I, Herrscher Slayer

"Lecher, prepare to die!"

With her exceptionally sharp senses, Fu Hua immediately noticed Shen Gonglin's gaze. To her, it even seemed as though he had let out an almost imperceptible sigh. Seeing him like that, anger flared in Fu Hua's heart. Her usual calm composure seemed utterly useless at this moment. Not only had he shown no remorse for what he had done to Bronya, but now he was looking her over with that kind of gaze. He had to be taught a proper lesson.

As she spoke, Fu Hua rushed forward. Shen Gonglin instantly activated his electrical enhancement and met her charge. Though he had no idea who this girl was, Shen Gonglin had no intention of just standing there and taking a beating. Who was afraid of a fight? This young master had never lost a fight before... Huh, this girl was pretty strong. Way stronger than Kiana.

Under the effects of his electrical enhancement, Shen Gonglin dodged Fu Hua's pale fist. Before he could react, her next move followed immediately. He did not possess any profound fighting skills himself; he was merely using electricity to instinctively enhance his body and increase his reaction speed. Yet the moment they exchanged blows, he seemed to have already fallen at a disadvantage. This girl had real skills. She was completely different from the Kiana he had fought before.

Of course, perhaps Kiana simply had not gotten serious. In any case, the girl before him was not an opponent he could defeat easily. If he did not take this seriously, he might actually lose... No. He refused to lose!

He had an unexpectedly strong aversion to the word "lose." The instant that thought surfaced, Shen Gonglin rejected it outright. He used every last bit of electricity he had absorbed from Mei earlier. Who cared who she was? Since she had started this fight, it could not just end for no reason. As for what would happen once he ran out of electricity... he would worry about that later.

This boy was not simple.

Watching the electricity surge across the boy's body, Fu Hua became serious as well. Or rather, she had been serious all along. She lowered her stance slightly and steadied her breathing. At that moment, her emerald eyes contained only the figure of the boy before her. Training alone all the time really was rather dull. It seemed that today, she could use a little of her true strength.

"Heavy-duty Rabbit, begin recording."

The only spectator, Bronya, clearly had no intention of stopping them either. Since this opportunity had presented itself, she might as well determine exactly what kind of power Shen Gonglin possessed.

The Battle with Fu Hua

Lightning coursed through his entire body, orange arcs crackling over Shen Gonglin from head to toe. Who knew what kind of person he had been before? Had he been some oversized power bank?

He had no way of knowing anything about his past. Shen Gonglin currently relied entirely on instinct to control lightning. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he could only reach Lv4 at most. If he absorbed a little more lightning from Mei, would that... Probably not. What he lacked was not electricity. He was probably missing some other special thing.

Speaking of which, what even was Lv4? Why did strange words he could not understand keep popping up in his head?

"A-rank Valkyrie Fu Hua. Please advise."

Even a lion used its full strength when hunting a rabbit. Fu Hua was equally serious about the coming battle. Because of the Valkyrie system, many people did not think much of men's combat power, but Fu Hua was different. Behind her red-rimmed glasses, her emerald pupils were filled entirely with Shen Gonglin's figure. Yet just as she stood on full alert, Shen Gonglin suddenly vanished from her sight. Fu Hua's pupils contracted. Relying on a warrior's instincts, even though her eyes had not seen him, her body moved first. The Valkyrie bent her arm and blocked Shen Gonglin's punch, her green eyes meeting his eyes gleaming with electricity.

"Your speed is sufficient, but your strength is lacking. You have no combat training. Are you merely relying on your body to fight on instinct?"

Fu Hua muttered softly. She was a master of martial arts and could discern many things from that single move. His state was somewhat similar to Kiana's. He too relied on his exceptional physical constitution and reactions in battle, without any systematic training. However, Shen Gonglin was in even worse shape than Kiana. At least Kiana, thanks to the Kaslana family genes, had nothing to complain about in terms of physical ability. But Shen Gonglin...

His physical fitness was terrible. He felt like an ordinary teenage boy, merely using the lightning on his body to enhance his neural reactions and fight.

"Mind your own business. Talk after the fight."

Shen Gonglin attacked again. He grabbed Fu Hua's wrist, used it for leverage, and kicked at her neck. Fu Hua was right—he was just throwing random attacks. However, he had seen this move used by Kiana before. It looked pretty cool, so Shen Gonglin was using it now. Kiana probably would not mind.

