Upon learning the truth, little Kallen's mood plummeted, and even the angel wings on her back drooped.
The sight made Fuli's fingers twitch; he fought the urge to pull her into a hug and smother her adorable little face with kisses.
Mei pondered for a moment before turning back to Villette. "I generally understand the situation, but there's one thing I don't get. Since the missing person is the father of an S-rank Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse, why are you asking two unrelated passersby for help instead of notifying the British high command to dispatch elite forces to apprehend the enemy?"
Hearing this, Argenti sighed. "This beautiful lady—"
"Stop. I wasn't asking you," the young woman interrupted, clearly not accustomed to the silver-armored knight's flamboyant style.
Villette gave a bitter smile. "The higher-ups have already deployed various units, including the Argent Cavaliers and the Dragoon Guards, throughout London to maintain order. With the large World Bubble about to converge, this is the most we can do."
As someone who had been subtly influenced by Argenti, he couldn't bring himself to tell outsiders about the utter depravity of the lords in the Upper House.
However, just because Villette didn't say it didn't mean Mei and Fuli couldn't read between the lines.
"Sometimes I wonder if I can see ghosts. How else could I be looking at something as ghoulishly messed up as Great Britain while still among the living?"
Defining a person by a label is often shallow, but defining a group by a label often gets you the right answer.
Fuli scoffed and exchanged a look with Mei.
The young woman shrugged and took a half-step back, indicating that when they were out, all decisions were up to her dear husband.
At this critical moment, Argenti, who had been so theatrical before, fell silent. His emerald eyes watched them gently, waiting for them to reach their own conclusion.
Under his gaze, Fuli nodded. "We can help."
No matter what kind of love-hate entanglement he'd had with Rita in the previous loop, to the point where even his body as Chu Nan had almost fallen prey to that black-bellied lolicon stalker, the boy would not deny the synergy and thoughtfulness she showed as a companion and teammate.
An acquaintance's father had been kidnapped. He had to get involved.
Of course, Fuli had his own little scheme in mind. Durandal's offensive against the Hyperion had been getting more intense lately. Who knew when he might actually get captured and dragged back to Schicksal.
If he really did become the Immortal Blades' humble plaything, Rita could be some high-grade fusion material to spice things up, right?
After all, she was really... smooth.
Seeing that Fuli had made his decision, Mei took a step forward and straightened his slightly messy collar.
She then took two steps back and said softly, "Then I wish you a swift victory and good fortune in battle."
The girl's identity was, after all, sensitive; she was the daughter of the Anti-Entropy Executor, Raiden Ryoma.
Especially now, at a critical point in negotiations, if any problems arose, the people in the House of Lords would surely use it against them.
"Don't worry," Fuli said, giving her a thumbs-up. He hadn't planned on letting Mei get involved anyway.
His conversation with Kiana when she came aboard had made him realize that the Divine King Mask's causality manipulation didn't work on everyone. It was best if Mei stayed out of it, just in case someone with ill intentions made a connection.
It had only been three months since the Third Honkai War, after all.
"Alright then, Brother Ji—er, Argenti, shall we?"
"Please rest easy, Lord Fuli. In this battle, Argenti of the Knights of Beauty shall lead the charge!" Argenti saluted, fist to his chest, the fleur-de-lis on his silver armor gleaming.
"However, 'Ji'?" His handsome face showed confusion. "Does this name hold some special meaning?"
[T/N: This is a complex Chinese internet meme about idol Cai Xukun, impossible to translate directly. The sound "Ji" (只) is part of the meme's catchphrase, derived from "chicken" (鸡). The following is an adapted localization.]
"Ah, you wouldn't understand," Fuli said, his expression taking on the ethereal air of an ancient, exiled immortal as he began to spin a tall tale. "In the lands of the East, there was once an idol trainee who practiced for two and a half years. This man blazed a trail with a basketball forged from common iron and became a legend overnight, turning a simple white cloth into his stage. After his debut, he conquered all before him, becoming a national icon! His dance was studied and broken down by countless people, and the dramas he starred in broke record after record. He shone like a diamond!"
"And his legendary debut song, the one that knocked open the gates of heaven, was the androgynous masterpiece, 'Just 'Cause You're So Fine'!"
"What a dazzling epic! That idol trainee, a master of rhythm, turned a common iron basketball into a celestial scepter!" Argenti's armored boots crunched on the moonlit ground as he clutched his heart. "My lord, by bestowing upon me this battle-hymn as my crest, are you asking me to reforge the glory of 'Just 'Cause You're So Fine' in the name of the Goddess of Beauty?"
"Exactly! The laws of beauty are not confined to the stage or the battlefield!" Fuli conjured a basketball-shaped nebula of light at his fingertips with his sword, the light of all eighty-eight constellations flowing within it. "When the thrust of a comet's spear intertwines with the arc of a fadeaway jumper, the sealed gateway will be thrown wide open! Whether it is the parabola of a basketball or the meteor of a lance streaking across the sky, they will surely weave a trajectory of fate more magnificent than any rose vine!"
