Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

"No matter the cost, I will bring Kiana back."

Inside the cabin, Raiden Mei's rapid breathing mingled with the roar of the fighter jet.

She gripped the armrest of the seat tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. The lightning element overflowing from her palms moved like venomous snakes, scorching fine marks on the metal surface and sending up wisps of white smoke.

The red warning light above her head flickered on and off, casting an unpredictable glow on her pale face, making her look like a shattered oil painting.

Memories surged like a raging tide, carrying the sweet, pungent smell of blood. The blood-red sunset of Izumo seemed to be right before my eyes, the setting sun like blood, dyeing the entire sky a terrifying crimson.

The image of Furibas's smile is still vivid in my mind; that girl with curved eyebrows and eyes, who would reveal two adorable fangs when she smiled.

After training, she would always offer me sweet spring water with a shy smile, her hair still glistening with beads of sweat that shimmered in the setting sun.

But on the blooming spider lilies by the blade, she saw the moment when Jingye's wielded blade mercilessly pierced her chest, and it felt as if warm blood splattered like a fountain onto Raiden Mei's face.

Furibas's smile froze into an eternal nightmare, his pupils gradually lost focus, and the last glimmer of life vanished from his eyes.

As her mother lay dying, her blood-stained hand trembled as she touched her cheek, as if trying to say something, but ultimately fell limply, the warmth of life quickly dissipating from her fingertips.

When Ms. Himeko fell, cherry blossoms fluttered down, only to be stained a glaring red by the splattered blood. That scene was deeply imprinted on her soul.

At that time, she was as weak as a candle in the wind, and could only watch helplessly as her loved ones became sacrifices, giving their lives to give her the chance to defeat the demons.

"Not this time."

She whispered almost obsessively to the whistling wind in her ears. The stigmata throbbed wildly beneath her skin, as if a raging fire was burning in her veins, bringing excruciating, tearing pain.

"No one will die because of me again." Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a resolute determination to burn his bridges.

Kiana's stubborn face involuntarily appeared before her eyes, that girl who always ran towards her full of energy, like a warm little sun, illuminating her dark world.

At this moment, Kiana was trapped in the Schicksal headquarters, her life hanging in the balance, and she was suffering inhuman torture. Thinking of this, Raiden Mei's heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand.

The fighter jet trembled violently as it broke through the thick clouds. Ahead, the floating warships of the Destiny Headquarters resembled lurking beasts, their massive bodies blotting out the sky and the sun. Their metallic hulls gleamed with a cold, eerie blue in the dim light.

Raiden Mei slowly rose to her feet, her combat boots slamming heavily onto the ground with a dull thud. The sword in her hand hummed and vibrated uneasily, as if sensing its master's fighting spirit.

The lightning rapidly ascended along the blade, forming a ring of dancing lightning around the edge.

She suddenly remembered Theresa's words: before Kiana was kidnapped, she had accessed forbidden information about Sirin in the Destiny Database.

Perhaps what Schicksal headquarters wants Kiana to do is something related to the Herrscher.

The name Herrscher was like a sharp dagger, instantly piercing her nerves, setting off alarm bells in her mind, and sending countless terrifying speculations through her thoughts.

"Whatever your motives,"

Her voice was as cold as ancient ice, filled with a chilling killing intent, "If you want to touch my companions, you'll have to ask me first!"

The hatch slowly opened, and a gust of wind carrying a heavy metallic sheen rushed out.

Raiden Mei took a deep breath, feeling the surging power in her chest. The moment she stepped out of the cabin, lightning surged around her, converging into a dazzling purple meteor that crashed down with overwhelming force towards the perilous and unknown steel cage.

Raiden Mei has already lost Furibas once in Izumo, and she cannot repeat the same mistake this time.

Moreover, the demons of Takamagahara were so ferocious and terrifying that they couldn't even protect the entire Izumo Province without sacrificing the lives of Furibas, his mother, and Himeko.

