Exchange, Deal (Continued)

So, she had also heard what Mei and Ming Yu discussed before Mei entered her inner world and already knew why Mei had come.

It was just that Mei had not asked her to come out and help as she had expected, but instead wanted to obtain power from her.

"Yes. I think that if I want to grow stronger, learning to use the power of a Herrscher is an essential step."

Mei raised her head and told the other her what she was thinking.

"...Do you know what you're saying?"

The purple-haired figure spoke with evident amusement.

"You're asking an evil Herrscher for power?"

By all reason, she and Mei should have been enemies opposed to one another.

Mei silently nodded.

"..."

The purple figure fell silent for a moment before saying,

"Forget it. At your half-baked level, you can barely use any Herrscher power at all. Give me control of the body. I'll do it."

"Okay... Huh? Um, I haven't even said what I'm asking you to do yet."

Mei spoke in surprise.

She had not said what needed to be done at all.

"Isn't it just dealing with that human lying on the ground? That's an effortless matter for me."

The purple figure waved her hand impatiently.

"Okay, um... you're actually worried about me, aren't you?"

Mei thought for a moment, then tilted her head as she spoke.

Though they had exchanged only a few brief words, the girl, who had endured others' malice for three months, could still clearly discern one thing:

Although the other girl's words were very sharp, they contained no malice whatsoever.

Rather, she was merely expressing her true thoughts in a rather strange way.

"...Who's worried about you? Don't flatter yourself!"

The purple figure froze for a moment, then loudly retorted as if trying to cover it up.

"I just don't want a coward like you messing around and ruining this body. We're tied to the same rope now, after all."

"Mm, then... I'll leave it to you."

Mei smiled and said nothing more.

It seemed that, just as Ming Yu had said, she... her other self, the personality representing the Herrscher, was not as evil as she had imagined.

Perhaps she could try talking with her more in the future.

With her worries put to rest, she did not hesitate any longer. She stepped forward lightly and entered the deepest part of her consciousness.

"...?"

After Mei's consciousness withdrew, the purple figure stood stunned for a moment.

That coward had handed control over so readily...?

With a sigh, she let her consciousness rise and took over Mei's body.

A moment later, in the classroom, Mei, who had kept her eyes shut all this time, opened them once more. Scarlet irises replaced their original bright violet color.

At the same time, her entire bearing changed abruptly.

"Long time no see?"

Ming Yu looked at the vastly changed girl beside him and tentatively greeted her.

"...Hmph."

The girl snorted and casually waved her hand, summoning a katana into her grasp.

She did not draw the blade. Instead, she pressed its hilt beneath Ming Yu's chin, then pushed forward with her body, pinning him against the wall.

As expected of the Queen of Thunder—she was this domineering the moment she appeared.

Still, although Mei was quite tall—if he remembered correctly, she was already over 1.7 meters—she was still just a little shorter than him as a man.

Thus, she could only tilt her head up and stare at him from below.

"Is this your greeting?"

Though he appeared to be threatened at close range, Ming Yu showed no fear. He merely smiled as he spoke.

"I still haven't settled the score with you over last time."

The girl snorted and lowered the katana hilt from beneath Ming Yu's chin.

Naturally, she meant the accident caused by Kiana's baseball bat.

"If you need it, I can offer you some compensation."

Ming Yu said with a low laugh.

"Oh?"

The purple-haired girl raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for what he would say next.

Ming Yu spread his hands and said,

"Look at me—I've got nothing. If I'm going to compensate you, all I can do is give myself to you."

"...Smooth talker!"

The girl's face reddened slightly. She then glared at Ming Yu and said fiercely,

"Looks like you learned that at that school. You seemed quite happy there, surrounded by girls everywhere you went."

"That's because St. Freya Academy is basically a girls' school..."

Ming Yu said helplessly.

"As for you, you've been hiding inside Mei the whole time. I couldn't find you even if I wanted to."

"I don't like this rotten world, so I don't like coming out either."

