In Honkai, Only Loving Valkyries

"But compared to how you used to put on airs and act aloof with that mask on, I find you much more likable like this."

These words were spoken by Otto. The mask he referred to was Mei's previous pretense towards the outside world.

She pretended to be strong, she pretended to be lonely, but no one truly likes being alone.

Otto had now peeled away a part of Mei's shell, touching the soft heart she had hidden away.

Just like seafood, only by cracking open the shell can one taste the succulent meat and juice within.

And the process of savoring delicious food always brings joy.

Hearing Otto's words, Mei trembled. She wanted to maintain her previous cold and arrogant demeanor that kept others at bay, but the thought of being toyed with like a fool made her face burn.

Mei wasn't as shameless as Otto.

"Wh-why am I here?"

Mei could only ask with a hint of dissatisfaction. Shouldn't she be at Senba Academy?

Otto walked towards Mei. As he approached, she flinched back, but the bed was only so big; where could she escape to?

Otto sat on the edge of the bed, took out his phone from his pocket, opened a news report, and handed the phone to Mei.

"Take a look at this."

Mei cowered. Although the blonde man was handsome after taking off his mask, his previous attitude had left her with some psychological trauma.

She cautiously took Otto's phone and saw it was an evening news report.

Mei read the content and then frowned.

"A teaching building at Senba Academy collapsed, resulting in twenty-one deaths and over a hundred injuries. According to investigations, the building materials are suspected to be substandard, and the relevant personnel have been sent for review."

"The teaching building collapsed!?" Mei exclaimed in surprise. She clearly remembered the teaching building being fine earlier today.

She looked up at Otto, but he was looking at her with a sorrowful gaze.

It was as if he were looking at a pitiable creature.

"A girl toyed with by fate," Otto said, taking his phone back. He then brought up a very blurry photograph.

Mei's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the photo.

Amidst the dust and smoke, a young girl enveloped in lightning stood with a purplish-red katana.

Behind her was the ruined teaching building.

Despite the photo being very blurry, Mei could still vaguely make out that the girl's face was identical to her own.

"This..."

"This is the demon within you," Otto said in a somewhat low voice, applying psychological pressure on Mei.

"This is what I call a Herrscher. You were emotionally agitated at the time, and your negative emotions awakened the demon within you. What caused the casualties at Senba Academy wasn't a building collapse, but you losing control."

Otto twisted the facts with his words, embellishing them to suit his own agenda.

Lying, in itself, wasn't the issue.

Because once Mei fell into his trap, she wouldn't care if he had lied in the future.

"It... was me?"

Mei said blankly, looking at the blurry photograph.

The person in the photo was her, yet not her, but she was herself.

So...

Did I kill people?

Mei, who had never harmed anyone, looked at her hands. Although her hands were fair, Mei felt as if she could see indelible bloodstains.

Otto was pressuring Mei's mind, pushing her mental state towards instability.

He intended to strike while she was vulnerable.

This was a golden opportunity he had been waiting for.

While waiting for Mei to regain consciousness, he had been anticipating a moment when her mind was fragile.

Otto's hand reached out and grasped Mei's.

"It's alright."

"Even though something tragic has happened, for the sake of those who are still alive, for your own sake, and for your father."

"You must learn to control her, to control this power."

"If you can control it well, you can prevent a disaster from happening in Changkong City."

"And this power will become the sword in your hand; you can use this power to save Ryoma, my brother."

Otto felt like a liar spewing falsehoods.

In truth, he didn't feel much for the victims.

Because even though they had died right in front of him, Otto had been too preoccupied with the appearance of the Honkai Will to pay attention to them.

Looking back later, I no longer felt anything.

The number of casualties was just a string of cold digits.

Perhaps this was the sorrow of those in high positions who needed to maintain rationality.

"Can... can I do it?"

Mei's hands trembled as she looked at a photo of herself exuding a terrifying aura. Such an existence was the true Herrscher of Thunder.

