In the silent training room, only the sound of blades clashing continued to echo.
Nearly 18 hours of training every day had already exhausted Mei's body, but at this moment she was becoming more and more energetic, because she clearly felt that her training was effective, and Beichen Ittoryu's sword skills had already improved to a superb level.
Ding--
The sound of the last collision was heard, Mei seized the opponent's weakness and kept the blade at the opponent's neck.
Sweat continued to flow down his cheeks, eventually turning into a soft call.
"Hum Sword Master."
The light fell, and it turned out that the figure that sneaked into the base was actually a giant roar.
The yellow-skinned Houmu has a big belly. In addition to the two ears on his head, he also has a training belt tied on his forehead with a black cloth, which looks funny and ridiculous.
Mei's voice gradually became choked, she slowly put down the sword in her hand, tears overflowing from her eyes.
"dad."
The man in the Hom suit took off his hood and sighed helplessly. Before Raiden Ryoma could speak, he was hugged by his daughter. The long-standing longing and farewell turned into sobbing in the quiet night.
Mei, who was raised by Raiden Ryoma alone since she was a child, was regarded as a rich girl by others at school. However, she could not tell anyone about the loneliness deep in her heart.
But after meeting the strange Houmu Sword Master in the dojo, Mei was able to confide her unspeakable troubles to him. In the process of learning Hokushin Ittoryu from the Sword Master, the Houmu Sword Master gradually became her inner pillar.
However, when Raiden Ryoma was framed and imprisoned, Mei learned that the Sword Master she confided in was actually her father. After he was arrested, all the pillars of support collapsed completely.
The school violence she encountered completely destroyed her defenses, and she eventually awakened as the Herrscher of Thunder.
If it weren't for Kiana's rescue, she would have chosen to end her life long ago.
Now, Kiana was deeply eroded by the core, and she could do nothing but watch the other party leave. This feeling of despair was like returning to the day when her father left.
Now that Thunder Ryuma has returned, the lost girl has finally found her way home.
The long-lasting pain, the bitterness after parting with Kiana, and the repeated setbacks...
The long-accumulated negative emotions turned into tears like a dam breaking, soaking the entire doll costume.
Ruffing Mei's hair lovingly, Raiden Ryoma hugged her.
"Don't worry, Daddy is back."
……
After a long time, the already exhausted Mei Raiden fell into a deep sleep after venting her emotions.
Raiden Ryoma took off his puppet costume and gently carried her to the rest chair next to him.
Looking at Mei with red eyes, Raiden Ryoma gritted his teeth, picked up his sword and prepared to leave temporarily.
But before he could reach the door, a white-haired woman blocked his way.
"Mr. Ryoma, have you forgotten something?"
Chapter 204: Conscience
"Liuli, what Mei needs now is rest." Raiden Ryoma raised the katana in his hand, but [Kiana] just lightly hooked her fingers, making him unable to move.
"Rest, of course you can rest, it's just a change of place. How about it? As a father, isn't it natural for your daughter to come home?"
Completely different from when she was in front of Su Jue, the current [Kiana] has completely taken on the role of the Ruler.
Under the angry gaze of Raiden Ryoma, she picked up the fallen sword and walked towards the sleeping Mei step by step.
"Oh, it seems that Mr. Raiden Ryoma is really unwilling. If that's the case, she will be meaningless to us."
Faced with Kiana's undisguised threat, Raiden Ryoma gritted his teeth, but finally closed his eyes in pain and agreed to the other party's request.
Early the next morning, Theresa and the others discovered that Mei was missing, but after they checked the surveillance footage, they could only see an icon that was deliberately left there - Kindred.
"Damn it, it's that girl. She actually dared to come back." Dr. Tesla pulled her red hair into twin ponytails. She was already furious and finally couldn't help but greeted Su Jue warmly.
But there was no point in being angry. Einstein sighed helplessly, "We really can't do anything to her right now. Even the network can be easily hacked by her, and the defense of the base is useless."
But this was definitely not the answer Theresa wanted to hear. She opened the door and walked out. "Kiana and Mei are both my students. I'm going to go find them."
"But the Hyperion has been damaged. It's too dangerous for you to go out now." Einstein stopped her. Before Theresa was about to refute, he added: "The Helios has been repaired some time ago. You can drive this one first and go find it."
Theresa was startled for a moment, then nodded solemnly and said, "Thank you, Dr. Einstein."
Looking at the girl leaving, Tesla sighed helplessly, "You are too soft-hearted. Now for us, every warship is very precious. It is too dangerous to let her go alone."
"I can't help it. The current Anti-Entropy is at its most dangerous moment. I can't just sit back and watch the ally I finally won."
"What I mean is that we should bring the mecha I developed."
Looking at Tesla who looked as if he was taking it for granted, Ein suddenly laughed.
It’s still that Tesla after all.
"Okay, let's get to work."
In the laboratory, the two doctors who had not slept for two days began to get busy again.
……
!
Mei, who was sleeping, suddenly woke up. She subconsciously reached for the sword beside her, but found nothing.
The hazy vision gradually became clear, and what came into view was not the anti-entropy training room, but a room with a very Eastern Kendo style.
In the courtyard of the dojo, numerous cherry blossom petals are falling. It is already May, and even the cherry blossoms of late spring have reached the time of withering.
