ordinary words carried immense sorrow.

Besides Kevin, no one understood Kevin's words better than Su, Kevin's former best friend.

He had witnessed those people.

Moreover, throughout his long journey of observation, Su had seen countless fools—or heroes—just as Kevin described.

Tesla bit her lip, clenching her fists.

Among her companions, there had been quite a few people like that...

Kevin's words pierced Mei's heart like ice picks. She wanted to refute them, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Because it was the deepest pain in her heart.

Because it was a fact that no matter how much she sacrificed, she couldn't change.

"...No... I won't let that happen...!"

Though so powerless, Mei absolutely refused to face that future, that cruel reality.

She resisted, yet she couldn't find much confidence in herself.

Kevin understood this.

He looked at Mei and uttered a truth that pained her deeply.

"You can't stop her. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here in the first place."

Kevin paused.

"But you have another choice."

"You can choose to become a member of the 'Serpent.'"

"...What did you say?"

Mei was somewhat stunned, clearly not understanding.

Kevin patiently explained.

"Soon, the Herrschers will arrive one after another, and the war between humanity and Honkai will enter its next phase."

"You can choose to join World Serpent, eliminate Honkai, capture the Herrschers, and seal their powers... so that the Herrscher of the Void can never grow stronger again."

"Only by leaving Kiana's side can you truly protect her from danger."

Presenting the advantages and disadvantages, Kevin, befitting his role as the leader of World Serpent, began his sales pitch, painting an irresistible picture for Mei.

"And when Project Stigma is completed, you and she will return to 'humanity.'"

"————"

A deafening roar rang out, followed by a beam of light. The sky shattered under its radiance, scattering like broken glass.

During their conversation, this sudden anomaly startled Mei, leaving her confused.

"...What happened?"

Kevin merely turned his head to glance at the source of the strange phenomenon and calmly spoke.

"The time has come."

"The gate has been opened. Soon, the Imaginary Tree will manifest in Nagazora City."

"The slumbering Honkai energy will be released from the ley lines. Absorb it, and you can become the Herrscher of Thunder again, buying her more time."

"But if you truly want to save her life, you have only one path to take."

He looked at Mei and said calmly.

"Whether you trust me or trust World Serpent, I'll give you time to decide."

"Raiden Mei, Kiana's fate is in your hands."

"I don't need to convince you, because you know better than I do..."

"—Her ideals can save the world, but not herself."

Those words, like thunderclaps, shattered the last vestiges of hope in Mei's heart.

The past, and everything happening now, told her that the leader of World Serpent standing before her was right.

If things continued, even if everyone else could be saved...

Kiana...

would absolutely not be saved.

And for Mei, who had been saved by Kiana and considered her everything,

such an ending...

was unacceptable.

---

Chapter 232: You're Quite A Smooth Talker; Don't Say That Again Next Time

"So... that's how it is..."

After watching this, Kiana understood why Mei had left her.

She lowered her head, her expression complicated, then looked up at Mei, unsure of what to say.

Mei, however, remained calm, though a hint of melancholy lingered in her eyes.

Although she hadn't experienced it herself, she could understand the feeling of watching Kiana move forward in those past images while being powerless to reach her.

...After all, it was her.

Suddenly, Mei looked up at Kevin and asked,

"I have a question. Why are you so concerned about me?"

Although the images made it seem that Kevin needed her to join only because she was the prototype of the Herrscher of Thunder,

Mei could still sense a certain emotion hidden beneath Kevin's cold exterior.

Even now, she could feel it.

This man named Kevin Kaslana cared deeply about her.

The fact that he occasionally glanced at her was proof enough.

"...Is it because I look like someone you know?"

Before helping Fu Hua recover from her injuries, Fu Hua had told her that Mei closely resembled someone she knew.

But Fu Hua hadn't specified who.

Of course, Mei didn't ask; she had no interest in gossip.

However, with her accumulated wisdom, Mei could deduce something from Fu Hua's casual remark.

"...Yes."

Kevin was honest. After a brief pause, he readily admitted it.

He wasn't good at hiding things, nor did he like to.

Besides, this wasn't something worth hiding.

Before Mei could ask anything further, the advancing video revealed a long-buried past known only to the two of them.

"I remember it very clearly..."

An elegant, intellectual female voice rang out.

"That night, I happened to walk to the window and look up at the starry sky."

"I suddenly had a strange feeling, as if I wasn't looking up at the stars, but rather the stars were looking down at me."

"Under the vast Milky Way, I was so small. Humanity was so small. Everything around me became insignificant in that instant."

"At that moment, I immediately had a thought."

"I believed that every star in the sky was our enemy."

In the video, the afterglow of the setting sun shone upon the two people sitting on a bench.

A white-haired youth and a black-haired woman wearing glasses...

"...Mei?!"

Kiana was taken aback upon seeing the figure in the image.

Rubbing her eyes, she thought she was seeing things.

But after glancing at Mei beside her and then looking back at the girl in the image, Kiana was completely bewildered.

The two weren't exactly identical, but they were practically indistinguishable.

But... the young man next to Mei...

Isn't that Kevin?!

Kiana looked at the white-haired young man sitting on the other side of the bench in the image, comparing him to Kevin.

Hmm... something felt slightly off...

"Is that Dr. Mei, the most outstanding sage of the Previous Era recorded in the Void Archives?"

Otto, unlike Kiana, wasn't surprised. Instead, he asked with considerable interest.

"...Although she's a little different from what I remember, it should be her."

Fu Hua glanced at the two people in the image, only half certain.

"Eh... Dr. Mei? Is that Dr. Mei?! How come she looks exactly like Mei?"

The Book of Fuxi was somewhat surprised and equally amazed, circling around the image before circling around Mei.

As for this question, none of those present could probably give a reasonable explanation.

So, let's just consider it a coincidence.

"...Every star is an enemy?"

The white-haired youth, Kevin Kaslana, was completely different in the image from the cold figure he later became. He looked like an exceptionally cheerful young man.

Mei's words only made him scratch his head in confusion.

"That's right."

Mei answered with certainty before giving an example.

"In the physics textbook, there's a picture of Earth taken by a space probe from 640 million kilometers away."

"Ah, I remember! There was almost nothing in that picture. I searched for a long time before I finally found a tiny blue dot."

Kevin's answer didn't surprise Mei.

"That's Earth, the planet we were born on, the planet that has existed for 4.6 billion years. In the vast universe, it's just a tiny speck of light."

"Thousands of years of human history, billions of lives, and countless achievements in knowledge and culture are all insignificant on the scale of the universe."

"I often wonder, in such a vast universe, how much significance can one person really have?"

She spoke with a touch of melancholy.

Kevin paused.

"..."

Then—

"Hahahaha—"

A hearty laugh echoed through the quiet academy, reaching the ears of everyone watching the video.

Raven, with her hands on her hips, stared at the white-haired youth on the screen, who had an inexplicably goofy air about him. She was completely unable to connect him with the image of her Lord.

She twitched her lips, somewhat speechless, and asked,

"...Is that the Lord?"

Jackal, who had always idolized the Lord, now shared Raven's sentiment. Looking at the goofy figure on the screen, she muttered,

"Perhaps..."

—A clown sent by the monkeys?

Fu Hua was also somewhat surprised.

Among the Fire Moths, she had joined relatively late.

When she first met Kevin, he was already the perpetually icy figure who always seemed burdened by endless debts.

However, she wasn't one to pry into other people's pasts, so she had never bothered to learn more about him.

She was surprised to discover that her comrade-in-arms had once been like this.

Su, on the other hand, remained expressionless, revealing only a hint of nostalgia.

Long before joining Fire Moth, he had been Kevin's close friend.

The two had once been inseparable.

He had witnessed firsthand how Kevin transformed from a warm, cheerful young man into the cold, aloof person he had become.

Amid everyone's surprise, when Kevin suddenly burst into laughter, Mei looked at him in confusion.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just find it very interesting."

Kevin quickly waved his hand before chuckling.

"In the past, whenever I dated other girls, if we talked about the starry sky, the conversation would inevitably turn to zodiac signs, blood types, and things like that."

"This is the first time I've ever met a girl who talks about the universe and humanity after looking at the stars. You're truly something."

"..."

Mei fell silent.

"You're quite the smooth talker. Don't say that again."

This scene amused everyone.

Besides marveling at Kevin's poor choice of words, there was naturally plenty of discussion about his remark regarding other girls.

"It's hard to imagine you actually went on dates with girls," Einstein said bluntly.

"..."

Having been exposed, Kevin fell silent.

His expression remained indifferent as he replied.

"That's not surprising."

"People always change. They can become completely different from who they once were, sometimes to the point of being unrecognizable."

Just as Kiana could never have imagined herself killing her friends and becoming the Herrscher of Finality, destroying the world.

Kevin had also never imagined that his happy school life would one day be irretrievably lost because of the world's cruelty.

"...I mean, you're unique, different from everyone else."

Kevin realized Mei had misunderstood, so he quickly corrected himself and changed the subject.

"Please continue. The topic was quite interesting. I'd like to hear more."

But Mei only became more speechless.

"I've already finished. You still haven't answered my question."

"Oh, right... Hmm, let me think."

Kevin was momentarily at a loss for words, his mind going blank.

But as a master of romance and the first inheritor of the Kaslana bloodline's notorious charm,

Kevin quickly regained his composure with his excellent speaking skills.

He spoke,

"Like you said, the universe is vast, and Earth is small."

"Perhaps, to this universe, we... and everything we care about... are meaningless."

"Indeed."

Mei nodded noncommittally, making Kevin sigh.

He scratched the back of his head.

"That's a heavy conclusion."

Mei, however, saw things differently.

Regarding Kevin's brief assessment, she calmly replied.

"But despite all this, I, you, and humanity else in this world are still living meaningful lives."

"We live, we exist, we make every choice in life, and we seize every moment."

She emphasized the word "humanity."

"Humanity originally had no meaning, but 'we' give it meaning."

"Now you sound like a philosopher again."

Mei didn't seem bothered. Instead, she replied seriously.

"When it comes to the fundamental questions of the universe, science and philosophy have something in common."

This remark earned a nod of agreement from Einstein.

Frankly, among all the brilliant minds present, Einstein's way of thinking was the most similar to Dr. Mei's.

As for the Mei here...

To be honest, Mei wasn't really a qualified researcher.

Her research was purely for her own goals: protecting Kiana and contributing to humanity's fight against Honkai.

Compared to Dr. Mei in the video, who worried about the future and contemplated the universe,

Mei's perspective was much simpler.

"I'm curious about something."

Dr. Mei looked at Kevin.

Kevin blinked in confusion.

"What is it?"

"You don't seem like someone who would be interested in this topic at all, yet you've been listening to me this entire time."

She asked seriously,

"Do you really think this conversation has value? I hope you'll answer honestly."

"...If you're asking whether it has value, I can't really answer that."

Kevin scratched his head awkwardly before rubbing his cheek.

But seeing Dr. Mei's serious expression, he still answered honestly.

"To be honest, I can probably only understand half of what you're saying... maybe even less."

He paused before continuing,

"But..."

"The way you talk about these things so earnestly is really captivating, so... I want to keep listening."

Hearing this answer, Dr. Mei was slightly stunned.

"Just for that reason?"

Kevin nodded.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Dr. Mei was puzzled.

Nothing in her education had ever prepared her for an answer like this.

Or rather, she had always preferred to devote all her energy to the endless ocean of knowledge.

So Kevin's answer, which could only be described as foolish yet sincere, seemed incredibly strange to her.

"I don't know either. Or rather, I want to know as well."

"I'll learn from you and do my best to find the answer to that question."

Kevin answered so seriously that it was obvious he truly meant it.

Dr. Mei paused.

"..."

After a long silence, she covered her face, half laughing and half exasperated, before letting out a rare chuckle.

"Hehe..."

Kevin's eyes lit up, and he immediately praised her.

"You finally smiled! You look beautiful when you smile!"

People naturally enjoy being praised.

Dr. Mei was no exception.

She smiled faintly at Kevin before casually continuing the conversation.

"This summer, I'm going to Mu Continent to attend an academic conference. Many famous physics professors and scholars will be there."

"I plan to speak with them and discuss my ideas."

"It may sound arrogant, but I want to meet people who can change the world, and I want to become one of them."

"I want to see how far I can go beneath this starry sky."

As she spoke, her intelligent eyes shone with confidence and anticipation for the future.

Those qualities were precisely what attracted Kevin.

Looking at the girl who had captivated him, he encouraged her.

"Go for it! I believe you'll accomplish everything you said today."

Dr. Mei smiled.

Then she asked,

"What about you?"

"Kevin, what are your plans for the future?"

She looked at him expectantly.

Kevin simply shrugged with a carefree smile.

"No, absolutely not."

"I don't have lofty ideals like yours. Changing the world is too far beyond me."

"I just want to live well in the present, cherish every moment, be happy, and live freely."

This simple answer surprised Dr. Mei.

"You don't think about the future at all?"

Kevin waved his hand with a grin.

"I just don't want to."

"The world is so big. There's always a place that welcomes me and always something waiting for me to do."

"But if I only look ahead, I'll miss the people standing beside me."

"I'm still a high school student! Living a little more innocently and a little more happily suits me better."

Hearing that answer, Dr. Mei couldn't help sighing.

"...What a frivolous person."

Yet as she looked at the cheerful young man before her, she still offered him her blessing.

"Still, I wish you success in achieving your dreams."

"Thank you. I hope both of our dreams come true."

"Oh, by the way, how about we go to Mu Continent together this summer—"

(The video ends here.)

...

Even someone as cold as Kevin...

After seeing Dr. Mei again and recalling those joyful days of his life, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

Kiana sighed as she looked at her ancestor.

Because of his own experiences, along with Kiana's experiences in another world, the cheerful, flirtatious boy in the video had become the man he was today. His experiences must have been no less painful than hers.

Everyone has their own struggles.

Ryoma, however, felt conflicted.

As a doting father, watching someone who looked exactly like his daughter being flirted with by this brat, even knowing he was from the Previous Era and had no connection to his family, it still made him want to pull out the Plasma Shadow Blade.

'Let's duel, brat!'

While the protective father glared resentfully at Kevin, the next question appeared.

