Sylvia's eyes widened in shock, her gaze fixed blankly on the ceiling.
No way… you're really called Raiden Mei…
Acheron was still resting her head against Sylvia's, unwilling to pull away.
And Sylvia herself felt a little surprised—yet somehow, it also made sense.
Well then. With Acheron by her side, they really did make quite the "Kiana and Mei" pairing now.
But what was that "Bosenmori" thing in the middle?
Some kind of naming tradition from Izumo?
Lost in thought, Sylvia asked curiously,
"...Raiden… Mei? That 'Bosenmori' in the middle feels a bit out of place—is it something like an honorary surname, or a bestowed name?"
Acheron kept her eyes half-closed, nuzzling against Sylvia for several long breaths. After a silent moment, she realized Sylvia's first response wasn't to say she'd remember it, but to ask about her name.
She found it hard to explain the origin of that "Bosenmori" in just a few words.
After all, Izumo had long since perished completely. What Sylvia suggested was roughly correct in spirit—though not entirely accurate—but the general idea was there.
Setting everything else aside, her very first name, her original name, had indeed been simply "Raiden Mei."
"It's not easy to explain in a sentence or two, but that's the gist of it. If you mean my original name… yes, it was 'Raiden Mei.'"
"I see… I see…"
Sylvia really wanted to ask whether the twelve swords of Izumo and their owners could be matched one-to-one with the characters from Honkai Impact 3rd.
But she held back.
It was better not to pick at old wounds.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, it's just… your name is beautiful. In private, may I call you Mei?"
"…"
That form of address stirred something in Acheron. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had called her that—how many years had it been?
But Acheron pressed her lips together softly and didn't object.
"Call me whatever you like. It's just a name."
Listening closely, Sylvia could hear a slight tremor in Acheron's voice.
Was "Mei" too intimate… or had it simply been too long since anyone last used it?
Sylvia wasn't sure, but gritting her teeth, she mustered the strength to lift her left hand and gently placed it on Acheron's head, softly stroking her white hair.
Perhaps startled by the gesture, Acheron lifted her head from where it rested against Sylvia's and saw the arm now before her.
It was the first time Sylvia had patted her head like this—and after being called "Mei" just moments before—Acheron felt something surge inside her. She didn't pull away.
Instead, she raised her own left hand and placed it over Sylvia's, holding it firmly against the top of her head, unwilling to let go.
Sylvia blinked. Acheron's reaction really was unexpected.
Just as she hadn't expected Acheron to suddenly reveal her true name earlier, she hadn't anticipated this either.
Everything was moving so fast, it felt like someone had hit fast-forward—leaving Sylvia wondering if she was dreaming.
If only her stubborn body would cooperate. Even lifting a hand was a struggle.
Otherwise, Sylvia would've definitely reached out to hug Mei right then.
Her thoughts drifting, Sylvia gently moved her left hand, stroking Acheron's smooth white hair, when a sudden realization struck her.
Was she… acting pretty dominant right now?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Sylvia immediately regretted letting herself end up in this state.
This was the perfect chance to prove she was a total top!
And yet she could barely move a muscle.
The frustration made her want to beat her chest and stomp her feet.
But since her limbs hardly responded, all that came out was a soft sigh, carrying all her regret.
"Ahh…"
"What's wrong?"
Pressed so close, Acheron naturally heard the sigh.
Sylvia answered plainly,
"I wanted to hug you… but I can't move."
"…"
Out of Sylvia's sight, Acheron's lips curled into a faint smile. Her hair gradually faded from white back to deep blue.
The mood had certainly been leading there—it almost felt wrong not to hug.
But Sylvia's honest admission made Acheron laugh softly, shattering the atmosphere completely.
She took Sylvia's hand from her head and lowered it—but didn't let go, keeping it clasped in her own.
Sylvia had thought Acheron might humor her, maybe even help arrange her into a hugging position just to try.
Who knew she'd just sit up straight and start moving around, with none of that earlier clingy softness left?
Sylvia lifted her head and glared at Acheron, eyes conveying her displeasure.
But Acheron only smiled and said, "Who told you to be bold enough to challenge an Emanator of Destruction alone? This is your punishment. Savor it."
"…"
Sylvia's heart skipped a beat. She quickly scrambled to defend herself,
"I wasn't alone in that fight!"
"Jing Yuan only showed up at the last moment to deliver the final blow. Before that, you were facing her alone, weren't you?"
"...Alright, I was."
Acheron had rendered her speechless with just one sentence.
"Don't push yourself like that next time."
Acheron's voice held both helplessness and a trace of lingering fear. She had wanted Sylvia to gain more experience, but she never expected her to go provoking an Emanator.
Did this girl even know how to write the word "caution"?
"I know, I know."
Unable to argue in her current state, Sylvia quickly nodded in agreement, hoping to avoid any further "punishment" from Acheron.
Acheron knew such habits wouldn't change overnight, so she set the matter aside for now.
Her attention returned to the Fullbottle in her hand.
Recalling what Sylvia had explained earlier, she lightly flicked the bottle's opening with her finger, then shook it up and down a few times.
With a clear, crisp clinking sound, a surge of flame infused with intense Destruction energy materialized in Acheron's hand.
It felt… docile.
And she detected no hidden consciousness within it.
Acheron tried to control it—fine manipulation proved difficult.
But the power was also restrained by the small bottle, never growing restless enough to harm the user.
This force, which should have been volatile and aggressive, lay exceptionally tame in Acheron's grasp.
A remarkably ingenious creation.
That was the label Acheron mentally assigned to the Fullbottle.
To seize a large portion of an Emanator's power—with no visible upper limit—was rather impressive.
According to Sylvia, using this bottle alongside her greatsword would allow for even greater control.
Looking at it that way… no wonder Sylvia had wanted to scheme against Phantylia.
With this little bottle, Sylvia's future seemed visibly bright.
Of course, that would be once Sylvia could fully master the power within.
She wasn't there yet.
But at least there was something to look forward to now.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.