Honkai Impact: Become Their Hero

"Mei, can you give me a hand?"

The Herrscher of Thunder stared directly at Elias, as if engraving his image deep into her memory. At that moment, even the rolling thunder in the sky came to a brief halt.

"Hmph."

With a casual yet precise motion, the queen extended her hand and pulled Elias to his feet. It seemed effortless, yet she had ensured he was steadied with care.

Only then did Herrscher Mei notice the faint tremors in Elias' hands—hard to believe that these very hands had just cut down a Titan.

Perhaps, in that desperate moment, he had forced out every last ounce of his potential.

"Stay alert. This isn't over yet."

Elias scanned the surroundings. More Titan mechs emerged, their movements sluggish due to the interference of Herrscher Mei's electromagnetic field.

"Damn it, more of them! Watch me tear them apart!"

"Tch, looks like that cunning fox Cocolia hasn't given up yet. Kiana, don't go head-on. We need to retreat for now."

Even though the mechs were hindered, they still charged toward them with lethal force, iron fists raised to strike.

Elias grimaced—he had no desire to be turned into Valkyrie fragments. He quickly called out to the hotheaded Kiana, who was already prepared to charge in, urging her to retreat tactically.

However…

"They're nothing more than scrap metal."

Herrscher Mei, who had nearly been caught off guard by these machines moments ago, now took a step forward with utter disdain.

Once again, the thunder roared.

In an instant, violet lightning filled the abandoned building, indiscriminately obliterating every Titan—except for the areas where Elias and Kiana stood.

"..."

"..."

Both Elias and Kiana were left stunned, only able to give Mei a thumbs-up in admiration. So cool~!

"Why did you save me just now?"

As if she had only done something trivial, the queen didn't spare another glance at the "scrap metal." Instead, she turned and pressed Elias against the wall.

A classic domineering kabedon move.

"Why? Mei, you were in danger—how could I just stand by and do nothing? Uh, you're really close…"

Elias averted his gaze, feeling slightly flustered.

It was his first time being pinned against a wall by a girl.

And this wasn't the usual Mei—the gentle, caring girl who would blush when teased.

This was a cold, dominant queen, cornering him with an overpowering presence that made his heartbeat quicken.

The proximity was overwhelming; he could feel her breath against his skin, and the unmistakable softness pressing against his chest.

If Mei closed her eyes and stayed still for three seconds, Elias was fairly certain he'd kiss her right then and there.

"How foolish. Don't confuse me with that crybaby. I am the Queen of Thunder, the Herrscher of Thunder, the emissary of Honkai, born to destroy humanity. So tell me—do you regret saving me now?"

Herrscher Mei gazed down at the young man from her superior position.

But Elias simply smiled and shook his head.

"Not at all. Your personality might be different, and you're definitely stronger, but you're still Raiden Mei. You're still my girlfriend, aren't you? So there's nothing to worry about."

He didn't care what she was.

He simply made one thing clear to the Herrscher standing before him—

No matter what, he would always stand by her side.

The Herrscher of Thunder? On the surface, perhaps. But this domineering queenly version of Mei was no mere personality created by Honkai.

And because of that, she held the possibility of overturning the Honkai Eruption.

"What are you trying to say?"

Herrscher Mei's violet eyes widened slightly in surprise, bringing their already dangerously close distance even closer.

Elias could even hear the sound of her hand pressing into the wall, indenting it slightly as she held him in place.

"Didn't I already say it? I want to save you. I don't care about the complicated stuff."

"As for destroying humanity… can you let that slide for my sake? Wouldn't it be more meaningful to just have dinner together instead?"

"..."

The queen's authority had no effect on him.

Far from fearing her, Herrscher Mei could clearly sense that Elias treated her no differently than the timid girl in his memories.

The same warmth.

The same care.

The kind of affection that confused her, despite knowing she was a Herrscher destined to turn Nagazora City into a living hell—a sworn enemy of humanity.

