"Ehhh—!!!"
The girl's high-pitched voice nearly blew the roof off the apartment.
The gracefully built girl practically leaped to her feet, stumbling back several steps.
"Take off your top."
Such a statement, uttered by a male of the same age, was truly far too shocking for a girl.
For any girl, aside from the type you'd "press F to enter" with, the first thought upon hearing such words would likely be that her chastity was in peril.
"Calm down, Mei."
The young man with striking red eyes looked at the girl, who was clearly terrified, spread his hands, and said.
"If I were really interested in your body, you would have already taken the morning-after pill."
Miss Mei, her expression slightly panicked, froze.
She looked as if she'd been struck by lightning, momentarily paralyzed.
"Although I can't compare to the likes of Kevin 'Aotian,' the Green Hat King, or Yang Sit-ups, my combat strength is actually quite considerable."
The young man, a veritable genius at sophistry, looked at the girl whose expression had calmed somewhat, and said very seriously.
"Besides, if my only goal was your body, I could have actually used your Esteemed Father-in-Law's freedom as a bargaining chip for a night of passion."
Miss Mei fell silent, the hands clutching her chest slowly relaxing.
Li Zihan was indeed right. If he had truly been interested in her body, she would have been in trouble long ago.
"Moreover, I only asked you to take off your top. I didn't ask you to take off your underwear."
The young man, whose self-control was actually very strong, continued.
"I just need to locate the Herrscher Core, and then prepare to remove it."
"What were you thinking?"
A teasing smile touched the corners of the young man's mouth.
"Are you lacking a boyfriend, feeling a bit lonely? If so, I'd be more than happy to sign up as your number one devoted scamp."
Hearing those words, dripping with mockery, Miss Mei's face instantly flushed crimson, like a steamed crab, nearly letting off a puff of steam from the top of her head.
The one with the dirty mind... was it me?
Thinking this, Miss Mei looked as if all color had drained from her, turning ashen.
She's a little cute, isn't she?
The young man, who had once been an enthusiast of older-sister types, watched the slightly withdrawn girl, the corners of his lips quirking upwards.
Indeed, this is how a normal JK (high school girl) beauty should be.
Types like Aozaki Aoko and Aozaki Touko are the abnormal ones.
He suddenly started to believe in the charm of older-sister types again.
Come to think of it, Mei was actually very suitable wife material, wasn't she?
Although her cooking skills weren't as divine as legends claimed, she was an undeniable Yamato Nadeshiko—gentle, considerate, and skilled at managing a household.
So, should I tie up the Paramecium next and just sink her into the Sea of Quanta? the young man thought, feeling that if he truly wanted to pursue Miss Mei, he absolutely had to deal with the Paramecium.
"So, next, I just need to take off my top?"
Miss Mei, unaware that someone was currently contemplating how to deal with a potential love rival, sighed.
"Yes, just taking off your top is enough."
The young man, who could easily remove organs from a human body as long as the target's location was confirmed and there was no resistance, smiled and said.
========Line Break========
Meanwhile, not far away, a black luxury sedan sped from the distance, arriving at the apartment complex where Raiden Mei was renting for school convenience.
"We've arrived, Lord Sovereign."
The man, handsome with a noble air about his brow, parked the car in the lot, then stepped out from the driver's seat and opened the rear door.
A man with a few strands of white mixed in his brown, curly hair, yet whose expression remained dashing and spirited, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, then emerged.
These two were, naturally, the Anti-Entropy Sovereign, Welt, and Raiden Ryoma.
"Are you sure that 'Li Zihan' is here?"
Welt, who had observed the apartment environment through the front window before alighting, frowned slightly as he looked at the apartment ahead, which showed no Honkai energy reaction whatsoever.
The person who managed to gain Raiden Ryoma's trust in such a short time, obtain the contact method for Schicksal's Far East Branch, and already knew my whereabouts before all this... lives here?
For someone who, by all appearances, seems like an elite from an unknown organization to be living in an ordinary apartment, isn't that a bit too underwhelming?
"This is my daughter's residence."
Raiden Ryoma, who was actually struggling internally, took a deep breath, as if he had finally mustered the courage, and fished out the key his daughter had given him from his pocket.
She, having no real concept of her father's capabilities, had once thought her father might be homeless before his companions arrived, and thus had given Raiden Ryoma a spare key to her apartment.
But Raiden Ryoma was clearly not so destitute as to need his daughter's support, and so he had never used the key.
And now, it was time to use it.
Raiden Ryoma's expression was grave.
Prior to this, he had heard from his subordinates that they had seen the young miss walking towards the apartment with a boy of the same age.
The situation was already very clear: his daughter was cohabiting with that young man who definitely had major issues.
If it weren't for the fact that Welt had secretly arrived in Nagazora City and needed an absolutely reliable person for transport, he would have come here to deal with matters long ago.
"That suspicious individual is cohabiting with my daughter."
Raiden Ryoma, having dragged Plasma Kagehide from the trunk and secured it at his waist, looked utterly self-reproachful.
He understood that girls in difficult situations, lacking support, were easily moved by men.
If he hadn't underestimated Cocolia back then, he wouldn't have been tricked into prison, and Mei naturally wouldn't have been hooked by that kid.
Hearing Raiden Ryoma's words, Welt's expression changed instantly.
He had previously heard Einstein and Tesla say that "Li Zihan's" situation was a bit special, and requested the Sovereign to handle it with caution.
He had thought they meant his identity was special because of the special nature of the organization he belonged to...
Welt glanced at Raiden Ryoma's face out of the corner of his eye, and his heart skipped a beat.
So the "special" was in this context.
"Regardless, let's go take a look first."
Faced with this problem that had already become entangled with domestic affairs, Welt sighed.
"If that fiend is merely an evildoer hoping to use my daughter's identity for personal gain, please allow me to cut him down."
Raiden Ryoma, having considered a certain possibility, gripped the hilt of Plasma Kagehide, his voice filled with killing intent.
"Mm, I won't stop you."
Welt nodded, granting permission.
With permission granted, Raiden Ryoma led the way, entering the elevator with Welt. They found Raiden Mei's floor and apartment, and Raiden Ryoma opened the door with the key.
The living room was empty. Welt, stepping into Miss Mei's apartment, moved silently, surveying his surroundings.
No one in the living room, no one in the kitchen, no one in the study...
Welt, seeing no sign of anyone, walked forward, with a worried Raiden Ryoma close behind.
Then, Welt stopped.
Further ahead was the master bedroom, a girl's private area... it wasn't appropriate for him to enter.
Raiden Ryoma, also realizing this, looked even more grim.
He took a step forward, passing Welt, and approached the master bedroom.
Before he could even knock, a male voice sounded from within.
"Does it still hurt now?"
Following that was a girl's slightly weak voice, one that made you want to cherish her.
"Now, it doesn't hurt anymore."