Pacing, rolling around, wailing, and swearing to the heavens—once Miss Cioara finished her routine, she wiped away her tears, cast a hateful glare at the former site of her Villa Island, which was still gulping down seawater, and turned to speed away in her speedboat.
It was true that environments destroyed by supernatural forces would slowly repair themselves over time, but with the very roots erased by spatial power like this, it would certainly take a hundred years or so to restore it to its original state.
Even though her beloved possession was destroyed by the Void Collapse, as a legendary mercenary renowned in North America, Raven did not lose her basic rationality. She didn't go screaming off to fight a decisive battle with Theresa.
With World Serpent currently biding its time and keeping a low profile, she couldn't possibly request the Divine Key of Judgement, the Seven Thunders of Retribution, from Gray Serpent, the de facto leader.
Even if she could get it, Cioara herself was only at the threshold of S-rank combat power; she relied entirely on the Divine Key to reach S-rank status. The opponent was a genuine S-rank Valkyrie plus the Key of Binding—a top-tier configuration. Even if Theresa couldn't go full power due to treaties, she wasn't someone the current Raven could touch.
Since things had come to this, Raven had to avoid the sharp edge! Endure for now! Bury this blood feud deep in her heart! And wait for a future opportunity to take savage revenge!
If worst came to worst, she would take it out on that fiancé of hers! She couldn't mess with the veteran S-rank Theresa, but surely she could crush a mere A-rank Fuli however she pleased!
Ollie-give! Let's get him, bros!
...
The departure of the "Island-Exploding Raven" didn't cause much of a stir among the group from the Hyperion and St. Freya. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Kiana, who was sobbing in Fuli's arms.
Elysia was surprised and curious.
Bronya was shocked and lingeringly fearful.
Himeko was wary and deeply concerned.
Theresa was serious, mixed with vigilance.
And Mei—
"Let's go. Come back with me for a physical examination."
Her gaze sweeping over the gradually vanishing spatial rifts, Mei walked up quickly and took the still-trembling Kiana from Fuli's arms.
She couldn't pull her away.
This was rare. Usually, regardless of what she thought inside, on the surface, Kiana acted like Mei's biggest fangirl. Perverted phrases like "I want to drink Mei's juices!" were often on her lips.
But now, even with Mei using hidden strength, the girl's small hand gripped Fuli's lapel in a death grip. She looked like a lonely little white puppy left out in the rain, who, upon seeing a blur of motion, looked up to find its owner had returned to hold an umbrella over it.
That grip was tight, as if she feared that if she stopped paying attention for even a second, he would repeat the disaster that happened in the dream.
Seeing her pitiful, tear-stained face, Fuli's heart softened instantly. Just as he was about to say, "Maybe we can leave it like this for now"—
Clang!
With a speed no one could react to, the obsidian chains struck the back of Kiana's neck. The girl groaned and fainted.
Theresa, heaving a sigh of relief, ordered Judah to retract the chains and said sternly, "Fuli, you brat, you spoil Kiana too much!"
The person in question knew that what he did wasn't good. An island was gone just like that, erased in such a terrifying manner as Void Collapse.
Thank goodness Theresa reacted in time; otherwise, at least two people present would have gone to meet God right then and there.
Thus, after a moment of hesitation, he handed the unconscious Kiana over to Mei.
"Professional matters should be left to professionals."
He said solemnly, "Mei, I'm counting on you to check her body!"
"Rest assured."
Before the girl could answer, Theresa interjected quickly, "With this Academy Principal here, my grandniece will definitely be fine."
Mei, who had intended to handle it alone, glanced at her thoughtfully, then nodded and comforted Fuli softly, "Fuli, believe in us."
After shooting Himeko a glance, Theresa turned around, controlling the Judah suppression chains wrapped around Kiana, and followed Mei toward the Hyperion.
The two entered the ship amidst Kallen's subtle greeting, which carried a hint of reminiscence. After several twists and turns, they arrived at the ME Corp lab (Massive Electric Corp), which had expanded again thanks to the Gem of Conquest and now occupied an area nearly the size of a small village.
Compared to the previous mess, the situation here could now be tentatively called "organized."
Various instruments and reactors still seemed to be placed randomly at first glance, but secretly, one could instinctively sense a trace of order and pattern.
