The instant the scepter was raised high, the ICHOR Factor derived from the Judgment-class Honkai Beast 'Śeṣa' seemed to boil, surging wildly through Mobius's bloodstream.
Śeṣa: the colossal serpent that devoured worlds, the destruction cycling through infinity.
"This is... Artificial Cascade?"
Mei had expected MANTISes to possess special abilities, but she hadn't imagined the transformation process would be so terrifying. In mere seconds, she had watched a young girl morph into a horrifying monster—grotesque, hideous, utterly chilling.
"The process of evolution isn't beautiful. Quite the contrary, it's exceedingly ugly. Hideously so. But only by enduring this ugly process can we truly understand... the beauty of life."
Black scales covered most of Mobius's form, making her look embedded within the serpent's body. If not for the upper part retaining a humanoid shape, she would simply be mistaken for a monstrous beast.
Although she could still speak, Mei could clearly sense the madness tinging her words, indicating Mobius was likely on the verge of losing control.
"Come, Raiden Mei. Please, embrace your death."
Crack.
Mobius grinned savagely, lifting her scepter high. As it fell, an invisible force coiled violently towards Mei.
Instantly, the metal-cast floor shrieked as it warped, deep fissures snaking rapidly towards her. Mei's expression tightened, instinctively raising her blade to block.
But the moment contact was made, immense power surged through the blade into her body. Even with a Herrscher's physique far surpassing ordinary humans, she felt like a mantis trying to stop a chariot [idiom: futile resistance]—instantly overwhelmed by the savage force.
Constriction, contraction—the most basic hunting methods of a serpent. The Artificial Cascade had activated the source of the ICHOR Factor, allowing the Honkai Beast's instincts to dominate once more.
Realizing she couldn't match the sheer force, Mei's expression shifted. She immediately abandoned blocking and tried to evade. But the next second, countless emerald beams of light burst from the scepter, forming a cage that sealed off her escape route.
Crunch.
Amidst the sharp sound of twisting metal, the serpent's body coiled tightly around the area. But when Mobius, sensing something amiss, loosened her grip, she found Mei had vanished.
"Hiding? Useless. This is a trap I meticulously prepared. The space is completely sealed. Even if you were just a little mouse, you couldn't find a crack to escape through."
Serpentine eyes scanned the surroundings. Pupils equipped with thermal sensing and night vision could capture any movement in the darkness. No matter how fast Mei moved, she couldn't possibly evade the serpent's pursuit.
But Mei, naturally, wasn't hiding. The moment Mobius finished speaking, roaring thunder exploded once more—this time, from behind her.
"You seem to talk a lot more after turning into a monster."
As if riding the thunderclap itself, Mei's form became a streak of lightning, striking directly at the humanoid portion of Mobius's body. Her expression was impassive, the hand gripping her tachi steady, plunging unhindered into Mobius's back and piercing through her chest.
However, before she could feel any triumph, the scepter reappeared, blasting her away.
"Useless. The Serpent is immortal." Even with a long blade impaled through her chest, Mobius showed no fear. Reaching back, she pulled the sword out, and the wound healed rapidly before Mei's eyes.
Mei frowned, preparing to attack the same way again. But this time, dark serpent scales had already covered the vulnerable area. Not only did her attack fail to inflict damage, but she almost got caught again.
"If you could really finish me so easily, you wouldn't bother protecting yourself like this."
"Teehee, observing the struggles of a little lab rat is part of the experiment, you know."
Mobius was right. At this moment, she was like a researcher in full protective gear, while Mei was the mouse trapped in a cage. No matter how much Mei bit and clawed, she couldn't break through the protective suit.
It was a one-sided domination of power. All Mei could do was struggle as much as possible.
"But as I said, I am not your little lab rat."
Clang! Drawn by electromagnetism, the tachi flew back into Mei's hand. She twisted her body, leveraging her extreme speed to launch a flurry of attacks. But whatever Śeṣa's body was made of, her strikes could, at best, only leave faint white marks on the scales.
If this dragged on, she would quickly exhaust her stamina and become the serpent's prey. Fortunately, she possessed more than just one source of power; the Signets of other MANTISes could also provide potent enhancements.
"Hehe, you..." Mobius's words caught in her throat as a sharp pain shot through her serpentine body. Looking down, she saw a gaping wound had been sliced open on her supposedly indestructible black scales.
She blinked, momentarily stunned, then laughed dismissively. "You think you can defeat me relying on Signets? Don't forget who gave you Infinity."
The moment she spoke, an intense wave of drowsiness washed over Mei. Under its influence, the blow that should have heavily wounded Mobius missed entirely. Not only that, but as the fatigue hit, Mei felt the energy within her body draining rapidly.
As a Herrscher, her Honkai Energy should have been overflowing, yet now it felt like a pump had been attached, siphoning it continuously towards Mobius.
"The Signet really was tampered with." Her heart sank. Mei bit down hard on her tongue, using the sharp pain to barely escape the attack zone.
