This kind of power — able to interfere with reality and the mental plane on a whim — went far beyond anything they'd ever imagined a weapon could do. Even adventurers who prided themselves on having seen it all would likely fall prey to such an eerie ability, one that could slip inside an enemy's subconscious and wreak havoc, without ever realizing what had killed them.
Standing off to the side, Mary Kikakujou watched the scene unfold, and a fierce competitive urge welled up inside her.
After all, how could she let that perpetually smiling Nomura Satori beat her to it?
There was no way she, a proper young lady, would fall behind.
So Mary Kikakujou took a deep breath. She simply shut her eyes, pulling all her attention inward, away from the outside world.
Following Haimer's earlier guidance, she began searching the depths of her own mind for that flame that belonged to her alone. Her thoughts sank — deeper and deeper.
Mary Kikakujou felt as if she were floating in a warm sea. There, she saw countless points of flickering light.
Finally, she called out from deep within her heart: "Come out."
A low hum. Out on the real, starlit grassland, something shifted all at once. A powerful surge of magic burst from Mary Kikakujou's body, whipping up a small whirlwind that flattened the grass around her feet.
An instant later, a dazzling dark-red light began gathering out of thin air in her right hand. At first it was just a hazy glow, but as her breathing deepened, the glow rapidly stretched and began taking shape. Motes of magic, glittering like starlight, danced through the air and poured steadily into the forming outline.
"Look! Mary's about to manifest hers too!"
Sharp-eyed as ever, Aihara Enju was the first to notice, pointing at Mary Kikakujou and shouting. Every head turned at once.
Even Onigawara Rin, who'd still been sulking at Nomura Satori, froze mid-motion, staring wide-eyed at the light gathering in Mary Kikakujou's hand.
The light slowly condensed. A striking rapier appeared in her grip, its form practically a work of art. The blade ran slender and long, sheathed in a dark silver gleam.
But the eye was drawn most of all to its guard, formed from several intertwined vines of dark red thorns. The vines looked almost alive, bristling with rows of thick, wickedly sharp barbs.
They coiled up from the pommel, wrapping the entire hilt tightly, and at the very end, the woven vines bloomed outward into a lush, blood-red rose. Its petals layered one over another, the dark metal gleaming with a dangerous, alluring shine, as though blood might drip from it at any moment.
"Wh-what kind of weapon is that..."
Onigawara Rin stared at the metal rose, swallowing hard. Beyond the sheer over-the-top design, the thing looked painful just to hold — was this really meant for cutting people down?
Mary Kikakujou slowly opened her eyes. She looked down at the blade now in her hand, a deeply satisfied smile curling at her lips.
It felt like something bound to her by blood. She could clearly feel that the thorny barbs on the hilt didn't hurt her at all — against her palm, they felt soft, almost yielding.
"So this is my soul, made manifest."
"It certainly seems to suit me."
She turned her wrist, examining her Innate Spirit Device with curiosity.
"It's gorgeous."
"And it's not just pretty to look at, either."
At the reactions around her, Mary Kikakujou lifted her head with a smile, sweeping her gaze over everyone present.
"Kami-sama told us earlier that an Innate Spirit Device lets you unleash a Sword Art."
"Since Satori already showed hers off just now..."
"...then let me show you mine."
The words were barely out of her mouth when her eyes suddenly sharpened. She plunged the dark silver rapier straight down, and the blade sank into the grass beneath her feet without the slightest resistance.
And then — everything changed at once! From the point where the blade struck, a visible wave of dark red mana rippled outward across the ground, spreading wildly.
With a rumbling roar that seemed to shake the earth itself, the once-flat, soft meadow erupted — countless thick, dark red thorn vines burst up like rampaging serpents, shattering soil and turf, surging out of the ground!
The vines bristled with terrifying barbs half a meter long, writhing, coiling, and spreading madly through the air.
