The Art Style of This Chat Group Is a Bit Different Chapter 25

"I can do it! Leave it to me! I'll handle it!"

Raiden Mei stood ramrod straight, her expression more serious and earnest than ever before.

???

ME Corporation.

As one of Anti-Entropy's key financial pillars, this company was undeniably flush with cash. Even after Cocolia's rampage and the Heavenly Mandate's repeated audits, it still maintained its behemoth status.

Raiden Ryoma, having reclaimed ME Corporation, was now at the very top of this building. When the group stepped onto the highest floor, what greeted them wasn't an office, but a room resembling a tea chamber.

On the long table lay that Deep-Sea Bluefin Tuna, weighing two hundred kilograms. A man holding a kitchen knife as sharp as a sword sliced open the belly. The fatty meat gleamed like pink marble, glossy and translucent, its fine grain exuding a tender texture that seemed to promise freshness through every fiber. Surrounding this main dish were Wagyu Sukiyaki, Gold Leaf Sushi, Peony Shrimp Sashimi, and Blue Lobster Sashimi air-freighted from France. The only outlier was a carbonated drink chilling in an ice bucket.

This was the Far East's etiquette for hosting honored guests. Originally, Raiden Ryoma had planned to prepare sake, but recalling that most of his guests were students not yet of drinking age, he'd swapped it for the carbonated beverages young people preferred.

"A pleasure to meet you all, honored guests. I am Mei's father, Raiden Ryoma. I am truly grateful for everything regarding Mei."

The moment they entered the office, Raiden Mei's father suddenly bowed deeply to Qianyi and the others. If his daughter hadn't been beside him, he might have dropped to his knees on the spot.

"You're too kind. Mei is my friend—it's only right for friends to help each other." Qianyi's eye twitched. He hadn't expected Raiden Ryoma to put on such a grand display.

"No. As Mei's father, I failed in my duty when she needed me most. If not for you, Mei might have fallen victim to Cocolia's schemes. So please, let me express my gratitude."

"Save the thanks for later. There's something more important to discuss now." Qianyi cut him off.

Don't rush me—let me rush first.

Not giving Raiden Ryoma a chance to refuse, Qianyi stated his purpose bluntly: "I'm going to attack the Heavenly Mandate and kill Otto, that Source of All Evil, to bring peace back to the world. I hope you can lend us your strength."

Raiden Ryoma fell silent. He wondered if he'd heard wrong. "You said... kill who?"

"Kill Otto."

"Otto Apocalypse?!"

"Yes. That's why I'm here."

"Do you know he's the Overseer of the Heavenly Mandate, with nearly ten thousand Valkyries under his command, a global reach, and eyes and ears on everyone's every move?"

"That's exactly why he needs to die." Qianyi's tone was almost commanding, as rigid as a crust of stale bread.

Terrifying.

Raiden Ryoma nearly fainted from shock, unable to sit still. He felt the young man before him was utterly insane.

Anti-Entropy had only barely managed to contend with the Heavenly Mandate all these years, yet this youth spoke of killing Otto as if it were nothing—a reckless disregard for heaven and earth, ignorant of Otto's terror and methods.

Feeling his heart about to leap out of his throat, Raiden Ryoma probed, "Do you have... a blood feud with him?"

"No feud." Qianyi cracked open a can of cola. He figured convincing Raiden Ryoma would take a while, so he moistened his throat first.

"No feud?" Raiden Ryoma frowned, lowering his voice. "Then why kill him?"

"Did Cocolia have a feud with you? Or with Mei?" Qianyi's tone remained calm, but carried a sharpness like a spear or lance.

"What do you mean?" Raiden Ryoma was momentarily baffled.

"I don't like waving banners of righteousness when I resort to violence and killing. Violence is violence; killing is killing. Any attempt to cloak them in righteousness is hypocritical and meaningless—it only defiles justice, fairness, and truth. So I won't fabricate some tragic backstory or hoist a banner of justice to claim the moral high ground. What I'll do is, like Satan, commit the world's greatest transgressions, wield violence and slaughter, become the ultimate sinner, tear apart the throne of the gods, and steal this world." Qianyi drank his cola.

Raiden Ryoma sat up straight, awed by this boldness. At that moment, he felt as if the youth before him wasn't a man of his daughter's age, but a war god who had triumphed through ten thousand battles undefeated.

"If you believe my aid can crush the Heavenly Mandate, I'd gladly offer this life you've saved. But I ask one favor of you."

"As long as it's within my power." Qianyi said.

Raiden Ryoma pressed a button under the table. The screen behind him slid open, revealing a pile of gold bars stacked like a small mountain—the kind only seen in bank vaults.

"I want you to take these and my daughter, and leave this world."

Chapter 50: You Think Money Can Buy Us Off?

Qianyi had imagined Raiden Ryoma might make some excessive demands—like asking him to stay and help fight the Honkai after killing Otto, solve Raiden Mei's physical issues, or allocate power to Anti-Entropy after taking the Heavenly Mandate.

