Mei's consciousness felt hazy. When she finally came to, the scene before her seemed unfamiliar. Furina, Elysia, and the others weren't strangers, but the confusing part was... wasn't I with Lumine, chasing after that 'Bad Mei'... ugh, Scaramouche?
"Are you alright?" Nahida's concerned voice sounded beside her. Mei, now adjusted, paused, then subconsciously touched her chest—her usual ample bosom was gone, replaced by the flatness of a male chest.
This action seemed to enlighten Elysia. A teasing voice sounded beside her, "Oh~ Qiao's ability is wreaking havoc on another girl again..."
"So... you're Mei, huh~?" Elysia drew closer, her blue eyes, tinged with alluring pink, staring directly into Mei's. Feeling shy under the girl's gaze, Mei instinctively took a step back, but quickly realized the situation.
She raised a hand, looking at it with surprise and disbelief. "Did I... swap bodies with Qiao?"
"Seems like it~"
Mei fell silent for a moment, gazing at the unfamiliar hand. There was a maidenly shyness, but also a hint of... secret delight in her heart.
How should she put it?
Swapping bodies with a boy was, for a traditional girl like her, a bit too... stimulating. Even though she did harbor some budding feelings for him.
But—Perhaps because of these nascent feelings, seeing Jiang Qiao getting close to more and more girls, even Bronya and Kiana, who were once just like her, becoming more intimate with him—this, for Mei who had returned from rigorous training in the Elysian Realm, was more or less... unpleasant.
In this situation, 'swapping bodies'—this embarrassing yet incredibly intimate act—Bronya, Kiana, even Seele and Theresa had all experienced it. So, even if she felt shy about it, she still secretly hoped in her heart that one day, such an 'intimate' act would also happen to her.
And then, these budding feelings could develop more rapidly, right?
However... no matter how much she anticipated it, such a thing never seemed to happen to her. Miss Mei felt somewhat resentful about this—after all, this experience of 'only I haven't had my body used,' being excluded, wasn't exactly pleasant.
Of course, she could take a shortcut. If she simply asked Jiang Qiao with the intention of 'experiencing' it, she might be able to borrow his body.
But Mei, who hadn't experienced the Song of the Sinners and transformed from a uke to a seme, clearly didn't possess such assertiveness.
Until this day...
She had originally thought that coming to another world was just to change her mood with Kiana and the others. She never expected such a surprise to happen to her.
However, although she really wanted to carefully experience Jiang Qiao's body, and also take the opportunity to savor the differences between a boy's body and her own... in this respect, Miss Mei, originating from the Far East, did possess surprisingly strong desires.
But looking at Furina, Nahida, and the others, looking at the ominous colors flickering in the distant sky, Mei understood she couldn't do anything strange at this time.
After adapting to the situation, she quickly told them what had happened at the Dornman Port temple.
This surprised both Nahida and Furina.
However, after understanding the seriousness of the matter, they immediately rushed to the Dornman Port temple.
Yet, compared to the anxious Nahida, Furina and Elysia didn't seem too worried about the situation there. After all...
"Vessel...?" Hearing this word, [Mei], facing Dottore, the pilot of the 'Scaramouche' unit, gave a teasing smile as if she had heard something interesting.
[She] raised a hand, lightly clenching it, her slender fingers spreading slightly, feeling everything about this brand new 'vessel.'
This feeling, every cell, every ounce of power within this vessel, all within her grasp.
"I also have some experience in this area."
"So—"
"I wouldn't mind a contest of 'performance' and 'skill' with you."
"Ridiculous!"
"Let you experience this power that belongs to the Abyss!"
"Samsara's End!"
'Scaramouche's' pilot, Dottore, was extremely disdainful. An incredibly murky lightning aura rippled around him.
There was no need for the Shouki no Kami to accentuate it; that was something only a defective product like Scaramouche had to rely on.
But for the current Dottore, just 'Scaramouche' was enough!
The foul Abyssal power surged and gushed forth.
"Wah! We're doomed!" Paimon was terrified, and Lumine was also somewhat panicked.
For her, who had only explored two regions and was undeniably a newbie, wasn't this difficulty a bit too high?
She wanted to raise her Dull Blade to block, but after glancing at the slender blade in her hand and the unstoppable Abyssal lightning, she instinctively gulped.
It seemed... completely unable to block it...
Unlike their panic, the black and purple-haired girl remained unfazed, incredibly composed under the intense wind pressure.
"Samsara, huh... As it happens, I've also learned a few things from Sakura."
"To deal with you, this seems just right."
[She] chuckled lightly, slowly placing her hand on the divot between her breasts on this body.
"With but a single sword, a fleeting moment becomes eternity."
The girl's voice was incredibly soft, like the buzz of a mosquito, yet the words were crystal clear in the turbulent air, as if etched into the heart.
The lightning seemed to solidify into a sword image. The Herrscher of Thunder's authority was maximized at this moment.
And space froze in place.
Then... as if translated, it split in two.
The Abyssal power spilled like black oil, and the 'Scaramouche' pilot remained in his arrogant, contemptuous posture—looking like a photograph.
"Jiang Qiao, are you alright!?"
Almost simultaneously, Nahida and the others, along with Kiana and her group who had finished their battle, rushed in, quite anxious. However, after seeing this bizarre scene, they froze.
Kiana stared curiously at the strange state of 'Scaramouche (Dottore),' puzzled. "Is this the Fatui Harbinger? What happened to him?"
"Looks like..."
"Time has stopped."
Echoing Seele's opinion, Bronya's tone was somewhat peculiar.
And [Mei], the perpetrator, calmly dispersed the blade formed from Electro elemental energy in her hand.
