Honkai Double Transmigration, Taking Xilian to Honkai Impact 3rd

"This strike—"

"Leveling! Heaven! And! Earth!"

An even hotter roar swept across the heavens and earth. The unparalleled light and heat seemed to replace everything in the world, as if even the blackness in the infinite sky above was dispelled by a sliver.

Even the more ferocious and terrifying insects had their outermost shells burned away by this extreme heat.

They showed no fear.

They grew even more excited.

They buzzed and charged again, and Jiang Cheng stomped his foot, twisted his waist, and threw a full-power hook—clashing head-on with the sharp horns without fear.

"Crack—!"

Punch after punch was thrown, bones shattered, skin was damaged, nothing else mattered!

What if he died here completely?

When he knew that kneeling and escaping could not buy him a chance to live, then there was only one way—fight!

He fought until his sanity seemed to be burned away by the scorching flames, fought until the buzzing of the insect swarm was replaced by explosions, fought until even the last shred of strength was squeezed dry—

"—Cheng-kun, did you have a nightmare?"

Jiang Cheng's eyes snapped open, and a pair of beautiful eyes, as brilliant and magnificent as thunderclapping from the high heavens, were the first thing to greet his sight.

There were no insects spreading, no disgusting buzzing sounds, and no nauseating sensation of limbs crawling inside his body.

Standing before him was only Raiden Mei.

"Haa..."

He let out a long breath, and his incessantly beating heart finally began to slowly calm down.

In the end, he still couldn't kill those bugs.

He felt a pang of regret as he remembered.

"I had a not-so-pleasant dream," Jiang Cheng said softly.

He didn't ask why Raiden Mei was the first to arrive in his room—after all, Xilian was usually the one who provided him with wake-up services first.

If he asked now, he would probably get a glimpse of the girl's flustered expression and blushing face.

But he merely adjusted his breathing on the spot and, amidst her gentle greeting, precisely took the towel she carefully handed him. The just-right warmth and the comfortable feel of the towel dispelled all the remaining tension in his heart.

"Don't worry."

Jiang Cheng comforted her subconsciously. He could see the deep worry in her eyes.

"It's just some insignificant nightmare, not much related to the prophecy."

"..."

Raiden Mei simply watched him, exhausted, her gaze silent. She dipped her fingertips into the basin of water, letting the cool stream envelop her slender, jade-like fingers.

—Her emotions were evident.

Jiang Cheng knew how unconvincing it was for a prophet to say it was just an ordinary dream after having a nightmare.

"There is indeed some not-so-good news. But it can be overcome." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "My prophecy was based on the premise that I wouldn't intervene. Once I intervene, the accurately predicted future will descend into chaos. When I was a weakling ordinary person before, intervening would cause my condition to worsen. It's like..."

"—Please, don't say that."

Although the voice entering his ears was gentle, it cut him off almost without yielding.

Jiang Cheng met her unblinking gaze and immediately closed his mouth.

Just as he couldn't belittle himself in front of Xilian, it seemed he couldn't do so in front of Raiden Mei either.

"...In short, I am very strong now. At least on par with the top S-rank Valkyries. If you and I join forces now, we will be unrivaled in this world. All my predictions were based on me being an ordinary person, leading to a tragic ending because I was powerless."

He quickly changed his approach, lightly raising his index finger. "Now that I've suddenly gained such immense power, it's bound to shift things in a better direction. Many times, bad endings become bad endings because something was just slightly off at a certain point, leading to a vicious cycle. After all, the irresistible forces of this world have been terminated; everything is interconnected."

"Of course, if I were to confidently assert that the future will definitely be good without any reason, you likely wouldn't believe me. Instead, you'd worry that I'm pretending to not worry you, forcing a smile—everyone knows that. Compared to the nightmare I had last night, any explanation I give now will seem like a cover-up. So, whether I can give you a definite answer depends on our performance after the tests today."

"I will do my best."

Raiden Mei's voice was filled with determination. It was sharp, akin to the lightning flashing among the clouds.

Her pair of purplish-red eyes watched him, unblinking.

"I believe you."

"I have always believed in you."

The only thing Jiang Cheng could offer in response to the girl's current state was a natural smile.

—Nothing more.

Under Raiden Mei's guidance—or rather, her persistent insistence, to the point where she wouldn't blink if he didn't agree—Jiang Cheng changed into more formal attire. Although no particularly delightful developments occurred, it did help to dispel some of the heavy atmosphere.

He put on a pair of disposable handmade wooden clogs.

Jiang Cheng had worn thong sandals before, so he didn't feel too uncomfortable.

He pulled the door open.

Stepping out, he saw Kiana walking out from her own room, also stretching and yawning. She was still wearing the same school uniform as yesterday, though the tears had been mended.

Beside her stood Xilian, who was waiting right in front of his door—he didn't know how long she had been there, and he had to lower his head slightly to see her.

"Aha~~"

Kiana's yawn trailed off into a vague, sluggish murmur.

"So—comfy—! It's been ages since I slept this well! Even if it looks a bit old-fashioned, the furniture is actually quite trendy~"

She pressed her hands against her slender waist, arching her back like a cat as she let out a cute stretch.

"Mmm-hmm—" After the stretch, she let out a long, lazy sigh. Her entire demeanor shifted as she shook off the morning lethargy, becoming alert and energetic.

