Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

Even though she was prepared, when she saw Raiden Mei being pinned down by Jingye's iron-like arms in her blurry vision, and the cruel curve of Jingye's lips, like a demon from the abyss, she still felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Himeko and Kiana's struggles gradually became futile; their anger was like a flame extinguished by cold water, leaving only a heart full of despair churning within them.

They couldn't understand why their comrades, who had fought side by side and shared life and death, would stand with the enemy and point their knives at them.

Under Jingye's suppression, Raiden Mei could only swallow all her pain and grievances, her nails digging deep into her palms, leaving bloody marks on her skin. She silently endured the misunderstanding between the two.

Jing Ye suddenly released his grip on Raiden Mei, and the silver threads wrapped around her joints quickly retracted like snakes, emitting a fine buzzing sound as they retracted, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue into the ears of the three of them.

The cold lights inside the cabin flickered behind him, casting his shadow on the wall, making him look like a monstrous creature with bared fangs and claws.

"Next, you will arrange them into the starting position of the iaido formation yourself."

He slowly adjusted his cuffs, his voice carrying an undeniable sense of pressure, the last syllable drawn out, as if he were already certain that Raiden Mei would not dare to resist.

Raiden Mei stumbled and fell to the ground, her knees hitting the cold metal floor with a dull thud.

The stigmata glowed with a blinding purple light amidst his heavy breathing, meandering along the skin of his neck like burning chains.

She gazed at the curve of Jing Ye's lips—a curve identical to the one in the Izumo Kingdom's dojo, where he had smiled just like that, pressing a bloodstained knife against his mother's neck and against his own throat.

Memories flooded back like a tide, a mixture of the metallic smell of blood and the cloying sweetness of cherry blossoms, making her stomach churn.

Kiana opened her eyes wide, her eyes filled not with fear, but with heartache and confusion.

Her parched lips trembled slightly, leaving behind tiny streaks of blood.

“Mei… why?” Her voice was broken and hoarse, like torn silk.

On the battlefield, Raiden Mei had shielded her countless times, using her warm embrace to dispel her fear of the cold.

At that moment, however, that gentle figure was closing in step by step under the enemy's orders.

She tried to raise her hand, but her arm felt as heavy as lead, and it fell limply down after she had only lifted it half an inch.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks, dripping onto the pillow and leaving dark stains.

She looked at Raiden Mei's reddened eyes, but before she could speak, a new wave of helplessness washed over her, and she could only blink helplessly, her eyes filled with hurt and confusion.

Himeko clenched her teeth, blood seeping from her gums, and the veins on her neck bulged like twisted vines.

She struggled with all her might to get up, her knuckles turning white from the force, and the sheets were clenched into deep wrinkles.

But each struggle felt like sinking into a quagmire; the harder she tried, the more exhausted she became, until finally she could only fall heavily back onto the hospital bed.

"Mei, you were forced into this, weren't you..." Her hoarse voice was filled with bitterness and self-reproach. Before she could finish speaking, a new wave of helplessness washed over her, and she could only glare angrily at Jingye, her eyes seemingly spitting fire.

"Come at me if you dare! Don't use them as bargaining chips!"

Sweat soaked through her hair, dripping down her angular jawline and leaving dark stains on the sheets.

Raiden Mei's fingertips hovered over Himeko's shoulder, but at this moment she was about to personally twist the body of her friend and mentor into a humiliating position.

His fingernails dug deep into his palm, and blood dripped from between his fingers, blooming into dark red flowers on the floor.

As she bent over, her hair fell down, obscuring her tear-streaked face, but unable to hide the uncontrollable trembling of her body, each breath accompanied by suppressed sobs.

When she trembled as she grasped Kiana's wrist, the words "I'm sorry..." were torn into pieces by her choked sobs, stuck in her throat, turning into broken whimpers.

Jing Ye's satisfied laughter exploded above her head, like sharp steel needles piercing her eardrums.

She could only tremble as she pressed their fingers onto the knife hilts, each movement feeling like tearing her own soul apart, as if she were personally putting invisible shackles on them.

Himeko stared intently at Jingye's repulsive smiling face, a suppressed growl escaping her throat, the surging anger in her chest almost breaking through her weakened state.

Her gaze fell on her trembling hands, the dried scabs at her knuckles gleaming an eerie bluish-purple under the cold white light.

Those were scars left from her out-of-control battle with Kiana in her Herrscher form, but now they act like shackles, reminding her of her insignificance and powerlessness in the face of fate.

The medical pod was filled with the suffocating smell of disinfectant, mixed with the faint, cool fragrance emanating from Jing Ye, which acted as an invisible blunt instrument, striking everyone's nerves.

Himeko's thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to the past, the last clear image in her memory being Honkai energy rampaging wildly in her blood vessels, like thousands of poisonous insects gnawing at her internal organs.

But now, she lies in this cold medical pod, still clinging to life.

Her gaze swept over Raiden Mei, who was being forced to pose like Kiana. The girl's lowered eyes held a suppressed pain, which made Himeko feel a pang of bitterness in her heart.