"The Kaslana family martial arts. What is your relationship with Kiana?"

Once again, Fu Hua raised her hand to block before Shen Gonglin's attack landed. Holding his ankle, she looked curiously at Shen Gonglin, who was now upside down before her. She had seen that move before. Although his form was slightly distorted, it was undoubtedly the Kaslana family's fighting style, identical to the way Kiana used it. This mysterious boy had quite a few secrets.

"Do I have to tell you she's my mistress too? Take this, Lightning Burst!"

Shouting out a move name he had made up on the spot, Shen Gonglin suddenly flashed with electricity. The numbing and scorching sensation forced Fu Hua to release his ankle. This woman was really strong. He had not held back in those exchanges, yet she still looked completely at ease, as if she had not taken him seriously at all. The gap in their strength irritated Shen Gonglin greatly. It seemed he had to bring out some real skill.

Lightning Burst... Was he connected to Raiden Mei too? He knew Kiana's family martial arts and possessed the power of lightning. Could it be that the two of them had truly broken a taboo and created new life... But then why had he made a move on Bronya? By rights, he should call her Auntie... Enough. These messy thoughts needed to end here. She would subdue him first and ask questions later.

Fu Hua had inevitably overheard some of her classmates' discussions at school. Kiana and Mei truly were very close, and now that she had encountered such an unusual case, she could not help letting her thoughts drift in that direction for a moment. It did not feel like her usual self. Fu Hua shook her head and threw out that speculation, which could not possibly be the truth.

This boy looked about as old as Bronya. Just how gifted would those two have to be to do something like that?

"Cun Xin Fist: Mountain Shatter."

Taking the initiative, Fu Hua rapidly closed in on Shen Gonglin. From his reaction, she could tell he had never truly experienced battle. The Cun Xin Fist was a technique she had created herself. With his physical condition, this strike should directly rob him of his ability to fight. He did not seem to be a bad person, so she would subdue him first and investigate afterward.

Shen Gonglin's pupils shrank. He had not expected the girl who had been defending all this time to be so fast as well. He knew his own physical condition. Compared to these monstrously strong girls, it simply could not compare. If that blow landed solidly, it would probably hurt badly enough to make him cry. So he absolutely could not get hit!

"Lightning Strike Spear!"

Blue-white electricity flickered across Shen Gonglin's forehead. He swept one hand through the current, guiding it directly into the girl before him. Fu Hua had no time to react, and the speed of Lightning Strike Spear was clearly not something that could be reacted to. Could something moving at the speed of light really be countered through reaction speed alone?

"Class President."

Watching the scene unfold, Bronya summoned Heavy-duty Rabbit and prepared to rush forward to help. She had not expected Shen Gonglin to be this powerful. Bronya knew the Class President's combat strength very well; Fu Hua could fight five Kianas without even breaking a sweat. Yet who would have thought that not only had Fu Hua failed to take Shen Gonglin down in a few moves, she had actually been injured by him instead? Shen Gonglin truly was not simple. Was he still this strong even with amnesia?

"Bronya, do not worry. I am fine."

As the lightning faded, Fu Hua reappeared before Shen Gonglin and Bronya, faint smoke rising from her body. She truly had been unable to dodge that move just now. Even in her prime, she likely would have struggled. Yet when Fu Hua had prepared to grit her teeth and endure the pain, she discovered that it barely hurt at all. The seemingly fierce lightning had only flickered over the surface of her skin before vanishing. Was it all sound and no substance?

"Electrical power is voltage multiplied by current. If the voltage is high but the current is low, the harm caused to a person will be minimal. You must have held back. Although I do not approve of what you did, I must still thank you. But from here on, please fight seriously."

She quickly understood the issue. As one of St. Freya Academy's top students, Fu Hua's mind could not be compared to that of certain white-haired grasshoppers. Straightening up, Fu Hua seriously nodded at Shen Gonglin. If he had possessed killing intent in that last attack, it probably would have hurt quite a lot.

...Shen Gonglin was full of question marks. What was this woman talking about? Had he held back just now? He had used that move entirely on instinct. Voltage times current? It was not like he had the ability to generate a high current. He could feel that the electricity in his body was already running low. Could he still not deal with this girl even like this? What was he supposed to do?