【2.① During the process of becoming the Herrscher of Thunder, what did Mei sacrifice?】

【A. Sacrificed her wife】

【B. Sacrificed the developer's mother】

【C. Sacrificed her spatula】

【D. Sacrificed another personality】

---

Chapter 233: That's Not Important

Growth always comes with sacrifice.

Reclaiming the power of the Herrscher of Thunder was one such form of growth for Mei.

...And inevitably, it came with sacrifice.

This was something she had foreseen after learning she had become a Herrscher in the previous video.

This sudden question would reveal exactly what Mei had sacrificed.

But…

"Can you stop teasing me like this…"

Looking at the increasingly absurd options, Mei complained helplessly.

Sacrificed her wife?

What a joke! I, Raiden Mei, am a lady of high society, still incredibly inexperienced when it comes to emotions, aside from the occasional spark with Kiana.

But how could this be called having a wife?!

You can't talk about wives in matters between girls! And even if we were talking about wives, shouldn't I be the one playing that role?!

Then there was option B.

Where did this garbage mobile game that keeps getting complaints come from?! Why are there even game designers?!

"Hmm... In Bronya's experience, truly inhumane game designers are often criticized by players..."

Regarding this, veteran gamer Bronya shared her opinion.

Of course, she didn't think much of it.

As a high-quality gamer, Bronya never relied on words to refute anything.

If a game really annoyed her to the extreme, she would usually just surprise the other party offline.

"The question isn't why this option appears!" Gaming expert Tesla crossed her arms before immediately facepalming.

"Ah... It's stupid of me to get hung up on this kind of question."

No one ever said that the options in a question had to be related to the question or even be serious.

On the contrary, previous questions often included unserious options.

Of course, these kinds of options were generally just for fun, and 99% of the time, they were wrong.

So they could be ignored.

Disregarding the first two options, everyone looked at the third.

"Ah, that's quite a painful price to pay."

Himeko looked at Mei with a hint of mockery.

What could be more painful than making a cook drop her rice scoop?

Of course, Mei wouldn't feel any pain because of that.

Although she had accepted her role as a cook...

...she still couldn't accept it.

Struggling with that thought, Mei remained expressionless as she spoke with a mixture of helplessness and seriousness.

"Let's end the joke here."

She didn't mind being the butt of a joke.

But...

There was another version of herself sitting right beside her...

Mei glanced at "Mei" somewhat guiltily.

Being embarrassed in front of herself felt truly unbearable.

But she was clearly overthinking it.

Neither the images nor the absurdly presented options bothered "Mei."

She simply watched quietly, waiting, appreciating, and observing the life of another version of herself.

"Options A, B, and C are all clearly illogical."

"Therefore, the correct answer to this question is obvious."

"D. Another personality."

Mei became the Herrscher of Thunder by sacrificing another personality.

And that so-called other personality was presumably...

"The Herrscher persona..."

Joyce glanced at Mei, having already guessed the answer.

And regarding this...

"...It was me, huh? Hahahaha!"

Within Mei's inner world, a silent place filled with thunder, Herrscher Mei sat in astonishment after hearing the answer. Yet amidst her surprise, she burst into wild laughter.

Being regarded as the price for this growth, she felt no anger.

A smile curled at the corner of Herrscher Mei's lips, and faint lightning flickered in her eyes as she spoke.

"Let me see how you do it."

Under everyone's gaze, Mei made her final choice.

"I choose D."

[Correct Answer]

[Reward: ELF Benares]

Following the Q&A Space's announcement,

Mei received an ELF box.

Its design was similar to Water's Edge and Tesla Zero.

However, this time, what it contained was...

"Benares?... Isn't that a Judgment-class Honkai Beast, the familiar of the Second Herrscher?... Can something like that become an ELF?!"

Raven looked puzzled.

ELFs were no secret to World Serpent.

As one of the victims of the Second Herrscher, she knew a great deal about them.

Knowing that a Judgment-class Honkai Beast like Benares could become an ELF naturally left her confused.

Himeko also had a strong impression of Benares. After all, in The Final Lesson, she had beaten up Benares at the very beginning.

The thought of that dragon's ELF form sparked her imagination.

"Could it be a tiny dragon...?"

But when the ELF supply crate was opened,

inside was a tiny figure, just like Book of Fuxi and Water's Edge.

It had slightly curved horns on its head, and its innocent face looked peaceful with its eyes closed.

"...This is..."

Welt paused for a moment.

Memories of the past came flooding back.

The Second Eruption.

Back then, during the final battle against the Herrscher of the Void on the moon, another girl with an appearance resembling this doll had accompanied Her.

That was the human form of the Judgment-class Honkai Beast, Benares.

"Bella!"

Within Kiana's mental space, the imprisoned Herrscher of the Void instinctively cried out upon seeing the ELF's appearance.

As if hearing the call,

Bella slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them sleepily as though she had just awakened.

The moment she saw Kiana, her eyes lit up.

"Your Majesty!"

She wanted to rush over and hug Kiana's face.

However, before she could do so, Bella suddenly stopped.

She turned her head and looked curiously at the other Kiana.

The Herrscher of Finality.

"...You... You're so strange... Why do you also have the Queen's scent...?"

Curious, Bella tried to fly closer to Kiana. She scratched her cheek, but the moment she reached a certain distance, she suddenly let out a frightened cry and darted back as though fleeing, hiding behind Kiana.

Peeking out timidly, she whispered,

"So scary..."

The existence of Finality was overwhelmingly intimidating, even to a Judgment-class Honkai Beast.

Kiana reached out and gently stroked Bella's trembling head.

Her touch was gentle.

Strangely enough...

...she felt an unexpected fondness for this tiny Judgment-class Honkai Beast ELF.

Was it the influence of the Herrscher of the Void?

As she pondered that, Bella leaned into the pat on her head like a puppy.

Her trembling gradually subsided, and with slightly flushed cheeks, she giggled.

"Hehehe... Your Majesty..."

Book of Fuxi sighed.

Well, this one was an even bigger heavyweight.

—Image unfolds—

Tick-tock.

A light yet unsettling sound echoed through her ears, like grains of sand striking papyrus or beans rattling inside a blender.

Tick-tock... Tick-tock...

A chill spread through her mind as consciousness gradually emerged from the darkness.

This is...

The sound of rain.

From near to far, it was the sound of rain.

Gradually, it grew louder until it transformed into the deafening roar of a storm.

What... happened?

Still dazed, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hmm..."

"Ah..."

Chaos greeted her.

"What... What happened...?!"

Dim light flickered like invisible strings manipulating a puppet, pulling at the ruined city.

"What happened...? How did Nagazora City become like this?... Where are the people from World Serpent?"

Mei stared in disbelief at the devastated Nagazora City, her mind filled with questions.

Then she remembered the Helios, that had been parked nearby, and her expression immediately changed.

"Ah...! Kiana... Helios is in danger!"

Anxiety.

Only anxiety remained in her heart.

She desperately searched for the way back.

But because of the light, the dark Honkai Beasts known as Quantum Shadows had appeared throughout the eerie Nagazora City in overwhelming numbers.

They blocked Mei's path.

All she could do was use her blade to cut down every obstacle before her.

But...

The journey was anything but smooth.

Whether it was the environment or something inside herself, she felt as though her head were splitting apart.

Even so, she couldn't stop swinging her blade.

This agonizing, drawn-out battle finally ended when a familiar voice echoed from the distance.

...It was Kiana.

And with her was Benares, whom she had rescued together earlier.

The countless Quantum Shadows were torn apart by the hurricane stirred by Benares's wings.

"...Ha... Ha... Ha..."

Seeing Kiana pale and breathing heavily, Mei was startled.

"Kiana... How did you get here...?!"

Then she noticed Kiana's weakened condition and cried out in alarm.

"Ah... Your injuries... How could you leave Helios so carelessly?!"

But...

That anger paled in comparison to Kiana's.

Despite being incredibly weak, despite her entire body being filled with exhaustion, she glared at Mei and snapped.

"That's the question I should be asking you..."

"When did you run off...? Everyone suddenly couldn't find you. Do you know how worried I was?!"

Her words were filled with anger, but they could not conceal the concern behind them.

Because she cared, she was angry.

Because she cared, she was worried.

"..."

Mei remained silent.

Kiana's words suddenly reminded her of something from the previous footage.

She had once said those exact same words to someone else.

And now those same words were being returned to her.

Being worried about by someone who clearly needed more worrying than she did.

It was truly... a complicated feeling.

—

Kiana also noticed the strange phenomenon.

The surrounding environment made her look even paler.

She urged Mei.

"Let's not talk about this... The enemy could reappear at any moment. You need to go back and rejoin the Doctor."

"Go back? What about you?"

In response to Mei's question, Kiana answered concisely.

"I have things to do."

She looked toward the distance, where the pillar of light still twisted through the sky.

"That pillar of light... I've seen it before."

"Using the power of the Herrscher of the Void, I can close that huge hole in the sky and eliminate the source of this storm."

Hearing this, Mei felt no relief.

"What..."

She stared intently at Kiana, as though afraid she would disappear before her eyes once again.

Her voice was serious and urgent.

"No, no! Your injuries haven't healed yet! You can't keep fighting!"

But...

Kiana simply looked at Mei seriously.

"Mei, I can't leave it alone."

"The monsters are still appearing, and the Honkai energy is gathering. This disaster will soon spread to other places."

Her words were heavy with responsibility.

"I must stop it."

But in Mei's eyes, that sense of responsibility only fueled her anger.

"Stop being so reckless! Don't you understand your condition?!"

"If you keep doing something this dangerous, your body will—"

Before she could finish, Kiana answered expressionlessly.

"That's not important."

In an instant,

the air fell silent.

Even the soft patter of the rain seemed to freeze.

"...?"

"..."

The two stared at each other in silence.

Mei's eyes were filled with disbelief and sorrow.

"...Kiana?"

"Mei... I know everything..."

Raising her wrist, Kiana whispered,

"My own situation... My body... I know everything."

Those words made Mei realize something.

Her bright eyes filled with rejection, and she instinctively stepped back, as though afraid Kiana would continue.

"No... No..."

But...

Kiana could only apologize.

Looking at Mei's resistant expression, she smiled bitterly as she admitted honestly,

"To be honest, I'm scared too. The thought of possibly dying makes my whole body tremble."

Then Kiana's tone changed.

"But... I can't run away just because I'm scared."

"I have to do what I can and take responsibility for what I should."

"Only then can I face the people who were hurt because of me... Face my past self..."

"...Face Himeko-sensei."

She turned around, her familiar smile returning to her face.

"Mei, don't worry."

"I'm very capable."

"...Wait for me to come back!"

The hand that had been holding hers slipped away.

Mei looked up, desperately reaching out again, trying to grasp the hand she had only just managed to hold once more.

"Kiana—No—!"

A gust of wind swept through the rain.

Mei watched Kiana leap onto Benares's back and fly toward the distant halo.

She called out again and again, but her voice was swallowed by the light and disappeared...

Just like that departing figure.

She could no longer see or reach Her.

"..."

Kiana's answer left Himeko feeling somewhat helpless.

Should she be happy about her student's growth?

That mischievous child had grown to this point.

It was certainly something worth celebrating.

But... just as she had thought before, this Kiana only made her worry even more.

Cecilia and Siegfried also wore solemn expressions.

From a mother's perspective, Cecilia's heart ached.

Siegfried, meanwhile, felt both pride and confusion.

He was proud of the Kaslana resolve Kiana displayed in the image.

It was undoubtedly inherited from the Kaslana bloodline.

But he was also Kiana's father.

He would give everything for the person he loved.

And to Siegfried Kaslana, Kiana was undoubtedly the most important person in the world.

....

—In the silence, another piece of the past was revealed.

At that place of both beginning and end—

Senba Academy.

On the rooftop,

the white-haired girl with braided pigtails gripped my hand tightly and anxiously spoke.

"Hold on tight! I won't let you die!"

"What... What are you doing...?"

At that moment, I was bewildered, confused, and puzzled by the girl's actions.

But she answered without hesitation.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm saving you!"

"Quick, grab my other hand too!"

"No... No... While I still have my senses..."

I resisted.

What's the point of living?

My father is in prison.

I'm all alone.

And I'm even being possessed by that strange monster.

But even in the face of my resistance, the girl refused to give up.

She simply shouted anxiously and without hesitation,

"Do as I say!"

"Whatever happens, we'll talk about it after I pull you up!"

"Huh...?"

At that moment, my mind went blank.

"I finally got you back to normal. How could I just leave you like this?!"

"If you die like this, I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life!"

"Ah..."

My mind was in complete chaos.

I could only stiffly follow the radiant girl's outstretched hand.

"Hmm... If you understand, then hurry up—"

...

That disaster led me to you.

For the first time, my life became intertwined with someone else's.

From that day onward, loneliness and desolation gradually faded away.

I don't know when it started, but I no longer feared the darkness...

...Because I knew there would always be a light.

---

Chapter 234: You're Selling Eggs? Come to Me!

The scenes flashing through the video, along with Mei's self-reflection, allowed everyone to grasp the depth of Mei's feelings for Kiana.

Even the two members of the Honkai Gakuen were moved.

Not for any other reason, but simply because...

...that was something they had also experienced.

And because they were both Raiden Mei,

"Mei" could better perceive her own heart in this world.

She glanced slightly at the silent Mei. Her dark red eyes, bearing the mark of Honkai, flickered slightly, as if deep in thought.

Mei's monologue continued throughout the event.

"...Kiana, come back quickly!"

The pain in her body lashed out at Mei like thorns, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground.

Raindrops pattered against her, soaking her already drenched clothes even more, leaving her cherished hair and face disheveled.

She struggled to lift her head, her gaze drifting into the distance. A solitary figure soared through the storm, flying toward the horizon.

A multitude of quantum shadows surged toward that figure. With each collision, a golden flash pierced Nagazora.

Mei knew that each ray of light was Kiana's burning life force.

"No... please... don't fight anymore...!"

Her weak words were filled with pleading.

But the distance, so close yet so far, was so vast that even these pitiful pleas became a futile hope.

She knew her voice couldn't reach her. She knew the right choice was to stop.

But she couldn't control her body, just as she couldn't stop running, couldn't stop longing—

Unable to stop chasing that light in the darkness.

