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However, although I wanted to agree with her, I couldn't.
Shen He remained silent for a long time, then quietly pulled a chair next to the bed and gently held Nanali's small hand in both of his.
"Nanali," Shen He said softly, but with a steady gaze, "Maybe you can overlook the pain you've suffered because you're kind, but your brother, Lelouch, can't forgive those who hurt you. And your father's plan... it's not just about you anymore—it's about the world."
Nanali's eyes fluttered open, a flicker of tension in her gaze.
Shen He didn't look away.
Though there were some distortions, the facts stood: if Lelouch's father's plan succeeded, all of humanity would be reduced to spiritual remnants within the C's World. They'd lose themselves. Civilization would collapse. What's the point of peace if it erases individuality and free will?
"You already know about Chaldea's mission," he continued, voice even. "Let me be blunt: Chaldea was created to preserve the foundational principles of humanity's survival. What Lelouch is doing... I told you it was under my direction—and that's not exactly false. Your father's actions pose a direct existential threat to the stability of human history. So... I'm sorry, I can't grant your request. The only thing I can promise is to minimize innocent casualties whenever possible."
Sometimes short-term pain is better than prolonged suffering. As an outsider, Shen He shouldn't be meddling in the affairs of Lelouch's family.
But as a friend—he chose to stand by Lelouch.
Nanali lowered her head again, her fingers limp in his. Shen He could hear the quiet sound of sobbing.
"Rest well."
His heart ached, but he had no choice.
Not everything in this world could be perfect. Even power had limits.
He stood, ready to leave. But after a few steps, he stopped.
"Nanali," he returned and gently tucked the blanket around her, "Just remember—your brother Lelouch, me, all of us... we'll always be here, hoping you live a happy and healthy life, okay?"
"Okay!"
Nanali gave a firm nod and burrowed into the quilt. Though tears still glistened on her cheeks, she offered Shen He a small, radiant smile.
"Good night."
Shen He smiled back and turned to leave.
But just outside the door, he realized someone else had been there.
The two Shikis—Ryougi Shiki and her alternate form—were leaning against the hallway wall.
"Shi..." Shen He blinked, slightly awkward. "When did you get here?"
"Since you sent Lelouch away and snuck into my sister's room," the alternate Shiki said in a deliberately frosty tone.
"Uhh." Shen He swallowed hard, then realized something. "Then... you heard the whole conversation? I was trying to comfort the kind-hearted Nanali."
"Yeah," she exhaled. Her tone was calmer now. "I was just surprised. I thought when she pleaded with you in that soft voice of hers, you'd cave. That you'd promise to save her father and the world."
"I could do that," Shen He admitted without hesitation. "But it wouldn't be the right thing for Nanali."
There was no changing a parent like that. Not even a flicker of genuine paternal love existed in that man's heart.
"Isn't it up to Nanali to decide what's best for herself?" the two Shikis frowned.
It wasn't Shen He's decision that irritated her—it was realizing how little she still understood him. She thought she knew his softness. His gentleness.
Shen He glanced at her and immediately read her thoughts.
After a pause, he shook his head and said, "Shi, you're wrong about me. My so-called kindness... it's a lot like Lelouch's. We're selfish. We care deeply—but only about certain people. And we're kind because it makes us feel better. Maybe Nanali treasures her father, no matter what he's done, but I don't approve of that. So I do what I believe is right."
It was like parents forcing their children to do what they think is best. A mixture of love and self-righteousness.
"You're such a..." she muttered, giving him a strange look.
Come to think of it, when Shen He dealt with Thor, he also did what he thought was good for Thor, not necessarily what Thor wanted.
But Shen He was too honest with himself.
Then suddenly, she thought of something.
"Why did you go so far to pull me out of the Void?" she asked bluntly.
"Uh." Shen He choked.
What reason? The real answer was, of course, to win her favor.
Anyone who loved Shiki would act like that after seeing her in such a vulnerable state.
But how could he say that?
As he hesitated, Shiki turned away.
"Forget it. It's not important. Just don't expect me to go easy on you now that you have more people backing you up." She yawned. "I'm heading to bed. That's enough for today."
Shen He watched her walk away.
Was it his imagination, or did she look... a bit flustered?
But truth be told, today had been draining.
He walked off, smiling faintly. Jeanne would probably already be in bed waiting.
After that dinner, Shen He's life returned to a steadier rhythm.
Each day he went to the company—mostly to oversee projects, learn to become a proper leader, and hone his combat skills. Whether it was Jeanne, the two Shikis, or even Steve Rogers—each had their own strengths. With them as mentors, and with real combat in dungeon simulations, Shen He's growth was accelerating.
Meanwhile, Stark Tower was undergoing rapid reconstruction.
Tony had been making global headlines. Thanks to the new energy materials his father discovered, the energy paradigm of the planet itself was beginning to shift.
Naturally, Tony didn't unveil everything at once. He only released the lower-tier tech.
But even that was enough to trigger global reverberations.
Shen He noticed that this time—unlike in the original movie timeline—Tony was progressing even faster. Likely due to higher funding costs and pressure, his path was more aggressive.
And with that came the threats.
"How many threats does this make?"
Shen He frowned at the virtual screen.
On it, a rough-looking man with a scruffy beard was shouting obscenities. The kind of guy who, if you saw him on the street carrying a backpack, you'd call the bomb squad.
But this wasn't parody—this was a real terrorist.
This lunatic was threatening to "twist Tony's genius head and shove it up his chrysanthemum."
Were American insults always this grotesque?
"That's number six. Different group this time," Tony replied coolly. "Buddy, I've got ten thousand people who want me dead. You think this needs a boardroom meeting?"
"You've just grown numb to the lice." Shen He rolled his eyes. "But what if one of those lice carries a deadly virus? Even if you're not worried—what about Pepper? What about your assistant Harry? And let's not forget, you still don't have portable armor tech yet."
"You mean..." Tony paused, suddenly serious. "There's someone real in this batch?"
If it were anyone else, Tony would've ignored it.
But this was Shen He—someone who knew the future. That made his warnings something else entirely.
"I'm not sure," Shen He said. "Do you remember the group that kidnapped you?"
"Do I look like I forgot?"
Tony's face darkened. That incident changed his life. He killed many of those captors, and later, Obadiah tied off the rest.
"Some of them were with the Ten Rings," Shen He said grimly. "A shadowy organization. In the original timeline, they didn't cause an apocalyptic-level event, so their importance was... minor. But several notable villains operated under their banner. One of them nearly killed Pepper."
"Hold on." Tony shot upright. "Nearly killed Pepper?"
"Yes." Shen He nodded. "And your assistant Harry. In that future, both nearly died. That kind of moment shifts a hero's destiny—we couldn't ignore it."
"Son of a—!" Tony stood up, fists clenched. "Tell me who that bastard is, and I'll preemptively wipe him off the map."
"Calm down." Shen He raised a hand.
The villain he meant was Dr. Aldrich Killian—the mind behind the Extremis virus from Iron Man 3.
In the original timeline, this was post–New York invasion. But with Tony already disrupting global energy, the timeline was changing.
"I haven't seen evidence of the Ten Rings in these threats yet," Shen He said. "This meeting is just a heads-up. We could go on the offensive—but fate is fragile. Even tiny changes can create massive ripples. Without enough data, I can't predict the outcomes."
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