“Kid, do not be nervous. The process is very simple, and there will not be any pain.”
As she spoke, she turned toward Mizuki.
“Mizuki, could you please wait outside for a moment? I want to finish the ceremony for Haruhime first so she can feel at ease.”
Mizuki nodded.
She truly was the goddess of justice.
After spending the past two days around her, Mizuki felt she embodied justice and kindness.
Stepping out into the hallway, he thoughtfully pulled the door shut behind him.
However, the moment he turned around, he stopped in surprise.
Every member of Astraea Familia, led by Alise, was standing right there in the corridor.
“You guys…” Mizuki touched his forehead, feeling rather helpless.
“This is the door to the goddess’s room. Is it really appropriate for all of you to crowd around out here?”
“Ahem!” Alise cleared her throat and put her hands on her hips, striking an expression of pure righteousness.
“Mizuki, do not get the wrong idea!”
“We only care about our new companions. Caring is an act of supreme justice!”
“That is right!” Lyra popped out from behind Alise and nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Caring for our comrades is the most fundamental form of justice in our Astraea Familia!”
“What is the problem?” Iska brushed back a strand of long hair and spoke naturally.
“We are here to witness the birth of a new member. It is a sacred ceremony, and sharing it together makes it all the more grand.”
“Yes, we are simply giving them a warm welcome,” Asta, Maryuu, and the others chimed in, nodding along.
Alise clapped a hand onto Mizuki’s shoulder with considerable force.
“Besides, we care about you too! In case your status ends up terribly low, we can figure out ways to console you ahead of time.”
“Give me a break. You are all just here to see the show,” Mizuki remarked dryly.
“How could you call this seeing a show?” Alise shot back immediately.
“This is called a group activity! It helps strengthen the bonds between familia members!”
Mizuki glanced past the group, his gaze settling on Kaguya at the very back.
“Kaguya, are you here out of concern for me too? Are you trying to strengthen your bond with me?”
“Who… Who would ever care about you!”
Kaguya averted her gaze, her eyes darting away.
“I am not like them. I was just… heading back to my room, and happened to… walk past!”
“Just walking past?”
Mizuki smirked and deliberately raised his voice.
“Here I thought you would care the most. After all, once I receive the goddess’s falna, there will not be any obstacles left to our wedding.”
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting!”
Kaguya’s cheeks flushed bright red.
She hurried up to Mizuki and hissed furiously under her breath, “This is merely a ceremony to join the familia. It has nothing to do with anything you just said!”
“Ooh!”
Neze and Iska broke into mischievous cheers, egging them on.
“Kaguya, how can you say it has nothing to do with it?”
“Exactly, I think the two of you make a wonderful pair!”
“You lot!”
Kaguya was so thoroughly flustered she could barely form words, settling for glaring daggers at Mizuki instead.
Mizuki smiled easy-going, taking a step closer toward her.
“See? Everyone thinks so.”
“Do not be shy, Kaguya, we are going to be family from now on.”
Annoyed, Kaguya reached out to shove him away, but Mizuki moved first, catching her lightly by the wrist.
Before she could pull free, Ryu, who had been watching quietly from the side, spoke up with a calm expression.
“Kaguya, the two of you truly are a fine match.”
“Quiet, elf! Nobody will mistake you for a mute if you hold your tongue!”
Kaguya tried to shake off his grip, but Mizuki held firm, gently giving her wrist a playful squeeze.
Right at that moment, the door creaked open.
Haruhime walked out, her head lowered as she smoothed down her clothes, a faint blush lingering on her cheeks.
Seeing her emerge, their captain, Alise, stepped forward right away to greet her, full of curiosity.
“How did it go? Did you awaken any incredible abilities?”
With everyone’s attention suddenly fixed on her, Haruhime grew even more self-conscious.
“I… I…”
Haruhime spoke softly.
“My magic is called Uchide no Kozuchi…”
“Uchide no Kozuchi?”
Alise scratched her head with a puzzled look.
“Judging by the name, is it some kind of blacksmithing skill?”
