I, Herrscher Slayer

After waiting a while, Shen Gonglin quietly came to the restroom door. He wasn't some pervert who wanted to eavesdrop on girls using the bathroom; that would be too scummy. He knocked on the door, and Fu Hua's voice from inside was exceptionally weak. She was probably... dehydrated by now.

"What is it... Sorry, I need a little longer."

"It's fine, Class President, take your time. Pretty boys don't need to use the bathroom. I just came to bring you some toilet paper. I folded the paper in the restroom into a transport ship earlier, so I was worried you wouldn't have any left."

Preparing to Meet Up

"Class President, will this really work? I feel like they probably won't even read it."

Standing on tiptoe, Shen Gonglin placed the complaint letter Fu Hua had written in the restroom into the station mailbox, then shook his head helplessly. Calling directly or reporting it to the person in charge might have done something, but a complaint letter like this... honestly, Shen Gonglin didn't think it would be of much use.

So Class President had wanted pen and paper for this. He had thought she was so bored that she wanted to draw. After all, he folded paper when he was bored, so it was perfectly normal for her to draw when she got bored.

"Whether they read it is their business, but whether we do it is ours. Food hygiene and safety are very important... Come help me up. We need to meet our contact."

Fu Hua's face was pale as paper. She had spent the latter half of the train ride entirely in the restroom. Already showing signs of dehydration, she could barely even walk steadily now. If she had to be unable to walk steadily, Fu Hua would rather Shen Gonglin had bitten her again. This was just too embarrassing. Was that even food, or was it a laxative? She would never eat Spring Everlasting again. If she did, she would probably be squatting from spring all the way into summer. This was going to kill her.

Unable to stand steadily, Fu Hua waved at Shen Gonglin, and he obediently came over to support Class President. Her legs were probably numb from squatting for so long. While supporting her, Shen Gonglin reached out to massage her legs, but the instant he touched her, Fu Hua let out a small cry. The symptoms had not faded at all. With Shen Gonglin touching her like that, she wanted to rush back to the restroom again.

"What are you doing?!"

Fu Hua glared at Shen Gonglin in embarrassment and anger. If she squatted down again, she would really have to take medicine. How badly did Shen Gonglin want to get himself killed? Was he that happy to see her embarrass herself?

"Nothing. You looked like your legs were numb, so I wanted to massage them. Are you really okay, Class President? I think you should see a doctor."

Shen Gonglin blinked with an innocent expression. He was genuinely worried about Fu Hua's condition. Shen Gonglin himself was a doctor, but he did not have any medicine, and he felt that he might be a quack. It would be better to let Class President go somewhere more professional. Her previously rosy, fair little face was now as white as paper. What a miserable woman.

"...Thank you. I misunderstood you. But I'm fine. There's no need to see a doctor. We should hurry and meet Himeko and the others instead. You... massage them for me."

So she had misunderstood him. Even Shen Gonglin would not be thinking of taking advantage of her in a situation like this. Truthfully, Fu Hua's legs really were numb from squatting, and she could not walk without Shen Gonglin supporting her. It would be hard to explain herself if she met Himeko and the others like this. There was still some time, and they probably had not arrived yet. Maybe she really could let Shen Gonglin massage her legs. Fu Hua did not doubt Shen Gonglin's skill. This guy truly had astonishing talent in certain fields.

For example, the transport ship folded from toilet paper. Fu Hua had seen it in the restroom. Its exquisite shape was better than any model, and even the compartments in its cargo bay could be opened. Fu Hua could not help admiring it. Then there was his hacking skill, capable of breaking into Schicksal Headquarters.

Aside from how his mind was sometimes a little off and how he was always eyeing the body of his master, Fu Hua was truly quite satisfied with Shen Gonglin as her disciple.

"Sure, but I charge by the minute. Five hundred yuan for ten minutes. Since we're so close, Class President, you can just give me six hundred... I'm joking. Don't leave. I'll give you a proper massage."

