The movie theater was completely dark, with a few people scattered around.
As a combat unit, the Fire Moth had a relatively small otaku population. Fortunately, the organization didn't advocate for a hierarchy of interests, so there was no need to hide personal hobbies.
It's just that the few soldiers who were watching the magical girl's glorious transformation didn't turn around. Otherwise, they would have seen the invincible commander-in-chief, Ryan, who had the terrifying title of 'Herrscher Butcher', sitting upright like them, with his gray eyes reflecting the magical light.
It's actually real.
Elysia felt a surge of joy when she saw the focused Ryan. At first, she thought Ryan was just trying to comfort her. But after the movie began, she found that he was also an enthusiast.
Is there anything more wonderful in the world than the person you like having the same hobby as you?
Elysia was completely relieved and felt that she had been overthinking it. Ryan was going to write a web novel anyway, so he naturally had otaku traits.
'Hmm, it's actually pretty good. It's just missing the famous scene where the senior's head is eaten. Should I use Prometheus to re-create it and add some shit to the soup for the people who come after?'
Ryan was very focused and didn't notice the peeping gaze next to him. He also felt a sense of déjà vu. Wasn't the outfit the heroine wore after her transformation a bit similar to Elysia's Herrscher form?
So that's where she got the inspiration from. As expected of a movie version, the production is quite good.
He saw the girl holding a staff and shouting 'Stardust Burst' to unleash a huge pink beam. His index finger also moved, and he found that he could also use a similar move.
But it was too embarrassing, just like how I could cosplay a certain character but could never bring myself to do it.
Ryan found that his thoughts were starting to uncontrollably scatter again. He happened to feel a warm sensation. He was stunned for a moment, and when he turned his head, he found that after the battle on the screen became white-hot, Elysia's small hand had already been placed on the back of his hand.
The girl didn't turn her head. She stared at the screen without blinking. Her beautiful face flickered in the darkness, making people forget that she was a Flame-Chaser and a Herrscher. She was more like an ordinary high school girl enjoying a pleasant weekend.
Ryan said nothing and thought of nothing. He turned his wrist and quietly held Elysia's hand, and he comfortably sank into the seat.
This was an ordinary day. This was the so-called time to rest. It was too rare now.
Elysia seemed to have a kind of magic that made him completely relax and forget about the schemes and the fact that they had reached the end of civilization.
An hour later, the lights in the screening room finally turned on. A few half-meter-tall robots came in to clean up. Elysia savored the moment.
"Oh, that was so good. I've decided. I'm going back to make a figurine of the younger girl."
She wanted to stretch, but then she realized that her hand was being held by the man. She was clearly stunned for a moment, and a cunning smile quickly appeared.
"Ryan, you attacked me sneakily."
"Your hand was the one that came over first. I just held it on a whim." Ryan shrugged, looking like it had nothing to do with him.
"Was it? I don't remember." Elysia tilted her head slightly. She wasn't shy or pretentious. She generously pulled Ryan up: "Okay, as a reward for accompanying me today, you can hold it for as long as you want."
"Only for today?"
"What else? I don't want to be pushed out by you to attract hatred. I haven't even figured out how to advance the last plan."
The girl's eyes were like a crescent moon. She was about to leave when the cleaning robot came, but she stopped. Ryan also raised his head and met two acquaintances.
Kosma and Dystopia were walking by hand in hand, and their eyes met Ryan's, and they froze like statues.
"Going on a date, Kosma? No wonder I haven't seen you around recently." Elysia showed a 'I understand' expression, and her gaze moved to their intertwined hands.
Hehe...
In an instant, Kosma immediately let go, and Dystopia's face turned red.
"No, no. We just happened to run into each other, and there was an anime that Kosma was interested in, so we came in."
"I wasn't interested. I just chose a random one." Kosma turned his body, showing his back to Ryan.
"Come on, what's there to be shy about? Ryan and I are also on a date." Elysia squeezed her eyes and lifted their hands to shake them.
This... that's so bold.
Dystopia was a bit envious, and then she looked at Ryan and secretly gave him a thumbs up in her heart.
As expected of the commander-in-chief, he doesn't even bother to hide it. By the way, is he really not afraid of Dr. Mobius coming after him?
Of course, Ryan was afraid. He gave her a 'you know what to do' look and, by the way, felt a bit strange about why Kosma's back was to him. He then turned to Elysia.
"Say, what are we doing next?"
"How about we go for afternoon tea together? The pastries there are very good. I heard from Mei that the chef is the best in the Fire Moth!"
Those who could stay and dared to stay were all elites, which of course included the logistics staff.
