Chapter 187: Mei's Secret Determination
"Abnormal Honkai Energy reaction detected. Distance: approximately five hundred meters ahead," Bronya reported, her voice flat but laced with urgency.
"That has to be the place. Weapons hot, girls. Prepare for combat!" Himeko ordered. She took the vanguard, the massive weight of her greatsword resting easily against her shoulder as she broke into a sprint.
"Understood!" the squad replied in unison.
'Rovel... please be safe,' Mei prayed silently. Her knuckles turned white as her fingers tightened around the hilt of her tachi.
Before they could close the distance, a deafening crash shattered the air. The shockwave rippled outward, sending a violent tremor through the concrete beneath their boots. Dust plumed into the sky from a nearby building.
"Rovel!" Panic spiked in Mei's chest. Abandoning formation, she channeled her energy into her legs and vaulted upward, launching herself straight toward the gaping, jagged hole blown into the upper floor of the structure.
She landed gracefully amidst the rubble, her blade drawn and ready to strike. Yet, the moment her eyes adjusted to the dim, dust-choked interior, she froze. The breath hitched in her throat.
Rovel stood in the center of the devastation. He was completely shirtless, hastily clutching a thick, floral-patterned quilt around his waist and torso to cover himself. A few paces away, Fu Hua stood amidst the debris, casually balancing an unconscious Wendy over her shoulder.
A stray gust of wind swept through the shattered windows, fluttering a scrap of teal fabric caught on a jagged piece of rebar. Mei's gaze locked onto it. Judging by the distinct color and material, it was undeniably a piece of Wendy's clothing.
In truth, Wendy had discarded the garment before their clash had even escalated, tossing it aside in the heat of the moment. By sheer luck, it had snagged on the exposed metal, surviving the explosive blast that had vaporized the rest of the room's furnishings.
"Mei?!" Rovel blinked, caught completely off guard by her sudden entrance. Instinctively, his hands clamped down harder on the edges of his makeshift quilt, pulling it tighter against his chest.
To Mei, that defensive, guilty-looking flinch was the final nail in the coffin. A dark, stormy shadow cast over her eyes as her imagination ran wild, painting a vivid, scandalous picture of exactly what might have transpired in this room before the explosion.
Her gaze drifted slowly from the shirtless Rovel to the unconscious, stripped-down Wendy draped over Fu Hua's shoulder. The light in Mei's eyes vanished, replaced by a terrifying, hollow void. Her thumb pushed the tachi's guard up by a fraction of an inch. The sharp scrape of metal echoed in the quiet room. 'Maybe...'she thought, her mind startlingly calm.'Maybe I should just cut him down right now.'
Footsteps crunched over the debris as Himeko and Bronya finally scaled the ruined floor. The red-haired commander surveyed the bizarre aftermath, her brow twitching before she sighed and looked at the restrained Herrscher. "So... are we actually taking Wendy back to St. Freya Academy?"
Rovel cleared his throat, trying to maintain his dignity despite wearing bedding. "I am genuinely concerned that Schicksal will subject her to further human experimentation. She is an unstable Herrscher, and we cannot guarantee the higher-ups won't take extreme measures to control or dissect her."
He shifted his weight, ensuring the quilt did not slip. "Besides, those past experiments have completely shattered her trust in Schicksal. She refuses to stay with them. Taking her in is our best option. If we can guide her, we prevent her from becoming an enemy we are forced to put down later."
Hearing his voice, the girl slung over Fu Hua's shoulder stirred. Wendy lifted her head weakly, her eyes welling with tears. "Rovel..." she sniffled, looking deeply moved by his defense of her.
Rovel, however, completely ignored the touching display. He turned his head with mechanical stiffness, locking his eyes onto Mei with absolute, unwavering sincerity.
"Every word I just said is the absolute truth. I have zero ulterior motives here," he stated, his voice carrying the solemn weight of a man pleading for his life.
Mei's fingers, which had quietly found their way to the soft flesh of his waist to deliver a punishing pinch, finally relaxed. She withdrew her hand, though her expression remained unreadable.
"Right. Let me see what Theresa thinks about adopting a rogue Herrscher," Himeko muttered, turning on her heel and stepping out toward the balcony to make a secure call.
The remaining group stood amidst the rubble in total silence. The atmosphere thickened into a suffocating, unbearable awkwardness. None of them could have ever predicted that the very first thing Wendy would do upon awakening as a Herrscher of the Wind was to strip and throw herself at Rovel.
"So..." Rovel broke the silence, shifting uncomfortably in the drafty room. "Could someone please find me some actual clothes?"
"Pfft..." Kiana slapped a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking as a snort escaped her. Her amusement died instantly when Rovel shot her a glare sharp enough to slice steel.
"Sorry! I'll go buy a set for you right now!" Kiana squeaked, decisively spinning around and sprinting away from the crime scene.
