I, Herrscher Slayer

Fu Hua asked Rita in a low voice, while Shen Gonglin shrank behind Fu Hua and watched the maid before him warily. She stripped his clothes whenever they disagreed—if she really wanted to do it, she could talk to him properly. It was not as if he would necessarily resist. His first impression of Rita had indeed been correct. She was a lecherous maid who had definitely been lusting after his body all along, the kind who went slurp, slurp.

"Please do not misunderstand, Lady Fu Hua. I merely wished for Shen Gonglin to put on this outfit. After all, it is an order from above, and I can only obey."

Having anticipated Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua's reactions, Rita calmly explained herself. Had they not noticed that she had even left Shen Gonglin a pair of underwear? If she truly wanted to do something to him, how could she possibly have left him that? What kind of woman did they all take her for?

Slurp.

"An order from above?"

Fu Hua was slightly stunned. If Rita put it that way, it could only be Otto. She had not expected that man to care so much about Shen Gonglin—or rather, about this armor of his... Still, as long as Rita did not have any improper intentions toward Shen Gonglin, it was fine. That was what Fu Hua had been worried about.

"So then, Shen Gonglin, hurry over here. Otherwise... you know what will happen."

The maid winked at Shen Gonglin, unaware that he had added another mark against Rita in the little notebook in his heart. The maid was feeling pleased with herself now, was she? Just wait.

Bloodline Activation in Progress

"Um, how do you feel right now?"

After helping Shen Gonglin change into that white armor, Rita stepped back half a pace and looked at him expectantly. Personally dressing him in those clothes had filled her with a feeling called satisfaction. She had not expected to become so happy from merely changing Shen Gonglin's clothes. She should have long passed the age of playing with dolls.

Still, this guy's skin was truly nice. It even seemed better than hers. It looked as though water could seep out with a pinch. It was such a waste for him to be a boy... Though perhaps it was precisely because he was a boy that he made her feel this way. She rather wanted to turn his current appearance into a chibi doll and hang it from her phone.

On odd-numbered days, she would hang Lady Theresa's. On even-numbered days, she would hang Shen Gonglin's. Perfect!

"I feel ashamed. Like I am about to die."

Shen Gonglin gave his thoughts with lifeless eyes. He seemed to be embarrassing himself all the time. Kiana had treated him like that on the bus and even recorded a video, and now this perverted maid had forced him to put on women's clothing in front of the Class President. Shen Gonglin wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury himself. There was no longer any need for him to live in this world.

"Oh dear, I was not asking about your mood. I meant whether you feel anything physically. For example, does it feel like some strange power is awakening... like you are turning into light?"

The maid crouched before Shen Gonglin and adjusted the armor on him. In truth, the armor did not fit him very well. The chest piece in particular was completely empty. Yet the video proved that it was indeed Shen Gonglin's equipment. But after he put it on, nothing changed. The two enormous pink wings from the video had not appeared either. What exactly was going on?

Bloodline Activation: 5%

Not paying attention to the faint voice echoing in his mind, Shen Gonglin fell into thought after hearing Rita's words. As for how he felt right now...

"Does wanting to punch you in the face count? To be honest, that feeling is getting stronger and stronger, Rita. If I punched someone as cute as you, you would probably cry for a long time. Did you not want to test my combat ability? Why not try using your face? Do not worry, I will definitely go all out."

The sense of shame was growing heavier and heavier. Could she not see that Fu Hua over there could barely bear to look at him? He felt nothing after putting it on, aside from an overwhelming sense of humiliation that grew with time. This maid was truly black-hearted. He had fallen into her hands. She was definitely no decent person. She even knew how to use his shame to force him into doing even more shameful things. Shen Gonglin had figured it out: to escape this predicament, he needed to make Rita experience something even more humiliating.

To be honest, Shen Gonglin had already prepared a whole basketful of revenge plans, all centered around his two fangs.

"Please calm down. I am not responsible for combat testing. Shen Gonglin, if you want to fight, you may do as you please later. For now, come with me. That person is already waiting for you."

The maid immediately put some distance between herself and Shen Gonglin. As long as she was not bitten by him, she would remain the perfect maid. Frankly, Shen Gonglin was not her opponent right now. Rita did not know why the Bishop had arranged for that person to be Shen Gonglin's opponent. It would be a complete one-sided beating. She only hoped he would not develop any psychological issues afterward, because anyone who faced that person would meet the same result.

Because that person was invincible.

