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

Durandal tried to persuade them, not wanting to fight Kiana and Mei.

"..."

Hearing these words and seeing the sincere expression on Durandal's face, Mei calmed down and fell into thought. After a long while, she finally spoke, "What if you fail this time?"

She could sense that Durandal had indeed become much stronger than when she was at Schicksal headquarters, but... she and Kiana were not entirely without a chance of winning.

At least they managed to escape.

"Only on this matter is Kevin's attitude very firm."

"Youlandel said in a deep voice."

In an instant, Mei's mood sank.

She understood Durandal's unspoken meaning.

If Durandal's mission ends in failure, then someone else will come next.

Is it Walter White? Or Kevin? Or perhaps...?

Feeling incredibly oppressed, Mei dared not think any further.

"Mei?"

Sensing her best friend's change in mood, Kiana looked puzzled.

"..."

But when faced with the white fluffy ball's question, the girl remained silent and did not answer.

Kiana quickly deduced the truth from her companion's solemn expression. She gritted her teeth, took a step forward towards Durandal, and declared, "Durandal! I do..."

"Kiana!"

Interrupting the white-furred ball of fur, Mei's Seven Thunders of Purification blazed with brilliant lightning. "Draw your sword!"

"Mei!?"

Sensing the determination emanating from the girl with long, straight black hair, Kiana's face showed reluctance. "Leave the World Serpent matter to me..."

boom!

Without letting the girl finish speaking, Mei drew her sword, and a crimson bolt of lightning, almost spanning the heavens and earth, surged towards Kiana.

Swish!

A burst of blazing flame erupted from the longsword in her hand as Kiana slashed at the lightning bolt before her with all her might.

In an instant, thunder and flames collided violently, accompanied by countless arcs of electricity and sparks flying everywhere, and the impact, comparable to a normal nuclear explosion, spread out in an instant.

Faced with this overwhelming force, Durandal couldn't help but take a few steps back, her expression becoming complicated as she looked at the battle unfolding before her.

Emotionally, she was very unwilling for this to happen.

But as the person who caused all of this, she could only choose to watch quietly from the sidelines.

Undeterred by the aftershocks that could easily tear apart even an Emperor-level Honkai Beast, Mei charged straight into the fray and slashed at Kiana with her sword.

when!

As the swords clashed, flashes of lightning and fire erupted, illuminating the two girls' eyes, which were of different colors.

"Mei! I'm the one who should be going to World Serpent!"

Kiana, merely adopting a defensive stance to block Mei's attacks, looked earnestly into her friend's eyes and said...

Even though Durandal had made a promise, going to the World Serpent was still an uncertain matter, and none of them knew what awaited them.

Therefore, as the culprit who caused the boy's death, she should be the one to go to the World Serpent.

Compared to her, Mei is the one who should be living in the sunlight.

"Are you planning to run away, Kiana!?"

In an instant, the blade unleashed several slashes, forcing the white-haired girl to retreat steadily. Mei mercilessly pierced Kiana's deepest thoughts, "Because you feel you killed Hen, you're afraid to face the headmistress and the others?"

"Mei, I..."

Speechless for a moment, Kiana's defensive movements slowed down, and several wounds crackling with crimson arcs of electricity appeared on her body, with bright red blood splattering down.

"If you're truly prepared to go to the World Serpent, then show it to me!"

She shouted sharply, her face showing no sign of backing down, "If this is all the power you have, then repent properly before Quhen!"

As she spoke, Mei's offensive became increasingly urgent, and the emotions in her eyes became more and more complex.

Knowing that Kiana was unaware of the truth that the boy was still alive, she could easily exploit Kiana's guilt to lure her to World Serpent, thus allowing her to possess the boy all to herself.

But... her pride wouldn't allow it.

The daughter of the Raiden family always wins fair and square; she would never resort to underhanded tactics!

Therefore, she has no intention of holding back in this battle.

The strong bear all the burdens, while the weak receive shelter—this is the education she has always received.

This is also the arrogance unique to the Queen of Thunder!

His eyes flashed with crimson lightning, and a bolt of crimson lightning suddenly descended from the sky, landing on the girl and coating her with a divine glow.

"Mea Yi..."

Sensing that her friend was now completely serious, Kiana's hesitation vanished, replaced by unwavering determination in her blue eyes. "I will prove to you that I am more suited to go to World Serpent than you!"

Kiana exhaled a long breath and said that a ball of golden-red flames rose from her body, and her long white hair fluttered wildly like a flag.

Comforted by the boy's consciousness within the Plague Gem and able to resolve her inner conflict, her desire to protect Mei and the others was no less strong.

In an instant, the two Herrschers, who were also taking things seriously, clashed again. Lightning and fire shone together, illuminating the entire night sky, and a torrential downpour followed.

Wow~

Bathed in the sudden downpour, Durandal did not flinch, letting the large raindrops sting her skin as her keen eyes followed two equally bright beams of light.

