"What nonsense are you talki—mmmphh!?"
Before the Valkyrie could even react, she heard the sound of a pin being pulled.
The next second, a black, thick, and long cylindrical object was suddenly and forcefully shoved into her mouth.
The Valkyrie subconsciously looked down at her own mouth, and her entire body trembled in terror.
"Mmmphh! You're insane!"
"Heh, am I? Have a taste of your own Schicksal grenade."
The Valkyrie now had no time to deal with Fu Li. Her hands flew to her mouth in a panic, trying to pull the grenade out.
But how could Fu Li let her get her wish? He rammed his head into the grenade, forcing it deeper into the Valkyrie's throat.
[3 seconds later, a huge explosion echoed across the snowfield.]
[When Mei arrived with the Anti-Entropy forces, all she saw were two corpses, blown beyond recognition.]
"Bro... Brother Sounosuke..."
Mei stumbled down from the mecha, her body trembling. She walked to the side of the barely identifiable corpse and knelt down numbly.
In her heart, an unprecedented sense of dread erupted from within. Mei reached out her hand, touching the blood-soaked earth.
Brother Sounosuke... he blocked that woman... for her sake...
If it weren't for me... If I hadn't been alive... would he not have died...
Pain... it hurts so much... why does my heart hurt so much...
"Mei!!"
"Young Miss!!"
Mei's consciousness grew hazy. Faintly, she seemed to hear her father's and other people's voices from behind her.
But... for some reason, Mei felt her consciousness grow dimmer and dimmer... The voices sounded as if they were coming through a layer of cotton, making them indistinct.
The world before her eyes grew darker and darker, as if it were a landscape painting being splashed with ink.
Finally, the white snow magnified before her eyes, and Mei pitched forward, collapsing into the snow.
The next second, Raiden Ryoma's hands gently caught her unconscious body. He spoke with a trembling voice.
"I'm sorry, Mei... and Sounosuke. I was too late."
[This simulation has ended.]
[Congratulations Host, you have received rewards: Honkai Crystal x1, Life Extension +10 Days, Crystals x500.]
In the real world, inside Mei's room.
"Hah... hah... No!"
In the darkness, Mei shot up in bed, her youthful chest heaving rapidly, sweat trickling down from her temples.
After a long while, Mei's emotions finally calmed down, and she clutched her aching forehead.
"Ugh... I had that dream again..."
According to her father, she had once been kidnapped at the age of eight, but she herself had absolutely no memory of that period.
The doctor said it was the brain's self-preservation mechanism, causing her to selectively forget the memories of that time.
And this recurring nightmare was a side effect.
"What exactly happened when I was 8? Why won't anyone tell me... sigh..."
Drinking a glass of water, Mei opened the curtains. Her heart felt empty, and on a whim, she looked towards the window opposite hers.
On the other side of the window was Fu Li's room, but now the screen was half-drawn, revealing only pitch-black darkness.
Is Fu Li asleep?
For some reason, although she was a little afraid at first, after getting familiar with him, she found herself subconsciously wanting to rely on him.
Mei had the illusion that Fu Li was like a guardian angel. Whenever she was at her most helpless and desperate, he would appear and give her hope.
But, that was probably just an illusion.
Faintly, Mei seemed to see a spark of blue, static-like light flash when her hand touched the metal railing.
Mei blinked, pulled her hand back, and upon discovering nothing unusual, she frowned in confusion.
Forget it. I still have school tomorrow. I should rest early.
...
The next day, in the morning.
"Hello, good morning, my dear students."
The beautiful teacher stood at the podium and clapped her hands.
"I'm sure you've all heard the rumors. Our class will be getting a new transfer student from Europe. Let's give her a round of applause!"
As the rumor of a beautiful girl transfer student was confirmed, the boys in the class instantly erupted, while the girls' applause was somewhat perfunctory.
"Oh! Great! A beautiful transfer student from Europe."
"Yeah, a transfer student from there should be very pretty and elegant."
"Mmhmm, and I hear she's a knowledgeable white-haired beauty."
Witnessing all this, Mei suddenly leaned back and asked in a low voice.
"Fu Li, what do you think the new transfer student will be like?"
"Hmm? We'll find out in a moment, why the rush?" Fu Li chuckled lightly, having no intention of spoiling the surprise.
"Eh... alright."
As the two were talking, a familiar figure walked in from the entrance.
The newcomer had a pair of pure, azure eyes, her long white hair tied into two braids. Her features were exquisite and three-dimensional, giving off a pure and elegant feeling.
All in all, she was a rather standard beauty—if she hadn't opened her mouth and ruined that innate temperament.
"Hi! Hello everyone, my name is Kiana Kaslana! You can call me Kiana. In the days to come, please take good care of me!"
It was unknown if it was because of his experience from the game, but in Fu Li's eyes, this silly-looking girl was quite charming in the eyes of the other boys.
However, Kiana was completely oblivious to the boys' fawning gazes. After scanning the crowd, her eyes landed squarely on Mei.
"Um, Teacher, can I sit there?"
Kiana extended her hand, pointing to the empty seat to Fu Li's right.
Actually, if she could, she would have preferred Fu Li's spot, but since it was already taken, there was nothing she could do.
"Hmm... that spot..." The teacher thought for a moment and nodded. "Of course you can, Student Kiana. You can sit there."
"Yay! Thank you, Teacher!" Having gotten the answer she wanted, Kiana happily walked to her seat and winked at Mei, who was looking over.
"Hello, we meet again!"
"Hehe, what a coincidence..." Mei's expression was a bit complicated, but she still smiled and gave a small wave as a greeting.
Watching the two's 'harmonious' meeting, a meaningful smile appeared on Fu Li's lips.
Although Mei seemed a bit resistant now, he believed that under Kiana's enthusiasm and energy, it wouldn't be long before Mei and Kiana became friends.
How nice... the friendship between girls...