But he never expected such an excessive request.

"I know this might be hard, but she's my only daughter."

Raiden Ryoma took a breath. "I already failed as a father once. I won't fail a second time. I want you to send my daughter to your world before you attack the Heavenly Mandate, keep her somewhere safe. I'll stake everything I have and follow you into battle. Even if we fail, I'll give my life to protect your escape."

That way, even if he fell, Mei could live happily in a world without Honkai, without the Heavenly Mandate.

Ryoma's words struck a chord with many in the room. His willingness to risk everything for his daughter nearly moved Toyokawa Shoko to tears.

Why were dads so different? Hers and others'?

Raiden Ryoma—was it you who protected everyone? So gentle, the gentlest in the world!

Yet, "I refuse." Qianyi said.

"Why? Not enough compensation? I can add more—ME Corporation shares, the Raiden family's land deeds, ME Corporation mechs. If that's not enough, I can embezzle Anti-Entropy funds, their patents too. I'll give you all of it." Raiden Ryoma stood, hands on the table, eyes wide as bells. He was truly betting everything, leaving no retreat.

This Cocolia incident had opened his eyes. Without the Supreme Commander, Anti-Entropy was scattered sand. The conservative faction couldn't be relied on. He could accept losing himself—he was a tall tree that caught the wind—but losing his daughter, letting Cocolia target her and nearly turn her into a weapon, was unbearable.

"It's not about money."

"Not about money? Then what is it? Is crossing worlds costly? I can pay that too." Raiden Ryoma grew anxious.

"No, I was just thinking you should ask Mei what she thinks."

"Huh?" Raiden Ryoma had imagined all sorts of reasons Qianyi might refuse him, but this one never crossed his mind.

What Mei thinks?

What could Mei possibly think? She should be in a peaceful world, fretting over what to eat for three meals a day, what type of college boyfriend to pick, whether to prioritize marriage and love or career and work after graduation, whether to have one kid or several—that's what she ought to be worrying about. Not in this crappy world, getting targeted by Cocolia today and Otto tomorrow, becoming a pawn on someone else's chessboard!

As if seeing right through him, Qianyi sighed and continued, "To a daughter, the most important thing might not be a comfortable life, but her family's company. You've already been absent countless times in Mei's past life, and now you're planning to be absent from her future entirely?"

"I..." Raiden Ryoma fell silent. He knew full well he wasn't a good father, but he had no other choice: "To me, Mei living an ordinary, happy life is what matters most. She carries a Herrscher's authority within her. As long as she stays in this world, more people will inevitably set their sights on her. So getting her away from this world is the best option."

"Like other worlds are all that safe," Qianyi grumbled, then straightened up. "Safety bought through others is just a castle in the air, a Kyōka Suigetsu. If Raiden Mei can't truly become strong on her own, and she runs into the same crisis in another world, will she have a second father to give her an escape route and help her flee?"

"Isn't your world free of Honkai?" Raiden Ryoma was taken aback.

"Who told you no Honkai means it's safe?" Qianyi figured Raiden Ryoma was just dreaming, so he waved Seele over. "Come here, Seele, show him a trick."

Seele shuffled over, still chewing on a slice of raw fish. "What trick?"

"Tell him about Stellar Cores, the Anti-Matter Legion, and Aeons." Give this Earth native a little cosmic shock.

"Stellar Cores? Anti-Matter Legion? What's that? Never heard of 'em. I only know the Preservation Aeon, Clipper."

"..." Qianyi choked, then corrected her, "That character is 'po,' like in 'amber.'"

Damn, forgot you're a beggar from that backwater Belobog, with an orphanage diploma, never even finished elementary school—just kindergarten level!

He grabbed a chicken leg and stuffed it into Seele's mouth, sending the kid off to play.

"Ahem, she never went to school, doesn't know much. Let me explain again."

"No, no need. I already feel the terror."

Raiden Ryoma shakily wiped his sweat. That blue-haired delinquent girl might seem dumb, but he felt he'd definitely lose in a fight against her. And someone like that ended up unschooled.

Looking at her starving-wretch act—not even recognizing wasabi, squeezing it into her mouth like crazy, then choking like the Monkey King's birth in Journey to the West Chapter One—she probably hadn't even eaten normal food much.

Was that scary? Yeah, it was scary.

If someone on my level ended up like this, what kind of demonic free-for-all is your world? I can already picture it.

Suddenly, Earth feels pretty safe.

"You get it." Qianyi decided he'd find a well-educated teammate to explain this stuff next time!

Too embarrassing.

After mulling it over, Raiden Ryoma said, "Alright, let's pretend the talk about taking Mei away never happened. So can I make a new request?"

"Go ahead." Qianyi smoothly dropped the previous topic.

