The Advancing Titan

"Jun Xuan... you're so gentle!"

Watching Dong Moxuan's retreating back, Mei thought this to herself, hugging her stuffed animal.

Has nothing changed?

Recalling the gentle boy from before, Mei couldn't help but curve her lips slightly, revealing a gentle smile. The dark clouds that had been lingering in her heart gradually dispersed.

However, fate didn't seem ready to let Mei off the hook.

Just as she was standing there waiting for Dong Moxuan to return, an accident suddenly occurred.

"Bang!"

Before the smile had even faded from Mei's lips, several pure blue robots smashed through the arcade wall and stormed in from outside.

"Finally found you, Raiden Mei... no, the Third Herrscher!"

The streamlined forms of the deep blue robots exuded power and technological brilliance. Their massive and sturdy bodies left no doubt about the immense strength they contained.

Anyone with even a slight understanding of Honkai Impact 3rd could immediately identify these robots as armed mechs called "Titans."

And now, these "Titans" had surrounded the girl named Mei. From the central mech, a mature and husky female voice emanated.

"Who are you? What's your purpose in attacking me so suddenly?"

Having finally stabilized herself and looking at the Titan mechs before her, Mei's smile vanished, and her brow furrowed.

She knew they meant trouble. After all, if she hadn't dodged in time, she would have been seriously injured by these intruding blue robots.

However, she was genuinely curious about these robots that had suddenly attacked her.

And...

Gazing at the all-blue robots, Mei's eyes were filled with gravity.

She could feel the immense power contained within these machines...

Dong Moxuan was nearby, so if she could resolve this with words, she didn't want to resort to violence.

"Oh? Looking at you? You haven't been completely consumed by the Herrscher's power yet?"

However, the voice from within the Titan showed no intention of conversing with Mei. In a secret room thousands of kilometers away, a blonde woman, watching the feed from the Titan's camera, gently rubbed her chin.

"This is truly rare... it seems your research value is even higher than that of an ordinary Herrscher!"

The woman's voice was devoid of any warmth, and her attitude of treating Mei as nothing more than an object was chilling.

Her eyes narrowing slightly, Mei knew that the person behind the mech was not someone she could reason with.

Moreover, she understood the woman's objective from her words.

Research value... huh?

Just before, Mei had imagined how people other than Dong Moxuan would treat her as a "Herrscher" – indifference, hostility, fear, disgust...

However, the attitude of the woman "before her," who treated her purely as an object, a lab rat for experimentation, was something she had never envisioned.

"This is... infuriating..."

The negative emotions that had begun to stabilize thanks to Dong Moxuan surged again, agitated by the woman controlling the mech.

Just like on the rooftop yesterday, pale purple lightning once again crackled around her.

She had been ready.

She had just shed the shadows in her heart after the boy's persuasion.

She just wanted to stay by the boy's side.

Why, why at this crucial moment did this person have to appear and destroy everything she now possessed?

Was this a test from heaven?

Then...

Let it all be destroyed!

Looking ahead, Mei's once gentle eyes were once again filled with coldness.

She had to finish this quickly!

Jun Xuan... would be back soon!

"Oh? Are you angry?"

Seeing the emotion in the girl's eyes on the screen, the blonde woman's lips curved slightly.

However, to her, the girl named Mei was merely experimental material for her to harness Herrscher power.

Her anger brought the woman no psychological disturbance whatsoever.

"In that case... Titans, commence attack and execute capture order!"

The woman issued the capture command to the Titans.

"You think these scrap metals can deal with me?"

As the Titan mechs approached, Mei showed no panic in her eyes. Instead, they were filled with disdain and arrogance.

Although these Titans were strong, she was even stronger.

In fact, she was several times stronger than these robots.

"Everything..."

"Be destroyed by me!"

As Mei's cold declaration echoed, purple lightning erupted violently, spreading outwards from Mei.

However...

"Zzz... Ding!"

The purple lightning did not destroy the mechs. Instead, it was blocked by the blue polygonal energy shields released by the mechs, unable to advance even an inch.

"Naive girl..."

A woman's voice came from within the Titans.

"You really didn't think... I wouldn't have any preparations, did you?"

"Tch..."

Mei let out an annoyed scoff.

However, seeing her attack being countered by defense, her face remained calm.

"It really is you..."

"Did you really think... my power... was only this much?"

As soon as she finished speaking, lightning several times stronger than before erupted from her body, easily destroying the Titans' shields of light. Seeing that the Titan legion was about to be completely destroyed in the next second.

However...

"Ugh~"

Just as the lightning was about to touch the Titans, Mei suddenly clutched her head in pain, and the lightning that had been attacking the Titans dissipated.

"Damn it..."

The Honkai Will, which she had suppressed earlier, suddenly attacked. Not only could Mei not use the power of the "Third Herrscher," but she was also having extreme difficulty staying conscious.

Although she didn't know what had happened, the blonde woman wasn't going to let such a perfect offensive opportunity pass.

She controlled the Titan and punched directly at Mei.

Under her control, this punch, while not enough to kill Mei, could certainly render her unconscious.

However, just as Mei was about to be knocked out by the Titan, a white figure suddenly flashed past, grabbing Mei and falling to the side.

"Holy crap, that hurts, hurts, hurts..."

Holding the girl tightly in his arms, Dong Moxuan cried out in pain as he felt the intense friction between his back and the ground.

"Mei, are you okay?"

Looking at the girl in his arms, the young man, who had been offline for nearly a chapter, asked gently.