"That person... Rita, do you mean her? Surely it will not require her to make a move... Shen Gonglin, stop dwelling on it. You are already wearing it anyway. I will not tell Mei and Kiana, so do not feel burdened by it... Do not pounce on me! If you dare hug me casually, I will tell them as soon as we get back!"

Fu Hua's eyes shifted slightly upon hearing Rita's words. Only that woman would be addressed that way by Rita. Like the maid, Fu Hua felt that it should not come to deploying that woman. While questioning Rita, Fu Hua pulled the motionless Shen Gonglin along after the maid. As a result, the excited fellow threw himself onto her again. Fu Hua pushed hard against Shen Gonglin's face to shove him away. She somehow felt that he was trying every possible way to take advantage of her. That had to be her imagination, right?

"Class President, you cannot tell them about this. I will behave, okay? By the way, who are you talking about? Who is that person? She sounds pretty impressive."

Since Fu Hua had pushed him away, Shen Gonglin had no way to take advantage of her. The Class President was good in every way except that she was too vigilant. And Shen Gonglin did not want to have any other kind of relationship with this maid, so he could only quiet down and ask curiously. It seemed that the person he would spar with later had quite the background. Was she some formidable figure?

"Of course. That person has maintained an undefeated record and is one of Schicksal's three great S-rank Valkyries... Shen Gonglin, you must not be disrespectful when you meet her later."

At the mention of that person, a trace of admiration involuntarily entered Rita's voice. Seeing her like that made Shen Gonglin even more curious. Schicksal's three great S-rank Valkyries... Could that just be some strange organization with a strange name?

This useless maid seemed to be one of those three great Valkyries, but she was clearly weak as hell. From what Kiana and the Class President had told Shen Gonglin, the Honkai Beasts from that time had been ordinary beyond ordinary. Yet even against those, this useless maid had nearly lost. Was this the power of a legendary S-rank Valkyrie?

Shen Gonglin was beginning to doubt it.

"Um, let me ask. Who exactly are these three great Valkyries? Do not tell me there is actually a group called the Three Great S-rank Valkyries?"

Given Rita's strength, Shen Gonglin simply could not take these so-called S-rank Valkyries seriously. If this useless maid had such a title, then the Class President ought to be SSR-rank.

"That is not how it works. S-rank Valkyries are Schicksal's highest combat power. I happen to be one of them... Shen Gonglin, I already told you there was a reason for what happened last time. Do not look at me like that. Even I care about such things."

Even without turning around, Rita could tell what kind of look that guy was giving her. She quietly clenched her fists. She had to show Shen Gonglin her true strength, or in his mind, she would forever be nothing more than a useless maid who handled logistics!

Another Person

"Who are the others?"

Not wanting to expose the useless maid's true nature, Shen Gonglin was a mature man who knew how to care for women's feelings. There would be plenty of ways to get revenge on Rita later, so for now, he would let her keep bragging. What he cared about were the other S-rank Valkyries. Perhaps Rita was simply the only weak one.

"You know one of them as well. She is the headmistress of St. Freya Academy, the world's... world-class adorable Lady Theresa... Shen Gonglin, your gaze seems even more disrespectful than before. Lady Theresa is an extremely powerful Valkyrie. I hope you remember that."

Before Rita could finish, Shen Gonglin snorted with laughter. It was confirmed. This group of S-rank Valkyries existed solely to be useless. Shen Gonglin truly could not imagine that the Valkyrie who only knew how to lie on her desk and whimper could possibly be some overwhelmingly powerful figure. She might be good at acting cute, but in battle, she should stand aside. She could not even take down the headscarf hanging from a clothes rack. She was clearly a loli, yet wore a dangerously mature married-woman hairstyle. These were S-rank Valkyries? Schicksal was far too strange.

Could they have been chosen based on looks? Shen Gonglin admitted that both Rita and Theresa were flawless in appearance. But if that were the case, then Kiana, Mei, Bronya, and the Class President all had the potential to become S-rank Valkyries.

"Fine, you do not need to say any more. I am not interested in knowing about the last one. So I can go all out later, right? Honestly, I really have a fire bottled up inside me right now. I am so angry that no matter how pretty the other person is, I can use Headbutt Kill without hesitation. Can I really go all out?"

Once Shen Gonglin knew who the S-rank Valkyries were, he felt confident. Although he was wearing such embarrassing clothes, if his opponent was someone like the useless maid or a cute loli, he felt that he could still win. Shen Gonglin could not wait to fight!

