A few minutes earlier, on the streets...
At the rooftop of a tall building, a lone child hovered silently, her silver hair swaying slightly in the breeze. She pressed a finger to the communicator in her ear. Beside her stood a floating robot, silent and watchful.
"Bronya, do you remember the plan?" a woman's voice echoed in her ear—firm yet familiar.
Bronya, the child, nodded slightly. Her expression was unreadable, and her voice as monotone as ever.
"Yes, Matushka. Bronya remembers the plan. But... Matushka, are you truly certain this is the only way to bring Seele back?"
There was a moment of silence before the woman—Matushka—replied, her voice laced with both sorrow and resolve.
"Bronya... I am sure. This is the only path to freeing Seele from that place."
A sigh escaped Matushka, but her voice returned a moment later—colder, sharper, more commanding.
"Proceed. We can't let this chance slip by. The Herrscher must awaken."
"...Understood, Matushka. Bronya will initiate the plan now."
Removing her hand from the communicator, Bronya turned her gaze toward the distant city. The quiet skyline, peaceful under the morning sun... was about to become a testing ground.
She shifted her attention to Chiba Academy, eyes narrowing with purpose. From her coat, she produced a red remote and pressed the button without hesitation.
In mere seconds, a blinding pink flash erupted from the direction of the school—like a ripple tearing across the city's fabric.
Bronya placed her hand back to her ear.
"Matushka. The Honkai bomb has been activated. Proceeding to the next phase."
"Well done," Matushka replied. "Once the Herrscher manifests, capture her immediately. I'll dispatch the Titans for backup. Don't fail me, Bronya. This is for Seele... and for you."
"Affirmative," Bronya replied with robotic calm. Without another word, she turned and walked away, vanishing into the shadows.
Moments before the incident...
Raiden Mei walked alone through the school hallway. The sun shone through the windows, casting long beams across the polished floor—but it did little to brighten her heavy heart.
Just then, a student sneered as he passed by.
"Go die, you criminal! You don't belong here!"
Another chimed in with a mocking laugh.
"That's right! Go cry to your daddy—oh wait, he's in prison!"
Their laughter echoed in her ears, each word a dagger to her chest. Mei clenched her fists, quickening her pace. She bit her lower lip, trying to contain the storm within her.
More voices joined in. More insults. More scorn.
Her breath became shallow as the weight of it all bore down. Her eyes welled with tears, and she fled.
Reaching the rooftop door, she flung it open and slammed it behind her, collapsing to the ground in silence. Her back against the door, her body trembled as she tried to hold back the tears.
"Why... I didn't even do anything..." she whispered. Curling up, she buried her face in her knees, sobbing softly.
Then, from the silence, a cold voice echoed inside her mind.
"Why did you let this happen, Raiden Mei?"
She froze. The voice—it was her own, but colder, filled with disdain.
"Why do you let them trample on you? Why not just... kill them?"
Her breath hitched. "I... I don't know..."
The voice chuckled darkly.
"No matter. I'll take it from here. And when you awaken, everything will already be gone."
A cold laugh filled her mind as a blinding pink light swallowed her vision. Darkness followed. Silence.
??? POV
When the light faded, "Raiden Mei" stood up. But something was different.
Her indigo eyes now glowed with unnatural brilliance. The kindness once in her gaze had been replaced with a chilling indifference.
"Hmph. What a pathetic host," she muttered. Lightning-like wings materialized on her back as she floated above the rooftop.
Her voice echoed with regal authority.
"Quit hiding and come out, insect."
Silence.
"You have three seconds to show yourself before I turn this city to dust."
From the shadows, a child floated forward—gray twin-drilled hair, military-style uniform, and a robot at her side.
It was Bronya.
"Da. Bronya has revealed herself." Her stoic voice was unwavering. "Big sis... do you know where everyone is?"
The Herrscher narrowed her eyes. "Stop pretending. Tell this Queen your true purpose."
Electricity crackled around her as she raised her hand. A sphere of plasma formed and shot downward, exploding into the earth with a deafening boom that shook the city.
The impact disabled a cloaked Titan, revealing its metallic body before it collapsed into pieces.
"Hmph. Trash toys," she muttered, eyes now focused again on Bronya.
"What makes you think you can defeat me?"
Bronya stared back and answered evenly, "Herrscher of Thunder."
The Herrscher raised an eyebrow. "So... you know who I am." With a flash, she vanished from view. In a heartbeat, another Titan was sliced into pieces—nothing but scrap metal left in her wake.
A streak of lightning shot across the sky, striking every Titan within range.
Bronya tensed. "Project Bunny!" she shouted.
The robot stepped in front of her, shielding her just as a bolt of lightning tore through its chassis like paper.
Bronya ducked, the searing heat narrowly missing her. Drawing a Glock-19 from her side, she aimed at the Herrscher—fully aware it wouldn't be enough.
Before she could fire, a lightning-charged punch smashed into her gut.
"Gah—!" Bronya coughed, spitting saliva as pain exploded across her abdomen.
The Herrscher raised her hand again. A lightning-forged katana formed in the air. Grasping it, she looked down at Bronya.
"Begone, insect. This Queen is tired of your presence."
As the katana arced toward Bronya—
"Give back Mei-senpai to me!!"
