Starting from the Collapse World, I became the behind-the-scenes boss

Yae Sakura's gaze swept over the few people on the deck one last time, a hint of helplessness appearing in her eyes, but she still parted her thin lips slightly and said, "Bishop Otto, we will take good care of Miss Durandal in your place."

And... Karen and I are truly innocent."

Having said that, without waiting for Otto's reply, Yae Sakura instantly retreated and caught up with the blonde girl who had set off first.

Click!

A sound like something breaking could be heard.

Otto glanced at his right hand, which was cracked from clenching his fist too tightly, but his anger did not diminish in the slightest.

That stinky fox, he'll definitely catch him and beat him for five hundred years!

Not a single second can be missed!!

Chapter 58 Mei's Boring Game

Hyperion, War Room.

A stifling silence pervaded the space that should have been filled with lively discussion.

As his gaze swept over the dejected faces around the conference table, Einstein couldn't help but sigh softly and said, "Since no one is willing to speak, then I will explain first."

According to observations from the Anti-Entropy military satellite, the activities of the Herrscher of the Void have ceased.

Although signs of collapse worldwide have clearly intensified, this should still be considered a great victory.

Even though there was an element of luck involved, and many things didn't go as planned, the Far East Branch and Anti-Entropy ultimately protected this world from Otto and Walter White.

Therefore, this is undoubtedly a great victory for every one of them.

"victory?"

Upon hearing this, Mei couldn't hold back any longer. "Dr. Einstein, is your understanding of victory through entropy reduction really that simple?!"

Kiana's whereabouts are unknown and there has been no news to this day, and the marks are also... also..."

Her lips twitched several times, but the girl ultimately couldn't bring herself to say the word, unwilling to admit that the boy who had been by her side for the past three years had vanished forever.

Yes, Shihen did indeed sacrifice himself.

But... so what?

Nodding in acknowledgment, Einstein's expression remained calm and unwavering. "Besides him, a total of 136 people died or went missing in this operation, 349 people were injured to varying degrees, and the losses of various military supplies are countless."

Does Raiden Mei think we should wallow in these losses and do nothing but watch the Honkai ravage this planet?

Provoked by Einstein's words, Mei's indignation vanished instantly: "I'm sorry, I just... I just..."

As she spoke, Mei lowered her gaze to the table, her voice growing softer and softer.

She certainly understood the grand principles of saving the world, and she had witnessed the sacrifices and contributions of the Far East Branch and the others from Anti-Entropy. However... she just couldn't accept the boy's departure.

"Einstein, isn't that a bit too much?"

Himeko couldn't stand it anymore and chimed in.

Even if what the other person said was true, it was still too cruel for Mei, a girl who was only twenty years old and had just lost someone important to her.

"But I think that for a soldier, this is something she must understand and experience."

With a slight shake of his head, Einstein's tone remained indifferent: "Seventy years ago, when anti-entropy was first established, we lost many friends and companions, including Walter Joyce and Edison."

Even under those circumstances, reverse entropy persisted.

Having experienced so much, her heart is no longer capable of collapsing because of anything.

Even if the entire Anti-Entropy was wiped out and only she remained, Einstein would still do everything in her power to fight against Honkai.

This was a promise she made when Anti-Entropy was established.

"Chicken coop hair..."

Sensing the burning passion beneath his longtime partner's cold expression, Tesla's eyes flashed with worry. "But Mei is still a child."

Even though Mei has entered her twentieth year, in Tesla's eyes, who is already in his eighties, the girl can still be considered a child who has not fully grown up.

"Then she isn't anymore."

Einstein remained indifferent to Tesla's persuasion.

"Mei, you should leave first. I'll send you the minutes of this meeting later."

Noticing the increasingly unsteady expression on the face of the girl with long, straight black hair beside her, Theresa spoke up to offer some words of advice.

“…I’m sorry, Headmaster.”

Knowing that she was not in a good condition to participate in the war council, Mei said a few words and then hurriedly got up.

"The person who should be saying sorry is me..."

Watching the girl's staggering figure quickly disappear behind the conference room door, Theresa couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Although she and the others were also pulled into the imaginary space, they were unable to leave the warship due to the additional confinement imposed by the Herrscher of the Void, and could not even provide the boy with any firepower support.

In the end, even with the power of an S-class Valkyrie, she could only watch helplessly as the sun continued to erupt and then plummeted in its most dazzling light.

Theresa clenched her fist under the conference table and looked at the two blue-haired duo beside her: "Bronya, Seele, you two should come too."

Especially at times like these, it's crucial not to leave Mei alone.

This was the only thing she could do as the headmistress.

"We will try our best to persuade Mei."

Bronya stood up and said this, then took Seele and left.

He merely nodded slightly, not stopping the group from leaving. After a pause, Einstein said, "Next, I will continue to explain the future course of action..."

…………

Meanwhile, when Bronya and Seele found Mei again, they saw a solitary figure on the deck of the warship, hugging her knees and gazing at the moon.

The girl was dressed in black, similar to the Herrscher's attire, but her slender back showed no trace of the Queen of Thunder's oppressive aura, as if she had returned to being the ordinary girl she once was.

