The huge mountainside clearing was now deathly silent.
No one spoke. Even the divine messenger, whose Shikigami had just been sent flying by Lucas Reeve with a single hammer blow, looked like his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
How!!
How is this possible!!
With just one hammer??
Ah, this.
Caw caw caw...
It seemed as if crows were flying overhead at the most inappropriate time, their cawing barely alleviating the current awkwardness, or perhaps mocking it.
"How is cousin Lisa's Shikigami so strong?!!"
This question popped up in the minds of the four-person assessment group simultaneously. They were all too shocked to speak. They had been the first to fight this lizard and knew very well how strong this lizard Shikigami was, and yet...
Hsss...
Lisa's humanoid Shikigami actually sent it flying with one hammer blow!
Setting the Shikigami aside.
Even if this humanoid Shikigami were a real person, that would be terrifyingly absurd... It's too surreal.
They didn't suspect the divine messenger of holding back at all. Even if such a huge lizard stood perfectly still, their own Shikigami couldn't have sent it flying dozens of meters, even using all their strength.
The assessment group was astonished, and the divine messenger group was also astonished. Only Lisa's support group remained perfectly calm.
Angelina knew Lucas's strength. Although she hadn't seen him fight much, ever since he saved her in that absurd way last time, Angelina subconsciously felt that Lucas was omnipotent, the strongest. However, the fact that Lucas was actually Lisa's Shikigami left Angelina a bit speechless.
He's actually a Shikigami...
Doesn't that mean...
Angelina let out a long, frustrated sigh.
Forget it, a Shikigami is a Shikigami.
At least he's in human form.
Magallan was exceptionally calm. After all, she had personally seen Lucas use the Holy Lance to obliterate that tree monster from Bolívar into slag. Compared to that, knocking a lizard over with a hammer didn't seem so shocking. Just average, average. Everyone else was also well aware of Lucas's strength. In their eyes, Lucas had just done something completely trivial.
"Ahem..."
The first divine messenger gave a dry cough to ease his embarrassment, quickly sent his Shikigami back to recover, and retreated awkwardly to the side, replying in a deep voice.
"Ah... Passed..."
After saying that, he immediately bailed and ran to the very back.
At this time, the second divine messenger, who had a black fox pattern on his robes, stepped forward.
The assessment group looked at each other, but no one dared to step forward. By now, how could they not realize they had all underestimated Lisa? Lisa was the strongest among them. No one rushed ahead; they tacitly gave Lisa the right to go first. They also wanted to see just how strong Lisa really was.
After all, the first assessment only tested the Shikigami. An Onmyōji wasn't just about their Shikigami; other skills were also very important.
The second divine messenger suppressed his shock and said slowly.
"Ahem... The first assessment was the Shikigami's strength. But for a qualified Onmyōji, being well-rounded is what truly matters. You must not become arrogant and complacent just because your Shikigami is strong."
Although he said that.
In reality, he was feeling quite insecure himself.
"My second assessment is... personal strength."
The divine messenger waved a hand, and a seemingly solid metal, humanoid training dummy landed in front of him.
"You are not allowed to use your Shikigami's power. You may use any other method, including personal weapons or Onmyō Arts, to attack this humanoid dummy. This dummy is made of a special alloy and is indestructible. You don't need to break it, you only need to leave a mark on it..."
The second divine messenger hadn't even finished speaking.
Before anyone could react, Lisa drew a customized pistol from her thigh holster and performed a Laterano-style quick-draw on the target in front of her with an incredibly fluid and swift rhythm.
Bang bang bang....
She pulled the trigger five times in quick succession.
Five of Lucas's custom-made Originium Rounds, infused with Lisa's Arts, shot out of the barrel and struck the dummy's head with perfect accuracy.
Immediately.
Everyone heard a tremendous explosion-like bang.
After the explosion, a golden foxfire representing Lisa's power instantly engulfed the entire humanoid dummy.
Everyone, after registering what happened, slowly turned their heads.
The one with the worst expression was the second divine messenger.
Because.
The head of the humanoid dummy next to him was completely gone.
Indestructible...
Indestructible?
The word he had just spoken echoed repeatedly in the second divine messenger's mind. He felt like he had just told a joke.
What kind of weapon is that!!
Everyone else's attention was completely fixed on the firearm in Lisa's hand, unable to look away.
A pistol?
Everyone, of course, recognized it. Besides, the people present weren't ordinary. If they wanted to get one, they could acquire one through various channels. Although Laterano strictly prohibits the sale of firearms, a pistol like that wasn't very powerful, had a short range, and besides being portable, was even less powerful than a standard repeating crossbow.
But...
A pistol is *that* powerful?
Are you kidding me?
