I, Herrscher Slayer

Tesla forcefully pressed Shen Gonglin's head down. Through the café window, she spotted a rather familiar figure. Murata Himeko was walking this way with two people. Himeko knew her, and running into her here could mean nothing good. Tesla had gotten so caught up talking to Shen Gonglin that she had forgotten—he was here to meet someone.

What good could come from a fake like her running into the real deal? At any rate, the coffee had already made this trip worthwhile. Running was the smarter choice now.

With that, Tesla quietly slipped toward the back door. Getting so much intelligence from a single cup of coffee... maybe she really did have a talent for espionage?

Following Along

After slipping out of the café, Tesla headed toward her ride with a heavy heart. Learning so much useful information today had left the Second-hand Scientist feeling weighed down. Whether it was the strongest Valkyrie's target or a weapon that apparently suppressed all Valkyries, what exactly was Schicksal planning? Tesla felt like she had caught onto some sort of blind spot.

It was a shame there had not been enough time. Otherwise, she could have studied Shen Gonglin's teeth. A scientist's intuition told Tesla that there was definitely something wrong with his teeth. Maybe she could have discovered something incredibly powerful.

But there was no helping it. If she stayed any longer, she would definitely get caught. With her tiny frame, how could she possibly be Murata Himeko's match?

So she could only retreat first.

Grasping the handlebars, Tesla climbed onto her bicycle. That was right, this was her ride. Anti-Entropy had another equally impressive ride, but it belonged to another Second-hand Scientist who did not get along with her. It was honestly a little embarrassing. They were both scientists with such impressive status, yet their rides were like this. Sometimes, she even had to stand up and pedal uphill. If someone chased her, she definitely would not be able to get away.

"Alright, I'm seated. Let's go."

"Mm, let's go... Hey, hey, hey! Why did you come over too?!"

Her waist suddenly itched. Tesla had just been about to activate the power device when she realized someone had silently sat behind her on the bicycle. Turning back, she saw only a flash of gold. Shen Gonglin, the man who had given her so much intelligence that she had nearly suspected he was an Anti-Entropy spy planted in Schicksal, had somehow climbed onto her back seat. What was this about? Could he have known her identity all along, and had everything he said earlier merely been him teasing her?

?????

Shen Gonglin's face was full of question marks. When he had question marks, it did not mean there was something wrong with him—it meant he felt there was something wrong with the Red-haired Twin Tails in front of him. What else was he supposed to do if not follow her? After meeting up, he was obviously supposed to listen to her arrangements. That was what the Class President had said. So Shen Gonglin had followed Tesla all the way out. What was so strange about that?

This contact person seemed a little clueless. Was this her first time receiving a client? Even if she had not been trained, someone should have made her watch a few spy movies. A professional like Shen Gonglin had learned everything from spy movies.

"Get off!"

Tesla bared her teeth as she threatened Shen Gonglin. Murata Himeko should have entered the café by now. If Tesla did not hurry and leave, Himeko would definitely catch her. How had she accidentally run into Schicksal's gathering place? She needed to get away quickly. And the guy behind her was undoubtedly a huge problem. Why had he suddenly latched onto her?

"I'm not getting off. If something's happening, shouldn't you take me with you? How could you abandon a life-and-death brother like me?"

Shen Gonglin shook his head, hugging Tesla around the waist without letting go. The serious expression on her face made him smell something unusual. Although he did not know what was going to happen, Shen Gonglin knew that following the Red-haired Twin Tails was definitely right. Was she not sent by headquarters to receive him?

"Life-and-death brothers? We only just met! And a few minutes ago, you said I wasn't your type! Why are you still clinging to me now?!"

Tesla tried with all her strength to pry Shen Gonglin's hands apart, but no matter how hard she pulled, she could not get him off. If only she had her iron fists on. Against someone like Shen Gonglin, Tesla felt she could beat... wait, no. He seemed to be an S-rank. Then no matter how many of her there were, she probably could not beat him.

"I suddenly realized you're actually pretty cute, so I changed my mind. Hurry up and go. Didn't you say something was happening? If we don't leave quickly, the plot says we'll definitely get into trouble."