Theresa narrowed her eyes. "An Eastern formation?"
"I learned some Fuxi Bagua earlier, and I'm still researching the Later Heaven arrangement."
Mei brushed her hair back nonchalantly, speaking before the other could ask, "I have physically severed the connection between ME Corp and the Hyperion. Even the Nun (Kallen) cannot monitor the conversation inside here."
Theresa rolled her eyes and probed tentatively, "K423?"
"Hm?"
"No, never mind."
It seems this girl doesn't know yet that Kiana is an Clone created by Grandpa. But I feel it's only a matter of time, Theresa thought, then asked, "That power Kiana used earlier... do you know what its essence is?"
"Herrscher of the Void."
Mei answered bluntly and directly.
At the critical moment of the Third Eruption, Kiana had been entrusted by Fuli to stand on the cliff and throw the Spear of Destiny, Gungnir, at the Herrscher of Thunder.
During the throw, the entangled karma triggered the Herrscher power within her, allowing the Herrscher of Thunder to observe quite a few interesting tidbits from parallel worlds.
The principle was similar to the parallel space observation of the Second Divine Key, the Key of the infinity (Cosmic Juggernaut). If a Divine Key could do it, there was no reason the more flexible Herrscher body couldn't.
After the Herrscher of Thunder's consciousness dissipated, all her memories were listed in the form of a library within the knowledge treasury of the Thunder Stigmata.
It was by seeing this that Mei realized Kiana harbored a second personality within her, named the Herrscher of the Void.
"Oh?"
Theresa took a step forward. "So, you agreed to let her join the Hyperion knowing full well that there was such a massive bomb hidden inside that idiot?"
"We are friends!"
Mei answered with absolute conviction.
More than just friends—if Fuli, that anomaly, hadn't stuck his oar in, these two would probably already be sprinting down the road to the wedding altar, fighting over who gets to be the top.
This matter is recorded in Guns Girl Z, Honkai Impact 3rd, and the comment sections of vast amounts of fan works.
Theresa was a little happy to hear this, and a little guilty, but not much.
From the very beginning, she had planned to place Kiana, this "bomb," in St. Freya for protection and surveillance. It was Fuli and Mei who refused to let go, leading to the current situation.
But the premise—or rather, the bottom line—for Theresa allowing Kiana to roam free was that the girl could control the Herrscher power within her reasonably well.
"You saw the rampage this morning and the destroyed island with your own eyes."
The small Academy Principal crossed her arms. Her delicate body, light enough to be lifted with one hand, erupted with unimaginable aura and authority.
"Whether as the Branch Chief of Schicksal's Far East Branch or as Kiana's aunt, I can no longer let her run around like before."
"That is why I didn't refuse your company earlier."
Mei was prepared for this. "Next, I will demonstrate right in front of you the ability to stabilize Kiana, to give you an explanation, Academy Principal."
One could only say that father and daughter were cut from the same cloth. In the past, Ryoma didn't hesitate to beg Welt Yang for the Gem of Conquest so that little Mei could survive the awakening of her natural Stigmata; Mei's current actions were strikingly similar.
"Are you sure?"
Theresa raised her long, slender eyebrows. "In that case, until I judge that the outcome is decided, this Academy Principal will not intervene."
If Mei demonstrated the ability to suppress the Void persona, then it would remain "everyone is happy, Hyperion plays house."
If not, sorry, everyone goes back to St. Freya with this Academy Principal. Not even a single cat-cake will escape.
"Then let me admire just what brilliant moves our Master of ME Corp has."
Theresa leaned back, sitting on a chair woven from Judah's chains. She crossed her perfectly proportioned legs (relative to her height) wrapped in white stockings, her exquisite toes bobbing up and down, resting her chin in her hand with great interest.
The chains forming the chair were the very ones used to bind Kiana earlier.
Freed from restraint, the white-haired girl opened her eyes groggily. After scanning the room, she tilted her head in confusion. "Mei?"
The object of her call raised the gun in her hand and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Eighteen bullets exited the chamber silently. Boosted by electromagnetic coils and micro-computers, they whistled toward various parts of "Kiana's" body at a super-god speed of Mach 5.
Theresa looked quite satisfied. The P-15 Talon series electromagnetic pistol in Mei's hand was a mid-to-high-end automated firearm she planned to sell to St. Freya.