"I recall you helped Kiana deal with the Herrscher of the Void and successfully obtained her authority, right? Could you please help my daughter defeat the Herrscher of Thunder's Herrscher consciousness and eliminate that threat?"

"Ah, no, your daughter's case is special."

Qianyi was about to say that the Herrscher consciousness inside Raiden Mei wasn't really a Herrscher consciousness at all—it was her Stigmata consciousness, existing to protect your daughter. As long as she accepted her weak self, she could control that power. But Raiden Ryoma had already placed gleaming gold in front of him.

"Money's no issue. If the Herrscher consciousness is too strong and hard to handle, I also have a weapon specially forged to counter the Herrscher of Thunder."

Raiden Ryoma stood up, pulled a briefcase from the cabinet, and opened it. A longsword originally designed to counter the Herrscher of Thunder, the "Plasma Shadow Show," was pushed forward alongside the gold.

"Please! Help my daughter defeat that hateful Herrscher consciousness!"

Qianyi: "..."

Cold Raiden Mei (Stigmata consciousness) turned into warm gold. How did I end up dreaming this?

Chapter 51: Stigmata Consciousness: Damn it, I'm telling the truth, why won't anyone believe me!

Inside Raiden Mei's Stigmata Space.

The Dimensional Chat Group members, no strangers to dual-personality dungeon runs, smoothly entered this world, bringing Raiden Ryoma along with them.

The moment Raiden Ryoma stepped in, a thunderbolt struck instantly, forcing him to dodge hastily.

The next second, amid a sky-splitting roar of thunder, the heavens seemed torn into countless beams of light. Lightning crashed like raging waves, and within that overwhelming storm, the Herrscher of Thunder's figure slowly descended from the sky, like a divine punisher falling from above.

"Whoa, why's her entrance effect so much cooler than mine?" Kiana wailed. By comparison, the Herrscher of the Void's entrance looked like a welder's—no style at all.

Both Herrschers, only one number apart, yet the Second Herrscher looked like a power-crept relic next to the Third.

"It really is cool. Should we add some entrance effects to boost our style next time?" Talulah gazed up at the Herrscher of Thunder, clearly tempted.

"It's okay, I guess. Too flashy isn't great either." Seele hugged her Little Scythe tightly.

In an era where her teammates casually opened Space Gates, fired light cannons, and ran summoner builds, she—a scythe-wielding melee fighter—felt like a caveman.

And back then, Qianyi had tricked her, saying, "Seele, your world is the strongest among us. In other words, compared to us, you're like a Trisolaran coming to Earth—pure dimensional reduction."

Damn, compared to you guys, I look like a cosmic hick!

Ignoring the others, Mei's Stigmata consciousness—let's call her the Herrscher of Thunder—locked her gaze onto Raiden Ryoma. "Heh, you actually dare show your face before me, Fa-ther!"

Raiden Ryoma didn't back down, drawing the Plasma Shadow Show. "Innate evil Herrscher consciousness, this old man will personally—"

Purple eyes turned icy cold. Frost crackled from the blade in his hand, emitting a sharp, freezing sound.

"Go for it, Dad!" Raiden Mei cheered her father on.

"Daddy will do his best!" Raiden Ryoma instantly felt as if he'd been injected with dragon blood—he could now unleash the strength of over a hundred men!

"Go for it, Father-in-law!" Kiana cheered him on as well.

"Huh?" Raiden Ryoma whipped his head around like a startled Tingyun, his gaze locking onto Kiana, his eyes as cold as if he were staring at a corpse.

Wait, little girl, who are you calling father-in-law?

Hold on—that white hair, those blue eyes, and that dumb-as-a-brick expression... you couldn't be, could you be?!

Damn, a Kaslana!

He thought of a guy who pissed him off to no end—Siegfried Kaslana. Could this brat be that bastard Siegfried's daughter? And a lesbian dog trying to hit on his own daughter? Absolutely unforgivable!

"Ryoma, Ryoma, you've got to keep your street cred. Don't lose your mind and slice up that son-of-a-bitch Siegfried's daughter!" Raiden Ryoma warned himself deep down, while deciding he'd make sure his daughter stayed far away from this pest.

But dealing with that dumb mutt Kiana could wait.

He fixed his gaze on the Herrscher of Thunder in the sky. Right now, he carried his daughter's hopes and future on his shoulders—for that, he could not lose!

Herrscher of Thunder, prepare to die!

Raiden Ryoma charged in.

Raiden Ryoma got wrecked. Raiden Ryoma collapsed, gravely wounded.

Children, the Herrscher of Thunder was too strong. The Plasma Shadow Show was no match for her.

"Heh, you think a toy like this can beat me? Father, you're so naive. But then again, you've always been this pathetic—can't even protect your own daughter." The Herrscher of Thunder, who had one-shot Raiden Ryoma, toyed with her newly acquired Plasma Shadow Show, sneered mockingly, then casually tossed it in front of Raiden Mei and beckoned with a finger.