The rendezvous point Raiden Ryoma had set—London, the Fog City—was the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, so the group needed to sail the Hyperion to the Atlantic.
The journey at average speed would take about five to six hours, giving Fuli ample time to rest and prepare.
"Going to see Raiden Ryoma, huh."
He paced back to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and looked out at the sea view with a bit of a headache.
From his bedroom, he could just see the ships sailing in the distance. Under the ink-black clouds, their lights were like fireflies floating on the sea, flickering in and out, adding a touch of worldly life to the stormy ocean.
Since they were seeking sponsorship, it was both reasonable and appropriate for Fuli, as the master of the Hyperion, to meet with the sponsor, Raiden Ryoma.
But considering the relationship between him and Mei, and recalling the girl's increasingly undisguised attitude, as well as that "mouth-to-mouth resuscitation" that almost led to a home run...
As the saying goes, a big brain is even better to latch onto than a thigh.
However, the side effect of doing so was that his own pace was gradually being controlled by Mei. If this continued, he might be subtly... taken care of by her before he even reached the promised Sequence++ level.
"Aaargh! So annoying!"
Fuli wrapped himself in his little blanket, curled up, and started scrolling through his phone.
What can solve worries? Only short videos!
Although long-term fragmented reading can lead to a decline in logical thinking skills, it's a great stress reliever!
Of course, all of the above was from Fuli's own perspective.
As everyone knows, dissing Mei is an essential part of the Honkai world, a mandatory quest.
First, he had half-willingly dallied with Kallen in his sleep on New Moon Island. Then, he lived with the Herrscher of the Void in the mental space for two and a half years.
The former was caused by Mei's birthday party, and the Herrscher of the Void was sealed by Mei herself. You didn't even need to round up to see the connection.
Who knew how many more twists and turns Fuli's love life would take before Miss Raiden officially hit a home run.
For example, this trip to London, which also originated from Mei?
...
"Hii~ Good morning! Are you happy to hear my voice ♪?"
"Hii~ Good morning! A good day starts with seeing you ♪~"
The little pixie alarm clock with Elysia's recorded voice went off precisely at 2 PM. Fuli, having fully recharged his energy, opened his eyes, washed up, and headed to the bridge.
The moment he entered, he saw a white-haired Tuna sitting cross-legged by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out expectantly. Her clear, beautiful eyes blinked and blinked, like a cute little cat waiting for its owner to throw a yarn ball.
Fuli walked over to Bronya, who was playing games while lying on the sofa, and nudged her. "What's up with her? Also, don't lie on your stomach, it's bad for your chest development."
"We're about to reach the border between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans."
The little girl rolled over, propping her fishnet-stockinged feet on her big brother's lap, and answered lazily, "Dummy Kiana read somewhere that the oceans don't mix at their meeting point but form a distinct boundary. So she's sitting there waiting to see the spectacle."
"Yeah, yeah!"
Kiana said loudly, "They say the difference in density and salinity creates a distinct, hotpot-like scene with one deep and one shallow side!"
The mention of a hotpot made Kallen's mouth water. "I wanna see, I wanna see!"
And so, two white-haired furballs, one big and one small, sat side-by-side by the window, their bright and charming little faces sparkling as if they could refract rays of divine light.
"Don't bother looking. It's fake."
The electric door opened again, and Mei, dressed in a new outfit, walked in with crisp footsteps.
"Most of what you see is just clickbait accounts using videos of the Yellow River estuary to spread rumors."
She gave the Kaslanas, whose brains had been addled by short videos, a simple science lesson: "The Yellow River is turbid due to its high sediment content, while seawater, with its higher salt content, is denser and clearer. When they meet, the seawater sinks, and the river water rises. As they constantly mix, the metal ions in the salt cause the sediment in the river water to gradually settle. So the river water at the confluence becomes clear, while the river water further away remains turbid. And since the river is constantly flowing into the sea, this dividing line remains visible."
"What? Damn you, clickbait accounts! How dare you deceive me!"
The option of doubting Mei didn't even exist in Kiana's dictionary. She gritted her teeth, clenched her little fists, unlocked her phone, and started spewing vitriol in the comments section of the clickbait account that had fooled her.
Seeing this, Kallen handily reported the video multiple times, directly triggering the short video site's takedown mechanism.
"Mei?"
Fuli, on the other hand, was surprised by Mei's current attire.
Her face was delicate and beautiful, with a hint of charm in her eyes that wasn't vulgar but had an indescribable allure, captivating the heart and soul.
The well-fitting skirt perfectly showcased the girl's curves, her ample chest threatening to burst forth. A ribbon was tied lightly around her slender waist, adding a touch of hazy temptation.
