I, Herrscher Slayer

Why was she so scared? He was pretending to be Rita right now. As the maid who spent every day by her side, why did Durandal look terrified out of her wits?

Shen Gonglin stared at Durandal's condition on the bed, unable to make heads or tails of it. But that did not affect his revenge. Under cover of night, he still maintained his identity as a maid. He could not expose himself yet. At this distance, Durandal would definitely be able to react with her abilities. He had to get a little closer.

"Is that so? Then, Lady Durandal, the weather has been getting colder. You might catch a cold sleeping alone, so let me keep you company. Come on, move over a little and leave me some room."

Shen Gonglin stepped forward, but that only frightened Durandal even more. The strongest Valkyrie was scared half to death. There was definitely something wrong with Rita today. When had she ever done anything like this? And how could this weather possibly be considered cold? Who needed her to warm the bed? Since when did Rita even have that function? Heaven knew what she wanted to do by climbing onto her bed. Durandal was genuinely frightened. Could Rita have mistaken her for someone like herself?

"Calm down, Rita. Don't move yet. Let's calm down. I-I'll say it first... Actually, I like men, you understand? Men, not women."

Durandal pulled a snow-white arm from beneath the covers and reached out to stop the "maid" from approaching any further. At the same time, she tactfully made her position clear. Though same-sex relationships were common among the Valkyrie ranks, Durandal was a normal person! She was female and liked men. She had no interest whatsoever in trying other preferences. Now Rita should understand, right? There was no way the two of them could happen.

Even if Shen Gonglin got to take advantage of her, Rita never would.

What... was this woman talking about? Why could he not understand at all? Was this how the strong conversed?

Shen Gonglin was full of question marks, but he had no interest in continuing to tangle with Durandal. If this dragged on, his time for revenge would grow shorter. He needed to quickly find a way to subdue Durandal. Were girls always this strange at night? Unfortunately, Durandal was the only person he had ever launched a nighttime raid on. When he spent the night with Kiana... he did not want to do anything at all.

Remembering that white-haired girl sleeping spread-eagled in utter disarray, Shen Gonglin shook his head. Sure enough, people had no interest in bugs. Sleeping beside her gave Shen Gonglin absolutely no urge to launch a nighttime raid. Then again, what he was doing now counted as one, right? He actually felt rather excited.

"I happen to like women, Lady Durandal. Here I come."

Shen Gonglin honestly stated his preference, and this time Durandal finally confirmed that the maid intended to do something improper to her. The strongest Valkyrie was nearly frightened to tears on the spot. She had already said she liked women! As that shadow pounced toward her, Durandal was instantly at a loss. Should she turn her back to him or face him? So scary. No, she had to leave. At a time like this, even Shen Gonglin's hospital room was safer than her own home!

For some reason, she thought of Shen Gonglin at a time like this. Perhaps the impression left by his Angel Form during the day had been too deep. Durandal desperately prayed for his help, but just as she turned her back to the shadow and prepared to jump out of bed, it was already too late.

A pair of arms wrapped around Durandal's waist from behind. Her lower belly tightened, and goosebumps erupted across her body. At the same time, warm breath brushed against her ear. No, no, Rita really had made a move on her. What was she supposed to do now?

"Sh-Shen Gonglin!"

Her entire body stiffened. Caught in the arms of the person behind her, Durandal froze helplessly, yet his name slipped unconsciously from her lips. She did not know why she had called Shen Gonglin's name in such an environment. Perhaps she believed he could save her. After all, Rita seemed to treat him rather specially. Hurry and save her! That perverted maid was really about to make a move on her!

"Hm? You guessed it was me? Surprised? Shocked? Excited?"

Hearing her call his name startled Shen Gonglin, but he had already gotten completely close to Durandal. At this distance, he had her firmly in his grasp. So even if Durandal recognized him, it was no problem. Shen Gonglin tilted his head to look at her. Where exactly had he given himself away? He thought his disguise had been quite convincing.

"...Shen Gonglin? How could it be you?"

