Mei completely ignored her.
Not only did she have to endure the pain from Vill-V's carving in her mind, she also had to face Mobius's artificial Honkai.
She could only resist with all her strength.
Yet the Herrscher of Corruption kept chattering on: "Feeling a bit strained? That's normal~ Oh."
"Though I'm borrowing Mobius's data, the power behind it is still mine after all—the outcome is obvious."
Mei had to admit this battle was barely even. Even with the other not personally stepping in, it was already this close. If she got serious, Mei would definitely lose.
But before she could catch a breath from Mobius's attacks,
flaming meteors fell from the sky.
It was Kalpas's!
When his data appeared, it meant Kalpas had already died.
Audiences across the nation felt their breathing stop. Such an outcome… was truly unacceptable.
Most critically, the TV even added a special note: due to time constraints, Kalpas's death scene would be broadcast later in the live show.
Mei's hand gripping the long blade clenched so hard it trembled.
She stared fixedly at the Herrscher of Corruption, who didn't care at all and simply controlled Kalpas to attack her.
While relentlessly forcing Kalpas to strike hard,
she continued imitating Elysia's way of speaking: "Mei, you're really too bold. Though I love this playful side of yours, always putting yourself in danger like this… I'll worry, you know…"
Her words only fueled Mei's anger further.
Especially when she summoned Vill-V again and kept calling her a good friend.
The audience finally couldn't hold back and exploded in curses.
"Fuck your mother, Herrscher of Corruption—I've never seen anything this disgusting."
"Herrscher? This is a Herrscher? If I were Kevin, I'd be even more obsessed than him. If I were Fu Hua, I'd fall into demonic madness and exterminate every last Herrscher."
"Goddamn it, I really can't take this anymore. I thought the Herrscher of Domination was the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen, but this thing is even worse than her!"
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH… I'm dying of rage, dying of rage. My blood pressure meds aren't working anymore—how can something this infuriating exist?"
"Who still doesn't understand Kevin now? Facing a Herrscher like this, wouldn't you—if you were Kevin—want to defeat Herrschers and Honkai at any cost?"
"I used to be a conservative in the fight against Honkai. Now I think Kevin's radical faction is too conservative!"
"Herrscher of Corruption!! Die already! My chest hurts from how pissed I am!"
"Ever since seeing this damn Herrscher, my period got so angry it ran away. I seriously want to kill her!"
"Mei, hurry up and kill her—I really can't stand this anymore."
"Who the hell can kill this damn Herrscher? Mei can't even beat her. She can't be allowed to win—I'm about to die of anger."
"Damn director, how fucked up do you have to be to write a Herrscher like this."
"…"
The entire nation was roaring in fury.
The actors at Fire Moth Interstellar Entertainment Company couldn't take it either.
Tesla, with her explosive temper, spoke first: "Ellie, I'm not targeting you—these next words are only for this character."
Then she immediately unleashed a torrent of curses: "I ** your **, * you **, how can there be such a shameless ** dog **…"
The entire set sounded like a telegraph room, full of bleeps that stunned even the actors who had been planning to curse.
Some were actually admiring her—this was practically their mouthpiece, saying everything they wanted to say.
After venting fiercely,
Tesla felt a bit better and said to Elysia: "Don't take it personally. I'm really not targeting you—it's just that the Herrscher of Corruption is way too infuriating."
Elysia smiled: "I know~ And precisely because of that, everyone will understand that Honkai isn't so simple. They won't just feel goodwill toward Herrschers because Kiana and the others are Herrschers."
"I see!"
Tesla understood the deeper meaning.
But she still couldn't help saying: "But it's still way too infuriating."
Elysia nodded: "Mm~ It really is a bit."
Then everyone turned back to the TV.
On the screen, Mei was already exhausted—the earlier battle had genuinely drained her strength.
The Herrscher of Corruption said: "Now Mei should understand, right? This kind of fight has no outcome."
"But even knowing you have no chance, you still attack me again and again… That's exactly what I like about you."
"…"
Mei's brows furrowed tightly.
To the Herrscher of Corruption, that earlier battle might have just been amusement.
But the power of those phantoms… was completely real.
Could the Herrscher of Corruption truly be unbeatable in the data space?
Not only that—all corroded information would be turned to her use. The vast, chaotic data of the Realm… would in turn become her strongest pillar.
In that case, she couldn't easily use the authority of conquest the way she did against Domination puppets.
