Haruto took a deep breath, forcing the chaotic black aura of the Void Reaper to settle back beneath his skin. The room was finally quiet, though the air was still thick with the smell of ozone, roses, and Smoke's wounded pride.
Bellona stepped forward, her heavy boots clanking against the training mats. She didn't have the shy innocence of Elysia or the calculated poise of Logos. She radiated pure, unadulterated War. She looked at the bickering spirits with a look of supreme boredom.
"If you're all quite finished with your little drama," Bellona said, her voice like grinding iron,
"I believe it's time for the real muscle to join the party."
Haruto leaned against a pillar, rubbing his temples.
"Yeah... fine. Go ahead. You're the last one left in the 'Ancient Squad' anyway. Might as well complete the set before my head explodes from the sheer level of SSS-rank nonsense in this room."
Bellona didn't reach for a ring or a book. She didn't sing or giggle. She simply raised her right hand and made a gripping motion in the empty air.
"Wake up, you lazy beast," she muttered. "The Master is losing his patience."
Suddenly, the floor of the training hall began to groan. A crimson rift tore open in the air behind her, leaking a pressure so dense that even Toya felt like his bones were being crushed. This wasn't just mana; it was the weight of a thousand battlefields.
Out of the rift came a massive, jagged Great-Axe that looked like it had been forged in the heart of a dying star. It was wrapped in heavy, rusted chains that rattled with a ghostly sound.
The axe didn't turn into a shy girl or a polite scholar. The chains unwound, and the weapon morphed into a towering, muscular man with scarred skin and eyes that burned like molten lava. He wore tattered leather armor and carried an aura of absolute violence.
This spirit was the definition of Peak Physical Destruction. Standing at a staggering 8 feet tall, he loomed over everyone like a mountain of bronze flesh. His physique was that of a world-class bodybuilder—every muscle fiber was corded and defined, pulsing with a raw, kinetic energy.
He had fiery, spiky red hair held back by a rugged black headband. His face was scarred from a thousand wars, but it held the calm dignity of a veteran.
Strapped to his back were three massive swords, each one broader and longer than Haruto himself. They looked heavy enough to split a castle in half, yet they rested on his back as if they weighed nothing.
He was the Perfect Warrior.
Haruto's eyes practically sparkled. "Now THIS is an SSR—no, an SSS-Rank character design!" he thought, his gamer heart racing at the magnificent sight.
Kratos took a deep breath, his chest expanding like a forge. He looked down at Bellona and gave a curt, respectful nod. "You summoned me, Lady Bellona? Has someone dared to raise a hand against you?"
Bellona laughed, leaning back. "No one would be that stupid, Kratos. Relax."
Kratos scanned the room, his brow furrowed in confusion. "We are not in the Heavens... this layer of reality feels thin. Fragile." His eyes then landed on his old comrades. "Logos? Elysia? You are both manifested as well?"
Logos gave a stiff nod of acknowledgment, and Elysia offered a tiny, shy wave from behind Lustra. Kratos acknowledged Ivory and Lustra with a warrior's salute, then turned back to Bellona. "Then why have I been called to this brittle world?"
Bellona pointed toward Haruto.
"Because of him. Haruto wanted to see the one who carries the God-Slayer blades."
Kratos turned his massive frame toward Haruto. The pressure was intense, but Haruto didn't flinch. Kratos looked him up and down, sensing the connection.
"If my Lady follows your lead," Kratos rumbled, his voice like tectonic plates shifting,
"then you must be a man of great significance. It is an honor."
He extended a hand that was the size of Haruto's torso. Haruto grinned and shook it; despite his terrifying appearance, Kratos's grip was steady and surprisingly careful. "He's actually really kind," Haruto noted. "The 'Gentle Giant' trope. I dig it."
Kratos then looked at Toya, who was shaking like a leaf. "And this one?"
"A friend," Bellona said simply. Kratos nodded once at Toya, who looked like he was about to faint from the sheer coolness of the moment.
Finally, Kratos walked over to Asobi. He didn't treat her like a maid; he treated her like an equal. He extended his hand to her as well.
"It is a pleasure to meet a Pure Spirit of your standing."
Bellona stepped in, smiling.
"That's Asobi. She's the one keeping this whole chaotic household from falling apart."
Smoke was practically smoldering with envy. He watched the giant, red-haired warrior greet everyone with such grace and honor, feeling like the ultimate outsider. "Why am I the only one stuck at SSR?" he grumbled internally. "First the librarian, then the shy spear-girl, and now this mountain of muscle? There has to be a mistake in my code!"
Despite his inner turmoil, Smoke stayed silent when Kratos approached him. The sheer physical pressure radiating from the 8-foot warrior was enough to make the punk spirit swallow his pride and sit quietly for once.