At such close range, Durandal timidly turned back. In the darkness, her azure eyes blinked for a long while before she confirmed that the person behind her was truly Shen Gonglin rather than Rita. After all, there were not two soft masses pressing against her back, and Shen Gonglin had returned to his own voice. Once she confirmed it was him, Durandal let out a long sigh of relief. Thank goodness, thank goodness. It was Shen Gonglin. If it was him, then there was no problem. Durandal had thought some beastly maid had lost control... Wait, no. It was not okay if it was him either!

"Huh? Why can't it be me? I rushed here overnight, and my purpose was... Hey, you're cheating!"

What was going on? Why did it feel like Durandal was no longer scared at all once she discovered it was him? Just now, when he had used Rita's voice, she had seemed so frightened that she was trembling. Holding Durandal around the waist, Shen Gonglin was completely certain of that. But now Durandal had entirely returned to normal. Shouldn't she be even more afraid if it was him?

Just as Shen Gonglin was confused, Durandal, whom he held in his arms, began to act. If it was Shen Gonglin, she was not afraid in the slightest. Thinking of how her embarrassing display had all been seen by him made the strongest Valkyrie's face burn. Such humiliation could only be washed away with blood. Shen Gonglin had actually dared to toy with her just now. What was the point of keeping someone like him alive?

He would only waste food if she did!

Durandal instantly began resisting while Shen Gonglin held her. The Valkyrie adjusted her body and swiftly entered a combat state, while Shen Gonglin's innate bed-fighting skills tangled with Durandal's. Was this woman truly worthy of being called the strongest Valkyrie? Even though he had seized the initiative, he still could not completely suppress her. And Shen Gonglin knew Durandal clearly had not yet used her real strength. He had to hurry.

Durandal was close to going mad herself. This guy did not treat her like a woman at all, did he? He could even use a move like trapping his head between her legs. Had she given him too much face or something?!

Durandal.jpg

Against Aesthetics

"Shen Gonglin, let go of me!"

Temporarily suppressed by Shen Gonglin, Durandal grappled with him while gripping his leg. Once she knew it was Shen Gonglin rather than Rita, she was no longer scared at all. Although fighting him like this allowed him to take quite a bit of advantage, Durandal did not feel that it was unacceptable. Compared with the state she had been in when she thought it was Rita, this was so much better. It was like thinking she had lost two hundred dollars, only to discover that she had actually lost fifty. She had still lost money, but the feeling was so much better.

She really did prefer men after all.

"I won't let go! Even if you kneel and beg me, I won't let go. You were having so much fun beating me today, weren't you? When you hit me back then, why didn't you think there would come a day like this? Let me tell you, this is called karma!"

Shen Gonglin was groaning inwardly as well. Who knew this girl would resist so fiercely? He could only maintain this deadlock without moving. The slightest lapse would let Durandal turn things around. These Valkyries were all far too strong. Someone like Shen Gonglin was simply no match for them. The two of them were probably maintaining a position called sixty-nine...

Wait a second? What kind of position was sixty-nine? Shen Gonglin had no idea at all. More of that strange knowledge reserve. His former self had really been a learned person.

"Then fight me fairly and openly. What does this count as... And I wasn't the only one who beat you up. Fu Hua and Rita took part too, so why are you only targeting me?"

Durandal was mostly playing around by now. Once she knew it was Shen Gonglin, she relaxed. After learning of his purpose, she could not help sighing inwardly. This guy was seriously petty. He had actually escaped from the hospital overnight over something like this. Being targeted by Shen Gonglin was truly no good thing. And his ability to imitate voices was far too impressive. She had spent so long with Rita, yet she had not noticed Shen Gonglin's disguise. That ability was incredible.

"Heh, you think I only got revenge on you? Let me tell you, you're the last one. I already dealt with Rita. Otherwise, how do you think I got into your room? Let me tell you, provoking this young master was your bad luck!"

