"Elias, don't you think Mei's strength is a bit… abnormal? If I were to fight her right now—without the Judgment of Shamash—what are my odds?"
Kevin asked, cold sweat forming on his forehead as he watched Mei "playing with fire." For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just lost to her.
Sure, the idea of mastering Herrscher authority in a human body through the Key of Blankness sounded impressive enough—but seeing Mei wielding what seemed like an endless supply of Honkai energy, her flames blazing hotter than the original Herrscher of Fire's, was something else entirely.
And to think that was just from linking the Gem of Haste embedded within the Judgment of Shamash—its enhancement easily surpassed the increase he'd gained after fusing Parvati's genes! What kind of logic-breaking nonsense was this?!
"Hmm…" Elias thought for a moment, then replied seriously, "If you're not using the Judgment of Shamash, and assuming Mei learns a bit of combat technique—and her body can handle the strain—then I can almost say with certainty, Kevin… Mei would beat you into the ground."
Kevin froze, twitching as his jaw dropped.
"Uh, you're joking, right?"
"Nope. Dead serious."
Elias patted Kevin's shoulder sympathetically. "Honestly, in terms of raw power, you're still stronger right now—but Mei's level has already surpassed yours. With the Key of Blankness, she's easily Tier 1. And as for Tier 0…" Elias smiled faintly. "That's just me."
"Kevin, do you know how a Herrscher truly grows stronger?"
"Uh… by destroying the world and absorbing more Honkai energy?"
"Correct—but that's not the only way. There's another method, far more difficult, yet even more effective."
Elias pointed toward Mei, who was still finishing off the last few Herrschers.
"By gaining knowledge. By becoming a scholar who deeply understands their own authority. The more thoroughly you grasp the mechanics behind your power, the more ways you can manipulate it."
"At that point, even if two Herrschers have the same amount of Honkai energy, their power could differ tenfold—or even a hundredfold."
Take Mei and Himeko, for example.
The latter had simply released fire when using the Herrscher of Fire's authority. The former, however, truly manipulated molecular motion itself. Comparing Himeko's use of the power to Mei's mastery was like comparing a caveman swinging a stick to someone operating a particle accelerator.
In terms of comprehension alone, the gap between them was astronomical—literally galactic. And that was precisely why Mei, as humanity's greatest scientist, stood unmatched in understanding.
"If you don't have the Judgment of Shamash, Kevin—and Mei has even basic combat experience and endurance—your ice would never reach her. She'd melt it away before it got close. You'd be dead before you could even blink."
"Gulp…"
Kevin swallowed hard.
He began mentally reviewing whether he had ever offended Mei before. Hopefully not?
This was absurd. So all it took to become unbeatable was… learning math and science?!
But of course, great power always came with a price.
"Cough—cough!"
Just as Mei prepared to finish off the final Herrscher of Dominance, her body suddenly convulsed. Her hand slipped, and the Judgment of Shamash fell to the ground as she spat a mouthful of blood.
"She's reached her limit," Elias muttered, his brow furrowing.
No one understood the cost of using the Key of Blankness better than he did.
Even though this armor had been custom-built by Mei herself, a mortal body linking directly to Imaginary Space was bound to suffer severe backlash—and could not be maintained for long.
"Heh… looks like you're done for after all. Good. Then let me end you!" one of the surviving Herrscher of Dominance sneered.
"Get lost. You're in my way."
Before the Herrscher could even move, Elias appeared in front of her. With a single motion, he swung his hand across her face—sending her flying with a thunderous slap.
It was far too reckless—far too lacking in self-awareness. Did that Herrscher really not understand her situation? This wasn't some noble knight's duel where no one could intervene. There was no way Elias would stand by and watch Mei get hurt.
Herrscher of Dominance: ε(┬┬﹏┬┬)3
Elias didn't even glance at the Herrscher he had slapped—who was still spinning helplessly through the air, completing forty-nine rotations before crashing face-first into the ground, her left cheek swollen and shiny with tears.
Instead, he gently caught Mei in his arms, supporting her trembling body, and immediately began using the Herrscher of Rebirth's power to heal her.
"As expected, the Honkai energy backlash is severe, isn't it?"
"Yes… but with you here, it's not a problem."
Mei leaned softly against his chest, a sweet, contented smile spreading across her face. Faint traces of Honkai corruption had already crept up her neck, forming glowing, crimson markings.
In the original timeline, it was said that after using the Key of Blankness, Mei suffered irreversible damage to her body—damage caused by Honkai energy erosion. In a world without Elias, Honkai disease was an incurable death sentence.
But with him here, the pain she'd felt moments ago disappeared entirely in the next instant.
Elias diluted a single drop of his Holy Blood to one part per thousand, then combined it with the Herrscher of Rebirth's authority. Within seconds, he purged the Honkai infection and fully restored her condition.