Shen Gonglin led Class President to a bench. Once she sat down, he crouched in front of Fu Hua. Since Class President was wearing pants, nothing awkward would happen. With no distractions in his mind, Shen Gonglin simply reached out and touched her legs. This was a perfectly legitimate massage now. Shen Gonglin had not lied—he was very skilled at massage. A faint electric current flowed into Fu Hua's legs, giving her a tingling, comfortable sensation. Fu Hua leaned against the back of the chair and let out a long breath. It really was good. Even if Shen Gonglin was not in Schicksal, he could probably live just fine.

For example, by performing, folding paper, giving massages, hacking... or perhaps by relying on that face?

Fu Hua lowered her head slightly and looked at Shen Gonglin's face. Golden hair and violet eyes. If his hair were just a little longer, people might even mistake him for a girl. Though he was a little short, his arms and legs were slender and long, and his skin was fairer than many girls'. No wonder Himeko had picked Shen Gonglin up. Even if it were her... no, that was wrong. She would not do such a thing. After all, she was not like Himeko. She was a normal person.

He was just too obsessed with money. It felt like he could be bought off and lured away with cash. How could she make him care less about money? After experiencing great rises and falls, he should be able to see through it, right? Then what exactly should she do to trick... to ask Shen Gonglin for his money?

Fu Hua did not want Shen Gonglin's money. She merely wanted to save it for him. Wasn't that what guardians did?

"Shen Gonglin, you've been touching me for so long. Shouldn't you be paying me now?"

Her mind wandering, Fu Hua blurted out those words without thinking. Shen Gonglin looked up in shock and released her hand. He had not even asked her for money, yet she had asked him first. Did paying mean he could touch her? So Fu Hua was that kind of person. No more touching, no more touching. If he had to pay to touch her, he might as well touch himself!

"Class President, if you really can't manage it, why don't you go first? I can wait here for the contact. The way you look... people seem to think I drugged you."

Inside the coffee shop, Shen Gonglin looked helplessly at Fu Hua across from him. This was the meeting place, but their contact had not arrived after they got there. At that moment, Fu Hua's stomach began hurting again. So the Valkyrie sat there silently enduring it with both hands clutching her stomach. Shen Gonglin did not know how much pain Fu Hua was in, but the looks from everyone around them made him quite miserable. What were those looks? Did they think he would drug Class President?

"N-no... You'd definitely mess it up... Urgh... Fine, I'll leave it to you. I'll be right back. Remember, she's a red-haired woman. You should have seen... I can't take it anymore. I need to go. I'll be back in a moment."

She had wanted to persist, but her body was far too honest, leaving Fu Hua with no choice but this. Himeko had met Shen Gonglin too, so it should be fine. She really had to go again. That Spring Everlasting... was truly powerful.

Something Will Definitely Go Wrong

Wasn't it just meeting a contact? He had seen this sort of thing countless times on TV. Class President just loved worrying. Didn't she know how reliable he was?... He wondered whether Class President had brought toilet paper this time. If she had not, he would have to bring some to her again. She really was worrying him.

Watching Fu Hua run into the coffee shop restroom, Shen Gonglin began playing with the napkins on the table out of boredom. This guy had many impressive talents. The soft, fragile napkin shifted and transformed in his hands, and before long, it became a figure of Durandal. Then Shen Gonglin smashed the napkin flat with one punch. Since he could not hit the real Durandal, he could only vent like this. Still, why had the contact not come yet?

Shen Gonglin was starting to get bored from waiting. What if Class President came back soon? Shen Gonglin wanted to make a clean, impressive contact before Class President returned, so she could see it. She always compared him to someone on Kiana's level. Shen Gonglin thought he was worth at least two Kianas. It was time to show her his reliable side.

Just as Shen Gonglin was waiting anxiously, the wind chime at the coffee shop entrance suddenly rang. Shen Gonglin instinctively looked over. Yes, it should be her. Red hair—it had to be her.

