Ye Feng and Mei gazed deeply into each other's eyes. Framed in the gap between their faces was the displeased face of the Herrscher of Thunder.
The Herrscher of Thunder tilted her head up, her long chin raised defiantly. Though her eyes were moist, a murderous intent roiled within them.
Mei stared at Ye Feng's face, so close to her own. The more she looked, the more handsome he seemed, and the drier her mouth became.
His eyes were so captivating, his lips seemed to have their own gravitational pull, drawing Mei ever closer.
When Ye Feng's hot breath washed over her face, a sliver of clarity returned to Mei's eyes, but it was too late.
Their lips had already met.
"!!"
Mei had fantasized about her first kiss countless times. It was supposed to happen in a more romantic, more beautiful setting.
Images had already formed in her mind—
—Just like in Night on the Galactic Railroad.
The two of them would board a train, departing from the Galactic Station. They would walk hand-in-hand through a plaza surrounded by ginkgo trees that looked like they were made of crystal ornaments, and cuddle together as they watched the two transparent spheres, one blue and one yellow, quietly circle each other in the Cygnus β observatory.
Against the pitch-black glass of the window reflecting the starry sky, she would see the profiles of herself and Mr. Ye Feng, leaning in towards each other.
Mr. Ye Feng, that's the Cygnus constellation! It's so beautiful.
Yes, it truly is. But in my eyes, Mei is even more beautiful, more adorable.
Mei's mind was filled with fantasies of this nature. Like Mr. Ye Feng's hand covering hers, and as she turned to look, his lips would slowly approach and he would take the initiative to kiss her…
Waaaaah! Amazing! This is too perfect!
—Something like that.
Or perhaps on a beach at dusk, or on a quiet rooftop under the moonlight. A crimson-colored slope at sunset would also be wonderful…
The young lady from the Far East was never lacking in imagination.
Is this love?
Mei wasn't sure.
When did she fall for him?
Mei didn't know.
But one thing was very clear to Mei: she didn't feel any resistance to kissing Mr. Ye Feng. In fact… it felt a little nice.
Indulging in the sensation of their lips meeting… seemed pretty good right now.
It would be even better if the Herrscher of Thunder wasn't right there.
Ah, right—the Herrscher of Thunder!
Mei had forgotten. Her body jolted as if she had just woken up.
Eh? What… what's happening…
There was no kiss, no meeting of lips.
Mei's vision slowly came into focus. She saw Mr. Ye Feng looking at her with a puzzled expression.
Was everything just now a hallucination? Her own delusion?
While fantasizing about a kiss, she was also fantasizing about an even more romantic scenario?
Mei could only feel her cheeks burning. She was so ashamed she was about to faint.
Just how… shameless was she?
"Mei?"
Ye Feng spoke softly. Mei reacted like a startled deer.
"—Ah! Mr. Ye Feng, I-I'm sorry! I'm truly very sorry."
Mei squeezed her eyes shut and bowed deeply to Ye Feng in apology.
Mei felt like she had nowhere to hide.
If possible, she really wanted to find a crack in a rock to crawl into, just like Amaterasu, sealing herself away in the darkness to feel a little better.
"Why are you suddenly apologizing, Mei? But it's okay. No matter what you do, I'll always be on your side."
Ye Feng leaned in close to Mei's ear and whispered gently, "~Anything at all, you know!"
Ye Feng's words made Mei's heart tremble violently.
Anything at all?
Mr. Ye Feng, did he… did he guess what I was thinking?
Mei kept her head down, not daring to look at Ye Feng. Her mind was a chaotic mess, and a buzzing sound filled her ears.
The Herrscher of Thunder, kneeling on the ground, really couldn't watch this anymore.
What has this coward been doing all this time?
First, she stared at that vermin Ye Feng with a dazed look, and then she apologized all shyly and bashfully.
Where do you two get off being so lovey-dovey without a care in the world? What does that make me?
---o---
The long night stretched on.
In the Valkyrie dorm, no one could understand the meaning of that phrase more intimately than Kiana.
After finishing her game with Bronya, it was only midnight.
She took some instant noodles from the fridge, ate them, washed up, and then sat by the windowsill, staring blankly.
Kiana subconsciously began to think that if that scoundrel Ye Feng were here, he would definitely make her lean over the windowsill.
That scoundrel Ye Feng liked it from behind. He would even tie her hair into twin ponytails, oh, or the single ponytail from her Flamescion form was also fine.
That guy also liked stockings, or more accurately, he liked legs.
Halfway through, he would lift her up. At that point, having lost her balance, she could only support herself desperately with her hands on the sill.
If she ran out of strength and her arms gave out, she would hit her chin or face. It hurt a lot…
But Kiana didn't mind it.
Of course, just the windowsill would definitely not be enough to satisfy him.
It wouldn't even count as an appetizer.