Her long, straight legs were wrapped in tight, thin black stockings, and her full, round hips exuded a mature feminine charm that didn't belong to someone her age.
"It's been a while since I've seen my father, so I dressed a bit more formally."
Just then, the girl's seemingly all-seeing violet eyes fell on Fuli.
A seagull cried as it flew across the sky. Sunlight poured down from between the clouds, flickering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, constantly illuminating the girl's clear and stunningly beautiful face.
"Do I look good?"
She smiled faintly.
(Seeing father after a long time: X)
(First official date with boyfriend, a stroll through the Fog City: √)
"You look good, oh..."
The person being asked averted his gaze guiltily. He was too embarrassed to admit that during his rest, he had used the resonance of the Stigmata of the Void to go play with Quan again.
...
Even though Britain was a shadow of its former self, it was still one of the five permanent members of the UN.
Therefore, the Hyperion didn't brazenly invade its waters and airspace. Instead, the sky battleship was parked in the Atlantic, several tens of nautical miles from its coast. Fuli and Mei would then take a pre-arranged fishing boat to the shoreline and then use land transportation to reach the specific meeting point.
But before all that, they first needed to appease the very reluctant big white cat at home.
"Not happy, not happy! I want to go to London too!"
My wings tying themselves in knots without my permission? I don't want that! What happened to monogamy!
"Go, go, don't make trouble. We're on official business this time."
Fuli crouched down and poked Kiana, who was rolling on the floor cosplaying as a robot vacuum. "Besides, what's so fun about crappy Britain? It's gay and full of shipping, not to mention the tons of colorful immigrants. The LGBT+ and environmentalists are always celebrating something in the streets. All their slogans are just annoying."
He still remembered a group member in a reader chat who went to university in London complaining about having a dream of taking a dump after drinking with his roommate one night. But strangely, the harder he pushed, the more it went back in.
Fuli was amazed by this and silently classified Britain, along with the Sichuan-Chongqing region of Shenzhou, as a "shit-stirring" region that no straight man should ever enter.
After all, he could also be considered a cute boy. A crisis of the chrysanthemum had to be guarded against!
"I don't care, I don't care, I don't care! Take me with you, take me with you, take me with you!"
But Kiana just wouldn't listen, flailing her arms and legs on the floor, embodying the principle of "I'm not listening, I'm not listening, the turtle is chanting sutras."
It was truly a case of a scholar meeting a soldier; reasoning was useless.
Fuli looked up helplessly, signaling to Mei with his eyes: Should we just take her?
No.
The girl immediately refused with her gaze.
This was their only date since the Third Honkai Eruption. What was a third wheel doing here?
Completely unaware that she was the third wheel between Fuli and Kiana, Ms. Mei crouched down and gently placed her hand on Kiana's forehead.
"M-Mei?"
The latter's body immediately stiffened. Her nervous little eyes darted around, afraid that her friend's fingertips would spark with lightning and shoot a Railgun at her at three times the speed of sound.
Mei, of course, wouldn't be so excessive. Besides, her Railgun was much faster than a mere Mach 3.
"We can all go together. A threesome isn't out of the question."
"Yay!"
The white-haired Tuna jumped three feet high.
Bronya, who had been an outsider from the start, sneered while sucking on her baby bottle, thinking how simple-minded single-celled organisms were.
Sure enough, Mei added, "In exchange, you'll be responsible for cleaning up all the food along the way."
In the Suzhou-Hangzhou region of Shenzhou, there's a nationally renowned dish called West Lake Vinegar Fish. This dish is not just about the taste but also the atmosphere.
You must sit by a window overlooking the lake. That way, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery while savoring the fish.
When the dish arrives, you first dip your chopsticks in the sauce to taste it, and then you throw the entire plate, fish and all, into the lake. This saves the waiter the trouble of cleaning up.
And in Britain?
You put a West Lake Vinegar Fish on the table, and those commoners will fight over it like it's a rare delicacy, afraid that if they're too slow, others will eat it all.
What's that? Only the commoners fight for it, not the nobles?
Those rich folks can afford French chefs.
"!!!"
As expected, upon hearing this condition, Kiana, who had been lying on the floor refusing to get up, shot up with a pop.
She raised her hand in a salute, her delicate and beautiful face full of seriousness. "You two! A swift journey and a swift return!"
Hmph! Let the wings get tangled! I'll just f*ck them both back later!
Kaslana Super Strength, activate!
"Well then, we'll leave the house-sitting to you."
After giving Kallen, who was floating in mid-air, a look and receiving an OK sign in return, Mei turned around, her limited-edition Chanel bag in hand, and walked toward the edge of the deck, her high heels clicking crisply.
