It was late in the afternoon when Ryusei finally returned home, exhaustion settling deep within her bones. She stepped inside, her body aching from the fight against the dungeon boss. The house was quiet, the soft glow of the setting sun casting long shadows across the floor.
Looking around, she saw no sign of her older sister, Haruka.
"She must still be at work," Ryusei muttered, rubbing her sore shoulder. "She'd have a fit if she saw the state I'm in right now."
Her clothes were ripped and bloodied, her hoodie completely ruined. Dried blood streaked down her forehead from where she'd hit the pillar, and her arms were covered in bruises and scratches. Even though her Half-Silverine race had helped her regenerate and recover some of her wounds, she still looked like she had been in a serious fight.
"I look like shit..."
Ryusei sighed, closing the door behind her and slipping off her shoes. Her stomach growled in protest, reminding her that she had barely eaten anything since her short break in the dungeon.
Stepping into the warm shower, Ryusei let the water wash away the blood, sweat, and exhaustion clinging to her body. The steam filled the small bathroom as she scrubbed dried blood from her arms and ran her fingers through her hair, making sure no dirt or grime remained.
Tomorrow was Sunday.
The day that Issei Hyoudou would go on his ill-fated date with Raynare. The day he would die. The day he would be reborn as a devil.
Ryusei leaned against the tiled wall, letting the water cascade over her face as she contemplated her next move.
She thought back to the moment she had first appraised Raynare when the fallen angel had been disguised as Yuuma Amano. She was level 20 back then... but what if she's stronger now?
Ryusei gritted her teeth, the warm water dripping down her face as she clenched her fists. She now had the strength to stand against Raynare, but was it worth the risk?
"There's no use worrying about it," she murmured to herself, shutting off the shower. "I'll only attack if Raynare somehow finds me and attacks first."
She stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself as she glanced at her inventory screen, where her new weapons and skills awaited. She still had 15 Gacha Tickets, and some new skills with two new weapons.
After drying off and dressing in fresh clothes, Ryusei sat on her bed, pulling up her System Status to inspect her new skills and weapons.
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[Newly Acquired Skills:]
[Black Flash (LVL 1)]
(A phenomenon that occurs when curse energy and physical strike land within 0.000001 seconds of each other, creating a distortion in space.)
(Significantly increases precision and curse energy control.)
(Each consecutive use sharpens combat instincts.)
[Poison Resistance (LVL 1)]
(Reduces the effectiveness of poison-based attacks and negates weaker poisons entirely.)
(50% resistance to poison-based status effects.)
(Further resistance can be gained through training or higher-ranked skills?)
[Tenacity (LVL 1)]
(A skill born from sheer willpower and survival instinct.)
(When stamina drops below 30%, all damage received is reduced by 50%.)
(Passive skill, no mana or curse energy required.)
(Allows the user to remain conscious even after taking lethal damage.)
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"That'll definitely help in tough fights," Ryusei mused, gripping her arm where the Kasaka had slammed her into a wall. She had barely remained standing back there.
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[New Weapons:]
[Kasaka's Venom Fang]
A black dagger with a white edge and bone hilt, made from the broken fang of the Blue Venom Fanged Kasaka.
(+25 Attack Power)
(Paralyze: 10% chance to immobilize a target for 2 seconds.)
(Bleed: 1% HP damage per second for 5 seconds upon a successful strike.)
(Poison Effect: Inflicts a minor neurotoxin that weakens an opponent's movement speed by 15% for 10 seconds.)
(Special Ability: If coated in Curse Energy, the paralysis and bleed effects are doubled.)
[Silverine Sword]
A divine silver blade designed to cut through supernatural beings with ease. Crafted from a Silverine Alloy, its strength increases against certain entities.
(+30 Attack Power)
(Holy Silver Effect: Deals +50% damage to supernatural beings, including devils, fallen angels, and Dragons)
(Dragon Slayer Bonus: Deals 75% increased damage to dragon-type enemies.)
(Durability: High, resistant to corrosion or breaking.)
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Ryusei took a deep breath and pulled up the Gacha Wheel in her System Interface.
"Alright, let's see what I get."
She tapped the [Spin All] option, and the wheel lit up, spinning rapidly before gradually slowing down.
DING!
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[You have obtained:]
[5x Mana Potions] (Restores 50% of max mana upon use)
[Skill: Quick Silver (LVL 1)] (A movement-based ability that increases reaction speed and agility by 30% for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds).
[Bloodline Awakening Skill: Copy (LVL 1)] (A unique family bloodline ability that allows Ryusei to mimic magic abilities and Sacred Gears she has seen and experienced firsthand.)
(Unique - Ryusei Exclusive)
[Rika (LVL 1)] (A sentient cursed entity that serves as external storage for Ryusei's copied magic techniques and weapons. Rika is bound to a cursed ring and can be summoned for support in battle.)
[Limitations:]
(She must witness the ability firsthand.)
(The copied ability is weaker than the original until fully mastered.)
(Some high-tier Sacred Gears may require long-term synchronization before use.)
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Her pale blue eyes widened slightly at the last two rewards. Copying magic and Sacred Gears? That was insane. That ability alone could let her match or even surpass high-tier fighters if she played her cards right.
And then there was Rika.
The moment Ryusei looked at the cursed ring, a chilling yet familiar voice echoed in her head.
"Ryu-chan... You're mine forever."
A presence coiled around her like an invisible force. It wasn't suffocating, but it carried an undeniable possessive aura.
"Rika...?" Ryusei muttered.
"Ryusei..." a deep yet affectionate voice rumbled.
Before she could react, Rika's giant arms wrapped around her, pulling her into an unyielding embrace.
Ryusei stiffened, her body trapped in an overwhelming tight hug as the cursed spirit nuzzled into her.
"Finally... We can be together forever."
Ryusei gritted her teeth, trying to wiggle free.
"This is... way too strong of a hug...!" she thought, her spine creaking slightly.
Rika giggled, squeezing tighter.
"I'll protect you, Ryusei~! No one can hurt you while I'm here!"
Ryusei sighed, finally giving up. "Great... I summoned a yandere cursed spirit."