She still didn't understand the authority of Corrosion well enough, and she only had one chance—if she failed…
"Mm…?! "
Suddenly, a strange stabbing pain struck her mind like a blade.
Mei staggered, gritting her teeth to swallow the cry that had reached her lips.
The Herrscher of Corruption's voice still swirled around her ears, but the pain made it gradually blur.
"You see, I already told you—I have absolutely no intention of harming you."
"Now you should believe me, right? We're really not enemies. Quite the opposite, I…"
"…"
"..."
Before her eyes, the Herrscher of Corruption's lips continued to move.
But her voice felt muffled, as if separated by an invisible membrane.
Mei was shocked inside: What's happening, my head hurts so much… Is it from the earlier fight? Have I… been corroded…?
But she quickly dismissed the thought: Impossible… If she could corrode me with her authority the way she does memory bodies, she wouldn't waste so many words dealing with me… And she doesn't seem to react at all to the current situation…
Wait… this feeling is…
Amid the intermittent pain, a few short, urgent reminders flashed like lightning, then vanished.
The Helix Vill-V had said: "But right now, you probably still can't realize… just how crucial you yourself are to the entire plan. But it's fine—Su will make you understand. I hope he's already seen the message I left him."
"…That's all the pieces."
"Here, Mei… the true Helix Inscription."
"This is all the arrangements I can complete. What I can do… you can do the same. Then…"
"Go uncover every mystery."
Mei confirmed: It's… Vill-V? The Helix Signet… is doing something in my consciousness…
Once she realized this, the pain gradually receded like a tide.
The voice by her ear became clear again.
"Mei, are you really not going to talk things over properly with me?"
"Any answer you want, I can give it to you, you know?"
"…"
Mei simply looked at her.
She had also determined what to do next: before reuniting with Su, stall the Herrscher of Corruption as long as possible…
But that was fine—this was an opportunity.
Suppressing her anger, she went along with the words: "…This doesn't seem like you're asking for my opinion. You haven't given me any other choice, have you?"
The Herrscher of Corruption laughed: "I knew it—a cold-faced but warm-hearted girl like Mei could never bear to refuse me."
"Then… where should I start? I really need to think carefully… Right, let's begin with the part Mei most wants to know!"
Snap—
With a finger snap, the amusement park scenery began to twist and shift…
When the dazzling lights came on again, the scene before them had completely changed.
What appeared now was a Ferris wheel.
"That's what Elysia told you, right—"
The Herrscher of Corruption cleared her throat and spoke in Elysia's tone from back then: "Let's go together to that fog-shrouded little island, to the site of that final banquet, to witness the birth and end of the Thirteenth Herrscher."
"Come on, Mei—let's fulfill that promise from back then right now."
"Next up is time for mutual confessions… just like… a date?"
The TV screen shifted.
The two had already boarded the Ferris wheel.
The Herrscher of Corruption looked out the window excitedly: "Wow… So this is what it looks like looking down from a Ferris wheel."
"Though there are similar scenes in memory, experiencing it personally is completely different!"
"I think I can understand why they specially carved out a space to store content that seems so meaningless."
"Alright, Mei, don't make such a serious face."
"Isn't having a romantic Ferris wheel date with me a very pleasant thing?"
"Ah… Could it be you're surprised I could conjure a Ferris wheel out of nowhere? Don't worry—this is just a little girlish whim, adding a tiny bit of seasoning to our journey~"
Mei said coldly: "Seasoning? Isn't it intimidation? From earlier, you've been intentionally or unintentionally emphasizing your control over the Realm."
The Herrscher of Corruption sighed: "Sigh… Mei, always being forced into the villain's role—even I feel hurt."
"I thought at least you could understand my position and thoughts, that at least we could become friends. After all… we're the same kind, aren't we?"
Mei scoffed: "The same kind? You seem to have forgotten—the girl you're trying so hard to imitate is also the same kind as you."
"…Why did you erase Elysia's memory body? Vill-V told me that among everyone, only Elysia's data was completely deleted by you."
"I once suspected it was because of the special nature of her Herrscher identity, but your earlier claims are the complete opposite—it's hard not to be suspicious."
"What exactly about Elysia makes you fear her so much?"
The Herrscher of Corruption answered: "Alright, alright. Since Vill-V already told you this much."
"Then there's no need for me to keep hiding it. Yes, I did delete Elysia's data. As for why it was her."
