"Saphir! I'm back!!" A loud voice echoed from the entrance. Lumine and Paimon had finished their task and immediately teleported back using the waypoint near the Goth Grand Hotel. The moment they arrived, they sprinted all the way to the teahouse.
Even Luke, stationed at the entrance, couldn't stop her. Although he'd seen this girl several times before and knew she was close to the Dark Shepherd, shouting like this was still far too improper. If she disturbed the lady, it would be unforgivable.
Trailing behind the girl and the floating mascot, Luke bowed nervously in apology to Saphir.
Looking at the anxious Luke, Saphir sighed and pinched Lumine's round cheek. "Next time, don't be so loud. You scared my staff."
Lumine stuck out her tongue and grinned. "Quick, hand me the quest reward! And throw in a couple of Crimson Agates—I wanna hit the snow mountain next!"
Saphir was a bit taken aback by Lumine's energy. So this is what a true grindlord looks like. She could never match that kind of spirit. Still, without saying much, she took out the Kenshi Masamune.
"Wah! What a beautiful sword!" Paimon was instantly awestruck by the half-transparent blue blade. Lumine's eyes lit up too. She gave the sword a few test swings and found herself liking it more and more. Her old Skyward Blade suddenly didn't feel so appealing.
Then her eyes sparkled, clearly harboring ideas.
But Saphir chuckled. "Don't even think about it. Isn't having the Skyward Blade enough?"
Lumine quickly put the sword away and clung to Saphir's arm, pleading, "But the Skyward Blade isn't as pretty! I want a beautiful sword too!"
Saphir shook her head helplessly. "Kenshi Masamune comes with built-in defensive enhancements. It's not suited for you."
Knowing further whining wouldn't help, Lumine changed tactics and held up two fingers. "Then I want two Crimson Agates!"
"You were just waiting here to scam me, huh?" Saphir saw right through her instantly.
Still, she handed over two Crimson Agates.
"You're the best, Saphir!" Lumine grabbed the reward and skipped off, full of joy.
After she left, Sucrose's alchemical process was nearing completion. Judging by the satisfied look on Yae Miko's face, Saphir was fairly certain it had gone well.
As Sucrose finished assembling the cross-shaped head, Yae Miko nodded in approval. "Didn't expect Mondstadt to have such a talented junior. I'm almost tempted to recruit her for the Grand Narukami Shrine. Ever consider becoming a shrine maiden, little one?"
Lisa immediately yanked Yae Miko back, scolding her. "You two better not get carried away. Poaching people right in front of me—do I not exist in your eyes?"
"Now, now, don't say that. I'd still need your permission, wouldn't I? So? What do you say to my offer?" Yae Miko asked with a beaming smile.
Lisa's face darkened. "I refuse."
Their verbal sparring resumed. Neither side gave ground. Off to the side, Saphir sat with Sucrose and Kunfeng, eating snacks and enjoying the show.
Sucrose marveled, "I always thought Lady Lisa was the cold, unapproachable type… didn't expect this side of her."
Saphir glanced at her twitching ears and felt the urge to pat them. But knowing how shy Sucrose was, she suppressed the temptation. "That's because she met a worthy opponent. She wouldn't act like this around ordinary people."
Sucrose nodded earnestly.
Eventually, Yae Miko relented. "Enough banter—we've got real work to do."
Lisa sighed, exhausted. Poaching her people was absolutely unacceptable. If she allowed Sucrose to go, Noelle would definitely follow. Even if their talk had been half-joking, once she opened that door, who knew what these shameless two might do?
She was still a high-ranking Knight of Favonius. If she let them steal two promising recruits under her nose, how would Jean ever look at her again?
Yae Miko brushed it all aside and picked up the completed parts made by Sucrose and Kunfeng. Finding a clean surface, she laid them down and then took out the cross prototype she had long prepared.
"Do you know why Dream Solvent is so valuable?" Yae Miko asked with a mysterious smile. "If it only changed physical properties of materials, it wouldn't deserve to be called a miracle. Its true purpose is this—"
She placed the components onto the prototype.
What happened next stunned everyone.
The previously separate parts began to slowly fuse into the prototype. Brilliant golden light radiated outward.
Kunfeng was awestruck. "This… is this a divine miracle?! That light! It surpasses even Bieyun and Kenshi Masamune! This must be… a divine weapon!"
Even Yae Miko was surprised. She'd expected success, but not of this magnitude.