"...Please do as you wish. Or rather, Shen Gonglin, it would be best if you used your full strength from the start. In any case, no matter the result, please do your best."

Rita was already considering how to comfort Shen Gonglin after the battle. In her eyes, the result was obvious without thinking. How could Shen Gonglin possibly be Durandal's opponent? Once it was over, she would gently hold him in the manner of an older sister and lightly pat his back. It would not be his fault. No matter who it was, the result would be the same.

"Shen Gonglin, pull yourself together. The person you will fight is no ordinary opponent. No matter the outcome, give it your all and have no regrets."

After pondering for a moment, Fu Hua said this. Such a defeat would not be an unacceptable outcome. It might even temper Shen Gonglin's martial heart. Only through defeat could one understand how to improve. Though he did not show it normally, Fu Hua could sense that Shen Gonglin was very proud inside. A suitable setback would help her teach him more deeply in the future.

She would buy him an ice cream to cheer him up on the way back. Shen Gonglin was actually quite easy to comfort. Give him a few benefits or buy him something tasty, and he would be happy. Today, she could let him sleep on her lap a little longer.

Even Fu Hua said that, making Shen Gonglin increasingly curious about his coming opponent. Why did both of them seem so convinced that he could not win? He actually thought he was pretty strong.

"All right, this is the place. A training ground capable of fully simulating every kind of battlefield. Shen Gonglin, please perform to your heart's content."

They arrived at an extremely spacious area. Shen Gonglin looked up and saw that it was larger than two or three football fields combined. The lights came on, and the ground beneath his feet had somehow become a stretch of sand. At the center of the field stood a proud figure in silence. This was his target, then.

Bloodline Activation: 35%

As they drew closer, Shen Gonglin clearly saw who the person in the distance was. Before Rita could speak, his pupils shrank. How could it be her? Had he randomly run into an S-rank Valkyrie? Were they really this common?

"Let me introduce her, Shen Gonglin. This is the person who will be taking charge of your..."

"Enough, Rita. Let me do it. Besides, we have already met, have we not? Shen Gonglin."

Before Rita could finish, Durandal interrupted her. The blonde girl looked at Shen Gonglin. Upon seeing his current appearance, a hint of amusement appeared on Durandal's serious face. Why was he dressed like that? And he should be surprised to see her now, right? The older sister he had played football with had turned out to be his next opponent. Rita must have told him her identity already.

He had even shifted the blame onto Rita after kicking her that day. What a mischievous fellow.

"I do not know you at all. This should be... no, this must be the first time we have met. And my name is not Shen Gonglin. I could not possibly have such a handsome name."

To Durandal's surprise, Shen Gonglin firmly denied it. Those purple eyes stared straight ahead openly, and his decisive tone made it sound entirely true. If not for that face, Durandal might really have thought she had mistaken him for someone else. What was going on?

She had not even changed clothes. Did Shen Gonglin have the memory of a fish? How could he not recognize her?

How could he possibly admit it?! It was embarrassing enough for Rita and the Class President to see him like this, but now even the older sister he had thought was rather nice when they first met had seen it. Outwardly calm and fearless, Shen Gonglin had internally become a screaming, face-covering mess. He absolutely could not acknowledge his identity here. He was still the dazzlingly handsome Shen Gonglin, not some pervert wearing female armor!

"Shen Gonglin, what is wrong with you? Lady Durandal even called your name. How could you not know each other? When did you meet?"

Rita looked at Shen Gonglin in astonishment. What was wrong with him? He had been perfectly normal all the way here. Why had he become so strange the moment he saw Lady Durandal? And if he was not Shen Gonglin, who else could he be?

Would she have given him so many benefits if he were not Shen Gonglin? What a joke.

"Did you meet this morning? Since you know each other, stop making such jokes. Shen Gonglin, this lady before you is the Valkyrie who will test your strength next. Work hard, and do not embarrass me."

Fu Hua patted Shen Gonglin's shoulder, also confirming his identity. Shen Gonglin, meanwhile, wore an expression as though he was about to cry. No, he was going to die from shame.

A Battle with the Strongest

"Although I do not know why you are pretending not to know me, it does not matter. I will introduce myself once again. I am Bianca. Please treat me well."

Shen Gonglin's unreasonable behavior did not affect Durandal. Rita and Fu Hua had already retreated to the observation platform, leaving only Shen Gonglin and Durandal in the battlefield. Holding an ordinary knight's lance, Durandal introduced herself once more.

