Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

She had to suppress the surging anger within her. Every feigned approach to Jing Ye, every forced smile, was like rubbing salt into her wounds. The excruciating pain nearly drove her to the brink of collapse, but she had no other choice.

In order to uncover the truth and protect her companions, she had no choice but to bury her true feelings deep inside and continue to pretend in this dangerous drama.

The corridor was eerily quiet in the dead of night, with only her footsteps echoing in the empty space, producing hollow and muffled sounds.

As she passed Kiana's room, she faintly heard worried voices coming from inside. Her steps involuntarily faltered, her body trembled slightly, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She knew that Kiana was worried about her, that it was her friend's heartfelt concern. However, she could only force back the tears that were about to spill from her eyes.

She knew better than anyone that once the truth was revealed, Kiana would rush to the front without hesitation, Theresa would devise a plan, and Bronya would analyze the data tirelessly...

But they had no idea how powerful and terrifying the enemy they were about to face was.

Raiden Mei didn't want them to see the despairing black sun that Izumo once faced.

Therefore, she had to find out from Jing Ye what other terrifying beings were involved this time.

Raiden Mei clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. The pain came from her fingertips, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

She couldn't let everyone be put in danger, and she couldn't let the Hyperion become a second battlefield filled with bloodshed and destruction.

Even though her heart was filled with torment, even though she felt as lonely and helpless as a lone boat in the dark, she could only bear it all alone, cautiously groping her way forward in the darkness, silently waiting for the moment of dawn.

The morning sunlight streamed through the bridge windows, shading the control panel into a grid of light and shadow.

Raiden Mei's fingers trembled slightly as she gripped the knife, the blade scraping against the velvet with a soft, grating sound. The metallic surface reflected the deep dark circles under her eyes.

Do you know what a Herrscher is?

A deep, unexpected voice, carrying a warm breath, brushed past her ear, startling her so much that her fingers tightened sharply.

The knife slipped uncontrollably, its sharp edge cutting a half-inch long wound in the palm of the hand. Blood beads meandered down the grooves of the blade, pooling into a small pool of blood on the workbench.

Jing Ye leaned down without her noticing, his unique scent enveloping her. His face, which always wore a mocking expression, was now so close that she could see the reflection in his eyes.

Raiden Mei whirled around, her lower back slamming heavily against the edge of the control panel. The knife creaked as she gripped it, but froze the moment her eyes met Keiya's.

Memories surged like a raging tide, bursting through the floodgates. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the sky above Changkong City, and dark red lightning, like giant pythons, tore through the clouds, engulfing the entire city in an apocalyptic crimson.

The classroom windows shattered into dust in the sonic boom. She watched as her hands uncontrollably burst forth with lightning, and the desks were lifted into the air by energy vortexes. Chalk dust and wood chips floated in the air currents, forming eerie nebulae.

The scream emanating from his throat was crushed into a piercing electric shock by the thunder, leaving only a charred human silhouette embedded in the mottled cement wall.

"What do you want to say?"

Her voice sounded like it was squeezed out from between rusty gears, her knuckles were white from excessive force, and the old wound on her hand was itchy from being soaked in cold sweat.

Raiden Mei recalled the world she lived in, and the scenes she witnessed back then.

Hordes of Honkai beasts surged through the streets of Changkong City like a black tide, while the steel beams of collapsing skyscrapers pierced the sky like thorns. This scene eerily overlapped with images from the depths of my memory.

She heard the chattering of her own teeth, mixed with the increasingly clear whispers of the Herrscher of Thunder in her ears.

The concrete building collapsed in her memory, shards of glass rained down on the crowd like hail, and her body floated uncontrollably into the air, transforming into fluttering butterflies in the energy storm, while lightning condensed into a hundred-meter-long blade at her fingertips.

When the lightning bolt, powerful enough to tear space apart, struck, the terrified faces of many students and even members of the public were distorted and deformed in the light, finally freezing into charred silhouettes, forever imprinted in the depths of her nightmare.