Ryan was too lazy to complain about how Elysia got familiar with this battleship in just one day. He looked at the two of them and said, "Let's all go together. I'll treat."
"Yay, Ryan, this cheapskate, is finally willing to spend money!"
"Nonsense. I've always been very generous."
The two of them walked away. Dystopia's expression was a bit strange, feeling that their progress was even faster than her own.
It's all because of this idiot. He's like a blockhead all day, letting Elysia's progress get ahead of mine.
She gritted her teeth slightly and dragged the sad-looking Kosma away.
...
The fountain pen spun between her fingers. Her fair hand propped up her round chin. The green snake pupils were filled with wise contemplation. The high heels on her black stockings were swinging with her ankle. If one ignored the dismembered body next to her, Mobius's appearance was very suitable for a high-end cafe on a sunny afternoon.
'It's been two days, and that fat woman still hasn't come to find me. Usually, she would have come here a long time ago. Then I would reluctantly agree. For no other reason than to appear more calm and composed than those few people.'
Mobius had already made up her mind. Instead of not giving in and letting things be tense, and also risking someone else running ahead of her, it was better to be proactive.
She took a sip of coffee, her scarlet tongue licking the residue at the corner of her mouth. She then placed her long fingers on her chest and rubbed it, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
It seems to have gotten a little smaller. Wait, why do I care about this kind of thing? It's better if it's smaller, so my shoulders won't ache every day.
Just as she was thinking, footsteps entered her ears. She took her hand away as if she had been startled, turned her head, and saw Nuwa and Klein walking in together.
"Doctor, I've already submitted all the reports to Dr. Mei for approval. These are some of her feedback."
"Let me see." Mobius put on her glasses, took the documents, and looked through them carefully. After a while, she revealed a mocking smile: "Hmph, she's reminding me about safety again. She's so nagging like an old woman. Doesn't she see what time it is?"
"Uh, there are not many remaining Fusion Warriors now. Dr. Mei's concerns are very normal." Klein said a fair thing and whispered: "By the way, I ran into the commander-in-chief."
The hand flipping through the documents paused slightly, and then it continued to flip through them without a trace. Mobius didn't look up: "Oh? What did he ask? And what did you answer?"
"I said what you instructed me to say. There was absolutely no extra word." Klein subconsciously straightened her back.
"Mm, I see."
The sound of paper rustling continued. This calm reaction surprised Klein. She secretly glanced at her, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"If you have something to say, just say it. I hate people who beat around the bush the most."
Klein didn't dare to tell the truth, so she touched her smooth long hair: "Uh, Doctor, your hair is getting better and better. It seems to have gotten even greener than before."
"Greener? That's a matter of course. My beauty is the crystallization of evolution." Mobius snorted with some pride, then put down the document and glanced at Nuwa, who was standing not far away. "What are you giggling about? Is there something wrong with what I said?"
"Pfft, everything you said is right. It's just that having greener hair isn't a compliment in Shenzhou. Hahahaha, Senior Sister Klein is so funny. How can you flatter someone like that?" The girl covered her mouth, looking like she was trying to hold back her laughter.
What's with this nonsense? And she's so childish. I should give her more work.
Mobius frowned, then took out her phone to search for the meaning. After she understood it, her expression froze, and the corners of her mouth began to twitch uncontrollably.
Greener hair. So that's what it means...
Her drastic change in expression was naturally noticed by Klein. Her heart skipped a beat. Did she just flatter her in the wrong way?
"Doctor, I want to take a day off and go for a walk in the living area."
"Denied. Let Fuxi do that kind of thing. You and Nuwa extract Mei's revision suggestions. Make five solutions for each one. I need it for the meeting tomorrow."
"Doctor, there are 147 revision suggestions here!"
"Our work is humanity's hope. We can't be lazy for even a bit." Mobius tilted her head and glanced at her.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment. In the end, Klein was the one who gave in. She took the document, which was more than a meter thick, and pulled Nuwa, who was dazed from being caught in the crossfire.
The automatic door closed. The small black-stockinged feet instantly put her shoes back on. With the tap-tap-tapping sound of high heels, Mobius ran to the room next door, took out a punching bag with Ryan's photo on it from a pile of junk, and raised her right fist.
Bang!!
Her powerful fist sent the punching bag, which was known for its alloy, flying. Perhaps her hand hurt, Mobius bent over and stood still, panting heavily and biting her lips.
Looking at the punching bag that had rolled dozens of meters away, her snake eyes seemed to have a glimmer of tears.
"You bastard, Ryan, you dare to make me green!!"
Hoo hoo hoo.
With a heavy gasp, Mobius propped up her knees. She didn't gather Honkai energy just now, and the full-force punch hurt so much that she almost cried.
So childish, so not calm. Others would laugh at me if they saw this. Uh, it seems that there are quite a few people who dare to laugh at me recently?
Mobius suddenly realized a problem. Before, even if she wasn't hated by everyone, no one dared to approach her. Not even with an ambiguous look. Her lab was also called the Demon's Lair.
As for the misunderstandings, she didn't care. But ever since she got involved with that man—
"My sense of intimidation is getting worse and worse. I often do childish things, but I'm really angry!"
She lifted her foot and stomped a few times, making the floor tremble. After stomping out more than a dozen shallow pits, she continued to gasp.
"Phew, that feels much better."
She put her hand on her chest and took several deep breaths. The feeling of breaking down completely disappeared. Calmness and pride returned to her. She slightly raised her chin.
"It's not that easy to mess with my mind. But the punching bag Vil-V made is pretty durable. I'll just pay her the final payment next time."
Just as she was thinking, two 'beeps' came from above her head. It was an internal confidential channel communication invitation that even Prometheus had no right to check.
Vil-V? Why is she looking for me?
Mobius took a few more deep breaths, making sure her emotions were stable. She then wiped her hands and walked towards the lab outside.
"What's the matter, Vil-V?"
"Have you looked at the resources I gave you last time? How is the AI simulation technology applied?" Vil-V's voice was very calm, with a hint of sacredness.
It's the Pornography Censor. It's good that it's not the Pleasure one.
Mobius's expression relaxed, and then her face turned slightly red. She held her head up and said: "It's so-so. It's enough to pass the time."
"Hmm, to be able to make a biology expert have a shy expression about a body, it seems this technology is worth studying."
"I didn't! Who said I was shy!" Mobius retorted, looking nervously at the ceiling to make sure there were no cameras.
"Just get to the point. I'm busy. Don't waste my time."
Vil-V was too lazy to tease her and said directly: "One bad news, one good news. Which one do you want to hear?"
"If you talk nonsense again, I won't pay you the final payment."
"Okay, then I'll tell you the bad news. According to the feedback from the power armor's camera, Elysia found Ryan and invited him to the living area to watch a movie." Vil-V went straight to the point, and then there was no response. She wasn't surprised. Instead, a happy smile appeared.
That fat woman said she would figure something out herself? How dare she, how dare she sneak-attack me!
It's so annoying, so hateful. If she were in front of me, I would definitely pounce on her and let her know my power. No, I have to calm down. This Vil-V is an unclear friend or foe. She might just sell me out in a heartbeat.
The anger was forcibly suppressed. Unfortunately, the heavy panting from before had already revealed her fear. She could only use her fingers to play with her golden earrings and skip the topic.
"Oh, what's the good news?"
"Mobius, you seem to be lacking anger?" Vil-V didn't answer and asked with a puzzled tone.
But she had already been exposed. Mobius immediately gritted her teeth and growled in a low voice: "If you dare to mess with me again, believe it or not, I'll come over right now and tear down your broken workshop!"
"Okay, I accept your threat." Vil-V decisively admitted defeat and deliberately paused for a moment.
"I have confirmed that he has a thing for mature women."
...
The Hyperion was not a real town after all. The internal area was not large enough to be wasted at will.
I wonder if this counts as a cafe?
Ryan sat on a chair. This thing was fixed to the wall at one end. As an aerial battleship, all objects were of course fixed. Otherwise, they would fly around when maneuvering. In front of him was a square table, and a coffee cup with a magnetic bottom was placed firmly on it, not moving an inch.
Besides a huge Fire Moth logo, there wasn't much decoration on the walls. 99% of the people in the main corridor outside were wearing military uniforms. In contrast, Elysia was a bit out of place with most people.
But the taste was not bad.
Ryan took a sip of coffee and a piece of cake. He looked at the few people in white chef uniforms. These were all selected volunteers who were willing to take risks and stay, and they were also very capable. They could fix all objects in their designated area in thirty seconds.
"Mei's thoughts are very thorough. The living area can ensure that all warriors face the war in a good mood." Ryan cleared his throat, summarizing like a leader on an inspection.
"Many of the ideas came from me." Elysia got excited when she heard this. She raised her hand and said: "The cafe, the movie theater, and the bathhouse were all my ideas. After all, I know best how to make everyone happy."
Okay, this is indeed a unique talent. Even if it's a bit monotonous, it's better than nothing.
After a busy day of training or fighting, having a place to relax is better than gnawing on compressed biscuits in a room. Ryan had also been through many battles and felt that life could be dangerous, but it couldn't be hard for a long time. This was related to morale.
