I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

Faced with Raiden Mei's request, Gretchen agreed without hesitation, even appearing quite eager. After a brief greeting to Kosmo, Gretchen set off with Raiden Mei... Their swift actions made Raiden Mei feel that Gretchen was impatient.

Gretchen... seems to really like that [Hero]? — Raiden Mei thought to herself.

"Oh my gosh! Look who I've found! It's adorable little Gretchen! And adorable Mei too!"

Alicia's light and playful voice came through.

"Where are we going? Hmm... Let me guess? We're going to look over there, right?"

"Hmm... Mei-neechan said she wants to see brother..."

Gretchen tugged at Raiden Mei's hand and spoke softly.

"And it's raining today... I also want to go see Brother Wang..."

"Hmm~ I knew it~"

Alicia didn't seem surprised; she simply smiled and stepped forward to stand beside Gretsch.

"I was just about to tell Mei about this too~ Would you mind if I joined you too?"

"Yes, Alicia... if my little sister comes along, I hope my brother will be very happy..."

It seems that the [Hero] has a good relationship with the two of them—Raiden Mei judged.

Led by the two, they proceeded through the "Deepest Place" and finally arrived at a slightly damp place filled with deep darkness.

Pat pat pat——

Perhaps because Alicia was leading the way for Raiden Mei, not long after arriving here, Gretchen let go of Raiden Mei's hand and began to walk forward on her own, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Gratio..."

"Don't worry, Gretchen is just too happy. She hasn't seen Wang in a while either~"

"It sounds like they have a good relationship?"

"Yes, they have a really good relationship, like siblings!"

"But...Gresch isn't..."

"Ah, please don't worry, Gretchen won't be tainted by Nozomi's [color]~ That's one of the reasons they get along so well."

Alicia explained with a smile, then waved forward and called out.

"Wang, we're here to play!"

"……Ugh."

With a slightly helpless sigh, the surrounding darkness was dispelled by the faint blue light, giving the surrounding area a unique beauty belonging to the "sea".

What comes into view is naturally that figure. A dark, strange greatsword floats quietly beside him, carried by the azure water. His dark "hunter's outfit" makes him look capable, and his white hair like waves and his golden eyes like starlight are particularly eye-catching.

Of course, what's even more eye-catching are the colorful graffiti on his face—which Gretchen had just painted on.

And Gretchen is still drawing now.

"…………"x3

The scene became somewhat awkward, and all three remained silent, except for Gretchen, who silently continued to paint on his face with her paintbrush.

"...Pfft, as expected, you're always like this whenever you meet Gretsch, Nozomi."

Alicia smiled, took a light step forward, and reached out to poke Xiwang's face, which was covered with various colors.

“Alice, you shouldn’t have brought her here.”

Xi Wang simply spoke with a normal expression, but his face, covered in paint... looked rather comical.

"Don't say that~ After all, Mei is the most special one~ It's not unreasonable to let her accept your mark, right? You should at least give her a chance, shouldn't you?"

"Brother Wang... Sister Mei... It's okay."

At this moment, Gretchen stopped painting and sat directly in Xi Wang's lap, speaking softly.

"...Okay, you only have one chance."

Xi Wang remained silent for a while, but finally nodded in agreement.

"Then... [Herrscher], cherish this opportunity."

He didn't say anything unnecessary. He simply held Gretsch in one arm, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and with a few mysterious bubbles appearing out of thin air, he "swam" directly into the air with Gretsch. With his other hand, he moved his fingertips lightly, and the blue water washed away the color from his face before scattering around Raiden Mei.

The water stained with the [color] began to wriggle and grow after landing, and soon transformed into several Honkai Beasts, emanating an abnormal aura.

Unlike Gretchen's "monsters"—Raiden Mei keenly sensed this and quickly prepared for battle.

"Survive and kill them all, and you'll pass."

Xi Wang said this.

"Go for it, Mei! I'll always be here cheering you on!"

Alice, who had also inexplicably "swum" to Nozomi's side, cheered Raiden Mei on while laughing as she spoke.

"It was a simple, straightforward, and efficient assessment... but it wasn't bad."

Raiden Mei murmured to herself, and then... drew her sword, and lightning surged forth.

