NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 204: Another Leak
"Wait! Let's talk this out!" Raven shouted, but Mei's blade, crackling with electricity, was already descending.
BOOM.
The airship lurched, dropping ten meters. A powerful current surged through the hull. If not for its anti-EMP shielding, the ship would have plummeted into the ocean.
"Damn it!" Raven rolled aside, narrowly avoiding the attack. She raised her Seven Thunders of Retribution, preparing to retaliate, but as she aimed at the Herrscher of Thunder, the strange weapon transformed into a slingshot.
Before Raven could react, Mei's next attack arrived. She barely managed to block with the slingshot, the force of the blow sending her crashing into the ship's interior, landing in a heap amidst a pile of mecha parts.
The Seven Thunders of Retribution, the 3rd Divine Key, crafted from the core of the Previous Era's Herrscher of Thunder, was a peculiar weapon. As far as Raven knew, it possessed a… "mood," its form shifting depending on the user and the situation.
She hadn't expected it to betray her so readily upon encountering its "kin," the current Herrscher of Thunder. But she had no time to dwell on it. She shoved the slingshot into her pocket, blocking Mei's next attack with her Soulium claws.
Crack. A support beam snapped, the ship tilting further, continuing its descent.
Cargo spilled from the damaged hull. As Mei prepared to press her advantage, a dark red mist filled the air.
The enclosed space of the ship's interior allowed the mist to spread rapidly. Mei felt her Honkai energy draining away. It was the effect of the Honkai Suppression Neurotoxin.
"Unfortunately, such inhibitors are useless against a true Herrscher." Even with her Honkai energy suppressed, as long as her core maintained its connection to the Imaginary space, her recovery would outpace the suppression.
Raven, wielding the Seven Thunders and possessing awakened Stigmata, was a formidable S-rank Valkyrie, but she was outmatched.
"That damned coward! She ran off too quickly!"
Raven tried to stand, but her body went numb, paralyzed.
Footsteps approached. Mei's katana pressed against her throat. "Who are you with?"
Defeated, Raven leaned against the wall, sighing. "Miss Raiden Mei, I didn't expect to see you again so soon, and with such… dramatic changes."
"You know me?"
"Of course. In ARC City. You were the one who saved the Herrscher of the Void from me. But back then… you were nowhere near this strong, or this ruthless."
The mention of ARC City confirmed Mei's suspicions. World Serpent.
During her time at Anti-Entropy, she had learned about World Serpent, the organization responsible for the tragedy in ARC City.
"Experimenting on millions of people… you're all monsters." The cold blade pressed harder against Raven's throat.
"What's stopping you?" Even with her life on the line, Raven remained calm. As a World Serpent executive, she had more than one way to escape.
A surge of energy pulsed through Mei's body. It was the Abyss Flower, Raven's weapon, capable of severing a Herrscher's connection to the Imaginary space.
It worked by emitting a specific electromagnetic wave that disrupted the connection. Though Mei's powers countered this effect, the sudden disruption caught her off guard.
Mei quickly neutralized the effect, but it gave Raven the opening she needed. She escaped.
Mei surveyed the remaining cargo—mostly mecha units and ordinary personnel. She had no desire for unnecessary bloodshed. After disabling the mecha with a surge of electricity, she commandeered the ship.
Once the battle ended, Liuli, having conveniently disappeared during the fight, reappeared, looking at the clearly displeased Mei. She reached out, as if to smooth Mei's hair.
"Mei…"
A flicker of recognition flashed in her eyes, a fleeting memory of another girl, just like Mei. But that weak, simulated world should have long since dissolved in the Quantum Sea.
Crackle.
An arc of electricity repelled Liuli's hand.
"Don't touch me."
"Yes, yes." Returning to her usual demeanor, Liuli produced a stack of documents. "I know you want information about World Serpent. I've prepared everything."
"Couldn't you just tell me?"
"Nope. You're our leader now. No slacking. Besides, World Serpent is our biggest enemy. How can you protect Kiana from them if you don't understand them?"
Mei grumbled, but she began reading.
…
MOTH, having slipped away during the chaos, smiled as he contacted Gray Serpent.
"Mister Gray Serpent, we encountered a newly emerged Herrscher en route to Nagazora. We suffered heavy losses."
Gray Serpent remained silent, listening.
"The 3rd Herrscher, the Herrscher of Thunder. Her current state is stable. Negotiation might be possible. Would she… meet Kevin's requirements?"
Gray Serpent's voice was cold. "I'm curious. Where did you obtain this information? Kevin never mentioned any… 'requirements.'"
The matters of the Previous Era were known only to the core members. Few, besides Gray Serpent, knew the full story of the thirteen Flame-Chasers. And Kevin's search for a suitable Herrscher to enter the Elysian Realm was a secret he had shared with no one.
MOTH's knowledge was unsettling. While his intelligence network was the reason he had been recruited, access to such closely guarded information was a threat.
Sensing the shift in Gray Serpent's tone, the implicit threat, MOTH didn't offer an explanation.
"I told you, I have my methods. Relay the information to Kevin. He'll decide. Also, Schicksal is planning an experiment in Nagazora. With their interference, capturing the Herrscher of the Void will be nearly impossible. And if the Herrscher loses control…"
Before MOTH could finish, a cold voice interrupted him.
"Maintain observation. I'll go personally."
Kevin.
The most crucial piece of the plan had finally entered the game.