Body Slam

Having completely acknowledged Shen Gonglin's strength, Fu Hua would no longer hold back in the coming fight. Beneath the blue training uniform on her back, Fu Hua activated her stigmata. This was the source of a Valkyrie's power, the foundation that gave them combat ability beyond that of ordinary humans. It was something only exceptional Valkyries could possess. Beyond their resistance to Honkai energy, some people also awakened stigmata. The difference between having a stigmata and not having one was like heaven and earth.

What should he do? What should he do? He was getting a little panicked now. No matter what, Shen Gonglin had no intention of admitting defeat. In this situation, he could only give it everything he had. Shen Gonglin tried his best to calm himself and face the girl before him. With the stigmata's enhancement, Fu Hua's speed increased once more. In almost the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Shen Gonglin, and the Cun Xin Fist followed immediately. Shen Gonglin gritted his teeth and took it head-on. He should be able to block this using Fu Hua's earlier move. He would treat a dead horse as if it were alive.

Electromagnetic Force flowed into his arms, stimulating the muscles there. Shen Gonglin began carefully recalling Fu Hua's previous movements. His mind seemed to work remarkably well; as long as he wanted to, he could clearly recall what Fu Hua had done. He had never learned any fighting techniques. The only move Shen Gonglin knew now was one move of the Kaslana family martial arts he had observed from Kiana. Other than that, there was only...

"Cun Xin Fist: Mountain Shatter!"

Identical to Fu Hua's own technique, two equally pale fists collided. For the first time, surprise appeared in Fu Hua's calm and elegant eyes. Behind her red-rimmed glasses, Fu Hua looked at the young man before her, turmoil rising in her heart. Why did he know this fist technique too? She had absolutely never taught him... Could it be... No, impossible. He must have learned this move after seeing her use it just now.

What astonishing learning ability. Without systematic guidance or training, he had learned her move merely through observing her with his own eyes during their fight. Even his method of exerting force and his footwork resembled those of someone who had studied it for years. Fu Hua had never seen such learning ability before. The Kaslana family move from earlier had been the same... had it not?

She was still considering that question, but when Fu Hua shifted her gaze from Shen Gonglin's fist to his face, she froze for a moment. What was going on? Those large purple eyes seemed to be covered with a misty layer of tears. What was this? Was he about to cry?

Why? She had not bullied him. This was just a normal sparring match. Besides, he had not even lost yet. If he could not accept losing, it was much too early to cry now.

"What are you looking at? Have you never seen someone get sand in their eyes?"

His voice seemed to carry a sob as Shen Gonglin stubbornly defended himself. He claimed sand had gotten in his eyes, but in truth, the pain had made him cry. Why were her fists so hard? They looked pale and delicate, but when Shen Gonglin's fist met Fu Hua's, he truly felt the unmatched force contained within the girl's punch. He had already used electricity to strengthen himself and numb his nerves, yet it still hurt this much. If he took a direct hit from Fu Hua, Shen Gonglin guaranteed that he would burst into tears on the spot. His physical condition simply could not compare to that of a Valkyrie. On top of that, he was naturally extremely afraid of pain. Blocking that move was already Shen Gonglin's limit.

Why was there nowhere to add attribute points? If he could, Shen Gonglin wanted to put every single point into defense.

This guy had definitely cried. It was not because he had gotten sand in his eyes.

Fu Hua and Bronya exchanged a glance and read that exact message in each other's eyes. He was clearly a promising martial arts talent. With proper guidance, his achievements would absolutely not be low. Fu Hua was no longer approaching this with her original mindset of teaching a lecher a lesson. The Valkyrie now wanted to see Shen Gonglin's true strength. Was that last move a coincidence? Another attempt would reveal the answer.

"Please be careful next. Cun Xin Fist: Heaven Splitter!"

Fu Hua deliberately gave Shen Gonglin time to react before attacking again. With the mindset of feeding him moves, she struck once more. If he truly possessed that kind of learning ability, he should be able to learn this move as well. Let her see whether a miracle truly existed.

Again?

