I, Herrscher Slayer

Alright, alright, you don't need to say any more. Lie down now and let me rest on your chest. Honestly, I'd been wanting to do this for a long time.

After going back and forth over just those few lines, Shen Gonglin gave that order in his mind. Setting everything else aside, this angel was genuinely obedient.

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The Traitorous Disciple

Mm... you're awake. Since you're awake, shouldn't we get down to business?

At night, Shen Gonglin opened his eyes. Since Schicksal Headquarters floated in the sky, the moonlight, unobstructed by clouds, appeared especially bright. Looking at the ceiling above him, Shen Gonglin slowly sat up. He had actually been awake for a while, but his low blood pressure had kept him resting in bed. During that time, he had also made a decision.

He was going to get revenge.

The moment he moved, pain struck just as expected. Shen Gonglin bared his teeth and tried hard not to make a sound. Class President was sleeping quietly beside the bed, and it would be bad if he woke her. She had been taking care of him ever since he came to the infirmary, hadn't she? He had to let her get some proper rest.

Slowly throwing back the covers and getting out of bed, Shen Gonglin stood by the bedside and gently stroked Fu Hua's hair. Her gray strands felt especially soft. Shen Gonglin had a conscience—how could he not be grateful after everything Fu Hua had done for him? This kind of bedside care was such a classic development. Class President had worked so hard; he had to let her rest well tonight.

Sometimes, he wanted to be a more normal male lead too. Shen Gonglin stood beside Fu Hua and slowly bent down. What was a warm, considerate male lead supposed to do at a time like this again? Shen Gonglin began pondering such matters once more. It seemed he was supposed to carry the sleeping girl by the bed onto it.

One of his arms was completely useless, so Shen Gonglin wrapped his right arm around Fu Hua's waist and tried hard to lift her. This guy was really too weak—even carrying such a slender girl was a problem. Of course, his current posture also had something to do with it. He was probably supposed to carry her princess-style. That would look more romantic, unlike this...

Shen Gonglin felt like he was hugging half a slab of pork... Though, if it really were pork, it would probably be worth quite a bit of money.

Thud.

His thoughts had wandered off again. Shen Gonglin, distracted as usual, had completely failed to notice his surroundings. With one careless move, he bumped Fu Hua's head into the cabinet beside the bed. The heavy sound gave Shen Gonglin a fright. He hadn't woken Class President up, had he?

Hurriedly placing Fu Hua on the bed, Shen Gonglin watched her anxiously. A red patch spread across the girl's forehead at a visible rate, but fortunately, Class President did not seem to wake up. Her breathing was even and her posture peaceful. Good, good. As long as Class President didn't wake up, it was fine. Otherwise, his image as a warm male lead would be ruined. He would probably turn into a comedic idiot instead.

"Sorry... Rita did it. It was definitely her. She sneaked in at midnight and gave you a hard knock on the head, Class President. If you wake up and want revenge, go find her."

Shen Gonglin whispered incessantly beside the sleeping Fu Hua's ear. It seemed he wanted to hypnotize her while she slept. This sort of thing was actually quite effective. Surely when Class President woke up, she would subconsciously believe Rita had done it. As long as it had nothing to do with him, that was fine.

While comforting himself, Shen Gonglin's attention was gradually drawn to the sleeping girl's face. Under the moonlight, Class President looked especially peaceful. Her usually stern, serious face had softened by several degrees. Just judging by her face, Class President was a beautiful girl who lost to no one. If Shen Gonglin did not have something important to do tonight, he really wanted to spend the entire night looking at her face like this...

But unfortunately, as a man who always repaid a grudge, Shen Gonglin could not let this wonderful night go to waste.

Still, it should be fine to take a tiny advantage, right? There was no danger if he thought about it. Class President had hit her head so hard just now and still had not woken up. If he did something gently, there definitely would not be a problem.

He easily convinced his conscience—or rather, perhaps Shen Gonglin did not possess such a thing as a conscience to begin with. Looking at Fu Hua's lovely face beneath the moonlight, Shen Gonglin immediately took action. If he held back at a time like this, he would not be himself. It was only a kiss on the cheek, after all. That was fine, right?