“A mallet? Maybe it is an offensive spell?” Iska guessed as well.
Uchide no Kozuchi.
Hearing that familiar name, Mizuki knew his assumption had been correct.
Haruhime had indeed awakened that absurd support spell.
Listening to their wild guesses, he decided to step in.
Releasing Kaguya’s wrist, Mizuki explained on Haruhime’s behalf, “It is an exceptionally powerful piece of magic.”
“It can temporarily elevate a person’s rank to the next level.”
“As Haruhime’s own level increases, the duration of the effect will likely extend as well.”
A temporary level up?
In Orario, level represented absolute combat power.
A higher level meant overwhelming superiority, and overcoming a level gap in a fight was practically unheard of.
Yet Haruhime’s magic could artificially and temporarily break that ironclad rule.
“Is… is that true?”
Alise stared at Haruhime, her eyes wide with undisguised excitement.
“It could… push me from level three to level four?”
“Goodness…”
Maryuu, the healer, covered her mouth in shock.
Better than anyone else, she understood what an extra level could mean in a dire crisis.
It meant pulling an entire squad back from the edge of defeat.
“From an analytical standpoint, the mere existence of such an ability disrupts all standard balance,” Celty remarked.
Her eyes behind her spectacles stayed steady, but her slightly trembling lips gave away her astonishment.
“This goes beyond the scope of ordinary magic, it is practically a miracle.”
“Incredible! That is incredible!”
“With this kind of support, our overall fighting power will soar.”
Iska and Ryana exchanged glances, both visibly thrilled by the prospect.
What kind of force would they become?
Everyone was completely captivated by the miraculous nature of Uchide no Kozuchi, entirely overlooking the temporary duration constraint.
Right then, Kaguya picked up on an anomaly.
She fixed a sharp look directly onto Mizuki.
“Haruhime did not say anything after stepping out. How did you know all of that so clearly right off the bat?”
Kaguya glared at Mizuki, her eyes practically declaring that she was getting back at him for teasing her earlier.
Now, it was her turn to put him on the spot.
The entire group shifted their focus from Haruhime straight to Mizuki’s face.
Indeed, how could he possibly know?
Mizuki was momentarily at a loss.
He certainly could not claim he knew it from watching the anime.
Just as he was trying to come up with a workable excuse, their captain, Alise, stepped forward with an easy grin.
“Oh, come on, Kaguya, what is the matter with you?”
She threw an arm around Kaguya’s shoulders, offering a knowing wink.
“Mizuki and Haruhime have spent so much time together, it is only natural that he understands her well. Could you perhaps be… jealous?”
“Alise! What kind of logic is that!” Kaguya shoved her off in irritation.
“Do you not see how strange this is?”
She pointed at Mizuki, breaking down the problem rationally.
“Haruhime came out of that room without explaining a single detail, yet Mizuki accurately described both the name and exact function of her magic!”
“As you all know, magic only manifests after receiving falna. There is no way he could have known beforehand!”
Alise scratched her head.
“Well… putting it that way, it does sound a bit odd.”
Still, she quickly dismissed it with a wave of her hand.
“Ah, but who cares! Maybe… maybe Mizuki just caught a glimpse of the status sheet through the door crack when the goddess was transcribing it!”
Mizuki caught the lifeline immediately.
“Yes, exactly that!”
He quickly stepped beside Haruhime and took the transcribed sheet from her slightly bewildered hands.
“Captain, you truly have a keen eye!”
Unfolding the paper before everyone, Mizuki pointed at the text and smoothly improvised.
“My vision is pretty sharp, so I managed to catch a peek of these words just a moment ago!”
“Let me see!”
“I want a look too!”
The group’s focus shifted in an instant.
Crowding around with great curiosity, they peered down at the translation transcribed by Astraea.
Strength: i0
Endurance: i0
Dexterity: i0
Agility: i0
Magic: i0
Magic: Uchide no Kozuchi
A level up spell.
Can target only a single individual.
Requires a set interval between casts.