Perhaps the falling cherry petals were too charming, causing Mei to feel as if she had lost track of time for a moment, as if she had returned to her childhood, when she was learning swordsmanship with her father in the dojo.
She couldn't wait to get up and walk outside, opening the sliding door, and bright light instantly burst into the whole world.
The quiet and spacious dojo, with large characters written in thick ink on the paintings on the walls, is almost exactly the same as I remember.
Mei took quick steps, walking barefoot on the tatami woven with rushes, and finally stopped beside the man who was kneeling in the dojo.
"Father."
A breeze blew by, blowing up the petals piled on the ground. The fragrance of the flowers was refreshing, and Mei, who had been restless for a while, gradually calmed down.
All worries fade away with the cherry blossoms, and tangled thoughts become clear.
"Mei." After a long while, Raiden Ryoma spoke, "Do you remember what I taught you before?"
"Where the sword points, the heart goes. Where the heart goes, the sword goes."
He pushed the sword in front of Mei and said to her in confusion: "Kendo is the training of the heart. Every move is derived from the inner thoughts. Only when the thoughts are firm enough, the power of the sword will become stronger."
"During last night's fight, I could clearly feel your sword skills improving. During this period, you have been training yourself very hard. However, kendo is not about moves. Mechanical training can improve your skills, but it cannot change your beliefs."
"Mei, when you were obsessed with sword skills, your heart had already begun to escape."
As Raiden Ryoma spoke word by word, the images filtered by memories from childhood gradually faded away.
The scattered cherry blossoms are ultimately just decaying petals, just like they cannot change their weak current situation no matter how much they escape.
In the end... I couldn't do it.
"Take it up, and let's play another game."
"..."
"Yes, father."
……
In the dojo, there were flashes of swords from time to time, and the sound of jingling swords intersecting with each other was endless.
After so many days and nights of training, Mei's swordsmanship had obviously improved a lot, but in the battle between the two, she gradually fell into a disadvantage.
"Mei, your will has wavered, and your heart is not strong enough." The blades collided, and a lot of sparks burst out. Mei's arm went numb, and she took a step back unconsciously.
But this step represents hesitation and concession.
"During this time, you've already doubted yourself without even realizing it. You question whether you really have the power, and you start to wonder if you can do it."
Ding ding ding.
The swords kept colliding, forcing Mei to retreat step by step.
"Mei, let me ask you, why are you swinging the sword?"
The voice fell into Mei's ears, and she, who had been retreating continuously, actually forced herself to steady her body. This time she did not retreat again, but blocked the attack of Raiden Ryoma.
"Very good, but this is far from enough." Mei's counterattack only caused a temporary pause, and Ryoma immediately took control of the situation again.
The sword wind became more and more fierce. The instant realization could not change the current situation. Instead, it created more flaws. Mei began to retreat step by step.
"I know you care about the girl named Kiana, but have you ever thought about how you want to stay with her?"
"Is it a guardian?"
"Is it yearning?"
"Or do you simply want to keep her by your side?"
Ding--
The sword in Mei's hand flew out, spinning in the air, and finally inserted into the tatami, shaking continuously.
Having lost her weapon, Mei Raiden fell to the ground, her eyes full of confusion.
She never thought about these things.
All along, Mei just wanted to prevent Kiana from getting hurt, wanted her to return to everyone, and wanted to live happily like before.
But the more she thought about it, the more Kiana gave, and the further she became from her.
"Mei, that girl is a torch burning in the darkness, a bright moonlight in the night sky, and a hero who saves the world. She has no way and will never stop. If you want to keep her by your side, you will only continue to hurt her."
Her heart seemed to be pierced by a sharp blade, and Mei closed her eyes in pain.
Have I been doing everything wrong all this time?
"So, Mei, I ask you again, what is your blade fighting for."
If I were to protect her, I would do it with determination and with a destructive attitude to wipe out all her sins.
If you yearn for it, you must drape yourself in deep darkness, follow the burning fire, and escort her all the way.
If I try to keep it, I will only stop here, pulling the moonlight from the sky and leaving the earth empty.
·
I understand, father.
Chapter 205: Herr of Thunder
"We walk in the darkness, we are shadows chasing the light, we are moths chasing the fire, we are the ones who are punished."
"We bear the sins of the gods, we watch for the shadows' prying eyes, and we dedicate the rest of our lives to the glimmer of light that will redeem us from our nightmares."
"We use our bodies as fuel to pave the way for her to burn."
"We are——Kindred!"
"Kiana, I have made my choice."
……
boom--
The red thunder tore apart the sky and earth, bestowing the highest divine punishment on the willing sinners.
The dark clouds fell, bringing with them torrential rain, hitting the gloomy earth and smashing heavily on Kiana's back.
The rain blurred her vision, and her soaked hair obscured her view, making it almost impossible for her to see the figure looking down at her.
Nourishes—
In the heavy rain, the lightning rod on the rooftop was also wailing miserably, fearing the power of thunder and lightning.
Jumping arcs of electricity spread along the ground, joyfully celebrating the birth of the sinner.
Under the lightning, the girl stood with a knife in her hand, her light purple eyes emitting a cold light.
"Mei?" The girl's murmur was barely audible amid the heavy rain and thunder, but Mei's fingers holding the knife tightened unconsciously.
