A few moments prior to Mei reuniting with Haru...
Before I was completely knocked out by the sudden, violent eruption of Honkai energy from Mei's body, I managed to softly mutter my ability, keeping myself shielded until I regained consciousness a few minutes later.
If it hadn't been for the flaming ribs surging up from the ground to protect my unconscious body from the falling debris, I would have been crushed to death right alongside the rest of the unfortunate students.
"Those robots weren't kidding."
I looked down at my well-sculpted physique, there was no visible sign of Honkai corruption anywhere on my skin. Since the Mist Flame illusion had deactivated while I was out, I was left wearing just my white T-shirt and shorts. Naturally, I recast the uniform illusion the moment I confirmed I was unharmed.
Then, I recalled what one of the surgeon robots had said right before putting me under anesthesia.
"They said they noticed a weird, corruptive energy in my body back then, but I didn't think much of it at the time."
I had initially assumed it was some side effect of my temporary transport to a sci-fi universe for the surgery, but in hindsight, I really should have known better.
"After the procedure, they said I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore, which should imply my current healthy baseline, right? Did they somehow engineer a form of Honkai resistance into my system?"
I could feel the dense concentration of Honkai energy lingering across the academy campus through a faint, prickling sensation crawling up my back, but that was the extent of it. Otherwise, I felt as healthy and robust as any average teenager my age.
Of course, if I lingered here for too long, the ambient radiation would still take a toll. Those futuristic surgeons hadn't actually granted my body permanent immunity to Honkai energy, they barely knew anything about it in the first place.
Even so, that was more than enough. Honkai energy was notoriously unforgiving toward the male population in the game. The rare few males who survived Honkai corruption could be counted on one hand, whereas the survival rate spiked drastically the moment the gender flipped.
That's just how the universe worked. Maybe it operated on the same physics as some ecchi anime where the protagonist grew stronger through sheer pervertedness. I actually possessed one of that protagonist's iconic abilities, but I wouldn't dare use it on a woman unless I wanted to instantly make a mortal enemy of her.
Though of course, it was a completely different story if a Herrscher threw themselves at me. At that point, all bets were off.
I dare you, Sirin.
With an upward flick of my hand, the fiery ribs surrounding me surged outward in every direction, shoving chunks of rubble aside and clearing a path to the outside world. Finally, I could see the ash-gray, storm-laden sky.
"I need to find Mei first."
I knew the rest of the student body and the faculty likely hadn't survived the sudden Honkai shockwave. Maybe a few lucky ones were still hiding out, but the zombies would inevitably hunt them down.
I would have loved to play the hero and save everyone, but I already had a strict priority in mind. I needed to know if Mei had crossed the threshold into becoming a full-fledged Herrscher, or if she could still be pulled back. My personal hero complex would have to wait until she was safe.
Even though I had mentally prepared myself for an outbreak, I clearly hadn't been thorough enough; my face likely grew a shade paler with every motionless body I stumbled past.
Bam!
I even ran into a few unfortunate souls who had already turned into mindless zombies. Most of them were adults — likely academy teachers or janitors, judging by their attire. Still, I had no choice other than to smash through them using Vordt's Great Hammer.
The raw destructive power behind the Great Hammer was absurdly high. I didn't need to waste energy on my magical abilities when I could rely on something so brutally simple. Sure, the weapon's weight was demanding, but that was only by normal human standards.
Every swing I delivered caused the impact zone to burst like an overripe melon, splattering gore and dark blood everywhere. When I got lucky with my aim and caved in a skull in a single blow, the creatures dropped instantly.
By the time my total kill count hit the double digits, I could feel a slight, dull exhaustion settling into my muscles. There were simply too many of them, given that classes had been in full swing right before everything went to hell.
Yet all that effort wasn't entirely wasted, because a familiar scent finally drifted to me through the stagnant air a short distance away. Without hesitation, I dismissed the hammer back into my inventory and sprinted toward the source.
I had arrived just in time to conjure the protective ribs, saving Mei from a zombie's bite while obliterating the creature in one fell swoop.
When I reached her, I quickly inspected her body to ensure she hadn't sustained any hidden injuries. Aside from the ominous, glowing Honkai corruption spreading across her wrists, it hadn't spread too far yet, thankfully. But overalls, her physical health is completely fine and healthy as a horse.
When she finally opened her eyes, I could see the sheer despair and hopelessness threatening to swallow those indigo orbs whole. But the second she locked eyes with me, her expression lit up instantly before she lunged forward, burying herself in a tight, desperate embrace.
[★ Feat Achieved! Rescued Raiden Mei from the undead!]
[You gained x1 Random Silver Ticket!]
I didn't push her away, even as her tears, and likely snot, started ruining the fabric of my uniform. Instead, I awkwardly returned the hug, patting her soothingly on the back in hopes of calming her down.
As I comforted her, my mind drifted back to where this whole mess had started.
Judging by her genuine reaction at the time, it was clear she had no idea an awakening like this was coming.
My initial assumption had been that Anti-Entropy, or more specifically, Cocolia, was pulling strings behind the scenes for some hidden agenda. After all, the smear campaign online against Raiden Ryoma felt deeply personal, far beyond mere corporate greed.
Perhaps the entire outbreak had been artificially engineered to force Mei into a Herrscher awakening, which would explain why her father, of all people, had been framed for such a blatantly fabricated crime.
If I ever got the chance to march up and slap that woman across the face in the future, I wouldn't hesitate to teach her some manners. She liked to posture as a benevolent mother to her orphanage kids, but her brand of "kindness" was just as twisted as Otto's.
After all, someone who genuinely cared for orphans wouldn't hesitate to throw them into lethal, unregulated experiments, even if it was for the sake of humanity. In that regard, she was no different than Schicksal's clown.
After all, that exact pattern of twisted experimentation was the very reason Seele ended up trapped in the Sea of Quanta in the near future.