"With me around, Mei, you can go all out. Look—there's still one left. Finish your hunt."
"Mm! Then—Shamash Assault!"
Mei grasped the Judgment of Shamash once more and swung down, delivering a blow far too generous for a single remaining Herrscher.
A pillar of flame burst upward, shattering the labyrinth's ceiling before crashing down upon her target—incinerating the Herrscher of Dominance until not even ash remained.
Though Mei's Honkai energy after linking to Imaginary Space only reached about 3000 HW, her perfect understanding of molecular motion allowed her to wield the power of the flames with terrifying precision. Her Shamash Assault was nearly equal in force to Kevin's own.
"Haah… that felt amazing."
A bright smile of exhilaration spread across Mei's face.
She was exhausted, yet deeply fulfilled.
Then, turning toward the white-haired boy beside her—and before anyone could react—she said plainly:
"Elias."
"Hmm?"
"I like you. No… that's not accurate enough. I love you."
Before the boy could even respond, Mei hooked her arm around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
She had been waiting for this moment.
Only when she had personally defeated the Herrschers of Dominance did she feel worthy of confessing her feelings. In truth, even during the battle, this thought had been running through her mind all along.
(Mei: 'Once I finish this fight, I'll confess!')
(Herrscher of Dominance: 'No wonder she was hitting so hard!')
Fortunately, Elias had been there—otherwise, that vow might've turned into a death flag. She'd nearly been defeated just moments earlier.
"Mm… mmm… mmph…!"
Mei's body went limp. Although she was the one who initiated the kiss, Elias quickly took control.
As an experienced kisser—perhaps even a master—he easily overwhelmed Mei, who was entirely new to it.
Within seconds, her cheeks turned scarlet, steam rising from her head as her eyes glazed over. Her lips tingled, her mind went blank—but one clear thought remained: That felt amazing.
"Thank you, Mei. I like you very much too—and now, that liking is becoming something deeper. Love."
Elias brushed a strand of hair from her face as he gently returned her feelings.
Mei's blush deepened, her heart pounding so fast she thought it might burst from her chest.
Still, she was surprised—she hadn't expected her confession to go this smoothly. She had thought Elias would hesitate, maybe even need time to consider before accepting.
But instead, he had answered her immediately.
"Don't look at me like that, Mei. I'm not the kind of man who says yes easily—but since it's you, it's different."
"Eh? Wait, Elias—you mean…"
"Mm~ I've liked you for a long time, Mei."
"...Can you tell me since when?"
"The moment I first met you."
The moment Elias spoke, Mei's entire body began to tremble violently. The first time we met? That was when we were children!
Oh my god—he'd fallen for her at first sight!
(Damn it! All this time, I could've just made a move and sealed the deal?! Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?! Ughhh, this feels worse than missing out on billions!)
Mei felt like crying. The thing she had longed for all these years had already been hers from the beginning—and she'd never even realized it. Absolutely ridiculous!
"Mmnn!"
Thinking that, she ignored her tingling lips and kissed Elias again, as if to make up for all the lost years in one go.
Elias responded eagerly to Mei's affection. The kiss was both clumsy and passionate, and her bashful sincerity made it all the more endearing. Wrapping his arms around her slender waist, he pulled her close, deepening the embrace.
At first, Elias had been drawn to Mei because she resembled Raiden Mei—but now, he could say with certainty: the one he loved was this Mei, and her alone.
"Cough! Okay, that's enough—you're gonna make Mei run out of oxygen, Eli."
"Ely, don't ruin the moment! I've waited years for this—how could I stop now?!"
"I understand your feelings, Mei… Actually, no, I don't," Elysia said with a teasing grin. "After all, things between me and Eli just… happened naturally, you know? So I can't really relate~."
"Shamash Assault!!"
A twitch formed at Mei's temple. She grabbed the Judgment of Shamash single-handedly and swung it at Elysia in frustration—but, unsurprisingly, the pink-haired elf dodged effortlessly.
Now that she thought about it, it was because of this pink troublemaker that Elias hadn't stayed to be her personal tutor all those years ago! If he had stayed…
She definitely would've won him over by now—heck, they might even have kids already!
Damn you, Elysia. I'll remember this grudge forever!
Meanwhile, Kevin cautiously approached.
"Ahem, Mei… about the Judgment of Shamash—could you, uh, maybe give it back? I still need—"
"Oh, I'm keeping it," Mei interrupted, her tone firm. "I need to study the Herrscher's authority a little longer. Hmph~! From now on, I refuse to lose to any of you in power. I'll be the one using Shamash."
Her words carried a kind of elegant dominance.
The feeling of wielding Herrscher power was simply intoxicating. To accelerate and decelerate molecular motion at will—Mei felt as though she held a fragment of divinity itself. Anything seemed possible.
