Within the World of Elysium, the domain of Kalpas.
As one of the most fierce and uncompromising Heroic Spirits, Kalpa's realm was defined by fire, swords, and raging storms.
"Kalpas-san, once again I intrude upon your presence."
Standing amidst the fiery ruins, Raiden Mei held her sword aloft and courteously bowed to the desolate world before her, then sighed softly—there was no scenery here, only endless peril teetering between life and death from the moment one entered; this was her deepest impression.
Suddenly, the sea of flames surged upward. Amidst the roiling blaze akin to boiling water, Kalpas appeared, donning a demonic mask with sharp horns and fanged teeth.
"Back for more punishment, eh? Have I been too lenient?"
"...You call that 'lenient'?"
"No? The fact that you're still alive is proof enough of my mercy."
"I see. Your sense of humor certainly requires careful appreciation. However, let's get down to business. Please enlighten me!" Raiden Mei calmly declared, releasing icy white energy from the spiritual blade raised in both hands, her gaze piercing and resolute.
"Hahahaha!"
Kalpas threw his head back and laughed wildly, surrounded by flames that unleashed an astonishingly menacing aura.
In the next instant, sword clashed with fist, sending shockwaves ripping through the soil.
"Boom!!"
The deafening explosion marked their terrifying power, serving as a grim greeting between adversaries.
What followed were ear-piercing sounds of blades slicing through air and fists striking explosively. Both combatants rapidly accelerated to speeds invisible to the naked eye, continuously colliding across land and sky amidst bursts of explosions, freezing temperatures, and thunderous roars, pushing Honkai Energy levels beyond their limits.
"Crash!"
After more than half an hour, Raiden Mei slammed into the ground, using her embedded longsword to absorb the impact. After skidding for a considerable distance, she barely managed to regain her footing.
Raising her head, Raiden Mei saw Kalpa, engulfed in flames, hurtling towards her with wild laughter.
"Hahaha! Die!"
"Boom!!"
The earth split open, creating four deep fissures radiating outward, but Kalpa's attack missed its target.
Instead, Raiden Mei appeared behind him in mid-air, her colossal armored form wielding an equally massive lightning-infused katana.
"Cleave!" With a resounding shout, Raiden Mei descended amid flashes of sword and lightning.
There were no named techniques or distinct styles; battling Kalpas left no room for such considerations. Raiden Mei had only one thought—faster, stronger, nothing more.
"Rumble!"
The earth suffered further devastation, its surface nearly overturned within sight. Deep, elongated gashes crisscrossed the terrain, testament to the sword's keenness, while lightning crackled across the landscape, unleashing the destructive power of the Herrscher of Thunder.
"It's not enough..."
"I'm not just a fusion warrior—I am a Herrscher."
"Fusion warriors' energy is vast but finite, contained within their bodies. My energy resides in the Void Portal, infinite and inexhaustible."
"To become faster and stronger, I must give my all with every strike..."
"This is how a Herrscher should fight!"
Raiden Mei slowly tightened her grip on the spiritual blade, murmuring as freezing air and electricity radiated outward.
"Whoosh!"
With a sharp, swift sound, Raiden Mei charged amidst flashes of lightning, plunging into the still-dusty battlefield.
As expected, as she pursued, Kalpas's increasingly inhuman and menacing laughter echoed through the haze.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The continuous clashes and impacts persisted unabated. Contrary to expectation, neither combatant's speed or strength diminished over time; instead, they steadily increased, resembling an ever-steepening curve.
After three hours of relentless fighting, Kalpas bore numerous wounds, his movements and vocalizations increasingly bestial, displaying power on a vastly different level from the outset.
"Boom!!"
Raiden Mei lost count of how many times she had been sent flying. Embedded in the ground, she felt an excruciating pain in her abdomen, as if pierced by molten lava, drawing a sharp gasp from her lips.
"Hiss... What a monster! Theoretically, my energy should be inexhaustible, so why can't I match him no matter how much I enhance my power? Not good, retreat!"
"Roar!!!"
Kalpas stood amidst the shattered remnants of a deep crater, devoid of any presence save for himself. Looking skyward, he unleashed a colossal roar that shook the heavens, reverberating throughout the entire world.
In a world adorned with falling cherry blossoms, Raiden Mei staggered towards a small table and cushion, collapsing onto her knees. Leaning on her sword for support, she panted unevenly as blood seeped from the cracks in her battered Phantom Armor.
Sakura approached, carrying a basin of warm water.
Raiden Mei turned her head, managing a strained smile. Her rigid Phantom Armor vanished, revealing fragmented cloth pieces that barely covered her battered body riddled with wounds.
"Sigh..."
Sakura wrung out a towel, sighing softly as she began to wipe Raiden Mei's body clean.
Raiden Mei set down her sword, adopting a relaxed squatting position, allowing Sakura to remove the tattered fabric and tend to the battlefield marks covering her body.
"You extended your training time again today. Enduring hardship is commendable, but don't push yourself too much. Kalpas... he isn't quite normal. Don't compete against him so fiercely."
"It's not about competition; I'm just pushing my own limits. Mr. Kalpas is an excellent teacher. Fighting him forces me to constantly break through barriers in my reflexes and output capabilities—it's highly beneficial for me."
"You're truly stubborn, but that's not necessarily bad. Battling Honkai requires unwavering resilience. Keep up the good work, I believe in you."
"Thank you, Miss Sakura."
Topless and fully relaxed, Raiden Mei smiled gratefully as she let Sakura tend to her wounds.
This scene had unfolded numerous times before, allowing even the modest and shy Raiden Mei to become entirely accustomed to it without any discomfort.
After a while, with bandages wrapped around her torso, Raiden Mei changed into a clean yukata and sat upright at the small tea table, picking up the freshly brewed cup of green tea from Sakura.