"Sigh... Passed..."
The second divine messenger picked up his headless dummy, reeling from the blow, and went to squat in the back with the first divine messenger to contemplate life. The others didn't even want to be tested anymore. After all, given the two absurd displays of strength Lisa had shown, there was no need for the others to be tested.
One was wondering if his Shikigami was really that weak.
The other was wondering what on earth that weapon was.
The second divine messenger finished his test and didn't call for the others to follow. He just had the third divine messenger step up. The other four cousins had no complaints. In fact, they also wanted to see just how absurd Lisa could be.
The third divine messenger stepped forward.
He was burly, holding a large shield that emitted a sacred golden glow, and said cautiously.
"The first round tested your Shikigami's strength, the second tested your own strength, and my third round is different. This third round tests your mental fortitude. The longsword in my hand is the personal weapon of the Lord God, truly indestructible in every sense. The requirement for this round is that you pull this sword from the ground! However, this sword has fought alongside the Lord God for many, many years, and its blade is stained with the blood of evil gods and evil spirits. An ordinary person will immediately be affected by the resentful aura clinging to the sword just by touching it. Only those with sufficient mental fortitude can pull it out."
The third divine messenger then plunged the sword deep into the ground.,
He bade Lisa step forward.
In his opinion, even if she passed the first two rounds, the difficulty of the third round was in a different league.
As he saw it.
Lisa relied on her Shikigami for the first round and her weapon for the second. The third round, however, truly relied on her own willpower. A fourteen-year-old girl, lacking in experience, how much willpower could she possibly have? But even thinking this, given Lisa's performance so far, she would be the one chosen if nothing unexpected happened.
"Wait, let me try first!"
Just as Lisa was about to step forward, Nian suddenly raised her hand.
"I remember the support group is allowed to help, right? Just once?"
"Of course. Please, miss, go ahead."
The third divine messenger nodded slowly.
From his perspective, Nian looked completely ordinary. She didn't have a single bit of Originium energy in her body; she was a complete civilian.
What's the harm in letting you try? If you can pull the sword out, or even just hold onto it for one minute, that would be impressive.
How can an ordinary person....
Huh?!!!
He hadn't finished his thought.
Everyone just heard a *shing*, and this 'divine' sword was pulled out effortlessly by Nian. She didn't even seem to use any strength.
"????"
The third divine messenger's eyes went wide in total disbelief.
Just? Just pulled it out like that?
What kind of monster!! F*ck!!
"This weapon sucks. It's just a semi-divine artifact, not even a full one. Tsk tsk, holy sh*t, which bastard blacksmith forged this? Why are there so many flaws? With skills like these, they should go get a job in an electronics factory."
As Terra's grandmaster blacksmith, Nian launched right into a scathing critique, holding nothing back, until she finally found her own mark on the blade and stopped.
"Oh... I remember now. It was a practice piece I made many years ago. Never mind then."
The others didn't know what Nian was talking about, only that she was muttering nonstop.
But to casually pull out this sword, and so easily... how is that possible....
The divine messengers stared wide-eyed, speechless for a long time.
The first two divine messengers, who were squatting in the back contemplating life, saw the third one get humbled and happily prepared to invite him to join them.
"A malicious aura... There's quite a lot of it."
Nian muttered a bit.
As her divine power surged, under Nian's formidable godly strength, the malicious aura within the sword was instantly and completely purged. Nian casually tossed the sword onto the ground and gestured for Lisa to try. And Lisa, just as everyone expected, pulled it out effortlessly, seemingly unaffected by any malicious aura.
In reality.
Even if Nian hadn't dispersed the aura, Lisa's mental fortitude was more than enough to pull out the sword.
Everyone assumed that because Lisa was young and inexperienced, her mind must not be very strong.
In truth.
Don't be fooled by Lisa's age; she had already experienced many things in her few years that most people wouldn't experience in a lifetime. For Lisa, this was just routine.
The third divine messenger walked numbly to the back, squatted down with the first two messengers, and began to contemplate life.
As a divine messenger, he too had once been a genius.
Back then, it took him several months to gradually withstand the sword's malicious aura, but... this kid...
Sigh...
Is this what they call a genius?
She passed three assessments in a row, and cleared them all with an absurdly, unbelievably monstrous ease.
Furthermore.
The rest of the assessment group had been completely forgotten.
It seemed this assessment was prepared just for Lisa; it had completely turned into her personal showcase.
"Ahem..."
The last divine messenger stepped out.
"Technically, little one, you've already passed the assessment. I've taken the liberty of changing the final test. But don't worry, even if you can't complete this last question, you will still pass."
"Mm."
Lisa nodded.