As he watched the red-haired girl sit down not far from him, Shen Gonglin became even more certain. He drained the milk on his table in one gulp. Class President really underestimated him. She had actually ordered milk for him. It was tasty, but Shen Gonglin wanted black coffee.

Shen Gonglin stood and walked over to sit in front of the red-haired girl. Meeting her red eyes, he leaned in mysteriously.

"Mushroom, where are you slipping off to?"

Sometimes, Tesla wanted to live a little bourgeois life too. No matter what, she looked like a young girl on the outside. If she stayed in the laboratory all the time, even the heart of a beautiful girl with the longest shelf life would grow old. It was time to relax. As a renowned former Schicksal, current Anti-Entropy Second-hand Scientist, Miss Tesla wanted to properly savor some coffee today.

Mostly so she could avoid that energetic nuisance who only knew how to yell. Why had she brought that girl along to stock up this time? She was so noisy.

After distracting that girl with a bag of cherries, Tesla chose this coffee shop with her elegant taste. This was how she should be living. Just imagine it: leisurely savoring a rich, fragrant coffee on a relaxing afternoon. Her girlish heart would surely be soothed like this. She could not be like that Chicken Coop Head. A girl's life needed some variety.

Then Tesla entered the coffee shop. Red twin ponytails, bright red eyes, and red glasses—it was obvious at a glance that she was a hot-tempered girl. Tesla did not care what image she gave others. If they knew she had a bad temper, they should not come chat her up. She knew that a beautiful girl of her caliber would definitely attract such people... and there it was. Before she had even settled down, someone came over.

Tesla looked up at the boy in front of her. Blond hair, violet eyes. She had to admit, he really did have a good face. He had probably fooled plenty of girls with it. But unfortunately, this doctor was not one of those gullible little girls. No matter what he said, Tesla was confident she could roast him until he had nothing left to say!

Then the boy opened his mouth and said something completely nonsensical.

"Mushroom, where are you slipping off to?"

What did that even mean? How was she supposed to respond?

This person here to meet their contact... seemed a little mentally deficient. He did not even know such a simple code phrase? Then she would have to switch to something easier.

After saying that, Shen Gonglin looked at Tesla expectantly, waiting for her response. Yet the girl just looked at him as if he were an idiot. Anyone with eyes could tell who the idiot was in this situation, right? Wasn't it normal to say a code phrase when meeting a contact? Though he had more or less determined that she was the right person, they still had to follow the procedure.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Gonglin rose from his chair. Maybe he needed to add some body language. He spread his arms in a soaring eagle pose, then covered one eye with one hand against his forehead.

"The heavenly king covers the earth tiger!"

This time, they should match up. It was such a classic, simple code phrase. If she still could not respond, Shen Gonglin would truly suspect that she was a spy sent by another organization.

"The... the pagoda suppresses the river demon."

Tesla said it instinctively. Those two phrases made such a deep impression that they simply slipped out. And she was now completely certain that the handsome boy before her had something wrong with his brain.

"See? That's right! We finally connected. Did Theresa send you?"

Once the code phrases matched, Shen Gonglin relaxed. He dragged his chair closer to Tesla. Since they belonged to an organization that saved the world, he knew he could not let ordinary people overhear them. So he leaned close to Tesla's ear and whispered that. Tesla had wanted to move away from him, but the moment she heard a familiar name, she froze.

Theresa sent me?

She was an S-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal, while Tesla was a Second-hand Scientist from Anti-Entropy who had defected from Schicksal. How could those two things possibly be connected?

And who was this boy? Tesla felt like she had accidentally caught a big fish... no, this big fish had crashed directly into her net.

"Why aren't you saying anything? I'm Shen Gonglin, the person you came to meet. Class President... I mean Fu Hua, has diarrhea and hasn't come over yet. Don't you know me? You should have intelligence on me. I'm an S-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal now too... Pfft, no Valkyrie. I'm a man."

