"You're being very disobedient." Tatsuki narrowed his eyes.
"There won't be a next time… Master." Under his gaze, pressure like a collapsing sky bore down; the Herrscher of Thunder lowered her proud head.
While Mei blinked in confusion, Tatsuki introduced, "This is the Herrscher of Thunder inside you. As for me—newly minted Herrscher of Dominance, currently moonlighting as the God of Honkai."
He gave her no time to spiral and laid it out plainly. "There are three reasons I won't kill you.
"First: you're Kiana's friend. Second: the Herrscher of Thunder is mine. Third…"
"What's the third?" Mei forced herself to steady and hear him out.
Tatsuki looked her up and down, honest and unabashed. "Third, I like pretty girls. And you're beautiful, kind, and you look like you cook well. You'd make a wonderful girlfriend."
"Eh?!"
What kind of reason is that?! Mei's thoughts scattered. It sounded suspiciously like a confession. She could cook… but girlfriend, just like that? Too fast, right? They barely knew each other—and yet he'd already stolen a deep, tangled kiss…
In no time, her pitch-black mindscape picked up color—pink, of all things.
"Tch." The Herrscher of Thunder found Mei's face mortifying, but she held her tongue. In her state, she wasn't much better.
Seeing words alone pull Mei out of the pit, Tatsuki kept going. He wasn't one for lofty speeches; his kill-move was simple—sincerity. And yes, he coveted Mei's body—that was inevitable. Not just Mei; Kiana, Bronya, and others he hadn't met yet… likely targets too.
He accepted it: top-tier scumbag! But self-aware, not even trying to hide it.
Seizing the chance while Mei's mood steadied, he got to business. "Mei, you have a choice."
"…A choice?"
"You can choose to be Mei Raiden again."
"But she…" Mei's eyes flicked toward the Herrscher of Thunder.
"I'm not killing her. You'll remain one body."
"…"
Bitter curled at Mei's lips. With a Herrscher inside, she was a time bomb to everyone around her. In that case—how could she live as herself?
Reading her worry, Tatsuki ignored the Herrscher's prickly glare and pulled her into his arms. Her mind balked, but her body obeyed.
"See? She listens to me now. I say one, she won't dare say two. You'll still be one, but I'll make her fully heed you. That much I guarantee. So—what's your choice?"
He'd laid out the pros and cons. The rest was hers. Mei's gaze wavered. Their act wasn't an act—she could tell.
So her real choice… was whether to trust this stranger.
Memories of Tatsuki surged—too few to judge by. He appeared suddenly, calling himself Kiana's friend. He appeared suddenly here and kissed her breathless. He said words that sounded like a confession. Now he had an arm around a version of her.
"…"
After a long tangle, Mei found her answer. She drew a breath; color returned to her eyes. "Tatsuki-san, I… want to live—as Mei Raiden!"
"Good." Tatsuki smiled. "Then as you wish—wake."
He snapped his fingers. Tatsuki and the Herrscher of Thunder vanished.
Mei felt her consciousness float upward, retaking her body. She opened her eyes to Tatsuki's clear golden gaze.
"Just now…" Her memories interlaced; her head swam.
"All real. Welcome back, Mei Raiden." He smiled.
"Mm…" With that assurance, heat climbed her cheeks. She whispered, "Um… could you put me down first, Tatsuki-san?"
"OK." He set her down. Mei had changed—no more feral edge; the violet stigma at her waist had faded from sight.
"She… isn't a Herrscher anymore?" Himeko's visor swept Mei, Honkai readings back to normal!
Tatsuki shook his head. "No, she is. Herrscher of Thunder, say something."
Mei's face pinched. "Don't call me for nothing."
A beat later, she returned to herself and scratched her cheek, embarrassed. "Sorry… she doesn't seem to have a great temper."
Now Mei and the Herrscher could talk and swap at will.
Himeko stared, floored. A human who'd turned Herrscher not only returned to human state, but coexisted and switched in real time. Could anything be more sci-fi?
"Nhg!" Pain roared through her before she could think more. In armor, Himeko dropped to one knee, clutching her chest and gasping; cold sweat poured down.
"What's wrong with her?" Mei asked, anxious.
Tatsuki needed only a glance. Artificial stigmata overload. He thought a moment. "I'll send you back first."
He whisked Mei from the space and reappeared before Kiana and the others.
Seeing them return, the girls barely had time to ask before Tatsuki said, "Mei's problem is solved. Clear Changkong City's Honkai beasts and deadwalkers yourselves."
Then he vanished again.
"…"
They looked at one another, none the wiser.
…
"You're about to burn out, Miss Himeko." Tatsuki crouched in front of her again.
"Hah…" Himeko forced a crooked smile. "Fufu—like I needed you to tell me."
Since the implantation of artificial stigmata, she'd known how this road ends.
Valkyries were Schicksal's front line against Honkai. Schicksal had studied and copied natural stigmata. They couldn't truly reproduce them—only mimic the surface—but in the end they produced Artificial Stigmata.
Every student at St. Freya Academy bore these markings, enhancing the body and resistance to Honkai environments—letting Valkyries move freely where others would turn to deadwalkers.
But the fates of the implanted were two: die in battle… or become a deadwalker.
Compared to the unadapted, the fall was slower, but combat accelerated the slide.
Like Himeko now—erosion by Honkai energy had already climbed far too high.
....
For every 100 Power Stones → +1 extra chapter.
Read 50+ chapters ahead on Patreon! [patreon.com/METARLN]