I, Herrscher Slayer

This wasn't how it had gone in the stories Durandal had read. Shouldn't boys be embarrassed when helping women buy this kind of thing? Shouldn't the clerk and the surrounding customers be looking at him strangely? Why had it turned out like this? Durandal couldn't understand it.

For certain reasons, Durandal had asked Shen Gonglin to accompany her to the mall to buy the things girls needed. Yet not only did Shen Gonglin show no embarrassment, he even started lecturing her. Did this guy not know how to read the room at all? The piercing looks from the people around them hurt so much. Durandal was already regretting bringing Shen Gonglin to a place like this.

As long as your skin was thick enough, other people would be the embarrassed ones.

"Got it, got it. Just buy whatever you want. Hurry up, I still have things to do."

Durandal quickly put some distance between herself and Shen Gonglin. She felt too ashamed to stay here any longer. No one had recognized her, right? Although Durandal didn't care about other people's looks... no, this time, she realized that she actually cared quite a lot.

"Honestly, I have to pick this stuff too? Hey, do you want daytime ones or nighttime ones?"

Without the slightest restraint, Shen Gonglin held one of each in his hands for comparison and loudly asked Durandal, who was trying to pretend she didn't know him. At that moment, the strongest Valkyrie wished she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. She really had been wrong. She had wanted to use this to embarrass Shen Gonglin, yet the one most embarrassed was herself.

"I don't know! Just pick whatever!"

Durandal covered her ears and said it in despair. She had already seen several Valkyries walk in. Ordinary people might not recognize her, but the Valkyries at headquarters might. If they saw this, who knew what rumors it would turn into? Aside from fighting Honkai, the only hobby those Valkyries had was spreading gossip.

"Oh, then I'll buy both kinds for you."

Shen Gonglin nodded and casually tossed several packs into the bag. The clerk who had been following him smiled brightly.

"Hey, your girlfriend's pretty interesting."

"Huh? Girlfriend? No, no, she's not my girlfriend. We only met today. I'm just a kind-hearted person who felt sorry for her because she had no one to accompany her shopping... Hey, why are you hiding so far away? Come pay already. I don't have money."

"Shen Gonglin, just wait. I'll remember this. It won't be long before we meet again, and when that happens... Anyway, you just wait!"

Watching Durandal leave after delivering such a fierce threat, Shen Gonglin looked at her back without taking her words seriously. He had never asked her identity, but she was probably a Valkyrie. A low-ranking Valkyrie like her likely would never have another chance to meet him. Just looking at that face made him feel she would be troublesome. He should go home and find the Class President as soon as possible. The time should be about right, and once he finished up, he could return to St. Freya. Headquarters had nothing good about it. Other than being bigger, Shen Gonglin didn't think it had anything going for it. St. Freya was better. Having been away so long, he was even starting to miss the principal's snack-producing desk.

"Shen Gonglin... What are you doing here? You were hard to find. Didn't I tell you to just wander around there? Why did you run off to a place like this alone?"

Just as Shen Gonglin was about to head back, the Class President had already found him. The moment she saw him, Fu Hua jogged over. Only after finding him did she finally relax. Ever since Shen Gonglin had gone out, Fu Hua had been unable to stop worrying. Headquarters was not as peaceful as St. Freya. There were plenty of Valkyries with strange personalities, so letting Shen Gonglin wander around alone was truly worrying. Fu Hua had not even had time to tidy the house before coming out to look for him. Fortunately, it looked like he had not had time to cause trouble yet.

"Nothing much. I was just helping someone out. Look, Class President, she even gave me a thank-you gift. I thought you'd definitely have use for it, so I saved it for you."

He handed Fu Hua the item he had taken from Durandal's shopping bag. He had no use for it at all. Although the Class President was rather flat-chested, she was still a girl, so giving it to her couldn't be wrong. After all, she taught him martial arts and took such good care of him. Giving her a small gift... would make him less embarrassed about taking advantage of her later.

"Hm? A gift for me... Shen Gonglin, you little brat, have you been peeking at something?"

