Seeing Raiden Ei's expression shift from joy to something resembling constipation in an instant, Makoto asked, "Sister, what's wrong?"
"I... it's nothing." Ei shook her head.
Although she had deep-seated conflicts with the puppet, she couldn't tell Makoto, nor could she reveal it to anyone else. If she did, the puppet would fight her to the death; one could say the puppet had her cornered. Fortunately, the puppet also wouldn't cross her bottom line. For now, things would have to stay like this.
Ei collected herself and smiled. "Thank you, Sister. I feel like I'll make significant progress soon!" Ever since the incident five hundred years ago, Ei, who had always sought self-improvement, craved martial prowess even more. She often wondered if she had been stronger back then, would her sister have told her earlier and let her go to Khaenri'ah instead?
Although such considerations were no longer necessary, the thought had taken root in Ei's heart. I must become stronger. Even if Sister has Lu Heng protecting her, I can still protect others!
"At least there's something commendable about her," the Puppet Shogun reluctantly offered a word of praise.
Ei completely ignored her and instead examined the Magic Crystal in her hand. It contained dense energy. After refining and absorbing it, Ei felt that the 57th floor wouldn't hold her back. Coupled with her Spatial Severance, even the Morax on the 58th floor wouldn't stop her.
After some internal calculation, given her current conditions, Ei felt she could steadily defeat the Morax in the Rating Tower, but clearing the 59th floor would still be very difficult.
"Then should you focus on refining it now?" Makoto said with a smile. "Be here tonight. We'll have dinner together."
"Okay!" Ei nodded firmly.
Then, Makoto mentioned giving the [Ascension Elixir] to Kujou Sara.
After listening, Ei also smiled. "Sara is loyal. Giving her the Ascension Elixir is fine. She won't disappoint us."
"That child definitely won't disappoint us." In Makoto's eyes, Kujou Sara was indeed a loyal child.
After settling Ei's matter, Makoto picked up her phone and asked Kujou Sara to come over.
Kujou Sara lacked political wisdom but was a competent general. Now, temporarily acting as the head of the Tenryou Commission, her days were filled with responsibilities, unlike before when she had ample time to serve as the Shogun's personal guard.
A few minutes later, Kujou Sara arrived quickly, moving the moment she received the message. After all, this was a summons from the Shogun; she could not and would not delay.
"Lady Makoto! Lady Ei!" Kujou Sara bowed. "Mr. Lu Heng!"
Seeing she was still slightly breathless, Lu Heng smiled. "Have some tea first. We can talk while you drink."
"Thank you, Mr. Lu Heng!" Kujou Sara clearly regarded Lu Heng as a sort of 'Shogun' as well.
"Sara," Makoto began, "I called you here to discuss an important matter."
After explaining about the Ascension Elixir, Makoto said, "The ascension process might involve intense pain. I don't want to force you to accept this. It's not an order, just an idea we had, so I wanted to hear your opinion."
Kujou Sara was momentarily stunned, then replied, "This is a good thing. I have no reason to refuse."
Intense pain during ascension? Kujou Sara feared nothing!
The Nineyō Clan had been purged, their Mora confiscated for the national treasury. She herself had no personal assets and had recently been worrying about how to increase her strength to continue protecting the Shogun. Wasn't the Ascension Elixir that Makoto mentioned perfect?
Pain? Just consider it a cost, wasn't it? Were there really that many good things or favorable outcomes in the world that came without a price? Often, things that seemed free carried hidden costs that were difficult to bear. The potential pain from the Ascension Elixir was precisely the price for obtaining power. Although Kujou Sara couldn't imagine what kind of pain it might be, her will was exceptionally firm.
Lu Heng sighed inwardly. Such unwavering, steadfast devotion to following the Raiden Shogun, completely fearless and unswayed by external factors... wasn't this also a form of Eternity? So, for Ei to have such a loyal subordinate... honestly, Lu Heng felt she was very fortunate.
"If things become unmanageable, please assist Sara," Makoto said, looking at Lu Heng. She didn't want anything unexpected to happen to Kujou Sara during the ascension, causing Ei to lose such a subordinate.
"Okay," Lu Heng nodded.
The specific effects of the Ascension Elixir varied from person to person. Lu Heng secretly activated his 'Cyber Fortune-Telling'. With his absolute power, he wasn't particularly worried about Kujou Sara running into trouble. After seeing the results from his 'reading', he felt even more reassured. With her willpower, there were no accidents; she ascended smoothly! It seemed everyone was just overly concerned due to their fondness for Kujou Sara as a subordinate.
"Let's proceed directly in the backyard," Lu Heng said.
"Come on," Makoto called Kujou Sara over.
