Raiden Mei, one of the four who journeyed to the vicinity of the lunar orbit for the final battle against Kevin.
She felt that her emotions had, within these few days, experienced the greatest fluctuations since the Third Great Honkai Eruption and the Captain's death.
Originally in the midst of leading students on a mission, she immediately used the powers of the Herrscher of Thunder and the Herrscher of Origin to instantly clear out the Honkai beasts and returned to St. Freya Academy at the fastest possible speed.
The Captain had said he would be back in a few days and wanted to see her the moment he returned home!
For a young maiden in love, this joy was akin to thinking the protagonist had died in the grand finale, only for a hint to suddenly appear that he was still alive!
Mei could confirm it; this was indeed a message from the Captain!
Back at Senba Academy, he always liked to write letters to her in this tone.
More importantly, even amidst a lonely mission, he had risked exposure to send her a message!
And right after sending it, he immediately went offline, "dead."
Indeed, from the moment the Captain had dangled her own panties on the rooftop, Mei knew she held a place in his heart!
Even though countless questions still swirled in her mind, no matter how many messages Mei sent, the Captain didn't reply.
So, she could only wait for the Captain at home, wait for the Captain who had pulled her from the abyss.
While waiting at home, Mei had already imagined a hundred different poses for her reunion with the Captain. However, at this very moment, an uninvited guest arrived.
A woman with chestnut-brown hair, peach-blossom pink eyes, a slender waist, and a pert chest. From Mei's perspective, she was undoubtedly a beauty.
Yet, she carried an aura that Mei found quite repulsive, though she couldn't recall where she had encountered it before.
But if it were merely an unpleasant aura, Mei wouldn't necessarily have to be hostile towards her. Having suffered from bullying herself, she wouldn't easily judge people by their appearance. The crucial problem lay in her abominable personality.
Just a few hours ago, Mei, in her capacity as the lady of the house, had received this strange woman.
"Um, you are?"
Mei took the initiative to ask. The woman's attire didn't look like she belonged to the Far East Branch. "Who are you looking for?"
Mei surmised she was looking for Himeko. With the Captain dead, the Headmaster transferred to headquarters, Kiana on the moon, and Bronya gone to E.T. Studio to pursue her dreams, the only person living in this house was Himeko, who had been promoted to department head.
If she was here, she was probably looking for Himeko.
The only thing Mei didn't understand was, how did she get in here?
"Me?"
Vita seemed to snap back to reality, offering an amiable smile. "My name is Vita. I was getting terribly bored staying at home recently, so I came out for a stroll. I happened to be passing by and thought I'd visit an old acquaintance."
As she spoke, the girl calling herself Vita scanned the room, then looked at Mei. "You're the lady of the house, right?"
"Er... I suppose so, for now."
Mei felt a little insecure. In truth, the owner of this dormitory was actually Himeko. But since the Captain was back, Teacher Himeko probably wouldn't mind if she called herself the lady of the house.
"If you're looking for Himeko, she should be in the Branch Head's office right now. You can find her there."
Mei pointed the way for the other woman, hoping she would leave quickly.
How long is this woman going to stay?
I definitely don't want anyone to see the hundred reunion poses I've planned with the Captain.
As Mei grumbled internally, the woman seemed to have noticed something amusing. Her previously listless expression suddenly curved into a smile.
So, she's specifically waiting for the Captain to return, eh~
Vita remembered that back in Salt Snow Holy City, the Captain seemed to have instructed the people there not to reveal his whereabouts to others...
Mei saw Vita's lips curl into a meaningful arc. "Are you waiting for the Captain?"
"??" Mei was instantly on guard and bewildered. Isn't the Captain on a secret mission? Am I the only one who knows he's returning?
"Of course, I know."
Seeing Mei take the bait, the smile on Vita's lips widened. While strolling around the room, admiring the Earthlings' interior design style, she observed Mei's reaction out of the corner of her eye. "And I know many, many things about the Captain. For example, he likes sweets but not if they're too sweet. The Captain has a very discerning palate and doesn't like to eat the same food repeatedly... And, rather than lying down, he prefers people to squat, using their mouths~"
Vita spoke in a tone that implied, "I'm very familiar with the Captain," which, in Mei's eyes, was just like a favored fox spirit!