"When carrying out the mission to shut down the protective shield of the Helheim Laboratory, Captain Hen was taken away by Sister Sakura for a period of time."

Bronya explained softly as she walked towards Mei.

"...Oh, I see. So it was around that time..."

Without turning around, Mei gently stroked the red bracelet on her hand, her gaze fixed on the starry sky above, her eyes reflecting only the darkness of the night.

Even if she knew when the boy obtained the Plague Gem, what could she do now?

Those who are lost can never be brought back.

As she thought about it, Mei took out a slightly worn but exquisitely crafted sandalwood comb from her bosom.

This was one of the gifts her late mother left her, and it was also her favorite comb.

In the girl's mind, the comb should have been handed to the boy along with the pre-written will after her sacrifice.

Unfortunately, neither this gift nor the sentiments expressed in words will ever have the chance to be conveyed again.

Her fingers gently traced the wooden comb, feeling the patterns she knew so well, and two streams of hot tears silently slid down Mei's cheeks.

Sensing the sadness in the air, Seele spoke up, "Mei, Captain Hen..."

"Seele, Bronya, can you play a game with me?"

Mei interrupted.

"Mei?"

Bronya said softly, her tone tinged with doubt.

Is now the time to play games?

"Could you wait here for me for a moment? It will only take a short while."

Wiping away her tears, Mei quickly got up and went into the warship's cabin.

"???"

Bronya and Seele exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with confusion.

However, trusting Mei, neither of them obediently left.

A short while later, when the black-haired girl returned, she was carrying a silver briefcase.

Without keeping them in suspense any longer, Mei quickly walked up to the two of them, opened the box to reveal a silvery liquid with a metallic sheen inside.

This is a box of mercury.

Have you ever played marbles before?

As she asked the question, Mei lightly tapped her fingertip on the briefcase, and ten targets appeared on each end of the liquid. Then, liquid metal balls, resembling marbles, rose up and shot out, staging a battle of offense and defense in front of the two members of the Blue Sea team.

Undoubtedly, this was the "swordsmanship instruction" that the boy had given to Mei.

After the brief demonstration, Mei took out a stack of Houmu stickers and said, "Each of you is responsible for one side like this, and the loser has to put a sticker on their face. Is that alright?"

"Well……"

Looking at the long-haired, black-haired girl whose expression seemed normal and who had completely returned to her usual self, Bronya felt a pang of doubt, but still nodded slightly and said, "Bronya understands completely."

The game itself is not complicated; it only tests her knowledge of Honkai energy manipulation, which she had already learned.

For Bu Langya, who often has to tackle various challenging games, this kind of game is totally Kiana-level; he could do it with his eyes closed...

Two and a half minutes later, Bronya had her first sticker on her face.

Becoming a Herrscher not only means possessing a massive amount of Honkai energy that is unimaginable to ordinary people, but also that one's control over Honkai energy will undergo a near-leapfrog improvement.

"Seele wants to try it too, Mei, is that alright?"

Sensing the frustration beneath Bronya's expressionless face, Seele immediately volunteered.

"of course."

Mei glanced at the blue-haired girl and spoke calmly, without a trace of victory on her face, as if the outcome of the game was completely irrelevant.

Even though she herself was the one who started this game.

An hour and a half later, Mei's face was still as smooth as ever, while the faces of the two members of the Konami group were covered with Houmu-themed stickers.

"Hehehe~"

Mei filled the last blank space on Seele's face with a slap, shook her head and laughed, but her purple eyes were filled with endless sorrow. "This kind of game is just so meaningless..."

As she spoke, two lines of tears slid down the girl's cheeks, as if she were the loser in the game.

"Mei!"

She called softly, and Seele reached out and grasped the black-haired girl's hand.

Drawing strength from the warmth emanating from Seele, Mei looked up at the sky where a sliver of dawn had appeared and whispered, "Back in Changkong City, Hen and I often practiced Honkai energy in this way."

Back then, I had no idea about Honkai energy manipulation, but Hen never let me off the hook, and would stick stickers all over my face every time before stopping.

Seriously, how can there be such a terrible person in the world!

As she spoke, the girl's voice gradually choked up, "I was determined back then that when I could beat him, I would also cover his face with things."

But……"

She has now made leaps and bounds in manipulating Honkai energy and is absolutely confident that she can defeat the boy, but... the only person who wanted her to do this is no longer here.

Even if she, as the Herrscher of Thunder, were willing to go easy on her in the game, there would never again be a boy who would try to justify himself while sticking all sorts of things on her face.

Unable to utter any further words, Mei leaned on Seele's shoulder and burst into tears.

"Mea Yi..."

She gently hugged the girl, and two lines of tears silently slid down Seele's face, wetting a few stickers which were then blown away by the wind.

"..."

Looking at the two girls huddled together and crying, Bronya couldn't help but recall all the times she had spent with the boy, and something that had been suppressed for a long time seemed to want to burst forth from her chest.

Swish!

Suddenly, a golden sun rose in the eastern sky, its rays shining down on Bronya's eyes and instantly bringing tears to her eyes.

At this moment, the girl who had lost her emotions due to the X-10 experiment once again learned what sadness was.