The foolish act of the girl named Raiden Mei was thus exposed to everyone on the screen.

The arrogant scoffed.

The indifferent remained silent.

The empathetic sighed.

...

Water splashed, shattering along with memories.

Memories of the past flooded back at this moment.

Mei! With Mei around...

It's like having the power of a hundred people!

The power of a hundred people...

I'm not some superhero...

No, just having Mei by my side already feels like... a hundred times the power!

Ha...

Only Kiana would say such things.

That was when Kiana and I were on a mission.

It was tough... but perhaps that was happiness...

But now...

"...Power?"

Tears soaked her clothes, mingling with the rain and blurring her vision.

"Can I... still get power now?"

The Valkyrie named Raiden Mei was now nothing more than a humble being, unable even to reach the one she loved.

One scene ended, another began...

—Kiana... didn't you still want to become an A-rank Valkyrie?

If you don't pass this exam... you'll be demoted from Rank B to Rank D, the General Affairs Valkyrie.

If you become a Rank D Valkyrie...

you'll only be able to handle support and logistics.

...Logistics? Like... the convenience store?

Eh! ...I don't want to!

Then come with me to the training grounds...

No rest today!

Waaaaaahhhhhh—!

Mei... please don't pull my ear...

Memories of those beautiful times at St. Freya Academy flooded her mind.

Every word spoken then, Kiana's voice, and her smile—they all came back to her, yet suddenly it felt like a lifetime ago...

"I always naively thought..."

"Nothing would change."

She pursed her lips, clenched her teeth, and dug her fingernails into her flesh as she formed a fist. Blood and pain seeped from between her fingers.

But... the physical pain paled in comparison to the pain in her heart.

"But in the blink of an eye, you, who were always by my side..."

"...have flown to a distant place I can never reach."

—You want to take back this body...

---You want to save this girl?

---In that case, let me use her body, her hands...

---to kill you one by one!

---I want your distorted faces and mangled limbs to be the last sights she sees.

Family, friends, happiness, dreams, future, hope...

She shouldn't have them, she doesn't deserve them, she will never have them.

That battle, the battle that changed everything... the words the Herrscher of the Void spoke to her, that unforgettable mockery, ridicule, and cruelty...

"I was too weak... I couldn't protect you..."

"It was me... who pushed you to this fate..."

She was so powerless, so powerless... even knowing you had become a sinner.

—Mei...?

What are you doing here...?

I'll take you back, back to the Hyperion.

I... can't go back, Mei.

I'm sorry... I can't let you take this risk.

Kiana—!!

And this, not long ago... in Arc City...

Looking back at that first encounter, looking back at that difficult but incredibly happy life, looking back at that sudden, cruel reality, looking back at that love that could no longer be reached in the blink of an eye...

Looking back on every day, every hour, every minute, every second until now...

I know you haven't changed at all.

She spoke softly, smiling, yet her voice was filled with sorrow.

"You're still that girl who smiles and extends a hand to strangers."

"Even after experiencing so much injustice, even knowing the world isn't perfect..."

"Even... though there are tragedies destined to be irreversible..."

"You will still be the same as before..."

"Fight for your comrades, for others, for the good you believe in."

She trembled.

"...Kiana, you will definitely become a hero. The world is waiting for you to become a hero."

"But... I..."

"..."

Humble... unable to even give an answer, unable to even express her feelings.

She was so weak, so powerless, so incompetent.

"Perhaps... I'm the one who's wrong..."

"Kiana..."

"Kiana... we can never go back to the past."

This was... the confession of a girl named Raiden Mei, who could only watch the one and only person precious to her walk toward the end of her journey.

She understood everything so well...

And it was so heartbreaking.

....

Kiana slowly closed her eyes.

She no longer needed to see anything.

But...

"Mei" was different.

"How shameful..."

The Herrscher Mei within Mei's inner space offered this assessment.

The second half was sarcastic:

"Without me... are you so powerless?"

"Perhaps... but everything's different now, isn't it?"

Mei could hear her, of course, and simply replied expressionlessly, stating her opinion.

To this, Herrscher Mei scoffed and crossed her arms.

"...Tch. The you in the video was definitely cuter. Even though you were a bit pathetic, at least you weren't this boring."

Mei, however, was indifferent, completely unconcerned.

"Being boring has its advantages. At least it's better than being powerless."

"...I can't argue with you. Tch."

Herrscher Mei turned her head helplessly before continuing to watch what would happen next.

Rather than arguing with this somewhat uninteresting Mei, she was more curious about how the pathetic figure in the video would change.

...

That plea went unanswered.

But... a new change occurred.

At the edge of the sky...

The dragon Mei had been relentlessly pursuing plummeted to the ground, seemingly struck by a heavy blow.

But in Mei's eyes, this sight shattered her composure.

She let out a terrified and furious cry.

"...No... No!!"

Exhaustion and pain could not stop Mei at this moment. She rushed frantically toward the spot where Benares had fallen, just as she had done in Arc City. Only this time, however, many more enemies blocked her path.

She swung her blade, fell, got up, swung her blade again, fell, got up.

She repeated this action countless times, her battered and exhausted body never stopping.

"...Benares?! What happened...?"

Then she arrived... and saw Benares lying on the ground, barely breathing, a strange blade still embedded in his body.

Looking at the once-vibrant Benares now in this state, Mei couldn't believe her eyes.

But Kiana's safety worried her even more.

"Where is Kiana...?!"

She looked around blankly, asking even though she knew she wouldn't get an answer.

But... the next moment,

the sword embedded in Benares's body suddenly changed.

The surrounding space did the same, instantly shifting to a different location...

"This is..."

Staring at the strange metal monster wielding the sword, Mei was stunned, confused, her mind blank.

"What...!?"

....

【2.② The enemy Raiden Mei encountered was ___?】

"Showman" "Fat Seaweed" "Janna"

"Dio" "Husk - Nihilus" "Azhdaha"

[Reward: Easter Egg]

At this moment, the image paused.

As before, another question popped up.

This time, the question itself wasn't important.

Most people focused their attention on the reward.

Especially Otto, whose breathing grew heavier.

This was understandable. After all, it was related to resurrection.

His lifelong wish had been fulfilled entirely by the resurrection items produced in this space.

And now, this thing with the word "resurrection" on it could very well be something that could grant his wish!

"Huh? Resurrection?"

Jackal narrowed her eyes upon seeing it, a somewhat disdainful expression immediately appearing on her face.

As a cutting-edge scientist, she had no belief in resurrection. That was completely unscientific!

Even the technology of the Previous Era didn't involve resurrection at all.

"Is resurrection really possible?"

Su asked, quite curious.

Fu Hua didn't answer but simply pointed to Cecilia beside Siegfried, and Joyce.

The fact that they, as the deceased, could reappear before everyone's eyes was convincing enough.

"..."

Kevin remained expressionless as he glanced at Gray Serpent.

Gray Serpent, quite perceptive, instantly understood his master's meaning and nodded affirmatively.

"..."

A slight change flickered in Kevin's empty, cold eyes as he involuntarily fixed his gaze on the screen.

He had nothing left to strive for.

But... if it involved resurrecting the dead, even Kevin couldn't remain unmoved.

Only Finality Kiana and even "Mei" showed no reaction to those two words.

Resurrecting the dead? It was indeed something worth considering. After all, Kiana had personally killed her comrades.

But...

Forget it.

For her now, even if resurrection truly existed, it would be meaningless, only causing her more pain.

Unless... she could undo the deaths of the comrades she had killed, or even restore the entire world.

And that, no matter how one looked at it, was an utterly fantastical and impossible thing.

In conclusion, "Kiana" and "Mei," as always, chose to abstain.

The remaining participants were generally unwilling to give up.

Due to the large number of participants, a roulette wheel was used this time.

All the participants' names were displayed, and the one the pointer landed on would be the sole winner.

This was essentially a gamble based on luck.

And ultimately, the winner was...

...Raven?!

Seeing this result, some people in the know looked at Raven with strange expressions.

No way. This unlucky girl, whose house had been bombed several times, had actually won the grand prize?!

Raven herself was also completely bewildered.

She was just there to join in the fun.

How had she suddenly won?

Raven felt her luck wasn't that good...

...Although it felt somewhat surreal,

"Overall, it's a good thing?"

That made sense.

But...

Raven was stumped when she saw the question.

She only had the right to choose. Who knew which of the two answers was the name of the monster from the video earlier?

Although she was a member of World Serpent's leadership, she didn't even know what that thing was...

Since it was his subordinate, Kevin naturally couldn't watch Raven squander such a valuable item, so he quickly provided the answer.

"Husk-Nihilus—that's the guardian of the Imaginary Tree."

Actually, only two people present recognized Husk-Nihilus: he and Su.

Hua knew of the Imaginary Tree's existence, but he was the type to follow orders without question, so unlike them, he didn't know as much.

"Hmm... it's the Lord's guarantee!"

A slightly bewildered Raven received the answer and nodded immediately.

Then she made her choice:

"My choice is Husk - Nihilus!"

[Correct Answer]

The result was immediate, and the reward appeared before Raven just as quickly.

It was an Easter egg.

A real Easter egg.

...A colorful egg.

Although it was as tall as a person.

"What kind of egg... is this?"

Tesla looked at the bizarre egg, somewhat speechless.

Even a dinosaur egg wouldn't be this big.

"Maybe... an Easter egg?"

Upon hearing this answer, Tesla rolled her eyes at Joyce.

"This is truly a revelation!"

"World Serpent, show it to us!"

Speechless but driven by curiosity, Tesla looked at the egg's owner, Raven, and urged her.

"Hmm... Oh."

[Easter Egg]

[This is a very special egg. It will resurrect someone remembered by the person who breaks it.]

(°ー°〃)

Õ_Õ

(ㅍ_ㅍ)

Just look at those expressions.

"...The egg is a good egg... it's just... a bit too specific..."

This egg could indeed resurrect people, but the awkward thing was... it was random.

Randomness would be one thing, but it was actually limited to a specific range, restricted by memory.

This was very problematic.

This setup was clearly designed to bully older characters like Otto and Hua, who had many connections.

A span of five hundred years, tens of thousands of years—who knew how many dead people they had actually witnessed?

Furthermore, this thing didn't just target the older generation.

It was equally unfriendly to mercenaries like Bronya and others like her.

Characters like Raven and Bronya had taken down countless enemies. Resurrecting them through extracted memories... that was ridiculous...

Honestly, this egg was only truly suitable for Hua, who could use Fenghuang Down to adjust memories, or for those with few memories of the deceased, like Seele or Mei.

Of course, Otto could use it too.

He could create a separate body and reduce its memories to include only Kallen, so that the only deceased person in those memories would be Kallen, achieving a precise resurrection effect.

In short, Raven couldn't use this egg.

Or rather, using it would be a complete waste of its potential.

Kevin had a strong opinion about this.

He gestured for Raven to follow him to the side.

A moment later, Raven returned triumphantly.

Then the egg was back in Kevin's possession.

The egg had been sold.

She received 5% of World Serpent's liquid assets.

Yay! Raven instantly became a rich woman.

She planned to apply for retirement after leaving the island and then peacefully raise her children there.

Otto: ?

If you wanted to sell it, come to me!

I'd trade you all of Schicksal!

Unfortunately, it was too late.

This time, Raven suffered a huge loss.

---

Chapter 235: Let Me Walk into The Darkness, So That You May Return to the Light

Don't wait for that sold-out Easter egg.

The footage continued, revealing the aftermath of Mei's battle with the enemy named Husk-Nihilus.

—She defeated him.

With that broken, exhausted body.

"Well done."

Himeko couldn't help but admire Mei's fight against Husk-Nihilus.

As far as Mei was concerned, her willpower and skill were comparable to Himeko's; the remaining difference was simply the experience that needed time to accumulate.

"Perhaps the monster itself wasn't in good condition either."

Bianka, who was passionate about battle, also admired Mei's fighting spirit in the footage.

However, out of honesty, she offered her opinion.

While Husk-Nihilus certainly looked imposing,

Bianka could tell from his every move that the enemy's condition wasn't perfect.

Fu Hua, however, frowned, seemingly sensing something amiss, and spoke gravely.

"...It's not over yet."

"Huh?"

Kana was a little confused. What? It's not over yet?

Wasn't this weirdo already defeated...?

—WTF!

The next moment, Fu Hua's words came true.

The battle really wasn't over.

The Husk-Nihilus that Mei had painstakingly managed to kill had somehow been revived by some strange force.

"How could this be..."

Seele stared at the image of the unharmed Husk-Nihilus standing up again, her face deathly pale.

Mei-neechan was already exhausted... In that state, fighting a fully healed version of this thing would definitely be a death sentence!

"She's dead."

Black Seele, not content with the spectacle, delivered the final blow by concluding the matter.

This made Seele clench her fists nervously, on the verge of tears.

The image froze at the instant the blade flashed.

Then, it abruptly changed—

“…”

Darkness. As far as the eye could see, there was only darkness.

Nothing could be seen, no sound could be heard, and no scent lingered.

Only bodies, freed from the constraints of gravity, drifted aimlessly... drifted...

...

...Right, I've seen this before.

Three years ago, on that day, the world died like this."

In the endless darkness... some cried out, some wailed, some remained silent, and some collapsed.

Finally, only silence remained, along with herself falling within that silence.

"Crybaby, long time no see."

A beam of light appeared, and a voice rippled outward.

Purple emerged from the darkness, a violet stream swirling, pushing, and embracing every corner of her body, leading her toward the light.

"You've changed so much."

The voice rang out from a distant, unreachable place, then vanished just before reaching her ear.

The voice was dangerous and cold.

The voice was familiar and nostalgic.

"This is the first time you've come to me willingly."

The voice sighed and asked.

"Aren't you afraid anymore?"

"...Afraid?"

Strange. In her heart... She can't feel fear anymore.

There was resentment, self-blame, sorrow, and pain... yet all those emotions had vanished.

Calm. Only calm remained in her heart.

"Continue forward, and you will fall into a deeper hell."

The voice warned, yet it remained utterly calm, not even seeming to be trying to dissuade her.

It doesn't matter. I can save her from hell.

"You will say goodbye to everything you have now, goodbye to your companions, goodbye to your family."

