Chapter 91

"If this were any other time, I would have given you a good beating. Shen Gonglin, enough nonsense. Now do as I say. Whether you succeed or not depends on your cooperation. If you don't cooperate, I will repeat what you just said to the headmistress. She will definitely cry, and Fu Hua will definitely come after you. Now behave yourself and reach out."

No time to argue with Shen Gonglin, Rita grabbed the clothes next to her and moved closer to Shen Gonglin. This was the best way now. Luckily, Shen Gonglin was so beautiful, almost like a girl. With a little more effort... it should work!

Chapter 357 Facing the Bull Head

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Rita, I'm out... What are you looking at?"

A sound came from the fitting room, and just as the maid's patience was about to run out, Himeko finally came out. Dressed in a Western-style dress, Himeko looked exceptionally youthful and beautiful, and the decorative little hat on her head added a touch of cuteness to her red Himeko. However, the maid's attention was clearly not on Himeko; her rose-colored eyes were fixed on the fitting room. There was someone else inside, and she wanted to see who it was!

"It was supposed to be my job to help you change, Miss Himeko. Since someone else did it for me, I must express my gratitude. I'd like to thank that lady in person."

The maid was always so perfect in terms of elegance and manners that you would only believe it if you saw it with your own eyes. Otherwise, you would assume it was the worst-case scenario. It's not impossible that Shen Gonglin was imitating a woman's voice. The person in the fitting room was probably him.

"Oh, you're right. I would be in a lot of trouble without her. Um... you there, come out here for a second... hurry up and come out."

Knowing all along that maids weren't so easily fooled, Himeko was prepared. She grabbed Shen Gonglin's arm in the fitting room. What was this girl doing, all coy and hesitant? Couldn't she be more open and brave? What was there to be ashamed of? Come out and greet customers... ugh, come out and meet them!

She pulled Shen Gonglin out of the room, but the blonde, purple-eyed Shen Gonglin who appeared in front of Rita was not the Rin she had expected. Who was this girl? It really wasn't Shen Gonglin. She must have guessed wrong.

Who is this woman...? I don't think I dressed up Shen Gonglin like this, do I?

Rita wasn't the only one surprised; Himeko was too. She had only changed Shen Gonglin's clothes, but why were Shen Gonglin's hair and eyes different now? What was with those long and short twin tails? And those eyes... was this really Shen Gonglin? Himeko carefully examined the girl she was holding. The face shape should be Shen Gonglin's, and her chest was as flat as an airport runway—it was definitely Shen Gonglin. But what was going on now?

"Wow... she really slept for a long time."

Even her voice changed. The previously silent "Shen Gonglin" suddenly spoke, and the strange eyes that opened made Himeko and Rita feel uneasy. What kind of eyes were these? The information said that Shen Gonglin's eyes would turn red when she used her vampire abilities, but what was with these gold and red eyes? And there was a clock in her eyes. What was going on?

In the fitting room, ever since Shen Gonglin forced Himeko to change into women's clothing, he had undergone some inexplicable changes. His consciousness seemed to become blurred, while a burning sensation came from his back. The dormant Stigmata seemed to have received some signal and became active, causing some inexplicable changes in Shen Gonglin himself. His blurred consciousness was replaced by another existence. Indeed, he had many secrets.

A powerful tremor emanated from Shen Gonglin, and at the same time, the alarm on St. Freya sounded. This was an alarm to detect the concentration of Honkai energy, and basically every time it sounded, it meant that Honkai had occurred. And this time, the alarm was located on the artificial island of St. Freya.

"This feeling... is it the Honkai?"

The clothing store was completely destroyed. Amidst the ruins, Rita and Himeko stared grimly at the figures ahead. They had already evacuated everyone from the store when the explosion occurred. Although the explosion was minor, the feeling was all too familiar to these two Valkyrie. This was Honkai.

"Honkai? I'm more familiar with calling it a spacequake. Sorry, I've just woken up and haven't gotten used to my powers yet. I'm really sorry for causing such a commotion."