In the span of a few breaths, within a radius of dozens of meters, the original meadow had vanished entirely — replaced by a terrifying jungle of woven dark red thorns. The terrain itself had been transformed.
And crowning the thorny jungle, huge blood-red roses had bloomed.
"Whoa! The grass turned into a garden of thorns!"
Kohina Hiruko cried out, immediately dropping into a defensive stance against the suddenly-sprouted, viciously aggressive vines.
Tendou Kisara's hand shot to her sword hilt as well, her eyes grim as she watched the spreading sea of thorns.
The terrain had changed with terrifying speed — in real combat, an unprepared enemy would be swallowed by this thorn jungle in an instant.
"No need to be alarmed."
Mary Kikakujou smiled, pulling the rapier back out of the ground. She swept a hand through the golden curls by her ear, her face brimming with pride.
"My ability lets me reshape the terrain around me however I like."
"As long as I want to, I can summon this sea of thorns anytime, anywhere."
"And it's not just for reshaping terrain and throwing up obstacles, either."
She held the rapier crosswise before her.
"This sea of thorns draws on my own stamina as its source."
"Any enemy trapped inside it — the moment the vines or the blood roses touch them—"
"—I can make them instantly bind the enemy's movements, and start draining their stamina."
Drain an enemy's stamina? At those words, the girls around her let out another murmur of amazement.
Watching Mary Kikakujou preen like a proud little peacock, Haimer, standing off to the side, found himself clapping.
"A truly excellent ability."
He offered the praise with a smile.
"Terrain manipulation, combined with area control."
He nodded, giving his professional assessment.
"Mary's Innate Spirit Device fits her own fighting style like a glove."
At Kami-sama's praise, Mary Kikakujou's eyes lit up at once.
"Kami-sama, could you explain in more detail?"
She pressed eagerly, hungry for more affirmation.
Haimer chuckled and began to explain.
"You all still remember the skill Mary awakened, right?"
"Noble Judgment."
He spoke the skill's name.
"Its effect: when a spot that's already been struck once is hit again, the attack speed stacks."
"And here's the more important part."
"When Mary strikes an enemy's nerve cluster and inflicts intense pain, she gains a return of mental strength proportional to the pain she causes."
Haimer's gaze shifted back to the rapier.
"Now, pair that with a Device that can summon an entire sea of thorns."
"Put the two together, and they form a perfect, self-sustaining cycle."
He looked around at everyone, laying out the analysis seriously.
"In actual combat—"
"Mary can start by reshaping the terrain, trapping a large group of enemies in the thorn field, which also triggers Noble Judgment for a first round of mental drain."
"Once the enemies are worn ragged struggling through the thorns and their movements slow—"
"—Mary can move in with the rapier and strike their nerve points."
"That not only deals massive damage, it triggers Noble Judgment again for a second round of mental return."
"In short—"
"In any drawn-out battle, or against a large-scale siege—"
"Mary only grows stronger the longer the fight goes on, and her enemies' own mental strength becomes an endless supply for her."
"I have to say — very well done."
Haimer delivered his final verdict, looking at Mary Kikakujou with unmistakable admiration in his eyes.
Hearing Haimer's analysis laid out like this, Mary Kikakujou's eyes lit up.
Kami-sama really did understand her!
"Kami-samaaa~~"
The thought only made her heart flutter more, and she paid no mind to the crowd of onlookers around them.
She strode boldly forward and wrapped both arms around Haimer's arm.
The sudden, intimate gesture made Onigawara Rin and the others' hearts clench, their eyes going wide.
"H-hey... what do you think you're doing?! Let go of him right now!"
Onigawara Rin jabbed a finger at Mary, hopping in place with fury.
But Mary Kikakujou, uncharacteristically, didn't even spare her usual rival a glance. She simply rested her head gently against Haimer's shoulder.
And the worst part — since she was still wearing that slightly snug bathrobe, the moment she leaned in and pressed close, her generous, proud curves pressed directly against Haimer's body.
