Can't a person just peacefully complete commissions?

The deal settled, Asta led the Express crew toward Herta's collection room. With authority second only to Herta herself on the station, they passed through unimpeded for the most part. A few Void Trotters from the earlier invasion still lingered in some areas, but with Old Man Welt around, those Trotters were crushed into grotesque lumps of flesh almost on sight.

Arriving at Herta's collection room, Emiya soon spotted several "Cosmic Curios" that had been stuffed in as Easter eggs from the game: Luke's playing cards from Old Mi's own otome game "Tears of Themis," what looked like Blondie's camera or someone from Mondstadt's initial Wind Glider, and...

"The Sword of Fallen Gods."

Standing before the deep crimson fragments of the broken blade, Emiya looked up, gazing at their outline. According to the collection's description, these fragments spontaneously assembled themselves into the shape of a "blade," persisting in this futile effort at reconstruction despite how little remained.

"A very faint 'spirit,' but... it's enough."

Reaching toward the Sword of Fallen Gods so close at hand, Emiya slowly extended his hand. The reason he could inherit all of Shirou Emiya's abilities in one go was precisely the power he was about to display now.

"Possession Fusion."

A shamanic ability originating from the "Shaman King" worldview, a bonus from early newbie welfare. The upgraded shamanic constitution allowed not only ultra-precise detection of "spirit" fluctuations, but also the replication of all "techniques" the spirit had mastered during "Spirit Possession."

An extremely faint "spirit" was drawn out from the Sword of Fallen Gods, landing on his finger as lightly as weightless fluff, then merging into his body.

Stimulated by the energy within him, the faint "spirit" suddenly blazed up like a flame fed with combustible gas, burning fiercely.

And on Emiya's body, a faint "flame glow" began to appear. His pupils churned with vivid crimson like a bonfire. After about ten seconds, 'Emiya' slowly parted his lips and spoke softly, "Kiana..."

"This is... the last lesson."

"Himeko... has really come back!"

Welt couldn't help but grow excited. If they could truly salvage Himeko's soul, if there was a chance to return to their homeland, both Kiana and Mei would surely be overjoyed.

Most importantly, If Himeko was here, there was absolutely no way Theresa would have a chance to resurrect Otto!

"No, not really. The remaining 'part' is too little."

Emiya cut off Welt's self-indulgent excitement, speaking calmly, "Rather than a 'spirit,' it's more like just a 'lingering thought.' A strong obsession remains. Though it barely retains the spiritual characteristics of 'Himeko' as a person, restoring it to normal 'intellect' will require another approach."

"My shamanic constitution can only keep her final 'spirit' from dissipating. As for the rest..."

"No way?"

Welt furrowed his brow. The domain of the soul was something he had little grasp of either. Strictly speaking, the person he hated most in this field might actually be something of a professional.

"No, it's not entirely hopeless. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Just that it would help if someone really, really wanted someone else to get something done for them."

Get something done for him?

Welt repeated the words in his mind, chewing over their meaning. After a moment of silence, he spoke directly, "Please help me restore... no, resurrect Himeko, Shirou Emiya."

"You really know how to cause trouble for people, Mr. Welt. But I can accept this commission."

[New commission received!]

[Resurrect Himeko (Client: Welt Yang)]: Revive Himeko, who retains only a faint "spirit," to a state where she can act independently, possess normal intellect, and communicate with others normally.

Difficulty: Four Stars

Reward: 1000 points + one of the "Truth," "Origin," or "Flame" banners added to the permanent banner pool (permanent banner pulls cost half of limited banner pulls).

Chapter 008: Ice Element, Bow, Pink Fatty.jpg (4/4)

"I've got to find a way to marry that Crumbs."

Standing before the Sword of Fallen Gods, Emiya stared at the gacha interface flashing with rainbow light, his expression twisting, "Why didn't I pull from Welt's banner?! Damn it!"

"Crimson Eye (Kurapika)"

"Opening Aura Nodes," "Aura Nodes," "Master of Stealth," "Bonds and Vows"

It was just a simple test pull—a ten-roll while the others were off admiring the other Cosmic Curios in the collection room—and he'd hit both an SSR and an SR reward. Mr. Emiya should have been happy, but seeing Welt's gleaming "Core of Reason" in another banner, he felt a piercing sting of regret.