Seeing Fu Hua's fierce advance, Shen Gonglin instantly panicked a little. His hand was still trembling from blocking that last strike, and this punch looked as though it would hurt even more than the previous one. Even if he learned it, Shen Gonglin refused to take it head-on. With her body, clashing directly with him would certainly not be a problem. But he would absolutely be crushed into pieces. It seemed he was not the close-combat type after all. He needed to find a way to create some distance.

"Iron Sand Sword."

He fully activated the little Electromagnetic Force remaining in his body. A mass of black matter suddenly rushed in through the training room window. It was iron sand Shen Gonglin had drawn from the dirt outside using Electromagnetic Force. Though it was called a sword, it was not limited to the shape of one. The iron sand moved as though it were an extension of his limbs. As Shen Gonglin leaped backward, it had already wrapped around Fu Hua. Under the control of Electromagnetic Force, the iron sand bound Fu Hua tightly like ropes. Even a complete beginner knew what to do when an enemy was restrained, much less Shen Gonglin.

Before losing his memories, he might have been a master gamer.

Adding another trait to his self-assessment, Shen Gonglin leaped far away and gave Fu Hua, who was bound by iron sand, a wicked grin. Then, under Fu Hua's puzzled gaze, he pulled a coin from his pocket. What was he trying to do? Toss a coin?

"You know, by using the principles of electromagnetic induction, this move fires at three times its initial velocity. It keeps accelerating before it hits... I cannot really explain the exact principles either. Anyway, you only need to remember that I'm about to launch an insanely awesome attack. You're finished, unless you kneel and apologize now, and show me your chest while you're at it... Forget it, no need to show it. There's nothing to look at anyway. Do you surrender?"

It had not been a big deal at first, but when Shen Gonglin's "quiet muttering" reached Fu Hua's ears, the Valkyrie's mood immediately changed. Did this guy think he had already won? Her emerald eyes locked tightly onto Shen Gonglin. He might not be some monstrous criminal, but he was definitely a bad person. What did he mean, there was nothing to look at?

It seemed she was not surrendering. Shen Gonglin flicked the coin onto his thumb and quietly relaxed his control over the iron sand. Since he had no intention of hurting anyone, he aimed beside Fu Hua's ear. Scaring her would be enough. Yet at the instant Shen Gonglin made his move, Fu Hua moved as well. She sharply seized the instant the iron sand around her loosened. An orange-red beam streaked past Fu Hua's ear, and the Valkyrie instantly appeared before Shen Gonglin. Just as she prepared to strike, she discovered Shen Gonglin throwing himself directly at her. What was going on?

Shen Gonglin used Body Slam. It was super effective.

Blood Fainting

Fu Hua had not expected Shen Gonglin to use that move. Rather, it was not a move at all. A tremendous boom sounded behind her as Shen Gonglin's Railgun blast tore straight through the training room. Yet Fu Hua had no time to pay attention to what was behind her. The punch she had prepared could not be thrown. Shen Gonglin went limp and collapsed directly onto her. Out of instinct, Fu Hua caught him and stepped back twice to absorb the force of his fall, but who knew that such a simple movement would cause an accident?

The training room floor was smooth and level, and Fu Hua was not the sort of Valkyrie who would trip on flat ground. She had only taken two steps back, but Shen Gonglin's misfired Railgun had destroyed one of the training room's walls. The fallen bricks happened to end up beneath Fu Hua's foot. Just like the scene in the hospital room with Kiana before, Shen Gonglin lay atop Fu Hua while Fu Hua landed squarely on the back of her head. The heavy impact made even Bronya, who was watching, close her eyes.

She seemed to have seen this scene before. Last time it had been Kiana. This time, it was the Class President. Both of them probably hurt a lot.

It truly hurt, like crashing his nose into a steel plate. Unlike Kiana's powerful cushioning, had this girl hidden a steel plate inside her clothes? Shen Gonglin lay motionless on top of Fu Hua. It was not that his aching nose did not want to move; he simply could not move.

"Ow, ow, ow... Hey, what is wrong with you? Get up."

