"The Deluminator? This thing really is perfect for setting off fireworks!"
Alice rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
Clearly, she had thought of the same thing as Yoimiya.
But she had thought even further.
Besides controlling ordinary lights to make the fireworks stand out, perhaps it could even be used to control the brightness of the fireworks themselves.
If she could make them alternate between bright and dim, she might be able to come up with even more new tricks.
The thought made her eager to get started.
Her creative urge was growing stronger by the second.
So she excitedly said to Yoimiya, "Let's go back and experiment right now!"
"Mm, I was thinking the same thing!"
Yoimiya smiled and nodded.
But before that, she needed to tell Kuki Shinobu.
After all, Shinobu was her friend, and she was the one who had brought her here.
With that in mind, she turned and walked toward the quiet area.
"Kuki Shinobu, I'm going back to work on the fireworks!"
"Go ahead. And thanks for bringing me here!"
Kuki Shinobu smiled and nodded.
She knew that her friend was the famous Fireworks Queen of Inazuma and often tinkered with all sorts of strange fireworks.
"No problem!"
Yoimiya waved cheerfully.
For a "veteran customer" like her, introducing newcomers to the manga shop was one of the greatest pleasures.
After chatting a little longer, she left.
After Yoimiya departed, Kuki Shinobu's attention returned to the manga in her hands.
"The person Boss said looks like me... should be this Akali, right?"
Kuki Shinobu thought to herself.
Based on the story in the Ionia arc, Akali was similar to her not only in appearance and attire,
but also in her experiences.
For example, Shinobu herself had been born into a family of shrine maidens.
But after working as a shrine maiden, she discovered that there were far too many rules.
Although some of those rules might have had their reasons, Shinobu felt that treating the rules themselves as absolute truth was simply out of touch with the times.
So, in order to break away from the prejudices accumulated over generations and pursue true, unfettered freedom, she chose to leave the Grand Narukami Shrine.
As for Akali, she had been born into the Kinkou Order and undergone rigorous training.
But as she gained more life experience, she came to believe that the people within the Order were incompetent, and that its teachings themselves were deeply flawed.
So she openly rebelled and left the Kinkou Order.
She wanted to protect the people of Ionia in her own way!
Because of these similarities, Kuki Shinobu felt particularly close to Akali.
It was almost as if another version of herself existed within the manga world.
"It would be nice if I could meet Akali someday..."
After a long while, Kuki Shinobu sighed.
She really would like to become friends with someone like that.
But she also knew the idea was unrealistic.
This was different from receiving a reward.
She shook her head lightly and stopped dwelling on it.
Then she took the manga and walked toward the counter.
She was still very curious about what her reward would be.
When Kuki Shinobu approached, Han Feng looked at the system panel.
The information had already refreshed.
[Customer Kuki Shinobu has finished reading League of Legends: Runeterra. Reward obtained—Akali's Complete Skin Collection.]
[Akali's Complete Skin Collection: From a certain game, including K/DA, PROJECT, Blood Moon, and more.]
[Note: Wearing a skin provides a certain increase in strength.]
"A skin-based reward?"
Han Feng became interested.
This was somewhat similar to the reward that Ningguang's little secretary had received.
The difference was that hers consisted of professional outfits, while Kuki Shinobu's consisted of Akali-exclusive outfits.
And, more importantly, these clothes could actually increase her strength to a certain extent.
That was basically equivalent to having an extra piece of equipment compared with everyone else!
"So Teyvat's very own Akali is about to be born?"
A smile appeared in Han Feng's eyes.
Buzz—
A brilliant beam of light descended from above, enveloping Kuki Shinobu.
A moment later, the light faded.
A stack of cards appeared in Kuki Shinobu's hands.
Each card depicted one of Akali's skins.
They looked incredibly cool!
"What are these?"
After examining the items in her hands, Kuki Shinobu looked up at Han Feng.
This was her first visit, so she didn't know what kind of reward she had received.
"These are Akali's exclusive skin cards. Just silently think about using one, and you'll immediately change into it.
After using one, it will also provide a certain increase in your strength."
Han Feng smiled faintly as he explained.
"I see!"
Kuki Shinobu suddenly understood.
She had been wondering why every card showed Akali wearing a different outfit.
So they were Akali's exclusive clothes!
But what did the increase in strength mean?
With that thought, she looked at Han Feng curiously.
"Boss, these clothes can actually make someone stronger?"
"Think of them as wearable equipment. As for the effects, you'll know once you try them yourself."
Han Feng took a sip of tea and smiled.
"Then I'll give it a try!"
Hearing this, Kuki Shinobu became eager to test them out.
She wanted to see whether they really were as miraculous as Boss claimed.
So she began going through the cards in her hands.
Akali currently had fourteen different skins, giving her plenty of options.
"Hm? This one looks pretty good!"
When she came across a particular card, Kuki Shinobu's eyes lit up.
It was the K/DA skin, with a strong sporty aesthetic.
"I'll try this one!"
Kuki Shinobu picked up the card and silently willed it to activate.
In an instant, the card transformed into specks of starlight and disappeared into the air.
Kuki Shinobu herself underwent a complete transformation!
The black mesh crop top and purple hooded jacket she had been wearing disappeared.
In their place was a purple vest paired with black athletic pants.
Her green hair also turned purple, and she now wore a sporty cap.
The only thing that remained unchanged was the distinctive oni mask covering her face.
"It's not just similar. She's practically identical!"
Looking at Kuki Shinobu in her K/DA outfit, a smile appeared on Han Feng's face.
If someone claimed she was Akali's sister, absolutely no one would question it.
Seeing that Kuki Shinobu seemed somewhat at a loss, Han Feng casually pointed a finger.
A mirror appeared in front of her.
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