Not knowing that his teammates were all in the café, Shen Gonglin had now regarded this red-haired girl as his teammate. He had only just joined Schicksal, so it was better to listen to her arrangements at a time like this. As expected of an organization whose influence spanned the entire world—their escape vehicle was actually a bicycle. No one would ever expect that.

"...Tch. Hold on tight. Remember, you're the one who voluntarily followed me. It's not like I tricked you into coming."

Shen Gonglin was wrong in every possible way, but he was not wrong about this. If they delayed any longer, something really would happen. Tesla made her decision. After glaring at Shen Gonglin, she turned around and began pedaling. She had not only obtained so much important intelligence on this trip, but also caught Schicksal's newly promoted S-rank Valkyrie. Sure enough, she was the most useful person in Anti-Entropy.

But why was she the one carrying Shen Gonglin? He was not heavy, but this still did not feel right. He really could sit there with a clear conscience. Even she could feel the strange looks from the people around them. Normally, should not the boy be the one carrying the girl?

Feeling deeply awkward, Tesla stood up and pedaled harder. This uphill stretch was truly unfriendly to a beautiful girl who spent all day indoors doing experiments. Meanwhile, Shen Gonglin kindly helped Tesla straighten her little skirt. Sitting behind her, he hesitated to speak. The way she pedaled...

Was not good for the bicycle, right? Hopefully the bike would be okay.

"Ha ha, I can finally see that guy! Shen Gonglin, Shen Gonglin, I'm here! Have you missed me after all this time, Miss Kiana?"

Kiana rushed into the café excitedly. She had been suppressing her feelings all along the way, but she could not hold back anymore. The white-haired young lady pushed open the door and ran in, scanning the room for Shen Gonglin. They had not seen each other for so long. He should have missed her too, right? After all, she had really missed him.

"Kiana, quiet down. Don't cause trouble for other people. We'll see him soon, there's no need to be so anxious... Huh? Why can't I see him?"

Mei followed from behind. While trying to calm Kiana down, she also searched for Shen Gonglin. But after looking around, she did not see him. Where had he gone? They had agreed to meet here. Why were neither the Class President nor he here?

"Maybe he hasn't arrived yet? No, that can't be right. They should have arrived before us. Could they have left because they waited too long... Don't look at me like that. Isn't it normal for women to put on makeup before going out? It definitely wasn't because I held everyone up."

Himeko, who entered last, said this. Afterward, the looks Kiana and Mei gave her made her extremely displeased. She had only put on makeup. For such an important meeting, how could she not? These two silly girls did not understand at all. Maybe they would understand once they grew up.

Makeup or No Makeup

Obviously, they had missed the meeting time because Teacher Himeko had spent too long applying makeup. Mei really did not know why Himeko was acting this way today. They had clearly been in a hurry, yet Himeko had gone shopping first and bought a huge pile of cosmetics. To be honest, Himeko's makeup skills were indeed excellent, but... was that really necessary?

Although she looked gentle and never showed it, Mei had been a little anxious this time too. They had been delayed for nearly an hour. Teacher Himeko was already beautiful normally, so why had she needed to dress up so solemnly this time? She did not have any other intentions, did she?

"Auntie Himeko, we're just here to bring Shen Gonglin back. Did you really have to spend so long on makeup? With him, you can just be casual. Look at me—I don't wear any makeup at all. Wouldn't it be fine to meet him clean and fresh like this?"

Perhaps Kiana was getting a little carried away from knowing she would soon see Shen Gonglin. The foolish girl said something she absolutely should not have said right in front of Himeko. Auntie? That form of address immediately made Himeko, a big sister in her twenties, a little angry. She had not fallen so far that she needed to be lectured by this silly girl. Himeko reached out, grabbed Kiana's cheeks, and gave them a hard pinch. This brat was getting far too arrogant. She dared to blurt out anything.

