Damn it, my mouth is numb again.
The scoundrel who had been bullying Raiden Mei was now grimacing. He stared into the scarlet eyes of the young woman before him and spoke in annoyance.
"Miss Herrscher, do you enjoy being kissed by me that much?"
"Am I to expect you to pop out when Mei and I are bathing together, or when we're contributing to the continuation of the Raiden family bloodline?"
"Not that I'd mind, of course."
As expected, just as he was about to kiss Mei, Miss Herrscher of Thunder had once again taken control of the body.
Fortunately, Otto had learned his lesson. He hadn't used his tongue this time, so his lips were only slightly numb from the electricity.
However, Otto sensed something was amiss. His personal human electricity-meter was detecting that Miss Herrscher's power was steadily growing.
One day, he would lose control of her.
"Get off me."
Her icy gaze was fixed on Otto. The Herrscher of Thunder tried to struggle, but the time since her Herrscher Core's awakening was simply too short.
A Herrscher's strength still depended on Honkai energy. A certain Herrscher of Wind, who lacked sufficient Honkai energy upon awakening, couldn't even defeat a Titan mech.
Her hands pressed against Otto's chest, her beautiful legs wrapped in black silk, but Miss Herrscher couldn't push Otto off at all.
"Hey," Otto said, holding her in his arms. "Miss Herrscher, would you like to join Schicksal?"
"Piss off."
The concise and clear reply made her attitude perfectly plain. Even if this man gnawed on her lips a hundred more times, the Herrscher of Thunder would never stoop to living under someone else's thumb.
"But, I really need you, Miss Herrscher."
To Otto, the Herrscher of Thunder was more important than Mei, because only with her agreement to join Schicksal would his main mission be considered complete.
"But it's fine. Time will change your mind."
"As long as I lock you up and prevent you from absorbing Honkai energy, you will forever be in the palm of my hand, for me to knead as I please."
His words didn't faze the Herrscher. Instead, her face drew even closer to Otto's.
"Would you do that?"
Her breath was like an orchid's fragrance. She knew that as long as she submerged her consciousness, the one in control of this body would be that simpleton, and Otto would never be able to bring himself to harm Mei.
"That depends on your sincerity, Miss Herrscher."
Otto said with a smile.
"Sss-rip."
The Herrscher's expression froze. Otto's right hand was now on her thigh.
With two mischievous fingers, he had torn a small hole in the black stockings, revealing the fair, cream-like skin beneath.
Otto felt no remorse for the stockings he had gifted Mei. When a man gives a girl such a gift, isn't it for the express purpose of taking it off or tearing it?
"How long can you protect Mei like this? A week? A month? Or perhaps a year?"
He tore another slit in the fabric.
"No matter how you protect her, she will eventually be devoured by me."
"She will gradually fall, just like tonight, when she didn't refuse my advances."
"And one day, she will not resist bearing my children either."
"You are one half of Mei. You know her inside and out. You know that day will come."
"Unless you kill me right here, right now, you cannot change this inevitable outcome."
Otto grabbed the Herrscher's hand. He was about to place it on his own neck, but then he considered that she might actually try to strangle him. The thought made him abandon the gesture.
His life was important. Best not to act too cocky.
"What do you want?"
The Herrscher said coldly.
"As long as you join Schicksal, I will not restrict Mei's freedom. I will not force Mei to bear my children. And I will certainly not force Mei to do anything she doesn't want to do."
Besides, if that girl Mei falls completely, she'll become utterly devoted and willing to do anything I say anyway.
"And if I don't join, you'll do all those things?"
The crimson eyes glowed with a feral light. The Herrscher of Thunder's personality was an anomaly among all Herrschers, because she doted on Mei to an extreme degree.
What Mei wanted, she would seize for her.
What Mei didn't want, she would crush into dust.
For Mei's sake, she could even block out the influence of the Will of the Honkai, and would even be willing to erase her own existence to merge completely with Mei.
"No, no, no. I'm a great philanthropist. How could I ever do such things to Mei?"
"It's just that, Mei is a grasshopper on the same string as me now. If something were to happen to me, Mei would die too."
"Hmph. She and I are one. As long as I am here, no one can harm her."
The Herrscher snorted coldly.
No matter what happened, she would protect that simpleton.
"Please, you're only the Third Herrscher. You're just an appetizer. Many of your colleagues have yet to be born. With your current power, do you really think you can annihilate humanity?"
Otto poked Miss Herrscher's side.
His words carried an unquestionable authority.
It was like an elder lecturing a junior.
"Herrscher, do not underestimate humanity."
"I can predict right now that your struggle against humanity will inevitably end in your own destruction."
"Don't think I'm just fearmongering. Let me put it this way: right now, there is a human in the Sea of Quanta who can single-handedly defeat most of the Herrschers that come before the Herrscher of the End."
"His name is Kevin Kaslana, a bona fide Herrscher Killer."
"How many blasts from the Might of An-Utu do you think you can take?"
"And even without Kevin, humanity was able to defeat the six-cored Herrscher of the Void. You are merely one-sixth of that."
"If you die, it means Mei dies too. And it's possible she won't even rest in peace, but will be harvested and forged into a Divine Key."
Otto's tone suddenly shifted.
"However, if you stand with me, things will be different."
"I will protect both you and Mei."
"Are you asking me to betray God?" the Herrscher asked coldly. For some reason, upon hearing the name "Kevin," a trace of fear rose from the depths of her heart.
Fear? I'm feeling fear?
Fear of a mere human?
Miss Herrscher found the notion absurd.
"A Herrscher who doesn't want to betray the Honkai isn't a good Herrscher. Besides, you're not the only one to betray it. There are plenty more."
Miss Herrscher frowned. She was the Third Herrscher. Before her, only the Herrscher of Reason had betrayed the Honkai. How could there be "plenty"?
But...
She truly did not want that simpleton to fall into danger.
"What do you want me to do?"
Miss Herrscher looked at Otto with cold eyes.
"It's simple. I will only repeat it once."
"Miss Herrscher, I want you to join Schicksal. All you need to do is nod your head, and you'll be on my side."
"No matter how humanity resists, they are no match for God," Miss Herrscher said, recalling how the Will of the Honkai had been willing to descend itself just to eliminate this man.
This man was special, but she didn't know how, special enough to make God itself intervene.
"But if we don't resist, both I and Mei will die."
"And I have already found a way to trample upon God."
"So, are you willing to come to my side?"
Silence fell upon the room. The Herrscher of Thunder looked at the man pressing down on her. The black stockings on her legs had long since been torn to shreds by him, not a single intact patch remaining.
"You will not command me. And you will not order me around."
She said coldly.
"Of course," Otto replied with a smile.
I'll just command Mei and order her around instead. It's all the same.
"I'll join."
The Herrscher of Thunder replied simply.
[Have Schicksal possess a Herrscher (Herrscher Core must be awakened)]
[Mission Status: Completed]
[Mission Reward: A new, enhanced body]
[Claim new body now?]
"Postpone claim."
One-third of the current main mission was now complete. Otto turned his head and looked out the window.
The night sky was full of twinkling stars. Tomorrow should be a fine day.
He made his decision.
No time like the present.
Tomorrow, he would go online and have a chat with the Will of the Honkai.