Chapter 79. The Entire Network in Shock: Is This Truly the Grand Caster!
Nations, peoples, hundreds of millions fell silent, unconsciously holding their breath.
At this moment, regardless of whether noble or commoner, everyone was like lost souls, lips trembling uncontrollably, full of confusion, fear, madness, screaming, hysteria.
Shock!
Only the word "shock" could describe their emotions.
The city of Chiba fell silent.
Layers of dense blood clouds drifting over dozens of kilometers in the sky were shattered, and beams of moonlight shone down on the ground.
A Buddha statue stood towering on the distant horizon, standing there silently, becoming even more vivid and sacred under the moonlight.
At the city center, a Buddha hand tightly gripped the giant white bone beast that had crushed the Japanese military. Behind the Buddha statue, there were thousands of Buddha hands stacked layer upon layer without the slightest movement, making one's hair stand on end.
That supreme existence coldly looked down, standing atop the Buddha's head, confident as if everything was in the palm of their hand.
As if that wasn't even a full-strength attack.
That elegance, that calmness, that aura sweeping across the world made people involuntarily associate it with reverence and awe.
If...
If that person went all out, then what kind of world-upending scene would it be?
In America, in the "Chaos Zone" of the Empire of Night, the Third Primogenitor Giada Kukulcan gaped in horror, holding her face with both hands, unable to believe it.
Even during the ancient age of mythology, she had never seen anything so absurd.
A giant mountain weighing hundreds of millions of tons moved like this—just acting like an ordinary person, even a casual blow could flatten a city...
If it descended upon the continents, with thousands of Buddha hands stacked behind wildly striking down, leveling the entire world wouldn't even be a problem.
This is true world-destroying power!
And that was just a massive mountain casually summoned and brought to life by that person through a seal—like molding clay figurines on the beach as a child.
Giada Kukulcan felt a chill in her heart.
It's likely that to him, these kinds of puppets could be molded as many as he pleased.
...
In Gensokyo, the Great yokai Yakumo Yukari was dumbfounded, her folding fan fell to the ground without her noticing.
"Is this the 'Honored One' of this era?"
She let out a bitter laugh, a feeling of helplessness before the vast ocean rising in her heart.
Though she too could suppress the corpse of the Inu General, that would require her full strength and still carry the risk of injury. Yet the other person casually crushed it like a grasshopper—it was truly a divine level.
Can this Earth... really contain such a great Buddha?
...
Above the sea of clouds, the master of Ooeyama — Shuten Douji — had already lost count of how many times she had been shaken.
She was confused now.
No way, has the era changed this quickly?
In the past, she was a top-tier force in Japan's yokai world, reigning supreme even in the waning days of mythology. Even if the gods from "Takamagahara" descended, they wouldn't easily control her.
And yet this limit had been shattered.
No—
More accurately, Raku Sou of this world had forcibly raised the world's ceiling.
A small temple birthed a great Buddha, secretly nurturing a true dragon.
"Maybe... it's because I've been lazy for too long, long enough to be forgotten in the old era."
She suddenly smiled, lifting her sake cup and downing it in one smooth gulp.
...
Countless people on Earth fell silent, some to the point of extreme terror.
A few netizens, after regaining their senses, sweated bullets and anxiously typed on their keyboards.
"Damn, is this guy really Raku Sou of our world? Why does it feel like he's even stronger than the one from the Celestial Curtain?"
"Not just ridiculously strong, I feel like I haven't even woken up yet…"
Someone left a comment that seemed calm, but their fingers were stiff, taking half a day to type a sentence.
Stunned.
Shocked.
The emotions were so overwhelming that even holding a cup of water made hands tremble—one careless moment and the teacup shattered on the floor, leaving them blankly staring at the broken porcelain pieces, unable to move.
A surreal, unreal feeling, as if yesterday's world and today's world had been split in half by a giant figure and sloppily glued back together, then blandly told them: "Life is short, just make do."
This is fucking ridiculous!!
Many screamed silently in their hearts, thinking to go back to sleep to regain clarity.
But after tossing and turning for a while, they painfully realized they couldn't sleep, so they could only drink a cup of coffee to stay alert, continuing to nervously watch what would happen next.