"That's just how you think. Think about it: if a boy asked you out, and you went without washing your hair, washing your face, or putting on makeup, you might think that showing him your casual side meant you were close. But to me, it looks more like the relationship between brothers or friends. If you were really dating... of course, I'm not saying I'm planning to date anyone. Usually, you should show the other person your most perfect self. It isn't only about how you look in someone else's eyes. More importantly, it is about your attitude. It shows that you value the relationship, that you want to show the other person your best side. Do you two understand?"

Fundamentally different from little girls like Kiana and Mei, Himeko tugged Kiana's face as she imparted the experience of being a woman. After saying that, Himeko was the first to shake her head. Why was she telling them this? They were not old enough to understand it yet. Those who understood would understand. There were indeed people who believed that being unkempt showed closeness, but Himeko was not that type...

Or rather, she was not that type before getting what she wanted. Strictly speaking, she and Shen Gonglin merely knew each other. Before taking the next step, of course she had to show the best version of herself. It was like a blind date. Before confirming the relationship, or even getting married, everyone was pretending. Once the relationship was confirmed... even if her true nature was exposed, it would be too late.

Was this the life wisdom of a mature woman? It sounded so reasonable. Indeed, looking unkempt was more like being brothers. That probably suited Kiana and Shen Gonglin quite well. As for her... fortunately, she had put something on her lips before leaving.

Mei lightly licked her lips, feeling a little happy. While Himeko had been doing her makeup, Mei had also applied some lip balm. Something that barely even counted as makeup had been understood by Mei as a lady's etiquette. She obviously could not compare to Teacher Himeko, but compared to Kiana, she had definitely won!

The girl glanced at Kiana, but after carefully studying Kiana's face, Mei's eyes widened. She suddenly leaned closer. That was right, Kiana's face definitely looked powdered. And her lips were shiny too. Kiana had actually put on makeup!

"Kiana, you put on makeup too, didn't you?"

Her face darkened. Mei felt deceived. She was obviously just a silly girl, yet she had set a trap for her here. How could Kiana, with those thick brows and big eyes, use such tricks too? Was she still the white-haired girl Mei knew? This Kiana... heh heh.

"Huh? Makeup? I only used some of Teacher Himeko's lip balm because my lips were dry when I left. You mean this stuff on my face? Teacher Himeko wanted to check the color, so she tried it on my face. I just didn't have time to wash it off. What's wrong, Mei?"

Her cheeks hurt from being pinched. Having finally escaped Himeko's grasp, Kiana rubbed her face while explaining herself to Mei. But for some reason, Mei's eyes suddenly went blank. What was going on? Had she eaten something bad?

"Nothing. I'm so stupid. I thought Kiana, you... so I'm the stupidest one after all. Me. I'm too stupid."

The girl muttered to herself. It turned out she had been the foolish one all along. Even Kiana knew to do this, while she had been smug over merely putting something on her lips. No, if both of them had put on makeup, did that not make her look like she did not value this? For the eldest daughter of the Raiden family, that was simply intolerable. Mei spoke as she headed toward the restroom to touch up her makeup. As a girl, she had mastered this necessary skill too.

"C-can someone help me... My legs are numb again. Shen Gonglin, come quickly, quickly... I can't do this anymore..."

Before Mei could reach the restroom, an extremely weak voice came from that direction. The familiar voice made Himeko and the others turn their heads. Fu Hua, pale, haggard, and utterly weak, was supporting herself against the wall as she trembled her way out. She really needed medicine now. Even a Valkyrie could not withstand this feeling. It definitely was not because the pickles had been unsanitary. Someone had put spring-not-old herbs into the laxative. It felt like her entire body was about to give out.

"Class President? What happened to you... and where's Shen Gonglin?"

Seeing Fu Hua, Kiana hurried over and supported her arm. The girl's eyes widened in shock. She had never seen the Class President in such a state before. Was Class President not always valiant and heroic? This sickly-girl appearance was completely unprecedented. What had happened? Had she encountered something even the Class President could not handle and ended up like this?

And where was Shen Gonglin? Where had that unreliable guy gone?

After helping Fu Hua sit at a table, Kiana anxiously ran all over the café, but she could not find Shen Gonglin anywhere. That idiot had not gotten into trouble, had he? Seriously, she knew he could not manage without her by his side. Even having the Class President watch him was no good.

