Chapter 5: The Despondent Crowd

It began like this.

"Mei?"

"Hm?"

"Have I told you that I very much hate alarm clocks?"

"That's not alarm clock, Kiana. And yes, you have"

"What if, say, I obliterate it right here right now?"

"You'd make a mess. Also, someone might reprimand us later"

"Oh, come on... I wanna stay on the bed a little longer"

"Duty's call, sweetheart"

It began with Kiana declaring war on all alarm clocks in the universe, a quick kiss, and hasty morning routines when Pom-Pom's voice rung from the terminal for the second time with their names specifically in the announcement. Breakfast was out of the question instantly, much to Kiana's dismay and Mei's regret because she knew how much Kiana was looking forward for her cooking despite Herrscher and their superpower which allowed them to live without food. But old habits died hard, not yet to say it was one of many things Kiana did when she was still a human.

"I don't want to forget who I'm fighting for" Was what she said once when Mei threw her the question. "I'm a human and will forever be"

With that much power, she could pretty much ascend to godhood and abandon all mortal traits but it wasn't who Kiana was. Her mind was simple, her wish even simpler; to fight for all that's beautiful. What was more beautiful than the world where her loved ones lived, then?

Kiana did not wish for power. She saw her strength as a form of trust her friends and family gave her, entrusted as a legacy for her to carry. Most of people on Earth did not even know her face. All they were aware of was that a goddess living on the Moon was looking after everyone down there. Parents told their children to not fear the dark night, for it was when the goddess's sight was the clearest.

It was all she wanted, really. To give people hope.

After grooming Kiana's hair in what admittedly was her best record, Mei set up with her beloved to the Parlor Car. Everyone was there this time, including Himeko and a young man neither recognized because he wasn't with them before. March greeted them with a cheerful greeting they returned while Himeko smiled warmly to the two women.

"All freshened up, ladies?"

"Yup! Even a better sleep! Shame we have to skip breakfast, though. Mei is an excellent cook, you know"

"I'd love to know"

Kiana slipped to an easy conversation with Himeko afterwards and Mei couldn't be more proud of her. She could almost feel the relief deep in her chest from Thunder despite her other self not saying anything at the display. Seeing how Kiana was already knee deep in talk, Mei saw it fit to be the one to introduce themselves to the young man.

"I'm Mei and that's Kiana"

"I'm Dan Heng"

Dan Heng was a polite person. That was the impression Mei got the moment their hands locked into a handshake. Being a teacher and Squad Leader, Mei had the first hand experience of young men vowing themselves to protect everyone including her with forced bravado. A squeeze too tight, a smile too confident. It was kind of adorable, really, because it reminded her of a certain Kaslana so Mei made sure to subtly ground them to reality by beating them in exercise later on to show how much they would need to grow to protect her.

But Dan Heng's grip was gentle. No pretentious strength underneath. Instead, Mei could feel how rough his palm was, showing his hardships even if he wasn't verbal about it.

He reminded her of Adam. Another one of her prized students.

Kiana gave him a wave of greeting amidst her conversation with Himeko and Dan Heng returned it with a nod. Mei observed how he quietly blended with the background and her mind immediately flagged him as the strong silent type. Exactly the type she would need to keep an eye on because they're prone to bigger problems.

Turned out the reason why they're gathered so suddenly was because Himeko called for an emergency meeting and the what for was obvious once they looked outside the window. Jarilo-VI, a lush green planet with sapphire blue oceans in the Express' databank, was very much anything but. The planet was covered in ice from pole to pole with hurricane visibly swirling in one point and just by looking at it they could feel the coldness sweeping in. It drew a horrified gasp from Kiana and a troubled frown from Bronya while Mei grimaced.

There were people living in the planet according to the databank Mei read last night when Kiana was fast asleep. The IPC, a galactic corporation of some sort, had an account of losing contact with the planet local inhabitants for decades now. Mei hoped there were still people around.

Another problem they had was the Stellaron. Himeko told them they had detected an energy signature with patterns similar to the World's Cancer itself and it's interfering with the Star Rail network so even if they wanted to, they couldn't leave until it was destroyed. Dan Heng and the girls volunteered for the job and Mei, being a mother hen she was, decided to join them to make sure there's someone to bail them when they were in trouble. She knew the song and dance, that it was impossible to keep a bunch of teenagers from troubles. They were there once.

Kiana excitedly announced she wanted to go with them, how she finally get to set foot on an actual planet again and interact with people after so long. At least, until Bronya grabbed her by the back of her jacket collar like she would an overly excited kitten and squashed her hope like she would a cockroach.

"We have a job to do" Was Bronya's decree to Kiana's diminishing excitement. The Kaslana wailed like Bronya had just demanded her first born all the way until they exited the Express, her scream muffled by the vacuum of space until the door coldly slid shut.