As expected of a contact, she was meticulous. No matter what he said, she only stared at him. It seemed she would not believe him until she confirmed his identity. Perhaps matching the code phrase had just been a coincidence. He needed to show some solid proof, so Shen Gonglin took out his S-rank identification and placed it on the table. He had been wondering what this thing was useful for, but now it had come in handy. Had Rita planned this all along?

Holy crap, S-rank Val... no, Valkyrie?

Tesla's expression changed. She had heard about this too. Since Schicksal and Anti-Entropy were mortal enemies, how could Anti-Entropy not know about something so major happening in Schicksal? But Tesla had not expected to run into an S-rank so easily. She was still wanted by Schicksal, after all. If he knew...

"That's right, I'm the one meeting you. Put that thing away quickly. Don't let anyone see it."

All Her Intelligence Had Been Exposed

How could she run into someone from Schicksal just by casually coming out for coffee? Was he trying to capture her and take her back? She was still a wanted criminal of Schicksal. But she was not a combat type, so there was no reason to deploy such powerful force against her. This was an S-rank! And she did not even have a scrap of metal on her right now, much less any way to summon Papa Titan... Still, this S-rank Valkyrie.

He did not seem very bright.

He apparently had not recognized her as a wanted criminal of Schicksal. It seemed he had mistaken her for someone else.

Tesla sat tensely in her chair, the red-haired girl watching every movement of the man beside her. The identification he had shown earlier proved his identity. He really was an S-rank certified by Schicksal. Even if several Teslas were tied together, they would not be his match. However, Tesla's strength lay in her mind, not combat power. This man clearly had not realized she belonged to Anti-Entropy, Schicksal's sworn enemy. Maybe the situation was not so bad yet.

"I finally found someone to take me back. You have no idea how miserable I was at Headquarters. Durandal simply isn't human, and Rita is useless too. If I'd known coming to Headquarters would be such a hassle, I would have stayed at St. Freya. When are we going back? I kind of miss Theresa."

Having completely treated the red-haired girl as one of his own, Shen Gonglin poured out all his grievances to her. In truth, Shen Gonglin did not care much about his S-rank identity. If the pay had not been so good, he would not have acknowledged it at all. He was naturally a chatterbox. When Class President had diarrhea on the train, Shen Gonglin had squatted outside the door telling her jokes until Fu Hua, unable to endure it anymore, kicked him back to his seat. He had been holding it in for so long, and now he finally had someone to talk to. Thus, this newly promoted S-rank Valkyrie revealed nearly everything about himself to Anti-Entropy's Second-hand Scientist.

Tesla had never expected that she might get to play spy one day. Though most of the intelligence was practically volunteered by this guy himself. He knew Durandal and Rita, and from what he said, he knew Theresa too... there was absolutely no doubt that he was an S-rank. But why did he say Durandal was not human?

Whether in Schicksal or Anti-Entropy, Durandal was a living legend. She was strong like a monster... no, all S-rank Valkyries were monsters, but Durandal was a monster among monsters. Did this Shen Gonglin before her have some connection with her?

"What happened with Durandal? I remember she's the strongest Valkyrie."

Slowly relaxing, Tesla pushed up her glasses and took a sip of coffee. As she spoke with Shen Gonglin, she gradually lowered her guard. This guy really did seem to be a little off in the head, mistaking her for someone who had come to take him back to St. Freya. He was probably an oddity even among S-ranks. Maybe she could get some more information from him. She did not know whether it would be useful, but listening would not hurt.

After all, he was a big shot.

"Strongest my ass. Didn't I beat her after my power-up? I couldn't beat her during the day, and I couldn't beat her at night either. She just managed to trick me once. Next time I see her, I'm definitely poking her butt with a knight's lance!"

