"What's wrong? Dissatisfied?"
Astraea's arms slid around his waist from behind, her chin resting lightly on his shoulder. Warm breath caressed his short, pointed elf ears, making them twitch slightly.
Akira set the parchment aside and shook his head. "No. I know exactly what I need to do to grow from here."
"Then why were you staring at the parchment for so long? Were you thinking about Lili?"
Her tone was teasing, a gentle smile curving her lips, though a hint of jealousy glimmered in her eyes.
Akira gave her an exasperated look. "What are you talking about, Astraea-sama? Lili and I don't have that kind of relationship."
Astraea chuckled softly, choosing not to argue.
"Akira, is there anything you need to prepare for this mission against Evilus?" She asked, her voice tender but serious.
He tapped a finger on the table in thought. "We'll have to act according to the situation."
With that, he rose and left Astraea's room, letting Kaguya, Lyra, and Ryuu enter in his place.
Standing in the hallway, Akira opened the Level 40 gift pack with a thought.
Inside were:
Resurrection Coin – A one-time revival item.
Seven-Day Growth Contract – Grants 20% more excelia and increased drop rates, shareable with all Familia members.
5x Remi's Sparkling Touch – Restores 30% HP/MP and removes all status ailments.
Weapon of Choice – An armament selected by the user.
Each was undeniably valuable.
"How was the update?"
Alise, spotting him in the hallway, hooked an arm around his neck with her usual cheer.
Though everyone in Astraea Familia knew just how fast Akira grew, they'd avoided checking too often, if only to protect their own morale.
Akira pulled the folded parchment from his pocket and handed it over. "Here. See for yourself."
"Hmmm…" She scanned the numbers, her eyebrows arching.
"Heh. Still impressive but a little slower than before."
She said it lightly, yet in her heart, she felt a subtle sense of relief.
Alise had originally thought Akira was still just a step away from leveling up, maybe a few more days and he'd catch up to her. At worst, he'd soon be standing shoulder to shoulder with her in level and status.
But reality, as always, enjoyed slapping people in the face. In the end, the highest-ranking captain of the Astraea Familia was overtaken… by her own junior.
Such a cruel and depressing truth.
At least give her ten more days to savor her position.
She had worked herself to the bone for this. Days and nights of relentless training, countless brushes with death in the Dungeon, all to maintain her reign as the Familia's strongest.
And now? Gone. Stolen from her in broad daylight.
It was like the goddess of justice herself had played a prank on her.
Flashback to the early days of training—
Astraeasaid, "Alise, don't run away, charge toward the monster. And what's with that face? Tears won't save the world, you know."
Alise had this flashback and was about to curse fate, only to see that, miraculously, Akira had actually left her more than ten days of grace.
Her heart swelled with relief and indignation all at once.
"What?!" Her startled cry instantly drew the attention of the other girls.
Noin, ever the first to jump in, leaned over with sparkling eyes. "Oh. What a luxurious set of stats! I'm so envious."
Ryana craned her neck. "Isn't this almost the same as before, Alise?"
From the far side, Maryuu nodded gently. "Mhm."
"Agh, Noin, let me see." Asta stretched up on tiptoe, still failing miserably to peek over the others' shoulders, her voice deceptively calm.
From behind them, Celty laced her fingers together and whispered with a serene smile, "Don't worry, Asta. Your turn will come."
The parchment was passed around like some rare treasure, each person taking a good, long look before reluctantly letting go, until finally, it reached Neze.
The werewolf girl leaned against the wall, chin propped on one hand. Her eyes scanned the numbers, brows furrowing thoughtfully before she spoke, "Mm… seems like it's thanks to all the recent Evilus harassment… Hm? Lili, you want to see too?"
Lili froze. She had wanted to join the conversation, but she wasn't sure if this was the kind of information a brand-new member was even allowed to see.
"Eh? Is that okay? Akira-sama's status has to be important…" She asked hesitantly.
Akira, as usual, was casual about it. "It's fine. Nothing worth hiding."
Lili's tiny hands received the parchment with solemn reverence. The rest of the group exchanged knowing smiles, curious to see her reaction.
The moment her eyes landed on the numbers, they widened like saucers. Her mouth fell open ever so slightly, disbelief flooding her expression.
"This… this is Akira-sama's status?" Her voice trembled with awe. "It's so strong… way stronger than I ever imagined."
Before now, Lili had only vaguely known that Akira was powerful. But seeing the actual values, feeling the raw weight behind those numbers, was something else entirely. They radiated a brilliance that seemed to pierce straight into her skull, leaving her dizzy. She had never even heard of a status like this existing.
Without warning, Alise scooped Lili up from behind and spun her around and teased, "Lili, don't you go showing this off to anyone, okay?"
Lili squeaked in surprise, cheeks burning when she was set back on the ground. She bobbed her head furiously, nervous yet exhilarated. "I-I definitely won't, Captain Alise…"
Meanwhile, in another room, Astraea sat with three others, listening to the chatter outside. Her gaze was fixed on the parchment in her hands, her expression momentarily touched with surprise.
Then she smiled warmly. "You've all made great progress. Even your previous weaknesses have improved noticeably."
Her voice, gentle yet full of approval, brought the three back from their daze.
"Ryuu and Kaguya's strength and endurance have improved across the board, and…"
Astraea's eyes shifted to one particular figure. "Lyra's magic power has exceeded seven hundred. That was unexpected."
She tilted her head slightly, her smile turning curious. "Lyra, do you know why?"
It was puzzling. Without some kind of extraordinary skill or divine intervention, growth like that shouldn't have been possible in such a short time.
Lyra blinked, looking momentarily confused. She shook her head, then paused, a faint flush creeping across her cheeks.
"Um… Astraea-sama… could it be because of… you know… that thing… with Akira…"
She didn't finish, but her blush deepened, and her eyes darted anywhere but at the others.
Understanding flickered in Astraea's eyes, but she still asked softly, "What happened with Akira? Don't be shy, tell me what you think."
The truth, if Lyra was implying what Astraea thought she was, was nothing short of astounding. Even for a god who had lived hundreds of millions of years, the idea that that kind of act could influence status growth was unheard of.
Akira truly was… special.
She wondered, not without a touch of unease, what her Familia would eventually become because of him.
"Lyra, stop being mysterious. Just say it already." Ryuu shook her by the shoulder, impatient to know.
Kaguya, however, didn't bother joining the elf's pestering. Her sharp red eyes were already locked on Lyra's flushed face, her mind putting the pieces together. Her instincts screamed that her suspicion was correct.
Tch. Beaten to the punch.
She had foolishly thought that because Akira was still young, no one would make a move yet. She had underestimated the boldness of that little pallum girl.
Well, now that she knew…
Kaguya's gaze sharpened.
(End of Chapter)
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