The girl clearly intended to demonstrate the product's performance to the client while fighting, indirectly proving Mei had 100% confidence in suppressing the Herrscher of the Void.
"Mei?!"
Kiana, pale with shock, reacted swiftly. Her athletic legs powered a leap, dodging the attack.
Her soaring posture in mid-air was graceful, just like a white swan spreading its wings for flight.
Unexpectedly, the eighteen special bullets that had already passed her original position turned in mid-air as if possessing self-awareness, whistling upward to pursue the girl.
[...The bullets fired by the Talon can automatically lock onto targets within a fixed field of view. Their attached micro-propulsion systems allow the bullets to change trajectory in flight, automatically correcting their path to hit targets within the lock-on range.]
Recalling the weapon data, Theresa became even more satisfied, while secretly praying for Mei's defeat. That way, everything on the Hyperion would be reclaimed by St. Freya.
Mine! Mine! It all belongs to this Academy Principal!
"Hmph! Cold-blooded woman!"
In the flash of sparks and lightning, the locked-on "Kiana" scoffed coldly. Void rifts slowly unfolded in front of her, effortlessly banishing the incoming special armor-piercing rounds into a different dimension.
Three Subspace Lances unfolded behind her like wings. The white-haired Messenger of Heaven sat high in the sky, looking down, her eyes burning like gold.
"Curious how I figured it out?"
The purple markings on Mei's forehead became increasingly bewitching. "She was crying so heartbreakingly just a moment ago, yet she returned to normal immediately after fainting. Even Kiana doesn't have nerves that thick."
"By the way, why is the arrogant Herrscher pretending to be a lowly human she despises?"
Her lips moved, mocking with apparent curiosity, "Though, from a benefit perspective, pretending to be a good kid to avoid the sharp edge rather than being knocked down and humiliated by a lowly human is acceptable, I suppose."
"Human!!!"
The Queen was enraged.
If Theresa, watching from the sidelines, had said that, she would have accepted it.
Among the unsealing conditions of the S-Rank Restriction Treaty, the first rule was encountering a Sequence Herrscher.
A veteran S-rank Valkyrie in her prime + the Key of Binding... the current Queen couldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole.
Moreover, she possessed all of Sirin's memories. The shame of the Second Eruption—where she was nearly solo-killed by this midget and had to rely on talk-no-jutsu and playing the victim to stall for time—was vivid in her mind.
But what did this have to do with Raiden Mei?
No Herrscher Core, combat power capping at A-rank.
So what if she had some underhanded little tricks?
With this Queen's familiarity with her authority, bringing this body to a Critical-grade combat power was completely doable!
This win is in the bag!
After I win, I'll punish you by making you lick my feet!
In fact, in Theresa's eyes, the ensuing battle seemed to be trending that way.
No matter how Mei performed, the thunderlight bursting from her blade and firearms was swallowed by the boundless Imaginary Space.
Several shifts between reality and void rendered Mei's electromagnetic defenses useless. The ribbon tying her hair was sliced in two during the fight, and her knee-length crimson-purple hair scattered in the air, resembling a flowing galaxy.
"Talks a big game, but still just young and arrogant."
Seeing the situation was critical, Theresa muttered, preparing to intervene.
Excitement flowed in her eyes, as if seeing the white silver flowing in like a tide after annexing the Hyperion.
What is the most important thing in the 21st century? Talent!
With her, an S-rank and future Overseer, backing her up, once Mei went full throttle, it wouldn't be impossible for the Far East Branch to directly overthrow Schicksal HQ and turn the tables!
"Arrogant?"
As the Subspace Lances fell like rain, Mei, bathed in the attack, smiled faintly. "If one isn't arrogant, can one still be called young?"
Subtle lightning sparked in the air. The Herrscher of the Void, laughing maniacally as she launched her offensive, suddenly hitched her breath.
No, not just her breath—her body was imprisoned in mid-air by some inexplicable force!
"I've always been curious, Herrscher of the Void."
Mei took off her rimless glasses. Her beautiful face, tilting to look at her, showed just the right amount of confusion. "Several months have passed since the Third Eruption. In all that time, surely you didn't think I hadn't tampered with Kiana's body?"
She waited a moment. No reply.
"Oh, you can't speak, right?"