A soft warmth, mingled with the faint rose scent of a girl fresh from her bath, traveled clearly up along his arm.
Faced with such a bold move, Haimer felt a touch of exasperation, but he made no move to push her away.
After all — after that incident before, in order to rebuild the pathways in Mary Kikakujou and Rei's bodies and purge the poison from them, he had drawn ritual sigils on their collarbones using his own Divine Blood, and later personally replenished their magic himself.
The tender, intimate memory of that night was still vivid in his mind.
In truth, aside from Amou Kirukiru, Mary Kikakujou and Rei were the only two members of his Familia he had ever been that physically intimate with.
How could he bring himself to push her away now?
Besides, right now, Mary Kikakujou looked exactly like a little girl who'd aced a test and was desperate for her parent's praise.
So — not only did Haimer not push her away, he gave a resigned little pat to the hand wrapped around his arm, and offered her an indulgent smile.
"Come to think of it, you haven't given your Innate Spirit Device a name yet, have you?"
he asked gently.
Hearing him play along with her so readily, the sweetness in Mary Kikakujou's heart threatened to spill right over.
"I have!"
She shot a deliberate glance at Onigawara Rin, who looked ready to steam from the ears, then said quietly:
"Since it represents my soul, and it's covered in thorns and red roses—"
"—then... I'll name it..."
"'Bloody Mary'!"
"Good name."
Haimer glanced at Onigawara Rin, then turned away with a helpless look, nodding his approval of the name.
While Mary Kikakujou basked freely in the praise at Haimer's side, Onigawara Rin, on the other hand, was pacing like an ant on a hot skillet.
It wasn't that she feared her rival struggling — what she truly couldn't stomach was watching that rival get ahead.
Especially seeing Mary Kikakujou — her usual rival — not only manifest her Innate Spirit Device first, but with an ability that terrifying on top of it.
And worse than that, this shameless flirt had used the opportunity to shamelessly cling to the Kami-sama she herself adored, right out in the open, right in front of her!
And here she was, without so much as a shadow of her own Innate Spirit Device to show for it.
What kind of nonsense was this?!
If this dragged on any longer, what standing would she have left at all!
With that thought, Onigawara Rin simply sat cross-legged on the grass.
She took a deep breath, forced her eyes shut again, and dug desperately into the depths of her mind.
"Get out here! Come out already!"
Onigawara Rin screamed the words in her heart.
But the more she rushed, the more that natural, effortless feeling eluded her.
Just as she broke into a cold sweat, feeling like she was on the verge of something—
"No way..."
a startled cry from nearby shattered her last shred of concentration.
At the sudden commotion, Lun opened her eyes, and her jaw dropped.
She followed the sound. There — the one causing all the fuss was none other than Aihara Enju!
Dressed in an orange hoodie, her hair tied into twin ponytails with rabbit-ear ribbons, she was floating in midair — a full two or three meters off the ground.
Her feet were planted squarely on empty air, as if she were standing on an invisible pane of glass.
"Ooh~!!"
"This is fun!"
Aihara Enju laughed with delight, hovering there in midair.
Then, as everyone watched, she pushed off with both legs, and her skill — Moonstep Sky Drive — activated instantly.
Enju, who already possessed frightening jumping power to begin with, went bounding straight up through open air, shooting skyward, leaping dozens of meters in a single burst!
"Whoa!"
Below, Tendou Kisara and Hanasaka Warabi stared up, dumbstruck, letting out gasps of astonishment.
"What kind of power is that?!"
"It's gas!"
Aihara Enju's voice floated down from overhead.
"My Device lets me control gas!"
"I can compress the air in a specific area so tightly it turns solid!"
With that, she gave a mischievous little laugh.
"And besides turning gas into a solid—"
"—I can also instantly drain every last bit of air out of a space!"
"Oh, and watch this!"
"I can fire off a seriously powerful air cannon too!"
With that, Aihara Enju raised her right leg and kicked down, hard!
____
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