"Okay, Estée Lauder. I am Rita Roseweisse. There is no need for instructions."

Shen Gonglin casually spouted nonsense. He could not possibly admit his own name. As long as he persisted, no one could say he had worn women's clothing. This was Shen Gonglin's final line of defense, and no one could stop him. As for why he had impersonated the maid's name... it did not matter whom he dragged down with him. The main thing was that her name was so long. If he did not give a long name in return, it felt as though his presence would not be imposing enough.

"So you remember Rita's name clearly, yet somehow forgot mine? That is fine. In the battle ahead, I will make you remember it once more. Remember, I am Durandal."

Her blue eyes stared at Shen Gonglin, and Durandal gave off an aura of seriousness. The two people on the platform sensed it as well. Fu Hua opened her mouth—not because she was marveling at Durandal's strength, but because Durandal seemed to genuinely believe Shen Gonglin had forgotten her and was seriously trying to make him remember?

"Powerful and straightforward, straightforward to the point where she could be called dense... That is the kind of person Lady Durandal is. Though we are all S-rank Valkyries, Lady Theresa and I can be considered talented, while Lady Bianca reached this level through hard work. We are all S-rank because S-rank is the highest designation. Or perhaps Lady Bianca should be called..."

"Durandal-rank."

The maid looked down at the battlefield. This was the unanimous opinion of every Valkyrie who had seen Durandal fight. She was the strongest person in Schicksal's recorded history. What conclusion was the Bishop trying to reach by having her conduct Shen Gonglin's strength test?

"I remember. Durandal."

"It is Durandal. I am coming at you now."

Durandal stressed her name once again, then leaned forward slightly to warn Shen Gonglin. She was not dressed in her usual mission uniform, instead wearing casual clothes. Yet when Shen Gonglin heard her words, he immediately sensed something wrong. The skin all over his body began to sting without his noticing. The Mindful Essence of the Great Void Sword Qi circulated automatically, while Electromagnetic Force stimulated every joint in his body and put him in the optimal stance to meet an attack. All of this was Shen Gonglin's body acting on instinct. It seemed this S-rank Valkyrie was different from the other two... Or perhaps those two had simply never shown their true strength in front of him?

He had no time to think. Though his eyes had seen nothing, Shen Gonglin involuntarily twisted aside to dodge. At that exact moment, a white spear tip appeared where he had just been standing. A drop of cold sweat trickled down Shen Gonglin's forehead. But the only thing that had struck out was the lance. Where was Durandal herself?

"Not bad reflexes. You have already surpassed an A-rank Valkyrie."

A steady voice rang out beside Shen Gonglin. He turned back in shock and saw Durandal standing right behind him. Had she not spoken, Shen Gonglin would never have noticed her standing there, much less been able to react. If she had truly wanted to attack just now, he would probably already be on his knees.

Shen Gonglin quickly pulled away and watched Durandal warily as she slowly walked over to retrieve the knight's lance. His earlier carefree attitude had vanished completely, replaced by seriousness. Shen Gonglin might usually be lazy, but in battle, he did not want to lose!

"Good eyes. It seems you have finally become serious, Shen Gonglin."

Sensing the change in Shen Gonglin's aura, Durandal nodded. Yet in her view, nothing had really changed. The gap in their strength was real. It would not disappear just because Shen Gonglin had become serious. He did not want to lose? Just like her. But she would not lose now.

"Yeah, Durandal. I am serious now, so you should get serious too."

Shen Gonglin flicked his fingers, and black iron sand gathered from the nearby sandy ground into his hand. Crackling arcs of electricity flashed before his eyes. He could not hold back his true strength this time. Yet even with his change in mindset, Shen Gonglin had no confidence at all. This Valkyrie placed immense pressure on him. But... he could not lose!

It was as if the obsession had been carved into his bones. Shen Gonglin would never acknowledge defeat. Fu Hua's pocket moved in the distance as a coin was drawn over by magnetism. Shen Gonglin flicked his finger, and surging Electromagnetic Force wrapped around the coin as it shot toward Durandal. Orange currents gathered into a cannon blast that rapidly closed in on Durandal, but the girl's blue eyes did not waver in the slightest. It was indeed fast.

But useless.

Durandal raised her knight's lance. Without dodging, she thrust forward, the spear tip striking the spinning coin within the orange lightning with perfect accuracy. So this was Shen Gonglin's attack called Railgun? It was quite a fitting name. The attack was indeed impressive.

"I am not done yet!"