Judging from Raiden Mei's seemingly submissive attitude towards Keiya, she most likely received some kind of help from Keiya.

But this "help" is absolutely not a reason for Jing Ye to be so arrogant and domineering, and to trample on their dignity at will!

"What on earth do you want to do?"

Himeko's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against metal, each word carrying the weariness and determination of someone who had crawled out of an abyss.

She struggled to sit up, but her elbows slipped on the smooth bed surface, and her upper body, which she managed to lift, fell heavily back down like a puppet with broken strings.

The violent movement triggered a fit of coughing, the taste of rust spreading in his mouth, and blood trickling down the corner of his mouth, blooming into a glaring red on the white sheets.

Raiden Mei's body trembled violently, her stigmata throbbed uneasily beneath her skin, and purple lightning snaked up her spine.

She bit her lower lip hard until she tasted blood, which slightly eased her inner turmoil.

She dared not meet those eyes that had once been full of trust and tenderness; she was afraid that disappointment and incomprehension would be like sharp blades, severing her last shred of resolve.

With trembling fingers, she gripped Himeko's hand like an iron clamp, pressing her back onto the hospital bed to prevent her from suffering further harm from moving.

The excruciating pain is nothing compared to even a fraction of the feeling of being pierced by a thousand arrows.

"Himeko-sensei..." Her voice was broken like a withered leaf in the wind, thick with nasal congestion and on the verge of bursting into tears, "I..."

Before Raiden Mei could finish speaking, Jingye looked down at Himeko, his pale fingers gently lifting her chin, the cold touch like a venomous snake's tongue.

"Your dignity is worthless in my eyes." He curled his lips into a sinister smile.

Kiana's vision blurred into a blur. She wanted to shout out Jingye's brutality, to use all her strength to push that despicable man away, but her body felt as if it were bound by invisible chains, unable to move even a finger.

Hatred surged like a tidal wave, engulfing her in an abyss of despair. All she could do was glare at Jing Ye with eyes full of resentment.

At that moment, Raiden Mei felt her soul being torn apart.

Every humiliating word from Jingye, every disappointed look from Himeko and Kiana, felt like a heavy boulder, making it hard for her to breathe.

She knew that every second she was doing was deepening her companions' misunderstanding of her, but seeing the two people on the hospital bed breathing steadily despite their weakness, she could only swallow all her pain and grievances and continue to play the role of the "traitor".

Kiana's eyelashes trembled violently, and her eyes snapped open, her once clear, deep blue pupils now filled with a profound, unsettling light.

An invisible spatial fluctuation spread out from her center, and the metal instruments in the medical pod began to float uncontrollably, twisting and deforming in mid-air, with a sharp, ear-piercing metallic friction sound.

When she awoke from the nightmare of the Herrscher going out of control, she thought she could find solace in Mei's warm embrace, but the comfort she expected turned into a colder blade that pierced straight into her heart.

She slowly raised her hand, causing ripples to spread through the surrounding space, as if reality were being torn apart. The Herrscher core within her body burst forth with light.

"Why... Why did this happen..."

Her voice became ethereal and cold, carrying an echo that did not belong to humanity. Large tears fell onto the pillow, but the moment they touched the golden-black light, they were broken down into starlight and dissipated into the air.

Mei's pupils contracted sharply, the golden-black light reflecting in her eyes, making the fear even more intense.

Seeing Kiana struggling in pain, an uncontrollable anger rose from the bottom of his heart.

She stared intently at Jing Ye, her eyes burning with fury.

Jing Ye crossed his arms, a contemptuous smile on his lips, his eyes full of mockery, but he made no response.

At that moment, the space in front of Kiana began to distort violently, energy gathered wildly, and a spear of sub-space exuding a terrifying aura gradually took shape.

However, before the Spear of Sub-Void could fully materialize, an overwhelming, invisible pressure suddenly erupted from Jing Ye's body.

The almost tangible Conqueror's Haki spread outwards in a ring shape.

The air was as thick as asphalt, and Himeko gasped for breath, feeling as if a burning iron ball was being stuffed into her chest.

Mei knelt heavily on one knee, her stigmata throbbing wildly under the impact of the force, and fine beads of blood appeared on her skin.

The condensed Void Spear trembled violently under the impact of the domineering aura. The golden and black energy disintegrated instantly, like smoke blown away by a gale, turning into specks of light that vanished into the air.

Kiana let out a painful groan, her body trembling uncontrollably, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

Kiana's body stiffened abruptly. The Herrscher power surging wildly within her seemed to be paused. The restless golden and black light trembled violently, but under the pressure of that gaze, it gradually fell silent like a tamed beast.

She clutched her head in agony, letting out a weak whimper, and the Spear of the Void disintegrated, turning into specks of light that vanished into the air.

Kiana collapsed onto the bed, her eyes regaining their clarity. Tears mingled with sweat, soaking her hair, and her gaze was filled with fear and confusion. She looked at her slightly trembling hands, as if they were the hands of a demon from hell.