"Sip—"
Raiden Mei took a light sip, quenching her thirst, and gazed warmly at Sakura across the table. With graceful movements akin to a dance, she wiped and maintained her spiritual blade, treating it like a beautiful work of art.
The enchanting sight of a beauty, a longsword, and falling cherry blossom petals truly painted a picture-perfect moment.
"Miss Sakura, do you think I am now worthy enough to take this blade?"
"Oh? Shouldn't questions like that be asked when you're about to leave?" In response to Raiden Mei's sudden inquiry, Sakura chuckled softly, her long pink ears subtly twitching, exuding an unintentional allure that could captivate anyone.
Raiden Mei paused briefly, then smiled gently: "Because indeed, my departure is near."
"So soon?" Sakura's smile faltered, caught off guard, and a hint of disappointment followed.
It was rare to have visitors, especially someone as valiant and beautiful as Raiden Mei whom she admired greatly. The thought of her leaving so abruptly left Sakura feeling reluctant.
Raiden Mei responded with an apologetic grin:
"I'm nearing my limits already; my abilities have significantly slowed down recently. Besides, I can't keep Zeke and the others waiting for too long, right?"
"Well... alright, you're correct. As for the spiritual blade, you are welcome to take it if it proves helpful to you!"
Sakura picked up the meticulously maintained spiritual blade, its edge gleaming like a cold mirror, and gently placed it on the table before Raiden Mei.
Setting down her teacup, Raiden Mei's expression turned solemn, and she bowed deeply towards Sakura.
"Thank you immensely! I will cherish and wield this blade to the best of my ability, contributing all I can to the era's civilization and the fight against Honkai!"
"Wonderful! Your determination is clear, and I am confident entrusting the blade to you."
Sakura gazed at Raiden Mei, offering a warm, blessing-filled smile.
Then, she caressed the cool blade with her fingertips, letting out a soft sigh with a mix of emotions, saying:
"Speaking of which, when Kevin brought me the spiritual blade all those years ago, he never told me if Rin was safe or not. This has troubled my heart for so long. Although it's already been fifty thousand years too late, and regardless of what happened afterward, Rin must have vanished into the distant past by now... I truly wish to know if, with this sword, I managed to protect my little sister until the very end."
"Miss Sakura..." Raiden Mei clenched her fists tightly, hesitating as she fell silent.
After being mentored by Zeke and Einstein, Raiden Mei considered herself cautious and rational. Before arriving here, she had specifically researched information about Sakura and Kalpas.
There wasn't much available on Kalpas; she only gleaned some broad details about his personality traits.
However, regarding Sakura, her younger sister Rin—the former Herrscher of Corruption from the previous era, now the sword spirit Higokumaru of the Jizo Mitama—Raiden Mei had managed to piece together most of their story.
Seeing Sakura's wistful expression as she reminisced, Raiden Mei lacked the courage to recount that part of history to her.
The Memory Fragment of Sakura within the World of Elysium clearly stopped before Rin's incident and Sakura's subsequent defection. It made sense, considering that shortly after defecting, Sakura perished while trying to stop and save Rin. During that time, she would have had no opportunity to enter the World of Elysium to synchronize her memories.
Raiden Mei knew that the Sakura before her was unaware of Rin's fate and the tragic end shared by the sisters. She also understood how deeply Sakura cared for and missed her sister, as evidenced by the frequent, unintentional mentions during their conversations. Revealing the truth might shatter her—so wouldn't it be better to let this Sakura remain ignorant, just like Kevin had done when he delivered the blade years ago?
Raiden Mei fell silent, feeling increasingly somber and heavy-hearted.
Sakura shook her head with a light smile. "Apologies, I'm rambling about nonsense. It's been so long; knowing or not won't change anything now. Please forget I mentioned it. Alright, let's get some rest today. We can continue discussing sword techniques tomorrow."
"Agreed. You should rest early too, Miss Sakura," Raiden Mei replied respectfully, watching Sakura depart.
A moment later, she slumped slightly, appearing somewhat disheartened.
Sakura treated her kindly and provided immense support, yet Raiden Mei felt unable to reciprocate. The circumstances surrounding Sakura and Rin were truly distressing, weighing heavily on her emotions.
After sitting quietly for a while, gazing at the spiritual blade on the table, Raiden Mei sighed and contacted Zeke.
"Zeke-san, once we return to reality, I would like to speak with Miss Higokumaru. Is that possible?"
"If it helps you feel better, of course," replied Zeke's cool voice through Raiden Mei's communicator.
Raiden Mei's lips twitched slightly.
"Zeke-san, were you watching us continuously just now?"
"Yes, I've been observing for some time."
Zeke's response was as straightforward as ever.
However, Raiden Mei's face flushed instantly—since he had been watching all along, did that mean he saw when Sakura helped her undress and wiped her body, as well as while she changed clothes?
At this moment, Zeke calmly added:
"Don't worry, I didn't see you naked. As a married man, I maintain my integrity in such matters."
"...Oh," Raiden Mei responded dryly, unsure whether to be relieved about preserving her modesty or question her own allure.
"Is there anything else?"
"Well, I need another sword—one that complements my abilities and works synergistically with my spiritual blade."
"It's already underway, currently in the final tuning phase. Should be ready for you within a few days."
"Thank you, Zeke-san."
After ending the communication, Raiden Mei displayed a gentle smile.
As expected of Zeke-san, always meticulously thorough. Just being near him instills an unparalleled sense of reassurance. No wonder Kiana and the others became so enamored; for girls, feeling such unwavering trust and desire to follow must indeed be irresistible.
"Sigh..."
Raiden Mei let out a soft sigh, unsure why, but something about this thought left her slightly unsettled.