Once Fu Hua saw the small package in Shen Gonglin's hand, her usually calm, pretty face instantly turned red. Before Shen Gonglin could enjoy the sight of the blushing Class President, the flustered Fu Hua tucked his head under her arm. Her eyes trembled. How did this guy know about that? And he had even bought this thing already... Shen Gonglin truly was a treacherous disciple. Should she clean house right now? Otherwise, Fu Hua felt that she was in real danger!

Peeking? What was the Class President talking about? Why couldn't he understand a thing...? Was this how she thanked him for giving her a gift? He had to admit, that somewhat lacking sensation truly suited the Class President. No wonder he had gotten a nosebleed from hitting her chest. But after savoring it carefully, he could also sense that unique softness. It felt completely different from Rita.

With his head trapped under Fu Hua's arm, that was the first thing Shen Gonglin thought of. Look how excited the Class President was. Could it be that nobody had ever given her a gift before? He had only casually given her this thing, and she treated him like this. If he gave her something else... would she stop using her steel plate to clamp his head?

After accompanying Fu Hua through an inexplicable bout of anger, Shen Gonglin finally arrived at the Hymir section of the Schicksal laboratory. He had heard that the armor which had appeared in this world alongside him was here. From a distance, he saw Rita waiting at the entrance. Today, the maid was not wearing her iconic maid uniform. Her green armor finally made her look somewhat like a Valkyrie. When she saw Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua approach, Rita lowered her head in greeting. But Shen Gonglin's thoughts drifted off again as he looked at her outfit.

Was this maid dressed like this to prove that she wasn't just a decorative maid, but actually a Valkyrie?

"Food? Did you make something for me to eat yesterday? Why don't I remember that? Come to think of it, why can't I remember what happened yesterday? When I woke up, I found myself in the Class President's bed. You two didn't do anything especially strange to me yesterday, did you?"

Perhaps it was his body's self-protection mechanism, but Shen Gonglin had no memory of what happened after he ate spicy food yesterday. His body also did not want him to think back too deeply. Yet that very state made Shen Gonglin incredibly curious. What exactly had happened? Could it be that these two women had done something irreversible to him while he was unconscious?

If that was the case, it would be great... no, it would be terrible. Shen Gonglin felt it was necessary to have them do it again and put it on record, so he could file a complaint later. When he had first arrived, he had passed by the entrance to Schicksal's Enforcement Division. His instincts told him that he would have plenty of dealings with that place in the future.

He woke up in Fu Hua's bed...

The maid's gaze immediately sharpened. Yesterday, she had originally wanted to keep Shen Gonglin at her place and entertain him, but for certain reasons, she had not been feeling well. As a result, Shen Gonglin had been taken home by Fu Hua. Rita had originally felt rather at ease about Fu Hua. After all, it was Fu Hua. No matter how one thought about it, nothing should have happened. But after Shen Gonglin said that, Rita could not stop herself from letting her thoughts run wild.

For example, Fu Hua had taken Shen Gonglin home yesterday. It had been a dark and windy night, with a lone man and woman together, and then Fu Hua had finally been unable to restrain herself and done something irreversible... No, no. Lady Fu Hua wasn't like her. She shouldn't do something like that.

She had accidentally applied her own behavioral template to Fu Hua. Just thinking about it made the answer obvious. How could Lady Fu Hua do something like that? Even Rita would not do anything to Shen Gonglin while he was unconscious and utterly unable to resist. She definitely would not take off his clothes while he slept and pant heavily, nor would she squeeze in beside him on a dark and windy night, hug his neck, and drape her thigh over him... Yes, Rita would absolutely never do such things.

If anyone doubted her, they could try putting a sleeping Shen Gonglin beside her. Rita swore to the lamp that she would never make any improper moves. She would definitely make sure Shen Gonglin felt nothing at all. That was the absolute professional quality of a perfect maid.

"All right, enough small talk. Since you can't remember what happened, don't think about it. If you have any questions, you can ask me. But first, we have business to attend to. Shen Gonglin, are you ready for a comprehensive physical examination?"

