Outside the Challenge Space.
Everyone had just been observing the massive Imaginary Tree Honkai.
Its body was as massive as Mount Tai, filled with a mechanical, violent aesthetic. Divine gold light flickered on its pitch-black mechanical body. It held a golden greatsword, and a cold chill emanated from the curled wheel on its head.
The entire thing looked extremely intimidating, not an existence that humans could contend with at all.
A monster like this could probably only be judged by a god.
But in the background prompt, it first mentioned that Mei had killed the Imaginary Tree Honkai once before. No one knew how she had managed it; she likely exhausted all her strength in a desperate gamble.
But with time reversed, the Imaginary Tree Honkai had revived again. How could she possibly kill it for good?
At this thought, Kiana's heart suddenly clenched, and she felt suffocated by the heavy blow: "How is that possible? Asking Mei to kill it alone... how could she possibly do that?!!!"
"Kiana, calm down. Maybe Mei can do it. Anything is possible."
Fu Hua pressed down on Kiana's arm and comforted her softly.
Bronya wasn't feeling good either, so she looked toward the calm Yunduo: "Sister Yunduo, can she really do it?"
Hearing this, Yunduo nodded, then shook her head.
Bronya was puzzled until she heard the explanation: "Theoretically, it's possible. After all, Mei has the power of the Herrscher of Thunder within her. If Mei can truly awaken and accept this power, she can kill the Imaginary Tree Honkai."
"But, there is a major difficulty here..."
Everyone gathered around, and Kiana couldn't help but ask: "What difficulty? Isn't it just about directly accepting the Honkai? When I became the Herrscher of the Void, it was also by directly accepting the Honkai."
"Not quite, Kiana. Do you remember? The persona of the Herrscher of Thunder exists within Mei. For Mei to obtain the full power, only one of them can remain between her and the Herrscher of Thunder."
"One of them must lose everything—even their memories and life—and it must be a willing and active offering of everything."
Two become one, offering up one's everything?
Such a price... no one could accept that!
Kiana fell into silence, and the others were too distressed to speak.
Only Tesla had question marks of all sizes constantly flashing in her head.
Herrscher of Thunder? Herrscher of the Void?
Do you guys usually play this hard?
People just turn into Herrschers like it's nothing! What do you think this is, some kind of tokusatsu show?
But after all, she was an outsider, so she didn't feel right asking, and she figured they wouldn't tell her anyway.
Later, when she saw the image of Mei collapsed on the ground, her weary eyes looking toward the dead Benares as the golden greatsword pierced its body, Kiana suddenly felt a pain in her heart.
She clutched her heart, her cheeks turning pale: "Benares... why does my heart hurt so much seeing its death?"
"Because Benares is the mount of the Herrscher of the Void. There should be a very close relationship between the two of them,"
Yunduo gently explained.
At the last moment before Mei fell into darkness, she was still worrying about Kiana.
"Kiana..."
That gentle call almost made Kiana's tears flow.
Then, it was the conversation between Mei and the Herrscher of Thunder.
Unwillingness, self-blame, sadness, pain—all emotions had vanished.
Because she could no longer feel fear.
Entering a deeper hell, saying goodbye to everything now, saying goodbye to companions and family—it didn't matter.
Because she was already used to being alone. Enduring doubt and criticism, walking further and further down a lonely path—it didn't matter.
Because it was the fate she should have faced long ago.
Until finally, when the Herrscher of Thunder spoke of Kiana, the stagnant Mei finally managed to make her final decision.
None of it mattered anymore.
Everyone was there—everyone from St. Freya Academy was there—they would take good care of Kiana. Let her do what she had to do.
It was enough for her to bear it all herself.
"Go and announce the return of the Thunder Empress to the entire world!"
"Go and become the true Herrscher of Thunder!"
"Goodbye, Raiden Mei."
With that lofty proclamation, the Herrscher of Thunder's script came to an end.
A lonely soul died... and slowly taking the stage was Mei's own theater.
Watching all this, everyone's emotions were complicated.
First was Theresa; she hadn't expected that Mei, who seemed so gentle and easygoing, was actually in so much pain inside.
How much despair must she have felt at the moment she said she could abandon everything!
Then there was Kiana, who had been hit the hardest.
To save her, Mei had given up everything, bid farewell to her family and companions, and transformed into the Herrscher of Thunder.
Yet, she had never breathed a word of this in their daily lives.
She never showed weakness, never sought them out to vent.
Mei had always been strong, her face always adorned with a gentle smile.
Who would have thought that her exterior and interior were so vastly different—practically opposites.
What Mei desired wasn't great power or the disappearance of the Honkai; she only wanted them to stay by her side.
That was her only small wish!
"Sister Yunduo, is the Herrscher of Thunder dead?"
Beside her, Bronya spoke up, her clear eyes looking at Yunduo as if hoping for a denial.
However, reality had already manifested. Yunduo shook her head and said, "She is dead. When Mei obtained the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, the Herrscher Persona within her completely vanished. This was unavoidable."
"But why did she do it?"
"Perhaps... the Herrscher of Thunder was also a very gentle person. She loved Kiana deeply too."
"Loved... Kiana deeply?"
Bronya mulled over this sentence, her eyes dazed for a moment.
So Herrschers weren't without emotion; even as creations of the Honkai, they could fall in love and be willing to go through fire and water, even sacrificing everything for someone.
In that case, perhaps the Herrscher of the Void could also be saved.
As long as she could feel warmth and love, she might be reborn.
Keeping these thoughts in mind, Bronya continued to watch the screen.
Following the Herrscher of Thunder's farewell.
On the screen, thunder suddenly roared!
Swirling dark clouds billowed, almost obscuring all light.
Deep thunder rolled like a violent landslide, slanting across the entire sky.
Lightning flashed, and after a brief pause, another rumble of thunder rolled past.
Everyone's gaze was firmly drawn in, their breathing held in that instant.
"Boom!"
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky's silence, the startling thunder awakening the creatures on the earth, striking every corner with wild ferocity.
The ghostly purple lightning seemed intent on washing away heaven's wrath and smoothing over human resentment!
The Herrscher of Thunder stood tall amidst the lightning.
-------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!