The words "love rival" instantly popped into Mei's mind, and her heart couldn't help but flutter with panic, yet she managed to keep her expression from showing on her face.
As for the latter half of what Vita said, Mei only believed half of it. The gist was that the Captain might have indeed taken advantage of her, but he definitely didn't like her.
There was no particular reason; it was simply the only outcome Mei could accept.
After all, no one wanted their home to be stolen by an unfamiliar woman.
Mei calmly analyzed the intelligence in her mind.
Her looks are no worse than mine.
She acts like a bitch.
She arrived even before I, who just received news of the Captain's return, did. Her intelligence gathering is top-notch.
She couldn't resist launching an offensive the moment she saw a love rival. She's an impetuous and opportunistic person.
Mei currently placed her on the same level as Bronya as a love rival. As for anything beyond being a love rival, Mei naturally wouldn't consider it at all.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have declared her claim to him to Mei right from the start.
Mei was very clear about the Captain's charm.
—That is, apart from his face, he has absolutely no personal charisma whatsoever!
Of course, having no personal charisma didn't mean he didn't have luck with women. In fact, many girls would still fall for the Captain even after knowing his terrible personality.
This point had actually puzzled Mei for a long time, and the final conclusion was only one.
—Therefore, most of those who fall for the Captain probably have something wrong with them. They're not easy to deal with!
Just as Mei was about to cautiously probe for information, she noticed Vita's previously smug face suddenly fall for some reason.
Vita's expression twitched slightly. What does she mean, "most of those who fall for the Captain probably have something wrong with them"? Is it really okay for you to say such a thing?
And so, the feud between the two was thus established.
The two sat for a long time, occasionally exchanging sarcastic remarks. The fact that they hadn't come to blows yet was their last shred of restraint.
This precarious balance was only broken when the Captain returned.
"Captain, you... how did you become so small?" Mei looked at Jun An with a face full of confusion, her reaction half a beat slower than Vita's.
"Dying and coming back to life always requires some price."
Jun An glanced at Mei and explained with his usual old tune, then looked at Vita with a scrutinizing gaze. "Vita, you're not staying put tens of thousands of miles away. What are you doing in my house? Believe it or not, I'll throw you into the sun."
Jun An glared at Vita, wanting to know what mischief she was brewing.
After all, Jun An's understanding of her was limited to Part 1.5. Judging by her behavior during that period, her coming to Earth definitely wasn't just to catch up with him.
Vita's face stiffened but quickly returned to normal, hiding the fear in her heart. "I was just too bored staying at home. I happened to be passing by while looking for some fun. This is your territory, so I had to at least say hello to you first."
Having said that, Vita put on a pitifully beautiful expression. "I haven't done anything. You wouldn't really throw me into the sun, would you?"
Vita felt that, depending on her actions, Jun An was capable of doing it.
Jun An nodded. "As long as you don't bully people randomly here, I can even provide you with some conveniences."
"What an understanding Captain."
Vita, her ulterior motive now clear, looked at Mei. "Does this convenience include asking her to step out for a while?"
As she spoke, she even winked at the Captain, hinting, "I also happen to want to repay some debt."
Jun An felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but look towards the source of the cold air.
"Mei?"
"Why is the Captain looking at Mei?"
Mei forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "The Captain is the master of this house. Cap-tain, you-de-cide-is-fine!"
Mei enunciated the last part word by word, adding, "But think carefully before you speak."
Mei's eyes were gloomy at this moment, looking as if she was about to run back to her parents' home. Vita timely added a stab, "Captain, she's so fierce, so scary~ Unlike me, I only know how to dote on the Captain~"
"Ahem, ahem, ahem!"
Jun An, his survival instinct kicking in full force, coughed. "Vita, stop fooling around. Tell me your real business for coming here. As for repaying the debt, I'll find you later."
Vita couldn't help but cast a resentful glance at Mei. Why isn't he so compliant when he's with me?
But she didn't waste any more words. "I found some interesting things in Mars' orbit. I want to go take a look."