Kiana's gaze fell upon the wall.
A wall, in the eyes of a normal person, is an artificial structure used to divide space, to carve out a private area for oneself.
But in that guy's eyes, it became a kind of "prop."
Kiana had learned all sorts of knowledge.
But there was one particular use that Kiana could never have imagined, not even if she racked her brain.
[Getting stuck in the wall.]
Seriously, what does that guy think girls are!
Kiana, of course, refused this kind of activity. Ye Feng just snorted mockingly and said, "Right, Kiana can't get stuck. This requires Mama Aponia."
It was so infuriating. This young lady has… them too, okay?
Kiana looked down and could see what Ye Feng called the "line of sight."
That's right, line of sight.
—If you look down and can't see your toes, you're a peerless beauty.
"Tch!"
Kiana clicked her tongue.
What's so good about being too big?
Not only does it hinder combat, it also puts a strain on the body. Mei's shoulders were always sore after finishing simulation training, and it was because of this.
It was just excess fat!
Kiana's gaze then fell on the bed. It was still one large room with three beds.
Mei slept in the middle, and Kiana by the window.
By now, Mei and the little ducky were already asleep.
Speaking of the bed… it was strange, but she and Ye Feng actually spent the least amount of time on it.
Unless there was a newcomer.
Tch!
Kiana discovered a blind spot: why was it that they were only on the bed when a newcomer was added?
Ji Lin, the Herrscher of the Void, and Jingliu, it was the same for all of them.
Kiana also wanted to lie comfortably in bed sometimes.
That dog Ye Feng only knew how to torment her in all sorts of ways.
That guy had boundless energy; she had no idea where he got it all from.
Kiana was truly impressed by him.
Unbelievable!
All he knew was how to degrade her.
Kiana's gaze drifted back to Mei's sleeping face.
A young lady of the Far East, the daughter of a prestigious family.
Even though her family had fallen from grace, it couldn't hide the noble and elegant aura about her.
"Mei…"
A faint smile graced Kiana's lips.
As long as she was with Mei, Kiana could gain a hundred times more strength. There was nothing to fear.
Kiana didn't understand anything about the perfect Far Eastern woman, the Yamato Nadeshiko, but being by Mei's side, Kiana felt at ease, warm, and didn't want to think about anything at all.
Kiana got up and walked closer to Mei.
She just looked at her.
In the quiet room, the moonlight and starlight laid a layer of ethereal silver gauze over everything.
Mei was also bathed in a clear radiance, making her appear even more otherworldly.
Kiana's heart, which had been boiling with chaotic thoughts, gradually calmed down.
Mei was Kiana's white moonlight.
Even in Ye Feng's world, Kiana didn't dare to profane Mei.
At most, she would use Mei's derivative, the Herrscher of Thunder, to console herself a little.
And by console, she meant nothing excessively out of line.
The most she did was touch her little face, tell her about her experiences getting screwed, and also help her with a body check-up.
Yes, a very proper check-up.
The kind where you don't have to take off your clothes.
In the end, Kiana still maintained her bottom line.
That's why she got so angry seeing the Herrscher of Thunder, and Auntie Mei, being relentlessly screwed by that monster Ye Feng. That bastard!
"Mei is still the best to me. Only Mei, I will absolutely…"
Kiana gazed gently at the girl, her pink fists clenched slightly.
—I must protect her!
"…Mr. Ye Feng."
Just then, the sleeping Mei suddenly called out the name Kiana least wanted to hear.
"Eh?"
Kiana almost turned to stone on the spot.
She looked at Mei in disbelief.
Mei, my Mei, why… why are you calling his name?!!!
Kiana, who already had no intention of sleeping, was now even more wide awake after hearing Mei talk in her sleep.
Scoundrel!
Ye Feng, you scoundrel, what did you do to Mei!!!
Kiana was so anxious she could scratch her own head raw, but she couldn't get into his world.
No matter how she tried, she just couldn't get in!
---o---
Every night that Mei entered Ye Feng's world, she would practice kendo in the dojo.
Her muscle and physical fitness couldn't be brought back with her, but her insights and techniques could be improved.
Today was, of course, no exception.
In fact, it was more like Mei had fled from that awkward scene.
This whole "communicating with the Herrscher" business could wait until tomorrow.
If she stayed there any longer, Mei felt like her head would start smoking.
Only by practicing kendo could she clear her mind of distracting thoughts, just a little.
Mei had always done this.
However, today, even standing alone in the quiet dojo, hand on the hilt of her sword, her heart could not find peace.
"Mr. Ye Feng…"
The feel of Ye Feng's fingertips, the firmness of his chest, were all deeply seared into the depths of Mei's being, making her feel hot, making her burn.
It left the young girl's mind in turmoil.
Mei could only kneel properly in seiza, lay her sword horizontally across her lap, and close her eyes to meditate.