The voice spoke calmly, declaring its truth.

It doesn't matter. I've grown accustomed to being alone.

"You will endure doubt and criticism, walking farther and farther down the lonely road."

It doesn't matter. That's the fate I was meant to face.

"You will leave her forever."

The voice said this.

...

Mei, however, was no longer as decisive as before and fell silent.

But silence was the best answer.

"You can never go back to her, see her smile, or hold her hand."

"Once you take this step, there's no turning back."

"You... are you really going to do this?"

The voice asked again, questioning this choice that should have been incredibly difficult.

But this time...

I won't be lost anymore...

...

...It's... okay.

She remained silent before giving her answer.

With everyone here... everyone... will take good care of her. Let me do what I need to do...

I've... made my decision.

As this final decision was made, the voice fell silent.

"..."

That's enough. That will to protect those you love, to give everything, to betray everything...

That's enough.

"Go!

"...Go!!!"

Lightning flashed, and the voice rose with intensity and fury.

"Bury me with your own hands, and transform my anger, my lament, and my passing into the strength that propels you on your lonely journey."

That was anger. That was compassion. That was loss.

That was everything.

The voice accepted Mei's choice with equanimity, so freely.

"Go to the whole world and proclaim the return of the Queen of Thunder..."

The voice whispered. The voice laughed. The voice cried. The voice was angry. The voice was sorrowful.

The voice... was gratified.

"Go and become the true Herrscher of Thunder!"

In this final choice, as that voice faded,

that voice and Mei bid farewell to the past, to herself.

"Goodbye, Raiden Mei."

A dazzling flash of lightning illuminated the dim sky.

In this world, the alien creation witnessed the rebirth of the apostle of the gods.

But in the eerie Q&A Space, everyone witnessed a girl named Raiden Mei bidding farewell to her past.

"Mei..."

Kiana bit her lip, feeling a deep, heavy sadness.

As for Mei here, in her inner world, the Herrscher Mei lay on her back, her emotions unreadable.

But... the curve of her lips undoubtedly revealed...

She deeply admired Mei's choices and her growth.

Even though this was brought about by her own demise, Herrscher Mei didn't think anything was wrong. In fact... she felt immensely gratified!

"Mei... my daughter..."

Ryoma Raiden, as her father, was overwhelmed with grief yet had nowhere to vent it.

He witnessed the sorrowful past of his daughter in another world, yet he couldn't even reach her as Cecilia could.

He witnessed his daughter's future while he himself vanished without a trace.

In that grief, he gazed at the image, gazing at Raiden Mei, no longer the powerless, weak woman she once was.

The gentleness was gone.

Now, she was the Warring Oni, sacrificing everything to achieve her long-cherished wish.

The alien creation collapsed with a crash, dissipating along with the leaping lightning.

A torrential downpour swept across Mei's eyes, carrying away the past.

"..."

She remained silent, standing still and letting the raindrops soak her.

The voice in her mind vanished.

Only the sound of rain remained, the silent sound of rain.

Mei walked toward the dead dragon, gently stroking its dull scales.

A glimmer of light appeared, and a warm current spread from her fingertips, gradually melting the enormous figure.

Within the light, a figure was dissipating.

In the light, a figure pleaded with her...

—Since awakening, she had been flying.

Benares.

Honkai Beast.

Monster.

The people on the ground screamed and fled,

but she couldn't hear their voices.

She could only hear the one restless thought within her heart.

To fight for the Queen.

To protect the Queen who called her "Bella."

She flew over snowfields, over mountains, over starry seas, and over the mortal world...

Finally, she fell.

She could no longer fly.

Clinging to the memory of the dead dragon, only one last voice remained in her heart.

"Your Majesty..."

"I want..."

"To hear you call my name one more time..."

Raindrops fell, surged, shattered, vanished, and perished along with the soul named "Bella."

Crimson scales replaced the damage. The dragon rose again, spreading its wings to proclaim its rebirth.

But now, it was merely a beast obeying the Herrscher of Thunder.

It... was no longer "Benares."

"...Bella."

Deep within Kana's heart, the imprisoned Herrscher of the Void murmured the name absentmindedly.

But the voice could not reach the ears of the departed dragon, leaving behind only its lingering wish.

It could not even escape this desolate space.

“…”

The Herrscher of the Void slowly closed her eyes, sitting cross-legged on the ground, filled with sorrow.

Silence lingered for a long time.

Outside, an ELF named Bella stared blankly at the figure in the image.

"...Is that... me..."

Yes...

No...

Perhaps you are the continuation of Benares' existence.

Mei in the image looked up at the sky, the halo gradually dimming with the birth of the Herrscher.

Honkai energy could be completely absorbed. The imaginary singularity was about to close. As long as the lingering quantum shadows were eliminated, the city would return to peace.

Understanding all this, she leaped onto the dragon's back. The red dragon, understanding its master's will, spread its wings and soared.

Flying away from the light, flying over the chaos, and toward the other world.

One person, one dragon.

Soaring through the vast sky.

Those ferocious quantum shadows, Mei's targets, were mechanically wiped out by her.

In this inverted world, thrown into chaos by the imaginary singularity, the last quantum shadow vanished in the lightning.

"That's it..."

Atop the dragon, Mei had completed her mission, whispering softly.

"It's over..."

One person, one dragon, flying into the distance.

...Why so lonely?

On the other side of the horizon, the scene shifted to the place where fate began and ended.

Senba Academy.

This once-famous academy was now cold and desolate.

On the rooftop of the teaching building, where Kiana Kaslana and Raiden Mei first met,

Drip—drip—

Raindrops pattered across her drowsy face, the icy chill seeping into her bones and making her shiver uncontrollably.

"Ugh... where am I..."

The cacophony of rain pounding in her ears roused the girl from her slumber.

"Huh...? This... is Senba Academy?"

Her memory stopped at the moment of the crash. She looked around, and the familiar scene before her eyes left her stunned.

Kiana was bewildered.

"...Why... why am I here..."

Her memory was still stuck in the fierce battle with the Quantum Shadows.

A cold, indifferent voice rang in her ears.

"Don't move."

The appearance of a second person piqued Kiana's curiosity, but she shuddered the moment she saw the figure and cried out in surprise.

"—Ah!"

"..."

Looking at the silent Kevin, Kiana was astonished and wary.

"You are... Kevin Kaslana...!"

Kevin ignored her wariness.

It wasn't necessary, nor was it worth it.

He simply said,

"You wanted to close the imaginary singularity, but you were attacked by an imaginary creation and fell."

"Although I caught you, your injuries are still very serious."

"The Herrscher of the Void's power has weakened. This gives you more time."

Hearing Kevin's words, Kiana was puzzled and suspicious.

"You saved me... why...?"

As a Herrscher, she was an enemy of the World Serpent, not an ally. She had even thwarted their plans before.

"..."

Kevin remained silent for a long while before coldly saying,

"Thank Raiden Mei. She saved you."

"You don't need to worry about Nagazora City anymore. The disaster is over. She protected the city in your place."

Hearing this answer, Kiana's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What did you say... Mei...?!"

"Let her explain the rest to you herself."

Kevin had no interest in explaining anything further to Kiana. He simply looked in a certain direction.

"...She's here."

Accompanied by these words,

the sky suddenly darkened, and crimson lightning flashed for a moment,

before transforming into a towering bolt of electricity that crashed to the ground.

Mei...?!

Staring at Mei, so different from her previous gentle self, with eyes filled with resolve and coldness, Kiana froze.

"Mei..."

Looking at Mei like this, she felt utterly unfamiliar.

Confused and bewildered, Kiana asked softly, seeking an answer.

"What happened...? Why are you like this...?"

But

"..."

Silence was Mei's only reply.

Seeing this, Kevin spoke.

"It seems you've made your choice."

"...I'll go with you."

Mei gave her answer expressionlessly, causing the corners of Kevin's lips to curl into a faint smile.

Kana, who already knew this would happen, felt a pang of pain in her heart.

Even though she had known Mei would leave her...

Why did she feel such heartache at this moment...?

"...Damn it!"

Tesla clenched her fist in frustration.

The biggest reason Mei ultimately made this choice was because they couldn't save Kiana.

And now, it appears that this was their incompetence.

This feeling of powerlessness made Tesla, who had always considered herself a genius, experience an unprecedented sense of defeat.

"Very good."

"Raiden Mei, welcome to World Serpent."

Kevin welcomed her calmly.

But... all of this seemed so sudden and indescribable to Kiana.

"—Wait!"

She abruptly stopped them, asking incredulously.

"What did you say...? Mei... is joining World Serpent...?"

As if unable to believe it,

Kiana's gaze fell upon Mei, her bewildered, yearning blue eyes meeting Mei's slightly reddened ones.

But... this time, there was no gentleness.

She felt only bone-chilling coldness.

“…”

Kiana looked at Mei with anger, then at Kevin with barely concealed fury.

"Mei... what's wrong with you?... What did he do to you?!"

Finally, Mei responded.

She calmly gave her answer.

"Kiana, I'm perfectly sober now."

"...This is my own decision. Leave me alone."

Mei said this.

But how could Kiana accept it?

"Why..."

Through her eyes, Kiana could tell that Mei truly wanted to go.

Kiana was confused, frustrated, and angry as she stared at the silent Mei.

"..."

She angrily waved her hand to block Mei's path, stared intently at her, and gritted her teeth.

"...Don't joke around... I won't agree!"

"I won't let you go to World Serpent...!!"

Kiana's determination left Mei speechless.

Kevin, standing to the side, showed no intention of lingering and merely remarked.

"It seems you still have some things to resolve."

"Tell her what you want to say, but don't waste too much time."

"..." Mei fell silent.

She looked at Kiana, silently asking herself,

What do I want to say...?

If I tell her my reasons, will she understand? Will I be able to leave with a clear conscience?

No... that will only make her feel more guilty, more pained...

Mei understood this so well. She knew everything about that kind girl.

...

I've already said what I wanted to say countless times in my heart...

Kiana, it's been so good to meet you, to experience so many stories with you, and to create so many memories.

Go and do what you want to do.

Achieve your dreams.

...Let me walk into the darkness, so that you may return to the light.

Chapter 236: Lightning Severs the Past, You and I Walk Astray

“Go say your final goodbye to her.”

“Raiden Mei.”

“Welcome to ‘this world.’”

With those final words, Kevin departed.

In the vast Senba Academy, only Raiden Mei and Kiana Kaslana remained.

Under the gloomy sky, in the place where they first met, the two who should have been the closest of friends... faced each other.

Though fate is often said to be capricious,

a sense of sorrow arose in everyone's hearts upon witnessing this scene.

Of course,

other thoughts also arose.

"A clash between two Herrschers... Hmph... This could be a great opportunity to gather a lot of data. It's a rare chance indeed."

Jackal, true to her nature, didn't care what the two people in the video were thinking.

Even when the Herrscher of Finality destroyed the world, personally killing her comrades and destroying everything she wanted to protect, she was only amazed by her power.

For a mad scientist, hearts and emotions are utterly insignificant, merely a series of unstable variables in experiments.

"I still can't understand someone like you."

Raven, as her colleague, sighed helplessly and took a few steps back.

Then she looked up, ready to witness her future colleague's first battle as a Herrscher—a battle against that strange monster and also against the one she loved most.

The rain pattered down, striking the ground and running over her Valkyrie armor, soaking her already drenched coat.

The coldness on her body paled in comparison to the indifferent expression on the face of her beloved.

Despite receiving no answer, Kiana still wanted to hear it from Mei.

“Mei... why?!”

“You know everything they've done...”

She had thwarted World Serpent's plan in Arc City, and Mei should have witnessed their insane scheme firsthand.

But Mei still decided to join World Serpent, something Kiana couldn't understand.

The kind Mei she knew would never have stooped to the level of those people in World Serpent!

—The eyes are the windows to the soul.

They were the best partners.

Many things could be seen through the eyes.

Kiana's thoughts and Kiana's confusion—Mei understood them both.

But...

That kind Mei was dead, severed from her former life along with her past!

So...

Her eyes turned cold, unwavering, and expressionless as she gave her answer:

“I don't care.”

Good or bad, right or wrong,

what does it matter?

If World Serpent is an evil organization,

if saving Kiana is a sin,

then Raiden Mei is a sinner.

—The eyes are the windows to the soul.

Mei understood Kiana.

Kiana understood Mei too.

That gaze was utterly cold, utterly resolute, utterly devoid of everything.

Kiana understood.

She lowered her head, biting her lip so hard that it bled.

The pain was nothing compared to the sorrow in her heart.

The pain was nothing compared to the self-reproach in her heart.

"...You idiot!"

The words were almost squeezed out between her teeth, venting her complex and conflicting emotions.

The rain pattered down.

Mei's expression remained unchanged.

Kiana raised her head, clenched her fists, and made up her mind.

She was determined to win Mei back.

She was determined to stop Mei.

And her bargaining chip was her fists!

"I won't let you go...!"

Even though her body was exhausted and weak,

Kiana chose to fight to save her best partner and comrade!

"Kiana, Attack!"

The Valkyrie armor began to operate upon hearing the activation phrase.

A virtual creation, a giant cat paw, appeared in response to Kiana's shout.

With a leap, her kick slammed into Mei!

Thump.

The sound was dull and powerless.

The attack, powerful enough to topple a Valkyrie armor weighing several tons, was blocked by those ferocious blood-red claws, like those of a vengeful demon.

Her smooth, dry hair fluttered with the movement, and Mei's eyes, protected by those claws, were calm as still water yet tinged with a hint of coldness.

Then, in a flash of lightning, the attack was violently shattered.

Blood-red lightning raged along the hilt of the sword she gripped at her waist, accumulating a power called "momentum."

BOOM!!

Crimson lightning flashed within the somber thunderclouds, echoing her gaze as it ravaged the inverted water tower standing atop them.

The long-neglected water tower collapsed before Mei, its shattered metal fragments blocking their path as if trying to separate them.

Thunder was Mei's answer.

The pent-up power was unleashed.

Crimson lightning cleaved the scattered metal debris into fragments that flew everywhere.

Kiana did not flinch. She stepped forward to meet it.

The Kaslana family's inherited gun-fu had been honed to perfection during her months of wandering.

