"Caelus, C-Cae... What is going on? Who, w-w-who is she?"
March 7th was a mess in the wind, her face written with confusion, eyes full of question marks, staring at Caelus in disbelief.
"Ahem."
Caelus coughed lightly. Unhurriedly holding Leylah's fair, soft hand, he answered with great calmness and matter-of-factness:
"Didn't I say I'd perform a magic trick for you all? This is it."
Caelus shrugged, as if entering the display phase after a magician's performance, gesturing with both hands toward the young girl in the black dress.
"She is my yo-yo, Little Yo. Now she has a new name, Leylah. How about it~ Isn't it magical? Isn't it unexpected?"
March 7th: "(°)!?"
Dan Heng, Welt, Jing Yuan: "O_0???"
Jingliu: "()?"
Everyone's expressions were exceptionally colorful and bizarre. You call nurturing a soul and creating life a magic trick!?
"H-Hello, March 7th. I am Leylah."
Stared at dead-on by everyone's gaze, the black-haired girl was so flustered she didn't know what to do, trembling as she took small, mincing steps.
Her fair, soft hands were clasped over her lower abdomen as she bowed slightly to March 7th, introducing herself with great caution.
As a god evolved through intimacy fantasy, her memories began from the moment she met Caelus—the Curio collection room of the Herta Space Station.
She possessed all the memories of accompanying Caelus as a yo-yo afterward, so Leylah naturally recognized the friends of the Express crew. She was very grateful to March 7th. After all, it was March 7th who had originally handed her over to her Master.
"Abba abba... H-Hello, I am March 7th."
Her clever brain didn't have enough computing power; March 7th instinctively replied politely, though her words were a bit stuttered.
"Wait a minute!"
Little March suddenly reacted, letting out a maddened retort:
"Don't say such inconceivable things with such a matter-of-fact tone! You call this a magic trick? This is magic, right? No, even magic can't do this!"
March 7th grabbed Caelus's shoulders and shook him frantically.
"Stop shaking, stop shaking! If you shake anymore, my brain fluid is going to get scrambled."
"Yayaya!"
Shaking frequency intensified!
"March 7th, p-please stop. Master seems very troubled."
Leylah's expression was somewhat apprehensive, like a shy small animal stepping forward for her Master. Despite having the face of a young girl with a hint of a mature 'onee-san' allure, she gave off a fragile vibe that made one feel pity.
"Oh, okay. I'm sorry."
Having her wrist caught by Leylah, March 7th subconsciously stopped her hands.
"Good girl~"
Caelus gently stroked the girl's silky, smooth long hair. Leylah lowered her head, and that beautiful face, which should have been cool and quiet, revealed a bizarre expression mixed with intoxication and infatuation.
"As expected of my Leylah, she only knows how to feel sorry for her Mas~ter~!"
Caelus didn't see Leylah's expression. He looked at March 7th cheekily, his affected expression and punchable tone maxing out his 'Green Tea' vibes.
March 7th: "(x°)x!"
"Mistress, please get up quickly. It will be very uncomfortable like this."
Leylah suddenly noticed something. She crouched down to help up Stelle, who was hugging Caelus's thigh with both hands and feet. She knew that Caelus and Stelle were essentially the same person.
She even had memories of her Master using her string to restrain the naked Stelle in a... tortoise-shell artistic style, engaging in physical combat.
Stelle was the person Leylah was closest to, other than her Master. Bar none.
Stelle, hugging Caelus's leg like an octopus, had been determined not to come down unless Caelus agreed to help turn her bat into a girl. But this resolve was shattered by a soft and gentle 'Mistress'.
"Mistress... sounds pretty good, hehe~!"
Hachi-Stelle transferred herself from Caelus's leg into Leylah's majestic, full bosom. She wantonly sniffed the body fragrance resembling Blue Snowflakes; all the warmth and scent were transmitted to Caelus via synesthesia.
Leylah knew the two shared synesthesia, so not only did she not refuse, but she also blushed and hugged Stelle back.
"Caelus, how did you do it?"
Welt walked over leaning on his cane. Beside him were Jing Yuan and Dan Heng. On the other side, Moonscar returned control of the body to Li Sushang and leaned in with Jingliu.
"As the saying goes, all things have a spirit. As long as you treat your weapon with heart, treat the weapon as a friend, a family member, or even a lover, you can use sincere and fervent emotions to endow it with life and a soul."
"Actions must be bold and active! Let the dead object be melted by your feelings!"
"Am I right? Jingliu. If a swordsman treats the sword in their hand like this, they can achieve transforming the sword with emotion, turning the precious sword into a Sword Girl! Man and Sword United!"
Caelus spoke nonsense with ease.
"..."
Jingliu was expressionless, speechless in her heart. Right, my foot! Is your 'Man and Sword United' even decent?
Everyone who heard Caelus's speech twitched the corners of their mouths. Only Leylah, after her initial daze, felt her pretty face gradually becoming dyed with crimson.
What did Master say? Treat her as a... lover! Melt her with feelings! Unite as one with Master...
Her legs rubbed together, and certain colored images floated in her mind. Leylah's breathing became rapid, her face flushed, and the arms hugging Stelle tightened, as if she were hugging her Master. After all, both parties were the same person—synesthesia.
Stelle, enjoying the warmth and milky fragrance, suddenly felt an immense constricting force.
"Mmph, I... can't... brea... th."
Sensing the suffocation, Caelus reached out and yanked Stelle's head out a bit.
"Is she really... a yo-yo?"
Welt looked at the black-haired girl whose behavior and expression were strange, his own expression subtle.
"Yup."
Caelus chuckled and took the girl's hand, calling out softly: "Leylah."
"I am here, Master. I will be here forever."
