"But if you truly want to awaken Nen, you must possess the will to endure this pressure. Otherwise... even if you gain Nen abilities, they will be nothing more than a counterfeit."
Shirou's voice lingered by her ear. At that moment, she could not even tell where it was coming from. Everything she could see was becoming blurred, and the intense mental pressure sent chaotic signals through her nerves. A strange, dull pain continuously spread through her body, accompanied by a sensation akin to suffocation.
Her body instinctively began gasping for air, her chest heaving as she gulped air into her lungs like a bellows. At that very moment, Shirou abruptly tapped her forehead without hesitation. A thread of aura, like flame entering a pile of kindling, instantly ignited every function within her body.
Her body became like a motor running at full speed, madly operating beyond her control. It dug into her physical potential and activated enhancements across every bodily system. To her body, that thread of aura was no different from invading germs, and in order to resist those "germs," every function within her body unexpectedly committed its maximum forces to encircling and suppressing the aura.
"Drive my aura out. Gather your aura completely, and use your will to thoroughly restrain the aura in your body!"
Excavating oneself and resisting the outside world—Nen abilities pursued a path entirely different from energy systems that needed to draw upon external sources of power. They sought only within oneself, and the process of using one's will to unify everything within the body was much like the religious practice of subduing the mind's inner monkey.
Awakening Nen was actually simple and brutal. It was like Ripple Breathing directly stabbing your lungs—you either awakened it, or you did not. If you could not awaken it, no matter how many times you tried, it only meant your aptitude was lacking and you were not cut out for this line of work.
Standing before Shirou, Natasha's clothes were drenched in sweat within only a few breaths. Large beads of sweat continuously seeped from her forehead, and her entire body trembled without pause. The full-force operation of her body made her feel intense pain radiating from every inch of muscle, skin, tendon, and bone.
"Restrain..."
Her mind caught that sensitive word. Natasha's consciousness finally began to spread beyond her skull. It was no longer limited to sending commands from her brain to the rest of her body; instead, she had to turn her mind into an army and completely suppress the local forces within her body that had gone out of control due to the effects of a "camp mutiny."
Restraining one's vital energy meant completely reclaiming "all military authority" within the body—in other words... gaining complete control over one's body!
If the restraint was not thorough enough, the aura could still barely be gathered back into the body and turned into controllable Nen aura. But if it could be completely reclaimed, it would not only benefit aura control and one's maximum aura capacity. In the future, any skill related to the body could be learned directly and without doubt under the command of the mind.
Once someone developed Nen, they completed a leap in life. It was not merely physical enhancement, but an all-around evolution of learning ability, thinking ability, computational ability, and more.
"...Restrain!"
The trembling syllable slipped from between Natasha's teeth. Her mind began reclaiming ownership over the organs of her head and face. It was as though she were chanting some kind of spell; every time she called out "restrain," one part of her body stopped trembling, until finally...
When she stood there after completely stabilizing herself, her presence suddenly contracted. If her previous state of full bodily operation had been a blazing flame, then... at this moment, she was a cooled boulder.
"Not bad."
Shirou nodded in satisfaction. He could see that not a trace of vital energy was leaking from the surface of her body anymore. This state was even close to hibernation, greatly reducing her body's consumption without her noticing and making it easier to conserve nutrients and heat. An ordinary person would be near death after roughly three to five days without food or water, but Natasha, as she was now, could last at least over twenty days, perhaps even a month.
"How did it feel?"
Once Natasha's presence had fully settled, Shirou spoke. Hearing him, she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was deep and restrained, calm and detached like that of an enlightened sage who had attained great realization.
"Very good."
Her voice was cold, as if it contained no warmth at all. Yet only moments later, that icy tone abruptly faded, becoming her usual gentle and tranquil voice.
"In that state just now, my ability to think improved to a certain extent, and I did not feel even the slightest anxiety."