Shen Gonglin sneered coldly. He had come here only after dealing with the Class President and Rita. The Class President had been hit in the head by a cabinet, while Rita was currently lying on her room's bed, hissing through her teeth after he bit her. Only Durandal remained. This girl struggled far too fiercely. She truly was the legendary strongest Valkyrie. He wondered whether the move he used on Rita would work on her.

"You've already seen Rita? No wonder she was acting so strangely earlier... Wait! Shen Gonglin, how did you get revenge on Rita? It can't be what I'm thinking, can it?!"

Remembering Rita's strange appearance when she had seen her earlier, Durandal immediately felt she had found the key point. Could Rita have already been retaliated against by Shen Gonglin at that time? Her crimson face, her eyes seemingly moist enough to drip water... All of it sent Durandal's imagination running wild. What exactly were Shen Gonglin's methods of revenge? Could it really be the things in her head? No, she absolutely could not let him succeed!

"Why not experience it yourself and find out? Come on, stay still. It'll only hurt for a moment. After that, it should feel very good."

Shen Gonglin wanted to shift positions and bite Durandal's neck. Though it worked the same no matter where he bit, Shen Gonglin was a man of refinement. He felt biting the neck was more ceremonial. Biting somewhere else just did not have the same flavor. But why was Durandal being so uncooperative? Rita's reaction had clearly shown that it felt good. It only hurt a little when his teeth broke the skin. After that, it was fine.

This guy really was not human. How could he say something like that so openly and self-righteously? No, she absolutely could not let Shen Gonglin succeed. She was not like that useless... Pah, she was not like Rita! Shen Gonglin could never use on her the same tricks he had used on Rita!

Noticing Shen Gonglin's movement, Durandal gritted her teeth and launched the same kind of offensive against him. Though the position was strange and embarrassing, thinking of how Rita had looked made Durandal feel that this was nothing. She absolutely could not let Shen Gonglin succeed. She would stake the title of strongest Valkyrie on it!

Two long, beautiful legs clamped around Shen Gonglin's neck. Durandal exerted only a little force, and Shen Gonglin already could not take it. Comparing physical strength with a Valkyrie was asking for trouble. These girls all seemed to have the strength of bears. Those two firm, elastic thighs nearly sent Shen Gonglin straight to the afterlife. He was not a fighting race after all. In the end, he could not beat a bear.

"How about it? Will you admit defeat? As long as you surrender and promise to leave immediately, I'll let you go. Shen Gonglin, you can't beat me as you are now."

Durandal did not believe Shen Gonglin could transform into Angel Form again. Such immense power surely came with harsh restrictions. Honestly, Shen Gonglin at his current strength would not be her match even if she gave him one hand. Fooling around with this guy in the middle of the night had truly made her lose her mind. She should hurry and drive him off, then get some proper rest.

"If you've got the guts, let me go! If you let me go, I'll take you down with one sliding kick, you bear, believe it or not? Why do all you Valkyries have such ridiculous stamina? This isn't fair!"

With his head trapped between Durandal's legs, Shen Gonglin could only shout like a defeated dog. This was completely against the rules. If she gave him both hands and both feet, Shen Gonglin would not even need a sliding kick.

A bear?

That word clearly provoked Durandal. Shen Gonglin truly had no filter. Valkyries were all young girls in the prime of their youth, yet out of his mouth they sounded like Amazonian warriors with nothing but brute strength. It seemed she could not let Shen Gonglin off so easily. This guy obviously had not grasped the situation. And that sliding kick nonsense... She needed to help Shen Gonglin clear his head.

Her legs squeezed harder, and Shen Gonglin's face nearly turned red from holding his breath. He repeatedly slapped Durandal's legs, but the woman showed no intention of loosening up. Fine, she had forced his hand. Though not biting her neck would somewhat damage his aesthetic sense, things had come to this. He could not worry about that now.

Looking at the snow-white legs before him, Shen Gonglin opened his mouth wide. His sharp canine teeth seemed to glint in the night. Seeing that, Durandal finally sensed something was wrong. What did this guy want to do?

The Strongest's Defeat

"W-Wait, Shen Gonglin. Let's talk this over. Don't do this yet!"

