Listening to all the lancer users showering her with praise, Yae Miko felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
It hadn't been easy.
She had stumbled time and time again on the road of reward draws, and now she had finally struck gold.
Without hesitation, she reached out and absorbed the glowing orb.
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
At last, she too possessed a Rule Skill.
Although this Rule Skill didn't seem as outrageous as some of the others, it would produce miraculous effects if used properly.
For example, in future games, she could specifically target players who used spears or guns.
"Miko, move aside."
Now that her best friend had obtained a Rule Skill, Raiden Ei was growing anxious.
She shoved Yae Miko gently aside.
The meaning was obvious.
My turn.
"Fine, fine."
Yae Miko stepped aside, and Ei immediately inserted her coins.
"Bless me, bless me… I want a Rule Skill too."
She muttered quietly to herself before reaching for the lever.
Her voice was so soft that no one else heard it.
But Valerius was standing close enough to catch every word.
"Heh."
He nearly laughed.
She was already the Electro Archon, yet she was still praying for blessings.
Who exactly was she asking for help?
Ei pulled the lever.
The machine rattled.
Then a single item dropped out.
No rainbow light.
No special effects.
"Oh my, Ei. Looks like you got an ordinary reward."
Among best friends, what was the greatest source of joy?
Naturally:
I got something you didn't.
Seeing that Ei's reward lacked any dramatic effects, Yae Miko immediately brightened.
As expected, Ei simply couldn't compare to her.
"An ordinary reward?"
Holding the card in her hand, Ei looked utterly dejected.
Yae Miko had pulled a Rule Skill.
Why had she only received an ordinary item?
For a brief moment, she even suspected that Yae Miko had secretly used her new ability on her.
After all, she used a naginata.
And naginatas were derived from polearms.
Technically, she was half a lancer too.
After fully examining the item, Valerius looked at Ei and smiled.
"Congratulations."
"Congratulations?"
Ei puffed out her cheeks and glared at him.
"Miko got a Rule Skill, and I got a common item. And you're congratulating me?"
Were you trying to mock her?
"Heh. This item is incredibly useful to you."
That instantly reignited Ei's interest.
"Quickly. What is it?"
"This is a Spell Card from Yu-Gi-Oh. Take a look at its name."
Although Ei had no idea what Yu-Gi-Oh was, she obediently studied the card.
The card was green, with a cross-shaped symbol in the center.
At the top were four bold characters.
Monster Reborn.
"Y-you mean…"
Her heart started pounding wildly.
Her voice trembled.
She stared at Valerius without blinking, terrified that his explanation would differ from what she hoped.
"It does exactly what you think."
The moment Valerius confirmed it, Ei's entire body shook with excitement.
She had envied Phantylia's revival item for so long.
And now…
She had one too.
"What is it?"
Seeing Ei so emotional, Yae Miko curiously leaned over.
"Monster Reborn… This thing can resurrect the dead!"
The instant she read the name, Yae Miko's voice rose an entire octave.
She had never imagined Ei would obtain such an item so quickly.
"What?! Resurrection?"
"Another revival item?!"
The other players were stunned.
The game hadn't been running for very long, yet two resurrection items had already appeared.
And both were classified as ordinary rewards.
This gave everyone a much clearer understanding of the reward pool.
If something as outrageous as resurrection was considered merely "ordinary," then what kind of absurdity lurked among the higher-tier rewards?
"How do I use it?"
Ei ignored everyone else completely.
She wanted to use it right now.
Immediately.
"Just say the name of the person you want to revive in your mind."
"Understood."
Ei nodded.
Then she looked at Valerius, her eyes brimming with gratitude.
"Th-thank you."
This time, her thanks were completely sincere.
If she had once regarded Valerius with curiosity, now she felt only heartfelt gratitude.
Without him, her wish might have remained forever impossible.
Valerius blinked.
Well, well.
Who would have thought this adorably clueless Archon could be so earnest?
Without wasting another second, Ei clutched the card and prepared to activate it.
"Wait."
At that moment, Bronya suddenly stopped her.
"What is it?"
Ei turned to look at Bronya, instantly becoming wary.
She wasn't about to trade this card away.
No chance.
"Lady Raiden," Bronya said carefully, "the person revived by this item appears without any clothes."
Bronya was the only person who had already used a resurrection item, so she knew exactly what the process looked like.
There were far too many players present.
Men and women alike.
If Ei used the card here…
The consequences would be unimaginable.
"Ah… right."
After Bronya's reminder, Ei finally came to her senses.
She absolutely could not revive her sister here.
If Makoto appeared naked in front of all these people, it would be a disaster.
She immediately turned to Valerius, eyes full of urgency.
"Then… may I return now?"
"Of course."
Whoosh!
In an instant, Raiden Ei vanished without a trace.
"I'm going too."
Yae Miko immediately followed.
How could she miss something this fascinating?
She had a strong feeling that after tonight, Inazuma would never be the same.
With the two leading figures of Inazuma gone, the remaining players erupted into discussion.
"Who do you think the Shogun is reviving?"
"No idea."
"Lord Kamisato, you don't know?"
"How would I know?"
"Should we go and take a look?"
"The Shogun is in Tenshukaku. Do you think you can just walk in?"
"…Good point."
Everyone sighed regretfully.
This was a rare chance to learn about the Electro Archon's personal life, but unfortunately, ordinary people weren't exactly welcome in Tenshukaku.
Back in Inazuma, Ei immediately cleared everyone out of the room, leaving only Yae Miko behind.
Then she hurried to retrieve a large chest.
Inside were garments once worn by Raiden Makoto five hundred years ago, carefully preserved all this time.
"Ei, those clothes won't work."
"Why not?"
"They're five hundred years old. They've deteriorated."
Yae Miko reached out and gently tugged on one sleeve.
A large piece tore off instantly.
"Then… what should I do?"
"Use your own clothes."
"Oh. Right, right."
After another flurry of preparation, Ei finally stood in the center of the room, clutching the card.
Her hands trembled.
Her breathing grew shallow.
At last, she closed her eyes and silently spoke the name she had kept in her heart for five hundred years.
Raiden Makoto.
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