Eisen looked at Sakiko's utterly disbelieving expression and voiced the idea that had just flashed through his mind.
"Everything in the cognitive world—every rule—is constructed from the cognition of the public… or rather, the participants."
He paused, then offered an example.
"Say there's a prop knife in the real world. If, inside the cognitive world, an enemy truly believes from the bottom of their heart that it's real, then here that fake knife will genuinely possess the exact same sharpness and durability as a real one."
"And the reverse is also true. Meaning: if, when I attack, I hold an unwavering belief of 'friendly fire absolutely does not exist', then no matter how much power I use, in theory you really won't be harmed."
"Just like what happened earlier."
Sakiko listened, stunned. You could play it like that?
She couldn't help asking:
"Then doesn't that mean… if I just think I'm invincible right now, I'll really be invincible?"
Eisen sighed, helpless.
"Silly kid. You said it yourself—'think.' The moment you say 'I'm thinking it,' that already proves you don't genuinely believe it deep down."
"If you want to warp reality in the cognitive world, there are two paths."
"Either deceive your opponent—use an information gap so they form a preconceived belief in whatever 'fact' you've set."
"Or deceive yourself."
"Make even your subconscious believe it without the slightest doubt. If you can fool yourself completely, then your cognition can truly influence the world's rules."
After that, Eisen's gaze shifted away from Sakiko's real body and landed on the hybrid Sakiko beside her, his expression turning serious.
"Alright. Now that we've confirmed friendly fire can be turned off, we can enter the real combat phase."
"Wait! Wait!" Sakiko hurriedly stopped him.
"The damage you do to me—I understand, you can nullify it by holding the 'friendly fire is off' cognition. But—"
She pointed at the doppelganger radiating oppressive pressure.
"What about the damage my doppelganger does to me?! I don't know how to turn off friendly fire!"
Eisen patted her on the shoulder.
"Relax. After what you just experienced firsthand as an objective fact, the cognitive seed—'friendly fire can be disabled'—has already taken root deep inside you."
"Your subconscious has started accepting that possibility."
Then he pivoted.
"Of course, we don't necessarily need to do it that way. You can also use possession, right? Let your real body operate using your doppelganger's power."
Sakiko exhaled in relief. She'd forgotten that option.
But… when she looked at the hybrid Sakiko, she still wore a troubled expression.
To be fair, Fourth-Stage Blood Rage was pure violent aesthetic—so she wasn't that resistant to it.
But when the doppelganger transformed…
all her clothes got blown apart.
Eisen caught the odd look on her face immediately and asked curiously:
"What's wrong? You look weird—what are you worried about?"
Sakiko steeled herself and answered as calmly as possible:
"When the doppelganger goes into Blood Rage… her clothes get torn apart."
Eisen froze. He'd genuinely never considered that. Is this how people raised in peaceful worlds think? he wondered.
He rubbed his chin, thinking seriously.
"Hm… If you dismiss the doppelganger and summon her again, her state should reset back to the initial outfit."
"As for your real body…"
He pointed at the ornate stage outfit Sakiko was wearing.
"This outfit is something you materialized in the cognitive world, right? Then when you exit Blood Rage and return to your normal form, the performance outfit should theoretically reappear along with that form change."
As he spoke, his hand paused at his chin.
He suddenly realized that in a world built from cognition, no matter what the original "rules" were, as long as he firmly believed an outcome would happen, his interference would pull reality toward that outcome.
And his words had just planted a strong psychological suggestion in Sakiko's mind.
Instinctively, she'd want to believe it—because it solved an immediate, embarrassing problem.
This cognitive world is pretty interesting. Without noticing, cognition itself alters parts of the rules.
But he had no intention of staying here long-term.
He liked things that were certain.
He smoothed his expression and continued naturally:
"If you're worried about that, I'll step aside and give you some privacy to test the clothing issue."
While speaking, he turned and walked off.
"I'll wait over there. Call me when you're done testing."
Before the last word even landed, he had already moved cleanly through the ruins to the far side of an intact building, disappearing completely from Sakiko's sight.
Sakiko let out a real breath this time. She'd wanted that, but felt too embarrassed to ask directly.
Now that Eisen had removed himself, perfect.
She focused on the hybrid Sakiko and issued the command in her mind:
Cancel Fourth-Stage Blood Rage.
The moment the order went through, the dragon features rapidly receded. The energy arm-blade on the left arm reverted into a katana, settling firmly into the doppelganger's hand.
But the final result matched Sakiko's fear—
the fitted black suit did not magically reappear.
This was the first time Sakiko had seen her doppelganger's body so directly.
More visible muscle definition than her own—clear, powerful lines.
Even the finer details of proportion were different, like a body designed for combat, packed with explosive potential.
Sakiko gave a new order:
Dismiss. Re-summon.
Light shimmered. The hybrid Sakiko reappeared—
and this time, exactly as Sakiko hoped, the fitted black suit was intact again.
Sakiko nodded, satisfied. Eisen's hypothesis was right: re-summoning truly reset the doppelganger's state.
Now came the most critical step.
"Possess."
Sakiko's stage outfit changed subtly—her shoulders and the back of her skirt were pushed up by muscle that had noticeably thickened, her proportions shifting closer to the doppelganger's combat-built frame.
Power surged inside her. Even without Blood Rage, the hybrid's baseline physicality could crush an ordinary human.
Sakiko closed her eyes and sank her consciousness inward.
In the next instant, she clearly sensed it—
that sleeping, coiled core of sovereignty:
the Dragon King's Heart.
She didn't hesitate.
With a thought, she issued the command:
"Fourth-Stage Blood Rage!"
Perhaps because she'd already experienced the full transformation once, this time the change was smooth, fluid—completed in half a second.
Unlike before, there was no chaotic spray of shattered scales and dragon blood.
It was efficient. Seamless.
And for the first time, Sakiko felt—truly felt—what it meant to wield a dragon's power.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 90)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 95)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter70)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter70)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter60)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 30
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 30
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