The sharp knife tip easily penetrated the thin gold sheet and embedded itself in the wooden tabletop behind it.
In an instant, a scorching force transmitted from the Solar Flame Charm through the engraving knife to Angel's right hand. Then, like burning blood, it flowed up along her arm's blood vessels, entering her torso and spreading throughout her entire body.
A searing wind seemed to blow around her. Angel felt her whole body becoming scalding hot, as if facing the noon sun in a desert.
"Huff—"
Even her exhaled breath carried high temperature. The blood in her body nearly boiled. Her right hand trembling as it gripped the engraving knife, she lifted it. The gold sheet of the "Solar Flame Charm" was already emitting red-hot light, becoming soft and falling from the knife tip.
The front half of the blade also glowed with intense, blinding light, as if just removed from a furnace.
Angel knew that if she didn't do something now, she would be burned into an unrecognizable charred mass by the sun's power pervading her body.
Without further hesitation, she picked up a prepared casing with one hand and gripped the engraving knife, its tip now in a red-hot state, with the other. Guided by the muscle memory cultivated through multiple trial runs, she began drawing intricate incantations on the casing's surface.
Not far away, at 2 Narcissus Street.
"Klein, I think tomorrow is just a casual gathering—everyone attending the celebration together, strolling through the park. You really don't need to wear a top hat and carry a cane. That makes you look not twenty-two but forty-two."
Melissa said disapprovingly to her second brother, disdaining his attire that resembled a middle-aged gentleman's gathering.
He obediently removed his half-height silk top hat and set it aside.
"I don't think you need the coat either. Um, just keep the vest underneath. It looks younger."
Benson also offered his suggestion.
Klein showed a helpless smile and countered:
"But I still have to go to the company tomorrow morning. I need to dress more formally." Seeing his sister Melissa frown again, he quickly added, "I can leave the coat at the company, along with the cane and top hat. It's only two minutes from there to the park square anyway."
I could even take the underground passage through St. Selena's Cathedral to get there quickly, he added mentally.
Although next week's Tarot Club meeting had been canceled because both the Hanged Man and Miss Justice had taken leave, allowing him to move his Monday day off to tomorrow, he still had some leads on Lanervus to discuss with the Captain. He would need to go to the company tomorrow morning.
But I'll be free after nine-thirty!
Klein thought privately, removing his coat and placing his cane beside the sofa, freeing his hands.
Only then did Melissa relax, showing a smile.
"In any case, tomorrow we'll wait for you at the park. I don't want to see you dressed all stuffy and old-fashioned. That would give Miss Angel a very poor impression."
"But we dress like this every day at work, and so does she."
Klein felt a burning sensation from his coat pocket. While pointing out the contradiction in his sister's statement, he turned his body to avoid his family's line of sight and fumbled in his pocket.
He pulled out two charms with gold bases—"Solar Flame Charms" he had made using the "mutated solar holy emblem."
Having nearly exhausted all his spirituality as a Clown, he had made three charms in the church at Morse Town, giving one to Angel who had helped him divert Leonard's attention.
The two charms remaining in his possession were now emanating much higher heat than usual. Holding them barehanded felt somewhat scalding.
Fortunately, after a few seconds, the charms returned to their original warmth. Seeing Benson's curious gaze from the side, Klein quickly stuffed the charms back into his pocket.
"Well, that is a problem. Miss Angel does neglect her appearance somewhat, though she's beautiful even without dressing up..." Melissa said with a frown, but quickly relaxed her expression, the corner of her mouth showing a smile. "But I believe tomorrow she'll dress beautifully."
"Why?"
Now Klein was also curious.
"Intuition!"
Melissa answered mysteriously, her gaze moving toward one end of the living room—toward 6 Narcissus Street, Angel's home.
While the Moretti family discussed whether tomorrow's celebration trip should be formal or casual, the other person scheduled to join them was sweating profusely while making a special bullet.
Angel finally understood why, that day at the church, Klein had appeared with clothes and pants soaked through, even his hair ends somewhat singed, looking as if he'd been exposed to the desert sun.
Because she now felt the same way.
Fortunately, as her spirituality rapidly depleted, the temperature on Angel's body gradually decreased. This was because the energy released from the "Solar Flame Charm" was gradually entering the casing in her hand through the engraving knife's etching, becoming part of its power.
The small brass casing was scored by the searing knife tip, gradually becoming covered with various symbolic signs, magical markings, and ancient incantations. Golden light continuously flashed across the etchings, the massive solar power contained within ready to overflow at any moment.
Finally, only the holy emblem remains...
Angel's tense expression relaxed slightly. She was about to move the knife to carve the Evernight Goddess's holy emblem on the casing to complete the final step.
The instant the knife tip was about to touch the casing, her nearly depleted spirituality suddenly issued a warning, causing her already throbbing head to experience a moment of dizziness. She nearly made a careless stroke that would have ruined this costly bullet.
What's wrong? Did something go wrong?
Her thoughts raced, but her hands couldn't stop. The last trace of solar holy emblem power in her body was seeking an outlet. If she didn't continue etching the incantation...
Right, the solar holy emblem—that's the symbol of the Eternal Blazing Sun!
Angel suddenly understood. She reconcentrated her spirituality at the knife tip and continued carving, changing the final concluding charm to the Eternal Blazing Sun—one of the seven Orthodox Gods represented by the mutated solar holy emblem, the Inextinguishable Light, embodiment of order, God of contracts, and guardian of commerce.
As this deity's holy emblem—a circle surrounded by segmented lines—was carved onto the casing, all the engraved charms on the entire bullet emitted a golden glow. The spirituality attached to them connected as a whole, making the bullet radiate warm, harmonious vibrations.
Just like that "Solar Flame Charm" that had previously contained power but was now just an ordinary gold sheet.
While the light from the charms flickering on the casing's surface hadn't yet faded, Angel reassembled the prepared propellant and bullet head with the casing. She then watched this completed bullet gradually cool and dim.
This didn't mean its contained power had disappeared without a trace, but rather that the energy was restrained and condensed.
This "Radiance Bullet" was complete.
Picking up this precious bullet from the table, Angel recalled its attack effect in her mind.
After firing this special ammunition, it would explode directly in the chamber, releasing all stored energy forward—in the direction the barrel pointed—forming an extremely concentrated beam of light that would penetrate and pulverize any object daring to block it.
Due to the extreme temperature, the weapon firing the "Radiance Bullet" would also be destroyed at the moment of triggering. Therefore, the launcher could only be used once. This was why Angel had specifically requisitioned a revolver.
The weapon destroyed by high temperature would also cause significant harm to the user. This revolver loaded with "Radiance Bullet" could only serve as a last resort attack method, not regular ammunition.
Besides, I couldn't easily find materials to make a second one...
Carefully inserting the dark yellow "Radiance Bullet" covered with charms into the revolver, leaving the other four chambers empty, Angel rotated the cylinder to move the Radiance Bullet to the second position to avoid accidental discharge. Only then did she feel relieved enough to dispel the wall of spirituality.
First, take a bath and change out of these sweat-soaked clothes. Get a good night's sleep to restore my spirituality. Then...
Then, tomorrow is Sunday—I'll accompany Melissa to the celebration!
Having planned her weekend schedule, Angel finally left the basement with light steps.