Proper World, somewhere on Earth's seabed.
"It seems this unplanned operation today can only go this far."
Kali, the Third Herrscher of the current era, with snow-white hair, azure-blue skin, and a slender, oval-shaped crimson crystal embedded in her forehead like a vertical eye, sat on a Reef Throne. She crossed her legs casually, and this thought flashed through her mind.
She seemed to be in a good mood.
Even though her plan to cooperate with the Fourth Herrscher to invade the Newborn World Serpent Headquarters had failed.
And just now, the temporary body remotely controlled by the other party had pessimistically said some depressing words to her, like "goodbye" and "I have no way to escape."
It was precisely because she went through this that she finally learned that a major change had abruptly occurred in North Africa.
But even so...
"Failure is failure."
Kali's attitude was somewhat indifferent.
After all...
"My plan is already on track."
"The arrival of the Great Biological Extinction is already irreversible."
"And..."
She temporarily projected her consciousness remotely, controlling a "Spawn" located on the Antarctic continent, "There are also some unexpected gains."
After a moment of daze, Kali took full control of the latter's body.
She looked to the side.
There, amidst the ice and snow, stood a translucent crystal coffin.
Inside, a purple-haired girl slept with her eyes closed.
Looking closely, one could see that the girl's left arm was severed at the elbow.
She was Raiden Mei, the enemy who had fought Fu Hua in the waters near Nagazora in the Far East, where she was ultimately struck by the Eminence, losing an arm and a portion of her consciousness. She was also the one who had personally annihilated the last trace of Kali's kindness.
To this day, after the battle in the Far East, she showed no signs of waking up.
Yet, due to her unique constitution, she did not lose weight even without food or water.
Kali directly controlled the body of one of her Spawn and walked to the crystal coffin.
She looked down at the sleeping figure inside, her hand gently brushing the side of the coffin.
"I really want you to become a part of me forever," she whispered.
But unfortunately, even though she had now unexpectedly "obtained" her through a deal, and even though Kali was the Herrscher of Blood with authority over genes... this was the one thing she could not do.
She had already suffered a major loss once before.
Now...
"Tell me, how should I deal with you?"
Kali narrowed her eyes. "This is a real dilemma."
"..."
There was no reply.
After all, Raiden Mei had not yet regained consciousness.
"Just kidding."
A strange smile spread across Kali's face. "Raiden Mei, oh Raiden Mei... I'm not the kind of foolish villain who gives her enemy a chance to fight back."
"Therefore..."
Her figure suddenly grew massive. "Since my main body cannot swallow you directly, I'll let this Spawn of mine use you as nourishment!"
"Let's see if another strange thing comes out of this!"
You could only say that ignorance was a blessing.
Even now, Kali had no idea what kind of monstrous creature she had created before.
That's why she was still brave enough to "try again."
Crack
The Spawn's body, now a giant, stood on the ice. The surface groaned and cracked under its weight.
But Kali paid no mind to that.
She lifted a hand and seized the crystal coffin. As if taking a pill, she tossed her head back and...
Gulp
The entire crystal coffin slid down her throat.
After doing this, the giant "Kali" sat down cross-legged and stopped moving.
She was waiting for something.
Suddenly...
Buzz
"Here it comes!"
In a certain underwater area, Kali, who had already withdrawn her remote projection of consciousness, showed an expectant expression on her face.
She then indirectly linked to another "Spawn" on the Antarctic continent, using its vision to look at the massive "giant" dozens of meters tall.
At this moment, the latter remained seated.
But after only a few seconds...
Buzz
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...
The eerie energy fluctuations... the commotion it caused grew larger and more obvious.
Kali was clearly observing remotely and indirectly, not even projecting her main consciousness, just simply linking to the vision of a certain "Spawn."
But the eyes of her main body still widened subconsciously.
Her excited expression was written all over her face.
Finally...
Boom!
The "giant" sitting on the Antarctic continent exploded into a pile of fragments.
"Hmm?"
Kali's main body frowned.
It wasn't like this last time.
Last time, when she "ate" the severed arm, it immediately began to undergo physical disintegration.
But this blood-red firework...
"Could it be related to that crystal coffin?" Kali wondered.
Obviously, she was overthinking it.