The purple-haired girl answered bluntly.

Originally, unless Mei or Ming Yu faced some life-threatening danger, she had not planned to appear in the outside world at all.

Although she had not been controlled by the Honkai Will that had echoed in her mind at the moment of her birth, the knowledge and beliefs it had instilled in her, combined with the pain and malice Mei had suffered in the past, had still left her somewhat disgusted with the outside world and other people.

"But this world has plenty of interesting things too... I think you should come out and look around more. Maybe Kiana and the others will like you too."

Ming Yu said with a smile.

For now, there was only Mei and the Herrscher of Thunder, this pair of "split personalities" along with a Herrscher, but before long, girls like them would be anything but rare.

Kiana, Fu Hua, and Bronya—none of them would escape it.

Well, rather, not having a second personality or a Herrscher identity would become the unusual thing.

"..."

The purple-haired girl was visibly shaken.

Though she claimed to hate it, she actually still wanted friends quite badly.

"We'll talk about it later."

In the end, that was how she responded.

For now, she should first finish what Mei had asked her to do.

Then, the purple-haired girl looked at Yuna, who lay on the floor in agony, raised her right hand, and bright purple light bloomed in her palm.

"It's her, right?"

On the other side of Chiba Academy.

Bronya drifted idly through the academy grounds.

She had seen scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood since childhood, so this hell on earth did not particularly move her.

Yet at this moment, her usually calm heart was somewhat... conflicted.

Receiving a mission from the principal and coming to Changkong City, far from the Far East Branch, with her two targets, Ming Yu and Raiden Mei... this should have been an excellent opportunity.

As long as she notified Cocolia now and had her send a force over, there was a strong chance they could capture both of them in one sweep.

As long as they captured Raiden Mei, Cocolia could use her to research a way to bring Seele back.

She had always acted for that goal, yet now that the opportunity lay right before her, the girl hesitated.

It was not merely a consideration of combat strength, but another kind of hesitation—one on a spiritual level.

Although she had not lived at St. Freya Academy for very long, she had indeed felt a warmth like the one she had known in the orphanage.

Her interactions and life with them involuntarily reminded her of the happy days she had spent with Seele, Rosalia, and the others at the orphanage.

For instance, that idiot Kiana was probably a match for idiot Rosalia.

Theresa's care for them also reminded her of Cocolia as a guardian.

In short, for emotional reasons, she did not actually want to capture Raiden Mei and Ming Yu right now.

"...Sigh."

The silver-haired girl sighed softly.

But if she did not capture Raiden Mei, Cocolia would have no way to research how to bring Seele back.

If only there were another choice...

The girl was wrestling with herself when her instinct for battle immediately put her on alert.

—A figure clad in a black robe abruptly appeared before her.

Judging by the figure's build, it should have been a woman.

What caught her attention slightly was that the black-robed woman seemed to have something like animal ears atop her head.

Uh, were those... donkey ears?

Bronya cautiously summoned Project Bunny. Light gathered at its cannon barrel as she guarded against the unexpected arrival.

Who was she?

No, what was she?

Judging by the level of Honkai energy detected by Project Bunny, she posed a considerable threat. Could she be the new Herrscher born here?

For now, she should notify Ming Yu and Raiden Mei...

Just as Bronya was about to do so, a woman's voice came from beneath the black robe and clearly spoke her name.

"Miss Bronya Zaychik."

"...Who are you?"

Bronya stopped her hand from touching the communications terminal and demanded.

Her tone was calm. She seemed capable of communication, and she knew Bronya's name... Had she come prepared?

"Miss Bronya, my master wishes to make a deal with you."

"...A deal? You are a suspiciously dressed stranger who appeared out of nowhere. Bronya does not believe you are trustworthy."

The silver-haired girl decisively refused to continue speaking with the black-robed figure before her and turned to leave.

"You will not refuse, Miss Bronya, because..."

Following the wording Ming Yu had taught her, Yae Sakura spoke to the petite girl before her: