Seven o'clock in the morning.
The sun had already risen, and the dew formed from the temperature difference last night had vanished in the sunlight, silently, as if it had never appeared.
Miss Raiden Mei awoke on the sofa, opened her eyes, and stared at the completely unfamiliar ceiling, her pretty little face filled with bewilderment.
She pushed the blanket off her body, habitually folded it into a neat, tidy square, then looked towards the bed and walked over.
Miss Mei wanted to see what condition this fellow, who could tentatively be considered her roommate, was in now.
In her memory, a certain fellow who called himself a hero had placed her in a "little black room" for protection before facing two enemies alone.
Whether it was the man who could manipulate gravity or the little girl piloting the mecha, neither seemed like the type to be trifled with.
He... was he injured in the battle?
Miss Mei pressed her thin lips together, her expression tinged with worry.
Although Li Zihan wasn't a gentleman in the slightest, her actual impression of him was quite good.
If nothing else, just his willingness to stand against the terrorist organization that sought to turn Nagazora City into a testing ground was worthy of respect.
If the hero who dared to fight against evil was seriously injured because of her, she would feel terribly guilty.
Thinking this, she walked to the head of the bed, lowered her head, and saw a certain magus still wrapped in his quilt, fast asleep, snoring softly, looking quite content.
Miss Mei, who had slept on the sofa all night, frowned deeply, her pretty little face crumpling to resemble the '囧' emoticon.
She had expected to see a face weary from last night's fierce battle, but this guy was sleeping incredibly soundly, showing no signs of post-battle damage whatsoever.
"Not a shred of chivalry. Doesn't he know to be a little gentler with girls?"
The moment Raiden Mei finished her complaint, the young man's voice leisurely sounded out.
"Chivalry, you say? I can play that part too."
Miss Mei's expression immediately turned awkward.
To be caught badmouthing someone by the person themselves was truly a bit... well, embarrassing.
"I am truly sorry."
The girl, possessing exceedingly good manners, didn't overthink it and chose to display a traditional Far Eastern skill—bowing in apology.
"There's no need to apologize for such a trivial matter."
The young man, whose perception was quite keen, stretched and said.
"Beating up ambitious youths, hunting rare primitive men, clashing with Cairo's local kingpins, harassing innocent office workers... that sort of thing is quite easy to imitate."
"If you like the Golden Spirit, I don't mind learning it to please a pretty girl."
What kind of Golden Spirit is that?!
That's more like Pitch-Black Will!!
Miss Mei's beautiful eyes widened, her amethyst-like pupils filled with shock.
If that was a gentleman, then even the Far East's version of a gentleman (pervert) could be called modest and noble.
"Mr. Li, you're joking again."
The young woman, already somewhat accustomed to his unreliable way of speaking, sighed.
She currently found it impossible to associate the person before her with the assassin from last night who had single-handedly battled the aggressive Anti-Entropy radicals.
The latter was mysterious, formidable, and decisive, like a Kaitong sword forged by a master craftsman—elegant and deadly, effortlessly toying with enemies stronger than himself.
But the fellow before her now was a nonchalant slacker.
"I'm not joking, you know. In a faraway place, there's a group of people with such Golden Spirit fighting against dark and evil forces."
"Really?"
Raiden Mei was somewhat skeptical.
"Mm, they're just not in this world."
The young man, unable to find an ultimate lifeform, nor a certain vampire reputed to have strong luck but a ridiculously tragic fate, shrugged and said.
"Mr. Li, you're spouting nonsense again."
Feeling that Li Zihan was trying to fool her, Miss Mei sighed.
She suddenly worried that if this young man, with whom she actually felt quite a connection, continued down this path, he might end up living a lonely life.
"Perhaps."
The young man, picking up his toiletries, paid no mind to Mei's doubts and began to brush his teeth and wash his face.
After completing these tasks, Li Zihan—who next planned to visit the prison and fish out the unlucky fellow Raiden Ryoma, who had been framed and thrown into jail by Cocolia—ordered two meals for himself and Miss Mei.
"May I ask, Mr. Li, how do you plan to approach my father?"
The girl, sitting opposite Li Zihan, took a small bite of her sandwich, chewed slowly, swallowed, and then looked at the young man who had promised to help rescue her father.
"It's nothing more than hacking some of the prison's surveillance, then I'll make a trip there and drag him out directly."
The young man, who could have easily handled the jury and the court through suggestion and hypnosis to secure Raiden Ryoma's release through legal means, spoke.
Hypnotizing a group of people, then finding lawyers for defense, going through a first trial, a second trial, and so on, was simply too troublesome.
"Mr. Li, you're very skilled in hacking?"
Hearing Li Zihan's words, a hint of astonishment appeared on Raiden Mei's pretty face.
Possessing superhuman combat abilities, having an intimate knowledge of the world's clandestine organizations, and also being skilled in hacking—wasn't that a bit too omnipotent?
"My understanding of hacking is probably at the level of knowing that unplugging the power cord can solve the vast majority of virus intrusions."
The young man, who had lived in the headquarters of occult studies at the end of the twentieth century after transmigrating, shook his head.
He knew jack squat about hacking.
"Hacking, of course, should be left to the professionals."
A faint smile appeared on Li Zihan's face, who had recruited a rather good secretary just yesterday.
He took out a mobile phone from his pocket and dialed a newly added contact.
"My dear secretary, today is your first day of work. Won't you come and join us for some breakfast?"
"Mm."
The reply from the other end was cold yet firm.
Before long, the sound of firm, resonant footsteps approached from a distance, then ceased at the doorway.
Miss Mei, extremely curious about what kind of person would team up with Li Zihan—someone who dared to oppose the terrorist organization, the Anti-Entropy radicals—looked over.
Because her father had been framed by Cocolia, she held a certain degree of respect for anyone who dared to stand against Cocolia.
"The door's unlocked, come right in."
Li Zihan, who had opened the door while washing up, said.
What entered Miss Raiden Mei's line of sight was a tall and imposing figure, like a Vajra incarnate—a robot.
Amidst Miss Mei's bewildered gaze, the girl who had relentlessly pursued them just last night jumped down from the robot and walked up to Li Zihan.
"Bronya, reporting for duty."
The girl, whose height, including the military-style platform boots she wore, was likely around one and a half meters, gave Li Zihan a crisp military salute.