Although her thoughts were whirling in her head, Rita maintained the impeccable poise of a perfect maid on the surface. She gave a slight bow and led the way. This was Schicksal's research department. White walls and blue light screens everywhere gave it a high-tech atmosphere. Seeing such enormous facilities, Shen Gonglin could not help marveling again. Schicksal really was rich.

"A physical examination? Why? Rita, what exactly did Otto summon Shen Gonglin here for?"

Shen Gonglin might be distracted, but Fu Hua, who was temporarily acting as his guardian, could not afford not to care. That man never did anything meaningless, so Fu Hua had reason to suspect that Otto had some ulterior motive regarding Shen Gonglin. Even Fu Hua could not figure out what Otto wanted, but because of their cooperative relationship, she could not stop it either.

"Lady Fu Hua, please rest assured. It's merely an ordinary test of physical strength. Besides allowing Shen Gonglin to come into contact with the armor that arrived with him, this time we will also test his combat capabilities. He will not be using Honkai energy or technology. Not only the Overseer, but everyone in the base has a special interest in Shen Gonglin. If we can determine what is going on, it may become a new method for fighting the Honkai. Do you understand what I mean?"

Rita explained softly. Faced with Fu Hua's almost overprotective attitude, the maid blinked discreetly. Lady Fu Hua's attitude toward Shen Gonglin really was different from how she treated others. It was obvious enough—she had even passed on Mindful Essence to him. How could their relationship possibly be ordinary?

"Besides testing his physical capabilities, Shen Gonglin's compatibility with Honkai energy is also worth studying. Based on the information sent previously, we can now confirm that his adaptability to Honkai energy exceeds conventional standards. As everyone knows, men are far less compatible with Honkai energy than women, but that common knowledge seems to be an exception in Shen Gonglin's case. Also, if he can bear a Stigmata..."

At that point, Rita immediately fell silent. What came next concerned the deepest secrets, and even she only knew a little. If Shen Gonglin could awaken a Stigmata, then the mystery surrounding him would only deepen. Everything would have to wait until the research was complete.

No one spoke along the way. Rita led Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua deeper into the laboratory. Ever since entering this research facility, Shen Gonglin had felt something strange, as if something were calling to him. Yet when he tried to investigate it, he could not make anything out. Driven by that peculiar feeling, Shen Gonglin cooperated fully with every examination that followed. Both Rita and Fu Hua breathed a sigh of relief. They had thought they would need to coax him along, but unexpectedly, he was so obedient this time. As they always said—

A quiet, obedient Shen Gonglin was practically an angel.

"Mm, the results are roughly the same as the data Lady Fu Hua sent back earlier. Next, we'll go to the development department. That armor is there as well. Frankly, it's rather embarrassing that with our technology, we still cannot complete even the most basic analysis of it. I hope seeing it will help you remember something. As for the abilities displayed in the earlier video, we still cannot determine whether they came from the armor or from Shen Gonglin himself."

Rita glanced at the examination report in her hand. With that single glance, the excellent maid memorized every piece of data on it. Shen Gonglin's height, weight, and everything else had all been stored in her mind. This was no boast—Rita could now devise a meal plan tailored to Shen Gonglin's physique. A perfect maid was just that perfect.

"Mm, hurry and let me see it. You've all been talking about it, but I don't remember a thing. What? Was I really strong before?"

The endless testing had made Shen Gonglin a little impatient. As they neared the research department, the feeling in his heart grew stronger and stronger. What exactly was it? And whether it was Rita or Kiana and the others, they all seemed to admire his former self greatly. That made him incredibly curious. He had no memory of it at all.

"Yes. Although we only saw it through video footage, there's no doubt that you truly looked like an angel back then."

Rita nodded at Shen Gonglin, then pressed a button. Heavy mechanical locks disengaged, and the sound of released air rang out. Before Shen Gonglin stood a set of white armor decorated with black patterns. It was called armor, yet wearing it would expose large areas of skin. It had to be said that this armor shared some design principles with Schicksal battle suits: it had to provide combat power, look good, and not hinder movement.

But...

As Shen Gonglin stared at the armor, his expression grew increasingly strange. The feeling in his heart confirmed that this was what had been calling to him, yet Shen Gonglin was somewhat...