"Fu Hua, what happened to you?"

Himeko was equally curious. Fu Hua, like herself, was an A-rank Valkyrie. Even if she had run into something, she should not have been in such a sorry state. Had she encountered some kind of trouble?

...How was she supposed to explain this? Say that she had diarrhea so badly she was nearly collapsing?

Fu Hua's feelings were complicated. Then, just then, another cramp twisted through her stomach. No, she had to go again.

He Disappeared?

"He disappeared? That can't be right. I clearly told him to wait here. How could he disappear?"

After making another trip, Fu Hua was truly exhausted when she came back. She copied Shen Gonglin's posture and lay face-down on the table to rest. Well, putting both her chest and chin on the table really did feel relaxing, but this was not the time to relax. Fu Hua had thought Shen Gonglin had already met up with Himeko and the others. But apparently, they had not seen him.

If so, where could that guy have gone? She knew she should not have let Shen Gonglin handle things alone. He would definitely get into trouble by himself. How could she have trusted him?

"No, I searched the entire café. Mei, you take care of the Class President. I'll check the men's restroom this time. If he's anywhere, it can only be there."

Kiana had searched several times in a flurry, and Shen Gonglin truly was not in the café. If he was not even in the restroom, they would have to think of another way. That guy was a hopelessly terrible navigator. Had he wandered outside? Seriously, could he not just obediently stand still and wait for her? She had lost Shen Gonglin last time, and this time the Class President had lost him... which proved it was not Kiana's fault. It was definitely Shen Gonglin's fault!

"Kiana, wait. What are you planning to do? That's the men's restroom. Look here, Shen Gonglin was here just a moment ago."

Mei grabbed Kiana. Did this foolish girl know what she was about to do? Calm down. Mei had already obtained the café's surveillance footage. While Himeko cared for Fu Hua and Kiana ran around wildly, Mei had gone to negotiate. Someone in the group had to be reliable.

After hearing Mei, everyone quickly gathered around the computer and watched intently. The camera angle was excellent and happened to capture Shen Gonglin. While the Class President had diarrhea, Shen Gonglin had first folded paper out of boredom, then made hand shadows beneath the light. Even through the footage, they could see the shadow on the table constantly changing. He always had bizarre talents in bizarre places. The shadow on the table turned into the Statue of Liberty one moment and a Honkai Beast the next. They had not been wrong at all.

Even without his combat strength, Shen Gonglin could probably live quite well just by relying on those strange talents.

Then, another person suddenly appeared in the footage. The moment they saw the red-haired figure, Himeko and Fu Hua's gazes sharpened. Was that not Tesla? Why was she here? And why had she met with Shen Gonglin? Was there something unknown going on here?

At such a convenient moment, Fu Hua was absent, leaving Shen Gonglin alone. The surveillance had no audio, so all they could see was Tesla and Shen Gonglin sitting together and talking mysteriously. In the end, Tesla even pressed Shen Gonglin's head against her stomach. Then the two of them left the café together. That was it—Shen Gonglin had been abducted by Anti-Entropy.

Fu Hua and Himeko's expressions grew grave. Anti-Entropy's influence was no simple matter. To strike at a time like this, they must have learned Shen Gonglin's identity. He was Schicksal's newly promoted S-rank Valkyrie, and he must possess much intelligence Anti-Entropy wanted. That was why they had sent Tesla to abduct him. What a method—taking Shen Gonglin right under their noses. As expected of Schicksal's greatest enemy.

"No need to say more. We leave now and bring Shen Gonglin back. After being abducted, he must be undergoing harsh interrogation. Anti-Entropy wants to know far too much about him."

Himeko slapped the table and gave the order. This was outrageous. One of Schicksal's public figureheads had been abducted by an enemy organization. Thinking of the interrogation Shen Gonglin might be suffering through made Himeko anxious. He must be suffering right now. Just wait—she would definitely rescue him.

"Yes!"