They all moved to the backyard. Hana-Chiri had just finished her tasks, having tidied the rooms and washed the damaged clothes she wasn't sure whether to discard. Seeing so many people arrive in the backyard, she looked puzzled. Ei noticed and briefly explained the situation to her.
After handing the Ascension Elixir to Kujou Sara, everyone stood to the side.
Looking at the glass bottle containing the dreamlike liquid, Kujou Sara unhesitatingly opened the cap and drank it all in one go.
The moment the梦幻 (dreamlike/fantastical) purple elixir touched her lips, a purple hue spread from Kujou Sara's mouth. This purple color rapidly spread across her skin, soon covering her entire face, then continued down her fair neck. In just a short while, Kujou Sara's entire body turned purple, somewhat resembling Thanos, the 'Purple Sweet Potato Spirit'. The only difference was probably that Kujou Sara was prettier and more heroic.
After her whole body changed, the aura around Kujou Sara began to surge violently.
The Ascension Elixir didn't alter genes. Although it was a magical potion, its principles were somewhat 'scientific' at a micro level. Essentially, the power of the elixir caused the cells to ascend first! Once every cell in the body ascended, the 'person' composed of these cells would naturally ascend as well.
At this moment, Kujou Sara's aura grew increasingly powerful. Originally not weak due to her Tengu heritage, her aura was now approaching the level of an Archon.
There was a significant gap between the fourth tier and the fifth tier. Crossing this chasm wasn't easy. Take the Adepti, for example. Were they strong? Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, Cloud Retainer, plus Ganyu (who, despite being half-illuminated beast, was no less powerful) – that made five Adepti, combined with the Millelith. Such force still couldn't handle Osial, who had just broken free from his seal! That was the power of an Archon.
Currently, Kujou Sara's aura was infinitely close to the Archon level. At this point, her expression changed slightly. The miraculous power of the elixir was breaking down the very structure of her body and then reassembling it. The pain made Kujou Sara clench her teeth. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Makoto and Ei looked tense.
"Don't worry," Lu Heng spoke up. "She's far from her limit. No need to worry." After Lu Heng spoke, the two relaxed slightly.
Kujou Sara now entered a very strange state. She couldn't hear the people around her, but she could hear the sound of distant waves, the sound of foxes running in the far-off Byakko Plain. The entire world seemed different in her eyes. Her perception and understanding of the world were changing. Kujou Sara knew clearly in her heart that this was a sensation arising from her increased strength and entering a new realm. It felt incredibly marvelous, momentarily making her forget the physical pain.
As time passed, Kujou Sara's intense aura officially crossed that threshold.
Ascended to godhood!
This wasn't like some god who achieved divinity by piloting a mech. Kujou Sara's ascension was comprehensive: physical fitness, controlled elemental power, soul, and spirit were all included! Apart from the fact that she was a后天 (post-natally/human-)ascended god, the only difference between her and a natural-born Archon was the aspect of Authority! Except for not possessing an Authority, there was essentially no gap left between Kujou Sara and an Archon.
"She正好 (happens to) lacks a good weapon," Makoto said quietly to Lu Heng. "I want to give her a good bow."
"I'll keep an eye out for materials later. I'll forge it," Lu Heng nodded. Forging a fifth-tier weapon, or even a sixth-tier one, wasn't difficult for Lu Heng. If someone asked about the specific difficulty, Lu Heng would say it was very simple. Materials weren't really a problem for him either. One could only say the [Art of Creation] card was just too overpowered. Lacking something? Just create it yourself. Weren't those rare treasures also nurtured by the world? If I can create worlds, can't I handcraft these things? Many things just depended on whether Lu Heng was willing to do them, not on whether he couldaccomplish them. Saying he'd 'keep an eye out' just meant he planned to forge it casually when he had free time.
"Then I'll trouble you to put your mind to it," Makoto said with a smile.
Lu Heng smiled back. "For something my wife asks of me, I'll definitely be attentive." Makoto smiled even more happily. Seeing her smile like that, Lu Heng could only say it was beautiful enough to melt his heart. The world of gacha games was great! He loved the world of gacha games so much.
"Such a big commotion. What's going on?" Yae Miko, wearing pajamas and looking sleepy-eyed, leaned against the doorframe.
She had been sleeping soundly, but then an Archon-level aura came from the backyard. Hana-Chiri was nearby and quickly explained to her.
After listening, Yae Miko clicked her tongue. "That blockhead is quite lucky. You're lucky too."
"Me?" Ei thought for a moment and found it quite true. "Indeed."
"Has Miko recovered a bit?" Makoto asked with concern.
"I'm perfectly fine," Yae Miko said with a playful smile. "One healing spell and everything's fine. I could even fight another battle."
Makoto gave Lu Heng a reproachful look. "How could you torment Miko like that?"
"Hey!" Lu Heng cried out in injustice. It was Yae Miko who begged for it; how did it become him tormenting her?
