Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

At this moment, Himeko's breathing grew weaker and weaker, Kiana's body temperature was fading, and the wheel of fate crushed her under the gears of "compromise," leaving her no room to struggle.

Raiden Mei bit her lower lip, the sweet, metallic taste of blood spreading in her mouth.

With each step, the combat boots left long tracks in the sand, marks of crushed dignity.

She knew that what awaited her ahead might be a deeper trap, a "deal" meticulously prepared by Jing Ye.

But as long as Himeko is still breathing, as long as Kiana's heart is still beating, even if it means falling into an abyss of no return, she can only sacrifice herself to this gamble.

When the Hyperion's silver-gray silhouette finally pierced through the thick, leaden clouds, Raiden Mei's knees could barely support the weight of the three of them.

Her combat boots left long trails of blood on the metal floor of the bridge, and the red light of the alarm lights flickered on her face like dancing flames, making Himeko's already pale face look even more eerie, as if shrouded in the shadow of death.

Kiana's fingertips were still twitching unconsciously, as if she were still trapped in the endless nightmare of fighting against the Herrscher, and every tremor tugged at Raiden Mei's heart.

"Mei! Kiana! Himeko!"

Amidst the turmoil of Kiana becoming the Herrscher of the Void, the battle between the Hyperion and Schicksal continued. Theresa and Bronya were thrown back onto the ship and then left. Unexpectedly, Raiden Mei was able to return.

However, now was clearly not the time to ask what had happened. Seeing Himeko and Kiana's miserable state, Theresa knew the predicament they were facing.

Although Raiden Mei wasn't in much better shape either, covered in blood and looking disheveled, she was still better off than those two dying people.

"Prepare the medical bay immediately!" Theresa's voice echoed in the empty bridge, tinged with an unusual panic.

She came running quickly with her short legs, her little face full of worry.

Behind her, medical personnel from Anti-Entropy rushed over with a stretcher.

Upon seeing the person from Anti-Entropy, Raiden Mei clenched her fists.

Even those who advocate anti-entropy might not be able to save them.

Although Raiden Mei knew that in the fierce battle with Sirin, Anti-Entropy's Titan forces tore a path to survival for them with their steel torrent, making her understand that Anti-Entropy was not all enemies, but also had people willing to fight to protect the world.

But looking at the anti-entropy medical staff in front of her now, those memories only exacerbated her inner conflict.

The potion that can temporarily suppress the Herrscher power within Kiana is the result of Tesla's painstaking efforts, and there is only one such potion in the entire world.

Himeko is now in grave danger, and Kiana's condition is not yet stable. Even if Anti-Entropy were to sincerely help, they would probably have exhausted all their options.

"no"

Raiden Mei's voice was cold and resolute. She took a half step back, pulling the two people in her arms even tighter.

"If Anti-Entropy had the ability to solve this, they would have done so when Kiana became a Herrscher. They probably can't do it now."

Theresa opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something more.

However, her words were interrupted by a sudden mechanical screeching sound from the bridge.

The automatic door of the medical pod slowly opened, and a cold, eerie blue light poured out from it, as if it were a summons from the abyss.

Jing Ye leaned against the door frame, his gaze sweeping over the three of them like a venomous snake, his eyes filled with mockery and an arrogant sense of control.

He slowly turned his pocket watch, the clicking of the gears jarring in the silence, each sound like a countdown to fate.

A meaningful smile curled at the corner of his lips, a smile that seemed to silently mock Raiden Mei's struggles and perseverance, yet also to welcome her—

Welcome back, Raiden Mei

"And welcome back these two you brought back as well."

Although Raiden Mei felt a chill run through her body the moment she saw Jingye, as if she were prey being watched, she still chose to hand Kiana and Himeko over to him.

Raiden Mei's action surprised Theresa, Tesla of Anti-Entropy, and Einstein. They hadn't expected Raiden Mei to be so decisive and ruthless, a stark contrast to her earlier protectiveness of Himeko and Kiana, refusing to hand them over.

"Wait! Who is this person?"

Tesla's fingers, like precise mechanical claws, furiously tapped on the control panel, the blue sparks illuminating her taut profile.

"There's absolutely no record of him in Anti-Entropy's intelligence network! Even the most secretive dark web should leave some clues!"

The holographic projection flickered in front of her, and a dense stream of data rolled rapidly, eventually turning into a glaring red "no matching result".

Einstein adjusted his round-framed glasses, his gaze behind the lenses like that of a precision instrument, scrutinizing Jing Ye warily.

"Now is not the time to discuss these things."

Raiden Mei's voice sounded like it was being squeezed from a broken chest, with a tearing hoarseness.

