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Haru lay sprawled on the sofa, his arm draped across a soft, smooth surface, a contented sigh escaping his lips as he reveled in the sensation of silk and jade beneath his touch.
He was surrounded by the spoils of victory.
The beautiful girl in his arms whimpered softly, her face creased in a frown, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye. She murmured a complaint in her sleep.
Haru immediately froze, his movements stilled. He waited until Sora had drifted back into a peaceful slumber before lying back on the sofa, lost in thought.
The order he had given Sayanomiya Kaoru earlier wasn't just because she had been a third wheel, interrupting their intimate moment. There was a deeper reason behind it. He swore on his dwindling supply of decency.
The Heretic God Yama, who had escaped thanks to Voban's interference, was a thorn in his side.
The thought of a powerful Heretic God lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike, filled him with unease. A single misstep could lead to disaster.
That was why he needed a Miko with strong spiritual vision. Her abilities would allow him to quickly track down Yama and uncover his motives.
Haru refused to believe that a powerful Heretic God would randomly appear in Okukozome without a reason. Everything had a cause and effect.
He needed to understand Yama's purpose, use it as bait to lure him out, and then bury him for good. The egg would be well-fed with the resulting rules, and he would gain a new Authority. A perfect plan!
Of course, there was another, more important reason for summoning a Miko. A Miko... those special priestesses, unique to Japan...
How could he, as the infamous Devil King, turn down an opportunity to experience this aspect of Japanese culture? It was a genuine Miko temptation! The young Devil King, recently initiated into the world of sensual pleasures, had developed a taste for it.
As he thought about the rules, a wave of confusion washed over him. Taking advantage of this quiet moment while Sora napped beside him, he focused his consciousness, entering his soul space.
Within the soul space, the Dirac Sea, manifested as a radiant, egg-shaped entity, hovered high above, its boundless light illuminating the infinite expanse below.
The land beneath was divided into three distinct sections by an unknown force. One area pulsed with invisible forces of attraction and repulsion, its gravitational constant wildly fluctuating. Another section, despite being barren and devoid of any vegetation, radiated with life energy.
The final section was a land of steel, a colossal, dragon-fang-shaped sword embedded in its surface. It was Gram, the Demon Slayer Sword. Above the blade, a shadowy figure with bat-like wings, a lizard's head, and a long serpentine body hovered, circling endlessly. It was Fafnir, the Evil Dragon.
Haru, floating high above, observed the three sections of land, deep in thought.
These three areas represented the Authorities he currently possessed, bestowed upon him by the egg's analysis.
The first, Earth Authority, was derived from Tsukuyomi and Uke Mochi, the combined essence of the original Tsukuyomi, allowing him to manipulate gravity and the Earth's energy.
The second was Life Authority, granting him control over life force and healing abilities.
The third, Steel Incarnate, was derived from Siegfried, granting him access to a portion of the Steel Hero God's power.
These three Authorities were his current arsenal.
But it wasn't enough. He should have more.
During his battle with Yama, he had annihilated the death energy that composed the god's body, as well as the energy of Voban's Tempestuous Fury, enduring countless lightning strikes.
He had also repeatedly nullified the Eyes of Sodom, the cursed eyes that had repeatedly paralyzed him. Although he could neutralize the effect, it still momentarily froze his movements.
It was possible that the egg hadn't been able to derive any new Authorities from those encounters, but Haru didn't believe for a second that it hadn't gleaned any new rules. He looked up at the egg, his mind made up.
With a thought, he appeared above it, plopping down on its surface. He connected his consciousness to the egg, seeking answers.
A moment later, a strange expression crossed Haru's face.
The egg contained a vast amount of world rules, derived from its analysis. Among them were the rules that formed the foundation for the Eyes of Sodom, Tempestuous Fury, Great Summoning Hell, and Yama's Judgment of Sin. Haru attempted to absorb them, transforming them into his own Authorities, but the egg rejected his attempt. A message flowed into his mind, explaining the reason.
Those Authorities were incompatible with his body and soul. The egg's analysis had determined that absorbing them would create significant obstacles in his path towards becoming a "Sage," potentially even hindering his future progress. Therefore, the egg had intercepted them, transforming them into Authority Crystals within its own body.
These Authority Crystals functioned like fixed spells. Haru could activate them by channeling his magical energy, but manipulating them with the same finesse as his Earth Authority, Life Authority, or Steel Incarnate? He might as well give up and go cuddle with Sora.
Understanding the situation, Haru patted the egg's "head" - even though it was an egg and didn't have a head. "You truly have my best interests at heart, my dear friend. Not like those fickle temptresses out there."
Having cleared up the mystery, he shifted his attention to his true goal, the ancient text contained within the egg: the Art of Evolving.
During his recent battles with Yama and Voban, the Wolf King, Haru had identified several weaknesses.
His magical energy reserves were still insufficient. Authorities were energy-intensive. The Marquis Voban and his cronies seemed to have endless supplies of magical energy, but Voban had spent centuries training his body and meticulously refining his control over his Authorities. He could achieve the same effect with one-fifth of the energy Haru required.
And then there was Doni, whose only Authority was the Silver Arm that could tear through anything. He didn't need to deactivate it, so the energy cost of maintaining it was minimal. The only significant drain was the initial activation.
Activating his Silver Arm consumed enough energy to drain ten high-ranking sorcerers. It would take ten individuals like Saint Raffaello, working in unison, to barely activate it.
Therefore, the amount of magical energy one possessed was a crucial factor in determining their strength in the mystical world. He recalled the Holy Grail War, where the infamous "Magus Killer," Kiritsugu Emiya, went to extreme lengths to obtain the Grail, which granted unlimited magical energy.
Another issue was energy efficiency. While Voban, the hardworking Marquis, could achieve five units of output with one unit of energy, Haru, the newly rich upstart, was like someone buying two cups of freshly ground soy milk, drinking one, and pouring the other on the ground. What a waste!
But the egg had provided a solution. Through its diligent analysis, and thanks to the contributions of Yama and Voban, the key to overcoming these weaknesses had been discovered.
The answer lay within the Art of Evolving.
The ancient text within the egg, the Art of Evolving, having surpassed the gaseous and liquid states, was now complete, incorporating the solid state. A new Chapter unfolded!
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