As he thought that, Shen Gonglin acted. Without the slightest hesitation, he bent down and kissed Fu Hua's cheek. His lips were slightly cool, while Fu Hua's cheek was somehow burning hot. He did not linger long, and fearing that Fu Hua would wake up, Shen Gonglin quickly raised his head. His heart was pounding, but Class President... did not seem to react.

Then one more time.

No one could understand the workings of Shen Gonglin's mind. After kissing her left cheek, he set his sights on Fu Hua's right. Repeating the same motion, Shen Gonglin left another mark on her other cheek. Having done it once already, he was much more practiced the second time. This time, he did not merely kiss her—he even lightly touched her with his tongue. Class President still had not woken up... so could he be a little more excessive?

Shen Gonglin held his chin and seriously considered whether that was feasible. He was no longer some little boy who could be satisfied with kissing cheeks. Mature adults sought different things. Shen Gonglin's target gradually shifted to Fu Hua's glistening lips. It seemed rather perverse to do this while a girl was asleep, but... weren't blond-haired characters in games all like this? He was blond too. He could not disgrace the blond community.

So Shen Gonglin was not doing this for himself, but for the world!

Having made up his mind again, Shen Gonglin aimed for his target and leaned down. But this time, he did not get his wish. As though the position was uncomfortable, Fu Hua turned over before Shen Gonglin could kiss her. Her arm, however, struck Shen Gonglin squarely on the head. Even a sleeping Valkyrie packed considerable strength. Shen Gonglin was directly chopped onto the floor by that hand strike. It hurt like hell. So he really could not do this sort of thing... He had been too impulsive.

Clutching his head, Shen Gonglin crawled out of the infirmary like some bizarre creature. Once he left, silence returned to the room. Yet the person on the bed quietly opened her green eyes, and an astonishing heat crept across Fu Hua's face.

What was this supposed to be?! That traitorous disciple! One kiss on the cheek was one thing, and she could even endure two, but what had he intended to do at the end?! That idiot really was after her body!

Fu Hua had been awake from the very beginning. She had only wanted to see what Shen Gonglin intended to do while she was asleep. When he bumped her head, the pain nearly made her cry out. Even with that kind of pain, Fu Hua forcibly endured it. After all, this guy had wanted to carry her onto the bed, which counted as caring about her. But what followed exceeded Fu Hua's limits of tolerance. This guy had no fear whatsoever.

He actually dared to do it.

Shen Gonglin's Revenge

Fu Hua did not know why she had pretended to be asleep. Maybe she had wanted to see what Shen Gonglin would do while she slept. In the end, this clumsy idiot could not even manage such a simple task. All he had wanted was to put her on the bed, yet he had somehow bumped her head. Any normal person should not have made that mistake, right? Yet Shen Gonglin did it. The pain had made Fu Hua want to bare her teeth at the time, but thankfully, she endured it...

No, it was not good at all! She should have woken up then. If she had woken up then, none of what happened afterward would have happened. Fu Hua was filled with regret now. Why had she pretended to be asleep?

In the infirmary after Shen Gonglin left, Fu Hua lay on her side and vigorously rubbed her cheeks. The sensation of Shen Gonglin's lips still lingered there. When he kissed her, Fu Hua's heart had nearly stopped. Shen Gonglin had not noticed at the time, but Fu Hua had already clenched her fists. If her brain had not frozen, she would have punched him long ago. That traitorous disciple—did he even regard her as his teacher?!

Fu Hua might have forgotten that she was the one who had forbidden Shen Gonglin from calling her his teacher.

Then came another kiss. With marks left on both cheeks, Fu Hua tried hard to endure it. Calm down. Shen Gonglin was still injured, after all. It would not be too late to beat him up once he recovered. As they said, a gentleman could take ten years to avenge a grievance. She would put this on Shen Gonglin's tab for now, and later when he... Wait, no way?

He was planning to do it again!

Fu Hua could not endure that any longer. She could barely console herself enough to tolerate a kiss on the cheek, but Shen Gonglin's target this time was clearly not her cheek. If he kissed her there, she would truly be unable to maintain her identity as his teacher. Though her first kiss had already gone to Shen Gonglin, that time had merely been an accident. Shen Gonglin was clearly acting with subjective intent now, so absolutely not.