"Glory is my life!" Argenti shot to his feet, his armor ringing like a holy bell. "In that case, I, Argenti, shall not fail to live up to your expectations!"
"Elegance never goes out of style!"
"Truth is found in aesthetics!"
One of Fuli's talents: hitting it off quickly with people he didn't dislike.
Villette watched this scene with a constipated expression, once again feeling a deep sense of worry about entrusting the mission to find Alexander to these two.
Mei, however, simply rested her chin on her hand, her eyes curving into a pair of doting crescent moons.
'Yuan is so cute when he's being childish!'
Now that they had accepted the job, the first thing to do was, naturally, to go to the crime scene.
Since Raiden Ryoma's luxurious estate was also located on Kensington Palace Gardens, after entrusting the dejected little Kallen to Mei's care, it didn't take long for Fuli and Argenti to arrive.
As the face of Schicksal, an S-rank Valkyrie would never be troubled by money.
Rita was also a very filial daughter, which meant the Rossweisse estate was comparable in size to a small residential complex.
"A house this big isn't always a good thing. If this were a smaller place, the sound of a fight would have been noticed immediately, instead of people only realizing something was wrong after he went missing," Fuli, a man of the people, muttered, absolutely not admitting that he was jealous.
Like the Raiden residence, the place had been surrounded by the Dragoon Guards dispatched by the higher-ups. The man in charge saw Fuli, an unfamiliar Asian face, about to step inside and was about to shout at him.
"Please, calm yourself, Sir Erwin."
A tall, silver figure quickly stepped in front of him. "Lord Fuli is my dearest friend. We are here at the request of Mrs. Emily Rossweisse to find her poor husband, who was abducted by a villain."
Villette was right; Argenti was really popular among the rank and file.
Sir Erwin's eyes were deep, his weathered face full of wrinkles, and the hand holding his sword was covered in thick calluses.
Just from his demeanor, one could tell he was the stubborn, by-the-book type. But now, after glaring at Fuli for a moment and warning him not to disturb the scene, he actually let this complete stranger follow Argenti inside.
The moment they entered, the body of a maid lying on the floor came into view.
"Well, at least they didn't move the body."
Fuli went over to examine it and found that she had been killed by a gunshot wound to the head from a firearm-like weapon.
The bullet had clearly been fired into her mouth and exited through the back of her head. Due to the cavity effect, it had created a relatively large hole.
"If I recall, that Galaxy Ranger named Boothill uses a gun, does he not?"
"He does." Argenti handed over a wanted poster as if he had it ready, his heart filled with sorrow at the sight. "Mrs. Maria was a very kind woman. She often gave candy to the children at the orphanage and was very enthusiastic about community service—"
Fuli cut off his reminiscence. "How strong was this Mrs. Maria?"
"Before retiring, Mrs. Maria was a very experienced A-rank Valkyrie skilled with blades. However, due to the erosion of her artificial stigmata and Honkai energy, her current combat ability was only enough to fend off a 20-meter-class Honkai beast."
"So, a veteran B-rank," Fuli said with understanding. "And Boothill?"
"That is..."
"A-rank, borderline exceptional," Sir Erwin said, pushing open the door and walking in.
"You?" Argenti asked, surprised.
The old man smiled, his weathered face crinkling. "The higher-ups told us not to get involved, it's true. But I'm still a lawman at the end of the day." He stubbed out his cigarette. "But I can only provide some intel support. I've still got a family to feed."
Argenti was extremely grateful. "That's already a great help!"
"There's a problem," Fuli said, standing up after looking around. "An exceptional A-rank against a B-rank should be a complete stomp. But if what you're saying is true..." He pointed to the lingering traces of Honkai energy on the walls, the floor, and in various other places. "These are clear signs of a struggle, mostly involving kicks."
Erwin added, "Boothill specializes in kicking techniques and marksmanship."
"Which means there wasn't just the two of them here. There was another person with at least enough strength to hold their own against Boothill for a while," Fuli frowned. "The strange thing is, this person didn't leave a single trace at the scene. Not even a single hair."
"They might have used a spell to erase their tracks," Erwin said. "We detected residual magical fluctuations on the perimeter of the house. Upon analysis, it was a typical Ward of Idler Dispersal."
A Ward of Idler Dispersal: a barrier that could be set up in an area not exceeding 100m in length, width, and height. It prevented sound, smells, electromagnetic signals, and communications from passing outside, and it also caused minor mental interference, making anyone who tried to pass through unconsciously choose to leave for various psychological reasons.
The effect of the mental interference depended on the target's willpower.
"This is the annoying thing about supernatural worlds," Fuli clicked his tongue. In a world without magic, no matter how bizarre the situation, there would always be clues to follow, because everyone had to obey the laws of physics.