The moment Durandal was mentioned, Shen Gonglin's mood soured. He took a sip of milk. Tesla's mouth twitched as she watched his pose. He dared to talk about Durandal like that... and why was he acting like he was drowning his sorrows in alcohol when he was clearly drinking milk? This felt...

Like someone who had been bullied by his wife at home, had no way to fight back, and could only come out to drink and chat nonsense with his buddies. This kind of person was also an S-rank... Even if Anti-Entropy did not target Schicksal, would Schicksal eventually destroy itself anyway?

If Tesla were the sort to play schemes, she could probably fool this not-quite-right-in-the-head S-rank Shen Gonglin into attacking Schicksal.

"Wait, you said Durandal couldn't beat you? And what do you mean, during the day and at night? There's nothing going on now, so tell me in detail."

Tesla was intensely interested in this matter. She wanted to know whether he was telling the truth. If he was, then a great deal of intelligence would need to be rewritten. Schicksal had actually acquired a combat force even stronger than Durandal. That was definitely not good news for Anti-Entropy, so Tesla urgently wanted to get to the bottom of it. The man before her might not be right in the head, but he seemed to be someone truly extraordinary.

"...Tch, it's not that she couldn't beat me. That woman is really incredible. No matter how hard I tried back then, I couldn't beat her. Look, this wound here was from her. Though I exploded at the brink like a protagonist in the end and managed to claw some ground back, I could clearly tell that woman hadn't used her full strength. Of course, I hadn't used my full strength either. Once I go back and train properly, I'll definitely be able to beat Durandal fair and square."

Though he did not want to admit it, his fight with Durandal should strictly be considered a draw. Because his physical condition was too poor, he could not reach a high synchronization rate while using Angel Possession. At most, it was four or five percent. Any higher and his body could not take it. Having the angel fight for him was powerful, but he simply could not sustain it for long.

If he could reach a higher synchronization rate, Shen Gonglin believed that he would not lose even if Durandal used her true strength.

It was all because of his physical constitution. For that reason, Shen Gonglin had already decided to train properly once he returned. He would run a few laps every day. But running alone was too boring. Should he ask Class President to join him?

Actually, Shen Gonglin was someone whose enthusiasm only lasted three minutes, which was why he hesitated over this. Though he wanted to train now, he feared that after running once or twice, he would become too lazy to move. If he brought Class President along, she was so rigid and serious that she would definitely make him run with her every day.

Wouldn't that just make him suffer? So Kiana was the better choice. That girl might slack off together with him whenever he wanted to be lazy. They would probably get along well.

"What about at night? Did the two of you compete again at night?"

Someone with combat power comparable to Durandal—could this guy be lying? Tesla looked at Shen Gonglin skeptically. No matter how she looked at him, he did not seem particularly impressive. Could he really compete with Durandal? Maybe Durandal had gone easy on him.

Classified Intelligence Has Been Leaked

"Of course. She bullied me that badly, so I had to get revenge. You don't know this, but though she's incredible in the daytime, at night she's as weak as a chicken. I took her down in minutes... Huh? That look means you don't believe me?"

The moment Shen Gonglin began talking about what he was good at, he got excited. Yet Tesla did not really believe him this time. She had never heard that Durandal became weaker at night. Did she have a night-combat form? This guy had to be talking nonsense.

"No, no, I believe you."

Tesla lowered her head and drank her coffee. Hearing that, Shen Gonglin knew she definitely did not believe him. It was because Schicksal's defenses were too strong. After he broke in, they quickly patched the loophole. Otherwise, he would definitely have sent a copy to every Valkyrie registered with Schicksal. Shen Gonglin cared most when people thought he was talking nonsense. No, he had to prove himself.

"I knew you didn't believe me. Look, look at this. You believe me now, right? She couldn't resist at all back then. Anyone could have beaten her."