"Bug! Take your bro for one more round! If I pull a UR, I'll bring back double the Himeko to see you."

Having hit the jackpot on the first round, Mr. Emiya's eyes were now bloodshot... of course, that had nothing to do with the Crimson Eye. It was pure addiction kicking in.

He quickly switched the current Hunter x Hunter banner to Welt's banner. This old man's banner now looked especially pleasing to the eye. If Welt could bless him with a Herrscher Core, he swore he'd send him back home to reunite with Dr. Lobster as soon as possible!

"Five ten-rolls left. Let's go!"

Taking one more look at the Sword of Fallen Gods, Emiya didn't hesitate. He tapped the gacha interface and rapidly clicked for ten-rolls.

First ten-roll: SR Father Mech.

Second ten-roll: R Honkai Energy Adaptation x4.

Third ten-roll: SR Father Mech.

Fourth... R Titan x6.

The fifth pull... Core of Reason (Ascended).

Huh?

Seeing the final flash of colored light, Mr. Emiya's expression froze for a moment, not reacting for a full ten seconds. Only after rubbing his eyes in bewilderment did he fall silent, staring at the broken blade of the Sword of Fallen Gods, before speaking seriously once more.

"No matter the cost, I will marry that Crumbs!"

Sixty pulls, double SSR—what did that even mean?

Although his gacha pool had bonus rewards for pull counts, there was no pity system. In theory, he could guarantee what he wanted after hundreds of pulls, but the rate-up pool had a limited time, and commissions weren't fixed refreshes—someone had to make a request of him. In a sense, he was like his sister, who had once served as a Divine Child, occupying a position akin to a wish-granting machine.

Only, he was far less versatile and convenient than his sister.

[Core of Reason (Ascended)]

· Possesses the appraisal ability to actively analyze the structure of objects. · Possesses the manufacturing ability to create objects with clear, structured designs. · Recreating the same deconstructed object consumes significantly less energy. · Imaginary Energy affinity and operability greatly enhanced. · Honkai Energy resistance raised to Max.

[Crimson Eye (Kurapika)]

· Charm moderately increased. · Dynamic vision slightly increased. · Upon unlocking Nen, gains a Specialist-type ability (allows 100% performance across all Six Nen Categories). · Potential aura capacity greatly increased. · Nen aura manipulation precision greatly increased.

SSR cards always outperformed other prize tiers in the gacha pool by more than a notch. Though the pool also contained UR-level ultra-rare cards above SSR and the very rare Ex Easter Egg Rewards, Mr. Emiya had never fantasized about those rarities even rarer than SSR.

Kurapika's Crimson Eye might not seem particularly outrageous in Old Mi's home setting, but paired with Nen—a system of abilities driven by willpower and imagination—it was practically a dimensionality reduction strike in the Hunter home setting.

The Ascended version of the Core of Reason was even more absurd. The standard Honkai Energy resistance and Imaginary Energy affinity went without saying. Though it still required knowing the full picture of an object—or rather, understanding a design blueprint—to create it, it now came with the active deconstruction appraisal function and significantly reduced energy consumption.

Compared to the Herrscher of Truth, it was naturally still limited. After all, she created sci-fi weapons based on sci-fi novels, while he created based on blueprints and products. The Herrscher of Truth was essentially the Honkai version of Imaginary Element; an ordinary Core of Reason couldn't compete.

But...

Once Himeko was revived in the future, and Bronya's gacha pool was thrown into the permanent banner, the Herrscher of Truth's abilities would eventually fall into his hands.

By then, never mind Excalibur—even the Severing Emperor, the True World, and the seven weapons of Atlas Academy could be created from just fragments of information.

In this worldview where Divine Magic equaled Imaginary Internal Energy, whether fantasy or sci-fi, the source of energy had been unified. The Herrscher of Truth's abilities, placed under this starry cosmos where Aeons clashed, would still be a mechanic capable of wreaking havoc.

"Emiya, why are you still standing in front of this sword? We found an interesting Cosmic Curio up ahead—come take a look!"

The familiar Little Pink Hair popped out of nowhere, grabbing Emiya and dragging him off without warning. Though the girl sometimes acted a bit shy on topics of romance, she seemed to have no concept of gender-based caution.

"An interesting curio? Is it the Score-Setting Gun?"