Mei, being the only available adult because Himeko and Welt still needed to fix the Express after their little run in, was now responsible for the kids. She had no problem and plenty of experience so Mei was confident she could look after them. That didn't stop Welt from reminding her of the one crucial rule, though.

"Mei, I'm sure you know but this will be their first expedition alone. You'll have to keep your involvement to bare minimum and let them grow"

"Of course"

It was the pillar of adulthood; to let the youngsters grow on their own accord. Their Himeko didn't intervene much when they were in her squad back then and Mei followed her teacher's teaching to the T. She would be there if they needed her and that was enough.

After Kiana was gone in a swirling void with a defeated expression Mei couldn't help but be sorry for, Himeko announced a suitable place for them to drop the Express' Space Anchor. Turned out, there was a large heat signature in one big place, at least city scale, and if they wanted to look for civilization it would be their best bet.

Frankly, Mei was simply relieved they had a little hope still. The world was harsh it went a literal apocalyptic event at one point that turned it into one giant ice ball. When the Anchor was set and they made their planetfall via the Fast Beam, the extreme cold immediately bit into their clothes unbidden. Thankfully, the path of Trailblazer gave the kids some measure of tolerance against extreme climates amongst many other benefits and the cold was still within the tolerable thresholds.

Mei herself hardly felt a thing. While she wasn't the ruler of flame who was always warm, she was still a Herrscher of equal footing with her Finality. Thunder even snorted at the idea of such a meager inconvenience hindering her, remarking how insignificant it was compared to Ana's power when Mei fought the Herrscher of Ice back in Coral City.

She was not one to brag so Mei gave Thunder a halfhearted shrug as a response for her quirk.

Ambling through the knee deep snow, however, was proven to be the more problematic endeavor. Mei, Stelle and Dan Heng who were in the taller section in physical term fared a bit better compared to March. The pinkette was a bundle of energy, unfortunately the way she skipped on her steps often would fall her into problems. Literally. March had at least two mouthfuls of snow because she dove headfirst into the ground when her foot got stuck on particularly deep ditches.

In the end they decided to slow down, sacrificing time for a more safer travel. Mei was looking into her phone Himeko gave her and replying to Welt's message when a commotion from the trio reached her super hearing. They thought they found a body stuck in a ditch but that body was pretty much still alive and asking for help.

Mei was quick to jump to action, positioning Seven Thunders aside before kneeling down and beginning to dig into the snow. Dan Heng joined her a split second later with March while she ordered Stelle to watch their surroundings for danger. Stelle gave Mei a thumbs up and shouldered her baseball bat, ready for anything.

It took them a while to help the man because, somehow, he was stuck to chest level upside down. It almost like he just jumped off a nearest cliff headfirst into the ground. Once he was freed, Mei was quick to go back to her feet and regarded him.

March offered him water while Dan Heng helped him up. He graciously accepted and thanked them before introducing himself to them.

"My name is Sampo, dearest saviors of mine!"

The way he talked set all sort of alarms in Mei's head and she quickly adapted a more wary stance, quietly listening to the conversation while consulting to Thunder.

"Sweet talker, terrible exaggerated charisma. Even more terrible hairstyle"

The last bit made Mei huff in amusement.

Sampo agreed to help them head towards the city as a return of goodwill, more or less confirming there was still an active civilization with people in it. He warned them to avoid the local military organization, though, saying that the Silvermane Guards would arrest anyone without permits wandering the frozen tundra on the spot before interrogating them in their headquarters. While he assured them the Guards were lawful, it would be best if they stayed low.

Their luck didn't quite allow that, though.

A few minutes into their walk and they already got caught by a squad of Silvermane Guards. Sampo, being a sly fox he was, slipped off while everyone was busy trying to persuade the Guards that they were not local and thus unaware of the law. Mei saw him off but let him, opting to help March convincing the Guard's Captain to not arrest them instead.

His name was Gepard and after a near clash March finally succeeded in persuading him by showing pictures of her journey and the Express. Gepard was a reasonable man so he agreed to help them into the city after seeing the proofs.

Gepard filled them in about the city of Belobog. Starting from a little bit of its history, the hierarchy system and its layouts. Mei listened through it all with great interest, asking a few questions here and there and putting the answers into a proverbial box in her head to unpack later. Right now they were heading to Qlipoth Fort, a massive fortress like structure that acted as Belobog's Center of Administration.

"It looks surprisingly normal" Mei had said to Gepard who followed her wandering gaze.

"We try to maintain a semblance of normalcy around and have been successful for the last few centuries. People are living the best they can under Madam Supreme Guardian's watchful guide"

Mei couldn't help but to admire that resolve. In time of war, it was very difficult to keep the populace from unrest and these people managed to do that for centuries to no end. Generations fought and died for a glimpse of peaceful life, something the Silvermane Guards knew of intimately.