And that experience was now being used to dissuade her friend!

"...This gun-fu..."

Siegfried, the most outstanding talent of the Kaslana family of his generation and Kiana's father, stared at Kiana's gun-fu techniques—techniques capable of rivaling even a Herrscher.

His eyes were filled with astonishment.

According to Theresa and Cecilia, Kiana had honed these skills during her months of wandering, something Siegfried could hardly comprehend.

You see...

For various reasons, his instruction in Kiana's gun-fu had not been complete.

If Siegfried's gun-fu represented the whole picture, then Kiana's inheritance amounted to less than sixty percent.

But looking at those perfect, flawless movements, as if honed hundreds of times,

Siegfried had to admit that Kiana's gun-fu had become so refined that it seemed to have subtly surpassed his own.

"...Those movements were honed through battle, weren't they?"

Bianka, who reveled in battle and considered herself a hardworking genius whose achievements were entirely due to extraordinary effort, could immediately discern Kiana's skill in gunfighting.

Although Siegfried had been expelled, the Kaslana family, as one of the three great families of Schicksal, would certainly not disappear.

She had also fought fiercely against a Valkyrie from the current Kaslana lineage within the organization, experiencing the opponent's gunfighting technique, which was said to have been passed down for centuries. However, compared to Kiana in the video, the difference in skill was immediately apparent.

When discussing gunfighting, one must mention the Kaslana family.

And when discussing the Kaslana family, one must mention Kallen Kaslana, the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal five hundred years ago.

"Hmph... perhaps my old friend lend a hand."

Otto smiled, glancing meaningfully at Fu Hua.

Five hundred years ago, she had thwarted Schicksal's eastward expedition and also clashed with Kallen.

Although his beloved Kallen ultimately lost, Fu Hua undoubtedly grasped the essence of gunfu.

Based on the previous footage, Fu Hua stayed with K423 after she was knocked on the head.

It's no wonder Otto suspected that Fu Hua had been instructing Kiana in gunfighting during that time.

Of course, Fu Hua couldn't deny it.

Given her personality,

if she were with Kiana, she would definitely teach her something.

Primarily, it would probably be the Edge of Taixuan. As for Kaslana gunfighting, giving her a few pointers wouldn't be difficult.

...Ultimately, combat skills are simply whatever is most suitable in battle.

She had spent thousands of years reaching the pinnacle of martial arts.

But all martial arts in the world ultimately lead to the same goal: defeating the enemy.

Of course, Kiana's ability to fight a Herrscher was due not only to her superb gun-fu skills but also largely because Mei didn't want to place any more burden on Kiana's already weakened body.

However, Kiana's relentless refusal to give up, even after being repelled, made Mei realize that simply holding back wouldn't make Kiana give up today.

Kevin's words before leaving echoed in her ears.

So...

...A short, sharp pain is better than a long, drawn-out one.

Rather than letting Kiana torment her already weakened body, it would be better to simply render her powerless!

In that instant of clarity, stray lightning bound Kiana.

The numbing effect of the lightning paralyzed her, rendering her completely immobile.

In a flash, Mei closed the distance. While Kiana was stunned and horrified,

that slender hand—the one Kiana had held countless times—gripped her neck, bringing a suffocating sensation.

Just like back at Schicksal headquarters, when Kiana had done the same to Mei...

“…I mean... why do you all like choking each other so much?”

Seeing this, Tesla couldn't help muttering a sarcastic remark.

Everyone was startled at first. Then those in the know quickly recalled:

At Schicksal headquarters, Kiana had Mei by the neck.

In the other world, Kiana had Mei by the neck.

Now, Mei had Kiana by the neck.

This was a complete reversal of fortune for the cook—karma at work!

While it was indeed something to reflect on, Einstein still sighed.

"Please don't ruin the atmosphere... Dr. Tesla."

Everyone's mood was already heavy.

After all, this was a battle between two friends fighting for each other.

But then this sudden comment ruined the atmosphere!

"Anyway, it's not a bad thing, is it?"

Tesla, however, was unconcerned.

The result was that this depressing, heavy-hearted situation was suddenly turned around, giving everyone a good laugh.

You know what I mean by a great philanthropist?

Of course, that's just a figure of speech.

Just watching the cook-turned-farmer turn her life around was entertaining enough.

"Hmph, that's enough."

Mei snorted coldly, her eyes slightly icy.

"Kiana."

A flash of lightning erupted as her power activated, striking Kiana at close range.

A real-life demonstration of treating an internet-addicted girl was thus revealed to everyone.

The painful screams lasted only for a moment.

What Mei needed to do was simply deprive Kiana of the ability to continue hindering her departure.

Therefore, she decisively and precisely maintained the intensity of the lightning at a very subtle level.

...Enough to make her feel pain, but not enough to cause serious harm.

This scene made Mei slightly raise her eyes.

Honkai energy is inherently volatile.

Lightning is even more so, making it difficult to control.

The combination of these two made the Herrscher of Lightning the most difficult Herrscher to master in terms of precision.

Destroying cities and killing enemies—she could do that easily, even better than an ordinary Herrscher.

But inflicting pain without harming the other person—even she only came to understand that level of control after tens of thousands of years of companionship.

Of course, Mei never valued this gentleness.

Gentle lightning cannot undo the past.

Gentle lightning cannot soothe the pain.

Gentle lightning cannot protect the one she holds most dear.

But this gentleness, at the right time, had its use.

“In some ways, perhaps I am not as good as you, other me...”

Looking at Mei in the image, Mei sighed inwardly.

But was it really only in some ways?

As a loser, she mocked herself.

Under the gentle yet powerful lightning, Kiana collapsed.

In her fading, hazy vision, she watched her dearest friend, her companion, turn away and walk into the distance.

"Mei..."

She murmured the other's name.

A wave of helplessness washed over her, followed by an exhaustion so intense that she could barely keep her eyes open, a desire to simply drift into a deep sleep.

Is this how it's going to end?

Is it really going to end like this, watching helplessly as her best friend leaves her and steps into that abyss of sin?

A voice seemed to question her from within.

No... it's not over yet...

Even as her consciousness faded and she nearly lost awareness, she still gave her answer:

"I am absolutely... absolutely..."

"Unwilling... unwilling..."

Driven by that unwillingness to let go, power surged once again from her withered body... a violent power... an ominous power... the power she dreaded most... the power of the Herrscher.

The overflowing power revitalized her consciousness, causing her to abruptly rise to her feet and, facing the receding figure, unleash a furious shout:

"I will absolutely not let you go!!"

It was a familiar power.

A power that broke her heart.

A power she absolutely never wanted to see again.

That power would take away her only life. That power was one of the culprits that had led her into the abyss of sin.

Her step froze midair as she sensed this power and heard the roar.

Mei turned her head, a hint of anger flashing in her dark red eyes. Suppressing her uncontrollable rage, she stared at Kiana, whose eyes had turned golden, and coldly rebuked her:

"Kiana, you shouldn't use that power anymore."

But...

The incoming Subspace Lance was Kiana's answer.

"Clang!"

The Subspace Lance clashed against Mei's Thunderblade, which had transformed from her sword after she became a Herrscher, producing a metallic clang.

The two were so close, only inches apart.

In the past, they had been like this too.

Back then, they were comrades.

They fought back to back, shared life and death, laughed together, and rejoiced together.

But now, they faced one another, resolutely crossing blades.

Neither yielded, unwilling to yield and unable to yield.

Amid the sparks of clashing weapons,

in this beautiful place where it all began,

where they first met, a resonance echoed within their hearts.

【Mei~ With Mei around, it's like having the strength of a hundred people!】

That was Kiana's joyful smile, flooding back into their hearts as both of them witnessed it once again.

But the next moment, they were separated.

Mei...

Amid the twisting clash, Kiana looked at the expressionless Mei, calling her name with a hint of pain.

Words can convey so much.

Including emotions...

But for Mei at this moment, they were meaningless...

Kiana didn't understand.

She refused to give up, wielding the Subspace Lance once more and engaging Mei in battle.

“Clang!”

The weapons clashed, sparks flying.

“If you become that Herrscher again, I'll wake you up with my baseball bat again.”

Another beautiful memory, worth cherishing...

But...

Snip—

A sharp, decisive, merciless blade severed the very beginning that had bound them together...

And... it was all done by that unfortunate girl named Raiden Mei.

Kiana...

Our acquaintance

began with that act of kindness.

And now,

I will sever that bond with my own hands...

...in exchange for your well-being!

---

Chapter 237: Lament of the Fallen (Part 1)

"Mei...!!"

Mei had severed that bond with her own hands, something Kiana couldn't accept, couldn't bear to accept.

She still tried to bind Mei with words, with the past, and with memories, hoping to make her change her mind.

Carrying these feelings and resentment, the subspace lances fell upon Mei again and again in Kiana's frenzy.

Mei passively defended herself, her eyes cold and piercing, a chilling gaze that seemed to lower the air temperature by eight degrees.

She simply stood there, blocking every attack while watching the person she considered her only one desperately try to win her back.

Should she be happy? If it were her past self, perhaps she would have been.

But...

For the present, for severing the past to save Kiana,

she felt no joy, no happiness, and no sadness.

Only a trace of anger.

...Anger at Kiana for not taking care of her body.

Anger at Kiana's relentless pursuit.

The flames of anger burned in her heart.

The words she wanted to say had already been spoken.

The things she wanted to do, she would do now.

"...Enough!"

In a split second, Mei coldly shouted, venting her anger.

Following her command, Kiana, whose Herrscher power had been activated, was lifted into the air and struggled desperately.

Lightning gathered, flowing into a deep sphere.

Then, at a measured pace, it moved toward its designated target.

She couldn't withstand this attack...

After months of wandering and battles, Kiana had gained invaluable experience that made this clear to her.

If she took that powerful attack, she would inevitably lose her mobility.

She understood that all too well...

Unwilling to watch her dearest friend perish, Kiana mustered all her strength and, at the last second before the sphere of lightning arrived, broke free from its restraints and leaped away to dodge it.

The Subspace Lance she threw afterward symbolized her resolve.

"Knock!"

The thrown Subspace Lance didn't even get close to Mei before it was shattered by the swift movement of the large demonic arm, returning to Kiana's hand.

Then...

As if telepathically connected,

the two simultaneously charged toward each other in the next instant, raising their weapons.

Another close encounter, but this time there were no memories.

The past had been severed. The old tree could never return to its verdant state.

Subspace Lance vs. Key of Conquest; Kiana Kaslana vs. Raiden Mei.

Friends who cared for each other were now... locked in a stalemate.

But, in the end, Raiden Mei prevailed.

Not only because her reborn body far surpassed Kiana's battered form, but also because of her conviction.

The conviction to protect her loved one ultimately triumphed over Kiana's determination.

Pale lightning filled the screen, obscuring everyone's vision.

Only Kiana's feeble cries of pain could be heard.

When the screen cleared, the two were still facing each other, but this time Kiana was below, and Mei was above.

"Mei... no... don't..."

The patter of rain mingled with Kiana's reluctance, unwillingness, and resentment.

The traces of the Herrscher faded from Mei's body as her Void Power receded like the tide.

That face was still familiar, but it no longer conveyed gentleness. Only a chilling coldness remained.

Those eyes were still familiar, but they no longer held confusion or hesitation. Only a resolute determination to sacrifice herself remained.

Seeing this, Joyce scratched his cheek, wearing a somewhat heavy expression as he spoke with a helpless half-smile.

"This emotion... it's truly hard to find the words to describe it..."

Did Kiana do anything wrong?

Of course not.

She only wanted to save her best friend and prevent her from going astray.

Did Mei do anything wrong?

No.

Although it might sound selfish, she only wanted to protect the one who had saved her, and for that, she didn't even care what World Serpent would do.

But before experiencing what Mei had gone through, none of them had the right, nor could they, criticize Mei's choice as selfish.

Only Mei herself could speak on this matter.

"...Mei-neechan and Kiana..."

The timid Seele felt sad and unconsciously grabbed Bronya's hand beside her.

"Hmph, it's okay. Those are things of the future, and right now, that future is gone!"

Wendy curled her lips and crossed her arms, though she wasn't as weighed down as the others.

She was the Herrscher of Wind.

The wind yearned for freedom.

Nothing could bind the wind's freedom.

Neither could sorrow nor a heavy heart.

"If this happens again, let me handle it~ I guarantee both sides will behave."

Wendy's serious demeanor made her seem quite earnest.

This couldn't help but bring smiles back to Seele's face, and even Kiana, whose mood had become somewhat somber after watching the images, smiled faintly.

Einstein, however, broke the mood by asking seriously,

"Those are all things of the future, but judging from the images... is it over?"

"What else could it be? That brat was already in such a state, and even unleashed a burst of power in the middle of the fight. Does she really think she can continue contending with a fully healthy Herrscher of Thunder?"

Jackal scoffed mockingly.

"What reluctance? What sentiment? That's all you've got? Nothing worth bragging about."

To be honest, she was genuinely surprised and excited that Kiana had managed to force herself back to her feet.

But Jackal understood that the girl's ability came purely from the power of the Herrscher of the Void.

As for willpower... perhaps it occasionally had tangible effects, but as a materialistic researcher, she wasn't foolish enough to believe in something so unstable and unpredictable.

"...You!"

Tesla's face twisted with anger.

But before she could say anything more, her superior, Kevin, spoke.

"Shut up."

He uttered those two words calmly and expressionlessly.

Jackal wasn't displeased. Instead, she felt terrified and somewhat aggrieved, immediately shutting her mouth.

Kevin then turned his gaze toward the two people who terrified everyone present and calmly said,

"My failure to properly discipline my subordinates is my dereliction of duty."

At that moment, Jackal realized

Mei and Kiana's gazes had unknowingly fallen upon him.

...No wonder she had felt an ominous sense of impending doom since earlier.

"..."

Kiana didn't speak, only silently turning her gaze back to the image.

Mei followed suit.

...It was only natural for them to react.

Although tens of thousands of years had plunged both of them into despair, gazing upon that image—the one they both shared, where their bond had first been forged...

The human named Jackal was belittling the will of those present.

Naturally, this angered them.

It was precisely because this was the Q&A Space that nothing happened.