Immediately after that, under the hair-raising gaze of all humanity—
ROAR!!!
In the ruins of Chiba City, the giant white bone beast, clutched tightly in the Buddha's hand, let out a deafening roar and struggled violently.
A demonic aura unlike anything ever seen before surged outward, mixed with intense murderous intent and the wrathful vitality of countless dead souls. It made everyone's skin crawl.
Thick, pitch-black youki crawled over the surface of the Buddha statue, trying to corrode it.
Yet, it could not inflict even the slightest damage to the Great Buddha. The youki was instantly purified and eliminated.
In the very next moment, the Buddha statue furrowed its brow. No one knew how many tens of millions of tons its arm weighed, but it suddenly exerted force, crushing the giant white bone beast in its hand. A shockwave of sound burst forth—Inu General's ruined body was instantly pulverized.
Disintegrated into particles.
The Buddha's hand swung, scattering the dust into space.
The terrifying force of the throw accelerated the particles like flung mud—instantly surpassing the speed of sound, rapidly reaching second cosmic velocity, and in just ten seconds accelerating to third cosmic velocity.
Piercing through the outer atmosphere of Earth.
Flung into the cold, lifeless void of space, vanishing without a trace.
...
Everyone watching was stunned, their scalps tingling, minds reeling.
They couldn't help but fall to their knees and worship.
Shit!
Shit!
Shit!
Raku-san, aren't you going a little overboard here? It's just a yokai—you didn't have to go this far, did you!?
"Even the ashes have scattered, haven't they..."
A girl trembled, the corners of her mouth twitching violently.
Someone muttered in a trembling voice: "Fuck, don't just say scattered—it was hurled out of the entire world!!"
"We scatter ashes of the dead into the sea. Is that what Buddha did too?"
"Uh, well, not exactly into the sea, right?"
Many people scratched their heads in confusion.
A long moment later, that person let out a soft sigh.
"The star sea is still a sea, right?"
People of all nations: ?
Shit, now that you mention it, that's true!
Only the universe is vast enough for this Buddha—for him, Earth is far too small, completely incapable of containing his presence.
...
In America, at Research Base No. 5, which had just been established—
Trump's face was pale, trembling uncontrollably as he looked at the staff beginning their calculations.
Several silver hairs fell from his already graying temples, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
"No need to calculate anymore…"
As the scientists around him showed expressions of relief, Trump sat limply on the floor, eyes empty, like a deflated balloon.
What the hell is there to calculate anymore!?
No matter how you simulate it, it's all nonsense—mysticism doesn't play by the rules of logic.
That giant white bone beast may have looked intimidating, but in truth, it was only on par with a standard Heroic Spirit. Still, it could easily obliterate modern armies. But if it had gone up against a true peak-level Heroic Spirit, it wouldn't have been nearly as easy as those simulations predicted.
And also...
Trump slowly looked at the screen—at the Buddha statue standing majestically among the clouds.
And the figure in white standing silently atop its head.
Hmph~
Trump let out a bitter laugh of self-mockery.
There was no need to calculate anything. Just look. Shit, it's absolutely impossible to win.
Just one arm of the Buddha could pierce through space, launch a global strike, and in one blow hurl millions of tons of matter deep into space.
Across the globe, the centers of government power erupted in chaotic screams of panic.
Plans that had just been announced were immediately canceled!
Everyone who had been dispatched to carry out those various operations—all were recalled.
...
Elizabeth II, Carl XVI Gustaf, Prince Henrik, Emperor Takakawa, and other high-ranking figures were trembling beyond reason. They stared at the stacked hands behind the Buddha, lips twitching, a cold chill rushing up their spines, leaving their limbs icy cold.
Absolutely...
Absolutely do not provoke him!
...
In Chiba, Japan — at the Yukinoshita residence.
Two sisters, like noble peony blossoms of the human world, quietly watched the screen.
The older sister, Haruno, suddenly turned to the cold younger sister. Her slender white finger rested against her lower lip as she smiled teasingly:
"Yukino, if you don't make a move soon, I'm going to go first~."
"After all, another me was a Master in the Celestial Curtain. Surely, that gives me a few special privileges, right?"
"…Tch."
