Takatsuki and Welt Yang squatted outside, waiting for the two people in the reception room to finish their conversation.
Although they were described as squatting outside, they weren't actually squatting, but leaning against the railing, waiting for something.
"Hey! Welt, you called me over for something like delivering things. Can't you just let a robot or yourself go get it?!"
A clear but somewhat irritable voice came from the end of the corridor. Although there were still more than ten meters, both of them clearly heard the other's voice, which showed how loudly the other party was shouting.
The newcomer was a beautiful girl with red hair in twin ponytails, wearing a white lab coat, carrying a box in her hand. She walked over furiously and threw the box at Welt.
"If you don't give me a reasonable explanation, I'll show you some color."
Welt smiled and took the box the girl threw at him, not getting angry at all. Without any pretense of being a leader, he introduced Takatsuki to the girl: "Tesla, let me introduce you, Takatsuki."
"Oh? He's the savior you mentioned before?"
Tesla put her hands on her hips and sized up Takatsuki.
"Hello, Dr. Lobster, but what is a savior?"
"Who's Dr. Lobster?!"
Tesla's hair almost stood on end, but she had always been this fiery, so she wasn't too angry: "It's not Welt who said that after getting information from the future, you would lead everyone to defeat Honkai, so what else would you be if not a savior?"
"But what do you want this Honkai Energy crystal for?"
Takatsuki took the box Welt handed him and opened it.
"Be careful. Although Honkai Energy crystals are relatively stable, prolonged contact can still cause erosion."
Tesla reminded him aloud.
"Don't worry, I want this for… emmm… I guess it's for eating."
Takatsuki took out the Honkai Energy crystal. Now he no longer needed to let the Honkai Energy within it erode his body and then let the system absorb it, as he could actively extract Honkai Energy from it.
To their astonished eyes, the Honkai Energy crystals Takatsuki took out of the box disappeared into his palm one by one.
"How… how did you do that?!"
Tesla ran over, wanting to grab Takatsuki's hand to take a look, but then remembered that this hand had just absorbed such concentrated Honkai Energy, so she didn't quite dare to touch it.
"It's my ability, I guess. I absorb Honkai Energy to charge."
"Honkai Energy? Then what do you want crystals for? Isn't Honkai Energy everywhere?!"
Takatsuki: "But there's too little Honkai Energy in the air; it would take a long time."
Tesla stamped her foot in frustration: "I'm not talking about that kind. I mean, isn't a Honkai Energy reactor full of Honkai Energy? Do you know how much trouble it is to make a Honkai Energy crystal? This is a strategic resource."
"..."
Takatsuki glanced at the dungeon, which was already charged over two hundred.
"Then… next time, next time. I didn't know such a thing existed."
"You don't even know about Honkai Energy reactors?"
Tesla folded her arms and looked at Takatsuki: "Are you really the savior who can defeat Honkai?"
"I don't know either."
Takatsuki shrugged, just about to crack a joke and say something when the door of the reception room opened.
Tesla turned around and looked behind her: "Oh, Raiden Ryoma, welcome back. Are you still planning to return to the Far East later?"
"Dr. Tesla, please don't tease me. I can't go back there."
"I knew it. You might as well stay in the lab and help. You're quite talented."
Mei looked at the red-haired girl lecturing her father, somewhat stunned. After all, the girl looked about her age, yet her father seemed to be facing an elder.
"Dr. Tesla, I have something to discuss with Takatsuki. I'll take my leave now."
"Oh, go ahead, go ahead."
Mei hadn't even reacted yet when Ryoma had already walked up to Takatsuki.
"You're Takatsuki, right? How about we go somewhere and talk?"
Facing Takatsuki, Ryoma was not as polite as he had been with Tesla, after all, in his eyes, the person in front of him was the wild boar who had stolen his little cabbage.
"Alright."
Takatsuki looked at the somewhat anxious Mei: "I'll have a private chat with Uncle, Mei, don't worry, it's fine."
Hearing Takatsuki's address for his daughter, Ryoma's eye twitched, but he still didn't say anything.
He led Takatsuki in another direction.
"Is this Ryoma's daughter? She's much prettier than your dad. Do you want to go see what they're doing?"
Tesla looked at Mei, who remained beside her, and spoke.
...
On the other side, Ryoma led Takatsuki all the way into an empty room.
"Anti-Entropy, although most of our combat relies on technology and mechs, we also have our own training grounds."
Ryoma said, with his back to Takatsuki, as if explaining something.
Walking to the wall, he picked up something from the shelf and threw it to Takatsuki.
He caught the object Ryoma threw to him. It was a katana-like weapon supported by special materials, but it wasn't sharpened. It looked like it was for training, because the weight and feel were very similar to a real sword.
Takatsuki didn't know what material it was, as he wasn't skilled in such things.
"What is your relationship with Mei?"
Ryoma turned around, holding a katana identical to the one in Takatsuki's hand.
"As for our relationship, I suppose we're lovers, Uncle Ryoma."
Hearing Takatsuki's words, Ryoma tightened his grip on the sword in his hand.
"Are you from Schicksal?"
"It depends on how you look at it. If you consider St. Freya Academy to be Schicksal, then I am, but I won't stand with that old man Otto."
"You know what Otto did?"
"I know some things, but I don't think Uncle wants to ask those kinds of questions."
"Indeed."
Ryoma took a deep breath: "Takatsuki, I'm very grateful that you protected Mei when I wasn't around and rescued her from Nagazora, but Mei carries something you cannot bear."
"Are you talking about the Gem of Conquest? That's already been resolved."
Takatsuki's words deflated Ryoma's momentum, and the words he originally intended to say were instantly blocked.
"Is that so? Then let me see your strength."
Giving up on what he was going to say, Ryoma immediately struck a pose.
"Take up your sword! Let me see your strength!"
Takatsuki looked at the weapon in his hand. This father-in-law was not understanding at all; he didn't even ask if he knew how to use a katana.
Fortunately, pirate swordsmanship leans towards katana usage. Holding the sword with one hand, Takatsuki stood casually in place and looked at Ryoma.