"So this Supreme Guardian... Are they chosen by the people?"

"No, but they are taken from the people. When an individual of exceptional skills appears amongst the folks, the Councils will then try to recruit them to be a Supreme Guardian. Of course, it must be done out of free will so we don't take unwilling individuals. A Supreme Guardian's duty is critical, we cannot have a half-hearted in the seat"

"Heavy is the head with the crown"

"... Is that a proverb from your world?"

"Yes"

"I like it"

He dropped them off right outside the Supreme Guardian's office, the two guards nodded at Gepard from their posts by the door. After a quick apology for his inability to accompany them further due to his duty demanding his immediate presence, Gepard left. Mei decided it was her responsibility to introduce the group and their intentions.

"Fall out" She called and the trio easily trailed her as they entered.

That was two minutes ago. A lot had happened since Mei woke up that morning but admittedly, it was mild compared to what she's experiencing right now.

The moment the door opened and they entered, her mind stumbled to halt along with her step because somehow she was seeing a person she didn't expect to see again after so soon. A person with the face and body of her best friend's. A person with the same voice of her best friend's, just a lot more emotional because she was not mentally impaired as she made herself clear with the heated debate she had with the Supreme Guardian.

Mei's mind stuttered for the second time because, somehow, Cocolia was the Supreme Guardian.

And Bronya was a Silvermane Guard.

"Stranger things have happened, Raiden Mei" Thunder voice echoed in her head, rousing Mei from her stupor. Narrowing her eyes, Mei fought the urge to rest her hand on the hilt of Seven Thunders when Cocolia's eyes landed on them.

Free was here the criminal who conspired against her and her family.

But Mei tried to not judge this Cocolia as a villain she was back on Earth. That Cocolia was jailed for life in the United States for crime against humanity, left to rot in the deepest of hell where the light of salvation could never reach. Mei schooled her expression then. Not friendly but not hostile either, just a mask of indifference she wore when she was still with the World Serpent.

Kiana would scold her if she saw her wearing that face again. She made it clear she hated the dull sheen of coldness because it did not fit her pretty face, so she said.

When Cocolia's attention shifted to the newcomers, Bronya immediately fell quiet and turned to face them. Mei saw the previously rare display of expressions on her best friend's face came and went so quickly on this Bronya's face. Bronya regarded them with a fleeting look before she addressed Cocolia again.

"We shall talk about this matter again later"

Cocolia nodded, although Bronya already turned to leave before she could see the gesture. Mei watched silently as Bronya walked past them, the clicking of her heels echoing in the vast chamber and disappearing behind the door behind them.

"So, what business do you have?"

Mei cleared her throat, swallowing the scathing tone threatening to spill out of her mouth and instead using a more neutral one when she replied. "We are here to offer our help"

"We are the crew of Astral Express. The train built by the late Aeon Akivili? I'm sure you know" March chimed in warmly, a notion Cocolia didn't share as her eyes flicked towards the pinkette. March visibly squirmed under the intense gaze and in a smaller tone she added a quiet "Ma'am".

Mei didn't like the patronizing look Cocolia gave March, that added with her personal grudge against her Cocolia made her step forward to draw the attention of the Supreme Guardian to her again. "We're here to destroy the Stellaron"

Short, quick and decisive. The Gem of Conquest and Thunder's personality mingling with her own resolve. Mei could practically feel the soft approving hum from Thunder when she locked eyes with Cocolia.

"We have no record of this Stellaron whereabouts" Cocolia answered plainly and Mei fought the urge to narrow her eyes in suspicion. The Express' onboard scanners could not be wrong for they were built to hunt Stellaron's energy signature on purpose. Still, she's willing to give the benefits of the doubt to this Cocolia. "But we will help you find it"

"Thank you, Madam Guardian"

Cocolia nodded. "Welcome to Belobog. Now, I'm afraid we'll have to cut this meeting short" She gestured towards the stacks of documents on her table, eyes still locked with Mei's in a silent staring contest.

Mei replied with a curt nod of her own. "Of course"

"I didn't want to say it before but that was super odd" March began in a whisper just when the Silvermane Guard left them in Goethe's hotel lobby to check in. Mei, who was doing the admin works for the four of them, tilted her head curiously to listen.

"What do you mean?"

The pinkette gestured wildly with her hands, responding to Stelle's question. "That and that! First the strict rule to not venture the wilderness and then there's Sampo, wherever he is now, randomly getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. He would've died had we not saved him! And now we have Bronya..."

Mei could feel three pairs of eyes staring at her back so she shrugged noncommittally, fishing out for credits to pay the hotel upfront from her pocket. Himeko had the foresight to provide them enough fund for a month of living, apparently.

