Kiana was asleep, but her consciousness was still awake.
She had been rejected by Ye Feng's world, leaving her completely stunned for a moment.
"Why can't I get in?"
The routine she had taken for granted suddenly glitched.
Kiana hadn't yet realized the crux of the problem; she just thought there might be a bug somewhere.
She scratched her head, trying to suppress an inexplicable sense of unease and anxiety welling up inside her.
"It's fine if I can't get in. This young lady didn't want to see him anyway. He's so annoying!"
The annoying one was, of course, Ye Feng. What else could it be? The fact that she "couldn't get in"?
Suddenly, Kiana realized something.
"So what is this state right now? A lucid dream?"
"Idiot. This is an 'consciousness space.'"
The Queen's synthesized voice echoed. According to the Herrscher of the Void's original plan, this was where she would torment Kiana.
She would prevent Kiana from sleeping well, steadily wearing down her spirit.
But now, hearing that voice, Kiana actually felt a surge of joy.
She turned her head and saw a figure floating in the air.
The graceful Queen hovered in mid-air, her voluptuous body wrapped in a summer-style dress that complemented her soft, silver hair. A white outer layer, serving as a decorative piece, clung to the outside of the dress, accentuating her fair, exposed back and making the large patch of bare skin seem even more radiant.
Two thin straps crossed at the nape of her neck, not only adorning her slender throat but also adding a precarious, tantalizing feeling to the dress. Her rounded, bare shoulders, combined with her slender limbs, made her figure appear even more ethereal and graceful.
The originally oppressive Queen, in this attire, now exuded a seductive charm.
Her brilliant golden eyes stared directly at Kiana, a divine coldness and indifference swirling in their depths.
Kiana perked up. "Heh, so you can't get in either."
"No. I just suddenly discovered that by leaving a sliver of consciousness outside, as long as I get that scoundrel Ye Feng's permission, I can actually travel back and forth between his world and this consciousness space."
"?"
The little bug was taken aback.
"What do you mean?"
What did she mean, travel back and forth between his world and the consciousness space?
"Hm?"
The Herrscher of the Void seemed to notice the anxiety in Kiana's heart. A cruel arc formed on her majestic and icy, queen-like lips.
"I'm leaving. That scoundrel Ye Feng said he wants to screw me. If I'm late, I might make him unhappy."
"??"
"Wait, you better explain what you mean… clearly…"
Swoosh.
The Herrscher of the Void vanished on the spot, leaving Kiana stomping her foot in fury.
"That [BEEP]-ing bastard, are you in such a rush to offer yourself up?!! Unbelievable!"
"The Herrscher who destroys civilizations? More like a [BEEP] if you ask me."
Even a string of censored words couldn't quell the hatred in Kiana's heart.
"Damn it!"
Kiana's mood was boiling over.
But there was nothing she could do.
She forced herself to wake up—Kiana did have a talent for it, figuring it out on her own in the consciousness space.
She checked the time. It was only 9:03 PM.
Even elementary schoolers didn't go to bed this early.
But now she was awake again, sitting up in bed.
She had completely forgotten the Valkyrie code of "early to bed, early to rise, makes you healthy."
"Tch."
Kiana looked at Mei beside her.
She had also fallen asleep…
The young lady of the Raiden household was lying on her back, her chest rising and falling gently with her quiet breaths. Even in sleep, she looked so elegant.
"Does Mei also go to bed before nine?"
Kiana realized she had never really paid attention before.
In any case, Mei always came to bed later than her.
"…She must have been too tired during the day."
Kiana told herself quietly.
Though she didn't know why she had to tell herself that.
Kiana got out of bed, her fair, jade-like feet slipping into a pair of teddy bear slippers as she walked out of the bedroom.
Bronya was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the sofa, playing a game. She was a little surprised to see Kiana emerge.
"Kiana? Why are you up already today?"
"Hello, Bronya."
Kiana didn't answer. She walked to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of white peach-flavored juice, then turned back and asked, "What flavor do you want, Bronya?"
"Bronya wants soda."
Kiana walked over carrying the two drinks and sat on the floor just like Bronya, leaning her back against the sofa with her legs stretched out.
"Here."
"Thank you."
Pssssht~
Kiana tilted her head back and chugged more than half the bottle.
Bronya's silvery-gray eyes kept watching Kiana. Suddenly, she asked, "What's wrong? You're in such a bad mood."
Kiana immediately reacted like a spooked cat.