Fu Hua calmly pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her face a mask of serene detachment. "It is simply fortunate that everyone is safe," she remarked. Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. If she had arrived even a few minutes later to witness the actual cause of this mess, she likely would have turned around and walked away out of sheer embarrassment.
A short while later, Himeko marched back into the ruined room. She announced that Theresa had successfully negotiated with the Oceania Branch leadership. Wendy was officially cleared for transfer to St. Freya Academy.
The reason the Oceania Branch capitulated so quickly was painfully obvious. To them, Wendy was a walking, ticking time bomb capable of leveling a city.
If her Herrscher powers went critical while she was housed in their facility, they would be the first ones wiped off the map. They were practically begging for an excuse to ship her out.
As long as St. Freya Academy claimed they had a method to contain her, the Oceania executives were more than happy to wash their hands of the entire disaster.
"So, that settles it. We pack up and head home," Himeko sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. She glanced around the room. "Any objections?"
Bronya and Fu Hua remained silent, naturally having no issues with the plan. Mei, however, stepped closer to Rovel. She wrapped her hands around his bare arm, holding it in a firm, possessive grip. After a long, calculating moment, she shook her head.
She could not exactly refuse. After all, she and Wendy shared the exact same precarious status as Herrscher vessels.
"Yay!" Wendy cheered, her pale face lighting up with absolute joy. If she went to St. Freya, she could stay by Rovel's side every single day.
Mei watched the wind girl's beaming smile, a warning bell ringing in her head. This entire fiasco was a glaring reminder of just how dangerously potent Rovel's charm truly was. He had managed to completely enchant a hostile Herrscher in the span of a single day.
Worse still, Wendy was now moving into their territory. Who knew what kind of sneaky, underhanded moves she might attempt in the middle of the night? Especially considering Wendy possessed the ability to use optical camouflage.
Mei narrowed her eyes slightly, her grip on Rovel's arm tightening just a fraction more. Deep in her heart, a very secret, very firm determination took root.
"I am officially a B-rank Valkyrie!" Kiana declared, standing tall with her hands planted firmly on her hips. She stared at the bold word 'Pass' stamped on her evaluation list, her chest swelling with immense pride.
All the grueling training, the late-night studying, and the endless combat drills over the past few weeks had finally paid off.
Mei and Bronya had naturally passed their respective evaluations without a single hitch, officially earning their B-rank insignias alongside her.
"Hey, Himeko! Are there any new missions lined up?" Kiana bounced on her heels, practically vibrating with impatience. "I want to rack up some mission credits right now so I can apply for my own custom Valkyrie Battlesuit!"
Himeko did not even blink before reaching out and delivering a sharp, punishing flick directly to the center of Kiana's forehead.
"Ow!"
"We Valkyries only deploy when a Honkai eruption or beast attack occurs," Himeko scolded, crossing her arms. "Peace and quiet is the best-case scenario for us. What exactly is rattling around inside that empty little head of yours all day?"
"Oh..." Kiana rubbed her stinging forehead, puffing out her cheeks in a dejected pout. "I guess that makes sense."
"Alright, enough dawdling. It is time for us to head back," Himeko said, checking her watch. She turned and led the squad down the tarmac toward their waiting transport ship.
As they approached the landing pad, a massive crowd of Oceania Branch personnel lined the pathway to see them off. Seeing the sheer number of people, Kiana's eyes sparkled. She immediately assumed this grand send-off was the standard VIP treatment for newly promoted B-rank Valkyries.
Puffing out her chest and holding her head high, she marched forward with exaggerated pride. She was so caught up in her own ego that she did not even realize she was walking awkwardly, swinging her right arm and right leg forward at the exact same time.
It was not until the heavy ramp of the transport ship closed behind them and they lifted off into the clouds that Kiana finally relaxed her stiff posture.
"Man, I really didn't expect the folks at the Oceania Branch to be that enthusiastic about our promotion," Kiana mused, blinking as she leaned back in her seat, still thoroughly immersed in her own delusion.
"Stupid Kiana," Bronya chimed in, her tone flat and utterly merciless.
"Stupid Bronya! Why are you always calling me stupid?!" Kiana shot back. Now that they were the same rank, she felt perfectly justified in snapping back at the Russian girl.
"They were not cheering for you," Wendy spoke up quietly from her secured seat across the aisle. "They were just happy because I am finally leaving."
She looked down at her lap, her voice tinged with melancholy. "After all, I still have the Gem of Desire inside my body. If my core were to erupt, the resulting Honkai Energy cascade would wipe out at least three of the surrounding cities..."
Hearing the grim reality of the situation, Kiana's boastful attitude evaporated. She sat there, completely at a loss for words.
"Hey, it's okay! Don't worry so much about it," Kiana quickly scrambled to comfort her, waving her hands. "Mei has a Herrscher gem inside her body too, and she's doing just fine!"
"Mei... you have one too?" Wendy blinked, looking at the older girl in genuine surprise.
"Yes," Mei nodded softly. However, her gaze was distant, her mind clearly distracted by other, far more pressing thoughts.
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