"Um, Mei?"

"Yes, March?"

"Are you sure Bronya is not playing prank on us?"

Mei chuckled as she scribbled her signature. "No, March. Bronya doesn't do prank unless you are Kiana. Besides, she's still in the Sea of Quanta building relays so we can call home"

"What do you mean by 'unless you are Kiana'? Does she hate Kiana or something?"

Mei glanced back with a fond smile. "Quite the opposite. You saw how they interacted last night?" When Stelle and March nodded, Mei continued. "Bronya might sound demeaning with Kiana but she loves us all like a family. We are family to her, one and only"

Mei gestured for them to follow, finished with the administration, and handed each of them a key for their respective rooms. March glanced at hers and then Stelle's, noting the numbers on the keychains. "Oh, look. We're neighbors"

Stelle grunted. "So it seems. What about you, Dan Heng?"

"Just right beside you"

"I'll be across you three" Mei said, dangling her key between her fingers for them to see. "Don't hesitate to knock on my door if you need something"

After parting ways and wishing goodnight to each other, Mei quietly closed the door of her room behind her and sighed. The sun had almost set on the horizon, bathing the room in a golden glow of dying light. She checked on her phone to see for any new message and found none before going to the bathroom to freshen up, untying Seven Thunders and its scabbard off her waist and putting it against the bed's frame.

Opening the wardrobe to make sure everything was in order, she meticulously shed her clothes and grabbed a towel, bringing with her her phone into the bathroom.

Mei put it on nearby stand and filled the bathtub with hot water of her preferred temperature before stepping into it and sinking down. A pleased hum left her throat, the water doing wonders to her tense muscles, and closed her eyes.

Fifteen minutes later she was standing behind a sink with towel wrapped around her body, brushing her teeth in the mirror. Per usual, her amethyst orbs drifted down to her neck where a thin line of imperfect skin stood like a sore thumb. Being a Herrscher, she could have easily healed it but Mei refused to do so. After all, it was a reminder of what length she had to go through to save her most beloved.

Finishing up, she washed her face and smiled, fingers tracing the scar absently. Mei would usually hide it from others by wearing a choker or high collar outfits but she did it not out of shame. To her it was special and the only one allowed to see it besides herself was Kiana. Kiana knew what it meant unlike many others, often voicing her love back by showering it with butterfly kisses.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face. You're not a lovesick teenager anymore" Thunder said with clear distaste and Mei chuckled.

"You said it like you're not proud of it" Mei countered slyly, throwing her dirty clothes into a washing machine and beginning washing them. Thunder huffed but didn't deny it, earning a short laugh from Mei.

"Silence"

Mei stepped out of the bathroom, heading for the wardrobe to look for a pajama of her sizes. It took her a while but she found one after a little rummaging, albeit a little tight fit, and proceeded to wear it. She just finished brushing her hair when a knock resonated from behind her door.

"Room service"

Mei opened it to see a young woman in a familiar Goethe's uniform standing in the hallway, a polite smile on her face Mei returned. "Hello"

"Hello, good evening, ma'am. I'm in charge for tonight's dinner. What would you like to order? I have the menu here"

"Oh, no need" Mei politely declined, still smiling. "I have had my fill. However, I would appreciate it if you bring me a warm cup of tea? And books"

The woman blinked inquisitively. "Books, ma'am?"

"Yes, if it's not too much trouble?"

"Oh, no. That's not what I meant. I'm unsure what sort of books you want"

"Oh, anything is okay. But if you have history books then I would appreciate it if you bring some to me"

"Okay. I will bring you history books from our reading collection along with your tea"

"Thank you, miss, I appreciate it"

Mei closed the door after giving the woman another smile. Now all she had to do was wait.

Midnight descended quietly upon the frozen world. The already cold air turned even colder with frost creeping over the window panes like a self growing spider webs. Through it all Mei was silent as she read through the fifth book she was given to read.

Quick reading, as she found out, was one of the benefits of being a Herrscher of Thunder. To begin with, super speed was the main strength of Thunder besides the lightning and all that. The books were no means slim with each containing at least three hundred pages yet she scanned through everything in mere hours at what she considered as her leisure speed.

Every useful information was stored inside her head and although she didn't have photographic memory like Bronya and Kiana, Mei was a sharp individual by design. It came with the job, really, being a teacher demanded that much.

The warm tea was a nice companion, disregarding the minor inconvenience that had her needing to go to the bathroom every now and then. People of this world used what they called Geomarrow to warm their surroundings and the mineral was also useful to keep a pot of tea warm. Whoever came up with the idea must have been a genius.

Scarce moonlight filtered through her curtained windows and Mei instinctively looked outside for a brief moment before realizing she was not at home where her beloved would've been far up high on Luna. No, Kiana was with her this time and the thought alone sent a warmth down her chest the tea couldn't compare. Smiling to herself, she wondered how Kiana was doing with her little project with Bronya as she had for the past long hours.

