After saying her goodbyes to the group, Erica went offline.
Looking at her final words, Rin Tohsaka couldn't help but feel the urge to comment.
Rin Tohsaka: "Why would you raise a flag like that at a time like this?!"
Rin Tohsaka: "Is that idiot not worried something will actually happen?"
People who said things like that usually had a habit of not coming back.
Hearing Rin's words, Madoka immediately grew nervous.
Madoka: "Erica-oneechan said she was going to a battle... could she really be in danger?"
Although Erica was currently the strongest in the group... no, tied for the strongest... they had learned over time that Erica's world was far from safe.
It was a dangerous world where god-level disasters descended frequently, and idiots called God-Slayers ran rampant. A mere Great Knight might not even be able to withstand the aftershocks of a battle between gods.
Rin hadn't been particularly worried about Erica, but hearing Madoka's concern, her heart tightened as well. Even though she and Erica bickered constantly, they were actually very good friends.
Rin Tohsaka: "It should be fine, right?"
Rin Tohsaka: "That vixen is slyer than anyone. If she runs into real danger, she'll definitely know how to stay out of trouble. No need to worry."
Recalling Erica's personality, Rin knew she wasn't the type to be impulsive or reckless, and she temporarily set her worries aside.
Rin Tohsaka: "Besides, with Master Su Mo in the group now, if she were in real trouble, she would definitely ask him for help."
Thinking of this, Rin felt even more relieved.
Before Su Mo had joined the chat group, Erica, as the strongest member, could only serve as a backstop for the others when they were in danger. There was no one to guarantee her own safety. After all, the rest of them were still far too weak.
But now, with Su Mo's arrival, the power dynamic within the chat group had completely changed.
With the world-shaking wisdom Su Mo had displayed, he probably wouldn't even need to make a move himself. Just creating a single minor skill would be enough to drastically increase Erica's strength and ensure her safety.
Given how smart Erica was, she must have realized this as well. So, as long as she wasn't asking for help, there was no need to worry about her.
Rin's reasoning quickly convinced the others. Although they weren't entirely sure if Su Mo would step in to help, judging by how he had previously taken the time to explain the principles to them, he probably wouldn't refuse.
Mmm! The feeling of having a powerhouse to rely on is pretty great!
The group chatted for a little while longer.
Before long, Kocho Kanae, the Flower Hashira in the world of Demon Slayer, suddenly saw a notification about a change in her points.
She had received one hundred points.
Did my Breathing Style sell?
When she saw that the buyer was Su Mo, a wave of joy washed over her, no less thrilling than winning the grand prize in a lottery.
Mr. Su Mo is actually interested in the Breathing Styles from my world?!
To have their world's power noticed by Su Mo, who would then iterate and optimize it into a stronger version—this was a hope that probably every single person in the chat group harbored. Kanae was, of course, no exception.
But she had never imagined that the power she had to offer would actually be chosen.
After all, compared to the dazzling and colorful magic systems of Erica's and Rin's worlds, these fragmented Breathing Styles were simply too crude. Even a Hashira who had completely mastered a Breathing Style was still considered unranked by the chat group's evaluation.
In Kanae's view, only if she could get her hands on the long-lost Sun Breathing would she have a chance of earning a second glance from Su Mo. Otherwise, her skills would never be considered significant.
She never expected the surprise to come so suddenly.
Looking closely, she saw that Su Mo had only purchased the Flame Breathing. She wondered if he was conducting research.
"He only bought one. Can he research the other forms from that?"
Kanae worried for a moment but didn't say anything in the group. She didn't want to be misunderstood as just wanting more points. Compared to an epiphany from Master Su Mo, a few measly points were nothing.
Kanae: "Thank you for your gracious patronage, Lord Su Mo!"
After thinking it over, Kanae felt she still needed to express her gratitude. A little politeness never hurt anyone!
Meanwhile, in the Type-Moon world, seeing this line—which sounded like a concubine thanking the emperor for choosing her for the night—the twin-tailed little girl blinked, then her eyes went wide.
Rin Tohsaka: "Why did you suddenly say that? Even if you want to get closer to Lord Su Mo, that's a bit too abrupt..."