The world isn't facing an apocalyptic crisis yet, and I don't know why Schicksal headquarters kidnapped Kiana. Raiden Mei absolutely cannot allow it!

However, when facing the Schicksal headquarters, Raiden Mei still found herself in an unexpected situation.

To her utter surprise, even with lightning combined with her Iaijutsu, she still couldn't break through the headquarters' defenses.

Her gaze was fixed on Jing Ye on the ship, and her mocking smile was as expected.

What angered Raiden Mei even more was that she still couldn't change the fate of those around her getting hurt—

In order to find a way to break through the defenses, Himeko ventured to the surface alone, risking her life.

Jingye's smile told her that Himeko's journey would definitely not be safe.

Chapter 152 The Dying Princess

The fighter jet we were in bounced and lurched through thick, inky clouds, the roar of the engine making the cabin walls vibrate.

Jing Ye leaned lazily against the cabin wall, his silver pocket watch nimbly turning between his fingers. The watch chain coiled and loosened like a snake, reflecting a series of dazzling arcs in the dim cabin.

The cabin reeked of engine oil, and the air felt compressed by an invisible weight, creating a suffocating atmosphere, like the unsettling calm before a storm.

The alarm lights flashed red intermittently, staining the surrounding metal surfaces an ominous blood color.

Footsteps approached from afar, the crisp sound of metal boot heels striking the cabin like the drumbeats of death, each sound crashing heavily onto the taut nerves of Raiden Mei and Jingye, shattering the suffocating silence.

Raiden Mei's slender figure emerged from the shadows, her combat uniform billowing slightly from the exertion. The katana at her waist gleamed with a chilling red light, and the lightning patterns entwined around the hilt flickered with her breath, like lurking thunder.

The rope binding the hilt was crumpled from her grip, and the katana hummed incessantly in the oppressive atmosphere, as if it too was angry about the impending confrontation.

"Relax, your nervousness won't save Kiana."

Jing Ye's nonchalant voice, laced with a sickening sarcasm, drifted from the depths of the shadows. His deliberate gaze, like a poisoned arrow, pierced precisely into Raiden Mei's suddenly tense back.

Raiden Mei paused, the surging lightning around her instantly becoming violent, her hair standing on end due to static electricity, and the metal pipes behind her clanging and rattling from the invisible force.

She slowly reached out and pressed down on the hilt of the katana, her fingertips tracing the cool hilt. Suddenly, she pulled the katana half a foot out of its sheath. The electric light dancing on the blade as it was drawn made the mocking smile on Jing Ye's lips even more dazzling, revealing even the slightest hint of malice in his eyes.

Jing Ye raised his hand, gesturing for her to look out the porthole. The massive outline of the Destiny headquarters was faintly visible under the dark clouds, like a sleeping steel behemoth.

The anti-aircraft gun array surrounding the building glowed with a ghostly blue light, and the dense energy matrix appeared and disappeared in the clouds, exuding a powerful deterrent force.

His gaze swept over Raiden Mei's tense face, as if admiring a fine work of art, his tone full of provocation.

"Do you think, with your current strength, you can break through all the defenses and rescue Kiana?"

Raiden Mei gripped her katana tightly, the rope binding her thumb and forefinger leaving red marks on the hilt, her nails digging deep into her palms, almost piercing her skin.

The blood-red sunset over Izumo, the empty eyes of Furibas, the trembling hands of my mother before her death—countless images flashed through my mind.

I could almost hear the heavy thud of Himeko-sensei falling again.

She knew this rescue mission was fraught with peril, but even so, she would never back down.

"Even if it means death, I will bring her out."

Her voice was deep and firm, each word seeming to burst forth from a burning chest, carrying a resolute determination.

Upon hearing this, Jingye turned his pocket watch. As the watch case opened and closed, what he saw was the image of Raiden Mei in despair and collapse.