Shen Gonglin had fallen unconscious, but just as he was about to collapse, he was gently caught in someone's arms. Himeko and Rita could clearly see the strange, shimmering patterns on Shen Gonglin's back. This must be the Stigmata Kiana Shen Gonglin and the others had mentioned. Unlike theirs, this wasn't an artificial Stigmata implanted through technology. According to Fu Hua, this was a naturally occurring, primordial Stigmata on Shen Gonglin's body. Wasn't it said that this Stigmata hadn't been activated? So what was going on?

The radiance of the Stigmata behind Shen Gonglin grew stronger, and suddenly a figure appeared within this black and red light, bearing a striking resemblance to Shen Gonglin's current appearance. The girl in gothic attire appeared on the battlefield, her arm around the unconscious Shen Gonglin like a demon king holding a princess hostage. Hearing Himeko's murmurs in the distance, the girl politely corrected her, saying, "It's truly unfortunate that you caused such destruction."

"Who are you!"

Despite the girl's attitude, Himeko and Rita were not lowered in their guard. They had already assumed battle stance, scythes and greatswords appearing in their hands. The feeling they had just experienced was undoubtedly Honkai, and the girl at the center of Honkai... even though she wasn't showing any signs of being out of control, Himeko and Rita already knew her identity. Could she be Herrscher?

"Oh, right, since it's our first meeting, I should introduce myself. I am... who am I again? Sorry, I seem to have amnesia. Let me think. I should be surnamed Jingu."

The girl in the room smiled brightly, tapping her head and looking incredibly cute. Although she was saying something about amnesia, she didn't seem to care at all. This attitude made Himeko and Rita frown. Was she playing a trick on them? She didn't remember who she was but knew her surname was Jingu. What was her relationship with Shen Gonglin?

"No matter who you are, first release the Shrine... release the person you're holding!"

Himeko tried to cover it up, but Rita, who was fighting alongside her, had already glanced at her. Did this woman really think she wouldn't recognize that it was Shen Gonglin? Even if he turned into ashes, Rita could clearly recognize which pile of ashes was Shen Gonglin. To think that she would dress Shen Gonglin up like this, Himeko is quite something.

"Let him go? But I don't want to. What I want to do is hold him tightly in my arms and kiss him really, really hard, like this."

As if in a demonstration, the girl gently lifted Shen Gonglin's face and gave him a hard kiss on the cheek, which was practically a show of defiance.

Chapter 358 Rescuing the Hostages

Damn it, no need to say more, this woman is definitely Herrscher. Only Herrscher would do such an extremely evil thing. She looks so wicked that she's practically oozing pus. She's definitely more evil than any Herrscher before. No need to think too much, just kill her!

The gothic girl's actions clearly provoked Rita and Himeko. Without hesitation, the two Valkyrie charged forward with their swords drawn, causing the Honkai energy concentration to rise sharply. Moreover, judging from the tremors and explosions that had just occurred, this woman, even if she wasn't Herrscher, was inextricably linked to the Honkai. More importantly, Shen Gonglin was still in her hands, and they had to rescue her first.

"Oh, I'm so scared."

The girl jumped back to dodge the sharp scythe. Only after the fight did she realize the fighting power of the two women in front of her. Close combat had never been her forte, and she felt that she should not be a match for the two of them. She had only just awakened and was already at her limit to be able to cause a spatial quake. She couldn't even summon an angel, let alone use her abilities. This situation seemed a bit troublesome.

"I'm sorry, I can only absorb a little bit of time. I can recover this little bit of life force by eating a couple more meals. So... City of Time!"

A massive clock shadow spread out beneath the girl's feet, enveloping an area of hundreds of meters around her. This was the city center, and although Himeko and Rita had cleared the area immediately, the sheer volume of people couldn't be cleared in a short time. This provided the gothic girl with a source of replenishment. People within the clock's shadow collapsed to the ground, falling unconscious. Wisps of dark red energy emanated from the fallen and gathered around the girl. Although not much, it was enough to temporarily handle the battle. If only she could use time freely!

What is this thing? Is it really the power of Herrscher?

Himeko and Rita were also enveloped by the clock's phantom image, but as Valkyrie, they didn't fall to the ground unconscious like the others. They could feel something being drawn from their bodies, but this level wouldn't affect their combat. This strange ability could only Herrscher.

