"Mei versus Bronya... now that's a tough one to call."
Seeing Mei and Bronya step onto the stage, Himeko couldn't help but start analyzing the matchup.
At school, because Bronya wasn't allowed to use large-scale weapons of mass destruction, Mei actually held the advantage in most of their spars.
After all, even with Bronya's extensive combat experience, facing the highly mobile Mei in a confined space usually ended with Bronya's defeat.
It's a classic assault type versus a fire support unit; you can't expect the fire support to win in a close-quarters brawl, can you?
However, all of this was predicated on Bronya not using Project Bunny.
After all, Bronya was basically just a stand for Project Bunny at this point (Not really!). Without it, she'd lose more than half of her strength.
"I'm more worried if this venue can actually hold up," Mo Wang quipped.
If you asked him, this matchup was far more dangerous than Theresa and Ana's.
At the end of the day, those two still possessed a thing called "reason."
But these two...
Right now, it looked like a BIO-type fighting a PSY-type.
In a moment, it could flip.
It could become PSY versus MECH, or PSY versus BIO; anything was possible.
If they got really worked up...
Mei could have the Herrscher of Thunder log on, and Bronya could go into her corrupted state... oh, right, the corrupted version got its account banned.
Even so, if Project Bunny went all out, it would be enough to shave five centimeters off the surrounding ground.
"I'm coming for you, Bronya. I won't be holding back this time."
Mei drew her blade, arcs of electricity crackling along its edge.
She was exceptionally serious, seemingly eager for a proper showdown with Bronya.
"Bring it on, Mei-nee. The Bronya is ready."
Facing a serious Mei, Bronya responded in kind as Project Bunny materialized behind her.
She struck a JoJo pose, just like Giorno's, looking for all the world like a Stand user.
There wasn't much more talk between Mei and Bronya.
Just like in their school drills, Mei transformed into a streak of purple lightning in an instant, lunging toward Bronya.
However, as Mei charged, a faint smile graced Bronya's lips.
At that very moment, the cannon on Project Bunny, as if it had anticipated the move all along, fired a massive spray of—glue?
"Wh-what is this? Contestant Bronya has just fired glue from her cannon! Contestant Mei is completely immobilized by the adhesive attack! What is going on?!"
The host, seeing Mei trapped in a white, sticky substance, was utterly flabbergasted and quickly shoved the microphone toward Mo Wang and the others.
"Please don't be concerned. This technique appears to be something Bronya developed specifically to counter Mei."
Fu Hua, faced with the microphone, looked remarkably serious, almost like a professional esports commentator.
"For everyone's information, while Contestant Mei's speed is formidable, she often defaults to a straight-line charge at maximum velocity."
"Therefore, it makes her attack trajectory easy to predict."
"However, the effectiveness of this maneuver is likely due to the adhesive used by Contestant Bronya. This specialized glue should be highly effective at restricting Contestant Mei's movements."
"We advise our audience not to attempt this at home."
"I don't think anyone would try this, right? You'd literally die," Mo Wang muttered from the side. Besides, didn't this whole scene look a little... strange?
Where on earth did Bronya learn this stuff?
"Wh-what is this stuff?"
Mei struggled with all her might to break free from the glue.
But no matter how hard she fought, the adhesive clung to her stubbornly.
"Give it up, Mei-nee!"
Bronya was now standing right in front of Mei, speaking slowly. "This is something the Bronya prepared especially for you. Even before the match began, Mei-nee, your every move was within the Bronya's calculations."
"Prepared in advance? You mean..."
"That's right. Even the fact that you, Mei-nee, would be the Bronya's first opponent was arranged by the Bronya. From the moment the Bronya knew everyone was coming here, she specially orchestrated this tournament. All of this... was part of the Bronya's plan."
"Mei-nee, under my design, your loss is not unjust."
"Huh?"
Bronya's shocking declaration left not only Mei stunned.
The audience, and even Mo Wang on the judge's platform, stared blankly at the girl before them.
"So, you orchestrated this whole thing!"
Mo Wang covered his face. He should have known.
A perfectly good romance event turning into an all-out brawl had to have some bizarre reason behind it.
And it turned out to be the work of Bronya, the little capitalist.
Was this all part of your plan, Bronya?!