Remembering Rita's warning, Durandal hurriedly spoke up to stop Shen Gonglin. Only now did the strongest Valkyrie realize how strange their position was. Had she delivered herself right to Shen Gonglin's mouth? He could bite her leg just by opening his mouth, and that spot was... somewhat sensitive.

Heh heh, now she knew to beg? Too late!

Shen Gonglin laughed coldly inwardly, then opened his mouth and revealed those sinful sharp teeth. A leg was not as easy to bite as a neck or arm. Its smooth, elastic skin caused Shen Gonglin's bite to miss its mark. But the sensation of his wet, sharp teeth sliding across her skin was already enough to make Durandal unable to endure it. No, it looked like she had to use her true strength. If Shen Gonglin bit her, Durandal did not dare imagine the consequences.

Just as the Valkyrie mobilized the Honkai energy within her body, Shen Gonglin, having missed with his first strike, began a second assault. After all, skin was not as tough as armor. This time, Shen Gonglin finally bit through Durandal's skin. When that faintly salty liquid flooded into his mouth, Shen Gonglin knew he had succeeded.

She instantly lost control of her body. The Honkai energy she had yet to gather immediately ran wild. Durandal's azure eyes widened as a strange sensation spread through her entire body from where Shen Gonglin had bitten her. W-What was this feeling? Durandal had never experienced anything like it. Was this what Rita had experienced? It was terrifying.

Her taut body instantly went limp, and Durandal's long legs fell weakly aside. Durandal, who had held the upper hand just moments ago, became a lamb awaiting slaughter in an instant. Shen Gonglin slowly withdrew his teeth. With a gentle push, he moved aside the legs she had draped over him. Those legs, which had just been as strong as iron pincers, now had no strength at all. He looked with great satisfaction at the Valkyrie on the bed. It seemed this move worked quite well on her too.

"You... what did you do to me?"

She wanted to get up, but there was not a trace of strength in her body. Durandal panted heavily, her chest rising and falling violently. Even after Shen Gonglin released his bite, that feeling still echoed inside her. Having never experienced anything like this, Durandal felt instinctive fear. The feeling of being unable to control her own body was too terrifying. How did Shen Gonglin know such a move? If this happened in battle, even she could not resist it, much less the other Valkyries.

"As you can see, I bit you. I told you I'd get revenge. This is karma!"

Sitting on Durandal's waist, Shen Gonglin looked down at the Valkyrie smugly. Hadn't this girl been so proud during the day? She had kept refusing to use her full strength while sparring with him. Shen Gonglin had found that lofty attitude incredibly unpleasant. Only now did he finally feel satisfied. Look, no matter how strong she was, was she not now like a fish on a chopping board, ready for him to handle as he pleased?

That made it sound as though Shen Gonglin could cook.

This guy... was way too petty, wasn't he?

Her body could not move, but that was the look in Durandal's eyes. If anyone should seek revenge, shouldn't it be her? After all, this guy had started it by kicking her in the face. And she had not bullied him that much, right? She had merely hit a little too hard during their spar. His arm could move again now, more or less. Yet this guy had actually rushed over in the middle of the night to retaliate. Durandal had decided to put "petty" at the very top of Shen Gonglin's report.

But what she needed to consider now was probably the problem in front of her.

"Now that you've gotten your revenge, you may leave. Please close the door behind you."

Trying her utmost to suppress the strangeness in her body, Durandal issued an order to leave. As time passed, the feeling inside her became increasingly strange. By the time she noticed, her legs had already begun rubbing together uncontrollably. Shen Gonglin had to be poisonous. Otherwise, why did her entire body feel so itchy after he bit her? Could he be...

Like a mosquito?

Or perhaps a vampire?

Durandal looked at Shen Gonglin atop her. Perhaps because his posture had been inconvenient when he bit her leg, red blood still stained the corner of his mouth. That bewitching appearance made Durandal think of vampires. Perhaps because he had drunk blood, Shen Gonglin's deep violet pupils even seemed to carry a red gleam in her eyes. But that could be discussed later. Right now, she just wanted to ask Shen Gonglin to leave her room.

