Mei

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Mei (芽衣)
Alias(es)	Raiden Mei; Third Herrscher; Herrscher of Thunder; Captain Mei
Gender	Female
Affiliation	St. Freya High School; Far East Branch; Valkyrie Fifth Squad
Occupation/Role	Valkyrie; close-quarters combatant; later vice-captain of Valkyrie Fifth Squad
First Appearance	Chapter 7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
C+ Valkyrie	11	Ranked first in her class for close-quarters melee combat; received a C+ combat rating.
Third Herrscher	207	Awakened during the confrontation with the First Herrscher, tearing apart his gravity control with overwhelming lightning power.
B-rank Valkyrie	316	Recognized as a B-rank Valkyrie; she had delayed pursuing A-rank advancement in order to continue undertaking missions with Kiana.
True Herrscher of Thunder	550	Accepted the Herrscher of Thunder's power and resolved to fight by her own choice; the former Herrscher consciousness dissipated and became part of Mei's lightning energy.

Background

Mei is the daughter of Raiden Ryoma and inherited her family's Hokushin Itto-ryu swordsmanship. Before entering St. Freya, she had lived a comparatively sheltered life as the young lady of ME Company; Ryoma was later framed and disappeared, leaving unresolved pain beneath her composed exterior. 7 53 85

At St. Freya, Mei designed the dark pink-and-black Crimson Battlegear as melee-specialized assault armor tailored to her Tachi fighting style. She also began guiding Han Jiang in Hokushin Itto-ryu, recognizing similarities between his techniques and her family's swordsmanship. 7 8

Theresa and Himeko had secretly prepared containment measures for Mei's Herrscher potential, including a device near her heart with a self-destruct protocol. Mei remained stable for nearly a year before the First Herrscher's attack forced her initial transformation into the Third Herrscher. 207 379

During the Changkong City crisis, Mei chose to stop relying solely on others' protection. She accepted the Herrscher of Thunder's remaining power to save Han Jiang and confront the Imaginary Corpse, becoming the true Herrscher of Thunder. 549 550

Appearance

Mei ordinarily presents herself with a gentle, refined bearing. In combat, she favors swordswoman-style equipment and clothing built for close-range mobility.

• Crimson Battlegear — dark pink and black armor designed for melee specialization. 7 16
• Primary weapon — a Tachi. 7 11
• Herrscher manifestation — a Herrscher-like skirt, two small red horns, and constant violet lightning. 651
• True Herrscher combat state — traditional Far Eastern female swordswoman attire accompanied by a massive lightning-forged warrior phantom. 550

Personality

Mei is gentle, soft-spoken, and instinctively caring. She routinely cooks for her companions, organizes supplies, looks after injured friends, and earns the trust of vulnerable children through her calm demeanor. 71 134 384 542

Her kindness initially made her uncertain of how much she could accomplish alone; Himeko believed Mei needed to learn that no individual could personally save everyone. 53 54 Over time, Mei became more direct and self-assured. She chose to wield Herrscher power responsibly, led rescue operations, investigated threats independently, and took command during emergencies. 550 604 605 663

Mei is emotionally reserved but earnest in love. She confesses her feelings to Han Jiang, becomes openly jealous of Guan Xing's closeness with him, and demands honesty when the Dominance Herrscher attempts to exploit her insecurities. 607 630 651

Abilities & Skills

Hokushin Itto-ryu

Mei practices her family's inherited sword style and is St. Freya's strongest close-quarters fighter in her initial class assessment. 7 11

• Uses a Tachi for fast, close-range engagements.
• Designed her Crimson armor specifically to support melee combat. 7
• Can coordinate blade attacks with Kiana during missions. 73 724

Herrscher of Thunder Authority

Mei wields lightning-based Herrscher power. Her initial awakening overwhelmed the First Herrscher's gravity manipulation, though her implanted restraint device could suppress her output when her energy rose too high. 207 210

• Generates and controls high-density lightning energy.
• Breaks through gravity barriers and disintegrates nearby matter with electromagnetic power. 207 651
• Can enter a Herrscher combat state with enhanced speed, flight, and destructive output. 550
• Her power can amplify Kiana's armor and combine with Kiana's attacks. 211 724
• Initially could not fully control her lightning authority and was vulnerable to specialized anti-Herrscher weapons. 568
• Eventually suppressed the Herrscher will and took complete control of the power herself. 570