Kiana, Fu Hua, and Mei immediately stood up. Although they were all A-rank Valkyries, Himeko had the authority to issue orders at a time like this. But before they could leave, invincible Fu Hua collapsed again. The Class President, who had just mustered some energy, weakly slumped back onto the table. She could not do it. Although she truly wanted to try, with her body in this state... she could not do anything at all.

Damn it. She had been the one who lost Shen Gonglin, so she should have been the one to retrieve him. But now, she could do nothing.

"Fu Hua, are you okay?"

Himeko and Mei quickly helped support Fu Hua. What exactly was wrong with her? Fu Hua's body had seemed off since earlier. Her complexion alone said it all. Himeko had never seen Fu Hua so weak before. Could this be part of the enemy's scheme too?

"N-no, I'm fine... alright, there's still a little problem. Help me. I can't walk over there."

She would absolutely never eat pickled vegetables again!

Fu Hua silently made that decision. This experience had truly traumatized her. What did it matter that every grain of rice came with hardship? If she had known, she would have eaten instant noodles with Shen Gonglin. Instant noodles flavored like beautiful boys had to taste better than pickles and steamed buns. Not only would they taste better, they definitely would not leave her like this.

"How about this, Teacher Himeko? You and Mei take care of the Class President. I'll go out and find Shen Gonglin first. We can contact each other if anything happens."

The Class President clearly could not be left alone, but Shen Gonglin's situation was urgent too. That guy might be suffering some terrifying torture right now. Even though he seemed to have been designated S-rank, Shen Gonglin was still weak in Kiana's eyes. He was afraid of heights, afraid of pain, and a terrible navigator. Dealing with him would be far too easy. She had to save him.

Thus, the Kaslana family's young lady, with her tremendous drive, immediately made her decision. She could handle the rescue mission alone. Bringing Shen Gonglin back was nothing to her.

"Tch. This is the only way for now. We'll take Fu Hua back to the hotel first. Kiana, start investigating. If you find anything, don't act rashly. Once we settle Fu Hua down, we'll come find you."

Agreeing to Kiana's decision, Himeko and Mei helped Fu Hua up. Feeling that she was holding everyone back, the Class President had fallen into a state of self-isolation. Her disciple had been abducted, yet this master was suffering from diarrhea... how embarrassing. She was utterly useless, as useless as Rita.

"Don't worry, Himeko. I'm going to become the strongest Valkyrie!"

Kiana turned back with a bright smile before running off. Himeko and Mei fell silent, frightened by that flag. They should hurry and settle Fu Hua down, then go find Kiana. Otherwise, they truly could not rest easy.

Rosaliya

In a dim room, moonlight shone through the window, illuminating a figure sitting on the bed. Pinkish-red long hair, aqua-blue eyes, and most eye-catching of all, white horns on her head and a tail swishing behind her. She was a very unique girl—unique enough that Shen Gonglin would go crazy petting her if he saw her.

Red, horns, and a tail. Who would not love that?

"Mm! Cherries are so delicious. I'll have one more. I'll just leave one less for Liliya."

The girl lay on the bed as though enjoying some sacred food. She took a cherry from a plastic bag and carefully placed it in her mouth as if it were a treasure. The sweet-and-sour flavor made her happily cover her mouth. Why were these things so delicious? She could never get tired of them. The world was truly wonderful. Cherry trees must be gifts from angels.

Coming out with Tesla this time had truly been worthwhile. Tesla had actually bought her so many cherries. If she ate three a day, she could enjoy them for a very, very long time... though cherries did not seem to last very long. Then she would eat five a day. It would be such a waste if they spoiled.

Rosaliya carefully placed the plastic bag beside the bed before remembering the scientist who had gone out. Tesla should be back by now, right? After all, she had been gone for quite a while. She had said she was going out for coffee, so why had she not returned yet? Rosaliya had nominally come along this time to protect Tesla. Tesla had not gotten into trouble, had she? She would go find her after finishing this cherry.

