I, Herrscher Slayer

"Is that so? All right, I'll remember that. Next time, I'll definitely present you with even more perfect dishes. Now, please try this one. It's Sichuan cuisine, part of the Chinese cooking I've been studying lately. Its spiciness stimulates the taste buds and should help whet your appetite."

Writing down Shen Gonglin's earlier comments in a little notebook, Rita recommended another dish to him. If this maid were not such a pervert, she might actually be quite an outstanding girl. Her combat ability was a little lacking, but she really could cook. Before even tasting it, Shen Gonglin could already imagine how delicious it would be. At least its color and aroma had passed with flying colors. As for the taste...

"Here, Class President, you should try some too. You're so thin. You need to eat more. You'll only have strength when you're full."

He put another chopstickful into Class President's bowl. Fu Hua was somewhat unaccustomed to being treated like this by Shen Gonglin. Whenever he acted this way, she always felt as though he were preparing to trick her. Why was he suddenly being so nice to her? It left her unsure of how to respond to him... Perhaps when she taught him martial arts in the future, she could give him a little more sweetness?

No, why was she thinking like that? Teaching martial arts was teaching martial arts. How could she think such messy things!

Coming back to her senses, Fu Hua hurriedly shoveled down two mouthfuls of rice. No, thoughts like hers were dangerous!

Fatal

Nothing had happened after all. It seemed he really had been overthinking it. Shen Gonglin felt a little embarrassed. This maid had put so much care and effort into making such delicious food, yet he had been worried she might have drugged it. His conscience began to sting. Thinking about it, Rita had not actually done anything unforgivable, right? After all, he really was too charming. Lying there without moving was practically an open invitation. It was only natural that Rita could not control herself and went a little too far. Even if it had been Class President, she could not possibly have remained unaffected, could she?

Thinking over such matters, Shen Gonglin magnanimously decided to forgive Rita. Not everyone possessed such fine character as he did. As the saying went, suffering a loss was a blessing, so he would consider himself the one who had suffered this time. He would take it as thanks for Rita's meal. So what if she hugged him? It was not as if he had lost a piece of flesh.

Seeing Fu Hua lowering her head and quietly eating, Shen Gonglin licked his lips as he looked at the plate of red food. Chinese cuisine, Sichuan cuisine—it sounded so nostalgic. Before losing his memories, he must have liked food with this kind of flavor too.

He brought a chopstickful of food to his mouth and instinctively chewed twice. Yet when the flavor began to spread through his mouth, Shen Gonglin froze. This feeling, this feeling...

"How does it taste? To increase the spiciness, I added a generous amount of Japanese pepper. It might be a little spicy when it first enters your mouth, but that's precisely the essence of Sichuan cuisine. After that heat, you'll be able to savor the dish itself... Shen Gonglin? What's wrong?"

Rita watched Shen Gonglin with a smile. Only after seeing him sit there with his mouth hanging open without moving for quite a while did she realize something was wrong. Fu Hua, who had been quietly eating, also looked at him. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she found it genuinely rather spicy. She did not know whether Shen Gonglin liked spicy food, but it certainly packed a punch.

"I, I... Class President, when you go back, help me tell Mei... tell her that I still love her... I, I might... not be going back."

Large tears immediately welled from his purple eyes. Shen Gonglin's fair little face had turned completely red, and the burning pain spread through his mouth. He wanted to spit it out but could not. Stretching his neck, he forcibly swallowed the food in his mouth. The result was pain in his throat and stomach as well. So spicy! This was practically lethal!

Before Rita or Fu Hua could react, Shen Gonglin, thoroughly overwhelmed by the spice, jumped from his chair and sprinted off. He kept his mouth open, trying to ease the pain that way. He absolutely could not eat spicy food. The moment he experienced this sensation, Shen Gonglin understood that fact. This feeling truly made him feel as though he were about to die.