Mei glanced at her phone and sighed.

"Can you not?"

Mei blinked and hummed inquisitively. "What do you mean?"

"I live in your head. I hear every single lament and thought you think and it's all about Kiana and her absence. I'm sick of listening you fussing"

"Weren't you the one who wanted to get all handsy with her?"

Mei could feel Thunder reeling in surprise at her bluntness and couldn't help but chuckle.

"You little runt. What I want with Kiana is none of your concern"

"I would know"

"I don't like this you. You're easier to deal with when you're just a timid girl who feared everything"

"You taught me to be assertive. That way I can get what I want, no?"

Thunder fell silent and Mei basked in the moment. She just started reading again when Thunder finally responded.

"You don't have to be so witty about it"

Mei paused. The sentence she just read completely slipped off her mind and tumbled out her ears, forgotten immediately.

"Are you... pouting?"

"No"

"You certainly are"

"I've no idea what you're talking about"

Mei smirked in amusement but didn't say anything further, she knew when to stop pushing Thunder's button.

Silence reigned once again, the only sound being the rustling of papers as she turned the book pages and the soft tinking between the ceramic cup and saucer on the table as Mei took occasional sips of her tea.

The subject of her study this time was the Supreme Guardians. These people who led Belobog through turmoils throughout the era of Eternal Freeze. A lot of them was an exceptional individual with countless takes on problems, and a lot of them was simply leading a more stable reign. The current Supreme Guardian had been seated for over a decade with her rule being on the more quiet one.

Then, why can't I shake the feeling that something's off...

Maybe it was Mei's personal prejudice against Cocolia clouding her judgment, a humanly response to precedented aggression inflicted on them. Someone could never truly eliminate that idea from their conscience once it took root. Still, not a lot of things could escape her meticulous observation and Cocolia certainly showed more than she said.

Mei's fingers drummed on the table as she pondered the thought with a frown on her face. Cocolia was somewhat flippant in her greetings earlier, not showing much aside from cold interest in fact. Even her Cocolia was more expressive and true to her feelings when it come to the ones she really cared about.

Bronya told her about her Matushka a lot. Her best friend had made her amends with Cocolia, that despite the misdeeds she had done she was actually very caring towards her foster children and it was hard for Bronya to blame her reason.

"Mei hates Matushka Cocolia and Bronya understands. Bronya hopes Mei does not hate Bronya for forgiving Matushka"

"I will never hate you, Bronya. I don't like Cocolia for what she did but it's not your fault. She was the only mother figure you had. I would never know how it feels to have a mother but I understand as much"

Bronya and Cocolia was not in a good term but Bronya still cared for her enough to visit every now and then along with Rozaliya and Liliya. Seele, the sweet and loving Seele however, couldn't bring herself to go with her. The relationships between Seele and Cocolia had always been complicated, mainly because Seele was the reason Cocolia pushed herself to damnation. Neither was willing to forgive themselves enough to make peace and Bronya made it her personal objective to bridge the two, despite little success.

If this Cocolia was anything like Earth Cocolia, then she must have that drive in her. Mei just needed to find out what but she was certain it had something to do with her position being a ruler of the last standing city on Jarilo-VI.

Taking a sip of her tea, Mei felt her chest rumble as Thunder growled.

"Someone has been watching us"

Mei hummed to herself, not missing the detail how Thunder referred to them as a single entity. "I'm aware"

"Shouldn't you do something about it?"

"Not unless they do something active"

Pretending to stretch, Mei subtly glanced outside her windows through the silky white curtain, seeing an obscure figure leaning near a vending machine. Her enhanced perception allowed her to capture everything to minute details.

Like their clothes and how openly they were staring at her specific room.

"It's a Silvermane Guard" Mei muttered, standing up as casually as she could and walking to her windows. She gently pried the curtain open before proceeding to unlock one window and immediately was greeted by a blast of frigid air.

As expected, the Guard looked down so he was now facing the streets instead of her room.

"The Betrayer has something up her sleeves I reckon"

Mei didn't respond right away, closing the window again after pretending a bout of shivers. She closed the curtains again and sat back down, now no more than a vague silhouette to the Guard and other possible outside observers. "I have a bad feeling about this"

Mei had checked the room for any possible bugs earlier when she entered for the first time by sending a burst of EM radiation and found none so at least she was on the clear in the protection of her chamber. Unless they had a way to spy on someone without using electronic based device, there was no reason to believe she was under direct surveillance. Still, she had to limit her movements and made them as natural as possible from outside perspectives to not raise suspicions even though she did nothing wrong.

