Bizarre Honkai, a Wife-Chasing Crematorium

Mei stared at the lemon, then at Li Mo, a flicker of confusion in her pain-filled eyes. She lowered her head, placing the lemon in her mouth, a strange glint in her eyes, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. She made no sound, no complaint.

The second floor held a living area, bathroom, balcony, and four bedrooms.

"Four bedrooms. Can't make a mistake." One for Ryoma, one for him, one for Mei, and a spare. Choosing the wrong room could be fatal.

"Get up. You can spit out the lemon. Now, open all the doors."

Mei obeyed, her movements hesitant.

One room, filled with childish toys and decorations, was clearly his. He led Mei inside, searching for the hidden door Ryoma had mentioned.

He found it easily, a rotating bookshelf revealing a dark staircase leading down. A damp, musty smell wafted up, carrying a chilling aura.

Li Mo took a deep breath. Hopefully, no cameras down there, but he'd check.

The basement was filled with an array of torture devices. Li Mo ignored them. He didn't need them.

He instructed Mei to sit, then pretended to examine the devices while scanning the room for hidden cameras or other surveillance.

Mei, misinterpreting his actions, huddled in fear, her wounds throbbing.

Li Mo found a medical kit, stocked with supplies for treating physical injuries. Ryoma was thorough, anticipating his "playtime." He hadn't anticipated Li Mo's intentions.

"Brother…" Mei whispered, her eyes wide with fear, even as he held the antiseptic.

"Stay still. Lift your skirt."

He held her leg, cleaning her wounds with antiseptic and saline, then bandaging her knees.

"C-Cold…" she mumbled.

Li Mo remained silent, focused on his task. He'd caused these injuries. He was responsible for healing them. But he couldn't reveal his true motives. He could justify treating her injuries to preserve his "toy," but not out of compassion.

Same action, different reason.

He couldn't risk revealing his humanity. He could act, but he couldn't speak.

His bandaging was clumsy, causing Mei to wince occasionally. He swallowed the apologies that rose in his throat.

"The other leg." He held out his hand.

Mei hesitated, then extended her other leg.

He knelt, his head bowed, his posture a stark contrast to his cruel words.

"It's alright to cry. No one… no one will care."

"I'll be strong…"

Strong? What are you enduring? He wanted to ask, to understand if she was truly human.

"Scream if you need to. Don't worry about me."

"I won't make a sound. I won't trouble you, Brother…"

He worked faster, the antiseptic stinging her skin, her face flushed. Was she truly this submissive? Or was she afraid of angering him?

He'd never understood girls, human or Bizarre.

He stood, picking up the tweezers, sterilizing them.

"Give me your hand. This might hurt." He held her small, bloodied hand, his own actions suddenly sickening him. Am I a monster?

He carefully removed the embedded stones, cleaning and bandaging the wounds.

"Thank you…" Mei whispered, looking up at him cautiously.

Li Mo's face remained impassive. "Get in the cage. You'll sleep there tonight. You don't need the chains, but I'll lock the cage. Don't worry about getting cold. I'll get you a blanket and pillow."

Mei's heart sank, then lifted slightly. Still caged, but… a blanket?

She didn't question him. She'd seen enough of this world's horrors to know obedience was her best option.

That night, Li Mo locked Mei in the cage. The basement was cold, the air damp and chilling. A human would catch a cold easily.

But he couldn't afford to get sick. Not until he knew if Bizarre entities could get sick.

Mei couldn't die either. She was his shield.

They were in a symbiotic relationship. He needed her to maintain his disguise. She needed his protection, his "cruelty," to survive.

"Don't catch a cold. Stay under the covers. I don't want to get up in the middle of the night to tuck you in." His voice was flat, emotionless.

Mei nodded, pulling the bloodstained blanket around her, her eyes watching him. He'd added the bloodstains for Ryoma's benefit. There were no cameras down here, but Ryoma wouldn't know that. He could always fabricate a story later.

Despite the cold, Li Mo decided to sleep in the basement. The bedroom was too risky. He couldn't guarantee he wouldn't reveal his human nature in his sleep.

The basement, with Mei as a distraction, was safer. She was still an unknown, hence the cage. Not entirely safe, but safer than being alone under the watchful eyes of the cameras.

There was no truly safe place in a Bizarre world, especially at night.

"Brother, aren't you…"

"I know what you're going to ask. Just go to sleep." He cut her off, closing his eyes. He hadn't touched any of the torture devices, not even a glance.

Mei, strangely disappointed, pulled the blanket tighter, seeking refuge in sleep.

Hours passed. Their breathing slowed, deepened.

Suddenly, Mei's eyes snapped open, glowing crimson. She clutched her chest, a searing pain ripping through her.

"Ugh…!" Her heart constricted, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her vision blurring.

"Brother…" She reached out, her hand slipping through the bars of the cage, a silent plea for help.

But Li Mo was asleep.

Click… The lock broke.

A tall, voluptuous woman emerged from the cage, her dress barely covering her curves, falling to the floor in shreds.

The adult Mei walked towards Li Mo, her eyes vacant, tears streaming down her face, her movements stiff and unnatural, like a puppet.

She stood beside him, staring down at him.

Li Mo's left hand slipped out from under the covers.

Mei knelt, detaching his hand at the wrist, cleanly, painlessly. No blood.

She removed her own hand, attaching it to Li Mo's arm, then attaching his hand to her own wrist.

His new hand, now tipped with sharp claws, reached for her chest, piercing her heart, the entire hand sinking into her flesh, writhing, tearing.

It found no beating heart, not even a still one. Mei's chest was empty.

The hand, like a pack of ravenous wolves, tore through her organs, ripping and shredding.

Blood vessels ruptured, airways severed.

But instead of pain, a flush of pleasure spread across Mei's face, a look of ecstasy, as if craving more.

She grasped Li Mo's hand, twisting it deeper inside her, a wave of pleasure washing over her. Pain was her joy, suffering her redemption.

Finally, she released his hand, blood staining the sheets. She waited for him to expose another limb, but he didn't move.

She looked down at him, stroking his face.

The new world would pay for his suffering.

"Mei's blood, her heart, her body… they all belong to you, Brother."

"Mei will endure all the sins of the old world…"

"This time, Mei will stay with you, forever, buried in the future of the new world."

She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, closing her eyes. Her purple hair spilled across the bed, her pale hands resting limply at her sides, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.

Unlike the Bizzare Kiana, Mei's appearance and behavior conformed to the Bizarre's rules, but her words, her thoughts, spoke of a free will.

There was no moonlight in the basement. But outside, the crimson moon seemed agitated.

As dawn approached, the adult Mei reverted to a child, curled up on top of Li Mo, fast asleep.

"Mmm…"