"Sister, you've wronged him," Yae Miko's smile didn't fade as she shook her head. "Let's talk about this gacha session instead?" Makoto explained it to her in detail.
Yae Miko chuckled. "Stomach of Gold? That brat from the Kamisato Clan has pretty good luck too." Well, having a generous superior was also a form of luck, wasn't it?
"Given time, Inazuma will have another Archon!" Ei felt excited. The stronger she became, the more confident she felt. But seeing everyone in the same camp grow stronger also gave her a sense of security. It was like playing a 5v5 game. If your four teammates weren't skilled, you'd worry they might get instantly defeated upon leaving the base. But if all four teammates were powerful, the only concern would be whether the enemy team was strong enough for your side to crush! Applied to reality, leaving two to guard the base would also be reassuring!
During the conversation, Kujou Sara's aura gradually stabilized. Her body was also 'fading' back to its normal color. Her appearance and figure hadn't changed in the slightest, but her temperament had undergone some transformation. As strength increased, self-confidence quietly grew. Now, Kujou Sara seemed even more heroic than before. After briefly sensing her own condition, she bowed to the group.
"Alright, alright," Makoto said with a smile before Kujou Sara could speak. "I also see you as a younger sister. We're all family, no need for such formality."
What?! Kujou Sara was slightly astonished. Lady Makoto considered her family? She must pledge her life in loyal service to Her Excellency! As a devoted 'Raiden Fan', Kujou Sara's inner self was going wild with excitement. A flush of excitement even appeared on her beautiful face.
"Your strength has increased greatly. When you have time, go to the Rating Tower to properly adapt," Ei instructed.
"Yes!" Kujou Sara nodded. Even if Ei hadn't mentioned it, she was already considering it. Only by clearly understanding her exact strength would she know how much she could accomplish for the two Excellencies.
"No rush for now," Makoto looked at Yae Miko. "Miko, do you need more rest?"
"Not necessary," Yae Miko shook her head.
"Then let's go back and get ready. We'll all have dinner together tonight," Makoto said after a moment's thought. "Sara has ascended to godhood, and Ayato also has a promising future. Let's consider it a celebration for both of them. Invite that girl Ayaka as well."
"Then Hana-Chiri, come with me to stroll around the market and see if we need to buy anything," Yae Miko said.
"Understood, Lady Miko," Hana-Chiri nodded.
"As for Ei..." Makoto smiled. "You should go refine the Magic Crystal first. Just make sure you're not absent tonight."
"Eh..." Ei had thought there might be another task for her. "Okay, I will definitely be there tonight!" With that, Ei hurried off to find a place to refine the Magic Crystal.
After her brother, Kamisato Ayato, was assigned to oversee the Bakufu and concurrently serve as the head of the Kanjou Commission, Kamisato Ayaka, who was temporarily acting as the head of the Yashiro Commission, had been very busy lately. Although she had previously helped Ayato share some of the workload, the tasks assigned to her were relatively few and not too difficult. But now, truly managing the entire Yashiro Commission, Kamisato Ayaka clearly realized how capable her brother had been before.
Ding.
Another task? Kamisato Ayaka put down the festival planning document she was working on and picked up her phone. Seeing the message, she was taken aback.
"Huh? Such a high-level gathering?"
Makoto, Ei, Yae Miko! And also Lu Heng! And Kujou Sara and her brother!
Ayaka suddenly felt flustered. An invitation personally sent by Lady Makoto was something she couldn't possibly decline. Her mind was now filled with questions: What should I wear? What should I say when I meet them? What small details should I pay attention to?
Ayaka's expression turned into the in-game version: Kamisato Ayaka - Confused. Brain blank! Ahhh!
"Granny Kuta!!" Ayaka decisively decided to call for reinforcements.
Granny Kuta was the Kamisato Clan's head housekeeper, who had once served Yae Miko. She had vast experience!
"Oh?" Seeing Ayaka running over in a panic, Granny Kuta grew concerned. "Young Lady, what happened?"
"Her Excellency the Omnipresent God has invited me to a banquet tonight! I don't know what to wear, what to do... Please help me figure it out!"
Granny Kuta immediately understood and signaled for Ayaka to calm down. She then asked, "Which esteemed guests will be attending?"1
"Both Excellencies, Lady Guuji Yae, Mr. Lu Heng, Lady Kujou, and my brother!" Ayaka quickly replied.
"That lord is also attending..." Granny Kuta's expression turned serious. No wonder the Young Lady was so troubled; the reason was here. No matter how easygoing the important figures might be, if your attitude was truly casual, those who wanted your position would laugh themselves awake in the middle of the night. In Inazuma, a nation that revered martial prowess, Lu Heng's status had already surpassed that of the Raiden Shogun!
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T/N:
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