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When lunchtime finally arrived, the friends gathered in the cafeteria to discuss everything that had happened. There, they met Elayne, who was chatting with Olivia, another teacher at the Japanese academy.

"Hm?" Elayne’s eyes widened, her eyebrows rising in surprise. "You want me to heal a wound caused by an Angel against a Demon? Why?" She wondered aloud while slurping the delicious ramen she had bought, savoring its rich broth.

"It’s complicated..." Erika muttered. "But Elena said you have the power, teacher. That... that you have an Angelic Halo? How does that work?"

"Hm..." Elayne stayed silent for a moment, sipping more broth before sighing. "Well, it is indeed complicated. What you are seeing right now is my Heroic Spirit form. I... indeed died."

"What?!" Harumi gasped.

"...!!!" Even Assassin reacted slightly. Though he remained invisible in his purely spiritual form, the air around him grew heavier.

"How could someone who died recently be summoned as a Mythical Spirit?" Matsuo asked in disbelief.

Olivia shook her head and quickly snapped her fingers, creating an invisible barrier around them. "Kids, do not speak about these things so openly. Elayne, please be more careful about what you reveal in public."

"A-Ah! Sorry," Elayne muttered. "I was so focused on these delicious noodles that I forgot... hehe." She chuckled awkwardly.

"Anyway..." Harumi said.

"Ah, right..." Elayne nodded. "We’re all friends here, so it should be fine, right, Olivia?"

"Aren’t you being too carefree?" Olivia asked.

"Not really. I simply trust those my daughter trusts," Elayne replied.

Although she looked like the same Elayne as before, Elena had noticed something different about her. Her ruthlessness had grown significantly. Yet when she spent time with people, that side seemed suppressed by her original personality. Elena suspected that "Gaia" influenced her to act more seriously at times, but it was only an influence, not a dominant personality.

Interestingly, this only happened when Elayne used her Divinity.

"There are certain things that remain unknown to this world, even before the First Contact. We call it the Supernatural," Elayne explained. "It is a domain where everything that cannot be explained by science and physics exists, and it is the world we all live in. When I was alive, I became a vessel for the Supernatural, perhaps the greatest one on the planet at the time. My death, through sacrifice while facing a threat to this world, etched my existence into the Records of the Planet."

"Is that... how one becomes a Heroic, Mythical, or Legendary Spirit?" Frank asked in disbelief.

"There are many ways, I believe," Elayne said. "But an important part of it is..."

Her eyes sharpened, gleaming with gold and green light. For a brief moment, the entire world around them seemed to stop moving.

"Influence," Elayne spoke, her voice echoing through their souls. "The more you influence humanity or the planet, the more worthy you become to be part of its Records."

Olivia listened intently, realizing one of the hidden truths of their world. "Incredible. So that is the knowledge granted to you by the Throne of Myths and Legends, Elayne? I’ve heard that summoned spirits like you receive all this information."

"Indeed," Elayne nodded. "However, I am not just myself. To be summoned properly, someone else helped me by using me as a vessel for a fragment of her divinity. She wanted to be summoned because she is an agent of this planet and wished to protect it from the threats of this Holy War."

"So that is why you received the legendary Ruler Class," Yasuke said. "Your duty goes beyond this war. You are also a protector."

"Perhaps..." Elayne nodded. "But too much power is not always good. After facing Avenger, I became very weakened. It took me a full week to recover. I cannot use my power recklessly, or I risk putting my daughter in danger."

Everyone exchanged glances, the weight of the situation settling heavily over them. Erika tried to lighten the mood.

"Um, well, I guess that makes sense," she said. "But can we go back to the original topic, Elayne-sensei? About your halo... Do you still have it?"

"Hm..." Elayne thought for a moment. "Technically, when summoned as a Heroic Spirit, the feats and abilities you had in life are converted into new abilities or even Legendary Treasures."

"Legendary Treasures?" Erika asked. "What are those?"

"From what I’ve heard, they are special weapons, abilities, or skills that certain Heroic, Mythological, Legendary, or Divine Spirits can possess," Matsuo explained. "Throughout history, many magicians tried to recreate them. Most failed, but a few succeeded. The Vatican, in particular, has managed it."

"So do you have such a power?" Harumi asked.

"...No," Elayne shook her head. "The moment I died, I lost that power." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"..."

"..."

Harumi lowered her head.

Of course it was never going to be that simple.

"But... maybe I can recreate it," Elayne added a few seconds later, after letting the tension build. "Halos are the materialization of Heaven’s blessings. It is not something easily recreated. I received one because I had slain a demon as a human. With my current powers, I might be able to call forth that same power again."

"Can you try?" Harumi asked, hope flickering in her eyes.

"Not here," Elayne said. "And I will need certain things to do it properly. I can use my Divinity and the power of Creation from Gaia’s Myth to shape it. I can also use any spells I once possessed. It might work."

"But what exactly do we need?" Harumi asked.

"Mana. A lot of mana," Elayne replied. "And also... this."

She showed them a small, rainbow-colored sludge of watercolor-like living matter. Everyone recognized it immediately, especially Olivia.

"This is Living Ink, the creation of that strange being that attacked us before," Elayne said. "I have discovered it can be an incredible source of power. It can shape itself into dozens of forms and elements. If we can gather more of it, it might be possible..."

"B-But where are we supposed to get more?" Erika asked. "That attack felt like a one-time thing, right?"

Olivia, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. "Not entirely. Do you remember why we told you to stay inside this domain? The outside world has become even more unstable than before. Although it may look normal to most people, something has changed it. We believe it was the same Heroic Spirit that summoned the ’Mangaka’ who attacked you a week ago."

"I have felt many disturbances in the world," Elayne said. "But while I was dormant, I could only see what my daughter saw. What do you mean, Olivia?"

"Well..." Olivia replied. "See for yourself. The director and the school were planning to inform the students soon anyway." She showed them her phone, filled with reports, videos, and sightings from outside.

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