"Nen amplifies certain aspects of a person's personality, and the direction of a Nen ability's operation overlaps somewhat with that."
After explaining the characteristics of the six Nen categories to Natasha, Shirou tested her through the Water Divination Method. Upon seeing the leaf move, he spoke directly.
"You lean toward the Manipulation type. You are more suited to Manipulation and Emission, while Enhancement and Conjuration are somewhat weaker. Transmutation would take twice the effort for half the result, so... when developing your Nen ability, focus more on the first two."
"The development of a Nen ability depends only on your imagination and aura capacity. If your aura capacity is sufficient, this path is no less promising than a Path. But unfortunately, even a genius like Herta concluded that Nen abilities could almost never reach the realm of Emanators, unless an Aeon with extraordinary life-force characteristics practiced it personally."
"Whether Emanators or Aeons, they are both too distant from us."
Natasha felt the power flowing within her, and a relieved smile suddenly appeared on her face, as though she had set down some heavy burden.
"For this Lower City, for Belobog, for Jarilo-VI, this power has already given us possibilities. It no longer leaves us only waiting for the Amber King's gaze to fall upon us, nor merely praying for aid from outsiders. It gives us the right to seek within ourselves and use our own strength to carve out possibilities for the future."
"As you said, if we devoutly bowed before others and begged them to show mercy and save this planet, then even after we were rescued, we would still be weak, insignificant beings like dying candles in the wind within this universe. Once the Savior looked away and we faced disaster again, we would only repeat the old pattern and beg others once more. But... people must ultimately rely on themselves to keep walking."
"Shirou, I cannot promise you any reward at this moment, but I swear to you that Geofire's blade will forever point only at your enemies. Even if we remain weak in the future, should anyone become your enemy, we will not ask why, nor count the cost. Even if all we can do is cut a single fragile strand of Their hair, we will, for you... give everything!"
"Give everything... Hmm, if Seele put on cat ears, danced a few otaku dances, and called out 'Brother Shirou,' would Bronya immediately rage herself red?"
After Natasha left, Mr. Emiya became idle again. She had gone to select the members for the next round of training, and naturally, he was not going to follow her. Still, regarding her promise to give everything and draw their swords against his enemies...
His greatest enemy right now was poverty. Making others lose their composure would earn him Emotion Points for draws, and Geofire's people would not even need to risk their lives in an actual fight. Seele only needed to make a tiny sacrifice—this was simply a win-win!
"Unfortunately, Black Seele is a little too mature right now... Tsk, if this were the timeline before their reunion at the Azure Sea Group, that Bronya would definitely be so happy she'd pitch a tent!"
"But unfortunately, only the Previous Civilization has been locked in for now. It will still be quite difficult to fleece that Bronya."
The local Triple Turbine Bronya was not close with Seele right now. Cocolia was easier to make lose her composure instead. Now that he thought about it... Belobog's specialties really were something he had to sample.
"Lynx and Pela."
"Serval and Cocolia."
"Seele and Bronya."
As everyone knew, icy, snowy places produced plenty of thigh-high stockings and lesbians. In this little plot of Belobog, everyone from the Supreme Guardian to the little widows at the orphanage had remarkably "excellent" standards for choosing partners. Of course... aside from the first pair being a bit abnormal, the other two could still count as "normal friendship."
"I should find a way to abduct Lynx, change her outfits, take photos of her, and mail them to Pela every day..."
Mr. Emiya really wanted to test just how jealous Belobog's lesbian queen could get.
"Come to think of it, even a little girl as young as Hook wants to get close to Clara. In all of Belobog, it seems Natasha is the only one without a CP partner... Why is she as lonely and single as Quietly Cute?"
There were nine people and four couples. Natasha... you were not among them!
Now that he thought about it, Raven from the Honkai Impact 3rd set also seemed to be a firm supporter of staying single...
Old Mi's favorite yuri sweets had ignored her in both settings!