Electricity and magnetism surged around his ankles as Shen Gonglin charged at Durandal. At the same time, the coin struck by Durandal's spear tip shattered. Metal fragments scattered under the combined effects of magnetic force and the lance's impact, blooming like fireworks. The fragments could not withstand the electricity and began to melt, but before doing so, they could still serve as conductors under Shen Gonglin's control. Railgun: Scattershot Form, fire!

"A versatile fighting style. Very impressive."

Durandal changed her stance, sweeping the training knight's lance around herself. The scattered Railgun had weakened somewhat as well. Once she cleared away the firework-like electricity, Durandal raised her lance to block the black Iron Sand Sword. Looking at Shen Gonglin's face behind the sword, she gave him an entirely fair assessment. But that attitude irritated Shen Gonglin. Why was this woman acting like an instructor? Shen Gonglin's master was Fu Hua. He did not need instruction from anyone else!

The Iron Sand Sword pressed against the knight's lance began to change. Iron sand slowly seeped toward Durandal from the point of contact. But Durandal's reaction speed exceeded Shen Gonglin's expectations. An unimaginable force came from her side, instantly shattering the Iron Sand Sword and sending Shen Gonglin flying into the distance.

Who knew she also had monstrous strength?!

Should They Continue?

Watching the two people exchange blows in the arena... no, it should have been called a one-sided beating, Fu Hua and Rita remained silent on the observation platform. The maid was still all right, but Fu Hua could barely stand watching any longer. The Class President's hand had unknowingly clenched into a fist. Although she knew Durandal was merely carrying out her duty, and although she knew that this strength test for Shen Gonglin was necessary, seeing him like this... Fu Hua only felt her heart twist in pain.

"His combat power is indeed unexpected. In certain individual aspects, he has even reached S-rank standards. If his physical capabilities could keep up, then even if he could not reach S-rank, he would certainly be among the best A-rank Valkyries."

The maid suddenly spoke. Though she appeared calm on the surface, a closer look would reveal that something was off with her as well. Rita and Fu Hua shared the same feelings. Her reddish-purple eyes were fixed tightly on the white figure in the arena. What Rita had not expected was that Shen Gonglin possessed such tenacious fighting spirit.

Did he truly hate losing that much?

His stamina was nearly at its limit. Sweat covered Shen Gonglin's tender, fair face, yet Durandal still looked as relaxed as if she were strolling through a courtyard. Shen Gonglin swore he had already used all his strength, but under her attacks, merely avoiding injury had been his limit. There was no chance to counterattack. Whether in defense or offense, this woman was monstrously strong. From their exchanges just now, Shen Gonglin had already realized that he was probably not her opponent.

But so what? Was he supposed to surrender? Impossible!

"What, do you still want to continue? If you do, I will increase the intensity of my attacks."

Without even a hint of disorder in her breathing, Durandal stood quietly in place, her body still spotless as she waited for Shen Gonglin to recover. The combat ability Shen Gonglin displayed had indeed surprised her, but it was only at this level. Forget threatening her—if Rita became serious, Shen Gonglin likely would not be her opponent either. Still, Durandal thought this was already quite good. Shen Gonglin had surpassed many people.

"Tch, so you are saying you have not even used your real strength yet? I could more or less guess that, but hearing you say it still makes me really angry!"

Shen Gonglin gritted his teeth and glared fiercely at the blonde with the high ponytail opposite him. It seemed brute force would not work. He needed to think of some other method. At this point, not only could he not launch a proper offensive, he was breathing hard even while standing. Think. What other methods were there?

"I am sorry. I apologize for provoking you, but that is indeed the truth. Strictly speaking, this has been roughly a warm-up."

Durandal did not know how to lie—or rather, she was simply that straightforward. Since Shen Gonglin had asked, she answered honestly. As Schicksal's strongest combat force, if this level of exertion made her struggle, Schicksal would have collapsed long ago. It really was merely a warm-up, like running a dozen or so laps around a track.

"I think this is enough. There is no need to continue. Stop the test."

Fu Hua frowned deeply on the observation platform. Anyone could see that Shen Gonglin was already at the end of his strength. There was not even any electricity around him now, and the Iron Sand Sword he had maintained until moments ago had vanished without a trace. But ending it now would not count as Shen Gonglin losing. Though Fu Hua had initially wanted Shen Gonglin to experience defeat, she changed her mind as she watched. There was no need to put him through this. If he lost, he would definitely be sad.

And Fu Hua now knew clearly that she did not want him to be sad.