"Kosma, what do you think of this ship?" He asked casually, sincerely collecting everyone's opinions.
"It's very good." The young man who only showed his side profile answered.
"And then?"
It would be best if there were a model shop or something like that, so that it could satisfy the warriors' various interests, and the entertainment could be more colorful. After all, they were in a pre-war state now, and it was very boring.
The young man thought so, and then he turned his head, showing his back to Ryan.
"It's very, very good."
...
Okay, I asked the wrong person. And why do you like to show your back to people recently?
The young man's chuunibyou vibes came at him. Ryan couldn't help but complain, but he also knew that he must have thought of a lot of things but just couldn't say them.
"Stop. You're not good at imitating the commander-in-chief. When did Ryan ever show his back to people?" Dystopia couldn't take it anymore and pulled Kosma's ear.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch. I'm not imitating anyone. It's better for a man to be silent."
"But you haven't said a few words all afternoon."
"Because this heart has already been soaked in blood. Only silence can suppress the urge to kill."
"Speak in human language!"
"Uh, I don't know what to say."
Seeing this young couple arguing, Ryan and Elysia looked at each other and smiled. They were just teenagers, and they had their own understanding of what was 'cool'.
I remember back in the day, my favorite pose was to put my hands in my pockets and stare at my opponent with an arrogant look. After suffering a few losses, I became more honest.
"Thinking about your glorious past?" Elysia secretly poked Ryan's chest with her elbow.
"Nonsense. I've always been very mature. At Kosma's age, I already knew Kevin and the others."
"But I heard from Hua that you have some famous quotes. How about I imitate one?"
"Please don't inject chuunibyou energy into Kosma!" Ryan covered his face. He thought to himself that Hua had let it slip. He had clearly told her not to mention the past.
I was in a normal state back then. An ordinary person suddenly gained the power to punch through a steel plate. Who wouldn't become chuunibyou?
"Hehe. Since you're treating, I'll let you off this time." Elysia chuckled, then clapped her hands. "Okay, Dystopia, it's normal for boys at Kosma's age to try to be cool. Don't bother him anymore."
"But his illness has been getting worse recently. He doesn't speak in human language every day. It seems like someone gave him a tip?"
"Cough, cough. Is that so?" The mastermind, Elysia, immediately looked at the ceiling and also felt a questioning gaze from Kosma. The latter seemed to be asking: The tip you gave me is not working at all. It makes me get disliked every day.
"How about this, Kosma? Let Ryan demonstrate for you how to look cool? The entire Fire Moth is in awe of him."
Hey, hey, hey. Why are you dragging me into this?
Ryan almost choked on his coffee. Then he felt two gazes, one hot and one pleading. He immediately knew who was behind this.
Kosma is so stupid. He actually believes Elysia's nonsense.
He didn't want to participate, but he caught a glimpse of Elysia's hands pressed together, and her eyes looked pitiful. His heart softened, and he sighed helplessly.
"Kosma, acting cool depends on the time and place. You not only need others to set the stage for you, but you also need to combine it with your own personality. There is no one-size-fits-all template."
The King of Cool was personally teaching. Kosma subconsciously sat up straight, but he was afraid of setting the stage for Ryan, so he didn't dare to speak for a long time.
Seeing him look like a blockhead, Ryan took the initiative to ask in a cold tone: "Kosma, do you think I'm strong?"
"Of course you are. You have killed multiple Herrschers. You are the strongest human."
"Then which Herrschers working together can 100% eliminate me? And where is my limit?"
Kosma was stunned. Even Elysia and Dystopia fell into deep thought. This seemed impossible to explain because the strength of Herrschers was high and low, and it also involved whether their authorities could cooperate with each other.
The three of them were silent at the same time. Time passed by second by second. At this time, they saw the coffee floating out of the cup and forming a constantly flowing sphere.
"Stop. You already lost the moment you started thinking about this question."
"Why? Didn't you tell us to think about it?" Kosma was full of confusion.
"Because there's no need to think about it, or rather, this question is meaningless. You just need to remember that the winner is king. When I walked here on a pile of corpses, the Herrschers were already dead without a body."
Snap.
With a crisp snap of his fingers, the flowing liquid instantly disappeared. Ryan smiled and answered faintly.
"So, I have no limit."
There was dead silence. Ryan didn't pretend to be cold. He didn't even change his tone. He was just explaining a principle, but the air seemed to have solidified. Countless scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood appeared in the minds of the three of them.
He silently made me his stepping stone to act cool?
Kosma's pupils trembled. He was already on guard, but he was still stepped on by Ryan. When he replayed the initial lesson in his mind, he wished he could bow down and worship him.
Master, I have been enlightened.