Had he ultimately been outplayed after all? He had thought Rita would not make a move against him, yet this wicked maid had struck from the shadows here. Shen Gonglin felt like the protagonist in a television show who had accidentally been poisoned. Rita would probably stand before his corpse and laugh wildly in a moment. Maybe she would not even spare his corpse. No! If that happened, Shen Gonglin would rather give himself to Fu Hua... no, to that unknown older sister!

Please, hurry up and pick me up again.

"Wait, drink some water!"

Seeing Shen Gonglin's red-faced state as he jumped about wildly, Rita panicked a little as well. How could she have known that Shen Gonglin was so incapable of handling spicy food? It looked as though she had poisoned him. Honestly, what was going on? Why did she always make mistakes in front of Shen Gonglin? Could it be, just as he said, that she was still far from becoming a perfect maid?

Flustered, Rita hurriedly handed Shen Gonglin a glass of water. Shen Gonglin seized the cup and drained the freshly poured hot water in one gulp. The still-scalding water instantly made his condition worse. He desperately clutched his throat. This maid really was trying to kill him. It had only been spicy before, but now it was both hot and spicy. The heat intensified the pepper's flavor even further. He really might not have much longer to live.

Why did he feel as though he could already see a river? There was even a little boat floating on it. That black-haired, red-eyed girl was pretty cute.

"How can you give him hot water? At a time like this, he should be drinking milk. Rita, what are you doing?"

The moment Shen Gonglin had been overwhelmed by the spice, Fu Hua had run to the refrigerator. When she returned with milk, she saw Rita feeding Shen Gonglin poison... no, feeding him boiling water. Her disciple was so pitiful. Even Fu Hua felt a little heartache at Shen Gonglin's miserable state. What was wrong with Rita? She should know more about this than Fu Hua did. Could it be... she really wanted revenge on Shen Gonglin?

When would this cycle of vengeance ever end?

"Milk? Right, right, he needs milk. Shen Gonglin, drink this... Shen Gonglin? Shen Gonglin!"

Only after Fu Hua said it did Rita realize her mistake. How could someone drink boiling water after being overwhelmed by spice? The flustered maid hurriedly took the milk and brought it to Shen Gonglin's lips. Yet Shen Gonglin, who had been making such a fuss, had suddenly become quiet. So quiet that it was rather frightening.

"Looks like... the spice made him pass out. How badly can someone fail to handle spicy food? Maybe passing out is a good thing for him right now. Let's pour some milk into his mouth to rinse it out first. Otherwise, when he wakes up, he might lose another life."

Shen Gonglin slumped limply into Rita's arms. Fu Hua lifted his eyelids and made that assessment. Was her disciple a little... well, something? He fainted at the sight of blood, feared heights, feared spicy food, feared pain... She truly did not know what else he was afraid of. It seemed she would need to take special care with all of these things in the future. After all, she... could be considered his guardian now.

"Rinse his mouth? Right, rinse his mouth. Rinsing comes first..."

Rita picked up the milk and poured it into her own mouth. Seeing the maid preparing to put her mouth on the unconscious Shen Gonglin, Fu Hua hurriedly stopped her. She yanked Shen Gonglin over. What was this maid trying to do? Fu Hua was right here, yet Rita wanted to do something so excessive to Shen Gonglin. If Fu Hua were not here, would she not simply devour Shen Gonglin whole?

"Wait, Rita, what are you trying to do? Get a hold of yourself. You're a Valkyrie. Enforcement Division headquarters is only two streets away!"

Shielding Shen Gonglin behind her, Fu Hua stared sternly at Rita. Shen Gonglin might have passed out, but she was still awake. She would protect him now!

"Hm? Gulp... Enforcement Division? What does that have to do with the Enforcement Division? Even if we called someone, shouldn't it be the emergency medical team?"

Rita looked at Fu Hua in confusion and swallowed the milk. She only wanted to help Shen Gonglin rinse his mouth. Without using her tongue, how was she supposed to clean out his mouth?

The Free Maid

In the end, Fu Hua and Rita brought Shen Gonglin into the bathroom together. Fu Hua clearly stopped the maid's earlier brainless behavior. Fu Hua was indeed Fu Hua—though the maid had panicked, she had not. The most urgent matter now was to clean Shen Gonglin's mouth. And what should one do first to clean someone's mouth?