Shen Gonglin pulled out his phone and brought up that photo. Showing this photo to someone casually seemed rather immoral, but he had already sent it to every Valkyrie at Headquarters, so showing it to one more person should not matter. Shen Gonglin moved his chair closer to Tesla again, and Tesla curiously lowered her head. One golden head and one red head huddled together, secretly looking at the photo on Shen Gonglin's phone. Once Tesla saw who was in the photo, her eyes widened.

It really was Durandal. Tesla had seen photos of her too, but honestly, Tesla had never imagined an expression like the one in this picture appearing on Durandal's face.

Well then, Durandal's reputation was ruined.

"I-I didn't expect you and Durandal to have that kind of relationship..."

Tesla looked at Shen Gonglin with an extremely complicated expression. The photo did not only contain Durandal; Shen Gonglin was in it too. Taking a photo like that proved Shen Gonglin and Durandal had an extraordinary relationship. They bled from fighting during the day, and bled from fighting at night too.

So this was Schicksal. Terrifying, terrifying. Defecting had truly been the right choice. They fought to the death during the day, then slept together at night. Was Tesla falling behind the times, or were young people these days just too amazing? This Shen Gonglin... unless there were special circumstances, he was probably only fifteen or sixteen. Incredible, incredible.

"Relationship? We don't have any relationship. If I had to say, we're enemies. She's not my type... and neither are you."

Shen Gonglin simply did not know how to talk. He lowered his eyes to glance at Tesla's figure beneath her white shirt. She was directly eliminated based on her body. As for Durandal, their personalities did not match. She did not act like a human being, and after what he had done, the two of them probably had no fate together. Thinking it over, Mei was still better. Or Kiana. Her intelligence was lacking, but Shen Gonglin was smart, so he could suppress her perfectly. Besides, he felt he and Kiana got along rather well.

"...I didn't ask about that, so that last sentence was unnecessary. If you and Durandal don't have that sort of relationship, then why would she allow you to take a photo like that? And in such an abnormal pose? Don't tell me... you drugged her?"

Tesla was speechless. How had she already become not his type when she had not done anything? Of course, she did not need him to like her either. Did Shen Gonglin even know how to talk? Standing in front of him was a youthful, beautiful girl. This guy seemed to have low emotional intelligence and low intelligence in general. Where had Schicksal found such a weirdo?

Tesla shook her head, trying not to care about that. What she wanted to know was why Durandal had become like that. That state... yet Shen Gonglin said they had no relationship. What was going on? The only thing Tesla could think of was drugs.

So Shen Gonglin was actually this kind of person. Scary, scary.

"How could I do something so tasteless? I just bit her once. The moment I bit her, she turned into that."

Shen Gonglin opened his mouth at Tesla, displaying his two sharp little fangs. He really had not drugged Durandal. Just as with Rita, he had merely bitten her once. Durandal was simply too weak.

If Bishop Otto knew that Shen Gonglin had so casually revealed to an enemy force the anti-Herrscher weapon he intended to make his trump card... even he might explode with rage. This was the weapon Otto had prepared to keep hidden until the very end, yet Shen Gonglin had revealed it so recklessly...

If Otto found out, he would probably think Shen Gonglin was preparing to defect from Schicksal.

"How could one bite make someone turn out like that? If you said you licked her... Huh, your teeth really do seem different from other people's."

A Second-hand Scientist's intuition made Tesla curious about Shen Gonglin's teeth. She leaned closer to examine them. There seemed to be two tiny holes in those sharp canines. Could there truly be something special about them?

"That does seem to be the case. As long as I bite a girl, I can make her act all strange. And it feels pretty good to me too... Hey! What are you doing? I told you I don't like your type."

Shen Gonglin openly revealed this piece of intelligence. If this guy were captured, he would spill all the information without even being beaten. But at that moment, Tesla did something Shen Gonglin had not expected. She grabbed his head and pressed it down into her chest. Had the world become this cruel to boys? He really needed to be more careful when going out from now on.

"D-don't talk. I don't like your type either. Be careful, something's happening. Looks like I need to leave first."