"Is this... Master Sakura's ultimate technique?" Mei, who would have been somewhat conflicted upon seeing herself but was also captivated by Dottore, noticed the clue and looked curious. "But Master Sakura's ultimate technique shouldn't be like this..."
"Well, it's sort of yours, now."
"Eh? I don't know this move..." Mei was completely dumbfounded by Jiang Qiao's words. I don't, I really don't! How could I know such a powerful move?
"After all, I'm 'Mei' right now~ In that case, what's mine is yours, isn't it?" the girl chuckled. "Moreover, this is just a slight modification in technique."
Without a doubt—the source of this move was Sakura's ultimate technique.
However, compared to Sakura's attack, which was so fast it seemed to freeze time, Jiang Qiao had made certain modifications to suit his needs.
"Now, his subjective experience of time will forever remain at this moment."
Looking at the arrogant 'Scaramouche,' [Mei] said calmly.
Transforming one's own 'instant' into the enemy's 'eternity'—the result... was to freeze this pilot of the Scaramouche unit, along with his vessel, forever in this moment.
Mei was speechless. I'm not, I don't. You've completely changed Master Sakura's ultimate move beyond recognition! She didn't recall this ultimate speed technique being able to be used for 'crowd control,' let alone 'infinite crowd control.'
Looking at the incredibly composed [Mei], Miss Mei, although feeling relieved that it was finally her turn, felt somewhat complicated.
After all, seeing someone else wearing her face was awkward enough.
Not to mention... In Miss Mei's eyes, the current [Mei], although possessing the same gentleness as her, also exuded a capable and incredibly calm aura in addition to that Yamato Nadeshiko temperament. The two were worlds apart.
It was... just like the ideal version of herself...
However, this was undeniably frustrating.
After all—The real her felt that Jiang Qiao, this temporary 'Mei' pilot, was more like the Mei she aspired to be... This feeling of being utterly defeated wasn't exactly pleasant.
"Is it okay to leave him like this?"
"Don't worry."
"He can no longer advance."
"Nor can he retreat."
"He is forever stagnant in this moment." [Mei] glanced at 'Scaramouche,' her tone utterly calm.
And this was precisely the punishment Jiang Qiao had given to Dottore... and Scaramouche as well.
He didn't really care about Dottore's resistance. After all, to Jiang Qiao, even without losing his divine spark, Dottore's struggles were meaningless.
Given Dottore's current actions, he clearly needed to receive a new 'punishment.'
Considering his crimes, a quick death could only be called 'forgiveness'—and the curses of 'wisdom' and 'justice' still seemed unable to extinguish his rebellious heart.
If so... then, both as punishment and to prevent him from causing further trouble for others, [Mei] bestowed upon him a new curse.
—A Fleeting Moment is Eternity.
Just like the Raiden Shogun's understanding of eternity, that which does not change is eternal.
However, this state that the Raiden Shogun pursued wasn't a reward; it could only be called 'torture.'
Although unchangingness could make things stable, it also extinguished infinite possibilities.
And this result, undoubtedly, was another great terror in the eyes of geniuses and sages.
If there was no future, then how could one speak of truth?
If one couldn't explore truth, then eternity was but an endless life sentence.
"You... will remain here forever, with that unrepentant heart."
Hearing those cold words, Dottore finally understood his situation.
Justice would be repaid with the reduction of sins.
Wisdom wasn't something unattainable either.
However, all of this was absolutely beyond his reach now.
Because—he no longer had a future.
His painstaking schemes, using the Abyss to wash away the curses and return anew.
Only one outcome awaited Dottore.
He must endure the pain and torment equivalent to his sins, experiencing his own foolishness—for all eternity.
Understanding this, Dottore, expressionless, wanted to actively erase all of his segments.
He could accept death, but he absolutely could not accept this absurd fate!
He was Dottore! A genius who could reach the level of gods!
A genius!
Dottore, incredibly confident in himself, sought a way out—so what if they were Archons? As long as he had enough time, he would definitely find a weakness!
He would definitely find a weakness!!!
Definitely...
Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!
A shrill scream, yet no one could hear it—Dottore was forever trapped in that moment.
"...Will he die?" Nahida, understanding Dottore's situation, asked with a hint of pity.
Depriving a sage of their wisdom was already extremely cruel—and for a villain like Dottore, who was incredibly arrogant due to his own talent and regarded others as nothing, this was already the greatest punishment, more terrifying than death.
And now, this sentence was extended to eternity...
"He's already dead." —Could someone without a future still be considered alive?
[Mei] didn't dwell on Dottore's matter. [She] focused on the broken seal, glancing at it, and slowly raised a hand, pressing down.
Terrifying Electro elemental energy surged, then directly poured into the Abyss.
Crackle!
Accompanied by a thunderous roar, the entrance to the Abyss vanished.
"...?!" Nahida was stunned, watching this scene.
The Abyss wasn't something to be trifled with.
Even Egeria, the first Hydro Archon, the little water dragon sovereign herself, had to sacrifice herself to seal this thing.
Yet... [Mei] didn't even use any special Archon power. With a mere wave of her hand, she used the most basic 'Electro elemental energy' to... fill the Abyss?
"Alright, done. Let's go back and continue the Sabzeruz Festival."
The girl clapped her hands calmly.
"You..." Little Miss Cabbage stammered.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, you're talking about that? Just pour in a bit more, that's all."
"Is this something that can be solved by 'pouring in a bit more'!" Nahida was speechless. Then, she noticed the 'Mr. Hat' emitting black smoke, and as if remembering something, she subconsciously said, "Right... this broken puppet..."
"Oh, almost forgot about that."
"You don't have to worry about that. I plan on returning it to the manufacturer."