She was such a good person, gentle and kind, yet his own mother had dragged her into this mess. Even though it was not really his fault, he truly had no face left to face Miss Mei again.
"I won't appear before her again in the future, so she won't get angry whenever she sees me. I betrayed her trust in me," Ishiu said bitterly.
"...She isn't angry," the Queen of Raiden said flatly. What a joke. How could she possibly allow Ishiu to stop appearing before her? Not to mention that Raiden Mei really was not angry; even if she had been, the Queen of Raiden would not have allowed her to be angry!
"By the way, what's your current situation with her? Can she still control her own body?" Ishiu asked.
"She can. I just need to give it to her." The Queen of Raiden nodded. Although the body belonged to Raiden Mei, her fusion with the Conquest Gem had greatly increased her spiritual power. Raiden Mei could no longer seize control from her. As long as she wished it, she could use this body for the rest of her life.
"Then..." Ishiu hesitated, unsure whether he should say it, but the Queen of Raiden saw through him. She fell silent for a moment, then proudly raised her head as violet light shimmered in her eyes.
"I know what you want to say. I can return this body to her, as repayment for saving my life. But I have one condition."
"What condition?" Ishiu asked curiously.
"From now on, you must tell me stories. Not for 'her,' but only for me. Do you understand?"
"...Huh?" Ishiu was utterly dumbfounded.
That was it?
"What, you won't agree?"
"No, I agree. I agree to it." Though Ishiu did not understand why the Herrscher of Thunder would make such a request, he still agreed.
After all, the request was simply too... easy. It was so easy that Ishiu even felt as if he were talking to a preschool child.
"Very good. Remember our agreement. Don't you dare forget it." The Queen of Raiden nodded in satisfaction and was about to close her eyes and return the body to Raiden Mei.
"Wait, do you... have a name? Since you and Mei are different people, you should have your own name too, right?"
"A name? I don't need something like that. Just call me Your Majesty the Queen."
"Uh..."
The Queen of Raiden closed her eyes. When she opened them again a few seconds later, those violet eyes had returned to azure blue, and the emotion in her gaze had become the familiar gentleness Ishiu knew.
Raiden Mei had returned.
"Mei, um..." Ishiu pursed his lips, thought for a moment, then bowed to Raiden Mei in apology. "I'm sorry... My mom... I never expected things to turn out like this. You can hit me or scold me, as long as it helps you calm down."
"Idiot, you have done nothing to wrong me." Raiden Mei's gentle voice sounded by his ear. Ishiu felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist, followed by a soft, fragrant body leaning against him.
Raiden Mei hugged Ishiu and gently stroked the back of his head. "Ishiu, I should be the one thanking you. If it weren't for you, I might already be dead."
"But it was my mom..." Ishiu said anxiously. He was filled with guilt toward Raiden Mei. The more he recalled how good she usually was to him, the stronger his guilt became. Even now, she was still comforting him...
"Ishiu, I'm angry about what Auntie did too, but that has nothing to do with you." Raiden Mei had a good temper, but that did not mean she was a saint. Cocolia's scheme had clearly targeted her, and she was furious about it as well. If Cocolia had not been Ishiu's mother, her emotions would have been even more intense.
But one thing was one thing, and another was another. Ishiu had not known about it beforehand. Then, for her sake, he had fallen out with Cocolia, taken her away, and even been shot. Raiden Mei had seen all of that.
She cupped Ishiu's cheeks, her gaze as gentle as water. Looking at his evasive, guilt-filled eyes, she softly said, "Ishiu, you did not betray my trust. I was never angry with you, so stop feeling guilty toward me. You truly do not owe me anything."
"Mei..."
Looking at the beautiful girl so close before him, as lovely as an angel, Ishiu was moved, but his heart also began beating rapidly against his will.
It had to be said that whether in appearance or personality, Raiden Mei was so perfect that there was nothing to criticize. She was simply the ideal wife.
So it was only natural for his heart to stir a little, right?
Bronya watched from the side, her face already as cold as frost, her lips tightly bitten. If Raiden Mei had not been helping Ishiu untie the knot in his heart, she would never have stood by and watched Raiden Mei hug him!
"Enough!" Finally, when she saw Raiden Mei lift Ishiu's face and their lips were less than ten centimeters apart, Bronya could no longer endure it. She forcibly inserted herself between them and separated them.
"Ishiu's wound was only just bandaged. He needs rest," Bronya said to Raiden Mei in a distinctly unfriendly tone.
She suddenly realized that whether it was her face or figure, Raiden Mei seemed to be no worse than herself... No, no worse than Seele, and perhaps even faintly superior. And though she really did not want to admit it, Raiden Mei smelled far too nice. Forget Ishiu—even Bronya had nearly been drawn in by her.
If Raiden Mei kept getting close to Ishiu like this, would Seele not have no chance at all?
No, she could not allow that to happen. Seele's happiness would be protected by her!
Besides, what was so good about having a big chest? It was terribly inconvenient in battle. Someone like her was obviously better. (Resentful)
Unaware of the many thoughts running through Bronya's little head, Raiden Mei merely assumed Bronya was unhappy because Ishiu had been injured. She did not take it to heart and instead gave Bronya an apologetic smile.