Even after the grand happy ending, when everyone got paired off and their CPs were locked in, that beautiful mercenary was still single.
Paimon! Old Mi, your crimes were truly unforgivable!
"Give everything."
After leaving the hotel where Shirou was staying, Natasha walked down the bustling street, her expression slightly dazed.
To be honest, she herself felt that the vow she had just made to Shirou did not hold much practical meaning. Given that man's abilities, never mind a small organization like Geofire—even if she really overthrew the Upper City and had Geofire replace the Supreme Guardian's Political Power to become Jarilo-VI's ruling body, it probably would not hold much value to him.
"Things I... we can truly give him in return barely exist."
She could not understand why Shirou was helping them so enthusiastically. The Stellaron could be one reason, but it was definitely not enough to explain such wholehearted support. That man seemed to gain some benefit from their requests, but... that had nothing to do with Geofire or Natasha herself.
She had not given Shirou Emiya anything of real substance in return. He had never asked them for even Credits or Everwinter Shards.
"Free things are often the most expensive."
That was a debt of gratitude, a debt of personal favor.
She looked at the exhausted people walking back and forth through the Lower City and slowly closed her eyes. In truth, she had no right to promise on their behalf that they would become that man's blade or anything of the sort. In reality, there would probably be very few who would truly take action to repay him.
"The future I promised him must be carried out by me personally. Therefore... I must step out from behind the scenes and truly become Geofire's leader, the leader of Jarilo-VI."
"There is no way back. In this universe, born into a weak people, we never had any way back to begin with."
Natasha had already decided what she needed to do next, and she hesitated no longer. She headed toward her clinic. There, she had to close the "safe harbor" that had accompanied her for ten years. From this day onward, Doctor Natasha, who only wished to save patients on the operating table, would step behind the scenes. Taking her place would be...
Geofire's Supreme Commander, Natasha!
Belobog, Upper City.
Three unfamiliar visitors arrived in the fortress city wrapped in silver and snow.
The Silvermane Guards stopped them outside the fortress checkpoint. The squad leader on duty spoke to the three of them.
"Who are you people?"
The Upper City of Belobog did not have a large population now, and even fewer people were qualified to enter and leave the city. There were almost no unfamiliar faces, yet three strangers had appeared out of nowhere. Furthermore, their clothing was completely out of place with Belobog's usual style.
"City Builder, Dan Heng."
The man among the three introduced himself calmly.
"I wish to meet your generation's Supreme Guardian."
City Builder?
Upon suddenly hearing that term, the lead squad leader was briefly confused. But after thinking for a moment, he suddenly recalled what it meant.
"You are a City Builder?"
He remembered the oath he had sworn to Belobog on the day he joined the Silvermane Guards: uphold the Will of Preservation, never tarnish the glory of the City Builders, and dedicate everything to the great Amber King.
Although he had asked his instructor about these terms when he enlisted, the instructor had merely said they were Silvermane Guard traditions and did not know much more. The Amber King seemed to be a lofty, ancient deity, while the City Builders seemed to be the predecessors of the Silvermane Guards.
However, in this era, the title of City Builder had long since become the Silvermane Guards. Was this man who suddenly claimed to be a City Builder not simply trying to fool them?
Just as the squad leader was about to drive the three away, the man spoke again.
"I have come for the Creation Engine. Please inform the Supreme Guardian that I will wait for her here."
After saying that, without waiting for the squad leader's reply, he walked to a tree stump not far from the gate and sat down, looking as though he truly intended to wait for them to bring the Supreme Guardian to him.
Seeing the unfamiliar man's attitude, the squad leader could not help but wonder. Did the City Builders really still exist? But the outside world had long been completely destroyed by the Great Cold. For someone like him, who had lived inside this fortress ever since he was born...
Belobog was already synonymous with the "world." Everything outside it... leaving aside concepts like planets, the universe, and Paths, he did not even understand much about nations, civilizations, or peoples.
