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"Little master… that's a distant memory now."
But the problem was, even though Shen He enjoyed experimenting with recipes from different worlds, his interest had never crossed into actual professional culinary training. The title of "chef" was a bit of a stretch.
He gently patted Jeanne d'Arc on the shoulder and rolled out of bed.
"Jeanne, go pack your things. I'll head to the kitchen and whip something up—it's been ages since I cooked with my own hands."
"Okay." Jeanne's cheeks were still flushed.
Starting today, she would officially be moving into Shen He's living space—something she had whispered in his ear moments before. Among Chaldea's employees and companions, couples living together wasn't exactly unusual. It was even encouraged for trust-building.
Still, Shen He felt a strange flutter in his chest. The moment he stepped into the kitchen, he couldn't calm down. His heart continued to thump like a war drum.
Living with Jeanne...
He pulled out the cooking tools from his dimensional storage. They were a full set, albeit slightly mismatched with the sleek design of the modern kitchen. Still, the moment Shen He gripped the kitchen knife, an inexplicable sensation washed over him.
It felt as though this blade had danced across countless cutting boards through decades of experience. His hands moved with precision and familiarity that didn't match his casual approach to cooking.
"Hot pot—meat and crab. Violet hates spicy food..."
Ever since founding the new Chaldea in this dimension, Shen He rarely had time to cook for himself. Most meals were handled by followers or automated systems. Still, he had always made time for sweets for Qi Mu Nanxiong. And now, with most of the key followers living under one roof, he couldn't neglect hospitality.
"I want to pack some and take it back," One Side (Yifang Tongxing) declared, eyeing several dishes with a sharp gaze. "That brat's been bored senseless lately."
"You mean Misaka Misaka? Are you planning to bring her food to your dimension?" Jeanne asked cheerfully.
"Swallow your bite before speaking," Shen He sighed, gently placing a portion of sliced crab on Jeanne's plate.
Across the table, the usually composed saint had stuffed her mouth with noodles soaked in flavorful broth. Her blissed-out expression was interrupted only by muffled gasps of "so good," although the words were nearly incomprehensible through her stuffed cheeks.
Even without possession, Jeanne still had a certain gluttonous charm.
"This is leagues better than before."
From the corner of the table, the two Ryougi Shiki (Liang Ri) watched Shen He with narrowed eyes. She had tasted the first bite of food with skepticism, unable to believe this culinary quality came from Shen He himself.
"It's the utensils," he replied, smiling. "Anyway, we'll have more dinners like this. Lelouch, take some for Nunnally. Once we wrap up business in the Forbidden World, we'll head to your dimension and assist."
Two more time-limited traversal cards had been drawn recently. With them, traveling across dimensions was no longer as difficult. He could now help Lelouch with Qiao Xinmei's matters and keep his promise.
"Thanks," Lelouch said, elegant as always. "But I want to exact revenge with my own hands—step by step. I'll make the people who turned their weapons on my sister pay in full."
Lelouch no longer hid his hatred. Yet unlike before, he no longer let it consume his identity. He had matured beyond vengeance as a sole motivation.
"Well then, let's head to Nanaly's head office soon."
Shen He couldn't help but smile, even as he shook his head. Around the table sat Qimu Nanxiong, Liangrii, Violet, Lelouch, Jeanne d'Arc, One Side, and Misaka Mikoto. Without even noticing, Shen He had surrounded himself with seven powerful allies.
Humans were social creatures after all. The full table, the laughter, the warm meal—it filled him with a quiet sense of fulfillment.
Not to mention, one of them was his lover.
After such a hearty dinner, camaraderie among the followers improved. Shen He even allowed a small party to continue afterward. They drank lightly, played games, and asked awkward questions—like whether One Side was male or female. The latter was quickly irritated and downed several drinks, nearly smashing the table despite his strength being sealed to Tier 1.
Misaka Mikoto also stole a cup of sweet wine, her cheeks flushing quickly. In a bold move, she challenged One Side to a duel.
In front of everyone, the drunken Mikoto—whose powers were also sealed—defeated One Side with a comical forty-five-degree side kick dubbed the "granny angle." She won, fair and square.
Unfortunately, Sister Railgun was still wearing safety shorts.
And even after that, the gender of One Side remained a mystery.