To even fight your dear Mei-nee just to win the tournament... Haxxor Ducky, you! You wanted to win this badly?
Mo Wang felt a shiver run down his spine.
So, this is what it felt like to be targeted by a Valkyrie. How terrifying!
"I-it's been revealed! Contestant Bronya has just made a world-shattering statement! It turns out she was the mastermind behind all of this?! Is she the primary organizer of this entire tournament?!"
The revelation was so explosive that even the host was stunned.
The host glanced questioningly at the amusement park manager, who simply shrugged.
What could they do? The sponsor insisted. And she paid very well.
And how did the audience react to Bronya's bombshell?
"Uh, shouldn't we be shouting 'Fix!' or something?"
"A fix? What fix? Is the fight not exciting enough for you? Or do you think you can afford to piss these people off? What are you thinking?"
"Good point. She went to all this trouble to set up a pretty good show. Let's just... go with it. I f***ing want to see something even more explosive!"
Alright, the audience had no complaints and, in fact, wanted to see even more chaos.
"It's over, Mei-nee."
Project Bunny, standing behind Bronya, raised its cannon, preparing to give Mei a face full of firepower.
But how could Mei lose so easily?
Even if the readers were okay with it, the author wasn't!
CRACKLE!
A bolt of purple lightning suddenly erupted from Mei's body, and the glue covering her was instantly devoured by the violent electricity.
"Whoa! What's this?! Is Miss Mei undergoing her heavenly tribulation?!"
Seeing Mei wreathed in crackling lightning, the host couldn't help but cry out in amazement.
This was turning into a battle of gods.
"Holy crap! Lightning Empress?! When did Mei learn this trick?!"
Seeing Mei's transformation, Mo Wang shot up from his seat.
Mei's body was now covered in a suit of purple armor.
Lightning enveloped her, making her look like a demon.
This was, without a doubt, Mei's first S-rank Valkyrie battlesuit, Lightning Empress.
According to the lore, this was the powerful form Mei achieved after mastering a semi-Herrscher state.
In this state alone, Mei could wield the same power she had back in Nagazora City.
Lore-wise, it was the strongest of the three initial S-rank suits for the main trio.
Mo Wang had originally thought Mei wouldn't unlock this armor until after the Tuna got captured and they had to assault the headquarters.
He never expected Mei to have already started mastering her Herrscher powers.
Now, Bronya might really be in trouble.
"Die, Bronya!"
Clad in the Lightning Empress armor, Mei was significantly more aggressive than before.
It was clear that although Mei was beginning to control her Herrscher powers, her personality was also becoming more volatile.
This side of Mei usually only came out when she was extremely angry.
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, Mei's figure shot through the air like a bolt of lightning, appearing in front of Bronya in an instant.
Her speed was several times faster than before, as if the very air was being torn apart by her electricity. Although Bronya's reaction was swift, she was still caught off guard by this near-teleportation speed.
Even with Bronya's quick reflexes, and with Project Bunny rapidly adjusting its aim to intercept Mei's attack, Mei was simply too fast. The cannon blast only grazed her afterimage.
"Nani?!"
A look of shock crossed Bronya's face.
BANG!
Mei's fist, wreathed in furious lightning, slammed directly into Project Bunny's armor. The tremendous impact sent a shockwave through the mech's frame, and cracks even appeared on its surface.
The force sent Bronya stumbling back several steps, her face slightly pale.
"Is this the power of the Herrscher of Thunder? To even damage Project Bunny..."
Fu Hua adjusted her glasses, the non-prescription lenses seeming to glint faintly.
Mo Wang didn't even need to look to know that this was most likely Fu Hua starting her espionage work. Those glasses were probably live-streaming this to Schicksal HQ right now.
"That's normal. When Mei first became a Herrscher, her power was truly terrifying."
Speaking of which, Himeko couldn't help but recall how she had nearly lost her life trying to stop the Herrscher-fied Mei in Nagazora City.
Back then, Himeko, in her NEXUS battlesuit (that get retconned, first battlesuit come from ggz but never mentioned again later), had to concentrate nearly all of the Hyperion's energy just to barely defeat Mei.
Looking back now, it was hard to say if Mei had been nerfed or buffed since then.
