My Sword Heart beat once.
Mana flowed toward the pulse beneath my ribs, compressing until its nature changed entirely.
Astral energy.
At Integration-rank, sharpening my aura had required constant effort. Now the Sword Heart did it naturally, producing energy so dense and controlled that I could barely feel it moving.
The seventh circle was a stranger sensation.
The new circle sat behind the first six, connected to them all. It could rearrange their structure even while a spell was being cast.
Three months of calculations and arguments with Rachel had finally paid off.
I smiled before I could help myself.
"Are you finished admiring yourself?"
Luna crouched nearby, pressing a finger to the floor. With her amethyst hair and golden eyes, she hardly looked like an ordinary five-year-old.
"I'm appreciating the result of three months of work."
"Of course." She placed her entire palm against the stone. "It's cold."
"The floor?"