She staggered backward, her back hitting the cold bulkhead with a dull thud.

It felt like there was a barbed wire stuck in my throat, and every breath brought on a churning pain in my chest.

The lives she had ended with her own hands, the desperate cries, flooded her mind like a tidal wave, engulfing her in endless regret and fear.

Raiden Mei's back was pressed tightly against the cold cabin wall, the chill of the metal surface seeping into her bones through her combat suit, as if trying to freeze her entire body.

The lingering sensation from when she brushed Jing Ye away still lingered on her fingertips. At that moment when their skin touched, the faint, almost imperceptible, Honkai energy within him trembled, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, making her nerves taut like a string.

Honkai energy was flowing along the intricate metal patterns on the control panel, shimmering with an eerie dark purple under the glow of the holographic projection. In a daze, it seemed to overlap with the blood mist that permeated the ruins of Changkong City in her memory, and the pungent smell seemed to penetrate time and space and enter her nostrils.

She stared intently at Jing Ye, her throat tightening, each swallow accompanied by a tearing pain.

Memories of Izumo come rushing in like a surging tide, carrying with them blood and gore.

On the battlefield, amidst the torrential rain, the moment she wielded her katana to cleave through the demons, the splattered black blood seared her skin.

The demon army on the battlefield surged forward, stepping over the corpses of their comrades, and the stench was nauseating.

Those nights spent battling demons, each clash of blades accompanied by the despair of life and death, were even more unsettling to her than facing Jing Ye directly now.

In the blood-red mist of flashing swords, the demons' distorted faces, their irrational madness, and their cruelty in tormenting living beings far surpassed the scenes of the rampaging Herrscher in Changkong City that she remembered.

Compared to the demons of Izumo, the Herrschers don't seem to be the most terrifying threat.

Raiden's clothes and boots unconsciously crunched over the dried scabs on the ground, making a soft, rustling sound, as if it were the sound of her broken thoughts.

Jing Ye's raised eyebrows and his meaningful question, "Do you know about the Herrscher?" felt like sharp steel needles piercing her mind, forming a deafening alarm bell.

The pitch-black universe outside the window suddenly became grotesque and terrifying. Countless stars twinkled in the darkness, like peering eyes, as if each one was gestating a calamity powerful enough to tear the world apart.

Her nails dug deep into her palms, the pain briefly bringing her back to her senses, forcing her to recall every subtle movement of Jing Ye.

What flashed across his eyes was not the usual mockery, but a complex emotion that bordered on pity.

"It's not a matter of strength..."

Raiden Mei's fingernails dug deep into her palms, piercing her leather gloves, and blood seeped out between her fingers, spreading into tiny red plum blossoms on the metal workbench.

The blood clots under her combat boots cracked softly under the pressure, as if her shattered past was groaning beneath her feet.

The stars in the deep sky outside the window suddenly became illusory, and those distant points of light, illuminated by the blue light of the cabin, resembled memories blurred by tears.

The scenes of battle that had taken place in Izumo became increasingly clear.

Raiden Mei could clearly feel that the debris kicked up by the demons' sharp teeth crushing mountains on the battlefield in the torrential rain was like a black downpour, much stronger than the lightning she had unleashed as a Herrscher in her memories.

“Strength or weakness is never an excuse.”

Her voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against metal, each word carrying a tearing pain.

Memories flashed back like a rewind to the blood-red sunset of Changkong City, where alarms and cries intertwined to form a symphony of despair.

She hovered above the ruins, and uncontrolled lightning blades fell. The lightning reflected in the eyes of the people below was more painful to the heart than the fangs of any demon.

The screams of countless innocent people pierced her consciousness, dragging her into an endless abyss of nightmares. Even after she regained control of her body, the lingering burnt smell on her palms never left her, and every time she closed her eyes, she could see those faces swallowed by lightning emerging in the darkness.