If this had been outside,

"Mei" would have eliminated Jackal before "Kiana" could even act.

"Eh... sometimes you really can't just say whatever you want."

Raven and Jackal weren't exactly on good terms, and seeing Jackal get put in her place for those tactless remarks made Raven feel a little smug.

This made Jackal glare fiercely at Raven, but she didn't dare say another word.

"The video isn't over yet... there should be more to come."

Himeko looked away from Jackal, glanced at the screen, and made her judgment based on past experience.

Then, in the next moment,

the image lit up again, confirming Himeko's judgment.

It was still that gloomy sky, with dark thunderclouds obscuring the spire crackling with electricity.

This somber weather...

In this place of beginnings and endings, their first encounter had been on this rooftop.

Kiana, her body already broken, staggered backward and crashed heavily into the safety railing.

Mei approached and pressed her against it,

grabbing her by the neck once again and bringing Kiana the suffocating pain of choking.

"Give up, Kiana..."

Watching Kiana struggle like someone about to drown yet still refusing to surrender, Mei tightened her grip.

Bang!

Like a tattered rag doll, Kiana was thrown violently away, crashing into the ground, bouncing off the railing, and landing helplessly on the floor.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Mei slowly lowered her stance before standing upright.

Panting and struggling, Kiana gripped the railing for support, bowed her head, gritted her teeth, and answered,

"No... I won't let you... go!!"

But at this moment, she was utterly powerless.

Mei tilted her head slightly, glancing sideways. Her faintly purple eyes were filled with impatience and irritation as she spoke sarcastically.

"With your barely conscious state?"

"With..."

Kiana murmured while struggling to stay upright with her head lowered.

Then, in the next instant, she gritted her teeth and lunged forward.

"—My fist!"

Her slender fist shot toward Mei with all its might.

The close-quarters combat skills Himeko had taught Kiana at St. Freya finally came into play.

But...

Whether it was her physical condition

or the training she had received at St. Freya,

Kiana was no match for Mei.

One punch, two punches—her nimble strikes were effortlessly deflected by Mei's sidesteps.

Then, catching the punch that grazed her cheek, Mei counterattacked, grabbing Kiana's arm before sweeping away her only point of support.

Thump.

Her body slammed against the cold ground, though her Kaslana bloodline's natural combat talent minimized the damage.

She had always been a genius.

A genius in combat.

Even at a disadvantage, Kiana could still counterattack through instinct.

Just as before,

and still now.

But Mei easily deflected those swift kicks, even taking the opportunity to send Kiana flying with a single blow.

Nameless, sorrowful music played, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.

The two remained locked in combat, yet no matter how Kiana attacked, Mei always held the upper hand.

But Kiana wouldn't give up, and couldn't possibly give up.

She would never watch her best friend fall into the abyss.

So...

The Valkyrie armor activated once again.

A giant cat paw, formed from Kiana's kick, descended upon Mei, only to miss by the slightest margin.

She was once again at a disadvantage.

But this time... Kiana found her opportunity.

She closed the distance once more.

She grabbed Mei's leg with one hand, then struck with deadly force.

Gold gleamed in her eyes as the power of the Herrscher of the Void began to manifest.

Shocking Honkai energy patterns climbed up her arm.

But...

At that moment,

the usually composed Mei became enraged.

She had joined World Serpent precisely so Kiana's body wouldn't be damaged by using the Herrscher of the Void's powers.

Yet right before her eyes, Kiana showed such disregard for her own body...

Rage burned within her.

Gritting her teeth, Mei's movements abruptly changed.

She flipped over and delivered a heavy blow to Kiana's head, sending her flying backward.

But Mei didn't stop.

In a flash, she appeared before Kiana even hit the ground.

But it wasn't to help her up...

Instead, another knee strike followed.

Thump.

Kiana was sent flying. She slammed heavily onto the bench they had once sat on together like a rag doll. The violent impact forced a groan of pain from her.

Yet she still clung to the bench, stubbornly insisting,

"I... won't..."

"...Give up!!"

With her shout, the bench was uprooted and hurled toward Mei.

Sizzle—

A clap of thunder followed instantly, slicing the bench cleanly in two.

But Kiana had never intended to rely on the bench.

It was merely a projectile meant to obstruct Mei's vision.

Her real attack came from directly behind it.

At that moment, Mei, standing firm, struck with deadly force.

Lightning crackled around her wrist. She wielded it like a blade, slashing across Kiana's abdomen in an instant and forcing a pained whimper from her.

But this was not the end.

After that initial strike, Mei followed with more than a dozen rapid blows, unleashing her family's inherited lightning swordsmanship.

Boom!

The relentless assault sent Kiana flying backward like a falling meteor, crashing through the railing and plunging several meters to the ground below.

The destructive power made Raven gasp.

She glanced at Mei, speechless for a moment, before speaking.

"Are you sure you really want to save the Herrscher of the Void? I get the feeling you want to kill her yourself..."

Having not experienced the Arc City and Nagazora incidents, Raven still held a strong aversion toward Kiana, the vessel of the Herrscher of the Void.

However, after witnessing so many of their tender moments, even someone like Raven couldn't remain completely unmoved.

Seeing Mei's brutal treatment of Kiana left even Raven speechless.

"Well... let me explain that."

Mr. Otto, the helpful citizen, stroked his chin and explained with a smile,

"The one K-423 is wearing is Schicksal's third-generation Valkyrie armor, White Comet."

"The third-generation Valkyrie armors each have their own unique characteristics, and White Comet's specialty is... well, even training with it makes you a target practice... Ah, that's just a joke, of course."

Seeing his granddaughter's murderous glare, Otto chuckled awkwardly before continuing seriously,

"Compared to the other armors, White Comet's defining characteristic is its durability."

"Among all third-generation armors, White Comet has the greatest resistance to physical impacts. Like in the video... well, although it looks pretty brutal, in reality... it really is quite brutal."

Otto paused before smiling again.

"I think the reason Ms. Mei in the video went so far was because she knew White Comet's durability could withstand it."

"Ahem, that's true, but to be honest, she still went a bit too far."

As he said that, everyone's gaze turned toward Mei.

Mei turned her head away.

"Don't look at me. I didn't... do it."

"Why are you blaming me now because my future self hit someone?"

"But... this should be the end of it, right?"

Joyce, however, remained focused on Kiana.

Looking at the screen, he spoke.

"After taking that attack head-on, even with the Valkyrie battlesuit's protection, Kiana shouldn't be able to continue fighting."

"Indeed."

Bianka nodded.

She felt that even if she were in that condition, she'd probably be finished unless she unleashed some kind of cosmos, and Kiana had already unleashed hers earlier.

She couldn't possibly do it again... could she?

---

Chapter 238: Lament of the Fallen (Part 2)

But then, the situation in the video unfolded a second time.

Just as Mei thought it was over and breathed a sigh of relief, the next moment, a purple light emanated from the surroundings.

Accompanied by a series of sounds, round holes suddenly appeared.

"That's... the Herrscher of the Void's imaginary portals?!"

Seeing this, Theresa instantly recalled Queen's Descent and The Final Lesson.

"...She can even use Herrscher powers?" Bianka couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.

However, she was familiar with the Herrscher of the Void's powers. Their main purpose was to redirect enemy attacks, attack with Imaginary Mass Blocks, or even create constructs like the Subspace Lance.

"What are you trying to do by creating a bunch of imaginary portals? There aren't any mech units around to provide you with damage."

But the next moment, that question was answered.

From those imaginary portals, countless Subspace Lances, their blades exposed and gleaming coldly, emerged.

Because these imaginary portals almost completely surrounded Mei, the Subspace Lances that sprang forth instantly locked her entire body in place, rendering her immobile.

Only the last Subspace Lance that arrived stopped directly in front of Mei's throat, a mere millimeter away.

"Wow... you can do that?"

Tesla was somewhat surprised. Looking at the restrained Mei in the image, she couldn't help but stroke her chin.

"But theoretically, it seems possible... if the Herrscher of the Void had used this move during their fight... hiss..."

Thinking of that situation, Tesla couldn't help but gasp.

A full-scale Subspace Lance attack—who knows when it might seize an opportunity to strike unexpectedly?

Are you scared yet?

The layman sees the spectacle; the expert sees the strategy.

Unlike Tesla and Einstein, who were providing logistical support, the battle-hardened Cecilia remained calm.

"Not as difficult to deal with as I imagined. These Subspace Lances aren't much of a threat if you take advantage of Mei's momentary lapse in concentration and unleash your power... but they can certainly cause a lot of trouble if you're not careful."

However, she didn't deny the practicality of this move.

Theresa, however, had a different opinion. Staring at the Subspace Lances in the image, she couldn't help but say,

"If this move were combined with the Space shift technique, that would be a killer move."

During the Second Eruption, she had fought Sirin.

Their first battle had ended in disaster because of that untouchable Subspace Lance.

If it weren't for the opponent's interest, Theresa would probably have joined Cecilia in death.

And if this all-around, flawless attack were combined with a mix of feints and real attacks...

Tsk... even several lives wouldn't be enough to survive it.

Meanwhile, while they were discussing this,

the Herrscher of the Void, still sealed away, had already started taking notes.

Listen to this. These are all important points.

Who knows? They might come in handy someday, right?

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Imaginary energy formed steps, allowing Kiana, who had been knocked down, to ascend.

At this moment, her appearance was no longer that of an ordinary White Comet, nor a Void Drifter.

The power of the Herrscher of the Void had now manifested within Kiana to its fullest extent.

It was as if she had stepped back into the Schicksal headquarters of the past...

...The only difference, perhaps, was that she could barely control this power.

Stepping once more into this place of origin, Kiana lowered her head, covering her right eye with her hand. Beneath that hand, the golden light representing the will of the Herrscher of the Void shone.

Although she had been forced to use this power, Kiana still didn't want to appear before Mei like this.

...It was too pathetic.

And too willful...

She slightly raised her hand, desperately resisting the corrosive influence of the Herrscher of the Void.

All of this was observed by Mei.

The lightning flashing through the dark rain clouds seemed to reflect her current mood.

"You've always been... like this."

Bound, Mei slowly closed her eyes, tilting her head slightly back. Her bangs obscured her eyes, making her expression unreadable.

"Kiana."

Cold raindrops fell on her face, streaming down. Mei's voice, filled with anger and resentment, seemed to echo through the storm, releasing the emotions she had suppressed within herself.

"You've always been like this."

"Even when you're covered in wounds, you still force yourself to smile."

Scenes from the past resurfaced before her eyes. Kiana's smile appeared as though it had been just yesterday.

"You saved me. You saved everyone."

"...But you had to bear all the pain alone! Even at the cost of your life!"

That towering figure had shielded everyone from harm, but it couldn't stop the helplessness welling up in Mei's heart.

That beloved figure lay on the bed, once so full of laughter and joy, now reduced to such a state...

Anger, sorrow, and lamentation...

Mei used this opportunity to release all the emotions that had been building up inside her.

"...Mei!"

Rain fell softly from the sky, trickling through her hair. Kiana called out her companion's name, wanting to say something.

But in the end, she could only clench her slightly raised hand, her eyes hidden by her bangs and filled with helplessness and despair.

"This is... my mission."

But that reason, that answer, only intensified the emotions simmering within Mei.

Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a deafening roar. Drenched by the rain, she gritted her teeth, her face contorted with grief and rage.

"Saving the world? All that grand rhetoric?"

"I understand..."

The Subspace Lances binding Mei's limbs snapped cleanly.

"Mei!?"

Kiana stared in astonishment, instinctively calling her name.

But Mei didn't waver. She continued to struggle, even using her freed arms to seize the deadliest Subspace Lance.

"But... how can you expect me to endure all this!"

The sharp Subspace Lance, in its frenzied motion, left a horrifying gash across Mei's neck, yet she seemed oblivious to the pain.

...Or perhaps the anguish in her heart had already surpassed the pain of the wound.

Kiana, watching this scene unfold, was panicked and helpless. Her pupils dilated as she weakly tried to stop her.

"...No!!"

"I only know that, in my heart..."

The Subspace Lance she was gripping began to shatter, dissipating into specks of light. She fell silent, her voice low and intense as she poured out everything within her.

"Compared to this world..."

The scenes of laughter and joy, of walking side by side, flashed rapidly through her mind like a slideshow.

"You're more important!!"

Accompanied by the restrained yet soaring music, Mei roared, pouring out the feelings in her heart.

Perhaps influenced by those emotions, the cumulonimbus clouds, which had previously been drizzling, transformed into a torrential downpour filled with flashes of lightning.

Thunderbolts as thick as waterfalls pierced the heavens and earth, illuminating Mei's furious, demonic face.

An unnamed song began to play, allowing everyone awestruck by Mei's performance to feel the intense, volcanic eruption of her emotions.

Kiana in the image seemed shaken by the will and power Mei displayed, frantically floating through the sky.

Gritting her teeth, she summoned several imaginary portals.

A vast number of Subspace Lances appeared, descending toward Mei.

But...

Before the Subspace Lances could even reach her,

she had already transformed into a bolt of lightning and rushed toward Kiana in midair.

One by one, the Subspace Lances grazed past her, then vanished under the interference of the surrounding lightning.

Their altitude continued to rise throughout this aerial tug-of-war until they reached the clouds.

Feeling threatened by the approaching figure, Kiana flipped and drew her bowstring, firing an Imaginary Mass Block as an arrow, just as the Herrscher of the Void had done against Himiko.

The released Imaginary Mass Block, like a falling meteor, instantly pierced through the thick clouds, creating a huge hole.

However, such a powerful attack obviously couldn't reach Mei. Even though Kiana's aim was accurate, Mei, who had the speed advantage of the Herrscher of Thunder, darted closer like a bolt of lightning.

Realizing this, Kiana didn't hesitate. Gritting her teeth, she opened her hand.

Imaginary energy surged forth, frantically chasing Mei's figure, seemingly trying to block her path.

But ultimately, Mei's speed was superior. Enveloped in lightning, she escaped the pursuit of the imaginary energy and, in the brief moment before Kiana could turn around, forcefully struck her down.

But... this was not the end.

Above the heavens, above Kiana, the power of the Herrscher once again emanated from Mei.

She transformed back into the Warring Oni form she had been before.