---
Late at night.
The room was filled with the faint scent of alcohol, and the only table lamp gave off a warm glow. Jeanne lay peacefully in Shen He's arms, eyes closed. His fingers trailed lightly across her snow-white back. The softness of her skin was intoxicating.
Jeanne's eyelashes fluttered, and her amethyst eyes opened shyly.
She was still clinging to Shen He, completely exposed, unashamed.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
Shen He looked down at her face apologetically.
"No… Heroic Spirits don't really sleep," Jeanne whispered, her voice gentle as she rested her cheek on his chest. "I just wanted to listen to the heartbeat of my Master. It's… strangely comforting."
"Yeah. I feel the same."
Shen He shifted slightly and wrapped his arms tighter around her, almost as if trying to merge into one being.
It was a strange feeling. His memories of Jeanne from legends, from old stories and heroic tales, were now fading—being replaced by this very real, living woman in his arms.
She wasn't the Jeanne d'Arc of recorded history anymore. She was Jeanne, his Jeanne—the one who smiled at him a few months ago in a different world, not someone from a distant holy war.
The traveler's solitude—that lonely drift between worlds—began to dissolve. For the first time, he felt like he had found a home.
---
Since moving in with Jeanne, Shen He had become somewhat addicted to domestic life.
He wanted to spend every minute in their shared room.
But by the third day, after a literal "iron-fisted" warning from Jeanne, he returned to work, eyes slightly bruised and puffy.
"Can't win… That's a serious issue," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
"You said it," Coulson replied with a deadpan look. "It really is a serious issue, not being able to win."
"…What?" Shen He blinked, confused.
He was currently listening to Coulson's latest report. It included an alarming situation regarding out-of-control superpowers and their recent movements.
"Skye completely lost control of Banner. This morning's incident caused nearly a hundred civilian casualties. One of our Chaldea agents was seriously injured and is in critical condition. The hospital's equipment is… primitive."
Coulson slid a tablet across the table. "We've deployed our medical team under the guise of virtual reality tech support."
The footage showed the Hulk rampaging through a low-income urban district. Gunships were completely ineffective; some had even been smashed into scrap. Gunfire and panicked screams echoed through the video feed.
It was Bruce Banner—the Hulk, who had been hiding in southern India under a low-profile yoga research program.
"Nearly a hundred?" Shen He's eyes widened. "That's the official number?"
In truth, the number of destroyed homes and injured civilians was far worse.
"Yes. That's the official data. The actual death toll is still being verified," Coulson said grimly.
"What triggered the rampage?"
Shen He's tone hardened. He hadn't fully internalized the scale of Hulk's destructive capability. In films and comics, the Hulk was still a 'hero,' rarely shown causing real-world tragedies.
This video was different. It was a raw disaster.
"We traced it to a Japanese criminal syndicate. Banner's existence has attracted attention from various world militaries and corporations. All it takes is one idiot trying to provoke him…"
Coulson didn't finish the sentence, but Shen He understood.
Although Chaldea had begun monitoring Banner, they lacked the global reach S.H.I.E.L.D. once wielded. Unregulated threats were now inevitable. Even a minor gang member, unaware of who they were dealing with, could trigger catastrophe.
"Which means... other enhanced individuals might be in danger too." Shen He nodded to himself.
With S.H.I.E.L.D. gone, many superpowered individuals were no longer under surveillance or protection. Naturally, hostile actors would start making moves.
"The Sandbox Base wasn't breached by Hydra… they simply stopped trusting us," Coulson added quietly.
The Sandbox—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s high-security holding and research base—contained many detained criminals, artifacts, and unstable enhanced individuals. During the recent Hydra conflict, it hadn't been deeply infiltrated. It survived.
Coulson had visited personally. But the acting director there refused to acknowledge Chaldea's legitimacy, insisting on remaining autonomous.
"That's still Fury's turf. Ask Hill to relay a request—check if any detainees have escaped and committed crimes."
Hill was still Fury's embedded contact. Shen He didn't mind that—he respected her professionalism.
"And the twins? How's Wanda and Pietro?"
"The man responsible for their parents' deaths is still under investigation. But Tony visited them multiple times," Coulson replied, shifting topics easily. "They've gradually let go of their hatred. It turns out… they just never really understood Tony."
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