"The City of Time can absorb the time of creatures within its range, which is essentially their life force. I have already controlled the amount I absorb, but if this drags on, I won't be able to replenish it with food and rest. So, if you want to fight, please do so as soon as possible."

After explaining her abilities, the gothic girl, holding Shen Gonglin in one arm, snapped her fingers with the other, and a clock two meters tall appeared behind her. In that short time, she could barely summon Kekkaishi. There was no other way; if she were to fully unleash her time-draining abilities, these people would probably turn white-haired. Although she was indeed quite wicked, draining several decades of someone's life force at once... she wasn't that wicked.

Absorbing life force... There's actually such a method!

Rita and Himeko were shocked upon hearing this. There were at least a hundred people shrouded in the phantom. The previous explosion had not caused any fatalities, but the losses caused by letting her absorb the energy were incalculable. The only thing to do now was to deal with her as soon as possible. If what she said was true, it would be terrifying.

Rita and Himeko exchanged a glance and both saw the unease in each other's eyes. Judging from the battle just now, the girl in front of them did not seem to possess any great power. Defeating her should not be a big problem for the two of them. What they needed to do now was to finish her off as soon as possible and not let the battle drag on any longer. Life and time were both extremely precious things!

"Speaking of which, being constantly beaten isn't a good thing. Be careful, I'm about to make my move... the Second Bullet."

The girl raised her hand behind her, and only then did Himeko and Rita realize that the hour and minute hands of the clock behind her were made up of two guns. The muzzles were drawing a black and red energy from the Roman numerals. Because she was holding Shen Gonglin, the girl only took the short gun, and the muzzle was pointed at Rita. Both of these women were a bit troublesome, but the maid-dressed person was more threatening. The way she held the scythe was really scary.

"Let go of that girl!"

Before she could even fire a shot, a vibrant voice suddenly rang out from the sky, and a white shadow flashed by. Kiana Kaslana suddenly appeared on the battlefield. The girl leaped high into the air, and golden patterns appeared on her Valkyrie Armor. A huge cat paw appeared in mid-air and slammed down hard on the gothic girl. Was she really here to rescue people? Or was she trying to trample the hostages to death as well?

Kiana was ready to attack when the school alarm sounded. Before the order was even given, she headed towards the explosion site. When she arrived, she saw Himeko and Rita fighting with this woman. Needless to say, this woman was definitely a bad person. Since she was an enemy, she would leave it to the young lady of the Kaslana family to deal with!

"Tsk, this is so troublesome."

Before she could fire, the girl rolled to the side with Shen Gonglin in her arms. Himeko and Rita breathed a sigh of relief when they saw her dodge Kiana's attack. This girl was too reckless. Shen Gonglin was with that woman. If she hadn't dodged, things would have been much more complicated. Was Kiana really here to help? Or was she trying to take the opportunity to kill Shen Gonglin?

"Hmph, you actually dodged it. Well then, let's see what this young lady has to offer!"

Kiana landed, kicking up a cloud of dust. Having missed her first attack, Kiana prepared to launch another, but seeing that she was still trying to mess around, Himeko quickly grabbed her arm. They were fighting for justice, but Kiana's reckless attacks made them seem like villains. Meanwhile, the girl being attacked had to fight and protect Shen Gonglin. Weren't the roles reversed?

"Himeko, why are you holding me back? I'm going to rescue the hostages now. It's finally my time to show my skills!"

Kiana turned around and looked at Himeko, who had stopped her, with a puzzled expression. She felt that there was nothing wrong with her actions. Rescuing hostages and eliminating enemies—wasn't that the duty of Valkyrie?

"Are you sure you're going to rescue the hostages and not to silence them? Kiana, I know you have a grudge against Shen Gonglin, but now is not the time for revenge. You better watch your step."

"This student is the most troublesome one," Himeko said to Kiana, rubbing her forehead. "This idiot only causes trouble."

"Huh? I have a grudge against Shen Gonglin? Revenge? No, what does this have to do with him?"

"... That hostage is Shen Gonglin, didn't you recognize her?"

