Mei Was the Cutest in the World!

Mei wasn't stupid. She could tell that Dong Moxuan seemed to be hiding something from her.

She simply didn't care, nor did she want to know.

She was afraid... afraid that if she learned certain facts, her relationship with Dong Moxuan would change.

"Mei, you don't have to be like this..."

Dong Moxuan could also guess what Mei was thinking, and his expression was somewhat helpless.

"These things aren't secrets. They're just common knowledge—common knowledge about the Honkai."

"Mei, you must be curious about what's going on with the lightning inside you, right?"

"Mm..."

Seeing that Dong Moxuan had already laid everything out in the open, Mei no longer felt resistant.

She held out her hand, and pale-violet arcs of lightning flickered in her palm.

"I seem to... be able to control this lightning..."

"What exactly is this..."

"This is the power of a Herrscher!"

"A Herrscher?"

Mei was a little bewildered by this unfamiliar term.

"That's right..."

Afterward, Dong Moxuan explained the existence of the Honkai and the concept of Herrschers to Mei.

"...In short, a 'Herrscher' is an envoy who enforces divine laws, possessing the power to destroy human civilization—probably."

"And you, Mei, are the envoy chosen by 'God': the Third Herrscher—the Herrscher of Thunder!"

"I'm a Herrscher..."

Staring at the light in her palm, Mei fell into a daze.

"An enemy of humanity...?"

After learning of her own existence and realizing just how powerful this force within her truly was, Mei showed not the slightest trace of happiness. Instead, her emotions became incredibly complicated.

After all, Herrschers were destroyers, enemies of human civilization, and... monsters!

Was it really all right for a monster like her to stay by Dong Moxuan's side?

"All right, Mei. Don't get stuck in a loop!"

Seeing Mei's expression, Dong Moxuan immediately understood what she was thinking and hurriedly tried to reassure her. "Whether a Herrscher's power is used for destruction or protection depends on the Herrscher's own choice."

"Throughout human history, there have been Herrschers who chose to stand on humanity's side and even became leaders whom humanity could trust."

"R-Really?"

A hopeful light appeared in Mei's eyes.

"That's right..."

Although he didn't have a good relationship with that person, Dong Moxuan could only use him as an example now.

"The world's foremost organization dedicated to fighting the Honkai—Anti-Entropy—is led by a Herrscher!"

"He chose to betray the Honkai and become humanity's protector."

Too bad that traitor is already dead!

Dong Moxuan sneered inwardly.

"So, Mei,"

"Although you've become a Herrscher, you don't have to become humanity's enemy."

"Whether this power is used to protect or destroy is entirely up to you."

"Is... is that so?"

After hearing Dong Moxuan's words, the light in Mei's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"That's right..."

"So, Mei, what will you choose?"

Dong Moxuan didn't actually want Mei to side with humanity, but the worldview she had developed over all those years wasn't so easy to change.

To avoid upsetting Mei and causing her to get stuck in a loop, Dong Moxuan could only put it that way.

"Are you saying I should choose to use this power to protect humanity?"

To Dong Moxuan's surprise, Mei gently shook her head.

"Mei doesn't understand what the Honkai is, nor does she understand something as grand as protecting humanity."

"Mei only knows that when she was at her loneliest and most pained, Jun Xuan was by her side."

"So, if Mei can control this power, and if this power won't hurt Jun Xuan..."

"Then Mei's power will exist only to protect Jun Xuan!"

Looking at the boy before her, Mei's gaze was incomparably resolute.

"Mei..."

Mei's determined words made Dong Moxuan's heart tremble. He turned his head away.

He forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart and pretended to remain calm as he said,

"Are... are you confessing your feelings to me?"

"Eh?!"

Dong Moxuan's question instantly made Mei's face flush.

She wanted to deny it, but she didn't know how to begin.

"I... this..."

Seeing Mei's flustered, adorably flushed expression, Dong Moxuan's own nervousness eased.

"All right. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Dong Moxuan waved his hand with a smile.

"I've received your feelings!"

"Phew..."

Seeing this, Mei let out a small sigh of relief. She lowered her head and softly apologized, "Sorry, Jun Xuan..."

"You didn't do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing?"

"All right, let's eat. The food will get cold if we don't!"

As he spoke, Dong Moxuan lowered his head and began eating dinner.

Seeing this, Mei also lowered her head and started eating.

She hadn't eaten lunch, so she really was a little hungry.

By the time they finished dinner, it was already very late. On top of that, many things had happened that day, so after bathing, Dong Moxuan and Mei each returned to their own bedrooms.

"Phew~"

Still wearing her pajamas, Mei threw herself onto the bed.

"A lot of things really happened today..."

Hugging the pillow to her chest, Mei stared blankly at the ceiling and murmured softly.

Far too many things had happened today: the Honkai, the Herrscher, and...

"Then Mei's power will exist only to protect Jun Xuan!"

"Ugh..."

Recalling that scene again, Mei covered her face in embarrassment.

"Those words were basically no different from a confession, were they?"

"No wonder Jun Xuan misunderstood..."

But had it really been a misunderstanding?

Mei lowered her hands and fell into thought.

There were some things she couldn't lie to herself about. Mei truly did have feelings for that boy. As for whether she actually loved him... she still wasn't sure.

She only knew that she felt at ease and wasn't afraid whenever she stayed by that boy's side...

"Isn't this what liking someone is?"

Mei buried her face in the pillow again in embarrassment.

A young girl's feelings were like poetry. Had she really reached the age when her heart began to stir?

"No, now isn't the time to think about this..."

Turning over, Mei rested her head against the pillow, her gaze turning melancholy.

She didn't understand romance, nor did she want to. She only wanted to stay by the side of Dong Moxuan, the one and only person who cared about her.

However, if she had to choose someone to date, her choice would definitely be Dong Moxuan. It would never be anyone else.

"Become lovers with Jun Xuan...?"

As Mei imagined that scene, she realized that aside from feeling a little shy, she didn't feel the slightest bit of resistance.

However...

"Does someone like me... really have the right to fall in love?"

"Am I really... good enough for Jun Xuan?"

Looking at the lightning flickering in her palm, Mei fell silent.

"I won't think about this anymore..."

"Time to sleep..."

Mei's Capture Progress: 90%