It was a Silvermane Guard, meaning the local government itself was the one to order the espionage act. The probability of it being a fake Guard was low since the streets were patrolled regularly and none of the other Guards bat an eye to the one looking at her room. Cocolia was playing a game here.

Mei glanced at Seven Thunders still leaning against her bed and then the books. Thinning her lips, she proceeded to close the latter and grabbed her phone after downing her tea in one go. Mei crawled onto the bed, deftly shifting Seven Thunders so it was within her reach and laying down on the soft mattress.

Unlocking her phone, it chimed softly when a new message popped in. Mei's heart soared and a smile tugged on her lips as she began to read.

Kiana: Meiiiiiiiii!!!!

Kiana: Mei Imiss u so much Brinya is sovslow!!!

Mei chuckled lightly and typed back.

Mei: I miss you too. I've been waiting for your message all day.

Kiana: awwww. don't worry ill be back soon. bronya is reporting to welt rn we finally get the main relay thingy setup so it wont ne long until we done.

Kiana: yuo doing okau?

Mei grimaced.

We might have a little problem

Was what she wanted to say but Kiana would bail on Bronya to come immediately and made Bronya mad for leaving her in the Sea of Quanta if Mei told her that so instead Mei assured her.

Mei: We're on a hotel and resting. Tomorrow we'll start looking for the Stellaron. You won't believe this but there's another Bronya here.

Kiana: WHAT?!

Kiana: Aw man one is enough.

Kiana: oh well, I hope sheekkwslslksskslllaa

Mei: Kiana? What's wrong?

Mei frowned, waiting for a reply. When it came, however, it wasn't from the person she expected it from.

Kiana: Mei, it's Bronya. I'm confiscating the Idiotka's phone because she's been on it playing games all day.

Kiana: She also almost fell into a Void Pit because she's walking while messaging.

Kiana: She's okay. Just stupid.

Kiana: Unfortunately, Truth's power can't fix stupidity. Please don't message Kiana again until we're back.

Mei: Okay, but Bronya? We need to talk. There's something I want to say to you.

Kiana: Okay.

Kiana, or rather Bronya, went offline and Mei stared at the cold string of words notifying her leave with an amused smile. Her day long longing finally sated, Mei finally could rest. She flicked the lamp on the nightstand off, plunging the room into a near darkness, and closed her eyes.

Mei didn't sleep. She had no need to sleep with her Herrscher Core revitalized, feeding her limitless energy that eclipsed human's needs and such. It was a power comparable to ancient god's and she had it in abundance. Food, sleep or even air were nothing but decorum to everydayness, not needs but a simple complimentary.

When someone became a Herrscher, they were no longer human and it was true to not just power level but also how they function henceforth. Mei didn't feel exhaustion. She was as jovial and sharp as ever the next morning, which was why when everyone was confused by the sudden intrusion by a group of Silvermane Guards Mei was ready.

Mei was a protective wolf especially towards her pups. The kids under her command were like her own and she saw it fit to care for them as much. So, when a particularly cocky Guardsman demanded for March to follow them immediately despite the girl's pleas for her decency Mei didn't hesitate to slam said Guardsman against a wall and pin him on place by the back of his neck with her powerful forearm.

"Whatever you need can wait until she has her clothes on" Mei growled dangerously, sending shivers down whoever heard her. Stelle and March who had never seen this side of her was stunned on the spot, staring with mouths agape. To them, Mei looked like a gentle and loving sister who would smile and laugh at the stupidest of jokes they made but this Mei was true to her warrior side.

Stelle took the opportunity to push March into her room, locked the door and guarded it while her friend changed to her usual set ups. Dan Heng joined her on her side with his arms crossed, offering a quick nod to Stelle as he also stared at Mei, although with more intrigue rather than surprise.

"W—what do you think are you doing?! Assault on Silvermane Guards is a crime!"

"The Silvermane Guards are allowed and well within their jurisdiction to carry out a lawful search and escort an individual or a group of individuals to certain locations they see fit for questioning or if ordered by the City Council or the acting Supreme Guardian. However, should the aforementioned individual or group of individuals request time to fulfill this order and is within reasonable time frame and reasonable cause, then by no means they are to be denied of this request. Silvermane Guards Codex Of Chivalry and Civil Conducts Page 24 Act 3 Line 1"

"Y—You—!"

"Roland!" A voice boomed from the end of the hallway. The Guards who had their weapons raised at Mei the moment Mei showed transgression suddenly tensed up and lowered their cannons, turning around with such speed their armor audibly rattle.

A man pushed past the three Guards, his steps heavy and eyes furious as he glared at the pinned man. Mei could feel Roland shaking as his eyes found the approaching man.

"Captain! I—"

"Quiet, you bugger! I told you to notify them not force them out! Why are you acting on your own?!"

"I... I thought it would be better to bring them up myself?"