Lightning Warrior Phantom

After becoming the true Herrscher of Thunder, Mei can manifest a gigantic warrior-shaped construct wielding an oversized Tachi. 550

• The phantom can act independently to block or engage enemies.
• It is formed from the immense Honkai Energy gathered into Mei's core. 550

Leadership and Civilian Support

Mei later serves as vice-captain of Valkyrie Fifth Squad and directs rescue and security operations. 605

• Assigns squads to search shelters, rescue survivors, and report casualties. 605
• Coordinates defensive responses while prioritizing civilian evacuation. 604 605
• Supports war orphans and helps provide for children affected by Honkai disasters. 628

Equipment

• Crimson Battlegear — melee-specialized dark pink-and-black combat armor. 7 16
• Tachi — Mei's primary weapon and the focus of her close-combat style. 7 11
• Honkai-energy suppression device — a containment device implanted near her heart; its safety measures could seal her Herrscher energy. 207 210

Relationships

• Han Jiang — Teammate and love interest. Mei teaches him swordsmanship, trusts him deeply, confesses her feelings, and later asks him to acknowledge their relationship honestly. 7 607 651
• Kiana Kaslana — Closest friend and frequent combat partner. Mei worries intensely about Kiana's recklessness, while their Herrscher powers can synchronize in battle. 211 318 724
• Bronya Zaychik — Close friend whom Mei has cared for over years. Mei remains behind to support Bronya during her emotional crisis at ME Company and protects her from Tactical Mechs. 384
• Raiden Ryoma — Father. He is protective of Mei, monitors her school life through Han Jiang, and is especially concerned about boys getting close to her. 84 85 134
• Himeko Murata — Teacher and mentor. Himeko recognizes Mei's compassion, entrusts her with tasks requiring gentleness, and helps manage the danger of Mei's Herrscher nature. 53 207 542
• Herrscher of Thunder consciousness — The independent consciousness once residing within Mei. It experienced St. Freya's warmth through Mei, then relinquished itself so Mei could fully accept the power. 550 563
• Fu Hua — Ally and fellow Valkyrie. They later work together to support war orphans and share responsibility for Far East operations. 628

Story Role

St. Freya Student and Trainee Valkyrie

Mei joins Kiana, Bronya, Han Jiang, and Fu Hua in the trainee Valkyrie squad. She establishes herself as the team's close-combat specialist, assists with combat knowledge over communications, and fights alongside Kiana during field missions. 11 73 75

Third Herrscher Incident

When the First Herrscher attempts to seize Mei's core, Mei transforms into the Third Herrscher and decisively overwhelms him. Her containment device later activates, leaving her vulnerable until Kiana, Han Jiang, and Yae Sakura intervene. 207 210 211

ME Company Infiltration

Mei stays behind to care for Bronya when Bronya is emotionally unable to continue the mission. When Cocolia's forces target them, Mei shields Bronya from attacks and fights the Tactical Mechs despite taking laser fire herself. 384

Changkong City Crisis

Mei aids the children of Nest, investigates renewed Honkai activity, and faces Kevin's offer to join World Serpent. During the resulting disaster, she chooses to embrace the Herrscher of Thunder's power and helps defeat the Imaginary Corpse. 545 547 550

Far East Commander

Following the crisis, Mei becomes vice-captain of Valkyrie Fifth Squad. She organizes survivor relief, directs Valkyrie teams, and continues supporting war orphans despite feeling she cannot do enough for them. 605 628

Dominance Herrscher Conflict

The Dominance Herrscher manipulates Mei's feelings for Han Jiang in Imaginary Space. Mei rejects its attempts to define her worth, confronts Han Jiang directly about their feelings, and continues fighting alongside Kiana against the puppets. 651 652

Notable Quotes

“I've run away enough already. I can't keep running anymore.” 550

“Right now, he... needs me!” 550

“I don't want to be your enemy.” 568

Trivia

• Mei reads shoujo manga and romance novels despite Han Jiang initially finding this surprising. 265
• Rather than saying “thank you” whenever Han Jiang helps her, Mei often repays him by cooking for him. 323
• Mei's initial combat rating was C+, but she delayed taking the A-rank advancement examination to remain on missions with Kiana. 11 354