"Baby, don't be sad. Big brother will bring back a present for you."
"Bronya just hopes she won't see big brother's active in the evening news."
"I'm not the protagonist. How could trouble follow me everywhere I go?"
Fuli vigorously ruffled Bronya's single drill, chuckling at the girl's disgusted (ᗜ˰ᗜ) expression. He then turned, came to Mei's side, and wrapped an arm around her waist.
Then, they leaped down.
The hundreds of meters passed in an instant. On the sea's surface, the deck of the fishing boat rapidly enlarged in their eyes.
With a whoosh, they landed safely.
A white man who had been waiting for a while quickly approached. "You must be Mr. Fuli and Miss Raiden Mei. I am John Williams. On behalf of Executor Raiden Ryoma, I am responsible for escorting you to the port of London in Britain. This is my business card."
As he spoke, he glanced at the spot where Fuli had landed, noticing no trace of a heavy impact. His expression became even more respectful.
"We'll be in your hands."
Fuli released Mei, took the card, and put it in his jacket pocket. "How long will it take?"
People who take on this kind of job usually know something about the Honkai side, or they're from Anti-Entropy themselves. He didn't need to waste time with pleasantries.
"Two hours will be enough. I have prepared a cabin for you to rest in. Please follow me."
With that, the man turned, and the two automatically followed.
Along the way, they encountered many burly crew members engaged in fishing and sorting. Perhaps John had given them instructions beforehand, because they didn't even glance at them, and there was no "harassing a beautiful foreign girl" scene.
This left Fuli, who had reached the rest cabin, a little disappointed. What a great opportunity for a face-slapping scene! If I were writing this, I could have padded it with at least five hundred words!
"Why was it so peaceful and quiet on the way?"
After John left, Mei, sitting on the bed, crossed her long, slender, jade-like legs. The pearly-white toes of her feet playfully dangled her high heels, causing Fuli to look away.
Seeing this, the girl's smile widened. "I just used a little gadget to lower my presence a bit. You wouldn't want 'your girlfriend' to be exposed to other men's eyes, right~"
She deliberately emphasized the words "your girlfriend," her meaning very clear.
"...We should probably study the route to the Fog City after we land."
The boy's gaze wandered, his tongue unconsciously sweeping over his lips.
"Hehe."
Mei chuckled happily, thinking it was indeed the right decision not to bring Kiana.
If they were on the Hyperion, seeing such a perfect opportunity, that white-haired Tuna with her amazing intuition would have already rushed over to cause trouble.
Bronya would chime in with a few witty remarks, and the elusive Kallen would divert the conversation to something else, rendering all of Mei's efforts futile.
But it didn't matter. This time, none of you meddlesome people are here.
Next, it's my turn, Raiden Mei's turn—
"Big Sis, I just checked! There are no pinhole cameras for peeping in the room!"
A lively, bell-like voice echoed in the room that was supposed to have only two people. With a poof!, a Q-version, three-heads-tall little Kallen appeared out of a cloud of smoke, to Mei's stunned gaze.
"...Eh?"
Mei (processing...)
"The situation in the British Isles is rather complicated. Although it's within Schicksal's traditional sphere of influence, it also has ambiguous dealings with the North America-based Anti-Entropy. This has resulted in neither of the super AIs, Ella and Fimilis, being able to completely control this land. It's a rare offshore balancer and semi-neutral zone."
The three-heads-tall little Kallen crossed her arms, her mini angel wings fluttering behind her. "So I took this opportunity to slip a subroutine into my little bro's phone to help out. Hmph, thank me!"
Thank my ass! No wonder you agreed so readily before! You clearly didn't trust me and Yuan to have our private time and sent a spy!!!
She was undoubtedly seeing red.
As for Fuli, he should have been happy about Kallen's interruption, but in his heart of hearts, he wasn't that happy.
Who could refuse Miss Mei's advances? If this had fast-forwarded to a drunken (feigned) girl lying on his lap, whispering, "Am I not pitiful, not cute?"
That scene, that lighting, just thinking about it made his index finger twitch!
—Bronya's warning! Don't forget the ultimate humiliation from the Herrscher of Domination! Get stronger, get stronger!
Realizing he had almost been captivated by a beautiful girl again, Fuli slapped his face, suppressing the spreading ripples in his heart.
He rushed over to hug little Kallen. "Sis, you look super cute in this form! Let me kiss you, hug you, and lift you high!"
"No thanks!"
The little angel Kallen crossed her arms, watching smugly as the boy passed through her in mid-air. "Without the material support of the Hyperion, this is just a phantom that only you two can see."
She winked. "I'll let you 'hug' me when we get home, okay!"