Pretending to sleep, Fu Hua rolled over and chopped Shen Gonglin on the head with one hand. The guy got scared and ran out at once. Fu Hua clearly had no mood to chase after him now. She was supposed to be asleep, after all. If she ran out after him, would that not prove she had been awake just now? How awkward would it be when she met Shen Gonglin again? So she let him run off. This was Schicksal Headquarters, after all. There would not be any danger.

Fu Hua pulled the blanket over herself. Mm... it was full of Shen Gonglin's scent. Covering herself with it felt wrong, but not covering herself felt wrong too. In that conflicted state, Fu Hua slowly fell asleep. It had to be said that wrapped in that scent, Fu Hua slept very, very deeply. It had been a long time since she had slept so peacefully...

Whew... Class President did not wake up just now, did she?

Shen Gonglin bolted out in a flash and did not stop until he had run for quite some time. He looked back at the hospital with lingering fear. Did the saying about gods watching from three feet above one's head really apply? He had only wanted to take a little advantage, so why had Class President suddenly slapped him? Could she have been awake...? Probably not. If she had been awake, she should have resisted when he carried her onto the bed. Not to mention that he had kissed her cheek afterward. Still, kissing a girl really did feel different from kissing himself.

Shen Gonglin lifted his arm and kissed it. The difference was obvious. Class President tasted sweet when kissed. Should he talk her into including this in his future rewards? It was not entirely impossible. Class President had already agreed to let him rest on her lap and stomach. Surely resting on her chest and waist was not far off. Winning over Class President was truly too interesting.

He felt secretly delighted, yet Shen Gonglin had not forgotten what he was supposed to do tonight. Looking down, the bandages around his shoulder and the stabbing pain reminded him not to forget his revenge. All of this had been caused by that dumb goose. Shen Gonglin had never been a gentleman. He took revenge on the spot when he could, and even if he could not, he would do it that night. It could not be left until morning. If he left it overnight, he would cough!

That was right. Shen Gonglin had come out in the middle of the night instead of sleeping to get revenge. Durandal had beaten him up so badly. If he said nothing, she would really think he was easy to bully. He might not be able to defeat her head-on. With his current body, even using the Universal Angel set would not make him Durandal's match. Letting the angel fight in his place would put too great a burden on his body, so this revenge had to be carried out personally by Shen Gonglin.

He licked his little canine teeth. Looking at the moon hanging high in the sky, Shen Gonglin immediately determined the direction of his path to revenge. Durandal was surely already asleep at this hour. She lived with Rita, so... heh heh. Just wait for Shen Gonglin's revenge!

Shen Gonglin tried to make a villainous cackling laugh as he set off down the road toward Rita's home. This should be the right road. He had already worked it out when he regained consciousness. Rita's house was not far away; go down this road, turn right, then right again, then go straight, then turn right... Wait, where had he ended up?

Shen Gonglin, setting out on his path of revenge, had clearly not expected so many forks in the road. After taking two turns, he successfully got himself lost. Damn it, this had to be one of Schicksal's security measures, meant to prevent spies from infiltrating. What a clever method. It had even confused him.

Shen Gonglin's face darkened. He had not expected to encounter a setback at the very first step of his revenge. But if they thought such a method could stop him, they were too naive. Even Kiana knew what to do when she encountered difficulty. Looking at the towering building beside him, Shen Gonglin took a deep breath and adjusted his condition.

Fear was fear, but revenge still had to be taken. He would add every bit of this to that dumb goose's account!

Shen Gonglin closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his deep purple pupils had turned green, and two enormous pink wings spread behind his back. Tch, even his clothes had been ripped apart. That would have to go on Durandal's tab too.

Looking at the clothes torn open across his back, Shen Gonglin pinned another crime on Durandal. After waking up, he had discovered that he could use the Universal Angel's abilities to varying degrees. Like this, there was practically no burden on his body. But combat was another matter.

Still, Shen Gonglin was not planning to fight now. He only wanted to fly up and find Rita's home. See? For revenge, he could even temporarily set aside his fear of heights. What a massive grudge.