In truth, Lisa wasn't very interested in the so-called divine power. However, divine power could make her stronger and raise her talent ceiling far beyond what it was, which is why Lisa wanted to obtain it.
Because...
She wanted to become Lucas's right-hand.
The more she fought.
The more Lisa felt the limits of her talent. The limits of being human. Even though her talent was, strictly speaking, far beyond most people's, she was still confined within a human vessel. And to become Lucas's right-hand, she needed to at least reach the peak of humanity. Lisa couldn't change her own innate talent, but perhaps... divine power could help her.
"My question is."
"This is a shield. A true divine artifact."
The fourth divine messenger produced a round shield from somewhere.
"This divine artifact is indestructible. It's known as the absolute defense of Higashi. Almost no method can destroy it, or even leave the slightest mark on it. If it were you, what method do you think you could use to leave your mark on it?"
"I admit, with my power, I cannot do it."
A divine artifact...
And a defense-focused shield at that.
This was a *real* divine artifact, completely different from the semi-divine artifact before. Moreover, the previous one only required lifting it, but now they were asking a mortal to leave a mark on a divine artifact. How could that be possible? Even a powerful divine messenger couldn't do it.
In reality, the fourth divine messenger also knew this test was impossible to complete.
His original intention was to let Lisa know that there is always someone better, that her talent was good, but she still has a long way to go and mustn't become complacent.
The original assessment group of four had now become the drama-watching group of four. As for the assessment?
Forget it. They knew in their hearts they were 100% no match for Lisa.
"Those who can leave a mark on it are basically the absolute masters of Higashi. But, little one, you don't need to be anxious or discouraged. I believe you definitely will be able to one day. You just need to remember, there is always someone better..."
The fourth divine messenger hadn't finished.
Lisa cut him off.
"Excuse me, can I use my support?"
"Of course you can."
This time, the fourth divine messenger was a bit proud. *Find whoever you want.* He didn't believe anyone could actually damage this true divine shield. In all of Higashi, only three people were qualified to leave a mark on it...
"Miss Nian, Mr. Reeve, I'll leave it to you."
Lisa really couldn't pass this assessment. After all, her strongest attack was her pistol, which had zero chance. But Lucas, as Lisa's Shikigami, was strictly speaking also a part of Lisa's strength.
Lucas didn't act, letting Nian handle it instead.
Nian slowly walked forward. She beckoned with one hand, and an incomparably sharp greatsword fell into her hand.
"This is definitely a divine artifact. But, it's maxed out on flaws. And... it's another one I made in my early years. Leaving this kind of thing in the world is kind of embarrassing for me now. It's a bit of an embarrassing part of my past. Might as well just destroy it."
Nian took the greatshield and casually tossed it into the air.
And then.
Behind Nian, the giant phantom of a white dragon horn appeared out of thin air. This scene truly frightened everyone, especially Magallan.
Magallan: "????"
Nian's entire body surged with divine power. The next second, she swung the greatsword in her hand up at the sky. The roiling sword energy made the very air seem to tremble. When it struck the greatshield, it made a sizzling sound. The fourth divine messenger was utterly horrified. He almost fell to his knees, because he had just sensed a familiar aura from Nian. A god!! A god!!
Holy f*ck!!
This person is actually a god!!
Under Nian's full-power strike.
This creation of hers, this so-called indestructible greatshield, snapped in two right down the middle.
Perhaps because Nian had acted, an aura representing a deity spread out. The next second, a giant nine-tailed fox appeared out of nowhere.
The four divine messengers immediately knelt respectfully on the ground.
"Lord God."
It's actually the god's true form!!
The assessment group of four also knelt excitedly.
Magallan was just as excited. She remembered clearly, this was the fox god who had saved her!!
Magallan habitually wanted to follow suit and kneel, but seeing everyone around her still standing, she felt a bit awkward.
"It's been a long time, Miss Nian."
The nine-tailed fox's voice was light and airy. Although it came from a fox's body, it made one imagine an alluring older woman.
Magallan: "???"
This god actually knows Miss Nian!!
Could it be!!
Magallan thought of a key point.
Combining the earth-shattering attack from just now with the dragon phantom... could Nian be a god?!!
If that's the case.
If Nian is a god, then her sister Dusk must also be a god. And that Miss Nine-Colored Deer... Nian and Dusk are both so polite and respectful to her. That means the Nine-Colored Deer might also be a god...
F*ck!!!
Magallan understood everything in an instant!!
When I shouted that I knew there were gods in this world, their silence back then wasn't shock... they were looking at me like I was an idiot!!
Jessica and the others definitely all knew.
I was the only one who didn't know!!
F*ck....
In that instant, Magallan suddenly felt like a clown.