After accepting Kiana's commission and possessing her body once again, Levi looked at Raiden Mei in front of him, smiling brightly.
"Hello there~ my dearest Mei~"
Hearing that familiar tone, Raiden Mei immediately confirmed that the one who had spoken to her back in Changkong City was indeed this current Kiana.
"Your name is Levi?"
"Kiana or Levi, they're both my names. You can call me whichever you like~"
Glancing at the apple in his hand, Levi took a bite.
"I'll call you Levi, then."
After all, the name "Kiana" was already taken.
After thinking for a moment, Raiden Mei asked, "What should I do now?"
Right now, they were at St. Freya, an entirely unfamiliar place to her. The only person she knew here was Levi.
And since she felt completely lost about what to do next, she wanted to ask for his opinion.
"You can't go through life without your own opinions, Mei~"
Levi tossed the apple core into the trash and licked the juice from his lips.
"If it were me, I'd stay here at St. Freya Academy and become a Valkyrie."
'Hey! I'm not staying here! I still have to find that stupid old man!'
Kiana protested from within.
After all, her reason for going to Changkong City in the first place had been to find her father, Siegfried, who had abandoned her and disappeared.
Even though she'd been caught off guard by the Honkai outbreak, and had met the heart-stirring Raiden Mei, her goal hadn't changed.
She wanted to find Siegfried and give him a punch right in the face.
So he'd know what happens when you abandon your own daughter.
Hearing Kiana's words, Levi replied in thought, 'Do you really want to keep running around the world like a headless fly?'
'Use that almond-sized brain of yours and think. Wouldn't it be better to use your Aunt Theresa's connections to find him, rather than wandering aimlessly on your own?'
Kiana instinctively snapped back, 'Your brain's the size of an almond!'
Still, anyone with common sense could see which option made more sense.
Though people liked to joke that Kiana had the intelligence of a single-celled organism, she was still within the normal human range of intelligence.
Naturally, she understood which path was smarter.
Stay at St. Freya Academy, ask her newly met "Aunt Theresa" for help finding Siegfried, surely her aunt wouldn't refuse her niece's request.
On the hospital bed, after listening to Levi's advice, Raiden Mei nodded, then lowered her head silently.
She thought of her father, Raiden Ryoma.
If nothing unexpected had happened, he was probably still imprisoned in Changkong City.
But now, Changkong City had become a living hell, crawling with monsters.
Even if some people had survived by luck, they probably wouldn't last long.
To live through pain and fear, only to die afterward, was that really lucky or not?
Maybe the people who turned into monsters right away were actually the luckiest ones.
Thinking of her father, Raiden Mei wanted to go back to Changkong City to find him, but she didn't dare.
She was afraid that if she went, what she'd find would be his corpse.
At this point, Raiden Ryoma could only have two possible fates.
Either he turned into one of those "deadmen" Levi mentioned when the Honkai first broke out, or he remained human but was trapped in his cell, torn apart by the dead.
As those thoughts flashed through her mind, Raiden Mei's face filled with sorrow.
Seeing that, Levi easily guessed what was on her mind.
He leaned forward and hugged her gently again, speaking softly, "Don't be sad, Mei. Your father's fine. He's probably somewhere out there right now… quietly watching over you."
"..."
How nice. He could always see right through her heart.
Hearing Levi's comforting words, a warm feeling spread in Raiden Mei's chest. But to show her strength, to make him not treat her like a child, she deliberately broke through his "lie."
"That place… is hell, isn't it?"
"Pfft!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry!"
Levi wiped the spray of saliva off Raiden Mei's face, but recalling what she had just said made him burst out laughing again.
If Raiden Ryoma could hear that, his face would probably go completely black.
Levi met Raiden Mei's violet eyes and saw confusion flicker within them.
"I wouldn't lie to you, Mei. Your father really isn't dead. Most likely, he's hiding somewhere right now, watching you."
Raiden Ryoma, president of ME Corp in Changkong City, his true identity was one of Anti-Entropy's field executors, a secret he had hidden perfectly.
Even his own daughter, Raiden Mei, had no idea.
Clearly, he hadn't wanted her to be involved in anything related to the Honkai.
But just because he didn't want that didn't mean others agreed.
Raiden Mei, with the Gem of Conquest implanted in her yet still functioning normally, was a very tempting target in certain people's eyes.
And that led to the tragedy in Changkong City.
Raiden Ryoma was framed for financial crimes and imprisoned; Raiden Mei's spirit was crushed as she saw the true faces of her former classmates.
Combined with the chaos from the outside world, it all led perfectly to the birth of the Herrscher of Thunder.
"..."
Raiden Mei took a deep breath. Learning that her father was still alive erased the last trace of sadness from her heart.
"Hug me."
"…Huh?"
Her words caught Levi completely off guard. He didn't process it right away.
He never expected Raiden Mei to be so bold, to ask for a hug herself.
Before he could react, she wrapped her arms around him on her own.
And from Levi's perspective, the angle of that hug was… very nice.
A soft sensation pressed against his cheek, and Levi's face lit up with pure bliss.
'Hehehe…' ×2
Click!
"Raiden Mei, your surgery has been arran..."
"…ged."
"..."
Theresa, standing in the doorway, fell silent as she took in the scene before her.
"Well, looks like we came at the wrong time."
A teasing voice sounded from behind her.
Himeko, following Theresa, saw Raiden Mei hugging "Kiana" and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
'Ah… youth.'
"You two… seem really close."
Theresa glanced at the lovestruck expression on "Kiana's" face and shook her head.
Then she looked toward Raiden Mei and said, "Your surgery has been arranged. Do you want to go now or wait a bit?"
"Now."
Raiden Mei released Levi and prepared to leave with Theresa.
But then, something unexpected happened.
[Alert! Alert! Herrscher invasion! Alert! Alert! Herrscher invasion!]
Bang!
Both Himeko and Theresa turned, startled, to see that "Kiana" had smashed the St. Freya central intercom.
"Kiana" turned around and, noticing their shocked faces, thought for a second before explaining, "That thing was too noisy, and the message would just cause panic anyway. I helped you out, Auntie. No need to thank me."
"..."
"Oh, right, what surgery is Mei going for?"
Levi leaned close to Raiden Mei, eyes filled with concern.
He really didn't remember any "surgery" Raiden Mei was supposed to have after leaving Changkong City.
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