"Um, this is women's clothing, right? This is definitely women's clothing, right?"

Shen Gonglin looked up innocently. Yes, the armor was indeed beautiful, but this style... He pointed at the little skirt made of armored plates and the chest armor that looked as though it could fit his entire head. Even a blind man could tell this was women's clothing. Were they saying that he had worn something like this before? No way, right?

Shen Gonglin began to wonder what kind of big shot he had been before losing his memories. To be capable of doing something like this, even Shen Gonglin wanted to call his former self a legend!

Shen Gonglin had previously imagined what kind of armor it would be. In his vision, it should have been the kind stored in a huge bronze case, a battle suit that went clank, clank when worn. But this design...

It seemed that his pre-amnesia self had not been a good person.

"Uh... It is indeed styled as women's clothing. Judging from the video, Shen Gonglin, you really were wearing this battle suit at the time. If you have doubts, you can watch the footage transmitted from the Hyperion. Alvit, bring up the video on my terminal."

Rita explained it like that. Seeing Shen Gonglin still unable to accept reality, she had already thought of a solution. She only needed to let him see it with his own eyes.

Fu Hua quietly tilted her head. She glanced at Shen Gonglin. Was his reaction really necessary? What was wrong with women's clothing? Wasn't he wearing girls' clothes right now too? That was Kiana's Lemon Soda outfit, wasn't it? Fu Hua had a similar one herself. If she wore it too... would she and Shen Gonglin look like they were wearing matching couple outfits?

"Impossible. I'm telling you, I absolutely could not have worn girls' clothing. This isn't mine. I refuse to admit it."

Before the video could even play, Shen Gonglin flatly denied such a reality. Was this a joke? How could he possibly wear something like that? It was a matter of basic etiquette and morality for Shen Gonglin as a human being. No matter how strong the sense of familiarity coming from the outfit was, Shen Gonglin would not admit it. Even if they shoved the video in his face, he would not admit it. It was impossible.

"...Aren't you wearing girls' clothes right now? As everyone knows, videos can't be edited, so this armor really is yours. If you don't believe it, you can try putting it on. You should remember something after wearing it."

Rita looked at Shen Gonglin speechlessly. Why was he so resistant? It wasn't as though she had not seen everything already. Or rather, as far as Rita was concerned, what part of Shen Gonglin had she not seen? Speaking of which, Rita did have selfish motives in wanting Shen Gonglin to wear the armor now. Although he was already wearing girls' clothes, that style could be worn by anyone. But this armor...

"I'm not wearing it. Even if you beat me to death, I—Rita, why do you have a nosebleed? Are you overheated? Do you want me to give you some cupping therapy when we go back? Your back looks pretty good. It'd be a waste not to give you cupping therapy."

Why did Rita get another nosebleed in the middle of talking? Seeing her maintain a serious face while the tip of her nose slowly turned red made Shen Gonglin a little scared. What exciting thing had she thought of?

"Thank you for your concern, but my body is quite all right... Look, this is the video footage recorded at the time. You truly looked very heroic... Alvit!"

The large screen behind them lit up. Rita wiped the blood from beneath her nose with a handkerchief and displayed the footage to Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua. It had been recorded by the Hyperion at the scene when Kiana's group fought Himeko in Sky City, and it had now been sealed away by Schicksal as classified material. If Rita had not held such a high position, she would never have been able to access it. But when she turned around and saw what was on the screen, her pupils suddenly contracted.

That tool had played the wrong video!

"This doesn't look like Sky City. This environment... it should be a highway... Hm? Shen Gonglin, what are you doing?"

Fu Hua watched the footage curiously, but Shen Gonglin suddenly sprang into action for some reason. In an instant, his entire face turned bright red. Realizing what was about to happen, Shen Gonglin desperately lunged at Fu Hua. This familiar scene and the moving bus awakened the memory Shen Gonglin had decided to seal away. It was an indelible stain from his grand and turbulent life, one destined to be erased. Shen Gonglin had never imagined that not only did Kiana know about it, someone had even recorded it. This was truly social death.