Did he not know she was barely holding on? She felt that she could cry out if she lost focus for even a moment. This was Durandal's final shred of restraint. She absolutely, absolutely could not make a sound. Once she did, she could die socially!

"Leave? What kind of man do you take me for? Leave now? Do you think I came all this way just to bite your leg once? You're underestimating me far too much."

Shen Gonglin folded his arms and looked down at Durandal from above. He was not worried in the slightest that Durandal would suddenly resist. Based on his experience, Shen Gonglin was certain that after being bitten by him, Durandal would be incapable of any meaningful resistance for half an hour. The strongest Valkyrie?

Before him, she was nothing more than a dish he could eat whenever he wanted.

Why did he feel like a villain? He was obviously supposed to be on the side of justice.

"W-What else do you want to do?"

Durandal's eyes filled with terror. Shen Gonglin's words scared her terribly. Was Shen Gonglin planning to do this and that? As a girl, Durandal was truly frightened now. In her current state, if Shen Gonglin really wanted to do something, she had no way to resist. And given the state of her body... Durandal was afraid that even if Shen Gonglin did do something, she would not resist.

They said dead ducks had stubborn beaks; geese were probably the same. Her body was being very honest right now, so Durandal could only stubbornly talk tough.

"Heh heh, you'll find out what I'm going to do in a moment. Heh heh heh heh."

Shen Gonglin wore a particularly sinister smile. With that strange laugh, he looked exactly like a villain from a story, while Durandal looked at him with some confusion.

"Why are you laughing like that?"

"Isn't that how bad guys laugh? If I don't laugh like this, it feels like something's missing. Don't try to change the subject and stall for time. Here I come."

Shen Gonglin, Who Always Settled His Scores

It was over. Shen Gonglin really was a beast.

Feeling Shen Gonglin moving around on top of her, a trace of despair flashed through Durandal's azure eyes. Anyone could guess what Shen Gonglin wanted to do now. She had just been relieved that the intruder was Shen Gonglin rather than Rita, yet who would have thought that she had just escaped a tiger's den only to enter a wolf's lair? Shen Gonglin was no good either. If she had known he would be like this, Rita would have been better. If it were Rita, she... Well, Durandal did not know whether Shen Gonglin or Rita was better after all. In any case, today would definitely be a painful and unforgettable day for Durandal.

"Click."

The Valkyrie closed her eyes. Just as she prepared herself to face it calmly, that sound rang out beside her ear. A dazzling flash of white light burst forth. Drawn by the brightness of the camera flash, Durandal curiously opened her eyes. This did not seem to be what she had imagined. What was Shen Gonglin doing?

"What are you doing?"

Durandal asked Shen Gonglin that. Earlier, she had thought Shen Gonglin was about to lose control of his beastly urges, but this guy had instead taken out a phone and was doing who knew what... Wait a minute, what kind of pose was he making her strike?

"Nothing. I just want to take a few pictures. They all say you're the strongest Valkyrie, so I figured there might be a lot of people willing to buy pictures like these. You know, I'm short on money. And I'm worried you'll beat me up once you recover, so... you get it."

Shen Gonglin had a natural talent for doing bad things. He arranged Durandal into all sorts of poses and took pictures. This was why he had taken Fu Hua's phone at the time. Wasn't this a standard tactic for bad guys? After taking embarrassing pictures of her, he could use them to threaten her into doing even more embarrassing things. Shen Gonglin was quite familiar with this routine.

Get what, my ass! Shen Gonglin, had this guy really given up on being human? Not only had he done something like this, he even planned to take pictures as keepsakes. It would have been one thing if he kept them for himself, but this bastard was even thinking of selling them for money. Shen Gonglin was more dangerous to human society than the Honkai at this point. Was he even human?

Durandal stared in shock, as though she could not understand Shen Gonglin's actions at all. After taking enough photos, Shen Gonglin smugly brought the phone before Durandal's eyes. Seeing herself on the screen, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shimmering with emotion, the Valkyrie nearly exploded. How could she look like this? Durandal became even more embarrassed.