"Bad mood? How am I in a bad mood? I'm feeling great! How could you tell I'm in a bad mood, Bronya? That's not true at all, okay? I'm feeling—incredibly cheerful right now! Why would you say I'm in a bad mood, Bronya? That's so strange."
"…"
Bronya was speechless.
After a moment, she passed over a controller.
"Want to play a few rounds?"
"Sure. It's been a while since I played any games."
Bronya nodded as well.
"We haven't played together since the week before exams…"
Now, summer vacation was almost over.
Kiana paused.
She suddenly remembered that with her and Mei going to bed early, Bronya had been left to play games all by herself every night…
But that's okay. Now, this young lady is here to play with Bronya!
Kiana held the controller, her eyes fixed on the screen with intense focus.
But as she played, she suddenly found it bland and tasteless.
Games… didn't seem that fun anymore…
Before meeting Ye Feng, Kiana's gaming addiction was not much less than Bronya's.
The two of them would often play late into the night, only乖乖 (guāiguāi - obediently) going to sleep after being caught by Mei.
But now, Kiana's passion for gaming wasn't as high as it used to be…
---o---
"…Mei, are you ready?"
"Mr. Ye Feng… I'm still a little nervous…"
"It's alright. It might be a little uncomfortable at first, and you might even feel some pain, but once you adapt, you'll slowly come to appreciate its wonders."
"Y-Yes… I understand. Then, please take good care of me from now on, Mr. Ye Feng."
"Of course. Since I'm the one doing this, I will definitely see it through to the end. It would be even better if, before 'take good care of me,' Mei could add the phrase, 'This humble woman is untalented.'"
"…Eh? Th-That, um… Please don't tease me…"
"This humble woman is untalented, please take care of me from now on," was a traditional phrase spoken by a woman from the Far East to her husband on their wedding night. It was then followed by the poetic confession of her purity: "My flower-strewn path has never been swept for a visitor; my humble gate opens for you for the first time today."
As the young lady of a prestigious family, Mei's education had groomed her to be a Yamato Nadeshiko.
Naturally, she understood the meaning of the phrase.
The already nervous Mei's face flushed with a deep crimson.
She fidgeted with her hands under the hem of her skirt.
Her beautiful eyes were downcast, not daring to look at Ye Feng.
"Mei, I'm going to awaken the Herrscher of Thunder now."
"Ah?… Mm!"
Looking at the Herrscher of Thunder before her, Mei still felt a tremor of fear.
She was like the incarnation of lightning, the personification of judgment.
Crimson horns symbolizing sin grew from her head, and the great Ring of Calamity floating behind her radiated an ominous purple light.
The blood-red [Kagutsuchi's Sin] looked like a demonic arm, tightly gripping the [Narukami's Tachi], a blade longer than a person is tall.
She was both god and demon.
Like the descent of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, or the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
As she awoke, the purple lightning coiling around her body crackled to life, bursting with a dazzling aura.
Mei felt a powerful wave of pressure erupt, sweeping across heaven and earth with the Herrscher of Thunder at its center.
The sight threw Mei back to that day in Nagazora.
The Herrscher of Thunder descended and severed the continental shelf with a single slash.
The seabed shifted, seawater poured in, and the city was submerged, turning into a city of the dead… although most of the people had already died before that.
Cocolia, by releasing high concentrations of Honkai energy, had already turned all of Nagazora into a dead zone.
But even so, Mei could never forgive herself.
The destruction of Nagazora was an eternal scar on her heart.
After being in Ye Feng's world for so long, Mei had finally made up her mind to face the Herrscher.
—And to face her own pain.
Fzzt!
The Herrscher of Thunder's eyes snapped open, her pupils glowing with a formidable purple light.
The immense pressure made Mei instinctively recoil, but she was stopped by Ye Feng's firm chest.
"It's okay. I'm here."
Ye Feng's gentle voice seemed to possess a magical quality, capable of dispelling all anxiety.
His solid chest was like a harbor sheltering her from the wind and rain, making Mei feel incredibly safe.
"Finally willing to wake me up, are you? Coward."
The Herrscher of Thunder spoke slowly.
Mei stared at her, surprised. "Finally? You know what's been happening here?"
The Herrscher of Thunder glanced at Ye Feng, her eyes blazing with towering rage, like a lit flame.
…In truth, the Herrscher of Thunder was different from the Herrscher of the Void.
The Herrscher of the Void had been dormant.
After being struck by the Judgement of Shamash on the great Siberian snowfields, she had fallen into a deep slumber.
