Mei felt like a piece of toilet paper, spinning and falling with a strong force, then being washed to a place she didn't recognize.
When she woke up again, Mei opened her eyes and found that the original high-rise buildings had all turned into forests and fields. On the mountain not far away, there was a huge cherry tree, and under the cherry tree, Mei could see some buildings that looked like shrines.
"Where am I?"
"In a place called Yae Village."
A person spoke suddenly behind her.
It was...
"Bronya!? Bronya, why are you here? Aren't we in Nagazora City? And your body…"
"Bronya's body is fine. The toxins from the pseudo-Herrscher are suppressed by Project Bunny and will not pose any life-threatening danger. The medicine only helps promote recovery. After all, the sooner she wakes up and recovers, the sooner Bronya's combat power can play its due role, and search and rescue, as well as escape, will be more convenient."
"So what's the situation now?"
Mei looked around. She was clearly in Nagazora City, but where was she now? She didn't know where she was in the countryside, the kind of countryside without even cement roads.
"Bronya is not sure. Project Bunny didn't catch up. Bronya's initial judgment is that this world is very likely not real, or it is definitely not in the same dimension as the original world we are in."
"Uh… Can you explain it in a more popular language?"
Well, Mei's current knowledge is just like that. Although she had the face of Dr. Mei, she definitely did not have the scientific research talent of Dr. Mei. Most of the knowledge in her head was the social etiquette of the upper class, or the knowledge that a qualified daughter of a businessman needed to learn, such as piano and kendo. But many times, these were really not very useful.
And Bronya looked at the strange lump of fat in front of her in surprise. After fully realizing the diversity of human beings, she explained it again in words that Mei could understand.
"We are no longer in the original Nagazora City, but in a separate world outside the Earth. Whether this world is real or fake, or in another form, don't die here."
"Another world? Like the one in the light novels?"
Well, Bronya's blood pressure rose when she heard this.
She didn't want to give the grilled fish she had just prepared to Mei after she woke up, but considering that the fish was basically salty, it wouldn't be a reward to give it to Mei, so Bronya gave the grilled fish to Mei.
"That's about it. The specific reason is unknown, because I was sleeping when I came here. As for how you came here, your description is very important."
Then Mei honestly described to Bronya how she went to the hospital, encountered the Honkai Beast, and then met Yae Sakura.
"Yae Sakura? You're not talking about a pink-haired girl with fox ears? She looks very cold, but she's actually a very gentle warrior at heart?"
Bronya was confused when she heard Mei's description, so she immediately thought of the fusion warrior Sakura from the previous era. After hearing Bronya's precise description, Mei was also confused.
"Do you know her?"
Bronya frowned, and then Mei heard a more terrifying message.
"It shouldn't be. Sakura died 50,000 years ago. It's impossible for her to appear in Nagazora City unless the creator of this world is lazy again, secretly taking out the previous model and putting it in this world… But Sis Bronie often says that the creator of this world likes to be lazy…"
"Fifty thousand years ago… died? So what appeared on her at that time was resentment? The resentment accumulated after death 50,000 years ago…"
"Stop! Bronya hasn't discovered that Mei has the potential to write novels. Resentment, ghosts, and so on, Mei, you should believe in science, not these weird monsters!"
"Eh? Isn't it monsters? Then the Honkai energy is also…"
"It's also a kind of science! It is an objective existence that has not been fully analyzed. Humans have been fighting against it since the birth of civilization. It has developed to this point, but there are still many mysteries that have not been solved."
It looks so magical and mystical, but Bronya insists that it is science.
Okay, Mei doesn't know what to say. Project Bunny may be a product of science. As for what happened to Kiana, she'll ask her later.
"Okay, so do we have a way to go back now?"
Mei looked at Bronya, and Bronya's eyes became clear.
"It's hard to say. Sister Bronie may find Bronya, or she may not. At this point, all Bronya can do is use her experience of surviving in the wild. There are many beasts that can be infected by Honkai nearby. Bronya is not sure how long she can hold on."
There is no way, no means, everything is unknown, as if everything is a dream.
Bronya once doubted whether this world is fake. But if it is a dream, there would definitely not be real pain, and if it were a dream, Bronya should have seen through the illusions in front of her after activating the Flamechaser's Signets in her body.
You know, The Flamechaser's Signets naturally has effect in fighting against the Herrscher of Sentience. Bronya judged that she still has a certain immunity on the spiritual level. But who knows?
After sleeping, maybe her body became weaker, so she was pulled into this world. At this point, Bronya can only passively accept everything. She quietly waits for a way out.
The first task of surviving in the wild is naturally to ensure that the energy in your body doesn't deplete too quickly. She finally found some fish to grill and eat when Mei suddenly appeared in front of her. Her clothes were very similar to the attire of a ronin from the Far East. There was also a samurai sword in her hand, which looked very domineering.
At first, Bronya was a bit suspicious, wondering if this was just the God of Creation being lazy and reusing the same model. But when Mei woke up and Bronya saw her clear and somewhat naive eyes, she immediately judged that this was indeed the Mei she knew.
"How could it be...?"
After hearing Bronya's response, Mei found it hard to accept the fact.
