Chapter 68 - You’re Telling Me This Is a Herrscher?!

A Herrscher?

You're telling me this is a freaking Herrscher?!

For the first time, the always-elegant lady—who'd maintained her grace even in the heat of battle—lost her composure and swore aloud.

What the hell kind of parallel world is this?

A Herrscher acting like that?!

Not out here trying to destroy the world but trying to steal away my ma—wait, no—beautiful girls?!

"Mei! Waaaah!" Seeing the absurd scene unfold before her, the tuna girl was utterly shaken.

Her head felt like it had been hit with a sack of bricks.

In a panic, she lunged forward, trying to stop it all.

Just as she was about to speak, C.C. moved like lightning, clapping a hand over her mouth.

'No way I'm letting you ruin this golden oppor— ahem, no way I'm letting you mess up the Third Herrscher's newly stabilized mood!'

Naturally, the tuna started struggling.

But C.C. had evolved!

She was no longer the frail girl from before—she was now a beauty with double-A ratings in both strength and speed!

This wasn't just a result of her upgrade in the spider world.

The Yae Sakura Stigmata she'd acquired had also greatly enhanced her physique and combat abilities.

The effect was outstanding.

Even her mental strength had received a boost, though for C.C., that boost was really just the cherry on top.

Compared to the Kaslana family's infamous super strength, her current power didn't quite measure up—but it was still more than enough for the task at hand.

To conserve energy, C.C. pressed her body against the Tuna Kiana's back, warm breath brushing her neck.

Her delicate little hand still covering her mouth, the soft warmth of her skin made it impossible for the tuna to resist.

Kiana felt the plush softness and springiness behind her… and her struggle instantly weakened.

And then—she noticed it.

A malicious stare.

She turned her head and met the cold gaze of "Sirin" looming above her, staring down with contempt.

The tuna's expression changed.

Her brows relaxed, and she suddenly looked like she'd had an epiphany.

She kept up just enough struggling to keep the "softness" going and even flashed a smug grin at Sirin, looking utterly triumphant.

'Click.'

The crisp sound of grinding teeth echoed faintly.

The young lady's lips twitched.

'This damn paramecium!'

Did she even understand who she was dealing with?!

That's a Herrscher!

A Herr—

The young lady turned to look at the so-called Herrscher currently teasing Nagami with her soft pink toes.

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Can this really be called a Herrscher?!

Her brain short-circuited.

Internally, she screamed in disbelief.

As Nagami tilted his head upward, he glanced at the smug little tuna.

Strange… Why is she only smart when she's getting the better end of the deal?

Is the Kaslana family's bloodline really that terrifying?

'Still, no matter how much she wins… I never lose!'

But the Third Herrscher in front of her… What was he even thinking?

From escaping Nagazora City to absorbing the entirety of the Third Eruption's Honkai energy, everything had gone exactly as Nagami predicted.

But now… honestly? She was completely lost.

Still, with the Honkai consciousness seemingly favoring his side this time, and the major influence on Herrscher Mei being her own memories, winning her over shouldn't be impossible.

Sunlight glinted off her flawless legs, radiant and smooth as snow.

Her small, pale foot swayed gently in the air, its five soft pink toes wiggling playfully.

Nagami stared at the scene for a long moment, then exhaled deeply and grabbed the dangling foot.

With one swift pull, he yanked her down.

"That request is a bit… much. How about you pick something else?"

In any other situation, Nagami would've thumped his chest, and shouted, "I'd lick until my jaw dislocated!"

But here and now?

No way.

Because he had pride.

Sure, when he was alone, his shame level could plummet lower than the depths of Gensokyo. But in public?

He had to act respectable—at least a little.

"You can't even meet that condition and you want to call me your servant?"

Floating just a few inches above the ground, the Third Herrscher smirked coldly.

Her crimson eyes stared directly at the black-haired boy in front of her.

"Servant? No no—friend. I said friend~"

Nagami extended his hand again, this time with a serious expression, his voice filled with sincere emotion.

"No matter what else you are… you're still Mei, aren't you?"

Herrscher Mei stared into his eyes.

She could see no hesitation, no deceit—only earnest conviction.

'This guy…'

Recalling the memories from her dominant personality, the Third Herrscher curled her lips into a smile and let out a soft, involuntary laugh.

In the dead silence, her crisp, girlish giggle stood out like a beacon—only to shift into uncontrollable laughter, growing louder and more manic by the second.

"Sure, I don't have any grand ambitions to wipe out humanity," she said, eyes gleaming with pride. "But that doesn't mean I think weak little humans are worthy of being my friends!"

Her voice rang with arrogant disdain, yet as she looked at Nagami's steady, unwavering expression—and the hand he was still offering—her perfect features suddenly softened.

For the first time, she smiled warmly, as if a breeze had swept through her heart.

Under the sunlight, her pale, porcelain face lit up like a blooming flower.

"But you... you don't really seem like a human at all, do you?"

She reached out her delicate hand and gently took his.

Nagami smiled faintly. "You've got a point there."

From a spiritual standpoint, he really couldn't be considered human anymore.

There had been no corruption from the Herrscher Will, no descent into despair like others had experienced.

This Herrscher, born under such circumstances, wasn't nearly as dangerous or unstable as one might expect.

"Hmph." The girl let out a soft snort, her warm smile vanishing in a flash, replaced once more by that haughty expression.

Turning her head with a hint of tsundere defiance, her long lashes quivered slightly.

As the flickering arcs of violet and red electricity around her body began to fade, the Third Herrscher slowly closed her eyes.

"Not planning to stick around a bit longer?"

There was no reply.

Her body swayed unsteadily—and before she could collapse, Nagami stepped forward without hesitation, wrapping his left arm around her slim waist and pulling her into his arms.

She was soft. Delicate. Warm. At such close distance, he could even catch a faint, floral scent coming from her hair.

"Mm..."

A tiny noise escaped her lips—like someone just waking from a nap.

The last trace of the dark, electric energy faded away as Mei's long lashes fluttered.

Her eyes slowly opened, revealing a sliver of light.

The first thing she saw was his face—handsome, calm, and kind. And then the memories came flooding back.

"Nagami!"

Held tightly against his chest, her hands instinctively pressed against him.

She could feel the warmth radiating from his body, the steady thump of his heart thundering like distant drums.

Her lashes trembled again.

Beneath them, her eyes shimmered like a still autumn lake.

Mei's breath quickened. Her delicate shoulders tensed, her flawless cheeks blushing a deep pink, like a ripe peach.

In that moment, her entire expression changed—shy, flustered, and unmistakably... like a girl in love.

She had always known she had some feelings for Nagami, but never had those emotions been as crystal clear as they were now.

She had learned much about the Honkai from her best friend—including what it meant to be a Herrscher: a natural disaster in human form, a harbinger of ruin, the messenger of the gods.

But she never imagined she herself would awaken as one.

While her Herrscher self had control of the body, it hadn't completely suppressed Mei's consciousness.

She had remained faintly aware of the world around her.

When the transformation first began, her heart had been overwhelmed with fear.

It was a suffocating, hopeless atmosphere—so silent it felt like being trapped inside a frozen wasteland.

But then, against all odds, Nagami had stood firm.

He hadn't just stopped the Honkai eruption—he had reached out and pulled her Herrscher self back from the brink.

This black-haired boy had shattered the darkness of despair, and with his warmth, had driven back the shadows threatening to consume her.

It was cliché—like a hero rescuing a damsel in distress.

But cliché or not, it worked.

Especially when the hero had saved millions of lives in the process.

Faced with someone like that... how could Mei not fall for him?

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