"Oh."
Fuli nodded obediently.
Mei glared at her, grinding her teeth.
The word "hug" in the Far East has two main pronunciations and meanings. When read as "daku," besides the normal "to hold, to embrace," it also has the meaning of "intimate relations between a man and a woman."
If you were to ask if Kallen knew the special meaning of this word, Mei was sure she did. The Schicksal Holy Maiden who was her prototype had lived in the Far East for a year.
With the troublemaker Kallen interrupting, and the girls bickering for a while, two hours passed without them noticing.
Just as they were about to reach the coast, John returned and knocked on their door.
Without him using much force, the unlocked door creaked open.
Looking inside, the room was clean and empty. The occupants were long gone.
The food and water were untouched.
"Now that's what you call professional."
He sighed with admiration, walked to the table, and picked up the tip Mei had left behind, his face beaming.
As one of Anti-Entropy's many hidden assets in the British Isles, John had to do what the Executor personally asked him to do, whether he wanted to or not.
But work was one thing, and comfort was another.
The tip Mei left was the item she had used to lower her presence, the "Heart of Klimaya." When worn, it could greatly reduce the wearer's footsteps, heartbeat, and breathing sounds, while also lowering the alertness of creatures within a certain range.
For someone like John, who lived on the edge, this thing could be a lifesaver in a critical moment.
He carefully placed the thumb-sized Heart of Klimaya into his locket, next to a photo of his wife and daughter. Then, he composed himself and left the room as if nothing had happened.
He had two tasks today. The first was to escort Fuli and Mei to London.
That was done. The remaining one was to transport the cargo of another newly promoted executor, Dr. "Infinite" Mobius, to the port of Belfast on the northeast coast of Ireland.
Once that was done, he and his old buddies on the ship could go back to their hometown in Manchester and reunite with their families for half a month.
The thought of his precious daughter and wife's surprised faces made John feel like he had boundless energy.
"Awooo!!!"
It couldn't help but roar at the sky, grabbing a nearby crew member and starting to bite.
And that crew member, as if infected, enthusiastically bit back with its alien-like mouthparts.
No! That's not right!
The excruciating pain instantly brought John back to his senses. He used all his strength to smash the crew member's—his first mate's—hard head, quickly treated the gruesome bite wound, and after confirming that it was no longer bleeding, used the presence concealment function of the Heart of Klimaya to move stealthily through the ship's cabins.
The more he looked, the more horrifying it was.
In the blink of an eye, all the once-honest and sturdy crew members had transformed into the same creature as the first mate—a humanoid being that stood on two legs, hunched forward, looking like a pack of hyenas with arms and legs. Their yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, and their gray, rubbery, wrinkled skin was disgusting.
They wandered aimlessly through the corridors, their fierce eyes scanning every person they passed.
Once again thanking Mei in his heart for leaving the concealment item, John held his breath and, relying on his familiarity with the ship's interior, quickly ran toward the deck.
He had to leave this ship full of monsters and go to the nearby British Isles to inform the big shots about this.
He couldn't die here. It wasn't just about his waiting family, but also about countless innocent people.
"I say, who said you were going to die here?"
A crisp voice came from behind. John felt a lightness in his chest; the locket with his family photo had been easily snatched by the newcomer.
"A little gadget that can suppress the heart rate. Heinrich, this guy used this to prevent your virus from spreading as quickly as it did in the others, right?"
After shouting to the back, without waiting for his companion's reply, the short, white-haired boy took out the Heart of Klimaya and casually tossed the locket aside.
The locket flew in an arc and fell into the sea at the edge of the deck, disappearing.
Without the support of the Heart of Klimaya, John's expression immediately became extremely ferocious.
But soon, he, who had also turned into a monster, fell to his knees, humbly pressing his forehead to the ground, showing his heartfelt respect for his monarch and colleague.
"So I said, who said you were going to die here?"
The boy laughed heartily. "Killing people for no reason is the lowest of the low. The living are worth much more than the dead."
"Mr. Captain, would you be so kind as to take me to this ship's central warehouse?"
He patted its shoulder. "The cargo Dr. Mobius entrusted you to transport, that 'replica of the Herrscher of Reason' she made, should be there, right?"
The monster that was formerly John replied respectfully, "This subordinate knows nothing of a Herrscher replica, but the doctor's cargo is indeed on the ship, and it's under multiple security measures. Unless you're the person handling the handover, it's impossible to open."
"Then don't you worry. Putting other things aside, I'm quite experienced in the art of violent disassembly."
The white-haired boy struck a strongman pose. On the armband hanging naturally from his sleeve, the X-shaped symbol of the Third German Reich was as red as blood.
...