Bronya: "..."
Uh... why was this woman smiling at her? Did she think victory was already hers and was deliberately mocking her? Damn it!
Bronya puffed out her cheeks and unconsciously clenched her fists.
"Mei." Not noticing Bronya's little thoughts, Ishiu took several deep breaths, adjusted his emotions, and looked seriously at Raiden Mei.
"Yes, I'm listening." Raiden Mei brushed aside the long hair by her ear and smiled as she assumed an attentive posture. Describing her with the words "utterly charming" would not be an exaggeration at all.
In an instant, Ishiu felt his blood pressure rise again.
"Cough, cough... Although you're not angry with me, Mei, my mom is still my mom. I hope I can help repay the wrong she did, even if it is only a little, if it can make you feel a bit better... How about this? If you're willing, I'll owe you three requests."
Ishiu held up three fingers and looked at Raiden Mei solemnly. "As long as they do not violate ethics or morality, no matter what you ask me to do, I will not refuse."
"There's really no need for this, Ishiu. You take responsibility far too seriously..." Raiden Mei shook her head helplessly. She truly had no intention of blaming Ishiu, but he kept feeling that he had wronged her. Only today had she discovered that this little fool was unexpectedly stubborn.
Seeing Ishiu's determined expression, Raiden Mei hesitated before finally nodding. "I understand. We'll do as you said. You owe me three requests."
"Mm. Mei, you really don't need to be polite. If there's anything you want me to do, just say the word." Ishiu sighed in relief, and a smile returned to his face.
"Something I want you to do... Hmm, I can't think of anything right now. Can I save them for later? I'll come find you when I need something?" Raiden Mei touched her cheek as she considered it. To be honest, it was not that she could not think of anything for Ishiu to do—she had too many ideas and could not choose one at the moment.
Need something?
Bronya's ears twitched. Though her driving experience was purely theoretical, her mind had already begun imagining some rather inappropriate scenes.
Oh no. Could this Raiden Mei make all sorts of requests of Ishiu whenever Bronya was not around?
Damn it, that was far too enviable... infuriating!
"Sure." Ishiu nodded. Just then, Kiana came running over from a distance.
"Mei!" The moment Kiana ran in, she impatiently pounced toward Raiden Mei.
"Kiana..." Unable to dodge in time, Raiden Mei was caught in a full embrace and could only smile helplessly.
"Mei, I missed you so much! How are you now? Did they take out that Herrscher Core or whatever?" Kiana rubbed against Raiden Mei's soft chest, an expression of enjoyment immediately appearing on her face. But she was quickly pushed away by the embarrassed Miss Mei.
However, Kiana's words made everyone fall silent. Raiden Mei wore a complicated expression and quietly sighed, while Ishiu and Bronya's faces did not look good either. The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.
"What's wrong? What happened to all of you? Did I say something wrong?" Kiana, who still did not know what had happened, was naturally completely confused. But no matter how thick her nerves were, she could sense how strange the atmosphere had become.
"No, you didn't say anything wrong." Ishiu sighed and told Kiana everything that had happened.
Though family shame should not be aired outside, Kiana was not an outsider. Besides, she had been involved in this matter too, so it would not have been right to hide it from her.
"What?! That woman dared to do that to Mei?!" Just as Ishiu expected, after hearing the whole story, Kiana immediately flew into a rage. She pulled out her baseball bat and was about to settle the score with Cocolia.
"Wait, Kiana." Ishiu hurriedly grabbed her arm.
"What are we waiting for? That woman has done so many bad things, she's practically a supervillain! Today, I, Kiana, shall enforce justice and avenge Mei!" Kiana said indignantly. She was truly furious. While she and Theresa had been fighting Honkai Beasts everywhere and evacuating the residents of Changkong City, Mei had actually been in mortal danger. If not for Ishiu, she might never have seen Mei again.
"Kiana, don't be angry..." Raiden Mei grabbed her as well and gave her a meaningful look.
Kiana followed Raiden Mei's gaze. When she saw the awkward expression on Ishiu's face, she finally realized that she had nearly forgotten—the evil woman was Ishiu's mother.
Kiana scratched her head, suddenly not knowing what to do.
"...Kiana, Mei, can you put this matter aside for now? I'll give you an explanation afterward," Ishiu said solemnly to them both.
After returning and seeing Seele, he planned to have another proper talk with Cocolia. He hoped he could pull her back onto the right path and stop her from continuing down the wrong one.
"Alright. I believe you, Ishiu." Raiden Mei nodded without hesitation, her gaze toward Ishiu filled with trust.
"Since Mei said so... then, then I won't interfere either. Anyway, brat, don't put too much psychological pressure on yourself. This has nothing to do with you, so don't overthink it. I believe Mei won't blame you either." Kiana scratched her cheek, unexpectedly comforting Ishiu for once.
"Mm, I know." Ishiu forced a smile, then asked, "By the way, what are your plans after this?"
"As for plans... I'm planning to go back with Theresa and take a look first." Kiana said, "She knows about my parents. She said that if I agree to join St. Freya Academy and become an A-rank Valkyrie, she'll tell me about my mother and where that stinking old man, my dad, is."
