Raiden Ryoma's mind was in utter chaos.
A fellow, suspected to be a member of an unknown organization, had already charmed his daughter, gained her reliance, and become her lover.
And now, here they were, engaging in the ultimate activity reserved for lovers.
What had this world come to?
Raiden Ryoma, who had originally come just to apprehend someone and interrogate them about their motives, wanted to rush in, but he couldn't take a step forward.
His daughter was in the middle of doing something intimate with her boyfriend, and then her father, along with a prominent figure, would burst through the door, seize her boyfriend, and interrogate him…
This would undoubtedly cast a shadow over a girl's entire life.
As a father, Raiden Ryoma was undoubtedly an excellent one, and he didn't want to leave such a scar on his daughter's heart.
Therefore, he could only stand less than three steps from the door, clutching the long tachi named Plasma Kagehide, all movements ceased, like a samurai statue.
What should he do next?
Raiden Ryoma's brain, completely frozen, had practically turned to mush.
That young man, possessing a natural Stigmata and an enormous amount of information, was definitely an elite cultivated by some powerful faction.
If that faction shared similar ideals and goals with Anti-Entropy, then it would be fine. His daughter could continue this relationship and let it develop naturally.
Although he'd be a bit displeased, what was done was done; he could grit his teeth and bear it.
But what if the organization that fellow belonged to had ideals that conflicted with Anti-Entropy?
What if that fellow didn't even like Mei at all, and was merely using Mei's identity to gain benefits?
What should he do then?
Raiden Ryoma's body trembled violently due to his intense emotions.
If anyone from the kendo circles of the Far East saw this, they would surely find it incredible.
Raiden Ryoma was the foremost swordsman in the Far East, a man who could even be called a "Sword Saint."
Yet now, such a man couldn't even control his own body, only able to clutch his beloved sword and stand there dejectedly.
His current state wasn't much better than those middle-aged corporate drones whose daughters had been lured away by delinquents.
"Let's go."
Welt's voice resonated directly in Raiden Ryoma's mind.
Raiden Ryoma turned his head and looked in Welt's direction.
The man revered as the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy hadn't opened his mouth.
For a Herrscher who lived in a vacuum, transmitting information without relying on air as a medium was a simple matter.
He glanced at the tightly closed bedroom door and continued to convey his words to Raiden Ryoma through his thoughts.
"Until we confirm that fellow is an 'evildoer' who came for profit, as elders, we have no right to interfere with them."
"So, let us wait for a while."
When his voice stopped, the man named Welt turned his head and walked towards the living room.
Raiden Ryoma, looking somewhat dejected, watched the retreating figure, hugged Plasma Kagehide to his chest, and followed.
========Line Break========
Raiden Mei's skin was exquisite, possessing a jade-like texture, warm, soft, and supple to the touch.
The youth, a purple gemstone stained with blood floating above his hand, recalled the sensation of his fingers previously brushing against the girl's smooth back and abdomen, feeling a little wistful.
The extraction of the Gem of Conquest had proceeded very smoothly.
Perhaps it was because Raiden Ryoma had considered the possibility of removal when he implanted it, so the Gem of Conquest was very stable, completely unlike the Gem of Desire, which was so active it could only be preserved within a living body.
This had saved him a lot of trouble.
Li Zihan tossed the very stable gem directly into the dimensional pouch hidden in his shadow.
Within the dimensional pouch, independent of the outside world, the concept of time did not exist, making it an excellent place to store items.
Having done all this, Li Zihan turned his gaze back to Raiden Mei.
Her delicate little face was pale, and tiny, crystalline beads of sweat trickled from her palms and forehead. Her body trembled ceaselessly, and her voice was weak and frail from the pain.
Li Zihan's method of extracting the Gem of Conquest was actually quite crude.
He had directly teleported the Gem of Conquest out of Raiden Mei's body using Imaginary Magecraft.
Such an act would undoubtedly cause harm to Raiden Mei's body.
"This must have been really hard on you."
Li Zihan looked at the girl, who was clearly enduring immense pain while claiming she was fine. He retrieved a gem from his shadow and pressed his hand against her abdomen.
As a magus who had received formal training, using healing magecraft was not difficult for him.
A faint green light subsequently bloomed on the girl's chest, infusing the power of life into the wounds within Raiden Mei's body.
As the healing magecraft progressed, Raiden Mei's breathing gradually became steady.
After about a minute or two, the gem emitting the faint green radiance dimmed, having had most of its magical energy drawn out, and fell into Li Zihan's hand.
"Thank you."
After the wounds inside her body had completely healed, the girl, who had personally witnessed a gem being extracted from her body, looked at the youth sitting beside her and expressed her gratitude.
"No need to thank me."
The youth, who would be relying on gems as his supply station once he left the Honkai World, pulled the blanket from the side, covering the body of the girl who was only wearing underwear on her upper body.
The wounds on Raiden Mei's body had already been repaired by magecraft, but the mental fatigue caused by the pain wasn't so easily dispelled.
She desperately needed rest right now.
"By the way, what would you like to eat? Someone who's been injured needs quite a bit of nutritional replenishment."
The youth, who could actually cook a decent meal if he strictly followed the measurements in a Western cookbook, asked the girl whose expression was somewhat haggard.
The girl, whose body had actually already recovered, propped her upper body up, turned her head, and looked at the youth who had just helped her remove the object called the "Gem of Conquest," her voice tinged with apology.
"No, it's alright."
She had originally invited Li Zihan over as a guest, but in the end, she was the one who needed to be taken care of by him.
"Don't worry about whether it's troublesome or not, I don't have anything to do anyway."
The youth, who indeed had nothing much to do, gazed at the girl's delicate and spirited face, smiled, and said.
"Just consider it a return gift for the meal you treated me to before."
"Is it… a mutual return of gifts?"
The girl, feeling that the youth's attitude towards her had suddenly softened considerably, looked into his vibrant red eyes and asked softly.
"Of course."
The youth chuckled softly. Unlike his past smiles, which always carried a hint of teasing and insincerity, the smile on his face now had a quality that made people want to draw closer.
"We're friends. You can actually rely on me a little more."
A friend she could rely on?
Raiden Mei silently mulled over this phrase in her heart, not saying anything for a moment.
"Alright, you should rest first. I'll go check out the kitchen."
The youth, who was indeed planning to try his hand at cooking, stood up from the bedside, smiled at Miss Mei, pushed open the door, and then walked down the hallway.
He was quite familiar with the layout of this apartment. Following the corridor, it led to the living room ahead, and with another turn, he would be able to find the kitchen.
Not being someone who easily got lost, he soon reached the front of the living room and stepped inside.
And then—
Two grown men entered Li Zihan's field of vision.
One was sitting on the sofa, silent.
The other was clutching a long tachi, staring at him, who had just emerged from the bedroom, with the eyes of an ancient warrior heading into battle.
Almost at the exact moment Li Zihan appeared, the samurai gentleman, who bore some resemblance to Raiden Mei, stood up and walked in front of the youth.
His steps were remarkably heavy.
"Are you Li Zihan?" the person sitting on the sofa asked first.