Naturally, brush their teeth.

"Can you handle it? If not, maybe I should do it instead. You can come over and support him."

In front of the sink, Fu Hua held Shen Gonglin up as she looked at Rita hesitantly. This was delicate work. Rita seemed to have some strange ideas about Shen Gonglin all along, so was it really appropriate to let her do this? There would be no such issue if Fu Hua did it herself. After all, she was the master teaching him martial arts. Was it not perfectly natural for a master to do something like this for her disciple?

Sometimes, the title of master and disciple was rather useful.

"It's fine, Fu Hua. You needn't worry. This task is nothing to a maid. Such work is part of serving others. Although I have not practiced it, I have watched relevant videos and studied them. I'll be fine."

Holding a toothbrush, Rita took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, her violet-red gaze was filled with determination. Holding the toothbrush in one hand and a rinsing cup in the other, she approached Shen Gonglin. He could not handle spicy food at all. That was her failure, and she was responsible for completing the follow-up cleaning.

Follow-up cleaning... That sounded rather nice.

"All right, then. Be careful. This guy is very afraid of pain, so don't hurt him."

Since Rita had said so, Fu Hua gave her a reminder and supported Shen Gonglin's head, making him open his mouth. She really was not suited to this kind of work. She was skilled at fighting, but caring for people? With a professional maid here, there was no room for her to interfere.

"Mm, I'll be very careful."

Holding the cup, Rita poured a little water into Shen Gonglin's mouth. Her movements were gentle to keep him from choking. Next came brushing his teeth. It was also her first time doing this sort of work, so Rita carefully inserted the toothbrush into Shen Gonglin's mouth. White toothpaste foam slowly spread, and the maid meticulously carried out the cleaning. At this moment... perhaps Rita, focused intently on her work, did not feel that anything was wrong. But Fu Hua, who was only responsible for holding Shen Gonglin's head, found the situation somewhat questionable.

In the mirror, two suspicious women were doing whatever they pleased to an unconscious boy. One was holding him down so he could not move, while the other was freely toying with his mouth. The white foam at the edge of those cherry-red lips added another touch to the scene... No, no, what was she thinking? This was simply cleaning work. If they did not do this, Shen Gonglin would definitely cry from the spice again when he woke up. So this work was necessary.

She had become strange after spending too much time around Shen Gonglin. To stop herself from overthinking, Fu Hua decided to find something else to distract herself with. At that moment, a small label on the toothbrush caught her attention. After looking at it carefully for a long time, she finally reached a conclusion.

"Rita, this toothbrush... isn't new, is it?"

Fu Hua recognized that chibi portrait. Could this be some unique hobby of the maid's?

"Of course... the situation was urgent, so I just grabbed one... Fu Hua, I trust that you won't tell anyone. After helping Shen Gonglin clean his mouth, I'll destroy this toothbrush. I hope only the two of us know about this."

Looking at the toothbrush in her hand, Rita's mouth twitched. She could no longer maintain the image of a perfect maid. Lady Bianca, I'm sorry. Because of me, your toothbrush has to bear the duty of serving two people. It truly is the fault of your useless maid adjutant. But I trust that you... probably won't mind, right?

After all, if it were her, Rita felt she would not mind. A woman as perfect as Lady Bianca surely would not be too particular about such things.

Still, for everyone's safety, it would be best if only Fu Hua and she knew about this. Shen Gonglin absolutely could not be told either. He was actually quite petty. If he learned that someone else's toothbrush had been used on him, who knew how much of a fuss he would make?

Let this become a secret between Fu Hua and her.

"...All right. I won't say anything. I didn't see a thing."

Fu Hua was speechless. Was this truly Rita, rather than some Kiana wearing Rita's appearance? She normally only saw such brainless behavior from Kiana. How could it appear in this maid? It should not be possible.

The toothbrush Shen Gonglin was using right now belonged to the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal. Rita had always been responsible for Bianca's daily life, and Bianca trusted Rita deeply. If she found out her toothbrush had been used by someone else under these circumstances...