She stared at Himeko, whose consciousness was blurred, as Jingye took her away. The blood seeping from under her combat suit had already congealed, forming dark red lumps between their intertwined limbs.

Kiana's loose strands of hair brushed against the back of her bleeding hand, as soft as feathers, yet they caused her heart to clench painfully, reflecting the despair filling her red-rimmed eyes.

"Mei, leave this kind of thing to the professionals. Even if Jingye and you have a close relationship..."

Faced with Theresa's persuasion, Raiden Mei shook her head slightly, indicating that Theresa should trust Jingye.

If it were just to save them, Raiden Mei would be willing to fall into eternal damnation, let alone believe in those who believe in anti-entropy.

However, compared to reverse entropy, Raiden Mei, who had witnessed just how many tricks Keiya had up his sleeve in Izumo, was more willing to believe Keiya.

Jing Ye slowly buttoned up his cuffs, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, and steadily caught the two of them.

Raiden Mei suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with endless bitterness and despair.

Himeko's vital signs were declining every minute, and Kiana's Herrscher core could go out of control at any moment.

If it weren't for Jingye, Raiden Mei really wouldn't know who to rely on.

Raiden Mei's gaze fell on the tightly closed medical pod door. In Izumo, Jingye was like a mysterious chess player, making every move unexpected yet precisely controlling the situation.

He always appears at the most critical moment, resolving crises with seemingly malicious means.

Although his actions filled Raiden Mei with resentment, it is undeniable that he possesses abilities that are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Raiden Mei's feelings towards him were indeed complex. She hated his scheming and feared his methods, but she was also clear that if it was the mysterious Jingye, he would definitely have a way to create miracles.

She clenched her fist, her nails piercing the wound on her palm again. "To save them, I'm willing to risk everything, even if it means being shattered to pieces..."

A piercing buzzing sound suddenly tore through the deathly silence of the bridge, as if a rusty saw had brutally cleaved the stagnant air.

As the medical pod door slowly opened, cold white light, like liquid mercury, flowed out through the cracks, shattering the dark red alarm lights into eerie spots of light that cast distorted shadows on the pod walls.

Jing Ye leaned against the door frame, his shifting gaze like the flickering tongue of a venomous snake.

He slowly wrapped the pocket watch chain around his fingertips, the soft clinking of the metal chains sounding like Death plucking the strings of a musical instrument.

"Raiden Mei, want to come in and talk?"

His deliberately lowered voice carried a chilling tenderness, each word like a poisoned needle coated in sugar, the tremor at the end of the syllable precisely piercing the most vulnerable corner of the heart.

Raiden Mei's muscles tensed instantly, and her stigmata stirred restlessly beneath her skin, like magma surging beneath a thin crust.

She looked at the curve of Jing Ye's lips—a smile that resembled that of someone looking at a delicate toy about to be played with, full of condescending mockery.

The bandages under her combat uniform dug into her palms from the excessive force. She took a deep breath and gripped the katana even tighter. The scabbard scraped against the metal floor with a grating sound. Each step felt like stepping on her own heartbeat, producing a dull and heavy "thump, thump."

"Wait!" Theresa suddenly rushed forward, the Oath of Judah bursting with golden light in her hand, the patterns of the Holy Lance faintly appearing in the red light.

Her small face was full of vigilance. "What exactly do you want? Why did you only let Mei in?" Her voice carried the authority of someone who had been in a position of power for many years.

Jing Ye slowly turned the pocket watch, the clicking sound of the gears meshing echoing in the air like a death knell for the passage of time.

He looked up at Theresa, his gaze like a scalpel chilled to the bone, lightly sweeping across her taut face, the curve of his lips growing increasingly unrestrained.

That look seemed to say, "Don't worry, it'll be your turn soon."

The moment the cold gaze swept over her, Theresa felt like a specimen nailed to the spot, a chill running down her spine and making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Theresa's body stiffened uncontrollably. As the Valkyrie of Schicksal, she had endured over forty years of bloodshed and witnessed the brutality of Honkai Beasts and the oppressive power of Herrschers.

But at this moment, that gaze was like an invisible chain, trapping her in place, making it almost impossible for her to hold her weapon.

"how come……"

She screamed inwardly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

"I've witnessed so many life-or-death situations, why would I be..."

Raiden Mei keenly sensed the malice in Jing Ye's eyes, and the burning sensation of the stigma instantly spread throughout her body.

She knew Jing Ye's methods all too well and knew she absolutely couldn't let Theresa get involved in this crisis.

She placed her hands on Theresa's shoulders and said, "Trust me, I can handle this."

........................

I slept through yesterday and forgot to update. I'll catch up in a couple of days.

There seem to be a lot of fevers and colds lately. Everyone please take care of yourselves; many people around me are coughing and have fevers.

