"Hum~hum~"
On a sunny morning, Raiden Mei, wearing a blue apron, hummed a little tune beside the oven while cleaning the various kitchen utensils she had just used, waiting for the cookies to come out of the oven.
"Ding!"
The pleasant reminder sound soon rang.
Raiden Mei opened the oven, glanced at the temperature-insulating gloves next to her, and looked around to confirm that no one else was there.
"No one saw it anyway."
Raiden Mei muttered, ignoring the intense heat, reached in with her bare hands, took out the baking tray, and placed the cookies on the plate with a normal expression.
When she entered the living room with the freshly baked snacks, Himeko and Kiana were looking at each other across the table with serious expressions, and the atmosphere was very tense.
Mei tilted her head, her stunning and beautiful eyes full of affection, with a confused look.
"Teacher Himeko, Kiana, what are you doing? Did Kiana get into trouble again?"
Neither of them responded to her.
Raiden Mei was even more confused and put the biscuits on the table.
"Would you like some snacks? I'll go make a pot of tea."
Still, no one responded to her.
Mei looked around at them, and after a moment, she shrugged helplessly. Although she didn't understand why, she didn't think there would be any big conflict between the two, so she took off her apron and walked back into the kitchen.
"Crack, crack!"
Raiden Mei had just left for a while when Kiana's hands and mouth moved, chewing while continuing to stare at Himeko without backing down.
Himeko narrowed her eyes.
"Kiana, you have your own room and bed."
"What does it matter? Himeko...my bed is big enough for us to sleep together!"
The two sneered at the same time, and tension filled the air, as if a war was about to break out.
"I remember, don't you like Mei the most?"
"Uh...who said that if you like Mei, you can't like others?"
Kiana's momentum weakened, but she still stubbornly retorted without much reason.
Himeko's eyes twitched, and a fake smile appeared on her pretty face, which was soft, charming, and heroic:
"Kiana, do you hear what you're saying?"
"I...I...Anyway, Angel is not Himeko's alone!"
"Kiana!!"
The white-haired girl's momentum was crushed by this roar, so she picked up the pillow on the sofa to block Himeko's sight, but still yelled stubbornly:
"I didn't do anything bad, and Angel didn't say anything, did she?"
"That's because Angel is innocent and trusts you!"
"I...I am also innocent and trust Angel!"
"Believe it or not, I will clean up the mess today!"
When Raiden Mei was teased and entangled by Kiana in the past, Himeko always watched the show and ate the metaphorical popcorn with a smile.
She never thought that one day she would be involved herself.
What level are you, Kiana, that you dare to snatch someone from me?
I... No, no, no, I mean I have to protect Angel. She's too innocent. She can't be taken advantage of by a female hooligan like Kiana!
Himeko took a deep breath and resisted the urge to throw Kiana into the sea.
Kiana moved the pillow slightly and stole a glance at Himeko. Seeing that she was taking a deep breath to control her emotions, her restless little hand quietly reached out and quickly grabbed a few cookies and stuffed them into her mouth.
Chew, chew, chew.jpg
Mmm, it smells so good!
Himeko was immediately upset. Her emotions were brought into turmoil by this annoying and greedy little ghost. She shook her head with a smile:
"Be careful, I will keep an eye on you, don't try to deceive Angel!"
"I know, I know, Himeko is so nagging!"
"Also, you have already removed five of my door locks. Don't do it again!"
"Then Himeko, don't pretend. Although I have learned to open locks, complex locks are easy to break, which is not good for anyone."
Listening to the heartless words of this little rascal, Himeko felt her blood pressure rise again.
But in the end, she still endured it.
As a teacher, it is wrong to beat students for no reason. But as a teacher, it is right to be strict with students. It just so happens that Angel has always been strict with Kiana's studies, so they can have a women's doubles match to let this unruly girl know the dangers of society.
There are many ways to deal with a student named Kaslana!
"Ha!"
Himeko sneered.
And Kiana's little hand trembled, her heart trembled, and she intuitively sensed the crisis.
Before Kiana could ask, Raiden Mei had already returned with a tea tray and handed a cup of black tea to both of them.
The comfortable morning tea time made Kiana forget the threat, and soon she collapsed on the sofa, feeling so comfortable that she forgot everything.
"Kiana, don't be so lazy, sit properly."
"Oh, it's just that Mei's tea and biscuits are too fragrant. What does it matter? It's the weekend anyway."
"You!" Raiden Mei smiled helplessly and reached out to brush the biscuit crumbs off Kiana's collar. Then, she looked at the two people who were enjoying the tea, drank tea silently, and didn't ask about what had just happened.
As long as the atmosphere is harmonious, nothing else matters.
Himeko held the teacup and looked at Raiden Mei with a virtuous wife temperament, with a bit of sympathy in her eyes.
