Raiden Mei

Raiden Mei, the only daughter of Raiden Ryoma, president of Massive Electric (ME Company for short).

In 1999, her mother died of cancer.

In 2004, Mei was kidnapped by a terrorist organization. After being rescued, she spent three years recuperating at a private ME Company facility due to the psychological trauma.

As the daughter of the president of ME Company, Mei received the finest education and training. From her illustrious background and outstanding appearance to her social graces and academic achievements, she was flawless in every respect.

No one knew when it had begun, but within Senba Academy, the title "Queen Raiden" had spread far and wide.

However, some time ago, ME Company was suddenly exposed in a scandal involving suspected financial fraud. Her father, Raiden Ryoma, was accused of forging financial documents. Not only was he removed from his position as president by the board of directors, but he was also sent to prison, causing his reputation to plummet.

The adults coveting ME Company did everything they could to get close to Mei, while the friends who had once been extremely close to her began keeping their distance.

Only then did Mei realize that what they had cared about all along was not her, but the name "Raiden Mei."

It was only at this point that the young heiress who had lived in an "ivory tower" truly began to face the monster known as reality.

Obviously, society was heartless. No inexperienced young person could avoid being beaten down by it.

However, these blows from society and reality had come a little too early for the girl named Mei.

She began to grow withdrawn and indifferent, and started to doubt everything.

In truth, the upheaval in her family should not have affected her so deeply.

She had merely seen reality...

Or rather, what she believed was reality.

She began to question the meaning of her own existence and grew increasingly disgusted with this "real" world.

In terms from the swordsmanship she practiced, she had already "gone astray."

If things continued to develop this way, then when a certain catalyst—the Honkai—arrived, she might truly transform into a demon—a Herrscher!

However, a month ago, a young man named Dong Moxuan had entered her life.

To be honest, Mei's first impression of the boy had not been good.

After all, he was someone who had moved into her home by shamelessly clinging to her leg, using his status as her father's friend as an excuse.

Given Mei's nearly corrupted state of mind at the time, the fact that she had not tried to kill him was already proof of her strong moral character, let alone developing any fondness for him.

However, as time passed, Mei's impression of the boy gradually changed.

Although only a short month had passed, Dong Moxuan's concern for her and his tenderness toward her had been deeply imprinted in her heart.

That was because Dong Moxuan was not merely freeloading at her home. He cared for her, protected her, and acknowledged her like a true elder.

Concern, protection, and acknowledgment—these were things Mei's parents should have given her.

However, Mei's mother had died young, while her father was constantly away due to work.

Thus, Dong Moxuan's arrival happened to satisfy Mei's longing for those emotions, replacing the position Raiden Ryoma had once held in her heart.

(If Raiden Ryoma knew about this—if he knew that his brother was taking such good care of his daughter—he would surely be immensely grateful to his dear younger brother!)

For Mei, who had suddenly suffered such a drastic change and was accustomed to loneliness, Dong Moxuan's existence was like a ray of light in the darkness, leaving her hopelessly captivated.

However, Dong Moxuan was ultimately not Mei's father, nor could he truly replace Raiden Ryoma in her heart.

Instead, his overly youthful appearance, lack of any elder's gravitas, and utterly carefree words and actions caused Mei's feelings for him to develop in an indescribable direction.

Nevertheless, Dong Moxuan was an existence as close to Mei as family. That was an undeniable fact.

And precisely because of this, when that will capable of instantly destroying an ordinary person's mind appeared, the girl named Mei was able to barely hold on to her true self...

Bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt...

On the rooftop of Senba Academy, a purple-haired girl stared blankly ahead, her eyes filled with confusion.

Where was she?

Who... was she?

After a long while, a jumble of fragmented memories slowly surfaced in her mind.

Only then did she recall her identity...

She was Raiden Mei, the heiress of ME Company, the "Queen Raiden" admired by countless people!

And then...

The scandal involving ME Company, the ugly faces of those adults as they approached her, and the departure of those so-called friends...

These memories instantly appeared in her mind, causing her to clutch her head in pain.

"What... exactly..."

Mei moaned softly. It took her more than ten seconds to sort out her thoughts.

Then, an extremely intense wave of negative emotions erupted. The dark thoughts that had once been buried deep in Mei's subconscious appeared in her heart almost instantaneously.

That was right. She was the heiress of ME Company, the "heiress of ME Company"!

There was no one in this world who cared about Raiden Mei. They only cared about the status of "ME Company's heiress."

That was why those disgusting people had shamelessly approached her after something happened to her father, and why those so-called friends had distanced themselves from her...

And her father had not told her anything, either.

Even about what had happened this time...

She...

knew nothing!

When all was said and done, did Raiden Ryoma...

really care about her, his daughter?

No one cared about her at all!

She had no value in existing!

Raiden Mei had no value in existing!

Therefore, this world that refused to acknowledge her had no value in existing, either!

That's right. A world like this was simply too vile!

This world—humanity—needed to be judged!

This world—humanity—needed to be destroyed!

The girl stared ahead as the darkness in her eyes grew deeper and deeper. Even the arcs of electricity around her, which had originally been less than a centimeter long, evolved into pillars of lightning as thick as an adult's arm.

That's right. This world—humanity—was wrong. She would destroy everything in the world!

Destroy everything in the world?

Just as the girl was about to completely transform into a Herrscher, the image of a silver-haired youth suddenly appeared in her mind.

Her body trembled slightly, and the concentration of Honkai Energy around her began to drop sharply.

No, that wasn't right!

As if she had found an emotional anchor, the light in the girl's eyes grew increasingly intense.

Her existence was not meaningless, nor was she without anyone who cared about her!

Although he had approached her as her father's friend, that youth's concern and protection were absolutely genuine and completely free of ulterior motives.

So...

"Jun Xuan..."

The girl softly called out the name she used for the youth, and then...

"Bang!"

She turned around and followed the sound with her eyes.

Mei saw the youth, and also...

the silver-haired girl holding the youth's wrist.