The younger sister, Yukino, pouted, looking cold and indifferent.
But in reality, her heart was racing with anxiety.
Damn it!
If she had to compete with her older sister for a man, her chances of winning were way too low—this won't do, she needed to speed things up… maybe she should just go find Raku-kun first thing tomorrow morning. She wondered what he thought about all the stuff in Celestial Curtain…
However…
The aftermath didn't stop there. Yukino began going crazy from the flood of incoming phone calls.
The corners of her mouth twitched as she listened to her father advising her on how to cling tightly to Raku Sou's thick thigh. Her whole body felt like it was turning to stone.
...
At some point, people finally came to the shocking realization that the white-robed figure had vanished from atop the Buddha's head.
And yet…
That majestic Buddha still stood towering in the center of the city, its eyes wide open in wrath like a Vajra deity, maintaining the pose with one hand raised high above its head, as if reminding everyone—this was not a dream.
People of all nations felt as though something important had been lost.
"…Could this miracle, like the Sword in the Stone stabbed straight into the city, also become a permanent landmark?"
A Tokyo resident murmured, recalling the lingering effects of when Merlin had thrown his sword last time.
Previously, Japan's high-ranking officials had established a research institute around Caliburn, but ultimately nothing could be learned, and they couldn't even get close to it. So it ended up becoming a tourist attraction. The ticket prices were insanely high, but tourists still flocked in nonstop.
It was just that…
There was a weird guy in cosplay, dressed as a Sengoku-period samurai, sitting cross-legged beneath the sword with his eyes closed.
As if he were comprehending the light of the Holy Sword.
The result was that countless later visitors became inspired to mimic him, sitting cross-legged around the Holy Sword as well.
And thus, it created a bizarre and unparalleled sight.
...
Online, discussion threads continued to explode in heated debates.
In real life, Raku Sou smiled faintly, quietly retreating after completing his mission.
Of course, before leaving, he still made sure to bid farewell to Kagome.
...
Outside the defensive perimeter of the disaster zone.
The black-haired girl stood dazed, staring at the person she cherished walking toward her, her heart filled with confusion, as if she were in a dream—she found it hard to believe.
Everything that had just happened…
Was it really done by Raku-san?
"Kagome-san, sorry for keeping you waiting," Raku Sou smiled, extending his hand as he returned the Shikon Jewel to her.
The purple glow of the jewel seemed slightly dimmed, but it was now filled with a deep, mysterious energy that exuded a sacred aura. Its roundness now carried a touch of spiritual awareness, as if the soul of a noble woman resided within.
However, Kagome was too shaken to notice this change.
She absentmindedly took it, wanting to speak but holding back.
After witnessing Raku Sou's overwhelming power, the gap between him and ordinary people felt like heaven and earth—Kagome felt a bit frightened…
Not of his power.
But because she worried… whether she was worthy of Raku Sou.
And yet…
A gentle voice, carrying a soft smile, rang out—instantly soothing all the anxiety in her heart.
"Kagome-san, I had a lot of fun today. If there's a chance, let's go on another date sometime."
Raku Sou smiled. After returning the Shikon Jewel, he lightly bowed to the girl.
Then he turned and walked away.
Kagome watched his back as it slowly disappeared into the distance. Her lips curled into a bright and beautiful smile.
Yes…
Let's continue next time.
...
Tokyo, in the deathly quiet mansion estate of the Shinomiya Conglomerate, valued at two hundred trillion yen.
"...Looks like I'll have to start taking that illegitimate daughter, Kaguya, more seriously."
Shinomiya Gan'an, the family head, stared fixedly at the screen, still trembling inside, muttering to himself.
The Shinomiya family was an old and powerful clan, with a complex internal network and terrifying financial resources. They had some understanding of the mystical world and had once recruited powerful onmyoji, samurai, and even had yokai under their command.
But all of that… in front of a Heroic Spirit, was just trash that could be cut down in a single strike.
Let alone someone who could summon a Great Buddha—Raku Sou, this world's Raku Sou, could kill a Heroic Spirit in a single instant.
Even though Kaguya didn't know Raku Sou in the real world, at least in Celestial Curtain they had a harmonious relationship and a deep familial bond.
