"Mei!"
"Kiana?!"
Mei would never forget that voice. Even separated by distance, the moment she heard that cheerful, bright tone, she called out instinctively. She couldn't stop her body from turning toward the white-haired girl sprinting at her. That sun-drenched face was instantly pressed against hers, accompanied by a mischievous giggle as Kiana rubbed against her cheek.
"Ki-Kiana! Get down! Don't do this, so many people are watching..." Even though Mei was now the full Herrscher of Thunder, capable of challenging Kevin himself, in front of Kiana, she was still that same "Raiden Mei" from before.
Perhaps their exteriors had changed much, but inside, they were surely still those gentle, strong girls.
"I don't want to! I haven't recharged my 'Mei-energy' today~" Kiana hugged her tightly, refusing to let go like a pouting child, giving Mei a real headache.
But suddenly, Mei's expression stiffened.
Wait...
Mei pushed Kiana away, causing a look of confusion to cross the other girl's face. Mei lowered her head, her expression a mix of pity and indignation.
This was the Elysian Realm, not Chiba Academy. And she wasn't Kiana...
Furthermore, Mei and Kiana's meeting happened after the Third Honkai broke out, when Kiana defeated her in her form as the Third Herrscher. Their relationship had begun then.
So, this was fake...
"Mei?" Kiana's innocent face showed worry. She reached out to touch Mei's forehead. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"
Her hand drew closer and closer...
...
Mobius sat in a corner with a dark expression. Everyone else was sensible enough not to disturb her. Beside her sat that box of... underwear.
She actually wanted to tear the whole pile to shreds immediately, but wouldn't that just make the pieces fly everywhere? Besides, she desperately wanted to ask Lin exactly what he was thinking when he prepared this "gift" for her.
Of course, she knew perfectly well that the one who gave the gift was the person occupying Lin body. But she felt that person had Lin memories, so he must have chosen the gift based on those memories. Why on earth did he give her underwear?
Everyone else's gifts were so normal; only hers was this humiliating!
Lin hadn't returned yet after taking Immer away. She waited impatiently, her eyes occasionally drifting toward the pile of pure white garments.
...What a twisted sense of taste. No matter the style, even the sexiest ones were all pure white. It was as if he were exposing his filthy thoughts for all to see.
"Wait... what's this?"
As Mobius was internally critiquing Lin "preferences," she noticed something strange. She frowned, stood up slowly, and rummaged through the pile of clothes. Finally, at the very bottom, she found... a storage drive.
Written on it with a felt-tip pen were the words: "To Snakey-kins."
...
The glow of a computer screen lit up the pitch-black office. Mobius, with a solemn expression, opened the files on the drive. There were three in total, labeled "1, 2, 3" in the simplest manner to indicate the order they should be opened.
Mobius first opened the first one, which was an audio recording.
"To the person opening this recording: if you're 'Snakey,' it means you've accepted the 'Victory Lingerie' I picked out. Ah, it really wasn't easy..."
After hearing the first sentence, Mobius wanted to smash the computer. She suppressed the urge to rip the drive out and crush it, and listened on.
"Lin, you know... if you just beg him a few more times, he'll give you a look of utter disgust while doing exactly what you asked..."
This guy! Even after leaving, he's still so infuriating!
Mobius angrily tried to fast-forward, only to find that the recording didn't allow it. It was a full hour long. Forty-five minutes of it consisted of explaining how to "pin down" Lin, including situational guides for the living room, bedroom, balcony, and meeting room.
Just as she was wondering if this entire recording was some bastard's sick joke, the topic finally shifted to the "main point."
"This next part is unimportant. Listen if you want, don't if you don't. It's just some minor information about MANTIS."
Does he even know what "putting the cart before the horse" means?
The voice became much more serious. He asked in a meaningful tone: "Snakey, you're one of the participants in the MANTIS project. So you should understand that even you, who personally performed the surgeries, don't actually have a very deep understanding of MANTIS."
"..."
The first-generation MANTIS surgeries—those for Lin and Kevin—were purely an abrupt practice of unverified theory. To say it was a "blind cat finding a dead rat" was no exaggeration; Kevin success was 99% luck. Consequently, the creators were entirely ignorant of what changes, side effects, or abilities would emerge after the birth of a MANTIS.
It was as if they had merely spun a wheel, knowing nothing about what prize would appear if they hit the jackpot. This was one of the reasons Mobius performed the Project Soldier surgery on herself—only by experiencing it firsthand could she know what kind of "species" a MANTIS truly was.
But she was still wrong. Even after becoming a MANTIS, she remained ignorant of what she had truly become. She had only seen the tip of the iceberg... maybe less.
Who exactly was this man? Why did he know information about MANTIS that even she didn't? And was this information true or false?
"Open the second document. It contains my gift to you. How you use it is up to you."
Mobius didn't know it yet, but the most important piece on the chessboard had just been placed. This "thing," which should have only been revealed during the Ninth Honkai in the future, had appeared before her early through a quietly pushed plan.
Mobius heart trembled. She suddenly had an inexplicable premonition—a vague feeling that made the speed of her clicking on that document seem incredibly slow in her eyes...
Opening... Pandora's box...
With the click of the mouse, the document opened. Several prominent words fell into her gaze.
"Active... Honkai... Reaction..." (人为崩落 - Project Soldier/Active Reaction)
"And the remaining video is another... gift." With the end of that serious final sentence, the recording stopped playing.
Mobius minimized the document and clicked on the final video labeled "3." What could this be...
"Mobius, you wanted me..."
At that moment, Lin pushed open the door. He had stepped halfway into the room but didn't go further.
"Mistress Mobius, Please whip me as much as you like.... Ahh..." (Video audio)
"..."
"..."
Lin looked at the pile of underwear on the desk. Then he looked at the computer speakers broadcasting his own voice. Finally, he looked at Mobius, who was staring at him blankly.
"Sorry to disturb you."
Lin thoughtfully closed the door.