"Alright," Himeko spoke up, breaking the silence. "First, let's take Yae Sakura to the Science Department for a physical exam and get her information into the system."
"Right," Theresa nodded quickly in agreement.
But then, as if a lightbulb had suddenly gone off in her head, she turned to everyone with an excited glint in her eyes. "Oh, by the way! Did you guys know? Ei said that in her world, there's an alternate version of Yae Sakura too!"
"Whoa! Seriously?!" Kiana's eyes lit up instantly. She practically pounced to Ei's side, clinging to her arm with unbridled excitement. "So! Ei, is there another me in that other world too!?"
"I'm sorry, Kiana." Ei looked down at the girl who had so naturally wrapped herself around her arm and gave a gentle shake of her head. "Shortly after I gained consciousness, I arrived here. So far, the only people I've met in Teyvat are Narukami and Yae Miko."
Wow...
Kiana's skin felt as soft as pudding. Even though she didn't look quite as well-endowed as Mei and the others, that texture—that curve!
It felt like she was made to be held right in the palm of one's hand!
Raiden Ei's expression remained perfectly stoic, even as she felt her arm being completely enveloped.
"I see... what a bummer." Kiana let out a disappointed sigh, but she bounced back almost immediately. "Well, the 'me' in the other world better work hard too! She needs to get to the other Mei's side as soon as possible!"
"Kiana!" Raiden Mei cried out in embarrassment, a deep blush creeping up her cheeks.
"..." Ei went silent for a moment. She looked at Kiana with an expression that was halfway between exasperated and dead serious. "Kiana... Narukami no longer has a physical body. I am Narukami's vessel."
"Eh?" The realization finally hit Kiana like a freight train. When she looked at Ei again, her gaze started to shift into something... different.
Finally catching on, are we, Kiana? Ei thought to herself with a hint of inner mischief.
"So! In other words, Ei, you're basically the other world's Mei!" Kiana's voice reached a new peak of excitement, and her grip on Ei's arm tightened significantly.
"No." Ei shook her head, her expression remaining earnest. "If we're going by your logic, then Narukami is the 'real' Mei. I am merely... the shell she crafted for herself."
"Huh?"
At this point, while Ei's explanation only served to fire Kiana up even more, Mei, Theresa, Bronya, and Himeko all realized something much deeper.
"Wait a second..."
Himeko and the others suddenly looked grave.
"Ei... Mei... the connection between the two of you might be... a lot more unique than we first thought."
"What do you mean?" Ei knitted her brows, playing the part of the confused newcomer perfectly.
Internally, she knew exactly what they were thinking.
Raiden Mei was a Herrscher, and within her body resided the consciousness of the Herrscher of Thunder. At this point in time, the two of them hadn't merged into one like they would in the future.
And right now, in their eyes, Ei and Narukami were in the exact same boat.
"So that's how it is..." Kiana whispered, her eyes turning serious as she looked at Ei. "Then... Ei, between you and Narukami... who is Mei, and who is the Herr—"
"Kiana." Himeko cut her off before she could finish.
"What are you all talking about?" Ei asked, her eyes filled with feigned innocence.
"It's a long story," Theresa sighed, looking at Ei with a mix of pity and concern. She then began to explain Raiden Mei's complicated situation.
Ei listened quietly. Her brow furrowed and relaxed at all the right moments, looking for all the world like she was hanging onto every word. Once the explanation finished, she turned a sincere gaze toward Raiden Mei.
"To me, you are the only one. You, the Mei of the present, are the one I owe my soul's loyalty to."
Just wait. Once I transform into other characters from Teyvat, I'm going to break all your hearts...
Ei hadn't forgotten the lore. In the original story, even though the Raiden Shogun had a consciousness of her own, she was programmed by Raiden Ei to be a cold, mechanical shell obsessed only with Eternity.
If I show up as someone else later and tell Mei and the girls that the Shogun's will is being suppressed by Narukami—that she's lost her sense of self—I wonder what kind of delicious drama that'll stir up?
The mere thought was delightful.
"Hehe~ Whether it's Raiden Ei, Narukami, or our Mei, I love all of you the most!" Kiana declared, essentially making her "harem" proclamation right then and there.
How bold, Ei thought, feeling a genuine spark of amusement.
"If that's the case, I'll have so many Meis to—OW!!"
With a dark expression, Raiden Mei brought her hand down on Kiana's head and sighed in exasperation.
"Honestly... Ei, no matter what, to us... you're family now."
"Family... I see." Ei's gaze softened as she looked at Mei.
Since everyone was in a hurry to get to the Science Department, they all tacitly agreed to drop the subject of Ei's identity for the time being.
After Sakura's check-up was complete, St. Freya Academy had officially welcomed yet another Herrscher into its ranks. The "Demon's Den of the Far East" was certainly living up to its reputation.
By evening, the group returned to the dorms lugging bags of clothes and daily necessities they had bought for Yae Sakura. They even managed to clean and prepare a private room just for her.
"Whew~ Finally done!" Himeko couldn't wait to strip off her outer layers, leaving her in just a cold-shoulder tee. As she plopped down on the sofa, her ample chest gave a couple of heavy bounces.
Ei walked over and took a seat beside her.
Himeko habitually reached into the drawer under the coffee table and pulled out a bottle of Vodka. She gave Ei a playful, mischievous grin.
"Hey, Ei~ Feel like another round? Let's see who can hold their liquor tonight."
"Challenge accepted." Ei had no intention of backing down.
She was actually looking forward to it. If Himeko got trashed like last time, she might end up stripping down and crawling into Ei's bed again. It was quite the "fan service" perk.
However...
Just as the two of them set out the glasses and prepared to pour, a hand landed softly on each of their shoulders. An instinctive chill ran down both Ei's and Himeko's spines.
"Himeko-sensei, can I ask you something?" Raiden Mei stood behind them, wearing a smile that was as "radiant" as it was terrifying.
"W-what is it, Mei?" Himeko asked, her neck creaking like a rusty hinge as she slowly turned around.
Ei turned back as well, looking confused.
"Why is it... that yesterday morning, there were over twenty empty bottles of Vodka in your room, Himeko-sensei?"
Facing Mei's interrogation, Himeko—the adult, the teacher, and technically Mei's legal guardian—felt a sudden outbreak of goosebumps across her skin.
"L-listen! I can explain! Mei!"
--+--