Jizo Mitama.
A Divine Key forged from the core of the 12th Herrscher of the Previous Era, the “Herrscher of Erosion.” It is currently the only Divine Key that has remained unfinished for tens of thousands of years, its whereabouts unknown.
Its true identity is Rin, the younger sister of Sakura, one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the Previous Era.
Dr.
MEI discovered that although Rin’s body had a powerful Honkai energy reaction, she exhibited no special abilities.
Consequently, she was suspected of being the 12th Herrscher and imprisoned by the MOTHs.
However, even after awakening as a Herrscher, she retained her human consciousness.
A kind-hearted girl who willingly accepted her imprisonment, she was brutally tortured and killed by low-ranking MOTH soldiers out of fear.
What no one expected was that the girl’s “Herrscher of Erosion” ability would only truly awaken after her death.
Upon awakening, she manipulated all of humanity’s nuclear weapons to destroy the Previous Era’s last three remaining cities.
She was finally contained within a black box by Dr.
MEI for fifty thousand years, thanks to the efforts of the MANTIS soldier, Sakura.
Now, she harbors a heart full of rage and infinite hatred, yearning for the day she will be released to annihilate all of humanity.
She is, without a doubt, a “Fallen God.”
Durandal handed the box to Chiaki with a well-intentioned warning.
“Be careful.
This Divine Key isn’t just unfinished.
It contains a complete Herrscher consciousness.
A single misstep, and it will erode you.”
“Thanks.” Chiaki promptly released Rita.
“M-hm.” Durandal nodded.
She had seen from the start that he had no intention of truly harming Rita; otherwise, she would have already sent the entire room flying with a few punches and kicks.
“Beautiful messenger, please tell my dear pen pal that I would be delighted to exchange letters with him.
When the opportunity arises, I will certainly visit Schicksal Headquarters.” As he spoke, Chiaki folded the letter from Otto and handed it back to her, along with his own letter of thanks.
“I will relay your message to the Overseer.” Rita gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her wine-red eyes fixed on the black box in Chiaki’s hands, a faint smile playing on her lips.
This Divine Key…
it seems very important indeed.
After the two left the Raiden estate, Rita asked the beautiful blonde woman beside her, “Lady Durandal, that Divine Key is truly dangerous.
Is it really alright to hand it over like that?
With my strength, I would not have been a burden to you.”
“Those people had no intention of making things difficult for you,” Durandal said.
“Is this really okay?
An unknown Divine Key, the Second Herrscher, and a vessel who is about to become the Third Herrscher.
Leaving them unchecked could lead to serious consequences.”
“I know.
That’s why, after I finish my meal, I will pay them another visit.
As an S-rank Valkyrie.”
A moment ago, Durandal had been there as Rita’s friend.
Therefore, the Second Herrscher, the Third Herrscher, and all that could be temporarily overlooked.
Later, after eating, taking a shower, and retrieving Abyss Flower, she would return in her official capacity as the S-rank Valkyrie, Durandal.
Durandal was a bit dense, not stupid.
Cocolia was undeniably the mastermind behind the Nagazora crisis, but Kiana, Raiden Mei, and even that Divine Key were the fundamental source of the problem.
If they were not dealt with, whether it was the reawakening of the Second Herrscher, the awakening of the Third, or the reawakening of that Divine Key, it would bring about a catastrophe.
Taking them back to Schicksal for strict supervision was the most prudent course of action.
—o—
Chiaki and the others were unaware that Durandal was preparing to transform into General Dumb Goose and blockade their base later.
However, they were all keenly aware that a scumbag like Otto was up to no good.
Therefore, preparing an Anti-Otto Noble Phantasm was of the utmost importance!
Seele stared at the black box on the table and posed the question.
“So, how do we solve the Rin problem?”
“We all go into the Stigmata Space and pummel her for three hours!
If she doesn’t listen, we keep pummeling her until she behaves!” Kiana declared with a serious expression, her golden right eye shining exceptionally bright.
“Calm down.
We’re the Dimensional Chat Group, not the Dimensional Mafia.
We can’t do something so classless.” Chiaki shook his head, rejecting such an unstylish and untrendy solution.
“I remember Rin is a fox, and her favorite food is fried tofu, right?
Could we perhaps approach it from that angle?” Sakiko, who had been frantically searching for information on Jizo Mitama and Rin in the manga Kiana had uploaded, proposed.
“That might actually work!” Artoria’s face lit up.
“Since Herrschers are divided into a good side and an evil side, we could just keep doing things that Rin likes, making her good side stronger and thus weakening her evil side!”
“M-hm, that is indeed a good method.” Talulah was a little disappointed.
She had been hoping for more enemies to practice on so that when the time came to beat up Koschei, she could give him the best possible service.
“We must make Rin feel the warmth of family!
We’ll use the power of love to help her overcome the Herrscher consciousness!”
With a consensus reached, Chiaki immediately assigned tasks.
“Then the task of buying fried tofu will fall to you, Sakiko, and Mei.”
Chiaki opened a rather feminine-looking wallet and pulled out ten 500-Euro banknotes, handing them to Sakiko.
Such a large sum of money falling into her hands immediately sent Sakiko into a panic.
“Eh, it’s just to buy some fried tofu!
We don’t need this much!”
This was five thousand Euros!
Converted to yen, it was a whopping eight hundred thousand!
She couldn’t earn that much even if she worked for a whole year.
Kiana’s focus, however, was on something stranger.
“Chiaki, why are you using such a girly wallet?
Did a girl give it to you?”
“Oh, this isn’t my wallet.
It’s Rita’s,” Chiaki explained.
Everyone: “???”
Wait, buddy!
How did you get your hands on Rita’s wallet?!
“Why are you all so surprised?
When you defeat an enemy, they drop loot.
Isn’t that common sense?” Chiaki retorted.
He had to admit, Rita was loaded.
The loot from just her was more than he could earn in a month of grinding monsters in the TV World.
“This is our shared loot.
This glory should not be mine alone.” Chiaki took out the rest of the money, divided it into six equal shares, and handed them to Seele, Hiiragi Utena, Kiana, Raiden Mei, Artoria Caster, and Toyokawa Sakiko.
“Spend it freely.
Go buy yourselves something you like.”
“Aren’t you taking any for yourself, Chiaki?” Talulah noticed that Chiaki had given a share to everyone but himself.
“I’ve already received the best part.” Chiaki pointed to the black box on the table.
Sakiko clutched the eleven large banknotes, her palms sweating.
Her face was a mask of conflict, and her voice trembled.
“B-But…
isn’t this…
theft?”
Chiaki waved his hand.
“Sakiko, taking something without permission is theft.
This is standard loot from a defeated enemy.
It’s our ‘Victory Cry,’ allowing us to recover quickly and face the next challenge at one hundred percent.”
Even heroes need to collect payment for saving the world!
If there was no loot and no reward after defeating an enemy, even the most passionate heart would eventually grow weary.
Sakiko pondered this…
Sakiko tried to convince herself…
Sakiko gladly accepted!
[You have opened the door to a new world.
Knowledge has increased?.] [You have successfully accepted money from a teammate.
Courage has greatly increased??.] [You feel your bond with everyone has deepened.
You are gradually beginning to feel that being in the Dimensional Chat Group is fun???.]