Who knows, he might "love her like his little sister" and show some favor to the Shinomiya family.
Even if… it was just a slight difference in treatment.
Shinomiya Gan'an was grinning like a madman!
So what if it was two hundred trillion yen?
He wanted more… he wanted the Shijo Conglomerate to take over the entire world!
If Raku Sou was likened to an ordinary person, then the Shinomiya family was nothing more than dust at his feet. And if that dust could cling to his shoes as he walked, dragged along for just a few steps…
That would already be progress beyond imagination.
Just that short distance—Shinomiya Gan'an, even if he walked for a lifetime, could never reach it.
In fact… even adding several dozen lifetimes of effort still wouldn't be enough.
This was exactly…
The true impact that a powerful being brings to mere mortals!
...
A star-filled night sky.
Raku Sou returned home once again.
Before that, he had even lowered his presence, quietly sneaking into the luxurious SOGO mall in Chiba to buy a stylish black coat and a pair of sunglasses, planning to switch up his look a little next time he appeared.
Hmm~ This outfit suits me pretty well.
He gently sipped his tea, leaned back on the sofa, and began summarizing his gains.
"Enhancing my physique to Heracles-level cost 5 million. Summoning the Great Buddha was offset by using the energy of the Shikon no Tama, which helped reduce consumption of the Divine Authority Jade."
"But it still consumed up to 8 million, though the worldwide shock helped me rapidly recover 4 million in a very short time. It's still increasing, and I estimate it'll break even in less than half a day, and will bring even more after that…"
"There's hope of reaching 30 million Divine Authority Jade within three days…"
Moreover——
He glanced at the enormous Buddha statue standing tall in the distance, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint smile.
Just like Caliburn had become a scenic landmark…
As long as these things remained, they would continually remind people of what had once happened.
They would constantly provide him with Divine Authority Jade.
Ehe. So sweet.
When Celestial Curtain first appeared, the Divine Authority Jade growth rate was at 1.0 times.
Then after King Arthur's miracle reenactment in the skies over Glastonbury, it rose to 1.3 times.
Then came the Merlin event, exploding to 2.5 times, and with the massive sword stabbed into the city and its lasting popularity, it reached 2.9 times.
And now——
The Divine Authority Jade growth rate had reached a terrifying 4.4 times, and was still rising. His appearance had caused even more of a shock than Merlin slaying the evil god. On top of that, the Buddha statue had become a tourist magnet. In the end, the rate might even exceed 5.0 times.
On this point, Raku Sou thought for a moment and guessed it was because people were watching Celestial Curtain every single day.
They were already deeply familiar with his image.
Then he suddenly appeared with such overwhelming impact, like breaking through a dimensional wall.
Later on, when he actually did an Unlimited Blade Works just for Yukino, it might trigger another growth burst.
However, that still wasn't his biggest gain this time.
Raku Sou smiled faintly and asked:
"Void, how much is the current price reduction on the Five Magic?"
"Btttttz… (Reduction: 9.7%)."
Oh?
He raised an eyebrow.
A 10% discount—now that wasn't bad at all.
Earlier, the park video had spread widely, and the fact that he proclaimed himself Grand Caster, proficient in Five Magic, had become well-known. After this shocking appearance, everyone now truly believed—that it was real.
(Note: In chapter 4, I edited it to five magecraft)
The ability to resurrect a whole mountain range and transform it into a giant Buddha statue was likely one of the Five Magic.
However, since Celestial Curtain hadn't revealed the "true power" of the Five Magic yet, people's impressions were still vague, so the actualization discount rate hadn't gone that high. Raku Sou still needed to roll out more characters specialized in Magic.
To form an outline, establish a concept…
And then——
The discount rate would skyrocket!
This was also why Raku Sou didn't use the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to eliminate the remnants of the Inu General—because the more shocking the first appearance, the greater the effect.
Besides all the benefits, Raku Sou had also obtained one heaven-defying reward, completely beyond expectations—a gift from the heavens that even he found astonishing.
By spending only a small amount of Divine Authority Jade——
He had acquired an extremely powerful skill.
Born from the legend of him slaying the Inu General's remnant, it was sublimated into a skill.
It could be called——[Summon Buddha]...!!