The next day, as previously arranged, Fu Li arrived at Mei's home early in the morning and told her everything about the Honkai.
"So, you're saying... the other me inside my body is a future Herrscher? An incarnation of destruction? A shadow of world-ending calamity?"
Listening to Fu Li's explanation of the Honkai, Mei's mind went blank. Her eyes then widened in disbelief, unable to trust what she was hearing.
"Well, something like that, but it's not as exaggerated as you're making it sound."
Fu Li leaned back on the sofa, speaking casually. "You have to understand, I'm very strong. If you really do become something like that, trust me, I'll stop you without hurting you."
Stop me... without hurting me?
"I'm sorry, but what you're saying is just too fantastical."
Mei pressed a hand to her forehead. If she hadn't accidentally seen horns growing from Fu Li's head before, she would have suspected that the stress of studying had turned him into a full-blown chuunibyou.
"Anyway... Fu Li, are you being serious?"
"Absolutely." Fu Li nodded, a little helpless. "You saw the horns on my head last time, didn't you? Why do you still not believe me?"
Even as he said it, Fu Li understood. For a girl who had received an elite, atheistic education her whole life, it was perfectly normal to have trouble accepting this all at once.
"I'm sorry, my head is a mess. This whole thing is just..."
Mei sighed. The image of the horns she had seen before came to mind, and a strange impulse stirred within her, compelling her to ask, "Um... can I see your horns again?"
Horns?
Right, she probably wants some concrete proof.
"Of course." Fu Li nodded, glanced down at his watch, and then gently activated his Honkai energy. Two glossy, jet-black horns sprouted from the top of his head.
The process wasn't gruesome. Although the two horns grew from his flesh, they were partially obscured by his hair, making them look like ornate decorations.
If one hadn't seen it happen with their own eyes, few would ever associate them with a monster.
"So... it wasn't an illusion..."
"Of course not. If you still don't believe me, I can retract them and grow them out again. It's not difficult."
"Ah, no, that won't be necessary."
Although the action didn't seem to affect Fu Li, the thought of watching the horns phase in and out was just a bit too strange.
Suddenly, a thought struck Mei. She asked cautiously, "Um, Fu Li, can you promise me one thing?"
"What is it?"
"It's just..."
At this, Mei's expression became shy. "Can I... touch your horns? Please, I just want to confirm it for myself."
Confirm it for herself?
The corner of Fu Li's mouth twitched. This situation felt awfully familiar.
How many times had someone asked to touch his horns? Mobius, Eden, Elysia, even Aponia and Pardo.
Of all the girls he was close to, besides Hua who was blessedly trouble-free, why did all the others have such a mischievous streak?
...Whatever. They'd been touched so many times already, what was one more?
With that thought, Fu Li nodded and hesitantly leaned his head forward. "You... you can, but please don't touch them for too long."
"Mhm... thank you."
Staring at the pair of black horns right in front of her, Mei felt her heart skip a beat. She cautiously placed her fingertip on the very tip of one horn.
Strange... what is this feeling?
The instant her finger made contact, Mei felt an indescribable energy within her own body stir.
It was like two identical magnets meeting. Mei could sense an unimaginable power latent beneath those horns.
Unconsciously, as if mesmerized by this power, Mei's fingers traced down the horn in a daze before wrapping firmly around its base.
The sensation was as if she had seized Fu Li's very lifeline. An ineffable thrill of conquest surged through her heart, until...
"Ahem, Mei, have you touched them enough?"
Fu Li's sudden voice broke Mei's train of thought. She scrambled to pull her hand back, apologizing profusely.
"I'm sorry! They just... they felt too good, I got carried away."
"No... it's fine. I'm used to it."
Used to it?
Mei, who had just withdrawn her hand, froze upon hearing Fu Li's nonchalant remark.
What did he mean, "used to it"? Did he mean she wasn't the first person to touch his horns?
Who? Who else had touched them?
At that thought, an inexplicable irritation welled up inside Mei. At the same time, the watch on Fu Li's wrist ticked up imperceptibly.
Mei's Honkai energy index had been at 648. In that single instant, it had shot up to 769, just over 200 points shy of the 1000 mark.
Seeing the sudden spike in the reading, Fu Li, the instigator, quickly asked, "Mei, what's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing..." Mei's voice was calm. She asked, seemingly offhandedly, "By the way, what did you mean by 'used to it'?"
"Ah, that..."
Is this really an important question? It's just touching horns.
Fu Li was momentarily stumped. He realized he truly couldn't comprehend the thought processes of these girls. But his survival instinct made him instinctively deflect.
"It's just, when I first grew them, I would touch them myself. After touching them a lot, I got used to it."
"Oh, is that so."
"Yeah, that's it."
Seeing Mei's mood brighten again, Fu Li nodded, not daring to expose his own lie.
"Anyway, you need to relax during this period, Mei. Every night when you sleep, I'll use my spiritual energy to protect you from the nightmare's influence."
"At the same time, I'll use other methods to guide you to meet your other self, allowing you two to communicate in a peaceful environment. We'll try to make your awakening as peaceful as possible, understand?"
"Mhm, I understand."
Although she was still afraid, Mei nodded and agreed.
After they discussed a few more precautions, Fu Li left Mei's apartment using the excuse that he had to go home and cook.
When Fu Li got back to his own place and opened the door, the first thing he saw was Snakey, standing on a chair, struggling to reach his shoulder height.
"Snakey, what are you doing?"
Fu Li watched the scene, confused. Then, he saw Snakey stretch out her hands, her face completely expressionless.
"Boss, I want to touch your horns too!"