Honkai Impact 3rd, Paradise Typewriter isn't for making this kind of game.

[What were the other individuals we sent out doing? None of them could even catch a little girl.]

But it's okay~

This current situation is actually good news for her.

The Herrscher of Domination manipulated the remaining doll's small head, deliberately closing its eyes to feign death and deceive Raiden Mei, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Opportunity always favors the patient.

Just as Aunt Mei was about to check on Xia Yuan's condition up close, the Herrscher of Domination, who had been pretending to be dead, suddenly opened her eyes and gave an excited and joyful smile as she looked at the back that the other party was showing her.

Although she really wanted to control Mei, the other girl ruined her plans time and time again.

Not only did she once hinder my ability to control Kiana, but now she's even interfering with my efforts to turn my older brother into a comrade. She's in my way.

Farewell, Raiden Mei!

The Herrscher of Domination suddenly launched an attack, a barely perceptible thread manipulating Rosalia's weapon, Sleeping Beauty, and hurling it at the unsuspecting Aunt Mei. If it hits... the opponent will forever become a sleeping beauty, never to wake up again.

"What is this sensation?!"

Xia Yuan could feel a strand of hard silk thread accidentally pass through his fingertips. When the thunder and flashes in the sky weakened a bit, Xia Yuan struggled to open his eyes, and the scene that came into view made his pupils tremble suddenly.

A pink sword was hurtling toward Mei at incredible speed, but Mei's attention was completely focused on him, and she didn't notice the Herrscher of the Void's backup plan.

Xia Yuan struggled to stand up from the mud. Just as Mei was about to bend down to check on him, he pulled her aside. Exhausted, he had no time to dodge and could only rely on his hands to withstand the thrown "Sleeping Beauty".

"Mr. Xia Yuan?!"

"Big brother!?"

As the Herrscher who was the embodiment of a thousand people's malice, she never expected that Xia Yuan would step forward. She wanted to get rid of Raiden Mei completely, but not her older brother, who was going to become her ally.

Damn it!

The Herrscher of Domination's expression showed a hint of annoyance and anxiety. She had thrown it with all her might, and now she had to slow it down as much as possible with the threads. Just as the blade was about to reach Xia Yuan's chest, Sleeping Beauty finally stopped and fell onto the wet ground.

[Oh...that was close, I almost...]

Without giving the Herrscher of Domination any time to catch her breath, when Aunt Mei realized that there was still one doll left to clean up, a flash of lightning streaked by, and a sword descended from the sky, piercing through the dominator and rendering the Herrscher of Domination completely incapacitated.

thump—

At the same time, Xia Yuan, who had escaped death, collapsed heavily in the mud.

Now Xia Yuan understood that the Lady of Knowledge's dark complexion wasn't just a lie; the sword had almost pierced his chest.

Hearing the sound behind her, Aunt Mei, who had sheathed her sword at her waist, quickly helped Xia Yuan, who was lying in the mud unable to move, to his feet. Looking at the wounds on his hands and the blood seeping from his chest, a strange sense of sorrow welled up in her heart.

It was Little Gretsch who asked me to save Mr. Xia Yuan... but I ended up being saved by him instead. How am I going to explain this to Little Gretsch? It's all my fault for being so careless.

Xia Yuan weakly raised his head and said softly, "Mei... I'm so glad to see you're not hurt."

"Mr. Xia Yuan, please refrain from speaking for now."

"Heh~ I feel like Mei's voice is unusually gentle right now. I wish you could have spoken to me like this before. Cough cough... It's so cold, Mei, am I going to die?"

"Idiot, I won't let anything happen to you."

She now understood why Bronya called the other person an idiot and why she risked her own safety to stand in front of her.

"No, her body temperature is too low..."

Perhaps still affected by the drug, Aunt Mei's fingertips under the cloak lightly touched the other's forehead before quickly withdrawing them. She untied her cloak and wrapped it tightly around Xia Yuan's body.

The cloak still retained Mei's body heat, giving Xia Yuan a sense of warmth.

"He should be saved, right?"

But how did Mei know he was here? Xia Yuan had many questions he wanted to ask her, but Mei gently stopped him.

“I know you still have many questions in your mind, Mr. Xia Yuan, but we are not out of danger yet. Based on my understanding of the Heralds of Domination, they will definitely not give up and will continue to send more puppets. It is not advisable to stay here for long.”

Chapter 445 Mei, an old lady?!

"Mr. Xia Yuan, are you still able to take action temporarily?"

Feeling the weakness in his calves, the soreness and numbness in his hands, and the burning pain in his chest, Xia Yuan shook his head with a bitter expression. He didn't know how long he had been running under the pursuit of the Herrscher of the Sea... Then he suddenly felt his body lighten.

"Mei, what... what are you doing?"

Xia Yuan asked somewhat flusteredly, only to see Aunt Mei carrying him in her arms in a princess carry.

"While the Herrscher of Domination hasn't caught up yet... take Mr. Xia Yuan and leave here as soon as possible to reunite with Little Gretsch."