The Path of Revenge

Meanwhile, at Rita's home, Durandal put down her bowl and chopsticks under the bright lights. Whenever she was unhappy, one meal carefully prepared by Rita would improve her mood. Though she would probably have to increase her exercise tomorrow, or her figure might go out of shape.

"Rita, thank you. Dinner was delicious."

Durandal touched her waist, then looked up at the maid. The maid, who had finished eating first, had already begun clearing the dishes. Rita was always so perfect in matters like this. Durandal was especially satisfied with this adjutant, so what had happened today must have been an illusion, right? How could someone like Rita possibly toy with her?

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Lady Durandal, please do not forget to exercise after dinner. It is for the sake of your health... though please do not overexert yourself either. Punching a sandbag at night is not an appropriate choice."

Rita picked up the dishes from the table and placed them in the sink. Cleaning was a maid's responsibility, so except under special circumstances, Rita never allowed Durandal to involve herself in it. There should still be enough time. If she went to the hospital now, Shen Gonglin probably would not be asleep yet.

"Mm, I'll run on the treadmill for a while later... Rita, are you planning to go out?"

Durandal stretched in her chair. At that moment, the cat also ran to her feet. While petting it, Durandal noticed the lunch box on the table. The box looked exquisite and beautiful. When Durandal lifted the lid, she saw delicate dishes identical to the ones she had just eaten. Rita had prepared this, so she really was planning to go out.

"Yes, I intend to visit Shen Gonglin at the hospital. Lady Durandal, you do not need to leave the door open for me. Please rest well."

As she tidied everything in the kitchen, Rita's movements were swift and flawless. That was indeed her plan. If she did not visit Shen Gonglin at the hospital, she would not be able to rest easy. His shoulder injury was serious. She probably would not be able to sleep at home anyway, and leaving only Fu Hua over there did not seem right. So the maid had decided to go keep him company... Ahem, to nurse him. This lunch box was a gift of sympathy for Shen Gonglin.

She should bring some fruit later too. Shen Gonglin probably liked strawberries and grapes.

"Huh? So you really are planning to visit that bad boy? Rita, don't let his injury fool you. I knew what I was doing when I hit him. Besides, how could there be a problem with Headquarters' medical standards? And isn't Fu Hua there? With her around, how could anything happen to Shen Gonglin? I don't think you need to go."

Why did Rita care so much about Shen Gonglin? Durandal was very curious about that. There was also a feeling in her heart that Rita was being stolen away. Why did Rita not comfort her? Strictly speaking, she had been the one who lost today. Yet both Fu Hua and Rita seemed more concerned with Shen Gonglin. That guy... Durandal had initially wanted to visit him at the hospital too, but now she had no desire to go at all. He was just injured. What was so remarkable about that? It was not as if no one had ever been hurt before.

"It is precisely because Lady Fu Hua is there that I must go. Please do not worry, Lady Durandal. I will be back soon... perhaps not until tomorrow morning. Speaking of which, Lady Durandal, today's battle had quite an unexpected result."

As she said words Durandal could not understand, Rita washed the dishes with a strange gleam in her eyes. Everyone had been fooled by Fu Hua's rigid appearance. Who knew what she might do? In Rita's view, that traitorous disciple might already be rolling around on Shen Gonglin's hospital bed with his teacher. Shen Gonglin clearly had no ability to resist right now, so she had to watch Fu Hua. She had to protect Shen Gonglin.

"Mm, I really didn't expect him to have a method like that. That angel obviously wasn't fighting at full strength today. The Ultimate Weapon, Apollon... If what that angel said was true, that one strike could destroy a country... That's terrifying."

Recalling the battle, Durandal's expression grew serious. She had not been in perfect condition either, but that angel had clearly not been using her maximum output. Shen Gonglin's physical condition limited her combat ability. Just two percent of her power could cause that much destruction. Without Shen Gonglin's physical limitations, that angel truly qualified as an Ultimate Weapon.

And was the so-called Ultimate Weapon, the Bow of Apollon, truly the Universal Angel's final move? Durandal's instincts told her that the angel was hiding an even more powerful trump card.

"Yes, it is indeed terrifying. Fortunately, Shen Gonglin is on our side... Mm?"