Lady Bianca would not find out.

Rita would not allow anything that threatened her position as the world's number one maid to occur. Only Fu Hua and she knew of this matter now, and Fu Hua obviously was not someone who would spread gossip everywhere. So there would be no problem. Let this matter sink into the river of time.

"Thank you, Fu Hua. I'll be grateful to you for the rest of my life. Now, please lift Shen Gonglin's chin a little. I need to continue cleaning."

"Mm."

Even this incident did not disrupt Rita's burning maid's heart. Cleaning was part of a maid's duty, and Rita enjoyed it as well. Shen Gonglin's white teeth were quite nice—good enough for a toothpaste advertisement. Healthy and white, they looked like the kind that would hurt terribly if they bit someone. Especially those two little canine teeth. They were adorable... Speaking of which, Shen Gonglin had bitten her with those two teeth, hadn't he?

Looking at the two sharp little teeth, Rita suddenly recalled the earlier feeling. Even now, beneath the ribbon around her neck, there were still two tiny bite marks. She had yet to figure out what exactly had happened, but these two teeth were the cause, right?

Looking at those canine teeth, Rita suddenly became interested. She carefully extended a finger into Shen Gonglin's mouth. Fu Hua, lost in thought, only noticed her movement then. The normally calm Class President instantly widened her eyes. Rita's current action...

She knew it well!

"Rita! Careful, take your hand out!"

Fu Hua shouted, startling the maid. Her finger, which had merely been resting in his mouth, jerked suddenly. After a slight prick of pain, a misty layer of tears instantly filled Rita's violet-red eyes.

She knew this feeling well too!

There was no doubt about it: the maid had been hit again. That familiar sensation swept through her body once more. Though it was not as intense as when Shen Gonglin had bitten her neck, it was still an impact Rita could not resist. Shen Gonglin had a peculiar sensitivity to the scent of blood. Even in his sleep, he closed his mouth around Rita's finger. Feeling that little tongue slide across her finger, Rita... could not take it anymore.

Under Fu Hua's horrified gaze, Rita collapsed limply onto Shen Gonglin. Her flushed cheeks and increasingly ragged breathing both proved the maid's current condition. Seeing her like this, Fu Hua helplessly pressed a hand to her forehead. Had she looked like this back then too? Fu Hua certainly could not laugh now. Why did this maid seem less perfect than Fu Hua remembered? How many mistakes had she made today already?

"Fu, Fu Hua... you... you know about this too?"

Panting heavily, the round mounds wrapped in Rita's maid uniform rose and fell intensely. Her violet-red eyes were clouded with moisture. When Fu Hua had stopped her just now, Rita had considered it. Fu Hua had to have experienced it herself to say that. Even Fu Hua had received such treatment. She must have felt the same way Rita did then.

"Mm, due to an accident... I'll take you back to your room first. You probably won't recover for several hours. Let me ask first: was it because Shen Gonglin bit you before that you became like that? Otherwise, with your capabilities, there's no way ordinary Honkai Beasts could have put you in such an awkward state."

Looking at the two people lying on the bathroom floor, Fu Hua felt the burden on her shoulders was heavy. She was the only normal person left now. But she had finally confirmed what had happened to Rita earlier. She had suspected it before, but now... it was proven. This was Shen Gonglin's fault.

"That's correct... It really is a strange feeling, Fu Hua. If I may ask..."

"If you know it's presumptuous, then don't ask. Be more careful in the future. There's no explanation for this strange ability for now."

Fu Hua was too embarrassed to ask Shen Gonglin about it. What if that rebellious disciple bit her again? The dignity of a master—Fu Hua did not want to appear in that state before Shen Gonglin again. It was far too terrifying. Precisely because she had experienced it, Fu Hua found it even more frightening. The way her mind had emptied, leaving her only wanting to rub herself against Shen Gonglin... It was terrifying. He was practically an anti-Valkyrie weapon.

She wondered whether Shen Gonglin's ability only worked on women. If it were used on a Herrscher... everyone knew Herrschers were women.