Because it was just an ordinary crystal coffin prepared by Otto.
This time, the "Fool" really hadn't tampered with anything.
In his view, although he only had limited information and clues and could only guess at the current situation without being able to fully confirm its truth... Raiden Mei, who seemed to have already stepped onto the Path of Nihility, was herself the most terrifying time bomb.
This meant he didn't need to do anything superfluous.
If he had actually done something, it might have backfired.
Otto clearly knew how to utilize any form of "resource."
And now...
"!!!"
When the blood rain fell after the violent explosion, Kali indirectly saw... that figure.
Raiden Mei.
She had awakened on her own.
At this moment, one-armed, she stood atop a small "True Mountain of Corpses," holding a sword in her single hand, her expression utterly bewildered.
"I... Where am I?"
In this moment, she felt as if she had just woken from a very long... nightmare.
The nightmare began with her and Dr. Tesla aboard the Helios-class transport, returning once again to Nagazora, the city of her memories. (Note: This refers to the Lament of the Fallen period.)
Back then, to save Kiana, whose life was fading as her body was consumed by excessive Honkai Energy, she chose to become the Herrscher of Thunder once more.
Then, to reform the Herrscher Core and remove the Gem of Conquest from Kiana's body to lighten her burden, she resolutely merged with her other consciousness...
She was no longer just herself.
Or more accurately: she was no longer only herself.
The gentle person she used to be became someone who mocked and ridiculed others, her words laced with hostility.
She never cooked for anyone again.
Just like... her "original" self, the young miss of the ME Corporation, whom others had given the imposing nickname "Raiden Queen."
Until today...
"..."
At this moment, Raiden Mei lowered her head and instinctively tried to sheathe her sword. The empty feeling that followed made her realize her left arm had disappeared.
But along with it, the other consciousness that was supposed to have merged with her body had also vanished.
She remembered her battle with the Class Monitor at sea.
She remembered everything that had happened before that.
And... that person.
And everything he (Ling Ke) had done.
Then, she recalled the "curse" currently placed upon her.
"As long as I get within a 13 kilometer radius of Kiana's location, I will become the Herrscher of Thunder of this era, a killing machine that has not been blessed by Elysia."
Raiden Mei murmured this fact.
To be honest, her current feelings were extremely complicated.
Because now, she couldn't imagine that she had previously said such cruel words to someone she owed a debt to:
"If only I had never met you that day."
It could be said that the "curse" on her body appeared because of this.
Before this, things hadn't gotten this bad.
Though it sounded like speaking in hindsight...
If it were her present self... she truly couldn't bring herself to say such harsh words.
Especially in front of that person (Ling Ke).
But now, it was too late for any words.
At this moment, having reverted to her old "cooking lady" personality by some strange twist of fate, Raiden Mei began to seriously think about what her current self should do. What was the best course of action?
Continue to survive in hiding and protect Kiana?
No, that was just an excuse.
After a long while...
"As expected..."
Her heart reached an answer, "The best outcome is for me to no longer exist."
"It's best for everyone!"
She murmured to herself.
Then, she looked toward a certain direction nearby, "I know you're here."
"I also know that what came here isn't your main body."
"Come out!"
"You don't have to trust me anymore, and I have no right to even ask for such a favor."
"I just... have some things I want to say to you," Raiden Mei shouted loudly.
After a long moment...
"..."
Kali remotely controlled one of her "Spawn," causing it to take the form of her original body that she had already lost.
She appeared in front of Raiden Mei.
Seeing this ordinary-looking little girl, standing barefoot in the snow...
"I'm sorry."
Raiden Mei bowed her head and apologized with a sincere bow.
However, seeing her like this...
"Are you joking?"
Kali's voice, transmitted indirectly, was freezing. "Do you think a single "I'm sorry" can make up for this?"
"Do you think a bow is a universal solution?"
Hearing this...
"I didn't think so."
"Please do not misunderstand."
Raiden Mei slowly looked up, her expression earnest. "I apologized to you just now because I felt I should do it, not because I thought doing so would earn your forgiveness."
Without waiting for Kali to respond, she continued: "Next, I need to apologize to another person."
"I hope... no, I beg you to grant me this time."
"One last time."
"After this, if I can still return, I will come to find you on my own..."
"And atone with my life!"