[Enter a difficult battle; upon victory, the "Revelation" imprint will be activated.]

————【Event: Regarding Ranking】————

Raiden Mei: Although I've known for a long time that your "ranking" doesn't really matter... I'm curious why someone like you would be ranked last, especially since it seems like you were the one who suggested it.

Xi Wang: You already know it's meaningless, so why are you asking this question?

Raiden Mei: Like I said, I was just curious.

Xi Wang: ...It's just that when we were arranging the [rankings], I didn't want to make things difficult for anyone.

Raiden Mei: ...Is it Alicia?

Xi Wang: No, it's Sakura and Alicia... or rather, everyone who supported this project back then.

Xi Wang: Given my situation at the time, I had to be last in line so that the Moth Chasers wouldn't cause trouble...

Raiden Mei: I'm a little surprised... You're actually so considerate of others.

Xi Wang: "Thinking of others"? Ha... Haha... That's hilarious. It's precisely because of this that I ended up like this. It's because I kept comforting myself, "This is for humanity," "This is for XX"... That's why I ultimately chose to become a [Herrscher]!

Xi Wang: Looking back now, I was so foolish. Why did I always suppress myself like that?! Being human isn't that important! All that "for humanity" stuff... it's all lies! They're all liars!!! I should have just hunted them all down!!! Leaving not a single one alive!!!

Raiden Mei: (It seems I accidentally stepped on his sore spot... I'd better not mention it again.)

————【Event: About "Water"】————

Raiden Mei: You seem to be a [Hero] who controls water... But now it seems that it is not just water, it is more like... a living "thing"?

Xi Wang: You just mentioned [Ying Jie]... right?

Raiden Mei: ...I'm sorry.

Xi Wang: ...Hmph, but you're wrong. They're just "water." The real living thing is the "ocean."

Raiden Mei: …………

Xi Wang: What? You really want to see me?

Xi Wang: Believe me, you don't want to see me, because once you do... you'll definitely see me.

Xiwang: What will inevitably follow is the end of civilization.

Raiden Mei: (It seems he's still alive? Like Kevin? A Herrscher who has lived from a previous generation to the present?!)

————【Event: About Myself】————

Raiden Mei: How do you see yourself? I mean, after becoming a Herrscher.

Raiden Mei: As it stands, you remain conscious after becoming a Herrscher, but according to others, the previous generation of Herrschers... seemed unable to retain their own consciousness.

Xi Wang: [Herrscher]? Heh... Becoming a [Herrscher] was the best decision I ever made. At least I don't have to listen to other people's nagging and trying to fool me with that nonsense about "everything for humanity".

Xiwang: As for whether I can still retain my own consciousness... do you really think so?

Raiden Mei: …………

Raiden Mei: (He doesn't seem to want to say much, and his mood is off... Is there something that's bothering him?)

————【Event: Imprints on "Revelation"】————

Raiden Mei: Speaking of which, your title is "Revelation"... which seems a bit unlike who you are.

Xi Wang: What's wrong? It's not going as expected?

Raiden Mei: Indeed, after all, I can see a little bit about the others, but with you... I can't seem to see where it corresponds to this title.

Xiwang: You'll find out, but not here... Here's a hint.

Xi Wang: In the existing records of [Herrschers], my title is [Herrscher of the Sea], but there is another one - [Herrscher of Revelation].

Xiwang: As for the number, you wouldn't want to know.

Xiwang: By the way, if you hear a bugle call in the future, you should pray that you only hear it six times.

Raiden Mei: (【Herrscher of Revelation】, 【Herrscher of the Sea】...I feel like I've heard these titles somewhere before, and...the sound of a horn?)

Yingjie's Relationship Network

Kevin → Comrade (Blue) → Dawn → Comrade (Yellow) → Kevin

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Alicia → Like (blue) → Hope → Yearning (blue) → Alicia

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Aponia → Feeling apologetic (yellow) → Dawn → You deserve to die! (red) → Aponia

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Eden → Pitiful (Blue) → Hope → Unnecessary (Yellow) → Eden

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Velvi → Potential Audience (Yellow) → Xiwang → No Time (Yellow) → Velvi