Leylah, who was hugging Stelle, immediately threw her Mistress to the nine heavens. Amidst a pervasive glow, her graceful silhouette vanished, transforming into a yo-yo held in Caelus's hand.
Stelle, whose body was leaning forward, almost hit the ground head-first. Caelus reached out in time to grab the gray-haired girl by the back of her collar. He had no choice; if Stelle got bumped, he would feel the pain too.
Caelus examined the yo-yo in his hand. The sphere had undergone some changes compared to before. It was still primarily black, but more profound and ethereal. The blue-gold patterns were cooler, and there were a few additional wisps of pale red.
Jing Yuan's pupils reflected the strange weapon in Caelus's hand, then his focus shifted to Caelus himself. He couldn't help but murmur:
"Exactly what kind of power is it that can weave the warp and woof of a soul?"
"...Is it Crystals?"
Old Yang, knowing the special nature of Stelle and Caelus, asked tentatively with emotions of astonishment surging in his chest.
"Uh, related, but no."
Caelus didn't intentionally hide it. After all, many weapons would undergo Personality Awakening in the future, so he needed to let his Express friends know the general idea.
Dan Heng, having piloted the Super Granzort, accepted the anomalies around Stelle and Caelus much faster.
"...Magical."
At this moment, Jingliu recalled the words Caelus had said while drinking under the moon that night. She had been half-believing and half-doubting; even though Caelus had helped her suppress the Mara-struck condition, she still retained skepticism about certain matters.
But today, she thoroughly believed. A method that could be called a miracle... just who was this guy?
"Alright, alright, now isn't the time to discuss Leylah. Dan Heng, have the seals been completely lifted?"
Caelus changed the subject.
"There is one last location remaining. That area is occupied by Denizens of Abundance."
Dan Heng turned his head to look north.
"Perfect timing. Let's go, I'll go this time too."
Caelus threw the yo-yo downward in a simple 'Sleeper' trick, yet it was completely different from previous uses. He could perceive Leylah's consciousness, communicate with her, and mobilize her with much greater proficiency.
Caelus could even lie down obediently, adjust to an enjoyable posture, and let Leylah move on her own.
"Let's test how strong Little Yo is now."
Swinging the yo-yo in a loop, Caelus retracted it into his hand and marched toward the final seal location.
"Caelus! Daddy! Change it for me too!"
Stelle held Caelus's arm with one hand, acting spoiled in an extremely gentle tone. It was pinched to the extreme, truly a 'clip within a clip'.
Who could withstand the temptation of a carry-on weapon turning into a Weapon Girl!
It wasn't the first time he had been attacked by the Stellaron spirit's cutesy 'clip sound', but the degree of this clip was unprecedented, sending a shiver through Caelus's entire body.
"Ah Star, I still prefer your previous unruly look."
Caelus smiled and patted the dog-head of Stelle.
"People make mistakes~ Hurry and change it for me~!"
In her struggles with Caelus-cub, Stelle had long ago realized that a true hero cultivates truth internally and practices open-mindedness externally; acts according to the times and changes against the tide; can bend and can stretch. She would settle all scores after she got her Weapon Girl!
The frequency of shaking his arm went up another level. Stelle pouted, begging pitifully:
"Caelus-cub~ My good Caelus-cub~ You don't want everyone's beloved, pitiful Star-baby to be killed by the longing, envy, and jealousy constantly welling up in her heart, right?"
"That store transformation device..." Caelus postured.
"Brother wants that? I'll buy it for you!"
Stelle said decisively. Although she couldn't accept System tasks, causing her Crystal earning speed to be slow, she couldn't spend on gacha and could only spend in the store, so she had saved up a lot of Crystals.
Exchanging over a hundred Crystals for a Weapon Girl—no loss!
"That's more like it."
Caelus nodded in satisfaction. He didn't raise other conditions, such as cooperating by wearing maid outfits or nurse outfits at night. Those didn't need mentioning; Stelle wasn't some shy little girlfriend. Her enthusiasm and initiative were the same as Caelus's. Double happiness was for two people, after all.
"I can only transform one of your weapons. Will you choose the flaming Lance or the bat? Maybe there will be other weapons in the future."
Caelus had one Equipment Reforging Card left. Shared joy is better than solitary joy; he was certainly willing to use it on Stelle.
"Yay! ...Huh? Only one?"
Her cheers turned to regret before they finished; Stelle's decision paralysis flared up.
Caelus ignored the Stellaron spirit who had fallen into conflict. He scanned the group of Abundance Spirit Beasts ahead—tigers, leopards, wolves, and apes—and threw the yo-yo out with his palm facing upward.
The glowing blue string extended three meters. Dazzling black-gold-blue light diffused from the sphere, spinning irregularly as the yo-yo rotated.
"God · Great Jade Rasengan!"
This move wasn't in the Blazing Teens skill manual, but something Caelus came up with himself. The dazzling spiral generated a terrifying tearing force, crushing the bodies of the Abundance Spirit Beasts.
"The quality of the dazzling light is at least three times stronger than before."
The third seal location was closer to the dragon shadow, and the surroundings were all entangled by the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor.
"The roots of the Ambrosial Arbor are constantly growing... At this speed, it won't be long before the entire Scalegorge Waterscape is eroded away by the Ambrosial Arbor."
Dan Heng's face looked very grim.
"It must be Phantylia doing something. We must hurry. Old friend, it's up to you."
Jing Yuan spoke gravely.
Dan Heng walked to the seal location and unlocked it with the power of the High Elder.
Boom—!
Rumbling sounds rang out within the Scalegorge Waterscape. The ground shook, and floating stones attracted one another. Under the action of complex mechanisms, they gradually formed a passage leading to a place just one step away from the Ambrosial Arbor.
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