"Stop messing around. This isn't home. How could you, Shen Gonglin—my eyes! What is wrong with you, Shen Gonglin? Why did you make me see something like this?!"

No one knew what was happening, but Fu Hua certainly would not simply let Shen Gonglin cover her eyes. In terms of fighting skill, Fu Hua surpassed Shen Gonglin by far. With a slight movement, she restrained him instead. Then the footage reached its most climactic moment. The high-definition image nearly made Fu Hua spit blood. Fu Hua, who was known for being calm and composed, abruptly crouched down and covered her face. Shen Gonglin dropped to his knees with both hands braced against the ground. It was over. His life was over.

Master and disciple, both utterly defeated.

"Um... This was footage from when the Honkai outbreak occurred. I've already ordered everyone who saw it not to spread it around. Shen Gonglin, you know the members of the Immortal Blade you've met. They won't talk carelessly."

Alvit, somewhere out of sight, finally turned off the video, but it was already too late. Rita turned to look at the silent, dejected master and disciple with a helpless smile. Shen Gonglin's reaction was within her expectations. As expected, the more one worried about something, the more likely it was to happen. But what was with Lady Fu Hua's reaction? In Rita's eyes, Fu Hua should have seen plenty of the world. She was no ordinary Valkyrie.

Why did she look like such an innocent young girl? Had she spent too much time around Lady Theresa... No, no, she could not think that. Although Lady Theresa was old, she was indeed still an adorable little girl.

"What? You mean that many people know about this? No wonder they always looked like they wanted to laugh but couldn't whenever they saw me, and kept praising me for being so energetic... I shouldn't even be alive. I should have jumped off that bus back then!"

Shen Gonglin felt that his image had completely collapsed. He rolled around on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. How could something like this happen to him? Had he done something wrong? If Kiana were the only one who knew, Shen Gonglin could still fool himself into thinking it was fine. But now so many people knew. Shen Gonglin was already considering changing his identity and starting life over. The Shen Gonglin account was ruined. He wanted to delete it and reroll.

"It's fine. They won't spread it around. Shen Gonglin, get up. The floor is dirty. It's all right. This isn't a big deal."

Crouching beside Shen Gonglin, Rita comforted him softly. Yet the smile on the maid's face thoroughly exposed her mood. Shen Gonglin was so fun to watch. It seemed Alvit was not only good at making mistakes. As for this incident... she would not punish her for it.

"It really isn't a big deal...? You're still smiling. You haven't stopped smiling at all. You watched this video a long time ago, didn't you? Rita, you schemer!"

Shen Gonglin continued rolling around. Even Rita's pure white panties wrapped in black stockings beneath her skirt could not draw his attention now. Shen Gonglin had truly broken down this time. He had never imagined that others would find out about this and that it would even be recorded. It was over. His lifelong reputation was gone. What was the point of living?

"Yes, I watched it. I even saved a copy. If you still don't get up now... do you believe I'll upload the video to the giant screen in the shopping district?"

Rita noticed Shen Gonglin's constantly wandering gaze as he rolled around and kept sneaking glances, but she did not mind. She slowly moved closer to him. The fragrant breath from her cherry lips brushed around his ear, yet her words sounded like a demon's whisper to Shen Gonglin.

This woman... she could give him a feast for the eyes while stabbing his heart with a knife at the same time.

Black-bellied maid.jpg

Seeing Shen Gonglin freeze in place, Rita nodded with satisfaction. Having returned to her black-bellied nature, the maid drew even closer to him. She was nearly close enough to lick Shen Gonglin's ear, only a centimeter away, but she stopped there. Ever since meeting Shen Gonglin, she had constantly been suppressed by him, and the maid who had kept making mistakes before him had finally regained some ground. No one in the entire headquarters dared bully her like this, yet Shen Gonglin... heh. Didn't he have to obediently listen to her now?

"Of course, if you obediently listen to me, I won't do that. And the lovely girls under my command are very obedient too. As long as I don't permit it, they definitely won't spread it around. So, get up first. We need to finish everything we have to do today."