"Congratulations, Professor Su Jin. You just hit the jackpot." As the fusion completed, the golden light didn't dim—it grew even more radiant, as if awaiting something.
Saphir's heart pounded. She could tell this was no ordinary weapon.
"They're called divine-forged weapons for a reason," Yae Miko began. "Because they are forged by the divine. And what separates gods from mortals?"
No one could answer. Gods were simply different. Questioning that was borderline blasphemy.
But Yae Miko didn't care. Not only had she questioned gods—she'd soaked in hot springs with one. She even knew how many moles were on her god's backside.
Seeing no answer, she continued. "Soul. Bloodline. Power. In Teyvat, 'gods' are often equated with the Seven Archons. But think—why are weapons not made by the Archons still called divine?"
Saphir realized something. "Archons… or rather, Archons and Demons?"
Yae Miko snapped her fingers. "Exactly. Demon gods are also gods. They may die, but their power persists. Their souls linger. Across all nations, remnants of demon gods still bring misfortune. In Liyue, they're called residuals. In Inazuma, they're known as 'Corruption Gods.' Same thing."
Saphir frowned. "And what does that have to do with divine forging?"
"Let me get to that," Yae Miko said. "Once a being reaches that realm, their soul undergoes a transformation. Now, Saphir, you have two options for imprinting this weapon."
"Option one: use the mark of the White Kitsune King. Your weapon will be blessed by them and undergo divine transformation. Option two: carve your own mark. I can teach you how. It may not be as powerful, but it won't be bound by the White Kitsune."
Saphir narrowed her eyes. "Bound?"
Yae Miko nodded. "Looks like Morax never told you. Weapons marked with a god's soul imprint cannot harm the owner of that imprint—unless permitted."
Saphir was stunned. That meant her [No Lament: Void Sky] couldn't harm Morax unless he allowed it. No wonder he gave it to her so casually—he had insurance.
"So if I mark this weapon with the White Kitsune," Saphir said slowly, "I can't harm you either?"
"Correct. Or Ei, since she's also under the White Kitsune lineage. Not that I think you'd attack us, but I thought you should know."
Saphir didn't hesitate. "Then I'll carve my own."
Yae Miko wasn't surprised. Her eyes glimmered with approval. So… she's finally chosen this path.
"Thank you, Miko. I appreciate your honesty. And I swear, this choice isn't about targeting you or Ei. It's just—" she trailed off.
"No need to explain," Yae Miko interrupted. "This is the best choice for you. Otherwise, you'll always be under someone else's control. I don't want to see that."
She took Saphir's hand and began teaching her the carving method—not with words, but through shared thought and memory.
Soon, Saphir understood what to do.
"Let's use a method we're more familiar with—word sigils," Yae Miko said. These weren't Lin Yi's battle-chant dragonspeech, but Inazuma's traditional onmyouji incantations. Long ago, the great onmyouji Harukaze Seinosuke had used them to seal forest relics in Liyue.
"The first line is usually a declaration of power. You're from Snezhnaya—using Inazuman declarations might not fit. Got something in mind?" Yae Miko asked.
Saphir thought briefly, then spoke: "Huaxia Dragon Soars."
Yae Miko raised an eyebrow. She'd never heard that phrase, but it seemed valid. She studied Saphir again, even more curious about her origins.
Next came the second line—a statement of power source.
"Light and Shadow Intertwined," Saphir declared.
That was her truth. While Yae Miko might've said "White Kitsune Bloodline" or "Master of Yin and Yang," Saphir's power came from the interplay of light and darkness.
Finally, the third line—this one could be anything. Yae Miko once sealed a charm with "Elegant Fried Tofu." It could reflect mood, preference, or meaning.
Saphir had her answer ready. She incorporated the weapon's name.
"Thy name is: Grace of the Gods."
Brilliant golden light surged to its peak—then slowly faded.
A radiant silver cross adorned with golden etchings emerged.
They all knew: it had succeeded.
Kunfeng examined the imprint. In the center, he found a faint, unfamiliar sigil—dull, but unique. Because Saphir's power wasn't yet strong, the mark couldn't rival those granted by established gods. But that didn't matter—he saw growth potential in it.
As Saphir's strength rose, the weapon would grow stronger with her.
"Grace of the Gods, huh? Professor Su Jin, you really do know how to surprise us."
~~~----------------------
To read 55+ future chapters head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/YonkoSlayer