The moment Mei fell from the sky, she suddenly thought that dying like this wouldn't be so bad... But the Herrscher of Thunder inside her wouldn't allow it. The Herrscher of Thunder forcefully took over. Just as the Herrscher of Thunder was about to use her Honkai energy to fly back up, a hand grabbed hers.
The Herrscher of Thunder was still wondering why the person opposite her hadn't been electrolyzed into a quantum state. When she looked up, she saw a smile that she would never forget for the rest of her life. The corners of the mouth curved into a charming arc, the eyes slightly narrowed. Looking at Kiana's smile, the Herrscher of Thunder felt that even the most beautiful things in the world couldn't compare... She seemed to suddenly understand why Raiden Mei liked this white-haired furball... Because at this moment, the Herrscher of Thunder felt as if she had fallen in love with her too.
Perhaps this was love at first sight. Heh... to think she would have such a thought.
The Herrscher of Thunder went offline again. She returned the body to Mei and helped her control the Herrscher of Thunder's out-of-control leaking power. Kiana's smile wasn't for her. She wasn't Raiden Mei. She had no right to receive Kiana's gentleness. She was just a pitiful Stigmata Consciousness and a hateful Herrscher of Thunder.
When she opened her eyes again, it was Raiden Mei. Mei felt like she had lost consciousness for a short while, but the moment she saw Kiana, it seemed like nothing else mattered.
But it was precisely because of this that Mei couldn't bear to hurt Kiana. "Kiana... let me go. Maybe it's for the best if I die... That way, she won't come out again..."
Kiana was stunned for a moment, then said seriously to Mei, "Nonsense. If she comes out again, I'll just beat her down again! Hold on to my hand, don't let go!"
Kiana held Mei's hand tightly and pulled her up. After pulling her up, the two sat on the rooftop, holding hands, both panting heavily.
Feeling the warmth in her hand, Mei suddenly remembered something and hastily tried to pull her hand away, but Kiana held on tightly, not letting go.
Kiana raised their clasped hands and said to Mei like a triumphant general, "Don't even think about escaping from my side again!"
"But... that ability from before... I'm afraid I'll hurt you!" Mei was a little scared, afraid that the uncontrollable ability to electrolyze matter into a quantum state would emerge again and harm Kiana.
"Don't worry! I'm very strong. Even the Herrscher of Thunder couldn't beat me!"
"But this is different..."
"It's not different!"
Just as the two were arguing, Kika arrived.
"Finally found you guys. Where's the Herrscher of Thunder?"
Kiana was about to say that she had beaten up the Herrscher of Thunder, but then she didn't see Ryn next to Kika and asked in confusion, "Where's Ryn? Isn't he with you!"
Kika rolled her eyes at Kiana, who didn't even bother to ask how she was first. Then she dismissed her exosuit, sat down next to Kiana, and lay her head on her lap, contentedly enjoying the lap pillow before lazily saying, "Although I don't know how he did it, the moment the Herrscher of Thunder descended, he transferred all the Honkai energy away. He told me that the Herrscher of Thunder would lack sufficient Honkai energy, her Herrscher form would definitely be incomplete, and she would be extremely weak, so we should take the opportunity to get Mei back. Looks like you guys are already done."
Kiana remembered the very weak Herrscher of Thunder from before, and then seemed to understand something and nodded, "No wonder the Herrscher of Thunder was so weak... So where's Ryn?"
"I don't know, but he said he'll be fine. For now, let's just focus on surviving until he comes back!"
"Mhm," Kiana and Mei both nodded in reply. Kiana understood Ryn's character. If he said he was fine, then he was definitely fine. If he didn't come back, then she would fight her way into the Sea of Quanta to bring him back. Mei, on the other hand, silently thanked Ryn for his sacrifice and planned to comfort him well when he returned.
Kika also nodded and continued to enjoy Kiana's lap pillow, slowly recovering her strength. Although Ryn had said that he would transfer the Honkai energy to the Sea of Quanta the moment the Herrscher descended, seeing Ryn disappear before her very eyes still made her heart ache.
——————————
Meanwhile, in the Sea of Quanta.
The Stigmata in Ryn's hand had drained all the Honkai energy from Nagazora City the moment the Herrscher of Thunder descended. It used a portion of that energy to open a path to the Sea of Quanta, teleporting Ryn there.
Although it was called a sea, it was actually a pale, empty space. There was no up or down, no sense of direction or time. Ryn felt that if he stayed here for too long, he would definitely lose his mind.
"What should I do... I feel like I can't suppress it anymore." Ryn was in extreme pain now. His whole body was covered with marks of Honkai corrosion. Although it was the Stigmata that absorbed the Honkai energy, the Stigmata was also a part of himself. The amount of Honkai energy from a Herrscher's descent was enormous. Just a small part leaking from the Stigmata was not something Ryn's mortal body could withstand. (Even Honkai Beasts and tactical mechas couldn't withstand the leaked Honkai energy from the Herrscher of Reason's Feathered Rabbit. Pardofelis also perished from being corroded by extremely high concentrations of Honkai energy.)
[I'm still negotiating with the Sea of Quanta! Just hang in there for a bit.]
Ryn's face was contorted in pain. He really wanted to give his Stigmata a good punch right now. What did it mean, 'still negotiating'!
[Alright, alright, the Sea has agreed. It has one small condition, but it's nothing important and can be easily solved. Now, to confirm one more time, which Herrscher authority do you want?]
Ryn thought for a moment and still chose the authority of the First Herrscher. After all, he could then craft Divine Keys and build Gundams with his bare hands.
After confirming, the Stigmata began to prepare the transfer of authority. A warm energy began to flow throughout his body, and his consciousness gradually sank. The process made Ryn feel very calm and peaceful. Perhaps this was the leap in the level of life.
But the feeling changed in the next second. He first felt the gaze of a great being, and then another great being's gaze. The originally peaceful flow of energy suddenly became violent. His whole body felt as if it was being torn apart by two things.
"What the hell... Hey, hey, hey, is this advancement process so cruel! I thought Herrschers just transformed in an instant! And why do I feel like two things are fighting over me!"
[Ahem, that's because they are normal Herrschers from the Imaginary side, so their promotion is naturally fast. We've made a deal with the Sea and are preparing to become a Herrscher of the Quantum side... Now the Imaginary Tree is not happy and is fighting with the Sea of Quanta over you...]
"Huh? When did I say I wanted to become a Herrscher of the Quantum side!" As soon as Ryn finished speaking, he felt one of the tearing energies on his body intensify. Ryn was in so much pain that he directly fainted...
[So talkative. We could have just quietly reaped the benefits, but now you've made the Sea unhappy!]