Rita put away the dishes. Just as she was preparing to remove her apron, she felt a faint breeze. What was going on? She should have closed the window. Why was there wind?

The maid looked up, and the instant she did, she met a pair of deep purple eyes. Shen Gonglin? Why was he here? And why was he clinging to the window? What... was going on?

"Rita, what happened?"

Durandal in the living room heard Rita's startled cry and called toward the kitchen. At that moment, Shen Gonglin's big expressive eyes blinked rapidly at Rita. The quick-witted maid immediately understood what he meant. He did not want Lady Durandal to know he was here. Understood.

"Nothing. I merely saw a little bug. I apologize for worrying you, Lady Durandal."

Rita reached out and pulled Shen Gonglin down from the window. Knowing what he wanted, she had him crouch beside her feet. With the counter and her body concealing him, Lady Durandal would not see him. Though she had no idea what Shen Gonglin intended, why... why was she cooperating with him so readily?

She could not quite understand it.

"A bug? Doesn't Stan usually eat all the little bugs? There are still some? Then we should call pest control tomorrow. Also, Rita, I told you already—don't use honorifics with me anymore."

Durandal spoke with a frown. Rita was good at everything, except that she was far too formal. Holding the cat, Durandal slowly approached. Shen Gonglin, crouching beside Rita's legs, became tense. If Durandal discovered him, his operation tonight would probably be ruined on the spot. Rita, everything depended on you!

A Nameless Chapter

Flying really was not suitable for Shen Gonglin. Though it gave him a broad view, he was too scared. If the ground below had not been pitch-black because it was nighttime, Shen Gonglin truly would not have dared fly this high. At times like this, a vampire's night vision was a burden. Shen Gonglin checked his direction while flying, and in the end, he finally found Rita's home before fear made him cry. His anger had now risen to its peak. That Durandal—it was all her fault!

Retracting his wings, Shen Gonglin stood outside Rita's home and prepared to infiltrate. Since this was covert revenge, he definitely could not enter through the front door. Otherwise, that woman would become wary. So Shen Gonglin intended to sneak in from somewhere else, and the window was clearly a fine choice. This direction should lead to Rita's bathroom. He only needed to sneak in through here, hide, and wait for Durandal.

Having made his decision, Shen Gonglin stood on tiptoe and climbed the wall with all his might. But unfortunately, this idiot had clearly overestimated his sense of direction. Successfully finding Rita's home had already pushed him to his limit. He thought this was the bathroom, but when he opened the window and met Rita's eyes, Shen Gonglin was dumbfounded. These pots, pans, and dishes...

So Rita's family liked to cook in the bathroom. He had learned something new.

Everything was understood without words. Through that brief exchange of gazes, Shen Gonglin knew that Rita was one of his own. Then Durandal's voice came from outside. Had he been wrong about this maid all along? This useless maid, whose only advantage was that lewd figure of hers, had actually done something decent this time. Not only had she pulled him inside, she had even helped him hide. Shen Gonglin was so moved that he nearly cried on the spot.

He had originally planned to take revenge on Rita while he was at it, but now it seemed he would spare her. After all, Rita was on his side now.

"I apologize, Lady Durandal... I truly am sorry. I will get used to it as soon as possible."

As if Shen Gonglin did not exist, Rita turned and bowed to Durandal. When Rita lowered her head, Shen Gonglin was right there on the floor. Durandal would see him if she came over. The counter was all that hid Shen Gonglin. It was truly an emergency, but for a perfect maid, this kind of situation was not worth mentioning... right?

Why was this guy suddenly rubbing against her leg? Did he think the situation was not difficult enough and wanted to make it harder for her?

A strange feeling came from her leg, and Rita's eye twitched hard. Her crimson-purple eyes glanced down slightly. Shen Gonglin had both hands on her calf, stroking it repeatedly. His serious, focused expression made him seem as though he were researching an impossibly difficult problem. No one would think he was taking liberties with a girl. What exactly was he trying to do? Was he not afraid Lady Durandal would find him?

Fine. Now, it was not only for Shen Gonglin's sake. Even for her own sake, she absolutely could not let Durandal discover this. If Lady Durandal saw Shen Gonglin touching her leg like this, she would misunderstand. Kitchen play and such... that was terrifying.