A girl kneeling and weeping; a white-haired guardian of the River of Oblivion who watched his companion die covered in blood, yet could only desperately and alone wield his sword…

Those images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

"The feeling of helplessness time and time again, watching the most important person in my life fall into the abyss before my eyes,"

He took a step forward, the oppressive aura emanating from him clashing violently with the lightning coiled around Raiden Mei's katana, creating crackling, tiny electrical currents.

"That's the most interesting part, isn't it? The more you struggle, the sweeter the final despair."

His gaze was wild and excited.

"I look forward to the despair you will experience next."

Jingye's eyes were filled with anticipation. He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, a greedy smile curving his lips, like a beast waiting for a feast to begin, ready to enjoy the cruel drama that was about to unfold, a drama that would destroy Raiden Mei's beliefs.

The fighter jet trembled violently under the churning clouds, and the piercing red light of the sirens, like waves of blood, washed over the cold metal walls inside the cockpit.

The moment the hatch burst open, a gust of wind rushed in like a ferocious beast, whipping Raiden Mei's combat suit into the air.

She stood on the bridge, her katana poised to strike, the lightning swirling around its edge as if it were about to burst forth at any moment.

As the chilling blade of light tore through the thick clouds and touched the energy barrier surrounding the Destiny Headquarters, blinding sparks exploded like meteors. Raiden Mei felt a metallic taste rise in her throat. She bit her lower lip hard, the taste of rust mixed with blood filling her mouth, her nails digging deep into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped welts.

The Iaijutsu I stole from Jingye was supposed to be a killer move to break through defenses—the moment the blade was drawn, lightning would gather and strike the target with overwhelming force.

However, at this moment, the blade seemed to fall into a viscous asphalt abyss, and the ripples on the surface of the barrier were like the wave-like scales of a giant beast, completely dissipating the full force of her slash.

Her temples throbbed, uncontrollable lightning raged wildly around her, her hair stood on end due to static electricity, and the skin beneath her combat suit was stung numb by the electric current.

She recalled how Jing Ye's blade was always drawn with perfect precision, as if it were part of his own body; that control seemed innate.

If he possessed his skill, perhaps he could tear through this barrier right now and perhaps rescue Kiana, who is trapped deep within the headquarters... Unfortunately, it's all just wishful thinking.

The katana hummed with resentment in her hand. Raiden Mei took a deep breath and channeled all the power within her body into the blade.

In an instant, the lightning in the sky seemed to be summoned and gathered together, condensing into a dazzling blade of light, the light even overshadowing the waning sun that was faintly visible behind the dark clouds.

The light blade, carrying a world-destroying momentum, crashed into the barrier. The entire sky was dyed a dazzling silver-white, and amidst the deafening roar, even the distant clouds were shaken and distorted by the shockwave.

However, when the light faded, the energy barrier remained intact, without even a crack.

Raiden Mei knelt heavily on one knee, panting heavily. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth onto the metal floor, spreading into dark red flowers.

Her combat suit was scorched to shreds by the electric current, and her katana had developed tiny cracks, trembling slightly in the wind.

The air around us seemed to freeze, with only the howling wind echoing in our ears, like a cruel mockery of fate.

Kiana was still deep within the headquarters, her fate unknown, yet she couldn't even break through this line of defense. An unprecedented sense of powerlessness overwhelmed her completely.

"Mea Yi..."

Theresa's voice suddenly came through the communicator, filled with undisguised worry and exhaustion.

"Stop wasting your energy. This barrier is so strong that even a Herrscher at their peak couldn't break it with a full-force attack. Although you possess the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, you haven't fully mastered it yet. If you continue like this, you'll be devoured by the power..."

Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Raiden Mei's violent coughing. Her hand trembled as she reached for the communicator, wanting to say something, but she only spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with lightning.

The leaden-gray clouds, like ink stirred by an invisible giant hand, surged and raged overhead, cutting the massive outline of the Destiny Headquarters into jagged shadows.

