"Sir, the Academy City project on the outskirts of Nagazora has been completed for two years now. The advanced Honkai research institute is also fully operational."
Ryoma Raiden rubbed his temples. Nagazora had risen as a bright new city in the early twentieth century, and ME Corp's investment in it had been nothing short of massive.
Not that any of that was on his mind right now.
"I finally get a moment to step away, and you have to bring up work?"
As the largest Far East branch of Anti-Entropy, ME Corp drew a lot of attention. There was never a moment's peace all year round.
At this rate, Mei probably already saw him as a failure of a father. Ryoma let out a tired sigh at the thought.
"Sir! We have a situation!" The office door slammed open. His assistant stumbled in, face pale as a sheet. "The young lady's Honkai energy readings are spiking! Her Stigmata, it seems to be going out of control!"
"What?!"
Ryoma shot up from his desk, chair scraping back.
The worst-case scenario. Mei's Stigmata was undeniably powerful, but over the years it had shown more and more signs of instability.
And the research institute had only been running for two weeks. They had no proper containment protocols in place yet. He'd have to request immediate backup from Anti-Entropy HQ…
Ryoma was already dialing, barking orders at his staff to contain the scene and evacuate everyone in the vicinity.
"Sir! The young lady's Stigmata surge, it's been suppressed!"
Another person burst through the door, this time with a look of pure relief.
"WHAT?!"
Ryoma's finger froze over the call button. He stood there, stunned.
'Mei… has that kind of innate talent?!'
His mind raced, trying to make sense of it. He thought of his friend's wife, Cecilia. Could it be? Did Mei have the same potential as the legendary Cecilia Schariac?!
No, that didn't add up. Mei was only nine.
"Slow down, tell me everything. What's Mei's condition? How many injured? Any signs of Zombies or Honkai Beasts spawning?"
Ryoma's voice was urgent, clipped. He was trying to sound calm but it wasn't working.
The assistant hesitated, clearly sorting through a tangle of complicated emotions. "The Honkai surge… it vanished. We detected a massive spike, clear as day. But then it just… dissolved. Like a mirage. It disappeared without a trace."
"No Honkai Beasts, no Zombies. It's as if the entire Stigmata incident never even happened."
The assistant's voice was laced with disbelief. In this day and age, no one had ever seen anything like it.
Ryoma's brow furrowed deeply. This was unprecedented.
Honkai energy wasn't known for being gentle.
This was 2006. Anti-Entropy's archaeological expeditions hadn't fully ramped up yet. No one knew the truth about the Vostok-51 incident.
"As for Miss Mei…" The assistant stole a nervous glance at Ryoma.
"Spit it out."
Ryoma steeled himself. When it came to his daughter's fate, he'd prepared for every possible outcome over the years. There was nothing left that could shatter his composure. Nothing.
The assistant spoke quickly. "Miss Mei is currently… being held in the arms of a young boy."
"Also… it appears that this same boy was the one who suppressed her Stigmata surge."
Ryoma Raiden: WHAT????!!!!
…
Meanwhile, on the other side
Shiraha let out a sigh. "Do I really have to hold her like this?"
He wanted to shift his legs, get the blood flowing again. But Elysia was clinging to him tightly from behind, and in his own arms was the little girl. The three of them were pressed together like a stack of nested spoons.
Elysia's soft, full breasts pressed firmly against Shiraha's small back through the thin fabric of her dress, the warm, yielding weight of them molding perfectly to his spine with every subtle shift of her body.
"You just don't get it, do you? A dashing rescue is the fastest way to leave an impression on a maiden's heart~"
Elysia's voice carried a smile, though it sounded just a touch fainter than usual. The all-powerful Herrscher of Origin, now relying on Shiraha as a conduit to reconnect with the Origin's space, it clearly wasn't as effortless as it looked.
Still, this era seemed peaceful enough for now. Even with things being this precarious, her head was already spinning with all sorts of whimsical developments.