But the more she meditated, the more chaotic her thoughts became.
While Mei was wrestling with her tangled thoughts, Ye Feng was in a world of rustling silks.
In a small grove that no one could find.
Subspace Lances transformed into ribbons, binding the Herrscher of Thunder's hands and feet and suspending her thirty centimeters above the ground.
The Herrscher of the Void slowly descended from the sky, her brilliant golden eyes gleaming with a playful light.
The bound Herrscher of Thunder's purple eyes were misty, but they still flashed with unyielding lightning.
"Herrscher of the Void, to think you've become his attack dog!"
WHAP!!
The Herrscher of the Void's ribbon whipped viciously across the Herrscher of Thunder's chest. The curves there trembled precariously, bouncing like springs before finally settling down.
"A defeated foe dares to speak so insolently?"
The Herrscher of Thunder raised her proud head, her eyes filled with disdain.
"The self-proclaimed messenger of God, the high and mighty Queen of the Void, has she really fallen this far? Relying on a human to borrow his might… how truly laughable."
The Herrscher of the Void narrowed her eyes, the lava-like patterns in her golden pupils flashing. She angrily raised her hand, then slowly lowered it, a savage smile curling her lips.
"Hehe, I hope you can be just as stubborn in a little while."
Ye Feng appeared behind the Herrscher of Thunder, his large hand climbing up to her crimson demon horns.
He stroked them, unable to put them down.
"!!!"
The Herrscher of Thunder's body trembled.
She was extremely unaccustomed to others touching the crimson horns on her head.
"Well done, Xiao Kong. I'll reward you properly."
Ye Feng said with a smile as he changed the Herrscher of Thunder's clothes.
A one-piece black bodystocking and crystal high heels—this outfit was perfectly suited for a beauty like the Herrscher of Thunder, with her arrogant temperament and tall, curvaceous figure.
Hearing Ye Feng's words, the Queen of the Void showed a look of disgust.
"Human, I have no interest in your rewards."
"Oh? What a pity. I thought you cared a lot about resurrecting your little friends."
The Herrscher of the Void's pupils contracted.
Having inherited Sirin's memories, although she wasn't Sirin, the lingering warmth still echoed in her heart.
Otherwise, she wouldn't care so much about that fictional little village.
The Herrscher of the Void knew perfectly well that it was fake, yet she was still willing to immerse herself in it.
Ye Feng grabbed the Herrscher of Thunder's horns, adjusting her height until her head was level with his waist.
The Herrscher of Thunder proudly raised her head, her voice betraying no panic, still majestic and awe-inspiring.
"Vermin, let go of me!"
"Nope. And you keep calling me vermin. That deserves a punishment, you know."
Ye Feng swung his forearm, slapping the Herrscher of Thunder's smooth, fair, beautiful cheeks from side to side.
The Herrscher of Thunder felt humiliated, but her face remained defiant. She held her head high, glaring at Ye Feng with a murderous gaze.
Seeing this, the Herrscher of the Void let out a silver-bell-like laugh. "Heeheehee, as expected of the conquering lightning. That high and mighty, majestic expression is truly intoxicating to watch."
The Herrscher of Thunder turned her head and saw the Herrscher of the Void floating over.
Whether it was intentional or not, the height of her slender feet was perfectly level with the Herrscher of Thunder's head.
The Herrscher of Thunder could see her exquisite, snow-white, slender feet pointing delicately, her cherry-blossom-pink toenails gleaming with a pearlescent luster.
Then, the Herrscher of the Void sat down on empty air, as if a queen reclining on her throne. She extended one beautiful foot forward.
"Lick it. There's a reward if you do."
"Herrscher of the Void!!"
The Herrscher of Thunder roared in a low voice, her gaze shooting out with a sharpness even more piercing than when she looked at Ye Feng.
Ye Feng, however, consoled her, "Xiao Kong has just been through the rain, so now she wants to tear up your umbrella."
That was indeed the Herrscher of the Void's mentality: We're both Herrschers; I can't be the only one to suffer.
Ye Feng then asked the Herrscher of Thunder, "What should I call you? Little Lei? Big Lei? How about I just call you Mei?"
The Herrscher of the Void did not identify with Kiana.
But the Herrscher of Thunder was different. Like Dark Seele, she believed that she and Mei were one and the same.
Therefore, upon hearing Ye Feng's words, her gaze clearly faltered.
Seeing this, a flash of annoyance and impatience crossed Xiao Kong's eyes. "What a worthless creature!"
As she spoke, she moved to forcefully shove her foot into the Herrscher of Thunder's mouth.
Originally, the Herrscher of the Void had wanted to toy with her slowly, but now she only wanted to humiliate her viciously!
However, her foot was intercepted midway by Ye Feng.
"??"
"!!"