All in all, well, the original Herrscher of Thunder was at least far stronger than the disgracefully weak Wendy. (How did this turn into roasting Wendy again?)
"Hmph! Bronya, let's see what other tricks you have!"
After donning the Lightning Empress armor, Mei's personality clearly began to shift toward her Herrscher persona.
She looked like she was just itching for a good fight.
(Inner Herrscher Mei: Mo Wang belongs to me, Mei! A bunch of little bitches, watch me cut you all down today! I'd like to see who dares to treat me like a housewife and an NPC now!)
However, faced with a semi-Herrscher Mei, Bronya let out a soft laugh.
"Hehehe, Mei-nee, you underestimate the Bronya!"
"This is my... secret Joestar escape route!"
Unexpectedly, using the moment Mei knocked her back, Bronya had moved directly to the edge of the ring.
And at that moment, Bronya's armor transformed from the normal Yamabuki Armor into her newly unlocked power-up, Dimensional Break.
This round, this was a battle of two main characters using their brand-new power-ups to see whose newbie protection buff was stronger.
"Even if the Bronya uses new power, I won't lose to you!"
Seeing Bronya transform into Dimensional Break, Mei, far from being flustered, was filled with even more fighting spirit.
It was as if Mei had traded her IQ for combat power.
You could only say, that's how initial S-ranks are.
Just think about what the three main characters' initial S-ranks were like.
Knight Moonbeam was a massive energy hog. It was supposed to be a legitimate Godsbane Battlesuit, but it barely made an appearance in the game. It felt like the type to fire one big shot and then be completely spent. The most underwhelming of all the Godsbane Battlesuits.
Roasted Duck was a pure villain form. Strong, yes. But... at what cost?
And now looking at Lightning Empress, semi-Herrscher sounded powerful, but it was also a form that sacrificed intelligence.
These three suits, using any of them was a one-way ticket to problems.
"Hmph, since Mei-nee has said so, then the Bronya will also use my long-hidden true power!"
Bronya pointed at Mei with chuuni flair.
"Hidden true power? Could it be that black form? But... wasn't the chip removed by the Captain?"
Himeko was first startled, then looked at Mo Wang beside her with confusion.
What was this hidden power of Bronya's? She didn't seem to remember Bronya ever mentioning it.
However, when Himeko turned her head in confusion, she found that Mo Wang had already stood up from his chair, looking like he was about to flee.
"Stop watching the show! If we don't get down now, we're going to be sent flying!"
As he prepared to escape, Mo Wang didn't forget to shout at the two behind him.
"Huh?"
Himeko and Fu Hua looked at the ring. They saw dozens of arms sprouting from Project Bunny's back, and each arm held one of Bronya's signature cannons.
There was the Devourer Cannon, Tyr's Broken Wrist, the Lurker Cannon, the Star Destroyer, and even Ai-chan's Cannon had been brought out.
With that many cannons, you could build a multi-colored mega-cannon and still have some left over.
Clearly, Bronya was bringing out her entire personal collection at once.
It was obvious that Bronya really, really wanted to win.
At this moment, Mei, who had been so brave just before, looked at this setup, then at the "village-forged sword" in her hand, and her brain went numb.
Wait, can people just overwhelm you with gear like this?
No, where did you get all that money?!
Evidently, Mei, a former rich young lady, had yet to understand the terrifying power of "money."
"Project Bunny, Fire!!!"
With Bronya's command, the center of Homu Land witnessed the most brilliant fireworks display in Sapphire City this year.
The peaceful city of Sapphire City, after experiencing one apocalypse, had once again begun its nu-clear-ly peaceful daily life. What a joyous occasion, what a Coke-a-Cola...
In response, the other cities in the Honkai Impact 3rd world expressed: This is what happens when you're a city in the Honkai world. Every day, you're either being blown up by Valkyries or dealing with Honkai and Herrschers. Haven't you seen our big brother, Nagazora City? It's been abandoned for years.
However, for Mo Wang, his focus was not on this.
He was just wondering, why had the invincible housewife fallen again?
All the other housewives in the multiverse were gods of war who would kill anyone who stood in their way. But his was either taking the L or on the way to taking the L.
Could it be that Mei had taken all the Ls that her parallel universe counterparts were supposed to take?