"What's going on here?"
Luo Shu pointed at the red-haired little girl stubbornly clinging to Miko Yotsuya's hand, refusing to let go no matter what, then turned his gaze to Nia Honjo beside him.
Nia gave an awkward smile, looking somewhat embarrassed as she explained:
"Sorry about this, my calculations were a bit off."
"Seems like Kotori used up too much energy in the Abyss passageway and... regressed somewhat."
Pausing, Nia added:
"Originally, she should be seventeen years old, but now she's reverted to about five."
"And because the first person she saw was Miko-san, she seems to have developed a bit of dependency?"
Hearing this explanation, Luo Shu opened and closed his mouth several times before finally sighing:
"Fine, as long as she's rescued~"
Though there were some unexpected developments, at least they'd retrieved her. With proper training, she'd be another Demigod Rank combatant. For Luo Shu, this was already a huge win. A few hiccups were tolerable.
Seeing Luo Shu accept the situation, Nia quietly exhaled in relief before stepping closer to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging them as she asked:
"By the way, how are you feeling now?"
"Having taken in a Viscount's power, is your body holding up?"
"...Can't say it's bad."
Luo Shu hesitated, seemingly struggling to describe his current condition:
"Though I'm not sure what the nature of that Viscount's Authority Prototype was—Raziel couldn't uncover it either—it likely had something to do with vitality or growth."
"Thanks to that..."
"After containing this demon's severed arm as a Calamity, my body is constantly absorbing its Concept of Calamity. The result is a drastic boost in regenerative abilities. Feels like even a severed limb could regrow..."
"Hmm~ My body's being strengthened continuously, and my Calamity tolerance has also increased somewhat... But most importantly..."
Here, Luo Shu's expression turned peculiarly complicated:
"My Demigod ritual seems to be complete!"
"Ah?"
Honjo Nia, who was still massaging Luo Shu's shoulders, was now a bit dumbfounded.
"What? The ritual is complete?"
"Are you sure?"
"Do you think I could mistake my own ritual?" Luo Shu rolled his eyes and said grumpily.
Honjo Nia struggled for a moment, then couldn't help but ask,
"But, your promotion materials weren't even ready.... Oh, right, what is your ritual?"
Luo Shu looked at Honjo Nia strangely upon hearing this, then remembered that Raziel couldn't find anything related to him, so he understood.
"The ritual is: to prophecise a calamity that affects the natural order, and when the calamity erupts, to contain the calamity within oneself."
"The latter point goes without saying. That Viscount, who tried to descend into reality and take Kotori away, was the embodiment of Calamity itself."
"After all, if a demon Viscount at the Apostle level, possessing the embryonic form of Authority, were to appear in this world, it would certainly be a disaster."
"And the fact that the demon opened a passage to the Abyss and descended indeed harmed the natural order... So before containing this demon's severed arm, I guessed it might complete the ritual effect, but I never expected the effect to be this good."
"After all, I don't recall ever prophesying that a demon would descend, did I?"
Hearing Luo Shu's explanation, Nia Honjo hastily summoned Raziel while checking it and explained:
"No, there was a prophecy."
"Before the incident occurred, you informed Chairwoman Lacus about the current situation and asserted that a Viscount might take action."
"Because of your speculation, Chairwoman Lacus urgently collaborated with Union officials to issue a warning."
"At the same time, both Kurumi-chan and Mukuro-chan became involved in this matter due to your conjecture and played significant roles..."
"Strictly speaking, this could count as a prophecy, right?"
"Your speculation did indeed give many people advance notice that a demon Viscount might descend into reality."
"And because of this, Chairwoman Lacus and SDS members were collectively mobilised, working non-stop for over 40 hours... Not to mention how this incident also implicated two Demigods, Kurumi and Mukuro..."
"In terms of the ritual's effect, a calamity involving one Apostle, two Demigods, numerous Hero Ranks and many common people was predicted one or two days in advance, countermeasures were taken, and it was ultimately resolved successfully, with part of the calamity being contained within yourself..."
At this point, Nia gave Luo Shu an extremely odd look:
"If I say you didn't plan this, there's definitely an element of luck involved. But if I say you didn't plan it... You had Mukuro and Kurumi prepared well in advance, clearly intending to trap that Viscount from the start..."
"I really don't know whether to say you're incredibly calculating or just extremely lucky~"
Here, Nia rubbed her chin with slight hesitation:
"Though perhaps it could also be called bad luck?"
"After all, while the ritual was completed, not a single material was obtained in the end. This whole thing... wasn't it all for nothing?"
"No, it wasn't for nothing." Luo Shu shook his head and explained, "I learned something from Miss Kotoko Iwanaga."
"That is, the effects of some Class rituals can be maintained continuously."
"Normally, rituals are carried out immediately, and missing the timing increases the risks exponentially. But for certain special promotions, the effects can be sustained by keeping them in a state of ongoing completion."
"For example, Miss Kotoko Iwanaga's ritual is: 'Offer one eye and one limb to the Fountain of Wisdom and be devoutly served by over a hundred beings of different species.'"
"She completed this ritual six years ago, but the effects persist to this day."
"The reason is that even now, one of her eyes and one leg remain in the Fountain of Wisdom, and she is still served by over a hundred yokai of different kinds."
"Similarly, my ritual is: 'Prophecise a calamity that disrupts the natural order, and when the calamity erupts, contain it within yourself.'"
Luo Shu said this with a slight upward curve of his lips, smiling as he addressed Nia Honjo:
"Understood now?"
"As long as I continue to contain and suppress the severed arm of the Viscount, my ritual remains ongoing, ensuring the effects of my advancement."
"This essentially means I'll be continuously undergoing the Demigod advancement ritual from now on."
"In other words..."
Nia Honjo's eyes widened upon hearing this, murmuring to herself:
"All that's left is for you to consume the Calamity Jade Seal and the Essence Blood of a Nature Spirit, and you can become a Demigod?"
"That's correct."
Luo Shu exhaled deeply, then raised his head, fixing Nia with an intense gaze.
Under his stare, Nia suddenly became self-conscious and protectively covered her front:
"How naughty~"
"To think of such things right after sweating~"
Luo Shu's face twitched, ignoring the eccentric woman as he asked:
"Can't be bothered to argue with you. Just use Raziel to find a way to separate the Calamity Jade Seal from Conan's body!"
"As for the Essence Blood of a Nature Spirit, I'll pursue Eriri for that. Quickly recover your energy and find me the method!"
Upon hearing this, Nia slumped her shoulders and collapsed weakly onto the sofa:
"Fine, fine... no need to rush... rushing updates is the worst behaviour... especially when demanding them without payment..."
Luo Shu shot her a disdainful look, deciding not to press further as he turned his gaze towards the doorway.
He didn't have to wait long before the SDS members who had participated in the operation appeared in his line of sight.