What did you say?

Chapter 359 S-Rank Strength

The hostage is Shen Gonglin? There can't be any mistake, right? I saw it when I attacked earlier. It was clearly a girl, so why are they saying it's Shen Gonglin? Could this guy have turned into a girl?

Himeko didn't seem to be joking, and Kiana's expression grew increasingly horrified. If Shen Gonglin really turned into a girl, things couldn't get any worse. The girl's gaze drifted towards Shen Gonglin, who was unconscious and being held in that girl's arms—he looked utterly pitiful. If he didn't speak, he would be a galactic-level handsome boy, but now, dressed like that, he was incredibly girlish, looking exactly like that strange girl... Oh, wait, his chest was too flat. His physique was completely different. So, only his appearance changed, and nothing inside changed?

No, I have to see it with my own eyes to believe it.

In the blink of an eye, Kiana made her decision and charged back into the battlefield, with Himeko and Rita following closely behind. Faced with the three's onslaught, the heterochromatic-eyed girl was immediately caught in a fierce battle. Her energy was already insufficient, and even activating her angel was a struggle. None of the three women in front of her were easy to deal with. She realized that she had woken up at a bad time, as there were too many restrictions within her body. She needed to find a way to lift some of the seals.

Dodging and weaving, the heterochromatic-eyed girl barely managed to evade the three's attacks. Meanwhile, her clever mind was already devising a plan. She wondered what way she could temporarily regain her strength. What that woman had done... it seemed like she had boiled Shen Gonglin into soup and then drunk the Rin soup. That was indeed a method, but her current situation clearly didn't allow her to simmer it slowly and then reduce the sauce. What she needed now was a fast-food version of Shen Gonglin.

No need to say anything, just go for it. This bite will restore more than my own City of Time. Being suppressed by someone else... the only one who can suppress your output is Shen Gonglin!

So, under the siege of the three Valkyrie, the heterochromatic-eyed girl did something that made them widen their eyes again. Using the momentum of Rita's scythe, she leaped from afar and, before their next attack could take place, reached out and lifted Shen Gonglin's chin. Kiana was very sensitive to this gesture, had her azure eyes filled with horror. No way, you want to kiss her now while we're fighting? Do you really not consider them human? How could we let her do that?

Power surged around Kiana, and a flash of golden light appeared in her azure eyes. Rita was beside her, subconsciously looked at Kiana. She knew a little about the bishop's plan, but this was too easy to trigger. This should not be in the bishop's plan. If the Herrscher were to awaken now... No, now is not the time.

Rita, who had been slacking off, was now serious. After all, she was an undisputed S-rank Valkyrie. Even in a simple maid outfit, it didn't diminish her S-rank status. Most of the previous attacks were just probing, and she had concluded that this Herrscher -like girl was no match for her. If her strength was as she had shown, even Kiana could probably give her a good fight. To prevent any unexpected events, this battle had to end.

"My dear lady, it's not allowed to do such a thing to your maid's master without asking first."

The rose-colored figure flashed and disappeared on the battlefield. When she reappeared, the maid was already in front of the heterochromatic-eyed girl. At this moment, Rita showed her intimidating power as the S-rank Valkyrie of the Immortal Blade without reservation. To lay hands on her master in front of the maid like this, she really didn't take her seriously.

"Maid? You call yourself a maid? A truly perfect maid is one who has shared a bed with me and served me. Someone like you probably wouldn't even know how to warm the bed. Sometime I'll show you what a perfect and elegant maid is... Eh?"

Faced with Rita's attack, the heterochromatic-eyed girl retorted defiantly, while her actions never stopped. As long as she drank Rin's soup... no, as long as she kissed him, the battle could be reversed. However, the girl found that she could not do such a simple action no matter what she did. Shen Gonglin, whom she had been holding in her arms, was getting further and further away from her, and a strong pain was transmitted to the girl's head. This maid is not simple.

Blood splattered, and an arm wearing a black sleeve fell to the ground. The scythe's blade had already completed its attack when Rita rushed over. For S-rank Valkyrie was serious, such an attack was nothing. If she wanted, she could save Shen Gonglin in an instant. Although this girl did not have any hostility towards Shen Gonglin, her act of absorbing the life force of ordinary people was enough for Rita to give her a punishment that was neither too severe nor too light.