She snapped her fingers. Electricity arced through the air.
The Queen felt the muscles around her mouth and tongue regain control. She demanded furiously, "Human! What did you do to this Queen's body?!"
"Constantly drugging her, leaving some backdoors and hidden programs during physical exams."
Mei answered briskly, "Kiana has no defenses against me. Naturally, I can do whatever I want."
"You know that's not what I mean!"
The Queen retorted hatefully, "How could I not anticipate things like that? The moment I took over this body, I activated my authority to sever all connections between the interior of the body and the outside!"
—Phasing State, the basic application of the Herrscher of the Void's authority.
Briefly entering Imaginary Space to dodge attacks, leaving only a projection for observation in the real world.
In this state, aside from attacks with special attributes like Karma, Fate, or Spacetime, the vast majority of attacks could cause no harm.
Due to the rush, even the Queen didn't have time to clear the many traps Mei left in Kiana's body.
But with the help of the Phasing State, those things shouldn't have been able to work at all!
Facing the Herrscher of the Void, who was no longer high and mighty, Mei sighed slightly.
"That is why studying is necessary. If you had learned even a little bit about the brain, you wouldn't have exposed such a massive opening."
"You!"
If she weren't immobilized, the Queen would have rushed over to bite her.
That look of disdain—a straight-A student looking at a flunking student—was just too punchable!
Mei continued, "I'm not like Fuli, who can rely on a rule-breaking 'Divine Departure' to breach your Phasing State directly. Therefore, I chose a more indirect method... Herrscher of the Void, what do you rely on to control the Subspace Lances?"
The Queen answered without thinking, "Of course, it is the supreme authority granted to me by God!"
"No, it is this."
Mei tapped her temple with a slender finger. "It is brainwaves."
"...?"
The Queen's bewildered expression seemed to ask: What the hell is a brainwave?
"The Subspace Lances are indeed Imaginary constructs condensed by Herrscher authority, but the one controlling them to attack and defend is still you."
Mei said, "In other words, as long as I can control your brain, you cannot control them to attack me. Furthermore, you cannot even control your own body; you can only be manipulated by me like a doll."
She snapped her fingers. "Just like now."
Theresa's curiosity peaked. "How did you do it?"
The main body of the Phasing Herrscher of the Void was in another world. Mei's electromagnetic force couldn't penetrate the barrier between worlds, let alone manipulate someone's brainwaves.
"I manipulated her brain not through electromagnetic force, but through Synesthesia."
Considering these two illiterates definitely didn't know what that meant, Mei avoided professional jargon.
"For example, seeing a snowy scene on a hot day and feeling cool, or hearing fingernails scratching on glass and feeling an unbearable itch all over. Triggering multiple sensations in other senses like 'touch', 'smell', or 'taste' through the stimulation of a single sense like 'sight' or 'hearing'—this can be called Synesthesia."
She raised her hand and slid the volume key on the holographic screen to the max.
A subtle sound rang in Theresa and the Queen's ears.
"The Hz frequencies the human ear can capture are not limited to what is broadly 'heard.' I assume you understand this."
Mei said, "From the moment you entered ME Corp, this low-frequency sound has been playing on a loop, mixed in with the sound of running machinery. Its sole function relies on sound—this single sensory stimulus—to interfere with the five senses and the brain, subtly altering the listener's brainwaves to align with the channel I require."
The beautiful eyes, misty with lightning, reflected the Queen's dumbfounded expression. The Master of ME Corp smiled calmly. "Yes, almost all attacks cannot harm you while you are in another world during Phasing. My electromagnetic force is the same... But in battle, you still must use your eyes to observe the enemy's location and your ears to listen to the sound of lightning. As long as you cannot completely sever yourself from this world, you are guaranteed to fall into the trap."
Formulas are experience. Algorithms are lethality. This is Raiden Mei's way of fighting.
This was also why the girl never used the Index of Peerless Martial Arts to learn skills. In her words: I'm a researcher; if I have to work myself to death like those martial artists to get stronger, wouldn't all my research be in vain?
"In other words."
Theresa, who had scurried over, rubbed her chin. " The Herrscher of the Void's only way out is to curl up in the isolated Imaginary Space and fight you through a simulation of the real battlefield?"
