Elysia puffed out her cheeks and looked at Raiden Mei with feigned grievance. "Mei, how could you say that about me? I just happen to like cute girls, that's all~?"
"Do you say that to every cute girl you meet?"
Delta blinked and looked at Elysia.
Seeing this, Mobius let out a light snort. "Looks like someone is being rejected."
"That's not true!" Elysia immediately retorted, then smiled as she leaned closer to Delta. "Delta~ Would you like to go have dessert with big sister? There's a super~ delicious cake shop in Academy City!"
Delta hesitated, then looked up at Mobius as if asking for her opinion.
Mobius raised an eyebrow. "If you want to go, then go. Just don't let her lead you astray."
"Oh my, Mobius, honestly. How could I possibly lead a child astray?" Elysia blinked, then took Delta's hand. "Come on, come on. Big sister will treat you to strawberry cake~?"
Delta let herself be pulled two steps forward, then suddenly turned back to look at Mobius and asked softly, "...Is it really okay?"
Mobius looked into her eyes and, for once, showed a trace of gentleness. "Mm. Go on. Just remember to come back after you've had enough fun."
"Okay." Delta nodded, finally at ease as she followed Elysia away.
Raiden Mei watched their departing figures and couldn't help but smile. "Ely really does like children."
Mobius folded her arms and said flatly, "She's just obsessed with appearances."
Raiden Mei smiled. "That's kind of a trademark of our Honkai world. You're probably the same, aren't you?"
"..."
Mobius' lips twitched slightly. There was really nothing to argue about.
It was common knowledge.
Besides, in most worlds, people let their values follow their looks. It wasn't just them.
"Mobius, are you interested in coming to live with us?"
Raiden Mei changed the subject.
"No interest." Mobius refused without hesitation.
"Ely would be very happy to have you join us." Raiden Mei blinked.
What are you trying to do?!
Mobius frowned and looked at her.
At that moment, the usual coolness in Raiden Mei's eyes faded, replaced with a lazy, alluring charm.
From the base of her spine, a tail extended outward—slender in overall shape yet brimming with strength, covered in a dark violet sheen similar to the streak at the end of her hair. Its surface seemed layered with delicate, thin scales that reflected a faint metallic luster under the light.
The tail coiled flexibly around Mobius' slender waist, rubbing against her...
Because of an individual's mental state, a Herrscher's body could undergo certain mutations.
For example, wings or a tail might grow from their back, a halo might appear above their head, glowing patterns might surface across their skin, and so on...
And then, a particular aspect of their desires would intensify.
...
Terminator Universe.
The sky was suddenly torn apart by streaks of strange light.
People looked up in terror and saw three enormous warships plummeting toward the ground.
They pierced through the atmosphere at extreme speed, violently compressing the air along their path and producing deafening roars.
The first warship made a forced landing on a vast plain. The immense impact caused the ground to collapse instantly, forming a gigantic crater.
The surrounding land was shattered by the powerful energy shockwaves, dust billowing into the sky.
Immediately afterward, the second warship crashed onto the outskirts of a bustling metropolis, triggering a violent earthquake. Nearby buildings collapsed one after another, flames soared skyward, and people fled in panic. Cries and sirens intertwined chaotically.
The third warship smashed into a remote mountain forest. The dense woods were flattened in an instant, and the resulting wildfire spread rapidly, thick smoke surging straight into the heavens.
Governments around the world detected the anomaly at once. National leaders convened emergency meetings to discuss countermeasures.
The military mobilized swiftly. Fighter jets, tanks, and other equipment assembled and advanced toward the crash sites.
After the Saintess Prayer made its forced landing on the plain, Red Queen rapidly gathered intelligence. In the span of a single moment, she determined the condition of the planet.
Earth of the past.
While traversing the wormhole, the Terminators inside had detonated an unknown temporal bomb.
The wormhole collapsed, and they had returned to Earth's past.
However, that wasn't important.
Time travel was nothing unusual.
In this universe, it could be achieved with ease.
Red Queen devoted all efforts to repairing the ship.
Despite the severe damage from the assault, as a warship equipped with advanced nano-unit restoration technology, she repaired the damaged sections in just ten minutes.
Soon, the Saintess Prayer rose back into the sky and headed toward the other two crash sites.
Inside the ecological city.
Working together, everyone eliminated all the boarding Terminators.
Saintess Kallen looked at the mechanical wreckage scattered across the ground, unable to understand why she had been attacked like this the moment she arrived.
After a while, she was transported to the bridge.
"Oh? So it's you, Lady Kallen."
Melin narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Saintess Kallen with interest.
"You know me?"
Saintess Kallen frowned.
"Heh."
Melin let out a soft laugh. From that single sentence alone, she knew this Kallen was not the one she knew. With that one's near-omniscient ability, there was nothing she didn't know.
She would never say something like, "You know me?"
Melin glanced at Hua, Kevin, and Su beside her, and a guess had already formed in her mind.
If nothing unexpected had happened, these three were counterparts as well.
"Lady Kallen, you're the famous Regent. How could I possibly not recognize you?" Melin said with a smile.
"What about me?" Kevin asked.
"Bird-Flying Bro."
There was a trace of amusement in Melin's eyes.
"?"
"Friend, that's quite an interesting nickname," Su said with a gentle smile.
"I'm not the one who calls him that," Melin replied with a smile.
"It sounds like you're quite familiar with us," Su said curiously.
"I know a little. We all come from the same worldview, just different parallel worlds. Doesn't the Shenqi of your world manage you? How did you end up being conscripted by the Empire?"
Melin raised an eyebrow.
Su froze slightly.
Who is Shenqi?!