Swordsman Acheron

"Ah, Advisor Natasha, please continue your explanation. I'm listening."

Rita said this to Natasha with great seriousness, then turned back to chat and laugh with Liu Bai.

"By the way, Mr. Liu Bai, did you watch last night's eight o'clock drama..."

Grr...

"...So this is what Schicksal's Valkyries are like."

Natasha finally lost her patience and decided to strike back.

"Has someone forgotten what she came here for?"

And she had the nerve to say that after bringing this on herself?

Liu Bai, who had been trying hard to deal with Rita, could not help glaring at Natasha.

"Of course I came to go on a date with Mr. Liu Bai and visit my dear sister while I was at it."

She finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

Rita chuckled inwardly.

"What? Is there a problem?"

"I thought someone had come as Schicksal's representative to conduct an inspection."

"..."

Rita suddenly fell silent, then gave it some thought.

It seemed that her original purpose really had been to conduct an inspection.

If she remembered correctly, Liu Bai was supposed to be her means of... provoking Natasha?

...But Liu Bai was just too irresistible. There was nothing she could do about that.

Even the Bishop would probably understand under these circumstances.

There was no harm in making the act a little more real and using the opportunity to poach Natasha, either.

Even if Natasha belonged to World Serpent, once she became her sister-in-law, no matter how much Rita disliked her, there was no way she would side with an outsider over her own sister-in-law.

Natasha was also of marriageable age. Though she lacked any illustrious background, she was still an S-rank Valkyrie.

It was rare for two people to be mutually in love. Wasn't this perfect?

Besides, with just a little introduction from Mr. Liu Bai, his talents would be enough to earn him a place in Schicksal.

Then a happy life would be waiting for the two of them...

No!

Rita Favorability: 5752 (Elixir of Love)

With her arm linked around his and her head resting on Liu Bai's shoulder, Rita's eyes revealed a trace of contemplation.

She and Mr. Liu Bai should not have been this close, should they?

Had she really intended to marry him from the beginning?

Hmm... but it seemed perfectly normal to change her mind after discovering his good points...

As for those good points... irresistible?

She did not know how to describe it, but Mr. Liu Bai really was incredibly irresistible.

Then had the Liu Bai from before not been irresistible?

Another contradiction had surfaced.

When had her attitude changed?

...The coffee. It was that cup of coffee.

Rita did not need to think back for long before finding the culprit.

She suddenly realized that she had started finding Liu Bai irresistible in every way after drinking that coffee.

...She should thank the coffee for making her realize Liu Bai's good points.

—Clear-headed, but not completely clear-headed.

Acheron the Swordswoman

"Miss Rita, how about we head outside first?"

Looking at Rita, who was still resting on his shoulder without making any move even after her favorability had dropped... or rather, recovered somewhat,

Liu Bai felt that if this continued, things would go far beyond simply going off the rails.

Was this the first Asura Arena I'd ever experienced?

I need to save myself.

"Since Mr. Liu Bai is tired of looking around, then let's go."

Rita gave him a sweet, demure smile.

"My apologies, Advisor Natasha. This inspection will end here."

"You—"

"Sis..."

"O-okay. You two have fun, then. Uh... do you have money?"

Natasha surrendered immediately.

"Yes, yes, yes... See you tonight, sis."

"Remember to come home tonight!"

After Liu Bai and Rita disappeared from Natasha's sight, Natasha stood there silently for two minutes.

Smack!

Natasha suddenly slapped herself.

Fuck, I really can't touch that drug.

I thought I could hold it in, but whenever Liu Bai said a single word, my bones started going soft. I felt like I'd gone into heat.

And she had actually wanted to give Liu Bai spending money?

Where the hell was my brain?

...No, why did she feel more and more like she really ought to give him some?

Would she be affected as long as there was an impression of Liu Bai in her mind?

When he was not in front of her, the intensity of that obsession only dropped a little.

No wonder Jackal spent all day unable to eat or sleep. She had taken too much of the drug. Once she learned of Liu Bai's existence, there was no room in her mind for anything else.

What the hell was this? Had the world really glitched?

"Raven..."

Just as Natasha was viciously complaining inwardly, Mobius's eerie voice came from behind her.

"H-Highlord? When did you get here?"

Natasha jumped in fright and spun around.

"Not long ago—though I did witness quite an interesting scene."

Mobius rested her chin on her hand, her face wearing a smile that was not quite a smile.

"Now then, do you want to explain that state you were just in? Why do I feel like you were a little similar to Jackal?"

"This..."

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Th-that was the vice-captain, right?"

The members of Undying Blade responsible for support outside spotted their vice-captain.

But... the scene before them was truly jaw-dropping.

"See? I told you our vice-captain had her eye on that pretty boy."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"So she was showing off in front of the man she liked before..."

"Girls shouldn't use such vulgar words. But rather than having her eye on some pretty boy... why does Lady Rita look like she's throwing herself at him?"

"Even if she is throwing herself at him... she got him within a week. I can't even find handsome guys like that when I try..."

"Didn't the Stormtroopers' seniors go to a bar for team-building before? You should have gone with them."

"Those seniors... I heard they set out full of ambition to find partners, but after getting to the bar, they hesitated again and again before deciding to book the whole place instead. Totally useless. They also keep saying things like, 'You'll understand when you reach our age,' and other incomprehensible nonsense."

Several Undying Blade members burst out laughing in unison.

After laughing for a while, one or two of them grew thoughtful.

"Say, did the vice-captain really get him?"

"Huh? They're already hugging, and she still hasn't gotten him?"

"He's an ordinary person, okay? Go grab a random person by the roadside and hug them. See if they can break free from you."

"..."

Fair enough. Even a long-range suppression specialist like a "Watcher" could casually lift an anti-Honkai heavy machine gun.

"A-Alvitte, y-you mean our Vice-Captain Rita is actually..."

"Mm..."

Alvitte raised her binoculars and looked at the two sitting side by side in Shencheng Plaza.

"The vice-captain is probably going to beat that gentleman to his knees and drag him home..."

"Fuck, Alvitte! Why is your imagination so good?!"

The colleague beside her snatched Alvitte's binoculars away.

"How could Lady Rita possibly commit such a criminal act?"

"But normal laws can't really restrain us Valkyries..."

"..."

No one could find a response to that.

It really did seem to make sense.

Still, forcibly abducting an innocent young man sounded far too awful.

"So Lady Rita is walking down the path of crime?"

"What do you mean, crime? She just hasn't won him over yet. Give it enough time, and I refuse to believe any man could withstand the vice-captain's offensive. Where could you find a better woman than our vice-captain?"

"Hmm... speaking of which, should we tell the captain? The captain and vice-captain are best friends, after all."

Someone made the suggestion, only to be immediately refuted.

"Wrong! Guard against fire, guard against thieves, guard against best friends! Keeping it from the captain is the correct move!"

"Hey, we found a fake best friend here!"

"Why does it feel like something isn't quite right?"

"Does it? Mr. Liu Bai?" Rita smiled.

"..."

You're the one who should be saying that!

"Miss Rita, could you let go of me first? I need to use the restroom."