"Power always comes with a price. By using the Signet, you established a connection with me. How does it feel, the transfer from X?" As if toying with her prey, Mobius didn't even pursue. She held her scepter high, and countless green bolts of lightning rained down from above, indiscriminately striking everything in the arena.
Mei felt a sense of familiarity from these bolts, as if they originated from herself. But now, she had no control over them and could only dodge relentlessly.
"Feel it? That's your own power." The Signet of Infinity absorbed Mei's Honkai Energy, channeling it through the scepter to turn her own strength against her.
With her energy draining while Mobius's attacks intensified, Mei was quickly cornered. At most, she had ten minutes before collapsing from exhaustion.
"Mobius, surely you didn't think I came completely unprepared?" At that moment, she suddenly stopped moving and looked up at her opponent.
"Oh? You still have some fight left in you?"
"Infinity did indeed establish a connection between us, but it never said the transfer could only be one-way." She smiled. Lightning crashed down from above but inflicted no damage on her. Instead, Mobius's colossal form suddenly turned pitch black.
Only then did Mobius notice that although Mei had been dodging, her movements followed a distinct pattern. And the lightning strikes, supposedly indiscriminate, now seemed driven by some force, converging directly upon Mobius herself.
"You're using my scepter to channel the power of the Herrscher of Thunder?!"
"Exactly. You seem to have underestimated a Herrscher's control over their own authority." Mei smiled faintly, her violet eyes shining brighter. "My attacks couldn't break your defense, but your own attacks can."
"But if I just stop..."
"Too late, Mobius." As they spoke, the sky above had become completely overcast with thunderclouds. Mei rose with the storm. She lifted her blade, and endless arcs of lightning converged upon her, drawn like moths to a flame. The power originating from Shesha itself was now sufficient to destroy it.
"Let the thunder... wash away all sins!"
Within the battlefield Mobius had so carefully prepared, a brilliant line of light appeared. It descended from above, neatly bisecting the darkness. And caught in the center of that light was Shesha's massive form.
The air fell silent; even time itself seemed to freeze.
Mei descended from the sky, her body leaning slightly forward. Strands of hair fell along her cheek, obscuring half her face. Her back was to the blinding light as she slowly opened her eyes.
The next second, the paused time resumed its flow. The world, as if startled awake, erupted in dazzling white light.
The extreme silence wasn't true quiet, but the thunder lagging behind the ultimate speed of the slash.
Setsuna—she had achieved it, in her own way.
"Urghhhaaaah!" Amidst Mobius's agonized screams, Mei slowly stood up. She reached up to brush aside the stray hair near her ear, her expression strangely calm.
She had won. That was all.
...
The battle with Shesha concluded. Mei's ultimate strike had completely shattered Mobius's schemes. Although Mobius could still struggle for a while with her self-healing abilities, it was clearly pointless.
Defeated, Mobius reverted to her girl form. So exhausted she couldn't even stand, she could only crawl forward on the ground.
"You lost, Mobius."
Just as she tried to crawl towards the vanished exit, Mei's foot blocked her path. Mobius tilted her head up, meeting those jewel-like, magnificent eyes.
She managed a wan smile, asking mockingly, "Not going to kill me? I was trying to take your life, you know."
She grinned, seemingly hoping to see anger and killing intent on Mei's face. Ironically, all she saw reflected in Mei's eyes was pity.
"Killing you is meaningless. You're just a memory simulation in the Elysian Realm, and I'm merely a trial-taker. Unless you still cling to your delusional plans, our paths are unlikely to cross again." Mei looked down at her, like a hunter observing their prize. "Besides, right now, you're just a loser."
"You, who always called others 'little lab rats,' did you ever imagine you'd end up like this yourself?"
"You..." For Mobius, these words were far more damaging than any insult. Her chest heaved, wanting desperately to struggle to her feet. But the moment she pushed with her hands, she collapsed back onto the ground with a thud.
"Save your pity. It only makes me want to devour you more," she hissed, though an unintentional flicker of vulnerability crossed her face.
Mei noticed the change and couldn't help but chuckle. She crouched down, extending a hand towards Mobius. "Is that so? I'm ready whenever you are."
Staring at the hand offered before her, Mobius's expression shifted rapidly. Finally, she lowered her head and reached out, grasping Mei's hand.
"..."
She remained silent, lost in thought. Mei held her hand, gently pulling her up from the ground.
But the next second, Mei's pupils constricted violently.
"Big Sister, snakes... are very dangerous, you know~"
Mobius lifted her head. Hidden beneath her green hair wasn't remorse, but a pair of eyes as cold-blooded as any serpent's.
A verdant crystal erupted from her hand, plunging into Raiden Mei's unguarded body and bursting out through her back.
Drip.
Blood trickled down the crystal, falling to the floor. In the pooling crimson, the reflection showed Mei's body slowly going limp.