"What's with that expression on your face, what's with those tears."
"After being bullied, do you expect to hide in a corner and cry, using your tears to save yourself?"
Hearing these two sentences, Raiden Mei was suddenly taken aback.
And at the same time, Leo Ash also suddenly heard the system's voice.
[This system must admit that it is indeed inferior to humans in this aspect.]
[Taking advantage of a girl's vulnerability to show concern and soothe her heart is indeed a safe tactic.]
[But this kind of playing hard-to-get method can, at times like this, achieve unexpected results.]
[That's it.]
[A moment of concern may indeed make a girl fall for you, but by using this method, you can go a step further into her heart and engrave your 'brand' on her soul.]
[Brilliant, truly brilliant.]
[When it comes to picking up girls, this system would call you the strongest!]
I thought you were going to say something else...
Whatever, just keep making your assumptions.
Sometimes I think you're a bit too talkative.
Watching Raiden Mei's affection level jump back to 50 from 40, Leo Ash felt that this silly girl was really a bit... too easy to fool.
Seriously, just a few sentences can easily bring your affection back... Something about this just doesn't feel right to me.
"Then..."
Staring at Leo Ash, who still maintained a cold expression, Mei slowly began to ask.
"What... should I do?"
"What should you do? Stand up first."
"Or are you so weak that you can't even stand up anymore?"
"Of course not!"
Using her arms to push herself up from the ground, Raiden Mei looked at Leo Ash with a strange look in her eyes.
And looking at the girl before him, Leo Ash just threw out a "Follow me" and walked away without looking back.
He didn't share his umbrella, of course.
At this moment, Leo Ash could indeed follow the system's prompts and use gentle words and a caring attitude to make Raiden Mei feel warmth.
But in the end, for Raiden Mei, this was just drinking poison to quench her thirst.
She did need the care and kindness of others.
But for an apostle chosen by the Honkai, Raiden Mei's future was filled with hardships.
Powerful strength was something that came to Mei's doorstep.
But if she only possessed great power without the will to match it, then Raiden Mei would only become a puppet manipulated by that power.
In fact, in the original story, before Raiden Mei re-condensed her Herrscher Core, she was indeed a puppet of her power.
Every time she activated her Herrscher power, she basically had her body's control seized by her Herrscher Personality, who would then fight for her.
It was only because the Herrscher of Thunder's personality had no intention of harming Mei. If this Herrscher personality's malice had included Raiden Mei herself, her main personality would have been dead eighteen times over.
Leo Ash's choice to act this way was, in the end, for his own sake.
If Raiden Mei's heart could become stronger before she awakened, then when the Honkai Eruption occurred, her chances of suppressing the Herrscher personality would increase by a fraction.
For Leo Ash, this had only benefits and no drawbacks.
As for the benefits to Raiden Mei, those were incidental.
And now, Leo Ash was just walking ahead, not intending to shelter Raiden Mei from the rain for this very reason.
If he showed even a hint of gentleness at this moment, the words he had said before and the attitude he had put on would be all for nothing.
.....
Nagazora City. Inside ME Corp
Inside ME Corp, Cocolia, looking at the frequently interrupted screen, asked with a displeased expression.
"What on earth is going on?"
"With Bronya's support, how have we not yet taken control of all the surveillance systems in Nagazora City?"
"Lady Cocolia..."
Sensing the impatience in Cocolia's tone, the staff member immediately said cautiously.
"Miss Bronya's support has indeed allowed us to suppress Schicksal's people in electronic warfare."
"But the problem is... the reason these monitor screens are unstable is not because of interference from Schicksal."
"Hmm, could it be..."
Hearing the staff member's explanation, a smile appeared on Cocolia's face.
And seeing the leader's smile, the staff member immediately explained faster.
"Yes, just as you imagined, it's a problem with the electronic equipment itself."
"Some of the equipment in Nagazora City has been malfunctioning frequently due to electromagnetic field disturbances."
"And most of this faulty equipment is concentrated near the commercial street and Senba High School."
"Excellent."
Electromagnetic field disturbance. This was the sign Cocolia had been waiting for.
The Gem of Conquest was the core of the Herrscher of Thunder, and according to the remaining data in the Anti-Entropy database, the Herrscher of Thunder's authority was related to electromagnetism.
The commercial street and the vicinity of Senba High School were all places Raiden Mei had passed through.
And the fact that the electromagnetic fields in these areas were disturbed meant that Raiden Mei was already subconsciously unable to control her power.
This also meant that Raiden Mei awakening as the Herrscher of Thunder would become a reality in the near future.
And this meant that Cocolia's plan was already halfway to success.
But...
"Hmph, by her side... if I'm not mistaken, that Schicksal member named Leo Ash is with her right now, isn't he?"
"That is correct."
Seeing the smile on Cocolia's face disappear again, the staff member immediately said as quickly as possible.
"And according to our predictions, the direction Leo Ash is taking Raiden Mei... is his current hotel."
A vulnerable, bullied girl, and the boy who helped her through her difficulties, are now heading towards a hotel...
No matter how you look at it, everyone felt they could easily guess the subsequent plot.
In fact, at another time, Cocolia couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters.
But now, Raiden Mei was on the verge of awakening due to the despair breeding in her heart.
If someone were to get close to her heart at this time and comfort her, causing the despair in her heart to disappear, Cocolia would not be pleased.
As for what the two of them planned to do...
As a mature adult, Cocolia certainly knew what two kids would do at a time like this.
Young people full of hormones, when the mood is right, what else can they do besides have sex?
And for Raiden Mei, regardless of whether Leo Ash's feelings for her were genuine, if someone comforted her heart at this time by making love, her awakening level would decrease.
"Send someone to stop them."
Looking at Leo Ash riding a motorcycle, with Raiden Mei hugging him, a cold glint flashed in Cocolia's eyes.
"My plan..."
"—cannot be interfered with by such trivial matters."
....