Jogging along with March 7th until they reached a strange, small model gun, Mr. Emiya looked at its design and couldn't help recalling the few years of pandemic he'd spent in his real hometown. This thing looked way too much like a temperature gun.

"Stand in front of it and try it!"

Pushed by Little Pink Hair, Emiya stood before the Score-Setting Gun. After a moment, the strange eye at its top rotated and suddenly projected a simple number.

"'88'—"

"88 points? Same score as Uncle Yang! What exactly is this thing using as a scoring standard?"

Circling the strange Cosmic Curio endlessly, March 7th muttered to herself. Since the Score-Setting Gun couldn't measure her value, she was now very puzzled.

"Maybe it's a strength score."

"Strength score? This girl is no match for Uncle Yang."

"Modest, too modest. The last Pink-Haired Ice Archer I knew was a Savior who indirectly saved the world. Back in Old Yang's hometown, they called that group the Thirteen Flame-Chasers."

"Cool! But this girl doesn't have that kind of power."

"What if you just haven't remembered it yet? The last person I knew who loved taking photos, lost their memory, and kept traveling nonstop was also called the 'World Breaker.' Maybe one day, when you get a white or magenta belt, you'll remember you're the Boss of the Great Shocker Organization."

"That doesn't sound like a righteous organization."

"A hardworking organization dedicated to stabilizing the multiverse and making important contributions to defeating all villain groups! When you remember your name is Tsukasa Kadoya, March 7th, remember to make me a few Rider Cards so I can have some fun too."

"No way, this girl still thinks the name March 7th is cuter."

"March 7th, one day you'll understand... cuteness is nothing in the face of an authentic belt!"

"Asta, your brother's taste must be seriously messed up."

Chapter 009: Through Fire and Water, Station Chief Asta. (1/4)

As everyone knows, in Old Mi's games, the early stages never lack a young rich woman.

Teyvat's Tianquan, Ningguang.

Changkong City's young lady of Mei's company, Raiden Mei.

In the big map of Honkai: Star Rail, our beloved Miss Asta has elevated the concept of a "rich woman" to several new levels.

A "proper lady" whose allowance could buy a Star Destroyer.

"I have no interest in money.jpg"

Mr. Ma's former Versailles is indeed reality for this young lady. Faced with a commission from a rich woman who can casually toss out billions of Credits, Mr. Emiya felt he couldn't refuse.

To put it a bit bitterly, Mr. Emiya worked for free during his time with the Stellaron Hunters. He never seemed to apply for organizational funds either. Like a certain Geo Archon who loafed around the streets, his wallet was that little hacker with terrible gaming skills.

And now, temporarily transferred out of the Stellaron Hunters, he couldn't exactly count on March 7th and Dan Heng—who were still waiting for Himeko and Welt to hand out allowances—to be his wallet, could he?

So, Finding a new wallet deity was absolutely necessary.

Moreover, across this universe of stars, there was no shortage of technologies involving planetary environmental modification and improvement. Especially the IPC, where this rich young lady worked—they were the most mature force in using such technology.

If planetary transformation could be completed, as long as no bastard like Old Gai or the Alien God jumped out, that planet basically wouldn't cause too much trouble. Even if, worst case, something like a Singularity or Lostbelt emerged, he could still summon his fists in attack mode.

Do you understand the strength of a triple fusion of Herrscher of Reason + Cosmic Hacker + Sougo Emiya?

If he wanted, he could now directly forge a Star-Forged Holy Sword by hand, use Aether Editing to remove the Thirteen Restraints' limitations, and fire the Star Sword at maximum output. A fake Sword Crown Candidate could only wait for others to log in and hold meetings; the real Sword Crown... I'd just go full dictatorship and solo it!

Even a Harvest Star Vanguard couldn't withstand the Star Sword. You should know that a Harvest Star Vanguard could tear apart the Twelve Olympian Machines. Unless they combined and evolved into the King of Gods Zeus form or the Dyson Sphere Chaos form, they were absolutely no match for a Harvest Star Vanguard.

A Harvest Star Vanguard couldn't be called an Emanator-level existence, but it was at least close to the strength of an Ultimate One, certainly no weaker than a character like the Buli Ren Battle Leader Hulei.

Of course, Miss Asta wasn't commissioning him to go hunt down someone like Hulei. It was just a simple cleanup task—sweeping away some leftover garbage from the space station.

"There is something I wish to entrust to you, Mr. Emiya."