Jing Ye watched with great interest as her chest heaved violently, her military boots scraping against the dried blood on the ground with a sticky dragging sound.

His fingertips flickered across Raiden's blank, dazed face, sending ripples through the air. A hissing sound, like a viper flicking its tongue, echoed in the silent cabin.

"It seems you've finally realized—what's even more terrifying is the inevitability of the Herrscher's birth."

A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips, and the shadow behind him twisted into a grotesque shape against the bulkhead.

"The Herrscher of Thunder in Changkong City has fallen, but the next Herrscher of Ice and Herrscher of Wind will awaken one morning, just like the endless demons of Izumo. Every dawn is the prelude to disaster."

Raiden Mei suddenly looked up, her pupils blazing with suppressed rage, and the blood vessels in the whites of her eyes resembling a spider web.

She understood this fate, of course. In Izumo, even if the most powerful demon was killed, new demons would still crawl out of the blood mist the next morning, and the stench of decay would permeate the entire place.

Now, facing the Herrscher is merely a change of battlefield from an ancient shrine to this city of steel giants, and she remains the one who must wield the sword, a warrior burdened with sin and redemption.

"I won't run away anymore."

The blade she gripped whirred, its edge reflecting Jing Ye's distorted image and her resolute gaze.

"Whether it's the demons of Izumo or the Herrschers of the mortal world, anything that threatens the lives of the people..."

"If it's that knife..." she murmured to herself, her voice trembling slightly.

His palms unconsciously caressed the hilt of the knife, as if he could feel the interplay of cold and heat from the blade when he once held the "Red Spider Lily".

That blade, forged from the countless humiliations and sorrows she, her mother, and her teacher Himeko, unleashed crimson blossoms with every swing.

Where the petals fell, the enemies' cries of agony and pleas for mercy were extinguished along with them.

Against a Herrscher, such power could easily tear through their defenses.

However, every single spider lily blooming on the blade was nurtured by her blood and tears.

The one sacrificed was her most trusted friend, Furibas. The girl who always bandaged her wounds when she was hurt and gave her a warm hug when she was lost gave her a final smile, her eyes filled with reluctance and determination.

She would always remember that full moon night, the moment she finally grasped the "red spider lily," and the wild laughter that came from the depths of the shrine.

"Mei, live on..." Furibas's voice, mixed with the sound of chains breaking, turned into a wisp of smoke and dissipated into the night sky.

At that moment, the blade in her hand blossomed into the first enchanting spider lily.

Raiden Mei suddenly snapped back to reality, the stinging pain from her old wounds, where her nails dug deep into her palms, spreading down her spine made her tremble all over.

She looked up at Jing Ye, whose faint smile, under the red warning lights, twisted into the fangs of a viper. That smile held a silent mockery and accusation.

Are you willing to pay that price again?

It was as if he could see through the struggle deep in her soul, and laid bare the questions that haunted her heart.

Her temples throbbed, and the images of Furibas, Teacher Himeko, and her mother vanishing overlapped with Jingye's smile.

The price of power, the sacrifice of friends, the threat of the Herrscher—all the heavy shackles weighed on his shoulders.

The red warning lights cast distorted shadows on the bulkhead, cutting Jing Ye's smile into countless sharp fragments.

Raiden Mei's teeth almost pierced her lower lip; the salty, metallic taste of blood spread across her tongue, but it couldn't compare to the bitterness surging in her heart.

She stared intently at the smile flickering in his eyes, as if an invisible hook was pulling out her most secret guess—Jing Ye must know a way to gain power, just like he did back in Izumo.

Those memories crawled out from the depths of my heart like venomous snakes.

Jingye's skill in controlling the dosage was unparalleled; he deliberately ensured that Raiden Mei could maintain a sliver of consciousness even while in a state of confusion and delirium.

