Leo felt the temporal friction from Clock Up fading, leaving his muscles humming with a dull ache.
As the crimson armor of Kabuto dissolved into shimmering red pixels, he quickly pulled up his HUD to check his standing.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[COMBAT EVALUATION: S-RANK]
[RP EARNED: +350]
[PREVIOUS BALANCE: 100]
[CURRENT RP: 450]
He needed something more reliable than a high-speed beetle that drained his stamina.
One more spin, he thought. Give me something versatile.
[NEW SPIN COST: 400 RP]
[ENGAGING ROULETTE...]
The neon icons blurred in his vision—a golden coin, a blue dragon, a silver wolf.
The ticker slowed, clicking past a high-tech motorcycle and a pair of dual-wielding pistols before coming to a dead stop on two thick, dark-wood rods tipped with red.
[SYSTEM UNLOCKED: ONGEKIBOU REKKA (REPLICA)]
[EQUIPMENT GRANTED: PURIFICATION DRUMSTICKS]
[REMAINING RP: 50]
Leo reached into the digital rift and pulled out... two heavy wooden sticks.
They weren't swords.
They weren't blasters.
Without the Hibiki armor to generate mystical fire or a giant drum to strike, they were essentially just over-engineered firewood.
Are you kidding me?
Leo stared at the blunt sticks. In a world of elemental gods, the system had given him the ability to play an aggressive percussion solo.
"Is that... a snack?" Amber asked, leaning over to sniff the wood.
"It smells like cedar and... ancient magic?
Is that another part of your 'mechanical Vision'?"
"It's... a specialized tool for rhythmic stabilization," Leo lied, his face heating up.
Before they moved another inch, he swiped his hand across his waist.
With a soft chime, the Kabuto Zecter, the silver belt, and the useless drumsticks vanished into his digital inventory, leaving him in his ordinary clothes.
"Whoa! You can make your gear disappear too?" Amber laughed, waving him toward the massive stone gates.
"Anyway, no more distractions! The Knights' headquarters is just up the stairs.
Acting Grand Master Jean is probably already buried in paperwork, but your 'stunts' at the bridge definitely moved you to the top of her to-do list.
"They began the climb up the city's winding stone stairs. Without the armor, Leo felt vulnerable—just a guy in a strange jacket in a fantasy world.
The citizens of Mondstadt whispered as they passed; news of the "Red Knight" who moved faster than the wind was already spreading.
As they reached the upper plaza, the massive facade of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters loomed over them. Two guards stood at the oak doors, their expressions sharpening as they saw the "unusual traveler" Amber had mentioned.
"Outrider Amber, returning with the guest!" Amber announced, her voice echoing in the courtyard.Leo took a deep breath, his RP nearly depleted and his hands empty.
He was about to walk into the heart of Mondstadt's power.