Her big demonic gauntlets gripped the massive hilt of her sword.

The torrential rain subsided, and blinding sunlight shone through the clouds onto Mei.

Beneath that nameless song, the eyes of two friends, each yearning to save the other, met.

At this moment, gazing into Mei's eyes, Kiana finally understood.

Her eyes widened slightly as she watched her best friend, gritting her teeth, unleash that resolute, all-severing strike.

Watching the attack approach, Kiana didn't resist—not because she was powerless, but because she understood her friend's resolve.

At this moment, she simply reached out her hand as if to touch her... with a trace of reluctance.

Crimson lightning pierced the heavens and earth, bringing the battle to a close.

Unconscious, Kiana fell helplessly like a feather drifting through the air, just as she had in Arc City.

Only this time, it wasn't Durandal who came to catch her.

Golden sunlight illuminated the dim sky, and the oppressive storm subsided.

A hand clad in crimson gauntlets, like a demon's, grasped the wrist of the dazzling girl whose beauty was almost blinding.

"That day, you reached out your hand to me."

That first encounter, high in the desolate sky, reappeared in the image.

...The white-haired girl's smile, her own astonishment.

"From the moment you reached out to me, my destiny was changed by you."

The beautiful scene, that moment of astonishment, overlapped once more.

But this time, her eyes no longer held astonishment or surprise, only resolute determination.

"You are the..."

But that unwavering resolve, in the next instant, transformed into a tenderness that sent shivers down one's spine.

"...the most important person my life."

Though she had said it countless times in her heart, only at this moment could the girl named Raiden Mei express her feelings to the one she loved most.

And after this, there would probably be no more chances...

The scene shifted.

Stepping once more onto the place where they had first met, Mei gently laid Kiana upon the stone slab.

In the shadows, the girl peacefully closed her eyes, her sleeping face serene.

"If saving you is a sin..."

"Then let me be the sinner."

Gazing at the girl she loved so dearly, the girl she was willing to give everything to protect, Mei feared that lingering on this moment would prevent her from carrying out her resolve. She decisively turned away, her eyes trembling slightly as she closed them in a final farewell.

"Goodbye, Kiana."

A deafening dragon's roar, accompanied by a raging hurricane, erupted as Mei's figure, like a bolt of crimson lightning, soared into the sky, transforming into a crimson speck of light that disappeared into the distance.

"This emotion..."

Su, who had kept his eyes closed the entire time, was momentarily dumbfounded at the determination Mei displayed—the willingness to step into darkness to save the one she loved.

Even among the many World Bubbles he had observed over thousands of years, those who could rival such will and emotion were exceedingly rare.

But Wendy glanced at Su in surprise and exclaimed.

"Eh... you can actually see?"

She had thought Su was blind because his eyes were always closed.

"I never expected he's able to see. It's truly amazing."

"..." Su didn't explain.

"Pfft."

Seeing this, Fu Hua couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

If she remembered correctly, many people had asked Su that same question in the past.

Of course, almost none of them ever received an answer.

"...You've changed."

Su suddenly spoke, startling Fu Hua.

Then he continued.

"In my memory, I've never seen you smile."

"Really?" Fu Hua thought for a moment before resting her chin on her hand.

"Perhaps you just never saw it."

Although she had always been the more serious type, and later had essentially become as emotionless as Kevin and Su,

she had smiled in the distant past.

When her parents were still alive...

When the Captain was still around...

But thinking about it now, those memories seemed so distant.

Hmm... she did occasionally smile when she was with Kiana and the others.

"Hehe, I played a part in this, you know."

Book of Fuxi floated out at that moment, standing atop its ball and proudly patting its little chest.

Book of Fuxi boasting.jpg.

"...The ELF based on Fuxi and Nuwa..."

Su immediately recognized that Book of Fuxi's prototype was the Fuxi and Nuwa who had worked alongside Mobius.

Come to think of it, he had briefly worked with those two sisters back then.

"Waaah... Mei-neechan and Kiana..."

The previous scenes had already been tearing at Seele's fragile heart, and this farewell directly broke her composure.

In an instant, tears streamed down her face.

"Tch, crybaby..."

This made Black Seele, who was within her inner space, feel a little uncomfortable. She couldn't help but turn her head away in annoyance.

"It's not that big of a deal. Why are you crying? Wait until something actually happens to me before you cry!!"

---

Chapter 239: Is the Visitor Dragon Benares?

Having witnessed the story between her daughter and Mei and seeing the intense emotions they displayed during their fight, as a mother, Cecilia was naturally heartbroken.

She looked at Kiana seriously, offering not comfort but rather a half-helpless admonition.

"Kiana... you can't do everything by yourself like you did in the videos."

"If that were the case... imagine how heartbroken Mei, I, your father, and everyone else who loves you would be if they knew."

Cecilia cradled Kiana's face in her hands, gently whispering those words.

These were precisely the words Theresa, Bronya, and Himeko, who also considered Kiana a very important and indispensable student and companion, wanted to say.

At this moment, Cecilia voiced the thoughts everyone else had been unable to express.

"...Um."

Witnessing Mei's willingness to join World Serpent to save her, and her unwavering determination to do anything for that goal, Kiana's mindset underwent another change.

She had originally been just like her Void Drifter self. Although she had grown, she was still unwilling to burden her companions.

Now, Kiana had learned to be honest, to share hardships with her companions, and to seek their help.

...But—

"Mei..."

After speaking to Kiana, Cecilia turned to Mei.

This immediately made Mei a little flustered.

Despite all the reasons behind it, wasn't this video ultimately about her beating up Kiana?

Beating up Kiana in front of Aunt Cecilia... wouldn't that make Aunt Cecilia angry?!

Waaaaah, I'm going to get scolded...

Mei frowned, closed her eyes, and inwardly groaned.

Cecilia noticed this and couldn't help covering her mouth as she chuckled.

"This is the first time I've seen you make that expression."

Although Mei looked like a fairly ordinary housewife when she wasn't wearing glasses,

Cecilia had never seen her look so flustered before.

Then Cecilia lifted Mei's hand and placed it against her chest.

The warm, enveloping feeling startled Mei. She stared at Cecilia with wide eyes. Standing so close to her, she had no idea what to do, and a rare blush crept onto her cheeks.

Smiling gently, Cecilia spoke softly and apologetically,

"I'm sorry. My silly daughter has caused you so much trouble."

She should have said that a long time ago.

After all, when neither she nor Siegfried was around, it was often Mei who stayed by Kiana's side and took care of her.

She should have thanked Mei long ago, but unfortunately she kept forgetting, so she never did.

Under Mei's surprised gaze, Cecilia smiled, held Mei's wrist, and spoke solemnly.

"It may sound a little strange, but... I'm entrusting Kiana to you from now on."

"Hey... this feels like she's marrying off her daughter!!"

This scene prompted Tesla, known for her sarcastic remarks, to comment.

Of course, Mei's father was also in a state of turmoil.

As a doting father, he had always treated his daughter like a precious treasure, fearing that some pig would one day steal his precious cabbage.

At this moment, although the pig rooting for the cabbage appeared to be a woman, and their feelings were clearly mutual,

Raiden Ryoma still naturally felt it was inappropriate and immediately spoke up to oppose this matchmaking attempt.

Anticipating this, Cecilia smiled and waved her hand.

Then...

Cecilia's Stand: Siegfried Kaslana, activated.

Its effect was to make all of Raiden Ryoma's words sound like "woo woo woo" while completely restricting his movements.

"..."

Seeing her father struggle so fiercely, Mei twitched the corner of her mouth.

Then she met Cecilia's smiling face again, never expecting this seemingly kind Aunt Cecilia to have such a cunning side.

But...

This request was exactly what Mei wanted, so she had no intention of refusing.

Mei took a deep breath and said firmly,

"I will, Aunt Cecilia!"

"...Mother!"

Kiana was stunned. She let out a slightly embarrassed yet indignant cry.

Of course, Cecilia didn't mind. She simply clapped her hands with a smile.

"That's great!"

These two were easy to settle.

But...

Cecilia smiled, though her eyes carried a trace of heartache as she looked at "Kiana" and "Mei."

How was she supposed to comfort these two?

Although her gentle comfort had indeed melted a small part of Finality Kiana's long-frozen heart, even drawing out a few tears she thought had long since dried up, it was utterly insufficient compared to the guilt and despair that had accumulated over tens of thousands of years.

As for "Mei"...

She had absolutely no idea what to do.

There was basically no hope on Ryoma's side either.

Cecilia sighed.

Perhaps she simply couldn't comfort these two.

Perhaps all she could do was place her hopes in Kiana and Mei.

—

At that moment, the third question appeared.

[3. In Doll Academy, which of the following won Sirin's favor and therefore became thorns in Bella's side?]

It was a multiple-choice question, and the topic involved the previously mentioned Doll Academy.

Many people, including Theresa and Tesla, breathed a sigh of relief.

The first question revealed why Kiana became the Herrscher of Finality, leading to a Ragnarok-like ending with nearly total annihilation.

The second question wasn't as dramatic as the first. It merely revealed a sinner's lament.

Although it mainly focused on the relationship between Kiana and Mei, the painful yet intense emotions between them, culminating in a fierce battle, undoubtedly left no one feeling happy.

If the third question were another depressing one, honestly, many of them would want to curse.

Even when serving tragedy, you don't pile it all together. What was this, a television drama?

There were children here! Upsetting the adults a little was one thing, since most of them had the mental fortitude to endure it.

But what if someone like Seele, whose mental resilience was weaker, and became depressed?

"Doll Academy... is it related to ELFs?"

After seeing the title, Su immediately guessed part of the answer.

"It seems to be a rather unique world. It's very peaceful, with virtually no Honkai invasions..."

When mentioning the lack of Honkai invasions, Fu Hua paused.

Come to think of it, hadn't she seen a group of Zombies in the Doll Academy videos before?

Those should count as Honkai creatures, shouldn't they...?

After hesitating briefly, Fu Hua summarized,

"In short, it appears to be a comedic world centered around ELFs."

"Hmm... an ELF-themed world? I haven't observed any similar worlds before."

Su rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment. His brows furrowed slightly before he shook his head.

He had indeed observed a world entirely populated by ELFs, namely the remnant of the Previous Era where the Herrscher of Rock had fallen into the Sea of Quanta.

Fu Hua wasn't bothered. She simply explained to her two old comrades how to use the Q&A Space.

"As for this footage, the Q&A Space doesn't seem to be keeping it secret, so you can use the video playback function if you'd like to watch it."

She didn't conceal anything.

In reality, it also reflected the trust she placed in Su and even Kevin.

Although they had once stood on opposing sides, that had only been because Kevin's plan was unacceptable.

Now that he had entered this mysterious space as well, whether to persuade him to abandon that cruel plan or simply out of respect for an old comrade, there was no need to hide anything from him the way she had hidden things from Otto.

"Based on the previously released footage, the known ELFs in Doll Academy are Tesla Zero, Blood Embrace, Selune's Elegy, and Jingwei's Wings."

Einstein raised one finger and solemnly presented the information she had compiled.

Seele tilted her head in surprise.

"Eh... isn't it Jingwei's Wings?!"

"Ahem... um... yes, it's Jingwei's Wings~~"

After exposing her own mistake, Einstein quickly corrected herself, perhaps because she sensed the dangerous gazes directed at her.

As she spoke, she couldn't help glancing at Water's Edge and Book of Fuxi, who were standing beside Fu Hua.

"Of course... it's also possible that Water's Edge, Book of Fuxi, or even more dolls will appear."

"So we need to choose the correct answers from among these dolls?"

Rita rested her chin on her hand and observed the ELFs with great interest.

She had watched all of Doll Academy, and the Theresa there was just so... cute!

The possible subjects of the question had essentially been narrowed down to Bella.

All that remained was analyzing the answer choices.

To be honest, it wasn't easy.

After all, there had only been two brief Doll Academy videos, and no one really knew what had happened in them.

When the details were completely unknown, facing a multiple-choice question without any clear direction was certainly no easy task.

But...

Several of the people present possessed humanity's greatest intellects.

What was there to fear from a difficult question?

"Although I don't know what Sirin is like in that world, the doll Jingwei's Wings can probably be ruled out. After all... as a teacher, she should be fairly composed."

Mei glanced at Tesla Zero sitting on Tesla's shoulder.

"But aside from Jingwei's Wings, the remaining three... Selune's Elegy, Blood Embrace, and Tesla Zero all seem to have rather lively personalities."

"Hmm... I think I can rule myself out. Although I admit I'm lively, I'm also the type who's passionate about research and developing new inventions. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to please anyone."

Tesla Zero crossed her arms confidently.

Of course, her words immediately reminded Bronya of the previous "brat catcher" incident.

"...In that case, let's eliminate Tesla Zero as well," Welt nodded slightly. "But that only leaves two."

Joyce agreed.

"Yes. If we don't consider the possibility of other ELFs we've never seen before appearing, then choosing the remaining two is indeed the wisest decision."

"Eh... eh... eh..."

Bella simply stared blankly at the discussion, clearly unable to keep up.

"Anyway... let's choose those two for now, Bella."

Hearing Kiana say this, Bella instinctively obeyed her Queen. She crossed her arms, nodded obediently, and replied,

"I will obey, Your Majesty!"

At that moment, inside Kiana's inner world—

"Damn it, that's my dragon!!"

She could only watch helplessly as her own dragon was driven to the brink of madness by her vessel.

Incompetent ground hammering.mp3

I can't do anything.jpeg

"The correct answers are Blood Embrace and Selune's Elegy!"

Completely unaware that her Queen was frantically grabbing at things, Bella made her choice in her childish voice.

[Incorrect Answer]

This result was completely unexpected.

Watching the scene, Tesla smirked and glanced at Tesla Zero beside her.

So much for claiming she only cared about research and wasn't likable.

"Haha..."

Tesla Zero chuckled awkwardly and turned away.

Under everyone's gaze, the video slowly unfolded like a scroll.

The first scene featured Selune's Elegy and Tesla Zero.

Meanwhile, Tesla Zero was checking personal information on the terminal attached to her arm.