Then, suddenly—

Herrscher Mei felt warmth against her chest.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, huh? Maybe I pushed myself too hard… I think I'll take a little nap. Hopefully, when I wake up, I can have dinner cooked by Mei."

Elias slumped forward, resting his head against her chest as if falling asleep.

Such an intimate gesture—one that not even her father, Raiden Ryoma, had ever dared.

"But… I've already made my choice. So now… it's your turn, Mei. Don't disappoint me."

He murmured these words before slipping into unconsciousness.

"Hmph. Do you really think pretending to faint will make me feel guilty enough to listen to you? Wake up and say it properly, you… what?!"

Herrscher Mei suddenly froze, her lightning-filled eyes widening in shock.

Her body stiffened as she carefully, almost cautiously, checked over Elias.

"This… this isn't funny!"

She shouted furiously.

Rumble—!!!

A deafening clap of thunder erupted across the entire city.

She recalled Elias' words and the choice she had presented to him earlier.

She had given him two options—save the world or save Raiden Mei.

And without hesitation, he had chosen the latter.

Now, Elias had placed the same choice before Herrscher Mei—continue her mission to destroy civilization, or choose him.

"…I will not allow this to end like this. From this moment on, only I am allowed to take your life, Elias. You will live."

She gazed down at the unconscious boy in her arms.

The Honkai Eruption was said to be irreversible.

When a Herrscher descended, with a few exceptions, an overwhelming Honkai eruption would always follow, devastating the world.

Because Honkai itself created Herrschers, even a Herrscher shouldn't be able to stop the disaster that birthed them… under normal circumstances.

"Kiana, take him. Treat him with care."

"Mei… no, wait—you're not Mei. What are you planning to do?"

"Hmph! I have no obligation to explain myself… whatever. I was merely telling him my choice."

She took one last deep look at the sleeping boy.

Then, Herrscher Mei dispersed all of her lightning, abandoning the Honkai energy accumulated within her body and relinquishing the full Herrscher authority she had been on the verge of claiming.

She even surrendered control of her physical body, returning it to the timid girl she once scorned.

In that instant, the Honkai energy concentration across Nagazora City plummeted. One moment, the city stood at the brink of a Honkai Eruption; the next, the danger had subsided, returning to safe levels.

…

Elias knew this was something only an abnormal manifestation of the Herrscher personality could achieve.

In truth, the Thunder Queen had never been a typical Herrscher personality—she was the consciousness of Mei's Stigmata, awakened and given form.

When the Gem of Conquest was implanted into Mei's body, it sealed away her Stigmata's awakening, but in turn, the will of her Stigmata successfully invaded the Herrscher core.

The Stigmata consciousness replaced the Herrscher personality that should have been born, which was why she could defy the will of Honkai and perform an act unthinkable for any true Herrscher—relinquishing her authority and purpose.

Such a thing was nearly impossible for any Herrscher. In the Previous Era, no Herrscher had ever forsaken their mission to destroy humanity… though, in the Current Era, not a single one had been normal.

By giving up her Herrscher status, her authority, and her mission, she reverted back into a "normal human."

This was what ultimately halted the Honkai Eruption in Nagazora City. After all, the fundamental purpose of an Eruption was to provide the newly born Herrscher with enough Honkai energy to sustain itself.

But if the Herrscher itself refused to play its role, then the Honkai Eruption had no purpose—and so, it ceased.

"Kiana, what… what happened?"

"Huh? This tone—it's the usual Mei!"

With the Herrscher consciousness gone, Mei's original personality returned. However, she had no memory of what had happened in between, leaving her completely confused.

"We can talk later. Right now, we need to leave. Elias isn't doing so well—we need to find a place for him to rest!"

"What?! Then let's go to my place! It's close by, and there's a pharmacy nearby too."

"Great. Damn it, Elias, you're even more reckless than I am."