Lucy sat cross-legged underneath a tree, his gaze fixed on the green heart-cut jewel in his palm – the Akiraka Tama.
Feeling the hard texture, he muttered, "Open."
A small hole appeared in between his chest, and Lucy threw the Tama into it. The hole closed instantly.
Closing his eyes, Lucy infused his Rei into the Akiraka Tama. He felt Rei flowing into his blood from his chest, and his veins bulged in response.
The man gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. It was his first time using the Akiraka Tama, and he was unprepared for the agony.
After an hour, the Akiraka Tama stopped working, indicating Lucy had reached the limit of the human body's capacity to store Rei. Opening his eyes, he focused his thoughts, and Electrum Rei covered his fist.
'Now I can use elemental Tama and other liquid Tama to increase my strength in close quarters.'
Lucy stood up and went to take a bath, his body sweaty from the Rei flowing through it. Afterward, he visited Yurei's Primordial Space, but everyone was asleep cuddling each other with no sense of gender - they were still suffering from drinking over two nights ago.
Sighing, Lucy turned to leave, having unknowingly grown attached to the group despite himself. Before he could leave, someone touched his coat.
Turning around, he met a black-haired girl gazing at the rumble beneath Yurei's Primordial Space.
"Can I talk to you as a friend, as a person – not as my boss?"
Lucy pondered the word "friend" for a moment, despite her correction to "person" it bothered him for a second.
Shrugging off his reservations, he agreed, "What's wrong?"
Tsukino sighed at Lucy's coldness before moving to hug him. Lucy's amber eyes fixed on the middle point of her head, understanding her intentions. He waited for her to speak.
"Do you think my younger brother is still alive?" Tsukino asked.
Lucy's response was blunt:
"No."
Lucy's words cut deep, and Tsukino bit her lower lip, tears streaming down her face. She hadn't seen her brother in a long time and was starting to forget what he looked like.
Taking a deep breath, she composed herself, "I believe he's still alive."
"That's good."
Tsukino sighed, appreciating Lucy's honesty, even if it was slightly cold. She liked that he never filled her with false hope, unlike Shoji.
Her hug tightened, and she whispered, "But I don't want to see him. I just want to keep believing he's alive, even if he's not."
Lucy returned the hug, understanding her sentiment.
He thought to himself, 'Tsukino must have realized that Shinji would never let her see her brother's body, even if he's dead. And if Shinji discovers Tama's ability to bring back the dead, things will get complicated.'
Lucy sighed and said, "I won't promise to kill Shinji, but if I run into him, I'll try to punch him for you."
Tsukino whispered a grateful, "Thank you."
She quickly changed the subject, before things got weird, a wide smile spreading across her face.
"Let's have a drink together... to celebrate my birthday."
Lucy declined, "I don't drink."
Before Tsukino could ask why, Lucy explained, "The last time I drank, I slept with my bully's drunk twin sister, who also bullied me."
Tsukino's eyes widened in curiosity, "What happened?"
Lucy's memories of the event were blurry, and he found it embarrassing to discuss. He decided to tease Tsukino instead;
"All men are the same – useless."
Tsukino's face turned red with annoyance, recognizing the phrase as one of her own from when they first met. Though she had to admit, with Shoji around, some men did have some worth.
However, in her opinion, only Shoji, Shinji, and Lucy had the potential to reach the heights women achieved in this world.
Tsukino removed her hands from Lucy, her face slightly cold.
"I just admire you and think of you as my bestie, even if Sora-chan is your only bestie."
Lucy attempted to lighten the mood with a joke, "I think of you as a potential wife, even though Shoji is more likely to be your husband."
The air around the primordial space turned awkward.
Tsukino blinked a few times before sighing, expressing her displeasure, "Lucy-kun, please never say such stupid jokes in the future. Your humor needs a lot of work."
Lucy shrugged, he only joked to see how better was his humor from the previous time he joked, but seeing it was the same he didn't ponder much about it.
His gaze drifted to the castle of glass in the sky, where a fifth of it seemed filled with blood.
'How does it work, and when will it be full?'
Dismissing the thought, he turned to Tsukino.
"I'll be heading to Hakuren District. You guys focus on destroying the Katsuragi Clan's mines and farms. Sora already knows about it."
Tsukino quickly objected, "Take me with you."
Before Lucy could respond, she added, "You'll need someone to read for you there."
Lucy knew Tsukino's true reasons for wanting to accompany him, but she had a valid point.
He glanced at her briefly.
"I'll be at the shrines. Be there before sunrise."
Tsukino nodded and exited the primordial world. She knew her Tsukinari Tama wouldn't teleport her, so she had to take a midnight carriage to avoid being late.
The next morning, Lucy and Tsukino traversed the second-largest district of Kurenai City on horseback. The mountainous area was crowded with samurai and onna-musha.
As Tsukino narrated the context of 'The Book of Five Rings,' they followed the samurai heading toward the heart of the district.
After two days, they arrived at the huge metal torii gates adorned with crossed swords, bearing the inscription 'Katsuragi-Han Clan.'
Leaving their horses behind, they joined the crowd gathered in front of the gates.
A beautiful lady with dull pink hair, dressed in a white yukata, walked up with a smile.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the subclan of the greatest clan on the island. Thank you for coming out today. You could've been anywhere in the world, but you're with us, and we appreciate that."
Although the woman's words were kind, they subtly mocked the Atsuki-Han Clan, which was recruiting people nearby.
The woman's smile broadened, her arms spreading wide.
"Let the selection for the person who will become the disciple of the strongest samurai in the village begin!"