Haruto, sensing the immense power, looked up at Kratos.
"Alright, big guy. I've seen the others. What's your rank? Give me the stats."
Kratos looked down at Haruto, a humble smile crossing his scarred face.
"Forgive me, but I find discussing ranks and tiers to be quite distasteful. True strength is proven in the swing of a blade, not in a label."
In the corner, smoke perked up. "Aha!" he thought, a devious smirk forming on his face. "He's dodging the question! He's probably a fake! Maybe he's just a big body tank with no real rank. He's just for show!"
Bellona noticed Smoke's smug expression and let out a sharp laugh.
"Don't get your hopes up. You think he's weak because he's humble?"
Haruto guessed, "So, what? SSS rank like the others?"
"Wrong," Bellona replied, her eyes gleaming with pride.
Smoke's heart leaped. "If he's not SSS, then he must be lower! I might actually be stronger than him!"
Ivory stepped in, sensing Bellona was about to turn this into a full theatrical performance.
"Bellona, stop teasing them. Just tell him the truth."
Bellona grinned, crossing her arms.
"Fine. He isn't SSS. He is an Ultra Rare Royal Spirit. His rank is SSS+. He didn't just spawn this way; he evolved because of the bond we share and the care I've given him over centuries."
Kratos bowed his head modestly at her words, but the revelation hit the room like a physical shockwave. Smoke's face went pale, his jaw hitting the floor. SSS+. There was no higher rank in the known universe. He was standing next to a literal god of war.
Feeling utterly defeated, Smoke dejectedly walked over to stand near Logos. The librarian glanced at him but said nothing. Elysia, finally feeling safe now that the "big brother" of the group was here, scampered out from behind Lustra to join them.
"Long time no see, old friend," Logos said to Kratos, his voice filled with rare warmth. The three legendary spirits began to converse in low tones, their shared history evident in every look.
Asobi, Toya, and Haruto stood together, watching the spectacle. The training hall was now divided: on one side, the three Goddesses and their towering, god-tier spirits; on the other, the "Players" trying to process the fact that they were basically leading an army of world-enders.
Smoke, caught between the scholarly Logos and the shy Elysia, just felt a massive headache coming on. "This party is too top-heavy," he muttered.
"How am I supposed to be the cool one when I'm surrounded by literal legends?"
The atmosphere in the room took a sharp turn from awe to curiosity. Haruto looked back and forth between the towering, majestic forms of the SSS-rank spirits and Asobi, who was still calmly holding her pipe.
"Wait a second," Haruto said, narrowing his eyes.
"Asobi, you're a spirit too, right? But you feel... different. Why are you so unlike them?"
Asobi let out a puff of smoke, looking at Haruto with her usual flat expression. "Boss, you're fundamentally misunderstanding the biology of this world. I am a Pure Spirit. I was born, not summoned. I have a lineage, a mother and a father, and I grow through experience, not just mana-input. These three—Logos, Elysia, and Kratos—are Weapon Spirits. They are manifestations of the system. They weren't 'born'; they were forged."
She looked at the legendary trio with a hint of pity. "They don't have parents. They only have owners. If their owner's heart stops beating, their 'file' is deleted. They vanish into nothingness."
Haruto went silent. Back in his old world, he didn't have parents either. He lived his life as a "corrupt file" that didn't belong anywhere. Hearing that these powerful beings were just as rootless as he was made him feel a strange, sudden connection to them.
Toya, however, wasn't thinking about philosophy. He was looking at the 8-foot-tall Kratos and the elegant Logos with stars in his eyes. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees in front of Ivory.
"Lady Ivory! Please!" Toya begged, his forehead almost touching the floor.
"I'm tired of being the only one without a cool guardian! Give me a Weapon Spirit!"
Haruto laughed and hauled Toya up by his collar, but he didn't let go. He looked at Ivory with a determined grin.
"Actually, he's right. I want one too. I need a partner that can keep up with me."
Ivory looked at the two of them, her analytical eyes scanning their mental stability.
"It isn't that simple. I can perform the Awakening Ritual, yes. But it's a complicated process not as easy as you think, a Weapon Spirit doesn't care about your level. They don't care if you're Level 5 or Level 100."
She stepped closer, her voice turning cold and serious.
"They respond to your Will. The spirit you get is a direct reflection of your current mental state. If your mind is weak or fractured, the spirit will be a nightmare that consumes you. If you fail to manifest one, don't come crying to me."
"Haha! Deal!" Haruto shouted, his excitement peaking. Toya nodded vigorously, though he was still trembling.
Lustra, Bellona, and Asobi crowded around them, their expressions a mix of concern and amusement. "Are you two really serious about this?" Lustra asked, her pink eyes shimmering.
"The ritual is painful, and the spirits of this world aren't always 'cute' like Elysia."