"I'm telling you, Shiraha, you've got to raise them young!"
She propped her chin on his shoulder, her breath tickling his ear as she spoke with great enthusiasm. "You've obviously never wooed a girl before. Don't you want to skip thirty years of struggle?!"
Shiraha: "…."
He wanted to argue. But Elysia's arms were locked too tight around him.
Shadows stirred at the edge of the scene, the bodyguards had finally gathered their wits and were cautiously closing in.
He stayed quiet for a moment, then whispered, "Can we change positions? My legs are going numb."
Elysia hesitated. "But this pose… it leaves the strongest first impression, you know."
Shiraha sighed again. The girl in his arms seemed to stir at the sound of his voice. Her lashes fluttered faintly, and a soft, sleepy murmur escaped her lips.
Before Elysia could even prompt him, Shiraha had already shifted seamlessly into character. He gave the girl in his arms a gentle sway, his expression the picture of concern, his voice soft and tender. "You're awake? Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?"
Elysia: "…."
Expressionless, she let go.
Why does Shiraha have to be an old soul? If he were just an innocent little boy, this would be perfect.
The scenario wrote itself: a girl in distress opens her eyes and the first thing she sees is a cool, handsome boy. A seed planted in her heart, blossoming years later into something beautiful. A flawless script!
Shiraha didn't move. Sure, his legs were definitely numb now, but he trusted Elysia's expertise. If Nee said this was the coolest pose, he believed her.
The girl in his arms slowly opened her eyes. Pale violet irises stared blankly at the face just inches from her own.
The boy had the sun at his back. The light wasn't harsh, but her vision still swam, unfocused. Vaguely, Mei remembered something, some kind of disaster erupting around her…
Buildings, walls, a dark violet mist. And then a hand gripping hers, holding tight, never letting go.
Was it a dream?
"Can you hear me?"
Shiraha gently rocked the girl in his arms again.
Mei slowly came back to herself, though her head still felt fuzzy like she'd taken a spin inside a washing machine.
"S-Stop shaking me… I'm dizzy…"
Her voice came out in a pitiful whimper. One small hand pressed against her forehead; the other braced weakly against the boy's chest, her palm flat over the steady thump of his heartbeat through the thin fabric of his shirt.
Shiraha stopped immediately. But he still didn't let go.
Off to the side, Elysia's expression was utterly blank. She looked like she was about two seconds away from letting out a dry, sardonic laugh.
Mei's face was absolutely adorable, which was saying something, because at home and at school she carried herself with such a strong, assertive presence. She rallied her composure, drawing a deep breath. She was the boss among her classmates!
"Who… who are you?"
But the moment she heard her own voice come out all soft and syrupy, whatever dignity she'd scraped together instantly evaporated.
It's the sunlight. The sunlight is definitely too bright.
"Me? I'm Shiraha. 'Shira' like white, 'ha' like leaf. Easy to remember."
Shiraha kept his smile warm, then asked with unmistakable anticipation, "And your name?"
"…Raiden Mei."
Mei's voice dropped even quieter. She silently repeated the name Shiraha a few times in her head. It felt light, insubstantial nothing like that solid, firm grip she'd felt on her fingers earlier.
But it was easy to remember.
"Mei? That's a beautiful name. It suits you."
Mei blinked. "It's… beautiful?"
She supposed it must be. Whenever guests visited her father at home, they always had something nice to say about her, her name, her looks, her demeanor. She was used to it.
But hearing it said so earnestly by a boy near her own age… it felt different somehow.
"It's beautiful." Shiraha nodded with solemn sincerity. "I don't really know what it means, but you're so cute that it makes the name feel cuter too."
Beside them, Elysia let out an audible scoff. Weren't your legs numb just now? Wasn't the pose uncomfortable? Weren't you complaining about holding her?
She stood there in the sunlight, arms crossed.
No shadow, no footprints.
Only Shiraha could hear the frost in her little laugh.