Being targeted by a little rascal like Kiana is one thing, but now she is starting to be indecisive. With such an honest person like Raiden Mei, who knows what will happen in the future.
"Speaking of which, Angel and Bronya said they were going to exchange technology, but no one knows where they are now, and the class monitor doesn't know where she trained. Otherwise, it would be great to send them some snacks."
Raiden Mei suddenly said with regret.
Himeko blinked, sympathy aside, and another thing came to her mind. She put down the teacup, hesitated for a moment, and spoke in a heavy tone.
"Theresa told me that she has not received Angel's application to access the Nagazora City archives. I think it is unlikely that Angel still doesn't know about her promotion."
This is the notification you receive when you log in to the Schicksal intranet. Who else would not know about it for so long except Kiana?
Kiana's expression stiffened.
There was no way to tell them. She told Angel about the promotion as soon as she was on the trip.
She will definitely be spanked by the furious Himeko while Mei will help pass the cane, right?
Raiden Mei didn't notice Kiana's changes. She just pondered for a moment, looked up, and smiled softly at Himeko.
"Then let's keep it like this."
"Maybe, the longer it drags on, the more intense it will be when it explodes."
"But Angel wants to maintain the status quo, doesn't she?"
"..."
Himeko was speechless.
This is a truth that everyone can understand.
If Angel doesn't move, it means she doesn't want to break the status quo.
And who can bear to force her?
Raiden Mei lowered her head, stroking the warm teacup and spoke.
"For Angel, Saint Freya is her second home, and we are her new family. She likes it here... Then we will always accompany her until she wants to face it. No matter what she decides to do at that time, we will also... accompany her, that's all. I am ready."
Before she finished speaking, there was a sizzling sound in the tea, and a clear lightning flash on the water's surface.
Himeko and Kiana immediately sat up straight.
Raiden Mei lowered her head, but she remembered the night when she just learned that Angel was promoted to A-rank.
...
"This is the first time you come to me so calmly. Are you no longer afraid?"
"Not afraid? How is that possible?"
Raiden Mei smiled bitterly in the dark.
She has always been a very passive person. Becoming Kiana's friend, becoming a Valkyrie, and even having a bomb installed in her heart. These things were all pushed by others towards her and she just followed the trend and came to Saint Freya.
Such is Raiden Mei, of course, who is, or was, extremely afraid of the power that destroyed Nagazora City and avoids it.
"But I have to give Angel an explanation, I have to give Nagazora City... an answer."
Even such a passive and even weak Raiden Mei can actually change.
Angel's existence reminds her of the responsibility she bears.
Delta used her actions to calm the East Shenzou Sea and protect countless people along the coast, proving that the power of the Herrscher can also be used for protection.
And Welt Yang taught her that by words and deeds, one can overcome the instinct of the Herrscher is to find the love in her heart.
All this destined her to come here one day, just as she did in the original timeline.
"Keep going, and you'll never be able to turn back."
"No, Kiana is waiting for me, Angel is waiting for me, everyone else... I want to move forward, instead of destroying everything like in Nagazora City."
"Does this make sense? Is it worth it?"
"I have no choice, just like Angel. She can't choose."
Raiden Mei still doesn't know how to face Angel when she knows the truth, and she doesn't dare to imagine what the situation will be like then. But she knows that a weak and evasive version of her can't protect Angel, let alone face 'her'.
And before that, what she can do, what she must do is to turn this power that destroys everything into a power that protects everything.
"You...really want to do this?"
"I have decided."
Raiden Mei smiled and wiped her tears. The light released from her tears illuminated the dark world of her soul.
What happened next was exactly the same as what happened in another timeline.
Raiden Mei is the perfect body that best fits the power of the Herrscher.
Unlike Wendy who fell into darkness, unlike Kiana who had to fight against the remnant of Sirin, and unlike Bronya and Fu Hua who had to go through twists and turns, when she decided to take this step, she became the perfect Herrscher of Thunder.
Raiden Mei: Help me, the other me!
Herrscher persona: I really can't do anything with you.
Then, silently, Raiden Mei transformed into the Herrscher of Thunder.
---
"How could you?"
"I just don't think it's necessary to publicize it loudly. No matter what, I'm still the Raiden Mei that everyone knows, that's all."
Raiden Mei smiled sweetly, like a bunch of plum blossoms that conquered the cold winter night, beautiful and tough.
Himeko stared at her student for a long time, as if she had put down a great burden, and sighed and smiled.
"You've grown up suddenly, Mei."
"Isn't there a saying that growth sometimes happens in just a moment?"
The two looked at each other with great emotion, and exchanged warmth in their eyes.
And Kiana grasped another key point.
I am a girl, Mei is also a girl! I am a Herrscher, Mei is also a Herrscher! How come we are so well matched?
Can others do it.jpg
Kiana held her face, her thoughts were weird, but she thought it was okay and laughed foolishly.
"Hehehe~~"