"Are you sure she's telling the truth?" Ishiu asked with a frown. "Your brain doesn't work that well to begin with, so don't get sold off and end up helping count the money."
"Your brain is the one that doesn't work! I'm naturally beautiful and brilliantly clever. How could I possibly get fooled?" Kiana puffed up her cheeks and lightly pinched Ishiu's face. "I don't think she's lying, and she's strong—really strong. There's no reason for her to deceive me."
"Alright, then what about you, Mei?" Ishiu turned to Raiden Mei again.
"I... I don't know where I should go either..." Confusion appeared in Raiden Mei's eyes. She truly did not know where she should go now.
"Then Mei, why don't you come to St. Freya Academy with me?" Kiana's eyes lit up as she said with a grin, "Theresa said it's an academy that trains Valkyries. Since you don't know where to go, why not first make yourself stronger? What do you think?"
"Make myself stronger first...?" Those words sent Raiden Mei into deep thought. She thought about it for a long time before finally nodding.
She would go.
But her purpose was not to become stronger for herself.
It was to take care of Kiana.
She knew Kiana's personality well. She was careless and always forgetting things. If nobody took care of her, she probably would not even eat properly.
If Raiden Mei went along, at least she could cook for that fool.
"Wait, idiot Kiana, are you trying to get Raiden Mei killed?"
At that moment, a cold yet distinctly childish voice sounded.
"Little Pudding, what do you mean by that? How am I trying to get Mei killed?" Hearing Bronya call her an idiot, Kiana immediately became annoyed and used the nickname Ishiu had called her before.
"Don't call me Little Pudding!" Bronya's gaze sharpened. Heavy-duty Bunny, which had been hidden behind her, instantly revealed its true form, its cannon already aimed at Kiana.
What a joke. It was one thing for Ishiu to use that embarrassing nickname, but even a mere Kiana dared call her that?
Did she really think the Silver Wolf of the Urals was someone to be trifled with?
"Alright, alright, I won't call you that. Why are you so angry?" Kiana was startled and instinctively hid behind Ishiu. Then, wrapping her arms around his neck, she stuck out her tongue at Bronya. "Then tell me, how am I trying to hurt Mei?"
Bronya frowned, wanting to fire a shot right at her, but after thinking about it, she held back.
"It's simple. Have you all forgotten? Raiden Mei is no longer an ordinary person. She is a Herrscher!"
"So what?" Kiana curled her lips. "Isn't Mei still Mei? Even if she once became a Herrscher, didn't she avoid doing anything to destroy humanity?"
Bronya said coldly, "Do you think the people of Schicksal will believe that? They have fought the Honkai for centuries. In a place filled entirely with Valkyries, if you bring in a Herrscher, what do you think the people of Schicksal will do?"
"Uh..." Kiana was immediately left speechless.
Ishiu frowned as well. Bronya was right, but if that was the case, where should Mei go?
Should she follow him?
He did want to take Miss Mei with him, but he was preparing to return to Siberia. That was Anti-Entropy's headquarters, and his mother still had designs on the Herrscher Core. Under such circumstances, bringing Raiden Mei along would be like leading a sheep into a tiger's den.
No matter how amazing he was, he could not completely protect Raiden Mei from the hands of a massive organization.
(P.S. This is killing me. Yesterday, I saw a comment saying Mihoyo plagiarized Yu-Gi-Oh! The Herrscher of the Void is yellow, corresponding to the Winged Dragon of Ra; the Herrscher of Reason is blue, corresponding to Obelisk; and the Herrscher of Thunder is red, corresponding to Slifer. They're all three Egyptian Gods, and I actually thought it made some sense. Emmm.)
Just as everyone was struggling to make a decision, a sound of turbulent air suddenly rang out from the sky.
Everyone looked up and saw that, at some point, a massive battleship had flown overhead.
The battleship was nearly three hundred meters long, and its forward deck alone was close to two hundred meters. It was an extraordinarily imposing warship.
"This is..." When Ishiu saw the battleship, his first thought was that his mother had sent people to capture them. But on closer thought, that did not seem right. Given his mother's personality, since she had already let him go, she was unlikely to cause him trouble while he and Mei were still together.
In other words, was this a Schicksal battleship?
And indeed, just as Ishiu had guessed, it was Schicksal's battleship—the Hyperion.
As the Hyperion came to a stop above them, two figures soon jumped down from it.
One was the loli nun Theresa, whom Ishiu had met before. The other was a sexy, beautiful older woman in combat armor with an incredible figure.
"Theresa, why are you here?" Kiana asked as she looked doubtfully at Theresa's serious expression.
"Kiana! Come over here quickly, it's dangerous over there!" Theresa shouted at Kiana.
"Huh? Dangerous? Where's the danger?" Kiana looked around in confusion. This was just a ruined district. Aside from herself, Ishiu, and the others, there was nobody else here.
"Idiot!" Theresa was so anxious she nearly stamped her feet. Seeing that words could not persuade Kiana, she directly removed Judah from behind her back. "Judah! Deploy!"
Before you continue