"I know it's hard for you to accept right now, but it has happened. Crying won't help us leave this world, but real actions can. If they didn't kill everyone right away, then the other party must have a certain purpose. As long as they can't achieve their goal, maybe things will turn around."
Although Bronya wasn't in a good mood, this wasn't the time for complaints. Her past military experience had saved her a lot of panic. However, her long-term peaceful life had made her survival skills in the wild somewhat rusty.
Bronya wasn't good at comforting others, but she was more accustomed to looking at things rationally. Still, she thought this was not necessarily a bad thing. At least in this battlefield against Honkai, where death could strike at any time, tears wouldn't defeat Honkai. Mei just lacked experience.
With the right training and understanding of Honkai, Mei should be less prone to crying in the future.
For now, Bronya treated her as though she were caring for a child.
"So amazing..."
"What?"
"Bronya is so young, but she is more amazing than I am. Even when facing such a big challenge, she doesn't panic easily. I really envy Bronya's ability."
"Envy Bronya? Apart from meeting Sister Bronie, Bronya's life has been as bad as it can be. My experience is not worthy of envy, and I'm not a genius. I've just encountered more and been forced to adapt. When people's lives are threatened, they can always bring out their potential."
"Really... It seems like it hasn't been easy for you... So now, we explore Yae Village, right?"
"Yes," Bronya responded.
After Mei finished eating the unappetizing grilled fish, she stood up and checked her equipment.
"Why did my clothes change?"
"I don't know either."
Mei's outfit was a fusion of ancient and modern styles. It was a short skirt combined with samurai ronin elements, drastically altering her demeanor. Bronya thought this might have been the outfit Mei changed into after Bronya fell unconscious. Now, it seems she had overthought it.
On the other hand, Bronya was still wearing the same combat uniform: a short skirt, white stockings, and a jacket convenient for combat. Project Bunny wasn't with her.
"Okay, there's nothing inconvenient about my outfit. It's actually quite fun to wear this. The samurai sword feels just like the one I have at home. It's enjoyable to use, though it might be difficult to deal with Honkai Beasts. After all, melee weapons are still a bit weak against them."
"The Sakura-colored Honkai Beast is a special kind. It's probably stronger than most Honkai Beasts in various aspects. So, you're a bit unlucky to encounter it for the first time."
"So... is that the case?"
Along the way, Bronya played the role of a teacher, explaining to Mei about Honkai and some things the previous era encountered. She helped Mei understand the powerful enemies human civilization was facing today and what the Herrscher meant to human civilization.
It was only when Bronya started discussing the Herrscher that Mei realized why Bronya harbored such deep hostility toward her.
There was no way around it. Apart from the hatred from the Second Eruption, the very nature of the Herrscher made it impossible for humans to coexist peacefully with them
So, I was expelled from the human race, right?
Mei felt even more depressed, but she knew she had to look forward, as Bronya had said. The situation was already set. The most important thing was to use her own methods to carve out a path.
Just like what Sister Bronie's game had said, the heart of a person is the freest. Only you can decide what kind of person you want to be.
So, what kind of person do I want to be?
Control lightning, summon wind and rain, eliminate the Honkai with your own power, and become a daughter your father can be proud of.
There were still many people in Yae Village. Entering through the largest road at the village entrance, Mei felt as though she was immediately being saluted.
How should she put it? The wary eyes from the dark corners made her feel as if she were being pricked by needles just by walking through the street.
"It's really strange," Bronya spoke.
"Really strange," Mei echoed, observing the villagers, but the villagers' clothing had no resemblance to modern style.
"Did I travel to ancient times?" Mei couldn't help but think.
"You don't think you've traveled through time, do you?"
"Eh!? How could you..."
"Stupid, time travel is definitely not as simple as you think. Traveling through time is a battle against the entire world, and the world's self-protection mechanism would never allow us to travel so easily."
"So what does that mean for our current situation?"
"If we are in a bubble world in the Sea of Quanta, then everything we've experienced makes sense. The Bubble World in the Sea of Quanta might produce a time projection from the imaginary tree. It's possible for events that happened in the past to be replayed in such a Bubble World."
"The world is really wonderful..." Mei murmured, unsure if Bronya's judgment was correct.
"Um, may I ask if you've seen a white-haired girl about as tall as her? Her name is Kiana Kaslana."
As she spoke, Bronya took out a fish from the bamboo basket beside her and handed it to the store owner.
"White-haired girl? If she's the shrine maiden at Yae Shrine, she should know about Yae Village. You might want to ask the shrine maiden for more information. I usually stay in this small shop and don't know much."
When Bronya handed the fish over, the store owner's previously sour expression immediately softened into a smile. Mei was impressed by how Bronya handled the situation. If she had asked without offering anything, she would probably have been kicked out of the village in no time.
The name "Yae" immediately raised Mei's suspicion.
At the same time, Yae Sakura, who was patrolling the outskirts of Yae Village and clearing out monsters, spotted a girl named Kallen by a river running through the village. If she followed the river upstream, she might meet a girl named Bronya.
Meanwhile, a girl named Kiana fell from the sky and landed precisely in the river.
The splashing water caught Yae Sakura's attention.