Chapter 157 Insects Currently Iam

Before Theresa could speak again, Raiden Mei resolutely turned around, her combat boots slamming heavily on the floor with a rapid, heavy thud.

The hatch slowly closed behind her, the cold metallic sound seemingly isolating her completely from the outside world.

The hum of the hydraulic system gradually faded away, leaving only a deathly silence.

Theresa stood frozen, staring at the closed hatch, her mind replaying Jing Ye's gaze.

What Theresa couldn't have imagined was that Jingye not only had experience as a general in Izumo, but even earlier, he had served as a general in the Grammer Empire.

Unbeknownst to her, the man before her had once risen to the rank of general in the Grammer Empire through an iron fist, and had led the empire against the insurmountable Zerg.

Even the most desperate and terrifying battlefields, the most unbearable enemies, are all turned into safe havens by Jing Ye's methods, whether it's the threat of an internal traitor or the approach of the Zerg.

Wherever Jing Ye's gaze fell, the insect swarms submitted and were annihilated, and the people of the empire, spanning thousands of miles, cheered for Jing Ye's name.

At that moment, the cold, white operating lights inside the medical pod suddenly blazed on, as if a sharp blade had cleaved through the darkness, casting a chilling halo over the surrounding metal equipment.

Like a sophisticated yet cruel cage, it silently tells the story of the life-or-death struggle unfolding here.

The mirror's reflection swept across Himeko and Kiana, who lay unconscious on the medical pod. Their bodies looked like lone boats adrift in a stormy sea, fragile and vulnerable.

Himeko was like a soulless shell; her once bright, beautiful, and powerful face was now withered and lifeless, like a withered leaf about to fall from a branch in late autumn.

The marks of the disease gemstone's corrosion covered her neck, spreading rampantly beneath her pale skin, relentlessly draining her last bit of life force every second.

Her chest barely rose and fell, her chapped lips were bluish-gray, and her breathing was so weak it was like a whisper. Every breath she took seemed like a final struggle against death, as if she would be completely snatched away by death in the next second.

Kiana's fingertips were still twitching unconsciously, and the light of the Herrscher core was faintly visible beneath her skin, as if accumulating destructive power that could erupt at any moment.

Large beads of cold sweat slid down her pale face, soaking her pillowcase. Her tightly furrowed brows showed that she was struggling in a painful nightmare.

Its appearance was both like a wounded little animal and a live volcano about to erupt, both heartbreaking and terrifying.

"I told you you would come back to me."

Jing Ye leaned against the control panel, slowly raising his eyes. His deep black eyes churned with the excitement of a predator, like two bottomless pools of icy water that could swallow a person whole in an instant.

When that gaze swept over Raiden Mei, it was with a chilling scrutiny, as if she were merely a commodity waiting to be sold.

Even if you know it's a trap, you'll still willingly push the person you cherish most into the tiger's mouth.

His leather shoes clattered across the metal floor of the medical pod, each step feeling like a beat against Raiden Mei's heartbeat. The approaching pressure made the air feel thick and heavy.

Raiden Mei hugged herself tightly, her nails digging deep into her arms, trying to stay awake through the stinging pain.

The stigmata throbbed wildly beneath her skin, like a ball of flame about to erupt, a reminder of her depleted strength.

She forced herself to straighten her back, looking directly into Jing Ye's calculating eyes. Her voice was low and cold, yet she couldn't hide a slight tremor: "Get to the point, can you save them?"

Her gaze kept glancing at her companion on the hospital bed, watching Himeko's frail and lifeless appearance.

Those eyes held regret for the past, and even more so, confusion about the unknown future.

Jing Ye suddenly chuckled, a laugh filled with endless mockery and greed.

He reached out, his movements gentle yet deadly, stroking Kiana's pale cheek like a viper's tongue, his fingertips hovering above the almost stagnant vein on Himeko's neck.

A greedy glint shone in his dark eyes, as if he had spotted his long-desired prey.

"I want more than just you, I want them too—Himeko, Kiana, I can't lose either of them."

He suddenly moved closer, his warm breath brushing against Raiden Mei's ear, his tone nauseatingly intimate. "You think sacrificing yourself will ensure their safety?"

Although Jingye didn't say it explicitly, Raiden Mei, who knew Jingye well, clearly understood that he meant:

“In my eyes, you are all perfect ‘collectibles’, and none of you can be missing.”

Raiden Mei's muscles were taut like a bowstring, but she could only bite her lower lip tightly, letting the taste of blood spread in her mouth.

Memories of being schemed against by Jing Ye flooded back like a tide, from her initial suspicion to being trapped by his plots time and time again, each scene piercing her heart.