Name: Bella

Gender: Female

Contact Number: 16xxxxxx48

Home Address: No. xx, xx Street, xx City

Interests and Talents:

Musical instruments, electrical engineering, thermodynamics, maid etiquette, Fireball Spell, Ice Tornado Spell, Lightning Storm, Dragon's Breath.

Awards:

City Flight Champion, Best Supporting Actor in the Honkai 3 animated short film, and Model Worker of the Abyss Battlefield.

Motto:

I shall become lightning. I swear upon my life and honor to protect you as you journey through the eternal night. Whether you are right or wrong, I will remain by your side until death.

xxx:sss xxx:sss

xxx:sss xxx:sss

xxx:sss xxx:sss

The information was displayed clearly before everyone's eyes along with the video.

Looking at Bella's résumé—

Õ ÕÕ Õ_Õ

Every human were dumbfounded.

What?

"Kiana" and "Mei" weren't human.

"...How should I put this? In every sense, this résumé has... a lot of problems..."

Even Tesla, famous for her sarcastic remarks, was momentarily at a loss. Looking at Bella's résumé, which was riddled with absurdities, she didn't even know where to begin.

The beginning was fairly normal.

But when it came to hobbies and specialties... what the hell were all those strange abilities?

Aside from musical instruments and maid etiquette, everything else was obviously a dangerous combat skill. Was she even human?

...Oh, right. I forgot the original was a Judgment-class Honkai Beast.

Then there were the awards.

I'm no longer interested in spending money on hobbies, but...

"I'm speechless."

After coughing twice, Tesla decided to skip that topic.

Repairing walls was tiring enough. It was better not to kick them down in the first place.

After all, their walls were made of paper.

Looking at the list of achievements and setting aside the bizarre categories, she sighed.

"I never expected you to be such an outstanding student."

Dragon Benares puffed out her chest proudly.

"That's right! I, Bella, am a famous top student at school~~~"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Isn't this dragon's art style completely different?

------

Chapter 240: My Queen... Hehe... My Queen

"What's written on that? Let me see!!"

In the video, Selune's Elegy, who had appeared earlier, stood behind Little Tesla. She peeked at Little Tesla's terminal.

Little Tesla simply rolled her eyes and spoke calmly,

"What's so interesting? Just the standard model of a top student."

"Indeed."

Selune's Elegy nodded, stroking her chin.

"I've known her for so long, and this seems to be the first time she's taken a day off."

"Alright, don't overthink it."

Little Tesla didn't dwell on it, waved her hand, and prepared to knock on the door.

"Just give them the homework and..."

But before she could finish speaking—

"Go back to your own—"

Aww!!

A gasp rang out, followed by a familiar figure crashing through the door like a missile and hurtling out through the hole.

Little Tesla stared in horror at the scene unfolding before her, stiffly uttering the last word she had barely managed to say.

"Home."

"How many times have I told you?! Don't rub against me while I'm playing games!"

A furious, enraged shout erupted from inside the room, so loud that both dolls covered their ears.

"That voice... is the Second Herrscher?!"

Siegfried, who was quite familiar with the voice, looked on with a puzzled expression.

However, this wasn't surprising.

What was truly concerning... was...

"That's so unfair..."

Watching Bella, dazed and rubbing her head after bumping into the wall in the video, coupled with Sirin's angry shouts and roars, with her preconceived notion of Sirin as the Second Herrscher and a villain, Seele immediately imagined a 100,000-word essay, biting her lip.

She still had a good impression of the Dragon Benares.

Although she was a dangerous Judgment-class Honkai Beast, the previous video, whether it was her self-sacrifice to save Mei or the protective will she displayed, willing to give everything, had all left Seele with a favorable impression of her.

"Hmm... she'd be angry, wouldn't she?"

Water's Edge sat on the Water's Edge sword, resting her chin on her hand.

Even a good-natured ELF like her would be angry if treated like this, provided the other person wasn't her master.

What? What if it was her master?

Hmm... of course she should forgive her!

Master must have had her reasons for doing that.

Water's Edge firmly believed this.

However, just like Water's Edge,

Just as everyone had predicted, Bella in the video let out a sigh of relief after her less-than-pleasant experience, her head practically exploding with rainbow-colored thoughts.

"Phew!"

This was exactly what many had predicted.

But...

The next moment...

"Hehehe~~"

A smile like that of a demon spread across Bella's small face, and she let out a silly laugh that made everyone's hearts tighten and left them stunned.

"Your Majesty Your Majesty Your Majesty~"

That frolicking, joyful posture made one wonder whether she was a dragon or a maggot.

"..."

Those with a strong urge to make sarcastic remarks, as well as those who had high hopes for her, all twitched their lips.

They glanced at Bella beside them.

They had never expected that this seemingly serious, reliable, and cute little girl was actually a... brooding monster on the inside.

Bella wasn't embarrassed by everyone's stares. She merely blushed slightly, straightened up, and hugged Kiana's face tightly.

The scene quickly shifted indoors.

Having learned the purpose of Tesla Zero and Selune's visit, Bella entertained the two of them.

"Here you go~"

Selune's Elegy handed over the notebook she had brought, and Bella, the model student, nodded repeatedly in thanks.

"Mmm, thanks!"

"Wow, this tea is delicious!!"

Little Tesla sat on the sofa. She held the black tea Bella had brewed, praising it while simultaneously complaining,

"It's much better than the coffee in the lab!"

Upon hearing this, Tesla immediately pinched Little Tesla's cheek, kneading it like dough.

"Better than my coffee?!"

If she remembered correctly, this little guy was actually the biggest coffee drinker, wasn't she?!

Because of this little guy's arrival, her monthly allowance had to be prepaid for next month.

This added another burden to Tesla Labs' expenses.

"Ugh, what's so great about instant coffee?!" Little Tesla complained but remained adamant.

As a frequent all-nighter, a controlled intake of caffeine to stay awake was paramount.

As a high-ranking member of Anti-Entropy, with Anti-Entropy's financial resources, Tesla could theoretically afford top-quality coffee.

But for convenience, or perhaps to save every penny, Tesla's lab primarily served cheap instant coffee.

Compared to Dragon Benares' fine black tea, even premium instant coffee couldn't compare.

"Want a cup sometime."

The rather cunning Einstein said to Bella with a straight face.

Little Tesla had praised the tea, so she had to try it, right?

Bella, of course, wouldn't refuse. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded, then looked at Kiana with expectant, sparkling eyes.

"Hmm... no problem! Your Majesty, would you like some?"

"...Tea... maybe later when I have time."

Kiana didn't refuse either, which made Bella's face light up with a smile.

In the video, Bella returned to her room, and a purple-haired figure wearing a baggy T-shirt, intently focused on a game console, appeared in Selune's field of vision.

She shouted.

"Bella! My soda's finished! Get me two more cans!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Bella's voice came from behind the door, as docile as a dog.

"Hmm..." Theresa squinted, staring intently at the screen, then her gaze instantly caught something.

For a moment, Theresa's expression froze.

...That was...

"Eh..."

Selune in the scene also noticed the guests in her home. Somewhat surprised yet also delighted, she leaned closer and asked,

"Are you Bella's friends?"

"Uh... yes."

Perhaps because the previous scenes had been so intense, Selune nodded somewhat reservedly, answering yes.

Upon receiving confirmation, Selune's eyes crinkled into crescents as she cheerfully laughed.

"Oh—welcome, welcome~~"

"Actually, we just came to deliver..."

The reserved Selune weakly tried to say something, but in the next instant she discovered something noteworthy. Her eyes widened suddenly, she leaned closer, and then excitedly exclaimed,

"Hey—the 'TeRiRi Magic★Miracle' limited-edition commemorative T-shirt!"

At that instant, Theresa's face froze like a wooden statue.

Damn it, it's that darned magical girl TeRiRi again!

Ugh, there are even more people this time!

"It's a bit casual... this T-shirt, but the style... it looks like you, Theresa."

Reminded by Selune, Cecilia focused her attention on the T-shirt, rested her index finger on her chin, and spoke with considerable surprise.

Of course, this only made Theresa's expression worse.

"Pfft!"

The others who knew the details all stifled their laughter.

Back to the video.

Seeing Selune's excited reaction and hearing those words, Sirin looked somewhat uncertain and doubtful.

"...Could it be?!"

"So you are too!"

Selune, her eyes sparkling, immediately lifted her shirt, revealing a matching T-shirt underneath.

At that instant, their fingers intertwined, and a consensus was formed.

"So you really are a member of the TeRiRi fan club!!"

Thump!

Theresa slammed her head onto the ground.

Seemingly oblivious, Tesla Zero simply enjoyed Bella's tea, her cheek resting on her hand.

"This tea is really good~~"

Bella, carrying a tray and beaming, approached, her voice filled with satisfaction and joy.

"Your Majesty, snacks and soda are here for you."

But upon seeing the three of them sitting together, seemingly very close, her smile vanished instantly, and the light in her eyes disappeared.

"...Coming over."

"Wow~ I did it!!"

Just then, Sirin was playing a game in which she was beating up Benares, her face beaming with excitement.

"Great, I finally beat it!"

Meanwhile, her friend Selune, standing nearby, offered pointers.

"Oh, right, there's a hidden treasure chest here. Just jump up and you can get it."

Bella, watching this nightmarish scene, remained expressionless, her voice trembling and devoid of enthusiasm.

"Then I'll just leave it here."

"Oh, okay, leave it there."

Sirin was equally indifferent—or at least, that was how Bella saw it.

Dragon Benares, stripped of her luster, seemed soulless, leaving behind only a dejected utterance.

"...I... I'll go get some more drinks."

Then she went to the kitchen.

There, she completely changed her previous dejected demeanor.

Her eyes blazed with fury as she roared,

"Waaaaah!!

How dare they steal my Queen!

Unforgivable! Unforgivable!"

While furiously preparing a specially crafted drink for the two of them:

Super Bitter Melon Juice!

"Hehehehehehe."

She looked sly, vicious, and smugly satisfied with her revenge.

This scene, witnessed by everyone, made Kiana and the others twitch their lips.

"Waaaa... you really are easily jealous..."

This wasn't just a case of jealousy spilling out; this was clearly a case of intense jealousy.

Of course, there was one exception. Theresa, who had been withdrawn, was now drooling as she stared at the super-concentrated bitter melon juice Bella was holding in the video.

"I really want some!"

Harboring malicious intent and preparing revenge for stealing the affection of her beloved Queen, Bella approached with a beaming smile while holding her special drink.

"Little Tesla, Selune, I've brought you some new drinks!"

Then she witnessed Selune on the sofa affectionately touching Little Tesla's ear.

"Wow, Little Tesla, your ears are so soft, so comfortable~"

"Of course. This is the most advanced bionic technology~" Little Tesla said proudly.

This scene, witnessed by Bella, instantly brought tears to her eyes, and she eagerly volunteered,

"Your Majesty!! My ears are soft too! You can touch them too!!"

Hearing this, Sirin turned her head, glanced at Bella, who was holding her head up expectantly, pouted, and showed a rather disgusted expression.

"No, your horns are too prickly!"

Dragon Benares was devastated instantly.

Sirin didn't notice this, and while playing with Selune, she casually spoke.

"Oh, right, Bella, get some more snacks!"

"Okay, okay."

A dejected Bella responded like a puppet.

She returned to the kitchen, this time with a look of anxiety and despair.

What should I do? Her Majesty the Queen doesn't like me anymore!

Aaaaaah!!

No, no, no!

I have to think of a way to win Her Majesty back right away!

In a moment of anxiety, an idea flashed through her mind.

Oh! I've got it!

If she made the Queen her favorite chicken wings...

"Hehehehehe..."

Bella, with her well-thought-out plan, instantly perked up and began her grand operation to reclaim the Queen, codenamed: Chicken Wings!

"Wow!

Let me show you the power of the Queen's personal maid!

Wow!"

[Image of a dragon's roar]

"Your Majesty~ I made your favorite!"

Holding the chicken wings, the model student Bella looked excited as steam rose from them.

Then she saw the three of them huddled together.

"Fluffy and soft."

Sirin hugged Selune like a doll, looking completely blissful.

"...Chicken wings..."

In an instant, Bella lost her spirits again, watching helplessly as her beloved Queen rubbed against Selune's Elegy.

She felt as though her whole world had collapsed.

"Selune smells so good~"

"I'm using TeRiRi Magical Fragrance Shampoo~"

Just as Bella felt her life had turned to darkness, the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong, ding-dong.

Startled by the sound, Sirin smiled, left a comment, and departed.

"Hey, my package arrived! I'm going to get it. Wait a minute!"

In an instant, only Selune's Elegy, Little Tesla, and Bella, carrying grilled chicken wings, remained.

Her eyes glazed over, Bella stared at the two devils who had stolen her Queen's affection, a fierce glint appearing in her eyes.

Eliminate the culprit who stole Her Majesty!

...She must be eliminated!

Dragon Benares brandished her claws.

It starts with you.

She first targeted Selune's Elegy.

Sensing danger, the two huddled together for warmth, their eyes filled with tears as they watched Bella approach with a fierce expression, seemingly plotting something sinister. They screamed in terror.

"Aaaaaah—"

But the screams lasted only a moment before stopping with a click.

The room plunged into darkness, and all sight vanished.

Then a faint orange candlelight flickered on.

"Hehehe, Bella Happy Birthday"

Wearing a loose T-shirt and holding a cake, Sirin smiled at Bella.

"This is a birthday cake I specially ordered for you."

"Happy Birthday~"

This scene instantly brought tears of emotion to Dragon Benares, who had previously thought she had fallen out of favor.

"Your Majesty, you still remember!"

"Your Majesty—"

An excited Dragon Benares rushed in to hug and rub against her, then successfully stabbed Sirin with her SSS+-level horn, making Sirin scream loudly.

She shouted,

"Stop rubbing against me! Your horn is poking me!"

Selune's Elegy wasn't lacking in emotional intelligence; after all, her owner was a wrench.

Sensing the atmosphere, she proactively said,

"Hey, Little Tesla, shouldn't we be going?"

"Bella loves Her Majesty the most~"

"Let's go back."

Little Tesla agreed.

Of course, what followed was...

"I told you not to poke me anymore!"

Inside the house, Sirin's angry shout rang out again.

And of course, there was Dragon Benares's lewd laughter.

"Her Majesty can do anything she wants~~"

---