She slammed the bitter melon pancake in her hand to the ground. "The conditions for a first encounter are that harsh? Then how the hell is anyone supposed to fight?!"
"Isn't that normal?"
Mei countered, "I don't understand who gave her the courage to turn hostile against me inside my ME Corp."
Soloing a mage inside their tower? Isn't that clearly "drinking milk directly from the bull"—asking for trouble (asking to be screwed)?
"True, I guess."
Theresa bent down to pick up the bitter melon pancake and blew off the dust.
"No, that's wrong!"
Student Queen loudly voiced a dissenting opinion. "Even if you can manipulate those so-called brainwaves to a certain extent, this Queen is ultimately a Herrscher, not a human! With the interference of the Honkai energy in my body, how could I be subdued so easily?!"
"I didn't subdue you easily."
"Huh?"
Mei blinked innocently, her pure appearance incredibly delightful. "Didn't I say at the start? Kiana has many backdoors I installed in her body. As long as you can't completely block them, they will subtly paralyze this body completely."
I was waiting for the drugs to kick in. What were you waiting for?
Waiting to die?
Chains formed of lightning surged forward, suspending the defenseless Queen directly in mid-air.
Theresa, who had watched the whole thing, looked creeped out. "You are really annoying."
She was speaking to Mei.
Facing someone who schemes in the shadows like this, any warrior who values a straightforward fight would feel a surge of deep discomfort.
It was too uncomfortable.
Too frustrating.
If Theresa had been the victim, she would have been so angry she might have turned around to force herself on Fuli, summoning the chains of Judah to pose him in eighteen different positions just to get revenge (NTR) back.
Mei accepted the compliment. "Thank you for the praise, Academy Principal."
It was only because electromagnetic induction couldn't read minds; otherwise, these two would probably start hacking at each other right then and there.
Glancing at the lazy little red dragon on Mei's wrist (which the Queen had tapped out too quickly to even provoke), Theresa spoke again. "You don't plan on becoming the Herrscher of Thunder again?"
"If I showed any intention of becoming a Herrscher, what would greet me wouldn't be the Academy Principal's kind advice, but the roaring First Power of Judah."
Mei shrugged. "Please rest assured, I do not intend to become a Herrscher, even though I am 90% confident I can retain my sanity after doing so."
"The reason?"
Theresa breathed a secret sigh of relief.
A Herrscher of Thunder who only used brute force was difficult enough. If she added brains to the mix...
"Earlier, I came across a paper regarding the deconstruction of Honkai energy. One point in it intrigued me greatly."
Mei recalled, "That Dr. Zhou Can, codenamed C, believes that the Honkai energy on Earth is not pure. It is highly likely that it has undergone a secondary conversion by an unidentified entity to make it more usable for biological organisms."
Theresa was dumbfounded. "You're worried that if you covet petty gains now, you might face a backlash in the future?"
"Honkai energy is just intangible energy, after all. If a problem really arises, at worst, I can just expel it. But a Herrscher Core is a solid object sitting right there. If an accident happens, the reaction time would be close to zero."
Stroking the purple mark on her forehead with a slender finger, the girl smiled. "Besides, I believe that even without condensing a Core or grasping authority, relying on my own abilities, what I can achieve in the future will definitely not be inferior to becoming a Sequence Herrscher."
A path taken one step at a time is ultimately more reliable. If she had obtained the authority of Thunder directly at the start, how could she walk as steadily as she does now?
"Only a genius like you would dare to do this. Any normal person wouldn't ignore power within easy reach to take the long way around."
Looking at the confident Mei, Theresa nodded slightly.
The person who sits on the throne must have the spirit to discard the throne.
Raiden Mei... she was indeed qualified.
"So—"
Ending their chat, the two looked up simultaneously at the bound Herrscher of the Void.
Theresa asked first, "How do you plan to deal with this guy?"
The victor has the right to dispose of the spoils.
"After all, she shares a body with Kiana. I'll just teach her a small lesson so she won't have the energy to come out and cause trouble for a short while."
Mei stepped forward, flipping her pale palm to reveal a syringe.
"You!"
The Queen was startled and gritted her teeth.
The Sirin of the past was arrogant, conceited, inflated, and then defeated. Facing Theresa and the Active Honkai Reaction Siegfried, she had said all sorts of nice things, showing not a shred of Herrscher dignity.