"Thank you for your consideration, but I am still unwilling to admit defeat on the path of a maid."

Having just done such a thing, Rita remained calm and elegant. The unconscious Shen Gonglin lay on the ground, the maid's scythe subtly protecting him. Without the hostage, things were much simpler. With such injuries, the girl probably couldn't do anything else. They could take her back and study her origins carefully. She was similar to Herrscher, but much weaker. How strange.

"... Surrender quickly. If you treat him now, there shouldn't be any problem. His hand can definitely catch him."

At this moment, Himeko and Kiana also arrived. Himeko was fine; Valkyrie who had been through many battles, she could bear seeing such a bloody scene, since they had just been enemies. However, Kiana couldn't take it. She secretly glanced at Rita, whose maid gave her a perfect smile. Kiana was ultimately a kind girl. Looking at the gothic-dressed girl in front of her, she knew that such injuries must be very painful. As long as she surrendered obediently, St. Freya's medical skills would definitely be enough to make her recover.

"Thank you for your concern, but it's not a problem at all. It just takes a little time... We'll have a chance to meet again, Miss Maid. I'll remember this matter, so please don't forget it either. Also, please remember my name. My name is Kurumi... Just kidding, my name is Tokisaki Kurumi."

Somewhat surprised by Kiana's reaction, the heterochromatic-eyed girl stared at the maid with a slightly yandere smile.

I'll remember this stab.

Chapter 360

Tokisaki Kurumi?

So this is the girl's name? It seems she won't tell the truth until she gets beaten up. Now we need to take her to St. Freya and keep her under strict guard. I guess she'll be transferred to the Tenmei headquarters soon. I wonder what her relationship is with Shen Gonglin. After all, the two of them look so similar now.

"No need to say goodbye. Do you think you can leave now?"

Rita stepped forward to take Kurumi away, but the heterochromatic-eyed girl smiled. Ouch, that really hurt. This wasn't a clone, but her real self. She would remember this slash and return the favor sooner or later. And now, this girl wanted to grab her and take her away?

I wouldn't be so cooperative.

"Whether he leaves or not is not up to you. We will definitely meet again, you useless maid... Oh, by the way, you'd better find him some clothes to wear beforehand, so he doesn't catch a cold."

Not giving Rita a chance to grab her, Kurumi gestured towards Shen Gonglin on the ground. While Kurumi three Valkyrie' attention was diverted, she decisively released her power. The Stigmata on Shen Gonglin's back shone brightly once again, and the girl transformed into a black shadow and disappeared back into the Stigmata. The arm on the ground also vanished instantly. If she wanted to leave, no one could stop her.

"Hey, where did that girl go? She just disappeared all of a sudden!"

Kiana belatedly looked around, wondering where the girl who had just been was. She had been so badly injured, yet now there wasn't even a trace of blood on the ground. Who was this girl? And what was wrong with her eyes? It seemed she hadn't been mistaken before; when the Stigmata first appeared, Shen Gonglin's eyes had also suddenly turned like that. What was the relationship between this girl and Shen Gonglin?

"A useless maid, huh... You really are, so sharp-tongued."

The scythe vanished, but Rita was still pondering Kurumi's words. Undoubtedly, she and that woman were truly at odds. Rita valued her role as a maid even more than her identity Valkyrie. Being told Rita wasn't good enough only fueled her burning maid's spirit. If she, a maid, couldn't be good enough, what maid could? This was utter nonsense... But Shen Gonglin seemed to have mentioned the code of conduct for a perfect maid before. Could it be that she really wasn't a good enough maid? Although she often spoke modestly, Rita actually believed deep down that she was a pretty good maid. What was going on?

Am I capable or not? What should a truly perfect maid be like? I could even warm someone's bed.

"You two, stop thinking about all that nonsense and come check on Shen Gonglin. Something seems wrong with him."

