Captain's Dominion (Raiden Mei X Fem Reader)

Chapter 2: Herrscher's Return

[Y/n's PoV]

Soon, I stood up from my seat and went outside, feeling the cool breeze wash over my skin. The sunlight and fresh air helped clear my head and make me feel a little bit better even just for a fleeting moment.

I looked around, seeing all the people walking around and talking. People who had their own lives and problems to deal with, just like I did. It made me realize that everyone was going through their own struggles, and it made me feel less alone in feeling this way.

I was now outside yet I don't know where I am heading. I just need to get away from the bridge for a while. I walk aimlessly through the corridors, trying to distract myself from my lingering sadness. It was comforting to see the people walking around going about their day without a care in the world.

I had been walking for so long now that I didn't even know where I was anymore, however, judging from the surroundings, surely I was now deep in the forest. It was a calm and peaceful place.

The trees provided a nice cover from the sunlight and the occasional breeze carried along the scent of fresh air. My thoughts began to slow down and I finally began to feel some semblance of peace.

It was only a fleeting moment when a noise jolted me out of my tranquil state and I straightened up, sensing that something else was here. I squinted my eyes and looked over at the bushes that had caught up my attention, wondering what could be hiding there.

"Are you lost?"

The voice sounded feminine and gentle, and yet there was a slight undertone of concern and caution.

"...."

I couldn't really make out any other features about the person who had called out to me, as she was still hiding in the bushes.

"Who are you? Show yourself." I demanded.

However the voice remained silent for a moment before responding.

"It's... It's not important. What's important is that you're out here all alone, and it doesn't look like you know where you are going."

"What do you want?" I bluntly asked.

After a brief pause, the voice sounded hesitant as she replied to me.

"Well... I guess you could say I want to help you."

"Help..? I don't need it."

"Well, you are clearly lost, and judging by how distraught you seemed when you were walking earlier, it is clear that you have a lot on your mind as well. So I think you very much need help."

I sighed, "How obscure this is."

I was about to walk away but something is keeping me locked from leaving the place like some sort of unknown barrier.

"You're not leaving until you at least hear me out. Besides, it's not safe to be out here alone for any longer than you need to be- especially when you don't have any Valkyrie to protect you, isn't that right, Captain?~"

"Tch, just who exactly are you?" My voice holds nothing but bluntness and bitterness.

"Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?"

The voice then took on a more mischievous and gleeful tone.

"Well, I'm sure you can already guess who I am, right, Captain?"

There's no denying it, her tone of voice is unfamiliar to me, but the way she addresses it felt like we already met from before. Her aura... now that I put that matter aside with Mei and Bronya for now, I now realized that her aura is difficult to breathe in.

"Come on, Captain, keep thinking..."

The voice's tone was playful as it seemed eager for my realization. However, there was also a hint of mischief and excitement in it as well. The aura surrounding me now started to become strangely familiar, yet different from what I was used to.

Wait..?!

My senses suddenly came into full alert as I finally realized who it belongs to. The feeling of recognition came over me, but I couldn't believe my own instincts. It couldn't be her... or could it? As I stood here frozen, the voice kept urging me on.

"Come on, Captain... Come on, try remembering~"

"Y-you... How on earth... The Tenth Herrscher... How are you still alive..."

I knew that there was no point in questioning any of this further for now. All I could do was to process this information.

"Well, it's a complicated story, but let's just say... I found a way."

The voice that had spoken to me hadn't changed in the slightest; it sounded just as playful and mischievous as I remembered it.

This is certainly bad. I was confronted by a herrscher and I didn't even bring a single Valkyrie with me. Sure, I was also a Valkyrie once but my prime was already over.

"Come now, Captain... You don't have anyone here to defend you, do you? I could easily take you out right here and now if I wanted to... but I don't want to."

It was clear that her words were no joke, but there was also no point in worrying about it now. All I could do was pay attention to how the situation would progress.

"Herrscher of Dominance... What do you want?"

The voice just laughed, sounded amused by my question.

"Is that supposed to be a rhetorical question? I think you already know that I could destroy you if I want to... but the real question is, what would you do if I did? Would you just accept your death like a coward...? Or would you fight back with everything you have?"

The voice had a mocking quality to it now, as it continued to question my ability to defend myself.

"Is it finally sinking in that you don't stand a chance? That there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop me? The Captain of Schicksal, reduced to a helpless little girl... That is quite the irony, don't you think?"

"You... Don't you dare mock me." I snarled.

"It's hard not to when you're acting so pathetic. What happened to that strong, confident leader I used to remember? What happened to the Captain that the others admired so much?"

Tch.

"Tell me, are you here to cause chaos to the land once more?"

That was a foolish question when I clearly knew the answer but...

"Chaos... A fitting word to describe what I'm here for, isn't it? After all these years, my purpose hasn't changed. Just as I once devastated Schicksal with the Honkai Eruption, I now plan to cause chaos once more."

The voice sounded almost giddy with excitement as it spoke of its plans to wreak more havoc.

"Of course, I'm not going to let you ruin my plans, Captain. But since I'm not planning to kill you off just yet, you won't have to worry about it for now."

The voice sounded more serious with this last portion of her statement. That didn't stop her from still being amused and mischievous throughout, though. She was clearly treating this whole situation as just another game.

"Then what do you exactly want from me? Taking me as a hostage so that my Valkyries would submit to your bidding?" I questioned her in a harsh tone.

"Hmm... Taking you hostage? You're definitely an interesting choice for that, I'll give you that. But if that's what it takes for my plans to succeed, then I don't see why not."

"Now, do you think you'd make a good hostage?"

The voice sounded genuinely curious as she asked this question. It was strange how the tone of her voice kept shifting from playful and mischievous to serious and determined- depending on what she was saying. Although none of that matters when her next word made me frozen in place.

"Or rather... are you fitted to be my next vessel?~"