"That is indeed true, Fu Hua. I'm truly troubling you."

Without a trace of strength left in her body, Rita used all her strength to nod at Fu Hua. Fu Hua then picked up the limp Rita from the floor. It was fortunate that Valkyries had such physical fitness. Otherwise, having one normal person left would have been useless. Handling only Shen Gonglin and Rita was nothing for Fu Hua.

Carrying Rita back to her own bedroom, Fu Hua gently laid her on the bed. She had done all that she could now. The rest was not something she could handle. After resting for a while, Rita should regain the ability to move freely. It would only take a few hours, so there should be no issue. This was Schicksal headquarters. How could there possibly be any danger?

"Fu Hua, thank you. If you don't mind, you can stay in the guest room over there. As for Shen Gonglin..."

Thanking Fu Hua again, Rita was still considering arrangements for Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua even at a time like this. Lady Bianca did not like others staying in her room, and there was only one guest room here. So Rita had planned for Fu Hua to stay in the guest room, while Shen Gonglin... Rita looked at the empty space on her own bed. There should be no problem fitting one person here.

Besides, the maid was still curious about Shen Gonglin's teeth. If possible, she wanted to study them a little more tonight.

"There's no need. I already made my decision earlier. I'll take Shen Gonglin back to my dormitory. Once you've rested, arrange our mission for tomorrow. I want to bring him back to St. Freya as soon as possible."

Yet Fu Hua shook her head and rejected Rita's proposal. She had troubled Rita enough today, though it had all been Shen Gonglin's fault. But he was her disciple, so she had to take responsibility for his actions as well. She was not in the habit of causing trouble for others. Her dormitory was not far from this residential district, so she could simply take Shen Gonglin back.

"How can that be?"

Rita instinctively tried to sit up, but her limp body could not fulfill her wishes. Fu Hua pressed Rita's shoulder and made her lie back down. Displaying the demeanor of a proper attendant, Fu Hua pulled over the blanket and covered Rita with it. To be honest, she felt it was dangerous for Shen Gonglin to remain at Rita's side, so taking him away was the better choice.

"There's nothing wrong with it. Since he and I are carrying out the mission together, I'm effectively his guardian. It's settled, then. Let us know once tomorrow's arrangements have been made. That's all. We'll be leaving first."

Fu Hua turned around decisively. Listening to the faint sound of the door closing, Rita puffed out her cheeks slightly. Such an expression should not have appeared on this "perfect" maid, but no one was here, so it did not matter if she was a little willful. How annoying. Why was she in this condition now? If she were normal, she could have kept Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua here.

Forget it. There was nothing to worry about. After all, it was Fu Hua. There certainly would be no problem with her... But why did she know what it felt like to be bitten by Shen Gonglin too?

Staring at the ceiling, Rita silently considered the question. When she was alone, she could not help but think wild thoughts. Why did Fu Hua know about this? Under what circumstances had Shen Gonglin bitten her? And after the bite, nothing should have happened between them, right... Fu Hua always seemed to indulge Shen Gonglin in particular. That was probably not Rita's imagination. What was the reason for this special affection? And also...

Rita turned to look toward the door. Her violet-red eyes shone in the dim room as though they could pierce the door, staring at its wooden surface. It was as if she could see through it and beyond the walls to Fu Hua and Shen Gonglin in the bathroom.

"Fu Hua's dormitory seems to have only one bed... Nothing especially improper will happen, right?"

The Strongest Valkyrie Returns

"See? In the end, I'm still the only one who'll pick you up and take you home. You'd better respect me properly from now on. If you don't treat me better, it would be an outrage against heaven and reason."

In the bathroom, Fu Hua looked at Shen Gonglin, who lay on the floor sleeping peacefully, and could not help speaking to herself before sighing. She felt she had sighed more often recently than she had over the past several years combined. All the reasons for those sighs shared an astonishing common point: Shen Gonglin.