Although she had already decided on a limit, Rosaliya could not resist opening the plastic bag again. Just then, the sound of wheels came from outside the door. The moment she heard it, Rosaliya knew Tesla was back. After all, in Anti-Entropy, only Tesla and that other person had rides like this. When Tesla carried Rosaliya, it had hurt so much she had nearly died. It was good that Tesla was back. Rosaliya had been worried after so long. Temporarily giving up on the cherries, she ran to the door. Tesla had claimed she was going to enjoy adult nightlife, but she had only gone out for coffee.

"H-help me, Rosaliya. Come over quickly."

The door opened, and Tesla staggered in with Shen Gonglin on her back, panting heavily. Even after bringing Shen Gonglin back, Tesla had remained cautious. Anti-Entropy and Schicksal were enemy organizations, after all. Although this guy did not seem quite right in the head, she could not rule out the possibility that he was pretending. On the way back, Tesla had deliberately taken a detour to shake off any possible followers and make Shen Gonglin forget the route here. Yet who knew that he did not care about any of that? While she had been struggling to pedal, he had hugged her back and slept like a log.

When Tesla got off the bicycle, she felt that her back was soaked. Yet the bastard had not even woken up. That made Tesla's temper flare, but she still had to bring him back. This newly promoted S-rank from Schicksal was no ordinary person.

"Dr. Tesla, I never thought you would really do something like this... So scientists really do walk the edge of the law? I never expected it. You actually abducted a man... no, a boy. When I get back, I'm definitely telling Liliya!"

Rosaliya stared at Tesla in shock. Tesla had clearly said she was going out for coffee. How had she come back with a man... no, a boy? He did not even look older than Rosaliya and Liliya. Was Tesla into this type? Even Rosaliya knew this kind of behavior was immoral and wrong. She was so shocked that the cherry in her mouth fell out. This was terrifying.

Rosaliya had never expected Tesla to be this kind of person. She was scared out of her wits.

"Quiet. He's from Schicksal. Do you think I went out just to drink coffee? I was gathering intelligence. Our mechs keep getting dismantled, so I wanted to explore other avenues. Rosaliya, carry him to the bed. I need to verify whether this information is real. If it is, this kid will be very useful to us."

Tesla handed Shen Gonglin over to Rosaliya. Although Rosaliya looked like a little girl, she was much stronger than Tesla. At least, lifting Shen Gonglin took no effort at all. Tesla pulled his identification and other belongings from his arms. She had her own ways of verifying them. Bringing Shen Gonglin back and doing nothing would be too wasteful. She had to do something to him.

"Huh, he's from Schicksal too? I thought Schicksal was all girls. Though this kid really does look a little like a girl."

Rosaliya carried Shen Gonglin over and laid him on the bed, then leaned beside him and stared at his face. Sleeping Shen Gonglin radiated a quiet, elegant aura from head to toe. Of course, if he woke up, that aura would be utterly destroyed. Shen Gonglin was very deceptive while asleep.

"Don't underestimate him. He's Schicksal's fourth S-rank combatant. If his brain were not so messed up, I really could not have brought him here... When you get back, you can tell everyone that Dr. Tesla, the brilliant strategist, used her outstanding intelligence to trick him here... This guy's pretty rich. There's way too much money in this card. But the names on this bank card... Durandal and Rita Roseweisse?"

Tesla took a red gauntlet from the room and verified Shen Gonglin's documents one by one. Then she looked at him strangely. Why did the bank card on him bear the names of those two Valkyries? Could it be... that this guy with the broken brain had some unspeakable relationship with Durandal?

"Mm... We're finally here. When are we going back to St. Freya... Huh? Red horns?"

Just then, Shen Gonglin slowly opened his eyes. The moment he woke, he saw a girl lying beside him and staring at him. The white horns amid her cherry-colored hair immediately caught his attention. He reached out and grabbed one of the horns on her head. Was it decoration? It looked pretty fun.

"Hey, hey, don't touch Rosaliya like that! You're not allowed to touch Rosaliya's horns!"

The horns on her head were very sensitive. With Shen Gonglin holding one in his hand, Rosaliya felt extremely uncomfortable. Yet he showed no sign of letting go. Seriously, he dared to bully her? She would show him what happened when he messed with her!