It was actually little Gretsch? But why did Gretsch know where he was? It seems he'll have to ask her in person later. But right now, he has something more important to do.

"Um, Mei, could you hold me differently? Like, you could put me on your back. It feels a little strange being held in your arms like this, Mei."

He's such a grown man, yet he still felt a little embarrassed and awkward being carried in a princess carry by Mei.

"What? Mr. Xia Yuan, are you shy, or are you afraid that Bronya will laugh at you?"

"Don't worry, I won't tell Bronya about this. It'll be a little secret between the two of us. Of course, the condition is that Mr. Xia Yuan, you hold me tight, adjust your breathing, wrap your cloak tightly around yourself, and try your best not to lose any more body heat. Promise me, okay?"

Seeing Aunt Mei's teasing yet caring gaze, Xia Yuan couldn't help but look away, avoiding eye contact, and gently nodded and hummed in agreement.

Is this the same Aunt Mei who once electrocuted herself?

What's with this tender, gentle feeling? It's almost too much...

After obtaining Xia Yuan's consent, Aunt Mei carried the unable-to-walk Xia Yuan and quickly ran towards the city before the Herrscher of Domination sent any dolls. She had to reach a safe area in the city to meet up with Little Gretchen before his body lost its temperature.

She wouldn't let the other person fall here, otherwise she wouldn't be able to face her own heart, let alone Bronya.

Perhaps recalling that past memory, Xia Yuan's figure gradually overlapped with that of Padofelis. Mei hugged Xia Yuan even tighter, as if trying to use her body heat to maintain the other's body temperature as much as possible.

Unexpectedly, the medicine I drank would actually work and come in handy under these circumstances.

Aunt Mei's unbearable heat... in this torrential rain, she acted like a moving heat source, greatly alleviating Xia Yuan's loss of body temperature.

Tread-tap-

Mei ran quickly towards the city, splashing water everywhere she went. Xia Yuan had never felt so safe and relaxed before. Was this what it felt like to be protected? It didn't feel so bad~

"Hmm? What's this feeling? It's so soft..."

A soft and elastic touch came from time to time on his cheek, making Xia Yuan feel as if he was being enveloped in a warm and happy ocean. It seemed that being carried in a princess carry by Mei was not as bad or embarrassing as he had imagined.

Sure enough, a rainy day like this is the perfect time to snuggle under the covers and sleep. I just want to get some sleep...

While running, in addition to observing the surrounding environment and whether the Herrscher of Domination had sent any dolls to catch up with her, Aunt Mei was also keeping a close eye on Xia Yuan's condition in her arms. She saw drops of blood flowing from his fingertips to the ground, washing away into the distance behind him with the rolling rain.

No... If this continues, even if Mr. Xia Yuan manages to maintain his body temperature, he may fall into a coma due to excessive blood loss.

The wound didn't seem that obvious before. Could it be that running caused Mr. Xia Yuan's wound to worsen? We can't delay any longer, but there are no medical facilities available at the moment, so we can only temporarily bandage and treat Mr. Xia Yuan.

Just as Aunt Mei was about to stop and help Xia Yuan bandage his wound...

Creak, creak, creak—

A large number of dolls controlled by the Herrscher of Domination burst out of the bushes, their eyes fixed on Raiden Mei.

[Raiden Mei, I've imprisoned you in the Theater of Domination, making you my toy for life!]

It's better to deal with her decisively than to let things drag on and cause more problems.

[Stop right there, you elderly lady in front! Hand over the big brother!]

That's right, he belongs to our future companions, not to you, old lady.

[Oh, my Mei, that knife you used was so fast and ruthless! It made Lily's whole brain tremble. I'm so excited! Can you do it to Lily again?]

Countless dolls each have their own thoughts, but they all share the same goal.

The Herrscher of Domination cupped her cheeks in her hands, her expression filled with a dreamy quality that revealed the purest desires deep within her heart.

"Why at a time like this...?"

She no longer cared about the Herrscher calling her "old auntie".

Aunt Mei understood the current situation; she could no longer stop to treat Mr. Xia Yuan's wounds. She had to get rid of the puppet controlled by the Herrscher of Domination behind her as soon as possible.

"Mei, I'm so sleepy~"

Xia Yuan's weak and faint voice reached Aunt Mei's ears. Seeing that the other person's eyes were about to close, she had to keep Mr. Xia Yuan as awake as possible and not let him fall into a coma in this hypothermic state.

"Should we say something appropriate to cheer Mr. Xia Yuan up?"

But what should I say?

What kind of thing can get the other person excited...?

Mei kept recalling her experiences with Xia Yuan until she remembered that day on the beach when he seemed to want to invite her into his arms, but she stopped him by giving him an electric shock. Although it was hard to say, her strong obsession might be able to cheer Mr. Xia Yuan up and get him back on his feet.

"Mr. Xia Yuan, do you remember what happened on the beach back then?"

"What happened on the beach...."