Rin Tohsaka: "Wait! Don't tell me that, besides Erica, Lord Su Mo also bought a skill from your world?"
After she asked, Kanae immediately replied with a smiley face.
Well, I'll be damned. So the clown was me all along?
Rin Tohsaka: "Waaaaaah! I'm so frustrated! Why are you all so lucky?"
Rin Tohsaka: "Lord Su Mo, look at me! Look at me!"
Rin Tohsaka: [Sobbing.jpg]
Faced with this temptation of a meteoric rise, the young Rin abandoned her usual pride and sense of shame, trying desperately to attract Su Mo's attention.
Seeing Rin act like this for the first time, Madoka felt the urge to facepalm.
Madoka: "Rin-oneechan, calm down!"
Madoka: "Aren't you afraid the big brother will think you're crazy?"
Rin Tohsaka: "Calm down? How do you expect me to be calm at a time like this?!"
Rin slammed her hand on the table and shouted with an imposing air, causing her little sister nearby to look at her with a mixture of surprise and concern.
Sakura: Sister's mental state seems quite worrying lately.
Rin chose to brazenly ignore the look and continued her impassioned plea in the group chat.
Rin Tohsaka: "Right now, I just want to be chosen by Master Su Mo and reach the peak of my life!"
Half the people in the group had already been chosen by him. Why wasn't it her turn yet?
Madoka: "Even so, you don't have to be so worked up!"
Madoka: "Look at me, I'm perfectly normal!"
Rin Tohsaka: "Isn't that because you haven't encountered the supernatural system of your own world yet?"
Rin Tohsaka: "You're using power from Erica's world right now, so of course you're not panicking!"
Madoka's world was not an ordinary one; she just hadn't come into contact with its supernatural side yet.
In this situation, the skills from Erica's world that Su Mo had already optimized were more than enough for her. Since it didn't directly concern her, of course she wasn't worried.
Madoka: "Oh, right!"
The pink-haired girl finally got it.
Oh, so it's easy for me to say since I'm not in her shoes. Never mind then.
You do you, Rin-oneechan.
Kanae: "While what Little Rin says makes sense, there's really no need to be in such a rush."
Kanae: "Instead of just fretting, why not try to find other types of items to sell? You never know what might catch Lord Su Mo's interest!"
The gentle-natured Kanae offered her advice after some thought. Since Master Su Mo had taken an interest in something as crude as her Breathing Styles, it meant his range of interests was quite broad. Perhaps some more niche powers would be even more appealing to him.
Rin Tohsaka: "That makes sense!"
Rin Tohsaka: "I'll go raid my father's treasury tomorrow. He must have hidden a lot of magic from me."
Rin Tohsaka: "Thanks for the tip, Kanae-neesan!"
Kanae: "..."
Kanae: "I didn't mean for you to go steal things."
Kanae facepalmed in exasperation. Rin was great in every way, except she could be a bit of a brat. In that respect, her own Kanao was much more well-behaved and cute. Of course, it would be even better if the two girls' personalities could be combined somehow.
Rin Tohsaka: "It's 'taking,' not 'stealing'!"
Rin Tohsaka: "As the future head of the Tohsaka family, I have the right to do what I want with these magical materials!"
Rin Tohsaka: "Besides, it's not a crime if you don't get caught!"
Kanae: "?"
Madoka: "?"
Rin Tohsaka: "!"
Evidently, a few question marks from the others weren't about to stop this "perfectly filial daughter" from making her old man drop some loot.
Kanae, now an accomplice caught in the act of inciting a crime, began to reflect on her life choices.
Just as the chat was getting lively...
Erica, who had been lurking for a while, finally came online.
Her very first sentence made everyone tense up.
Erica: "I really hate to disturb Master Su Mo's epiphany, but do you have any way to rapidly increase my strength? I'll take anything, even with side effects! I'm willing to burn my own life force!"
Erica: "SOS! Help meeeee!"
Erica: "@Su Mo!"
Seeing the three messages rapidly spamming the chat, Rin Tohsaka's small mouth fell slightly agape.
Did the flag actually come true?