"YOUR ORDER IS TO NOTIFY THEM!"

Mei blinked and released the man in her hold, watching him scamper away from his very angry Captain.

"BACK TO FORMATION AND FIND ME LATER! ALL OF YOU ARE DISMISSED!"

The three Guards stammered a "Yes, sir" before turning on their heels and walked away. The Captain sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and addressed Mei.

"I'm sorry about that, Ma'am. I will punish them accordingly"

Mei nodded, all traces of aggression leaving her body as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Thank you"

The man gave her a nod of his own. "Please deliver my apology to the young miss also"

He left then and not long after March emerged back from her room looking a little shaken, making Mei scowl with suppressed anger. Nobody touched kids under her care, ever.

Stelle put a comforting hand on March's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

March breathed out. "Yeah, well... That was a little scary"

"What do you think caused such lapse of misconduct, Mei?"

Mei realized she still had her hand tightly wrapped around Seven Thunders and relaxed it, smoothing her expression so she appeared less aggressive as she looked at the trio. Dan Heng was as stoic as ever but Mei could see a few concerned creases on his face as he waited for her reply.

"I have my suspicions" Mei said offhandedly with a shrug. "But it doesn't matter. Let's go meet the Supreme Guardian and ask"

It was, in fact, did matter. Verily so.

They just left the hotel when another group of Silvermane Guards approached them again, this time led by none other than Bronya. Unlike before, they were fully equipped with combat gear and ready for aggressions with some sporting heavy armor and shields along with rifles and cannons.

Mei, who still unused to the expressiveness on Bronya's face, narrowed her eyes when she stopped a few meters ahead of them with her hand raised.

"Halt!" Bronya ordered and they complied. "Disarm yourself and put your hands up"

"Why?"

"You are under arrest"

"For what?!" March shrieked in shock behind Mei, still flanked by Dan Heng and Stelle who shared a troubled look with each other. Mei, however, simply raised her eyebrows.

"Treason. Conspiring against the Supreme Guardian"

Oh, what are you playing here Cocolia?

Mei narrowed her eyes, ignoring Thunder's demand for control so she could fix the problem herself. Shifting her stance so she was now directly in front of the trio, Mei put a hand on the hilt of her sword without an intention to surrender.

"That was quite the accusation. What proof do you have?"

"That is to be settled in the court. Madam Guardian ordered for your arrest herself and we are obliged to carry it"

"And if we don't want to surrender ourselves?"

Bronya glared at Mei and it was so foreign and odd to see the face of someone who looked up for her twisted with so much dissent for the first time in her life. Bronya tightened her grip on her rifle, subtly hoisting it up higher until the blue bayonet under its barrel glinted with the morning sun threateningly, her complement of Guards also raising their weapons and shields.

"We are authorized to use force"

Mei for the most part was very calm yet from outside perspectives she looked like a tiger with its muscles taut ready to pounce its prey. Her body thrummed with energy, small lightning bolts cracking around her while her narrowed eyes began to glow. The teenagers behind her saw it all with bated breath, feeling the raw power on their skins.

It intensified when Mei, with a barest of tug, revealed the slightest glint of dark purple metal as Seven Thunders was unsheathed from the scabbard. She didn't even pull it out, just raising a fraction of its length off its scabbard yet the power it had was overwhelming enough the ozone smelled like thunderstorm.

Not wanting to be left behind, they also summoned their weapons. Dan Heng took a defensive stance when his spear materialized in his hand while March stepped a step back to make some distance with her bow ready. Stelle smirked and shouldered her bat, giving the Guards a challenging look.

Frankly, Mei didn't want to hurt Bronya, or anyone else for that matter. But she would rather be a juvenile with the trio than to let herself get thrown into whatever justice system the local had. A huge part of her mind found this whole situation ridiculous and a smaller part thought everything might've been done better if she didn't think so lowly of Cocolia. Yet, here she stood with her disdain proven to be not entirely baseless.

But saying something to slander on the Supreme Guardian would've only made the situation worse and confirmed their suspicion on them. She didn't believe nor want to generalize the Silvermane Guards as the antagonists here. Gepard looked like a honest man with a simple want to protect his home and the people in it, Mei was sure a lot of them was just like him. While Mei didn't know this Bronya and her drives, she refused to believe that someone with her friend's face was evil by default.

Bronya went against the Supreme Guardian yesterday. She was not a mindless robot who would do Cocolia's bidding blindly. That meant Bronya here was acting not out of spite nor malice but rather her sense of duty, something Cocolia clearly exploited.

It was all so familiar and Mei hated it.

"There's a closed route to your left. Two Guards guarding it"

Mei saw it too. She heard they closed the way because of the dangerous condition caused by what the local called Fragmentum Corrosion. She wasn't sure what it was but it's the only available escape route around.

She made her decision.