The back of her head had slammed hard against the floor. Falling was something that seemed never to have existed in Fu Hua's memories. She had not expected to experience it today, and she owed it all to the guy lying on top of her. What was going on? Had they not been fighting perfectly well just now? That orange-red beam had allowed Fu Hua to fully recognize Shen Gonglin's strength. His fighting style was quite remarkable, but why had things suddenly become like this? With the training room destroyed like this, Fu Hua no longer had the desire to continue fighting Shen Gonglin. Why was he lying on top of her without moving? Did he have some kind of illness?

"...I'm out of power."

Without lifting his head, Shen Gonglin remained in the same position and spoke in a muffled voice. That Railgun had completely drained every bit of electricity from his body. He felt utterly exhausted, as though he could not even move a finger. So this was what it felt like to run out of power. Fortunately, he had not lost consciousness. Otherwise, Shen Gonglin feared he might end up bedridden for several more months.

"What did you say... Hmm? What are you doing?"

What did he mean, out of power? Was he driven by electricity? How could that be possible? Before Fu Hua could voice the questions in her heart, however, a strange sensation began spreading from her chest. It felt wet. Was this guy drooling? Had he not just said there was nothing to look at? Then why was he drooling?

Shen Gonglin could not move, but Fu Hua could. She cupped Shen Gonglin's face in both hands, but the sight before her made the A-rank Valkyrie's face darken. Two streams of blood were slowly flowing from Shen Gonglin's nose, and the front of her chest had been stained red. Was she really that hard? Hard enough to give someone a nosebleed? Fu Hua's normally calm and steady heart was a complete mess. She was so tired...

"Bronya, was that move just now cool or not? Just tell me, was I cool? I never knew I was this amazing."

Trying hard to turn his neck in Fu Hua's hands, Shen Gonglin could only manage this movement now. Still unaware that he was having a nosebleed, he looked toward Bronya and eagerly brought up the topic again. Fighting Fu Hua had stirred many more battle instincts within him. Shen Gonglin now felt incredibly cool.

"...Not cool at all. Bronya has already said that Shen Gonglin should be described as good-looking. In terms of coolness, the Class President is cooler."

How should she put it? Looking at a face covered in flowing nosebleed, Bronya truly could not lie against her conscience. Besides, the word "cool" suited Fu Hua far more than it suited Shen Gonglin. Fu Hua was extremely popular throughout the school. The word "cool" seemed tailor-made for her. Although the Class President seemed to be acting a little unusually today, cool still suited her much better.

"Huh? You said she's cooler? Bronya, your grasp of language seems pretty poor. Beautiful describes her, while cool describes me. Look, I beat her into this state... Huh? Why is there so much blood? Are you hurt somewhere? Was it because of the iron sand just now? Does it hurt? If it hurts, say something quickly."

Shifting his gaze to the girl beneath him, Shen Gonglin immediately noticed the bloodstains on her chest. He should not have hit that hard just now. The Railgun had not hit her at all. So why was she bleeding so much? Her clothes were even dyed red. How painful must that be?

Shen Gonglin had always been afraid of pain. His nose still hurt from that collision just now, much less Fu Hua, who was bleeding so much. Though the two had fought, this girl clearly was not a bad person. Had he accidentally seriously injured her?

"...Thank you for your concern, but you should be worrying about yourself. This blood is yours."

How should she put it? Though she was the one who had suffered the loss, Fu Hua could not bring herself to get angry at the person lying on top of her. Did this guy think she was the one injured? Fu Hua held his face in her hands, her pale fingers wiping beneath his nose. She pulled back slightly and showed him the red blood on her fingertips. A nosebleed would not kill him, but letting it keep flowing was not good either.

"What? You mean this is... mine?"

At last, Shen Gonglin realized he was having a nosebleed. After running out of power, even his senses seemed to have become dull. Seeing the red blood on Fu Hua's fingertips, Shen Gonglin suddenly felt the world spinning around him. The tiny bit of strength remaining in his body vanished completely. He felt so dizzy.

"Yes, it's yours... What is wrong? Is something wrong with your body?"

He was lying directly on top of her, so Fu Hua could not have been clearer about the changes in Shen Gonglin's condition. What was happening? Had he not regained a little strength just now? What was wrong now? Did he have other injuries?

"I faint at the sight of blood."

The weakened Shen Gonglin gave that answer, leaving Fu Hua with a head full of question marks. He fainted at the sight of blood? Had he not been fine when he saw it just now?