Lightning flashes in the distance briefly illuminated the dense array of cannon muzzles and energy matrices on the building's surface, resembling the ferocious scales of a lurking beast.

Raiden Mei knelt on one knee on the scorching metal ground, the soles of her combat boots rubbing against the hot surface, emitting a burnt smell.

Her katana was deeply embedded beside her, the blade trembling and emitting a resentful hum, the thunder pattern decoration wrapped around the tsuba bursting with tiny sparks of electricity with each vibration.

On the ship, Jing Ye leaned against the cabin door, his silver pocket watch drawing a cold arc between his fingers, the watch chain coiling and loosening like a snake.

His gaze was like a poisoned arrow, precisely aimed at her bleeding lips.

That mocking smile was like frozen ice crystals, the angle of the upturned corners of his mouth perfectly precise.

Just as he had witnessed her despair hundreds of times in countless foreseen futures, he locked all her resentment and struggles into the predictable script.

Salty, fishy blood dripped down his chin, spreading dark red spots on the metal floor.

Raiden Mei bit her lower lip hard, the taste of rust mixed with blood coming from between her teeth, and her gums started to ache from the force.

The stigmata beneath the combat suit burned like branding irons, but the pain paled in comparison to the rage surging in his chest.

At this moment, everything shattered into sharp glass in Jing Ye's smile, piercing her heart, each breath accompanied by a sharp, stabbing pain.

“Why…” she managed a broken whisper, her vocal cords hoarse from straining.

His knuckles were clenched until they turned white, and the bulging veins resembled gnarled tree roots. Lightning crackled uncontrollably in his palms, creating tiny arcs of electricity that ionized the surrounding air with a crackling sound.

What made her blood boil and her reason nearly collapse was the inescapable tragic fate.

The warmth of Himeko's pat on the shoulder before she left still lingered on her skin. That touch of warmth and the promise of "wait for my news" now felt like a guillotine hanging over her head, reminding her of the impending danger with every heartbeat.

In order to break through this impenetrable defense, Himeko ventured deep into the ground alone, turning herself into bait and stepping into the trap that Kageyo had carefully laid.

Raiden Mei knew that what awaited Himeko on the ground was a desperate situation with a slim chance of survival.

Jing Ye slowly turned the pocket watch, the clicking sound of the cover opening and closing was particularly jarring in the deathly silence, like a countdown to death.

The upward curve of his lips, like a slowly descending scalpel, precisely pierced through Raiden Mei's last psychological defenses.

Without a word, that smile silently proclaimed: Himeko's journey was destined to be one of no return.

He even hummed a tuneless tune, his leisurely demeanor a stark contrast to Raiden Mei's disheveled state.

Those eyes reflected Raiden Mei's angry yet desperate expression, as if she were watching a meticulously choreographed drama.

“Enjoy it slowly,” Jing Ye said, wiping away imaginary dust with his sleeve. His tone was so gentle, as if he were coaxing a child, with a pleasant tremor at the end of his voice.

"Your nightmare has only just begun."

As he spoke, he raised his pocket watch to the sky, and a blurry image appeared on the inside of the watch cover—Himeko was cautiously stepping into an area filled with red light on the ground.

Time flowed slowly in a suffocating silence. Raiden Mei huddled beside the cold metal wreckage, the sharp edges digging painfully into her ribs.

The katana rested horizontally on his lap, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the worn raimon pattern on the tsuba, the metal surface already stained with dark marks from cold sweat.

The distant roar of machinery mingled with suppressed thunder, and each tick of the second hand felt like a heavy hammer blow to her taut nerves.

The outline of the Destiny headquarters was faintly visible in the rolling dark clouds, and the protective shield emitted an eerie blue light, like the half-open eye of a giant beast, silently mocking her futile efforts.

Raiden Mei's gaze was fixed on the impenetrable barrier. The stigmata burned beneath her skin, causing fine beads of blood to appear, a reminder of her dwindling power.