But she was just a sheltered little girl back then; having such a personality was human nature.
The Queen, inheriting her memories, had thought she would never be as disgraceful as Sirin again. If it were anyone else, she absolutely would have stayed tough to the end.
But this was Raiden Mei.
The despicable woman who schemed against her with such dark methods.
Who knew how disgusting the punishment she came up with would be!
"Inside this is a 'Superman Drug' I created."
Mei introduced it very thoughtfully. "The only effect of this thing is to banish your mind to a pitch-black space where you cannot contact your body or sense anything, to spend one thousand years... Don't worry, the time dilation ratio between that space and reality is 3000:1. In other words, even if you actually stay there for a thousand years without breaking down, only a few months will pass in reality. After that, we can play other games."
The Queen's face turned as pale as gold paper. Having experienced the time in the Babylon Labs, she knew exactly how vicious such a trip would be.
"No! You can't! Raiden Mei! You can't do this!"
Sirin's fear and despair as a human test subject instantly flooded her heart. The excessive force of her struggle even caused the lightning chains to start crumbling.
"Why can't I?"
Mei countered, "I cannot tolerate Kiana constantly bearing the risk of having her body seized by another will. Solving you, an impurity, once and for all is an acceptable option for us and for this world."
"No! No!"
The Queen, in her death throes, finally pulled out her trump card intel. "Aren't you curious why Kiana was crying like that earlier?"
"Once she entered the dream, Kiana was so focused on staring at Fuli's corpse she didn't notice anything else, but I saw everything clearly!"
"That guy Fuli, in his past life, actually didn't even have—"
Tide rises, tide falls;
The sound of waves hitting the shore reached the ears of the three girls present.
Tide rises, tide falls;
In an inconspicuous corner of a distant galaxy, an uninhabited star sector vanished without a trace.
Tide rises, Lance comes;
A pale silver Holy Lance arrived, breaking through the sky, toying with that ethereal timeline.
Tide rises, Moon sets;
The mottled marks of death manifested on the planet's surface, bringing Finality to everything in the world.
The next moment, or rather, the previous moment—
"No! You can't! Raiden Mei! You can't do this!"
"Why can't I? I cannot tolerate Kiana constantly bearing the risk of having her body seized by another will. Solving you, a Herrscher, once and for all is an acceptable option for us and for this world."
"No! No!"
"No what?"
"I..."
The Queen, who had just wanted to say something, suddenly felt her head go empty.
She tried hard to recall the words she just spoke, but her brain returned only a blank slate.
"It seems this is the end."
Mei shook her head and injected the Superman Drug into the Queen's body.
Her struggles came to an abrupt halt.
Those beautiful golden eyes closed unwillingly, and accompanied by her breathing, she fell into a sweet slumber along with her host.
"So ruthless, you are."
Theresa pointed and criticized.
A thousand years of emptiness—anyone would go insane.
(Rin inside Jizo Mitama: That's right, sister! That's right!)
Mei put away the empty syringe, opened her arms, and caught Kiana as she drifted down like a feather.
Hearing this, she looked back with a smile. "Just scaring her."
"Elaborate?"
"The Herrscher of the Void is ultimately a part of Kiana. I wouldn't treat her with such a harsh attitude."
The girl brushed away the hair sticking to Kiana's face, looking at her best friend with a doting smile. "The banishment space is real, and the thousand years are also real. But the interior of the space is definitely not pitch black. Instead, it possesses all entertainment facilities known to humanity up to this point, including games, anime, manga, and light novels."
"You're turning the Herrscher directly into a shut-in waste."
Theresa quipped, "Raiden Mei, what a vicious (gentle) woman."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Holding Kiana, the girl smiled, turned, and walked out of ME Corp.
As expected, just as she stepped out the door, she saw Fuli leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"She's fine. She'll be okay after a sleep."
She handed the girl to him and cracked a joke. "Sleep normally, okay? No taking advantage of Kiana."
To Mei's surprise, while Fuli's face did show relief, which occupied the majority of his expression, there seemed to be another, more complex emotion flowing in the depths of his crimson eyes.
"Mei, can you investigate something for me?"
He lowered his voice. "My Herrscher of Reason Stigmata reacted to Kiana. Help me find out... why."
...