Originally, she was only supposed to reawaken after Kiana acquired the Gem of Serenity on a mission to Singapore a year later.
But the Herrscher of Thunder was different. She had always been conscious.
She simply chose to lie dormant because she knew Mei was afraid of her, only appearing in times of crisis.
Therefore—upon entering this world, the Herrscher of Thunder had been fully conscious.
She was just imprisoned within this body by Ye Feng, unable to express herself.
Well, in the beginning, Ye Feng had indeed put her in a [Sleep] state. As soon as she entered, she would fall asleep.
But later, he merely imprisoned her consciousness within the body.
The turning point… was probably when Kiana started to abandon her inhibitions and "play with" the Herrscher of Thunder.
By that time, the Herrscher of Thunder could already observe the outside world through this body.
For example, all the various things Kiana did to her…
And later, Ye Feng screwing her over every day…
Yet, the Herrscher of Thunder couldn't resist. She could only act according to the NPC's script.
She was the one who most clearly felt that "this body does not belong to me."
And so—
"Die! Vermin!"
The Ring of Calamity spun, its ominous purple light flowing as [Kagutsuchi's Sin] swung the massive tachi down at Ye Feng, crimson lightning surging along the blade.
"Watch out—Mr. Ye Feng!"
Mei's pupils contracted violently. Her body moved faster than her thoughts, almost acting on its own as she threw herself in front of Ye Feng.
But the slash, which seemed capable of splitting space itself, lost all its power before it could land.
Before Mei could even react, she saw the once-majestic Herrscher of Thunder bend over wretchedly, stumbling back several steps as she clamped her thighs together and collapsed to her knees.
Her entire body was drenched in a fragrant sweat. Her white, over-the-knee stockings and the fabric of her clothes were soaked through. Crystalline beads of sweat trickled down her fair skin, dripping onto the ground and forming small puddles.
The Ring of Calamity behind her had also dimmed considerably.
"??"
Seeing her in this state, Mei felt a strong sense of déjà vu…
Mei felt she was being dirty-minded again.
She silently chided herself, 'Why am I thinking about that kind of thing again?' then glanced guiltily at Mr. Ye Feng before turning to the Herrscher of Thunder. "If you try anything funny again, I won't let you off!"
"…"
Seeing Mei actually shielding that vermin Ye Feng, the Herrscher of Thunder felt a pang of desolation.
Her existence was very similar to Dark Seele's; she was also watching over Raiden Mei in her own way.
And they were both tsundere.
The Herrscher of Thunder was even more so, with an added layer of mania and arrogance.
Like the凛然 (lǐnrán - awe-inspiring) conquest of lightning itself.
At this moment, a mist seemed to form in her eyes… it was hard to tell if it was a natural physical reaction or a result of Mei's wholehearted protection.
Or perhaps it was both.
"…Coward, get out of my way!"
The Herrscher of Thunder wouldn't explain her reasons. Actions spoke louder than words!
But Mei was incredibly stubborn at this moment. She assumed the stance of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū.
"I won't let you run wild anymore! Herrscher of Thunder!"
"Heh, with just you?"
Mei gritted her teeth. "I know I'm a coward. Without everyone's help, I can't do anything. But even someone like me has things that only I can accomplish."
"Is that so? Interesting."
Ye Feng watched the standoff between Mei and the Herrscher with some surprise.
He couldn't help but smile. "I didn't realize Mei cared about me so much, willing to risk her life to block a blow from a Herrscher for me."
"Eh?"
The girl, who had just managed to build up her imposing aura, instantly deflated like a popped balloon.
Mei's face turned bright red as she said flusteredly, "Th-That's not it, Mr. Ye Feng, don't misunderstand. I just… I just don't want to see the Herrscher of Thunder hurt anyone else… Yes, that's right, that's all it is."
"Oh? Is that so."
Amidst the Herrscher of Thunder's murderous glare, Ye Feng gently took Mei's hand.
Mei, like a startled rabbit, instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Ye Feng's large hand held her tight like a vise.
Mei gave up and shyly let him hold it.
A man's hand was different from a girl's. It was broad, large, and a little rough.
But being held by it gave her a strange sense of security, and… a nervousness she had never felt before.
Mei's heart began to flutter like a frightened deer.
She quietly lifted her head and met Ye Feng's gaze.
It was probably her imagination, but Mei thought she could read these words in his eyes:
Mei really is adorable. Her mouth says no, but her body is quite honest.