"Lucky… rabbit?"
Tsubaki gaped at Tsunayoshi. Just hearing the word "lucky" scrambled her nerves. "You mean—you can manufacture luck itself?"
Tsunayoshi gave a small nod. "As long as there's a clear concept, I can create it. But the degree of luck is limited by my imagination."
He didn't add a caveat out loud: luck needs a defined target. Without specifying what the luck applies to, creating something that universally boosts your own luck isn't realistic. So he used his own experience as the standard—and the result was, unsurprisingly, a Lucky Rabbit.
A real, fortune-bringing rabbit. It steadily raised luck, especially for gambling and Dungeon drops—turning rare drops into a steady patter.
"Within your imagination," Tsubaki muttered, eyes dropping to the pile of materials from Amphisbaena. "That's… a little over the line."
Then excitement hit her like a forge blast.
"In that case, I don't need to worry about rare stock anymore. With your constructs along, I can sweep the Dungeon myself."
Just picturing a future of materials on demand made her swallow. For a smith, what could be more thrilling?
"Tsunayoshi, lend me that rabbit next time."
In her excitement she stepped right into his space. He paused, then nodded. "Anytime. Just ask."
Her mouth curled into a grin. Riding the high, she hugged him—hard. In an instant his face vanished into something soft. With his airways smothered, bliss turned to nightmare. He flailed and patted her arm until she blinked, snapped out of it, and let go.
"Ha—"
Even that brief squeeze had driven the breath from his lungs; the second crush had wrung him like a bellows.
"Tsubaki, maybe not so hard next time. My ribs won't survive…"
"Ah—sorry, sorry." She raked a hand through her hair, then, controlling her strength this time, drew him into a much gentler embrace.
Same motion, very different force—and a very different kind of shock for Tsunayoshi. Watching him freeze in her arms, Tsubaki's grin turned impish.
"So you like that, huh."
Tsunayoshi didn't bother to be embarrassed. "Pretty normal for a guy, right? Being hugged by a gorgeous older sister isn't exactly something you can resist."
Said gorgeous older sister laughed, slid a hand behind his head, and pressed him lightly to her chest. "Exactly. It's normal to have normal tastes. If you want that again, just come find me. I like you."
She thought of Loki Familia. The only others who fit her… profile were Tione and Riveria. Tione pined for Finn; Riveria was a cleanliness-obsessed elf. Which meant not many could oblige Tsunayoshi this way.
"Since no one else is calling dibs," Tsubaki thought, "I won't be shy."
A capable boy who could also feed her forge with ideas and help—what was not to like? If he weren't in Loki Familia, she might have pushed Hephaestus to poach him outright.
"I'll remember," Tsunayoshi said. He would not forget that invitation.
"Good." She clapped once, eyes brightening as purpose returned. "Right—the extraction. Can you take it out?"
Their reason for entering the Dungeon today: to obtain Great Deeds as forging material.
"That part." Tsunayoshi slipped free of her arms and summoned a puppet. He placed a hand on its abdomen, and the body went half-transparent. Inside, a golden substance flowed like liquid sunlight.
"—Whoa!" Tsubaki's eyes flew wide. It was her first time seeing Great Deeds with the naked eye. "So Great Deeds really do exist."
"Of course," Tsunayoshi said. "I haven't studied the precise nature yet. I simply designated this construct as a Great Deeds collector so it can store them when earned."
"This is… perfect."
To concretize Great Deeds—yes, the puppet had to land the kills on monsters and floor bosses to earn them, but the idea of capturing the Deeds themselves was far too good.
If they could store Great Deeds, then Great Deeds could become a material.
Tsubaki could already see it: new weapons born from this strange, brilliant medium. The mere vision made her breath quicken.
"Nice pull, Tsunayoshi!" she whooped, grabbed his cheeks, and planted a kiss on him. "Let's go—home, now. Hephaestus-sama's waiting!"
She could hardly keep from sprinting back to the forge. With a new material like Great Deeds, they had to put hammer to anvil immediately. Who knew what kind of unbelievable weapons might take shape?
Tsunayoshi knew this particular smith lost herself when inspiration struck. Still—maybe fewer surprise kisses next time?
Smiling despite himself, he opened a space gate to Hephaestus's compound. Tsubaki hauled the one-meter dragon heart as if it weighed nothing and strode through. Over her shoulder, she called:
"Tsunayoshi, hurry up!"
"Yes, yes. Coming."
He shook his head, a clearer picture of this big-sister smith's personality settling into place.
(End of Chapter)
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