But once special abilities were involved, the difficulty of unraveling the mystery instantly skyrocketed.
Fortunately, a situation created by the supernatural could also be solved with supernatural power.
"Sir Erwin, Lord Fuli, please look here." Argenti raised his hand, holding up a mysterious, iridescent sphere in the night.
A confident smile played on his lips. "Its name is the Chrono-Sprite Sphere. It can replay events that occurred in a selected area over a period of time."
Fuli, who was about to lean in for a closer look, felt his mouth twitch. "And you just stood there and watched me play detective this whole time?"
You shouldn't be called Argenti, you should be called Autumn. You're really making me feel crisp with anger.
"Your expression as you pondered was simply too focused and beautiful. The way you unraveled the mystery seemed to slow the very river of time. How could I dare to disturb the radiance of your thoughts, more brilliant than the Rose Nebula, with my mundane voice?"
"Fine, just... be mindful next time."
Coming from anyone else, those words would have been a hundred percent empty flattery and a post-hoc excuse.
But Argenti genuinely believed it. Even Fuli didn't have the heart to hit a smiling face.
Argenti then added, "Besides, I was also worried that the Chrono-Sprite Sphere would be unable to restore the truth."
"The preemptive nature of Honkai energy," Erwin reminded him. "Once someone strikes first, a later user must expend a huge amount of Honkai energy to eliminate the former's influence."
The Chrono-Sprite Sphere's spell rating was C. Replaying scenes without Honkai energy interference was a piece of cake, but if both combatants were A-rank or above, the probability of problems was quite high.
Sure enough, in the replayed footage, the parts concerning the interior of the house only had one or two distorted lines of dialogue. Not only could they not see the specific situation, but the key parts seemed to have been erased by an invisible hand.
Fortunately, the location of the battle, which was also where the most residual Honkai energy was, was indoors. In the very end, they did see a white-haired cowboy identical to the one on the wanted poster carrying an unconscious Alexander out of the room and disappearing after a few flashes.
"We now know the direction the Galaxy Ranger left in," Argenti said, trying to keep his tone light. "If we follow him and keep using the Chrono-Sprite Sphere to restore the scene, we will eventually find his exact location."
Fuli disagreed. "Forget it, Prince. Do you have any idea how massive an undertaking that would be?"
The Chrono-Sprite Sphere's playback range was only about ten meters. London was huge; it would take them forever.
And they had to consider the spell's consumption. As low as a C-rank spell was, casting it hundreds or thousands of times would take a toll on the body, not to mention they had a big fight ahead of them.
Fuli had seen far too many unlucky fools waste their stamina on various things before a battle, only to lose to the enemy by a hair's breadth.
Argenti nodded. "In that case, we will have to rely on your 'secret weapon,' Lord Fuli."
"...You don't seem nervous at all."
"I was indeed worried about Mr. Alexander's safety just now. But the moment you stopped me, Mr. Fuli, I believed you must have a better way." The man placed a hand on his chest in a salute. "This was an inspiration from the Goddess of Beauty."
"Your intuition is pretty sharp, but I can't guarantee it'll work," Fuli said, thinking to himself that this goddess was quite the character. "Captain Erwin, could you please have your soldiers help me collect all the hair in this villa?"
"No problem."
This was within Erwin's authority. Before long, his subordinates had placed over a hundred strands of hair of varying lengths on the table.
Fuli picked up a strand, estimated the amount he could make, and nodded.
Yes, what he was going to make was the Vivre Card that had appeared once before in the virtual space arc.
This item was made from biological tissue like hair or nails. Once made, it would ignore external interference and be mutually attracted to its owner.
"I see! You're making a Vivre Card for Boothill, right?" Argenti said excitedly. "Lord Fuli, my admiration for you is like the overflowing Thames, unstoppable!"
Fuli cut him off. "I'm making one for Alexander. I don't have enough materials for Boothill."
How much hair could be left behind in a single fight? Not to mention, according to the files, that Galaxy Ranger's body was over 95% cybernetically enhanced.
This method would also allow them to test Alexander's safety. If he had already been shot dead, there would be no need for them to go to all this trouble; they could just offer their condolences.
Soon, Fuli had made the materials on the table into three Life Cards.
One of them burned to ashes the moment it was made. Clearly, it had been made from the hair of the deceased Maria.
The second one pointed southwest, toward the location of the Houses of Parliament, where Rita's mother was currently taking refuge.
Excluding those two, the meaning of the last card was self-evident.
"Northeast!"
Fuli and Argenti exchanged a look. The latter nodded. "My beloved car, The Peerless, is parked just outside the gardens."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
If I save your dad this time, Miss Rita, you won't give me the cold shoulder like you did when we first met last time, right?
Thinking this, the boy's mood lightened considerably.