When her eyes were glazed over and her body swayed precariously, she was still being strictly disciplined and her posture and movements were being constantly corrected. This method of "painful teaching" pushed the resilience of human nature to its extreme.

And then there was that dramatic scene in front of her mother, where Raiden Mei was forced to learn Iaijutsu in front of her mother. The entire process, from concealment to revelation, brought tears streaming down Raiden Mei's face uncontrollably.

But Jing Ye remained unmoved, coldly directing the brutal sparring match. This psychological pressure was driving the mother and daughter to the brink of despair.

In the end, even Raiden Mei's mother couldn't escape and became a fighter. The sight of the mother and daughter practicing iaido together was unimaginably terrifying.

And that scene in front of Himeko-sensei and Furibas

Even though Himeko-sensei and Furibas stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with shock and anger, they were helpless against Jingye's overwhelming strength.

The third time, they were forcibly dragged to the square for "cultivation," in a place where they would be under the public eye for the hundred-day celebration.

Even in the quiet of the night, when no one was around, Jing Ye deliberately picked on their mistakes, making them repeat those difficult moves over and over again until their faces turned bright red. They wished they could disappear into the ground; their dignity was utterly crushed in that moment, and the feeling of being worse than dead was firmly under his control.

In the dark alleys of Izumo Province, Jingye once led her to kneel on sharp gravel for the sake of so-called "power," watching her companions being led around like dogs.

Finally, Jingye delivered the fatal blow to Raiden Mei by committing suicide.

She watched helplessly as her relatives and friends died one by one before her eyes, and the light in her eyes was instantly extinguished.

Even if she later defeated the eight million gods and demons of Takamagahara and saved Izumo Province, what difference would it make?

Her soul was already riddled with holes, utterly destroyed, leaving her like a walking corpse, a heartless puppet, devoid of any attachment to life.

The desperate look in her eyes, the shrill screams, and Jing Ye's indifferent gaze were deeply imprinted in her mind.

She endured humiliation, suffering unspeakable torment both physically and mentally. Every time she recalled those humiliating moments, she trembled and felt her stomach churn.

A sudden flashback to the cherry blossom trees at St. Freya Academy. Kiana, ice cream in hand, bounced towards her, cream smearing her hair; Bronya, clutching her game console, her eyes behind her glasses unusually gentle; Himeko leaned against a tree trunk, the afterglow of the setting sun shimmering in her wine glass. Those warm moments, lost and then regained, now felt like a scorching brand, repeatedly searing her heart.

"Impossible." Her voice mingled with the hum of the ship's tremors, and the screeching sound of her nails scraping against the hilt of her sword reminded her of the heart-wrenching pain of her last loss.

Those images haunt me like a nightmare, and every time I recall them, it's like tearing open a scabbed wound.

Jing Ye's smile grew even stronger, his figure flickering in and out of the alarm lights, like a demon from the abyss.

Raiden Mei suddenly straightened her back. The icy chill emanating from the metal bulkhead behind her paled in comparison to the cold light flashing in her eyes.

She recalled the final battle in Izumo, and the blessings from Furibas, her mother, and Himeko before they vanished, now quietly resting against her heart.

"I will not let history repeat itself."

"You must have another way!"

Raiden Mei's throat felt like it was stuck with barbed wire, her hoarse voice mixed with the shrill wail of an alarm.

Her bloodstained fingernails dug deep into Jing Ye's combat uniform collar; the sound of tearing fabric brought back a flood of sealed memories.

The despair in the eyes of his companions in Izumo, the excruciating pain of being pierced through, and the ambiguous smile on Jingye's face as he stood amidst the blood mist.

At this moment, these images overlapped with the face of the person in front of me, and anger surged through my veins like magma.

Jing Ye was knocked back slightly, and the stray hairs on his forehead fell down, casting a spiderweb-like shadow on his pale face.

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips brushing against Raiden Mei's cracked lower lip, drawing out tiny beads of blood.

"Raiden Mei, you are so adorably innocent."