A voice cried out. A white-haired girl lunged into the fray, grabbing onto the Herrscher's plasma wings, despite the searing heat burning her palms.
It was Kiana.
Clenching her teeth, she ripped the wings from Mei's back, causing the Herrscher to shriek in rage.
"You—!"
But before the Herrscher could retaliate, her consciousness began to waver.
Mei's voice echoed through the fog.
"Stop... I won't let you hurt them."
The Herrscher staggered, her grip weakening.
"You... I'll return... I'll take control again..."
And with that, her energy dispersed—and Mei collapsed into unconsciousness.
Kiana also fell, her hands charred from the plasma, breathing heavily.
A while later...
Mei's eyes fluttered open. The light above stung, but her vision adjusted. The first thing she saw—
"Kiana?!" she yelped as she realized the girl's face was this close.
"Ah! Mei-senpai, thank God you're awake! But why so soon? I was about to give you a prince's kiss!" Kiana blushed.
"Idiotka," Bronya's deadpan voice interrupted. "Even if you kissed her, it wouldn't work. This isn't a fairy tale."
"Bratnya! Don't tell me what to do!"
"Correction: Bronya isn't telling you what to do. Bronya is stating a fact."
"Ugh!!"
Mei giggled softly. Watching them bicker... it made her heart feel lighter.
"Alright, Kiana-chan. That's enough," Mei said gently, patting her shoulder. Then she turned to Bronya. "Hello, little girl. What's your name?"
"I am Bronya. Mei-nee-sama."
"I see. It's nice to meet you, Bronya-chan."
Just then—a loud grumble echoed in the silence.
Kiana scratched her head sheepishly. "Ehehe... I'm kinda hungry."
"Gruu~" Her stomach agreed.
But before anyone could respond—a massive white spear pierced the concrete near them with a thunderous crash!
They looked up, stunned. A mechanical monstrosity emerged from the rubble.
It was a Templar Honkai Beast—a towering machine clad in white armor, glowing with vibrant pink energy. Wing-like blades shimmered at its sides, and a pulsating core gleamed in its chest.
"A... Templar?" Bronya muttered.
With a roar of energy, the beast lunged at them, shattering the building beneath their feet.
"Hang on!" Kiana shouted as she scooped Mei into a princess carry and leapt from the collapsing structure.
Bronya activated Project Bunny and followed close behind, as the battle was far from over...
Back to the present
As the trio sprinted through the crumbling streets, the ruined city trembled under their feet. The Templar-class Honkai Beast roared behind them, its bladed wings slicing through debris as it gave relentless chase.
Suddenly, a massive shadow blotted out the sky.
BOOM!
A monolithic object crashed down from above, slamming into the Templar with such force that the ground shook beneath them. Dust and debris erupted in every direction.
The Templar was no more—flattened, crushed beneath the weight of something immense.
Kiana skidded to a stop. "What the hell was that?!"
The trio turned around, eyes wide with disbelief.
Emerging from the dust stood a giant beetle-like creature, its exoskeleton glinting under the broken sunlight. Its iridescent shell shimmered in hues of green, gold, and black. Antennae twitched curiously as it clicked its mandibles.
"…Huh?" Mei blinked, completely lost.
"Eh?" Kiana echoed.
"…What?" Bronya added, her tone unchanged but clearly confused.
The three stared at the oversized bug, frozen in place like time itself had stopped. The silence was broken only by the soft chittering of the strange beetle.
Just as they were about to bolt in the opposite direction, a light, playful voice drifted in from behind them.
"Mei~ How are you doing~?"
The voice was soft, theatrical, and brimming with a kind of childlike mischief.
Mei stiffened immediately. That voice—
She turned slowly... and froze.
Standing behind them was a figure cloaked in fluttering moth-like silk, the soft glimmer of fae wings and a dreamy expression on his face.
Oberon.
Mei's breath caught in her throat. Her body moved on instinct.
She ran to him—no hesitation—throwing her arms around him and burying her face into his cloak. The fabric shimmered like moonlight and rustled like leaves in the wind.
"Oberon…" she whispered, voice trembling. Her arms tightened as though she'd never let go.
The Fairy King blinked in surprise, pausing mid-step. Then, gently, he lowered his hand and began to caress Mei's back, comforting her with quiet affection.
"Yes~ It's me—the fabulous and ever-glorious Fairy King Oberon~" he purred with a theatrical flair, though his tone softened into something warm.
"You—!" Kiana shouted, now catching up with the sudden emotional shift. She pointed accusingly at him. "Oberon, you're still alive?!"
He gasped in mock offense, one hand on his chest like a stage actor insulted in mid-performance.
"Hey now! Don't go around declaring me dead! I'm very much alive, thank you very much!"
His wings fluttered dramatically as he struck a pose. "Dead? Please. I'm too beautiful to die."
Bronya blinked. "...Fairy King or not, his personality is still extremely inefficient."
Kiana facepalmed. "Ugh. This guy again..."
But Mei didn't say anything. Her arms were still wrapped around him, trembling slightly—yet comforted, as if his presence alone was enough to ease the storm within her.
Oberon looked down at her with a gentle smile. For once, the mischief in his eyes dimmed.
He whispered, just loud enough for her to hear:
"I'm here now. You're not alone, Mei."