Shen Gonglin, meanwhile, was completely following his heart. Leaning against the counter, Rita's black-stockinged legs were right in front of him. Since he was already here, it would feel like something was missing if he did not personally test how they felt. Come to think of it, he had only ever touched Bronya's legs before. The legs of a mere loli truly could not be compared with the feeling of the mature woman before him. Rita's legs had far more texture than Bronya's. Bare feet and stockings, loli and mature woman... Shen Gonglin stroked them until he could no longer tell which he preferred. Though he liked mature older women, someone like Bronya did not seem bad at all.

He would put them together and properly feel them up someday. There was no way to determine a winner like this. And Class President, and Kiana, and Mei... No, there were simply too many. It was all these girls' fault. Why did they have to grow such beautiful legs? They were making Shen Gonglin not know what to do. They all wanted to disrupt his resolve. Did they not know he had already achieved mastery of the sword heart?

"Rita, what's wrong? You seem a little strange... Huh, Stan..."

Durandal looked suspiciously at the maid before her. For some reason, Rita's face seemed a little red. At that moment, the kitten in Durandal's arms jumped down and ran toward Rita's feet. What was going on? Had this cat not always been somewhat hostile toward Rita? Why was it so close to her this time? Had Rita put catnip on her legs while Durandal was not looking?

Born with an affinity for small animals, the cat ran straight toward Shen Gonglin. Shen Gonglin was petting Rita's legs while Stan rubbed against Shen Gonglin. What was this cat trying to do? If it came over and led Durandal here, what then?!

"Why is this little fellow so close to you today? Doesn't it normally ignore you? I truly can't understand the habits of animals like cats."

Listening to Stan's meows, Durandal leaned against the counter and sighed. If she took just one more step forward, she would see Shen Gonglin. The situation made Shen Gonglin instantly tense. Even so, his hands did not stop moving. Rita only felt as though Shen Gonglin was about to rub her leg raw. Why did he have to rub her leg when he was nervous? It was making her nervous too.

"Y-yes, Lady Durandal. The minds of cats are indeed difficult to fathom. Perhaps they do not regard themselves as cats, but as their owners. Rubbing against someone like this is to pick up their scent—a declaration of ownership."

Rita tried to change the subject. Durandal would certainly be interested whenever cats were mentioned. She absolutely could not let Lady Durandal find Shen Gonglin!

"Yes, I know. That's why it's strange. This child normally refuses to go near you, Rita. What's going on today...?"

As Durandal spoke, she started walking over. At that moment, Shen Gonglin acted. He grabbed the cat by the scruff. Sorry, Shit Egg, but who told you to rub around so casually? Consider this payment for getting your fur all over me. Off you go!

With a miserable cry, Shen Gonglin flung the cat aside. Hearing the cry, Durandal hurried over at once. The strongest Valkyrie was an absolute cat lover, and hearing the cat cry out like that made her immediately forget about Rita. What had happened? Had Rita kicked Stan?

Durandal rushed over, while Rita seized the chance to tuck Shen Gonglin under her arm and run to her room. Though she did not know why, he clearly did not want Lady Durandal to know he had come. So...

Was he here to have a secret tryst with her?

Honestly, Rita was a little excited.

Feeding the Tiger With Her Body

"Rita? What's wrong? Weren't you planning to go to the hospital? Are you not going after all?"

Durandal hurriedly picked up the kitten. While smoothing its fur, she turned back toward Rita. But Rita, who had been washing dishes in the kitchen, had vanished. Judging by the sound, she seemed to have run back to her room. What was going on? Had she not just been planning to visit Shen Gonglin at the hospital? Why had she gone back to her room now? Rita was acting so strangely tonight.

"I'm not going. Visiting him would not do any good anyway. Things will turn out however they turn out. I'm not going."

Rita's voice came from the room. Inside, the maid carefully pressed herself against the door and listened to the sounds outside, while Shen Gonglin sat bored on her bed, swinging his legs. Rita's room felt quite nice. He had not gotten the chance to look around last time, but this time she had brought him in herself, so he could not be blamed.