Seeing this, Mei's anger was instantly replaced by shock.

Only then did she truly realize the terror of Jing Ye's methods; that domineering aura that could easily suppress the power of the Herrscher of the Void seemed like an insurmountable chasm.

She gritted her teeth, her nails digging deep into her palms, her heart filled with resentment and despair, yet she had no choice but to face reality.

In front of Jing Ye, their resistance seemed so insignificant.

"Don't bother struggling in front of me."

Jing Ye slowly walked up to Kiana, looking down at her.

His words, like ice and snow in the dead of winter, extinguished the last spark of resistance in the hearts of the three.

Kiana lay paralyzed on the bed, breathing heavily, her sweat-soaked hair sticking to her pale, paper-white face.

Her eyes held both anger at Jing Ye's brutality and resentment at her inability to change the situation.

After boiling, the Herrscher power, interwoven with gold and black, within her body fell into silence. She didn't know if it was out of a will to resist or because of the stimulation from everything Jingye had done to Himeko, Mei, and herself, but this power began to revive uncontrollably.

But Jingye's presence was like an unshakeable mountain, standing in her way.

"Don't you understand yet?"

Jing Ye's long, slender fingers gripped Kiana's chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. His voice was deep and cold, as if it came from the depths of hell.

"So what if she's the Herrscher of the Void? She's nothing but a lamb to the slaughter."

The cold glint in his eyes was like a poisoned dagger, piercing straight into Kiana's heart and shattering her remaining will to resist.

Jing Ye's domineering aura was like an impenetrable net, firmly binding her body.

Her limbs seemed to be bound by heavy chains, and she couldn't move even a single finger.

The Herrscher core, a blend of gold and black, throbbed futilely in her chest, each tremor accompanied by excruciating pain, as if mocking her weakness and powerlessness.

She was filled with despair. The confident woman who once vowed to protect everyone was now so pathetic.

Himeko gazed at the horrific scene, tears mingling with blood as they streamed down her face.

Her thoughts drifted back to her time at St. Freya Academy, where Kiana was as stubborn as a puffed-up kitten, always saying she could protect everyone.

At this moment, the proud girl was trapped in Jing Ye's oppressive cage, without even the right to resist.

"I'm sorry..." Kiana suddenly murmured, her voice as soft as a broken sigh.

Jing Ye's satisfied laughter echoed in the medical pod, filled with mockery and smugness.

He released her, and Kiana slumped down like a puppet with its strings cut, her eyes empty and lost.

Raiden Mei struggled to crawl to the hospital bed, grasped Kiana's cold hands, pressed her face against them, and tears streamed down her face: "I'm the one who should be apologizing..."

The air inside the medical pod seemed to be compressed by an invisible giant hand, becoming so viscous that it was almost solidified.

Himeko's chest heaved violently, each difficult breath accompanied by a sharp pain in her chest, and the metallic taste in her throat grew stronger.

Jing Ye simply stood there casually, yet the pressure emanating from his body was like a towering mountain, distorting and deforming the space. The metal equipment cabinet behind him took on an eerie curve, as if even steel was shrinking and trembling under this force.

Kiana stared intently at her uncontrollably trembling fingertips. The lingering warmth of the Herrscher's power, a golden-black glow, still burned beneath her skin, yet under Jing Ye's oppressive aura, she was as fragile as a candle in the wind.

Her pupils contracted slightly, her eyes filled with fear and disbelief, and her body trembled uncontrollably, as if bound by invisible shackles.

Every attempt to mobilize the power within her body was ruthlessly crushed by that overwhelming pressure. She finally realized that in front of Jing Ye, the power of the Herrscher was so vulnerable.

Himeko's gaze was fixed on Raiden Mei. The dark red marks on the girl's neck and the faint bruises under her combat uniform—those previously ignored wounds now pieced together a cruel truth.

Her Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and a wave of bitterness and guilt washed over her.

It turns out Mei didn't betray him; she had already fallen under Jingye's control and, in order to control Kiana's Herrscher power, had no choice but to seek help from this ferocious beast.

They traded freedom and dignity for temporary peace, but this also dragged the three of them into this humiliating and dangerous situation.

Jing Ye nodded slightly, his cold command carrying an oppressive aura that pierced the stagnant air.

Raiden Mei's knees slammed heavily against the alloy floor, making a dull thud.

She lowered her head, her hair falling to cover her reddened eyes, not daring to meet Himeko's heartache, nor daring to look directly at Kiana's shattered trust.

Her trembling fingers slowly rose and touched Himeko's shoulder. The shoulder that had once been solid and reliable, giving her countless feelings of security, was now stiff as iron under her hand.

When Mei pressed Kiana's fingers onto the hilt of Keiya's sword, blood suddenly seeped from the old wound on the girl's wrist.

Himeko turned her face away, biting her lower lip tightly, unwilling to look at Mei's red-rimmed eyes. Countless questions swirled in her throat, but in the end, they only turned into a heavy sigh.