"Of course, you can buy these photos too. If you buy them, I won't show them to anyone else. But if you bully me... heh heh, you get it. That's the situation, Durandal. Do you understand?"

Sitting on Durandal's lower belly again, Shen Gonglin put the phone back into his pocket. He was only saying it to scare Durandal. It was not as though he would really publish pictures like those. He merely wanted insurance against Durandal taking revenge afterward. This woman was as strong as a bear. Without Angel Form fighting for him, Shen Gonglin truly was no match for her. With this, Durandal would surely be wary of acting against him.

"Shen Gonglin, I swear that one day, I'll beat you to death. Literally beat you to death."

The expression on Durandal's face returned to perfect calm. Lying on the bed, she stared at the ceiling as though there were something extremely fascinating up there. The strongest Valkyrie calmly spoke those words. It did not matter how highly Otto valued Shen Gonglin, whether he was Fu Hua's disciple, or whether Rita favored him. Shen Gonglin had to die!

"Mm-hm, I'm so scared. Anyway, that's enough. Let's sleep."

Shen Gonglin nodded perfunctorily. Too many debts were nothing to worry about; too many lice did not itch. Didn't Kiana often swear she would beat him to death too? Wasn't he still alive and well? Shen Gonglin frequently walked the edge of a blade, and his talent for courting death was unmatched. Who could not talk big? He did not take Durandal's words to heart at all. After doing this, Shen Gonglin lay down again. The night was long, and his road to revenge was not yet over.

"What do you want now? You've taken the pictures already, so why aren't you leaving?!"

Why was Shen Gonglin still not done? Durandal felt she was about to collapse. Like a maggot, Shen Gonglin slowly wriggled over beside her. Wherever he brushed against her exposed skin, goosebumps rose. That feeling was still raging through Durandal's body even now. She had already been enduring it with great difficulty, and now Shen Gonglin was doing this. Durandal was going mad.

"Who said I was leaving? I don't know the way back, and going back now would only disturb the Class President's rest. I can't ask Rita to take me back either. She's in about the same state as you right now, so... Durandal, I don't mind. I'll squeeze in with you tonight. Don't worry, I sleep very restlessly."

That familiar wicked grin appeared again as Shen Gonglin lay beside Durandal. See? Even he had a considerate side. He would not trouble Rita so late at night, and the Class President had taken care of him for so many days, so she needed proper rest too. Thus, Shen Gonglin would reluctantly sleep somewhere unfamiliar tonight. He still understood the principle of giving someone a sweet date after hitting them with a stick.

See? After bullying Durandal, he was even warming her bed. When had Shen Gonglin ever warmed anyone else's bed? Durandal should be secretly delighted.

Why did she have to feel relieved because he slept restlessly... No, that was not the point. This guy did not want to trouble those two, so he was going to trouble her instead? Durandal felt horribly unbalanced, but she knew well that she had no ability to resist right now. The Valkyrie could only do her utmost to shift her body a little to the side. That was her silent protest. Shen Gonglin, she would remember this one!

"Why are you moving so far away? I'm not going to eat you just because you're close. Come here, come here."

He grabbed Durandal's arm and pulled her back. She truly was the strongest Valkyrie. Her body had recovered to this extent in such a short time. At this rate, she would regain her combat ability before midnight. If he fell asleep then, he might be in danger. He needed to think of something.

"What are you trying to do now? Isn't it enough that I promised not to move?"

Sensing Shen Gonglin's gaze sharply, Durandal looked at him warily. This guy was giving up on being human again!

"No, I thought that bloodsucking just now lacked any sense of ceremony, so I've decided to make up for it."

Shen Gonglin leaned toward Durandal's neck. To prevent her from recovering, he could only keep biting her neck. What a good idea.

"N-No... ah~"

An even more intense sensation spread from her neck. Durandal's blue eyes gradually lost focus, and in the end, she could not hold back her cry. The Valkyrie's restraint was completely gone.