"Actually, there's no special reason—it was just an accident."
Seeking fresh flowers
"Accident?" Mei questioned.
The Herrscher of Corruption said: "Mei, you should already understand very well how I came to the Elysian Realm, right?"
"At that time, as a Herrscher… or rather, as a journey of life, I had only just begun."
"Like a tender child, with only vague and mechanical understanding of the world… Wanting to survive was my only emotion, and my only instinct."
"It was in that state… that I met her."
"She was the first person I faced directly in the Realm, the first existence other than myself. But back then I couldn't even distinguish the concepts of ally and enemy…"
"…"
"Sigh, as for what happened next… better let Mei see for herself."
"If Mei were in a similar situation to me, you'd understand…"
Thick darkness surged from all directions, enveloping Mei.
"How helpless I was back then… and how much I regret it now."
Mei felt nothing unusual.
But the original Ferris wheel cabin had already vanished, replaced by a completely different environment.
Clearly, this was another silent declaration—her power was beyond reach in the world of data.
Mei asked: "What are you trying to do?"
The Herrscher of Corruption said: "Don't worry, Mei. I just want to show you…"
"What kind of choice was forced upon me that night."
To demonstrate this, countless monsters crawled out from the surroundings, all pressing toward Mei.
"Alright, let me see—what will Mei choose?"
Mei said coldly: "Choose? You haven't even explained the current situation to me."
The Herrscher of Corruption said: "But life doesn't come with so many explanations, does it? Haven't you felt it? The killing intent in the air, the threat of death… they're right there."
Mei raised an eyebrow. With a single drawing slash, she cleared all the monsters.
Strangely, this time she felt the monsters weren't strong—as if they were… deliberately there for her to kill.
The Herrscher of Corruption said: "Mm… As expected, Mei made the same choice as I did."
"You acted, right? Eliminated all the enemies."
"But didn't you notice? From beginning to end—they never had any intention of attacking you."
As the words fell, the surrounding scene returned to the Ferris wheel.
"Now Mei can understand the situation I was in back then, right?"
"On one side, the fear of facing something alien; on the other, the survival instinct for self-preservation… For frail, tiny me, the temptation of the survival instinct was simply too sweet."
"Just like what you saw earlier—back then, my actions met no resistance at all… Thinking back, that also proves she held no hostility toward me, doesn't it?"
"Unfortunately… that's something I only finally understood after absorbing more data and growing."
"…" Mei was silent for a moment before asking: "If you claim attacking Elysia was purely instinct, then what about afterward?"
"Your invasion didn't stop. After gaining knowledge and the power to subvert the Realm, are you planning to brush off the tragedies you caused with the word 'instinct'?"
The Herrscher of Corruption answered: "After that accident, I chose to lie low. The nutrients in the Elysian Realm were enough for me to complete my transformation and become a brand-new life."
"…That was the original plan. But I didn't expect Elysia's disappearance to cause such huge ripples."
"Another powerful force appeared—Kevin. The threat he brought was greater than ever. I had no doubt that once he discovered me, only annihilation awaited."
"Overnight, I seemed to become everyone's target. Mei, do you understand that feeling? Loneliness, fear, regret… and confusion."
Mei snorted coldly: "Hmph… Confusion?"
The Herrscher of Corruption said: "It was at that moment that Vill-V… no, it should be the evil one… extended an invitation to me. She had the same emotion in her heart—the will to survive."
"So we became friends. She created opportunities for me; I solved difficulties for her."
"Unfortunately… two unexpected things still happened. One of them was Kalpas."
Kalpas…
As expected, he too had…
When she saw Kalpas's phantom earlier, she had already suspected.
The Herrscher of Corruption continued: "The commotion he caused was way too big… So I had no choice but to come out and meet him in person."
"Fortunately, Kalpas is quite an honest person. We had a very pleasant conversation."
Mei said: "I can imagine—Kalpas must have welcomed you very enthusiastically."
From her understanding of Kalpas and what she could infer from Hua's memories, Kalpas hadn't realized the Herrscher of Corruption's existence at the time.
But he still did something that forced her to reveal herself and confront him?
Could it be…
The guess had barely surfaced.
Mei was drawn back by the Herrscher of Corruption's words. She said: "And the other unexpected thing… was you, Mei."
"Originally, I was indeed wary of you. That's why when the evil one carried out her plan, I didn't interfere at all."