Within the frozen snowfields, knowledge remained monopolized by a handful of scholars and noble families. Those nobles even dared to reduce the Supreme Guardian to a puppet. Blocking knowledge and monopolizing education were merely routine practices for them.
The squad leader silently watched the man sitting on the ground, seemingly unaffected by the bitter cold and snow. After a long while, he spoke to a Silvermane Guard beside him.
"Go report this to the Intelligence Officer and the Garrison Officer. I'll keep watch here for now."
After saying that, he turned his gaze toward the other two unfamiliar women and spoke again.
"Are you two City Builders as well?"
"No."
The gray-haired woman among the two shook her head, then spoke with the firm bearing of a battlefield veteran.
"I am the Galaxy Bat Hero! If you do not like calling me that, you can call me the Trash Can War God instead. I can handle it."
"So she's a crazy woman... Men, drag both of them out!"
"Wait, I'm not some Galaxy Bat Hero! What right do you have to lay hands on me?!"
The remaining Little Pink Hair glared with wide eyes and shouted at everyone.
"I am a Sea Ranger who upholds justice across the galaxy! Try touching me if you dare!"
The squad leader fell silent for a moment. After a while, he said softly.
"Grant her wish."
"Throw them both out!"
PS: Please give me some recommendation votes. Someone maliciously pushed my rating down to 9.6. There were not many people voting to begin with, and after that, the low rating looks really awful.
"City Builder?"
Inside the Silvermane Guards' office, Intelligence Officer Pela and Garrison Officer Gepard looked at each other after hearing the name.
They naturally understood the term better than ordinary Silvermane Guards.
Gepard in particular, as part of an established branch of the noble bloc, had many records from past eras preserved within his family.
City Builders.
He knew quite a bit about this group, which had left many traces in Belobog's historical records. In particular, he had obtained that indescribable "power" while reading records related to the City Builders, which made him even more interested in learning about the City Builders and the Amber King.
According to the records, the City Builders were initially Visitors from Beyond. They seemed to have voluntarily become volunteers because of their faith in the Amber King's deeds. They traveled throughout the universe from planet to planet, helping people construct "walls" and "fortresses." It was said that Belobog had been built with the City Builders' help, and even Belobog's ability to withstand the effects of the Great Cold was due to the power left behind by the City Builders.
Later, locals who admired the Amber King's greatness also began joining the City Builders. Among those local City Builders, the most renowned was Lady Alisa Rand, the first Supreme Guardian. She had personally overseen Belobog's construction and established the stable order Belobog had enjoyed for seven or eight hundred years.
"Where is that City Builder now?"
Gepard rose to his feet. The significance of Visitors from Beyond was extraordinary to Belobog today. The frequency with which Fragmentum monsters harassed Belobog was still increasing, and some Antimatter Legion forces had even thawed within the Great Cold, beginning to roam about and attack exploration and archaeological teams.
Belobog itself had no solution to any of this. He was the eldest son of the Landau family, and there were very few secrets in all of Belobog that could be hidden from him. He knew perfectly well what state Belobog was in. Even Pela, the Intelligence Officer beside him, only had a partial understanding of many matters.
Belobog was still sliding downward. Because the Supreme Guardian had sealed off the Lower City, the lower and middle classes outside the noble bloc had suffered severely. Never mind the declining supply of geomarrow—simply losing the "farms" and "ranches" inside the mines meant that ordinary Upper City residents had rarely been able to put any decent food on their tables in recent years.
Food rations were insufficient, military logistics could not keep up, new recruits were poorly trained, and medical resources were extremely scarce for veterans wounded on the Fragmentum battlefield. Every sign showed that Belobog's situation was continuing to worsen.
The Supreme Guardian appeared less and less often, while the noble blocs remained silent. If this dragged on, then sooner or later, the blades of those Fragmentum monsters would reach the civilians inside this fortress.
Before you continue