She was merely a fake wearing the Herrscher of Thunder's mask.

She tightly gripped Otto's hand, as if he were her only lifeline.

"You can."

"So, you must smile. Don't let negative emotions control you, and prevent the demon from taking over your body again."

"And I have a proposal."

"A proposal?" Mei looked into Otto's eyes.

With the doors and windows sealed, she was alone in the enclosed room with no one to rely on.

This confined environment was also prepared by Otto.

"Yes, it's a good way for you to avoid being affected by negative emotions."

"That way is love. Love can conquer all."

Otto wasn't lying.

The original Otto believed in love more than anyone. He believed love could help humanity defeat the Herrschers.

And as it turned out, he was right.

Now, Otto wanted to transfer the bonds of the original girl onto himself.

"You... want me to be with you?"

Mei thought he was proposing, but Otto shook his head.

He said calmly, "No."

"It's not that I will love you, but rather..."

"You must learn to fall in love with me."

Chapter 33: You Are Only Allowed to Think of Me

It wasn't "I love you," but "You must fall in love with me."

The man's domineering words echoed in Mei's ears.

If she were still the beloved young lady she once was, she would have scoffed at such words.

However, the fallen young lady now had nowhere to run, and her hand was even being held.

Otto pressed down on her heart, exerting psychological pressure and destabilizing her mind.

"When you learned the truth about your situation and the reason for your father's imprisonment, negative emotions took over your body."

"If this continues, when you completely lose control, Changkong City will be plunged into disaster. Perhaps fewer than a thousand out of millions will survive."

"Even... your father will die."

"Killed by your own hands."

Mei's eyelashes fluttered.

Otto touched her soft spot again.

"Therefore, you must control your negative emotions, perhaps by suppressing them with another emotion."

"That emotion is love."

Love could turn a Herrscher back into a human.

"You must love someone. You must make one person your pillar, your eyes should only look at that one person, and everything you do should be dedicated to them."

"Then, that person will become your controller, the reins that pull you back from the brink."

Just like in the future, when you disregarded the world for Kiana and even became the Herrscher of Thunder.

Though, I'd prefer to skip that beating.

"And I hope that person is me."

Otto wanted to get Mei's remote control. Mei was very similar to the original Otto; once she set her heart on someone, she wouldn't change, dedicating herself wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately, she had fallen for a 'central air conditioner' back then.

This time, the 'central air conditioner' would be replaced by a 'public bus.'

"Although this might sound like bragging, I think I'm quite good-looking. I'm also very wealthy and powerful, and my status is beyond your imagination."

"With my help, your father wouldn't have had to go to jail."

"To put it in more common terms, I guess you could call me a 'gold-digger's dream'," Otto said with a smile, lightening the somber atmosphere as he gently massaged Mei's hands.

Mei's fingers were colder than Kiana's, but much smoother and more tender. After all, Kiana had lived alone since she was young and had to do everything herself.

"Do... do I have any other options?"

Mei's lips were slightly pale, and Otto offered a gentle smile.

"No."

A very direct reply.

"You learn to love me, and I will help you control this power, rescue your father, and even clear his name."

"Even if you can break your father out of prison, his name won't be cleared. In fact, you and your father will become outcasts, and he will bear the stigma for the rest of his life."

"The name Raiden Ryoma will forever be linked to the fraud case. Perhaps in a few years, he'll even become a cautionary tale in textbooks."

For people, reputation is crucial.

Mei's lips trembled. It was clear she realized that even if her father was innocent, without clearing his name, she and her father would have no future.

What good was immense power? Even if she could storm the prison and rescue her father, would that truly clear his name?

Unless...

She killed everyone who dared to speak ill of them.

Mei's grip tightened slightly on Otto's hand.

She had already made up her mind.

Looking at Otto's handsome face and his gentle gaze, Mei hadn't seen such a look since her father's incident.

Everyone and everything around her was malicious. In this environment filled with ill will, only his words were gentle, as if he were afraid of startling her.