Honkai Impact: Become Their Hero

"Elias, you're right. If we don't help Mei, then who else will? But listen, Elias—you better remember this—I won't let anything happen to you!"

Kiana spoke with absolute seriousness, as if making a promise to Elias, or perhaps reminding herself.

Bringing Elias, an ordinary person, into an event as dangerous as this—especially one at the Herrscher level—was an extreme risk. After all, she could barely even protect herself.

But looking into Elias' determined eyes, Kiana knew she would never be able to convince him to run away and hide until everything was over.

'You always called me stubborn, Elias, but aren't you just as bad? Hmph~'

Over time, Kiana had grown to trust Elias immensely. He gave off a reliable feeling, even surpassing that of Siegfried in some ways.

Kiana truly valued and deeply cared for this friend—someone who shared lunches with her, worried about her, and even helped apply medicine to her injuries.

So, the answer was simple.

She would protect everything.

Whether it was Mei, Elias, or the entire Nagazora City, she would stake the honor of the Kaslana family to prevent any tragedy from happening!

If Cocolia or Otto were here, they would surely mock her. Mock her ignorance, her weakness, her overconfidence. How could someone who couldn't even defeat a B-rank Valkyrie hope to protect everything from a Herrscher-level catastrophe?

It was nothing but a fool's dream.

But to Elias, at this moment, Kiana shone brightly. Strength or not, her determination, her resolve, and her beliefs were undeniably real.

Just like in the game—though she might seem goofy and unreliable at times, when it truly mattered, Kiana Kaslana never ran away. She would always be the first to charge in.

Even if it meant throwing herself into danger, she would never turn her back!

"Well said, Kiana! Here, take this greatsword. The quality isn't amazing, but it's still way better than those tiny pistols of yours."

"Oh, awesome! But what about you, Elias?"

"Oh, I've got this one~"

Elias spun the Plasma Kagehide in his hand and gazed up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, thinking to himself:

'Father-in-law Ryoma, don't worry—Mei is in my hands now. Thanks for the Plasma Kagehide. A four-star weapon isn't bad at all. Also, I hope your spirit watches over me and Mei. Amen.'

But just then—

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a blinding flash of lightning shot toward the sky. Kiana's eyes widened as she instantly felt the surge of Honkai energy.

"This level of Honkai energy… Elias, this is bad! The Third Honkai Eruption is about to begin!"

"Hah? Of all times, why now?! Did something happen to Mei while we were gone—damn it! That bastard Cocolia, I swear even a thousand deaths wouldn't be enough for her!"

Elias didn't need to think twice to know who was behind this disaster.

Without hesitation, both of them took off running toward the source of the lightning. Although the Honkai energy levels were skyrocketing, they had yet to reach the critical threshold of 1000HW required for a Herrscher's birth.

If it were any other Herrscher, Elias wouldn't be so confident—but this was Raiden Mei. This was the Herrscher of Thunder. And when it came to her, he was certain—there was still a chance to change fate!

...

Half an hour earlier.

While Elias and Kiana were busy exploring the ME Corp branch, Mei, having just finished school, immediately headed straight for the supermarket.

If she didn't hurry, she'd miss the discount window.

Ever since the Raiden family fell from grace, Mei had gone from a pampered young lady who never touched household chores to a skilled and frugal homemaker.

Even though her frozen assets meant she still had some living expenses left, she needed to be careful with her spending. That's how she learned the fine art of competing with veteran shoppers for discounted groceries at the supermarket.

"Good thing I came early today—I managed to grab a lot of great ingredients at a low price. I'll practice cooking them and make that Shenzhou dish Elias mentioned tomorrow."

As she thought about Elias enjoying her meals with a satisfied smile, or Kiana fighting him over the last piece of fried chicken, Mei couldn't help but smile, feeling a surge of motivation.

She truly cherished those two.

Unlike back when she was the so-called "Raiden Queen," surrounded by people who admired her for her status and family wealth rather than for who she was, Elias and Kiana had taught her the meaning of genuine friendship.

As long as they were with her, Mei didn't care if the rest of the world rejected her.

Nowadays, her greatest joy was cooking and watching the two of them enjoy her homemade meals. That was what made Raiden Mei happiest.

"Beep beep! Beep beep beep beep!!"

It was getting late.

The busy streets were packed with vehicles, their honking horns contributing to the chaos of rush hour in the big city. The constant blaring made Mei frown slightly.

On instinct, she slipped on her headphones and turned up the volume, drowning out the city's noise.

"Now that I think about it… I've never heard these songs before. I can't even find them online. Could it be that Elias composed all of them himself?"

Though this world was different from her original one, music transcended technology and borders. The songs Elias brought from his home world were still masterpieces here.

Soon, the beautiful melody filled her ears, lightening her steps. She started singing along to the lyrics she had grown so fond of.

"O your smile is tainted and your face is cold

There's no more comfort in your lips and cheeks

The whirling noise is pulling me within

The tainted carcass of this world

All the incandescent stars of heaven will die at the end of days

Your gentle soul given to damnation

Crimson moon shines upon a town that is smeared in blood

Cried the diva given into lament

All those sweet little dreams buried deep in memories until the very end."

The song was called "Honkai World Diva." Its melody carried a tragic, resolute tone—like a sinner singing their final lament.

The first time Mei heard it, an electrifying sensation coursed through her body. She ended up looping it on repeat the entire night.

By now, she had memorized every word.