Sheathing Seven Thunders back, she turned around and was met with three pairs of confused eyes. Mei gestured towards the blockade and said her order as clear as possible.

"Run"

The moment she finished uttering the word, a series of gunfires erupted as the Guards let loose their projectiles. Mei summoned Thunder's giant mechanical arms to block the attack all the while keeping pace with the sprinting trio, weaving and dodging melee attacks by shocking whoever close enough to reach her with her lightning bolts.

Dan Heng and Stelle raced forward, the former blocked a swing from one of the two Guards guarding the blockade with his spear before hitting said guard with the blunt shaft and knocking him out while the latter slid low to avoid an arching attack and hit her attacker in the head with her bat.

The two guards taken care of, March pulled the string of her bow and jumped into the air, aiming her strike on the pavements below. The translucent quiver she summoned hit the ground where it then exploded and coated it in a thick layer of slippery ice Mei easily evaded with a leap despite the distance.

The Silvermane Guards were not as fortunate.

"Mind the floor!" March yelled cheekily, not looking back at the surprised curses and thudding of metal against rock as the heavily armored Guards slipped and fell like refrigerators on stairs. She chuckled at the thought.

Mei did check with a glance though, noticing the majority of their pursuers were incapacitated in a pile of metal and bodies. But the small amount was still high on their tails, including Bronya who looked even more upset now.

"Which way to go?!" Stelle asked urgently when they came across a forked way. Mei racked her brains for Belobog's schematics and answered her.

"Left!"

Despite knowing the layouts, the Guards were more familiar with local environment. Their wayward thinking allowed them to catch up quickly and before long they were surrounded again.

"Stop right there!" Bronya shouted.

"Why do they always say that?" March whined, frantically looking around for a new escape route only to see Silvermane Guards waiting them there.

"What else do you want them to say?" Stelle responded breathlessly, grip deep on her bat. She pushed a strand of ashen hair off her sweaty face and grimaced.

"I don't know. 'Villains, your days of injustice are over'? That sounds cooler"

"Are we villains?"

"We haven't done anything wrong!"

"Maybe if we did something wrong then she would've said that"

"Really?"

"No"

The Guards closed in, trying to box them in a narrow passageway. With no other choice left, Mei was seriously considering to fight back. Her hand was on Seven Thunders again when something in the wind caught her attention.

A whistling. Subtle, as if something was piercing through the air. Mei glanced at the direction it came from, barely catching a glimpse of red and purple before smoke exploded all around them and obscuring her vision.

She held her breath, the simple notion of breathing forgotten. The rest of them was not so lucky, coughing and wheezing as the thick smoke entered their lungs.

"Wh—what is this?!" March stuttered between coughs, vision swimming as a sudden wave of dizziness took over. Stelle was the first to fall and hit the floor, unconscious, followed by Bronya in front of Mei and then March and Dan Heng.

Still alerted, Mei whipped around towards the sounds of footsteps approaching.

"Dear me, I didn't think you would be immune to that" Sampo said as he emerged from the smoke, the smirk on his face never fading. "Oh, well. This means I'll have help carrying them so it's fine, I suppose"

"Why are you here?"

The suspicion was thick in her tone and he noticed it immediately. Raising his hands in a placating manner, Sampo smiled a more reserved smile. "I don't abandon friends who have helped me" He crouched down to pick Dan Heng and Stelle, each on an arm, before continuing. "Come with me, I know a place"

Mei furrowed her eyebrows. He didn't give her much time to think before walking away. Looking down at March, she gently picked the girl up before her eyes drifted towards a head of white hair on the ground. Mei bit her lip and contemplated before she looped an arm around Bronya and carried her too.

"You're bringing Lady Rand with you, my friend?"

"Rand?" Mei asked, surprised. "She's a Rand?"

"You didn't know? She's Bronya Rand, the next Supreme Guardian if Lady Cocolia ever step down. She's the current acting Silvermane Guard Commander, quite a prestigious position"

"I have some questions for her to answer"

"I don't doubt it" He led her through a series of alleyways and shortcuts, going deeper and deeper into the city. "But Milady Doctor asked for me to bring you guys in. I hope you understand, friend, but Lady Rand there won't be my responsibility"

"I'll look out for her" Mei said resolutely, almost challenging. He glanced back and smiled warmly.

"I would appreciate it"

"... Where are you taking us, anyway?"

"A place where the Guards won't be roaming about without scrutiny, the only safe place for you in all of Belobog; the Underworld, of course"

TBC

A little confession; I personally think things are going a little too fast in this chapter especially when compared to the previous two chapters but there's only so much I can fill with how brief the introduction arc of Belobog was. Not to mention I don't want to bore you guys because I'm sure we all know what happens here.

Don't worry, we'll slow down when the Underworld arc begins.