Naturally, Fu Hua received no response to her muttering. The person who had fainted from spice was still unconscious. Fu Hua pulled Shen Gonglin up and carried him on her back. Rita had indeed been right. This handsome and cool Valkyrie truly seemed to spoil Shen Gonglin too much. But why? Was it because he was her disciple... It was not that. She had simply found herself doing this unconsciously. She felt that if she did not treat him this way, he would surely be pitiful. Losing his memories had to be painful, right?

Fu Hua knew that feeling too.

Leaving Rita's home, Fu Hua carried Shen Gonglin toward her dormitory. This did not count as picking up a corpse, did it? Only Himeko would do something like that. Fu Hua merely wanted to take Shen Gonglin back and settle him down. Besides, Shen Gonglin had agreed earlier to rest at her dormitory. If she encountered the Enforcement Division later, that explanation should work... Forget it. She should not take this route. It would be troublesome if she were stopped.

After pausing slightly, Fu Hua chose a longer route that would avoid the Enforcement Division. It was not because she feared Schicksal's Enforcement Division. She simply did not want the trouble. The main issue was that Shen Gonglin's outward disguise was too convincing. Anyone who saw him would think he was an innocent, harmless, pitiful boy. But after getting to know him, one realized he was a demon wearing human skin.

Had they not seen what he had done to Rita? His current state could be considered retribution. He could not eat spicy food. She needed to remember that. Not only could she not give him spicy food, she needed to remind Mei and the others as well.

Fu Hua slowly carried Shen Gonglin back to her dormitory. Seeing the thin layer of dust on the table, she thought it over but ultimately ignored it. No one had stayed here since she went to St. Freya. Perhaps she should give this dormitory to someone else. She felt more comfortable living at St. Freya, and besides... that was where she felt she belonged.

Bringing Shen Gonglin into the bedroom, Fu Hua's room was nowhere near as finely decorated as Rita's. From top to bottom, it exuded simplicity. A room was merely a place to stay and rest. One bed was enough. Shen Gonglin probably was not the type to be fussy about such things. She intended to give the bed to him, after all.

Removing the sheet that covered the bed against dust, Fu Hua placed Shen Gonglin onto it. Using his unconsciousness as an excuse, this guy had immediately fallen asleep. He probably would no longer feel the spice when he woke up... Rita really was skilled at brushing teeth. At the very least, Fu Hua could not be so meticulous.

Using two fingers to pry Shen Gonglin's mouth open, Fu Hua carefully avoided his two little canine teeth. Having been tricked before, Fu Hua knew how sharp those two little things were. With Rita's example before her, if she made the same mistake, she truly would be offering herself up for free. Fu Hua leaned closer and carefully smelled Shen Gonglin's mouth. There really was no trace of pepper left, only the faint scent of toothpaste... Was she worrying a little too much?

When Fu Hua came back to her senses, she realized she had gotten a little too close to Shen Gonglin. Her nose was filled with his scent. Realizing this, Fu Hua hurriedly stood up. The Sword Heart Art swiftly calmed her down. There was indeed something strange about Shen Gonglin. It seemed that staying beside him could give rise to certain emotions. She had better keep some distance from him.

Returning to the living room, Fu Hua lay on the sofa and closed her eyes. She would stop thinking about all this nonsense for now. Tomorrow, once Shen Gonglin's mission was complete, she would take him back to St. Freya. Being alone with him like this seemed somewhat dangerous, especially when he was so defenseless. It was terrifying.

It would be better if Shen Gonglin were awake. But this innocent and harmless appearance while asleep was dangerous. Dangerous to Valkyries. Even Fu Hua was like this. If it were a certain maid who had no resistance whatsoever to cute things... There were simply too many things to worry about.

In the bedroom, a bird-like mark quietly flickered on the forehead of the sleeping Shen Gonglin. Some things remained imprinted upon him, even after he had lost his memories.

At night, a small aircraft quietly landed at Schicksal's air harbor. The hatch opened, and a girl with long, wavy golden hair stepped out. Her azure eyes were utterly calm—so calm that no one would imagine this girl had just completed a mission to independently hunt an Emperor-class Honkai Beast.