In the ruins, Mei clutched her throbbing chest, using the Xuanxuan sword to support herself as she rose from a pile of rubble.
"I can't..." She gasped for breath, her pale face making the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth seem all the more glaring.
The dull ache in her chest quickly turned into a sharp pain that made her want to curl up. Mei felt as if the entire scene before her was swaying. The spinning world seemed about to rush forward and slap her across the face.
The dizziness muddled even Mei's thoughts. All sorts of random ideas popped into her head, but one figure remained exceptionally clear.
"Kiana..." she gritted her teeth. A sudden surge of strength flowed through her body, and she forced herself to stand.
It was as if she had broken free from shackles. Power began to gradually return, and the world before her became clearer. Mei tightened her grip on the pseudo-Xuanxuan sword, her only reliable support now, and looked outside.
That blow hadn't killed her; the opponent surely knew that. But it hadn't pursued her, nor had it delivered a finishing blow to her "incapacitated" self. This meant its target was not her.
At least not to "kill her."
Reason began to reassemble itself amidst her chaotic thoughts. Mei used everything she could grab for support and started heading back to the battlefield.
If the Herrscher had other objectives, she wouldn't be able to stop it. Kiana might be able to, but with that puppet tying her down, she couldn't contain the Herrscher itself either.
But the opponent still chose to stay here and fight her... especially after realizing the weapon in her hand could threaten it. Its target must be close...
Then it could only be Kiana.
She had to go back...
"Ngh—" The sharp pain in her chest made Mei's legs weaken, and she nearly knelt on the pile of rubble.
Thankfully, she held on this time. She saw the battlefield, and she saw Kiana, kneeling blankly in the center of it.
Mei's pupils contracted. Then, she composed herself and raised the Xuanxuan sword.
Honestly, puppets, threads... like Shu, these elements made Mei first think of the Herrscher of the Legion, followed by key points like "control," "usurpation," and so on.
Was Kiana being controlled?
Mei subconsciously looked above Kiana. She couldn't see the threads, but she could see the canopy of light that had appeared in the sky.
Two anomalies appeared at the same time. Mei understood almost instantly that there must be a connection between them.
Was it... the canopy controlling Kiana?
How was it done? Was it just with threads, or did it use some method she didn't know?
Mei fell silent. She didn't know what it was. She didn't have Shu's ability to directly see the threads controlling Kiana, but she knew what kind of situation she could handle.
The Xuanxuan sword could sever the threads... If Kiana was really being controlled by threads... perhaps she could still do something.
"Kiana..." she said softly to herself, propping herself up. "You'll be alright..."
But just as Mei was about to rush out, a timid voice, anxious yet deliberately quiet, came from the side.
"Big Sister Mei! Don't go out..."
Mei whipped her head around and saw Seele, who had appeared behind her at some point.
"Seele? What are you doing here?" Mei suddenly felt her head clear considerably. It was as if something had gently swept away the dust obscuring her thoughts.
Intuition made her look down at Seele's arms. The black-covered notebook was emitting a faint white light.
"I got separated from Bronya-oneechan..." Seele instinctively wanted to answer Mei's question, but she suddenly remembered that now was not the time to slowly explain why she was here.
She had something more important to say!
"Don't worry about that for now! Big Sister Mei, the book Bronya-oneechan gave Seele told Seele that Big Sister Mei can't make a move right now!"
The Key of Remembrance said that?!
She knew that the consciousness of the Herrscher of Memory had resided in the Key of Remembrance after their fusion. Kiana had said so, and Shu had confirmed it. That was why they had never let her, Bronya, or the others browse its contents.
Even though Bronya had used it many times, she knew nothing of what was recorded inside.
All this time, the Key of Remembrance had never actively communicated with the outside world. But this time, it had actively sought out Seele?
Because what the Key of Remembrance said concerned Kiana, Mei glanced at the listless Kiana and forcibly suppressed the urgency in her heart.
"Can you tell me why?" Mei asked softly.
"Bronya-oneechan is in the same situation as Big Sister Kiana right now, and so is Miss Frélle. They've all been controlled by that Herrscher!"
Seele spoke in a quiet, rushed voice, as if afraid her voice would give away her presence, yet worried she wouldn't have time to finish explaining everything.
"Bronya too..." Mei's heart sank, and her grip on the Xuanxuan sword tightened.
But there was one piece of good news... The Key of Remembrance had stopped her, which meant she could indeed do something...
"Then what should I do?" Mei quickly adjusted her mindset and said resolutely to Seele, or rather, to the Key of Remembrance, "No matter what, I will give it my all."
As long as I can save Kiana and Bronya...
"It said..." Seele looked as if she had heard something, her expression hesitant and reluctant. "That Big Sister Mei just needs to wait for now..."
"What?" Mei was taken aback. "Right now... do nothing?"
Is it because something is about to happen?
Seele's face was flushed with embarrassment, but she still nodded. "Yes... It told me that Big Sister Mei should rest now. Only a better-rested Big Sister Mei can do what needs to be done later..."
After saying that, Seele lowered her head.
What kind of help is this! I rushed to stop Big Sister Mei, so I should have come up with a better, more perfect plan! But now I can only give such an ambiguous message...
How can I be so irresponsible!
The white light from the Key of Remembrance seemed to flicker. Then, Seele heard a voice that only she could hear.
"'Hey, coward, that thing said help will be here soon. Hurry up and tell her.'"
"'Thank you!'" Seele responded gratefully in her heart to the voice that sounded exactly like her own, receiving a cold snort in reply.