As for the Key of Blankness' side effects? Easily managed.
That level of Honkai corrosion could be neutralized by regular injections of Honkai Energy Serum.
Granted, synthesizing Elias' Holy Blood was extremely difficult, so the serum's mass production was only barely feasible—but given Mei's contributions and status, no one would object to allocating her a private monthly supply.
After all, she was arguably the most important person in existence—second only to Elias himself.
"You can't be serious, Mei!" Kevin protested. If it had been anyone else, he'd have already tried to take it back by force—but this was Mei.
The same woman who had been bossing him and Su around since childhood—and now, one of the most powerful figures on the planet. There was no one left alive who could 'put Mei beneath them'… except Elias.
Kevin sighed, realizing he couldn't risk offending her. If he did, he'd probably be assigned the most suicidal missions in existence. All he could do was exchange a desperate glance with Elias.
(Elias, do something! Control your woman!)
Elias just shrugged, clearly unfazed.
He reached into his inventory and pulled out another Divine Key—the Seven Thunders of Retribution.
"My dear Mei, forget the Judgment of Shamash. If you want to play with something, try this instead. Manipulating molecular motion is fine, but wouldn't controlling electromagnetism be even better? After all, it's one of the four fundamental forces of nature."
"...You're right~."
Mei's eyes immediately sparkled. For a scientist, the ability to command electromagnetism was far more fascinating than mere molecular motion.
Without hesitation, she planted the Judgment of Shamash into the ground and took the Seven Thunders of Retribution from Elias' hand.
In that instant, violet lightning coursed across her entire body as she gained the Herrscher of Thunder's authority.
The Key of Blankness shifted colors—black intertwined with violet. In Mei's palm, deep purple lightning gathered, releasing hundreds of thousands of volts that filled the air with an oppressive charge. Everyone nearby instinctively felt the threat radiating from her.
(Mm, yes, this feels much more fitting~)
Elias nodded approvingly.
Mei's face simply didn't suit "playing with fire." Lightning was far more appropriate.
After all, whether it was Honkai Impact, Genshin, or Star Rail—if she had the face of a "cooking wife," then she was destined to be an Electro character.
"Then I hereby announce—the First Herrscher of Dominance Hunting Tournament has officially concluded! First place: Mei. Second: Ely. Third: Hua. Fourth: Kalpas…"
As Elias spoke, he casually created several shimmering medals and hung them around the necks of the top three.
"Here—your prizes."
Vill-V, acting as the event's organizer, reached into the massive mechanical heart of her contraption and handed out the rewards: front-row tickets to her next magic show for Elysia, and a full year's worth of meal vouchers for Hua.
"Hmm? What about me?" Mei tilted her head in confusion.
She wasn't particularly concerned about prizes, but as the first-place winner, surely she deserved something. Was this revenge for her sudden rise to the top?
Vill-V grit her teeth, looking pained as she announced the answer.
"The first-place prize is… one unrestricted command, to be given by the Savior himself—usable only once. Grrr!"
"What?!" ×N
Every woman present whipped her head toward Elias, who responded with a peace sign and a cheerful smile—confirming it was indeed true. Naturally, a grand prize had to be something everyone would want.
And in this world, there wasn't a single person who didn't adore the Savior. Those who once didn't… had already been "handled" as Herrscher of Dominance.
"Guhhh!" ×2
Elysia and Hua, who had been so pleased with their prizes seconds ago, suddenly looked as though they might cough up blood. The tickets and meal vouchers in their hands instantly lost all appeal.
Especially Elysia—Miss Pink Elf herself had been the rightful first place! If everyone hadn't been so gracious, letting Mei claim the spotlight for her debut performance, the Savior's "Command Ticket" would've been hers!
Sure, Elias usually agreed to whatever she asked anyway—but still! As the High Priestess of the Church of Ely, everything related to him rightfully belonged to her!
"This reward is absolutely perfect."
Mei's eyes widened with excitement.
"I can't believe I get this chance! Elias—come with me, into the lab! I suddenly want to discuss… the study of life."
"Uh, easy there, Mei. I'm not going anywhere. Remember, it's a one-time thing—whenever you want, I'll do anything you ask. So think it over carefully."
"Gulp! Y-you're right!"
Elias' calm, teasing tone only made the offer sound even more alluring. Mei swallowed hard, her face flushed. Anything… anything! She absolutely had to think carefully about what to wish for.
Wiping the corner of her lips—where something suspiciously shiny had begun to form—Mei thought to herself that today had been a perfect day.
Not only had she obliterated the Herrscher of Dominance, but she had also confessed her love and won the Savior's heart—and now, she even held the right to make him obey her once.
It was, in every sense, a flawless victory.