As she spoke, Rita helped Shen Gonglin up. After all, she could not keep letting him stare at her panties from that position. The maid had been forcing herself to endure her embarrassment just now. Though she looked as calm and practiced as though she often showed people her panties, Rita could be shy too.

"I'm sorry for being born human... Class President... I want to go home."

Shen Gonglin stood up and looked at Fu Hua pitifully. Fu Hua turned her head away, unable to meet his eyes. Having seen that scene firsthand, whenever Fu Hua looked at Shen Gonglin's face, she could not help remembering it. Get out of my head already! Why did she have to see something like that? She had not expected Kiana and Shen Gonglin to have had such an encounter...

Could Kiana actually be the one most deeply interfering with Shen Gonglin's martial arts training?

"It's fine. I didn't see anything just now."

The Sword Heart Art circulated through her body as Fu Hua tried her best to steady herself and remain calm. But when she said that, Shen Gonglin practically shattered. He had not asked about that at all. Fu Hua's answer was completely unrelated, and one look at her made it obvious what she was thinking. A feeling called frustration spread through Shen Gonglin's heart. Why did he have to suffer something like this? Every last one of them—he had to make them experience the same thing he had!

Taking losses had never been Shen Gonglin's style. And that maid—she had dared threaten him just now, hadn't she? Just wait. Shen Gonglin had written this down in his little notebook. He would not need ten years. The moment he had the chance, he would get revenge!

Rita did not know what Shen Gonglin was thinking, but she felt a chill shoot up the back of her head, as if some kind of beast had fixed its gaze on her. The perfect maid shuddered all over, yet she did not know where the sensation came from. The screen lit up again, and this time the tool did not make any mistakes. Seeing the sky full of missiles on the screen, Shen Gonglin temporarily forgot what had just happened. That move looked really cool. Was the person in the footage really him?

"This is the footage from that time. Because of the equipment and environmental conditions, we can only see this much. Well, Shen Gonglin, do you remember anything?"

The video was not long. When it ended, Rita asked Shen Gonglin that question. His eyes shone brightly, clearly captivated by what he had seen. Rita herself had reacted the same way back then. But without intelligence support, she never would have connected Shen Gonglin with the angel in the footage. This guy struggled even against ordinary Honkai Beasts. Was there really no mistake?

A certain S-rank Valkyrie seemed to have forgotten that she herself had nearly embarrassed herself against an ordinary Honkai Beast.

"No. The person in the video isn't me. I've never worn women's clothing."

Shen Gonglin immediately denied it three times in a row. No matter what, he could not admit that he had worn such clothes. Even if the person in the footage had his face, he would not admit it. Technology was so advanced now that even videos could be edited!

"Is that so? Then there's nothing we can do. Shen Gonglin, put your hands on my shoulders, then lift your foot."

Rita suddenly said this. Shen Gonglin did not know what she wanted to do, but he subconsciously obeyed. He was not tall, so standing face-to-face with Rita put him at just the right height to look directly into her pretty face. Only then did Shen Gonglin notice that Rita, like him, had a beauty mark beneath her eye. Maybe they were actually distant relatives?

Then Rita's next action made Shen Gonglin discard that possibility. His relatives surely could not do something as inhuman as Rita did.

Without giving Shen Gonglin time to react, Rita took a deep breath, suddenly grabbed his pants, and yanked them down in one motion. Then, using some unknown technique, the maid simultaneously seized Shen Gonglin's shirt. Shen Gonglin only felt a chill sweep over his body before he was standing naked in front of Rita and Fu Hua. What kind of technique was that?

Shen Gonglin wanted to learn it too.

"Two point three seven seconds. This speed still isn't perfect enough. Shen Gonglin, lift your foot again."

Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua stared in stunned silence, but Rita continued her actions as though nothing had obstructed her. Only then did Shen Gonglin remember that he should scream, while Fu Hua rushed over and shielded her treacherous disciple. Did Rita think there were no adults in the house? Rita had finally been unable to resist laying hands on Shen Gonglin. Fu Hua could understand that, but no matter what, Rita could not do it right in front of her! Where was that supposed to leave Fu Hua, his master?

"Rita, what are you trying to do?"

"Hit her, Class President! Hit her!"