Separating, colliding, separating again, colliding again... Kiana and Mei repeated this process time and time again, their swords clashing and creating a deafening roar, together stirring up a sonata of thunder and fire.

As a fully awakened Herrscher of Thunder equipped with a Divine Key of the same attribute, Mei's strength goes without saying.

On the other hand, Kiana has three Herrscher Cores, but apart from the Disease Gem that she can fully control, the girl's control over the Herrscher of the Void is only average, and the Desire Gem is barely enough to be used as a battery.

With this shift in power, Kiana's strength is roughly equal to Mei's.

After a long while, when the light of thunder and fire collided violently once again, Kiana and Mei couldn't help but gasp for breath at the same time.

Such a high intensity of Honkai energy release is a tremendous burden even for a Herrscher.

Kiana, I've always envied you.

Looking into the white fluffy ball's clear, bright blue eyes, which were like those of an elf, Mei suddenly spoke.

"Mei?"

Upon hearing this, Kiana's eyes immediately showed confusion.

"Since birth, I have been the young lady of ME Company, a star surrounded by admirers."

"Whatever I want, I can have."

Mei continued.

"Um……"

Kiana nodded vigorously, showing no jealousy whatsoever, but instead revealing a shy smile. "Actually, I often envy you too."

Mei, you're not only incredibly beautiful, but you also have a very gentle personality. You always exude an elegant, refined air, like a young lady.

As she spoke, Kiana couldn't help but shift her gaze slightly away.

When faced with Mei, whose personality and abilities are so dazzling, she can't help but feel ashamed of herself.

After all, no matter how much she claimed to be a rich young lady, she knew she was just a wild girl who hadn't even received a complete compulsory education.

"I have never thought I was any worse than any of my peers."

Mei spoke with utmost seriousness, without a trace of pride on her face, as if she were simply stating a fact.

"After all, Mei is indeed very outstanding."

Kiana agreed, still completely oblivious to Mei's feelings.

"But only you... it has to be you..."

Unable to hold back her clenched teeth, Mei's face revealed a deep sense of resentment.

"Mei?"

Kiana blinked, her eyes full of confusion.

But Mei didn't offer any further explanation.

Mei stepped back, creating some distance between herself and Kiana, and stored the Seven Lightning Bolts of Purification at her waist. Crimson lightning flashed continuously as it began to accumulate power.

"Kiana!!"

She shouted loudly, and Mei's eyes shone with a light even brighter than thunder.

"Mei!"

Knowing that the battle would be decided in the next strike, Kiana responded loudly.

The pistol that the Xuanyuan Sword had transformed into was long gone. Kiana gripped the crimson longsword tightly in her hands, and the raging flames made the originally slender blade look like a heavy sword.

Looking up, their gazes met, and the two girls simultaneously swung their blades.

boom--

In an instant, it was as if two stars, one gold and one red, had collided. Incredibly surging flames and thunder erupted and crashed together, and the violent energy spread so that the rain within a radius of dozens of miles turned into steam and rose upwards.

In the blazing light, it was as if day had arrived early, with lightning and fire illuminating the entire mountain forest.

Despite the stalemate, the crimson lightning ultimately prevailed, its sudden burst of crimson light completely overshadowing the flames and slamming the white-haired girl into the forest.

"Cough cough~"

Feeling excruciating pain in her body, which felt like it was about to fall apart, Kiana struggled to her feet. Her gaze fell with difficulty on the red figure shrouded in lightning, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Even if it was to protect her, wasn't this a bit too ruthless?

For a fleeting moment, she genuinely thought Mei wanted to kill her.

"Mea Yi..."

Kiana struggled to speak, still intending to persuade her friend to give up on going to the World Serpent.

"roar~"

A dragon's roar suddenly rang out, and a giant azure dragon flapped its obviously tattered wings and flew over, determined to crush Mei, the Herrscher of Thunder.

Nourishing ~

Upon recognizing that this was Benares, a familiar of the Herrscher of the Void, Mei's blade immediately crackled with lightning.

She had absolutely no liking for Sirin, the Herrscher of the Void, or anything related to her.

But then Mei saw a desperate desire to protect something in the dragon-shaped Honkai Beast's eyes, and her heart softened. She simply swung the back of her blade and smashed Benares aside.

"Kiana..."

As she slowly landed in front of the white fluffy ball, Mei's expression suddenly became incredibly complicated.

How she wished that the winner of this battle would be this silly idiot!

In this way, she could feel at ease joining up with Theresa and the others, and spending time with the boy.

After all, she did her best, didn't she?

Unfortunately, the outcome did not turn out as she had hoped.

"Mei, you should go to the World Serpent..."

Kiana tried to persuade her.

"Hen, he is actually still alive."

Mei spoke softly, and with just one sentence, she silenced the white fluffy ball instantly.

"..."