Xia Yuan seemed to recall something, his body instinctively shivered, dispelling the drowsiness in his eyes, and he cautiously looked up at the other person, saying:

"Mei, Mei, you're not thinking of shocking me again, are you? I was just playing a little joke on you back then, cough cough... No, it's all in the past now."

Chapter 446 A Last Glimmer of Light

For some reason, Mei always felt that in Mr. Xia Yuan's eyes she was even more terrifying than the Herrscher of Domination chasing after her.

"I'm not that scary, am I...?"

Just then, Aunt Mei suddenly recalled Kiana's evaluation of her.

[Of course, Mei is sometimes several times worse than my dad—oh no, even worse than my period! Even Theresa doesn't supervise me like this every second, but Mei, you're constantly video chatting with me to urge me to study. Being on the moon feels like being back at St. Freya Academy!]

No wonder Kiana hasn't asked me to play games with her these past few days, or even contacted me proactively.

Okay... she admits that she can be a bit harsh at times, but that's for his sake. Only by having a lot of theoretical knowledge and a solid foundation can one better master the power of the end. But right now, she needs to keep Mr. Xia Yuan as sober as possible.

“Mr. Xia Yuan, if you can stay conscious until we get rid of the Herrscher of Domination, I will grant you the request you made on the beach that day, how about that?”

Xia Yuan vaguely remembered that the joke he made that day was about holding Mei in his arms, with room for her in his own. But now the situation seemed to have reversed. He never expected that one day he would be held in Mei's arms, and so suddenly at that.

Suddenly, I recalled the interactions and conflicts I had with the Herrscher of Dominion in the alley...

Xia Yuan developed a psychological shadow; he felt guilty towards Bronya. If Mei had been as gentle as she was now in the past, perhaps he would have jumped for joy. But now, all he felt was remorse towards Bronya.

However, Raiden Mei's words did alleviate Xia Yuan's drowsiness and fatigue considerably.

Xia Yuan looked up and observed Mei's expression with some curiosity. Was this the kind of thing she would say to him?

"Um... Mr. Xia Yuan, could you please stop staring at my face with such a blank expression? There shouldn't be anything dirty on my face just now, right?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Aunt Mei felt a pang of regret. Had she been too abrupt in saying those words? Or was it that her past attitude towards Mr. Xia Yuan had made him distrust her ability to keep her promise...? Had her image in his mind really been too bad after all?

"Well....."

Just being stared at by the other person made Mei's heart burn unbearably, and the heat even seemed to be eroding her body. Fortunately, the continuous heavy rain in the sky relieved the heat, and the heat could be transferred to Xia Yuan's body through his hands.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't expect Mei to say something like that to me, and I'm actually a little happy."

"But I know all that, Mei. You're just saying things to make me happy because you're worried that if I fall asleep now, I might never wake up again. But please don't worry... I won't fall asleep."

"Am I being comforted by the other person instead?"

Aunt Mei suddenly had a feeling that she was the one who was worried about Mr. Xia Yuan's health, but was being comforted by him. This feeling was very familiar to her, just like Kiana, who was always standing in front of her and always smiling.

In Mei's vision, Xia Yuan's figure began to overlap with Kiana's, and even their tone of voice became identical.

"I feel like Mei, you're so gentle and reliable now, like a hero suddenly appearing in front of me and rescuing me from the clutches of the Herrscher of Domination when I was almost exhausted. I thought it was all over, and I was even preparing to leave my last words for Bronya. I wonder who will marry such a gentle and virtuous Mei in the future? It's a pity I already have Bronya~"

"Am I really that reliable in Mr. Xia Yuan's eyes? As for marriage, she hasn't considered it yet..."

"Wait a minute, something seems off!"

Is this something Mr. Xia Yuan would normally say?

With a question in mind, and watching the other person talk so fluently as he poured out his heart to her, Aunt Mei freed her hand slightly, held up three fingers and waved them in front of Xia Yuan's eyes, and asked softly, "Mr. Xia Yuan, please tell me how much this is?"

"Of course it's four, uh... no, wait, it's five, isn't it?"

Hearing Xia Yuan's answer, Aunt Mei's heart sank a little, and she quickly asked, "Mr. Xia Yuan, how are you feeling now?"

"Hmm, I feel quite energetic. Not only am I not as sleepy anymore, but my limbs and chest don't hurt as much as before. I feel like I can get down and move around. Mei, do you think my body recovers faster than others?"

Aunt Mei knew in her heart that this wasn't the extraordinary person Mr. Xia Yuan had described, but rather a final burst of energy before death...

Looking at Xia Yuan, who had become unusually excited and active in her arms, Mei pursed her lips and comforted him with a white lie: "Yes, maybe it's because you have Honkai adaptability that you recovered your body so quickly, Mr. Xia Yuan."

But she ran even faster than before, heading straight for the city, determined to shake off the puppet controlled by the Herrscher of Domination as quickly as possible.

As the Herrscher of Domination watched Mei's figure recede into the distance, she seemed somewhat exasperated.