Though her eyes were still hazy with the mist of sleep, it didn't stop her from fixing her gaze on him immediately.

"Jiang Cheng—you're awake too? And Mei-senpai!"

Despite being tricked several times yesterday, Raiden Mei still felt grateful for the wingman support the other party had provided at the start. She didn't put on a sour face, instead responding with the gentle, reserved etiquette typical of a young lady from the Far East.

"Good morning, Kiana."

"A-Cheng, good morning~?"

Another voice reached him softly, like a spring breeze laced with honey, brushing gently against his ear.

"Did you manage to adapt without me waking you up?"

Xilian tugged lightly at the corner of Jiang Cheng's shirt—and once he lowered his head, she struck that familiar pose:

Tilting her head slightly, she looked up with her azure eyes, lashes fluttering, her lips pressed into a small, adorable curve. It was a sight cute enough to make a heart explode.

"A bit unaccustomed."

Jiang Cheng's reply drew everyone's attention. He, however, seemed completely oblivious as he rubbed his stomach.

"But Mei helped me out a lot, and after fighting for so long yesterday, I'm a bit hungry. Let's have breakfast first."

"Then I shall—"

"If I'm not mistaken, breakfast should be ready by now. Let's go to the dining room together."

Raiden Mei interrupted Xilian before she could finish her sentence, walking over with an air of natural ease—

Gently, rightfully, and in a way that left no room for criticism, she took Jiang Cheng's hand.

She turned around immediately.

Under Xilian's slightly narrowed gaze, the girl pulled him forward without hesitation. Before Jiang Cheng could react, he was being led along by an inexplicable force.

Her pace was somewhat slow, and she used the movement to flick a strand of her long hair, seemingly showing off something on purpose.

Consequently.

His gaze fell involuntarily behind the girl.

Her long purple hair lifted naturally with her stride, revealing the graceful lines of her neck and shoulders—her fair skin glowed like a pearl in the morning light, and the contours of her shoulder blades rose and fell gently with each step.

The silk cascaded down like a waterfall, yet it barely managed to cover those swaying, mature, and curvaceous hips that defied her age. Beneath the form-fitting skirt, her slender calves were wrapped in silk as smooth as milk, displaying an elegant, crane-like curve with every step.

Only now did Jiang Cheng realize that Raiden Mei had changed out of the heavily damaged school uniform from yesterday.

Her current attire wasn't overly ornate; it looked like the kind of dress one would expect a "standard noble young lady from a two-dimensional light novel" to wear.

"..."

Sensing the lingering gaze behind her, her swan-like neck flushed a faint crimson.

Raiden Mei bit her lower lip, her delicate, charming face already stained with the color of roses.

As that gaze felt almost tangible against the back of her neck, she tightened her grip on Jiang Cheng's hand—cradling that warmth in her palm, wrapping it tightly and with excessive caution in her slender fingers.

The sound of her toes hitting the floor was clearly audible, yet the girl's pace remained slow, as if she were intentionally trying to make this moment last longer.

"Tap, tap, tap—"

Behind them came the sound of a girl jogging to catch up, pink hair tips tracing playful arcs in the air.

"Wait for me~ A-Cheng~!"

Xilian took quick, small steps, soon catching up to a position just behind Jiang Cheng and Raiden Mei.

Kiana also immediately stretched out those impressive long legs, walking quickly to the other side of the pair.

"If we're going to eat, let's hurry—Mei-senpai, your house shouldn't have too many of those messy, complicated rules, right?"

"No, it doesn't."

Raiden Mei shook her head gently, though she had to quicken her pace, leaving Xilian—who was at a natural disadvantage due to her shorter legs—a few steps behind.

In this manner, they soon reached the end of the long, winding corridor.

The dining room appeared before them.

It still featured a highly traditional Japanese design. The table was low, with only cushions—or rather, kneeling mats—underneath. There were no chairs or similar furniture.

However, as someone who was 80% modern, Jiang Cheng certainly wasn't going to follow these messy, nonsensical rules. No chair? Then he would just sit cross-legged on the cushion.

He sat down carelessly, his posture as casual as if he were lounging on the sofa in his own living room.

There were already several servants in the dining room.

One of them flickered their eyes at the sight and instinctively stepped forward, but before they could say anything, Raiden Mei stopped them with a look.

"Young Miss...?"

"No need."

Her reply was concise.

However, even with such a brief exchange, by the time Raiden Mei turned back—Jiang Cheng's right side had already been occupied by that shameless white-haired ball of fluff.

Kiana plopped down, her pair of ivory-colored long legs exposed to the air without a care. She herself was completely oblivious, merely looking around the dining room with curiosity.

And on his left—Xilian sat down in the same cross-legged position, acting even more overtly than Kiana. Her willow-like waist leaned straight toward Jiang Cheng.

Raiden Mei's gaze gradually turned unfriendly.

"Mei-senpai, hurry up and serve the food." Kiana had already picked up her utensils and couldn't help but urge her.

"That's right~ Is A-Cheng hungry?"

Xilian tilted her head, gently interlacing her fingers, her eyes curving like crescent moons as she looked at him tenderly.

That smile was flawlessly radiant.

"...Serve the food."

After a brief silence, Raiden Mei nodded slowly.

The time for dining arrived. Dish after dish was brought out by the servants with elegant grace.