"No, I faint at the sight of my own blood... My head is spinning... Bronya, help me call Mei. Tell her... tell her I love her... Pah, wrong thing. Tell her to charge me up."

His consciousness grew increasingly hazy. After finishing his instructions, Shen Gonglin completely collapsed onto Fu Hua. Yes, he fainted at the sight of blood—especially his own.

The Principal

A day at St. Freya was truly peaceful.

In the principal's office, a pair of jade-white little legs swung back and forth. A little girl who looked eleven or twelve years old lay sprawled over the academy principal's exclusive chair. Without question, she was the principal of St. Freya Academy.

Resting on the desk, Theresa looked out at the sunlight and lazily stretched. With her movement, a comic book was nudged off the desk. The sound of it hitting the floor startled her. Theresa's blue eyes warily swept across the office. Only after seeing no one there did she breathe a sigh of relief. Good, good. She was alone. If someone saw the academy principal not only taking a nap during work hours but also reading comics, it would be far too embarrassing.

Perhaps it was a common trait among lolis. Every loli thought she was incredibly imposing. Theresa was like that, and a certain short blue-haired girl was the same.

She truly hoped her days could continue like this. Sleep whenever she was tired, read comics whenever she was bored, and manage the academy properly. Things like fighting the Honkai were not the principal's responsibility at all.

Her white braid hung down over her chest. Theresa jumped down from her chair and picked up the comic book from the floor. She had secretly hidden it in the principal's office. After all, reading comics was not something she could do openly. If someone discovered it, she would have no choice but to tear it up to protect the principal's dignity. She did not need to worry about the others, since they all knocked before entering her office. The main one she needed to guard against was Kiana. Her niece was truly a headache. Kiana simply did not understand the concept of knocking. Theresa was mainly defending against her.

In such a peaceful afternoon, Theresa felt that she should spend her time reading comics. She pulled over the chair and worked hard to climb up. Because of her height, even getting into a chair was no easy task for her. But ordering child-sized furniture would not be dignified, so these tall chairs and tall desks were necessary.

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out from outside the window. Startled badly by the sound, Theresa fell straight off the chair. She stared at the window in shock as an orange-red beam vanished into the distance. What was going on? Was it an enemy attack? How could there be such a massive explosion? Looking in that direction... it seemed to have come from the training rooms.

Tossing the comic aside, Theresa jumped up in an attempt to grab her head covering from the coat rack. But it was hung too high, so she could only give up. That was not important right now. She needed to get there and figure out what had happened. With such a huge explosion, could students have been injured?

"Kiana? Mei? What happened here just now? Don't tell me you caused trouble again, Kiana?"

Her two short legs moved quickly, and Theresa finally reached the training rooms. At this point, Kiana and Mei ran over from the distance as well. Seeing Kiana here gave Theresa an immediate headache. It seemed that every incident always involved Kiana. Could this one have been because of her too?

Theresa had always believed in Kiana's talent for causing trouble.

"Huh? No way. This time it has nothing to do with me, Auntie. Mei and I only came over after hearing the noise. It wasn't me this time!"

At Theresa's words, Kiana hurriedly shook her hands, refusing to take the blame. She was not lying this time. Though she had caused plenty of trouble before, she was innocent this time. She had only been cleaning up the hospital room with Mei. Since Shen Gonglin had awakened, he could not keep occupying the medical room. Then the explosion had sounded from this direction, and she and Mei had only just arrived. They did not know what had happened either.

"Not you? Good. Stay alert. Who knows if there might be another accident? Let's go inside and take a look first."

Theresa was relieved that Kiana had not caused this trouble. Standing on tiptoe, she patted Kiana on the shoulder. The gesture made Kiana feel rather strange, but there was nothing she could do. This loli, who was a head shorter than her, really was her aunt. Kiana had found it terrifying when she first learned that fact, but now...

She was almost used to it.

"Principal, Kiana, the explosion seems to have happened over there. This way is blocked. Let's go around that side."

Mei climbed over the rubble and headed toward the other side. Fortunately, the training rooms had been empty because of the holiday. Otherwise, someone surely would have been injured in that explosion. How could something like this happen at St. Freya Academy? Was it an accident or an enemy attack? There was no way to tell. Anti-Entropy would not do something like this, would they? Then who could it be?