Kiana looked around, while Rita was lost in thought. Only Himeko was taking care of Shen Gonglin. The Stigmata on his exposed back was so red it looked like it could drip blood, and just touching it felt incredibly hot. How could a girl like that have emerged from his Stigmata? She had never heard of such a thing happening before. Was it because theirs were Artificial Stigmata while Shen Gonglin's was Stigmata? Why did these strange things always happen to this guy? And what's with his clothes...?

One question after another swirled in Himeko's mind, but before she could figure any of them out, a change occurred in Shen Gonglin. She had personally dressed him in this black and red gothic dress, and the strange girl from earlier was dressed exactly like him. As the heat from the Stigmata dissipated, Shen Gonglin's clothes gradually turned into specks of light and disappeared. Now she knew why that girl had said those words at the end.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? Shen Gonglin... Wow, he, he's a man, right? This is a rare opportunity, let me see."

The gothic dress slowly dissipated, and Kiana clearly noticed this. Kiana took the matter very seriously and immediately squatted down next to Shen Gonglin, ready to confirm it with her own eyes. This was very important. This guy dressed up so much like a girl that even Kiana began to doubt his true gender. There were some things she wouldn't believe unless she saw them with her own eyes. Although it might be a bit perverted, she had to do it. Life is full of contradictions.

"Kiana, it seems I need to give you another lesson on the proper conduct between men and women. What exactly do you want to do in front of your teacher? Hurry up and take off your coat. Do you want him to be naked like this?"

Himeko was even horrified by Kiana's perverted nature, as if she were seeing her student for the first time. Himeko barely suppressed the urge to slap the girl. Even she, a mature woman, wasn't as uninhibited as Kiana. Let her see what she wanted to see. Why did Kiana seem so skilled? Could it be that this wasn't the first time she had done this?

Suddenly I feel like Shen Gonglin is in danger. Should I protect him properly?

"Oh, what's wrong with taking a look? It won't hurt you to take a look, just one peek... Hey, don't exclude me! Are you two trying to sneak a peek behind my back? Let me in too, just one peek!"

Kiana muttered to herself as she casually took off her coat. The maid took the coat and helped Shen Gonglin put it on her. Kiana, feeling left out, jumped up and down, trying to squeeze in. She couldn't feel at ease until she saw it with her own eyes. It was all Shen Gonglin's fault; he was so beautiful. If he were even slightly ordinary, she wouldn't have suspected anything. So it had nothing to do with her; she just wanted to take a look.

"Don't assume everyone is as twisted as you. You think everyone else is like you... Rita, what are you doing!"

Concentrating on stopping Kiana, Himeko turned around and found the maid making unwanted advances again. What kind of people are these? They're both younger than her, aren't they? Are all young girls these days this scary? Rita, don't follow Kiana's example!

"It's just a simple change of clothes, Miss Himeko, don't worry, Master has something to wear underneath."

"It wouldn't be good if Himeko found out," Rita explained calmly and composedly. "It seems only the dress is missing; everything else is still here. I'm a little disappointed."

"Oh, then I'm relieved... No, what am I relieved about!"

Chapter 361 Hospital Rebirth Point

St. Freya, Hospital.

Shen Gonglin had just left, checked in again. It was the same familiar room, the same familiar smell. It felt like he was a regular here. Was this what they called a frail young nobleman? He had just been discharged from the hospital and checked in again. Even the nurse found it quite strange. However, after seeing the group of people gathered in the ward, the nurse wisely left without saying a word after giving him his injection. The headmaster had come; something big must have happened.

"Himeko, what's the casualty situation this time? How are the civilians doing?"

As the shortest person present, Theresa crossed her arms and adopted a very dignified posture. She first checked on Shen Gonglin's condition on the hospital bed. He had been unconscious for a while and had not yet woken up, but all his vital signs were normal, so he should be fine. This Honkai was quite special. Basically, every Honkai would cause a lot of damage, but this time, it didn't seem to be that serious.

"No one was injured... Oh, right, does Kiana count the time when she bumped into Shen Gonglin's head while carrying her back? As for the others, all the tests showed no serious problems, they're just a little weaker. Just like that girl said, they'll recover if they rest and eat well. As for the losses, the clothing store in the city center will definitely have to be rebuilt."