Chapter 50: Xiao Lin is a Man Who is Available to Anyone

After eliminating Zantank the Head-Slicer, the members of Night Raid returned to their base.

"So strong—!!!"

In the main hall, Tatsumi, the sole witness to the battle, could not help but exclaim in admiration.

He boasted to the others, "Miss Ruri is truly amazing! Her twin scythes were wielded with such terrifying speed that they formed an impenetrable wall of blades. Even Zantank, who was also a Teigu user, couldn't block them. Her graceful and fluid movements flashing under the moonlight were more elegant and dazzling than the most renowned dancers in the Imperial Capital!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

The rest of Night Raid raised their eyebrows, casting curious glances toward Ruri.

This was the first time Ruri had taken action.

Although Tatsumi was the only witness, if she could win such high praise and awe from him, her strength must undoubtedly be formidable.

"Thank you for the compliment."

Ruri lifted the hem of her skirt, bowed gracefully, and accepted the praise with poise. However, she followed up with her characteristic sharp tongue, "Still, might I ask you not to compare me to a dancing girl? At the very least, those hypocritical, pretentious bugs could never fulfill my master's commissions."

Was she intentionally using her sharp tongue just to highlight her own importance? It seemed she really had been neglecting her feelings lately.

Kobayashi knew that Ruri was taking a jab at him.

"What on earth are you so pleased about?!"

Bulat delivered a heavy slap to Tatsumi's back, causing the delicate, flower-boy-like youth to cringe in pain while letting out a loud yelp.

Leone also patted him resignedly on the lower back, teasing, "Tatsumi, weren't you completely useless in all of this? Since you couldn't contribute anything, what are you making such a noisy fuss about?"

"But I'm not a Teigu user!"

Tatsumi glared with his upturned eyes, complaining irritably, "Didn't you all solemnly warn me that ordinary people stand no chance against a Teigu user and must run away immediately upon encountering one?"

"Oh my? Did a brainless country bumpkin like you actually manage to remember that?" Mine asked, slightly surprised.

Uncharacteristically, Tatsumi didn't snap back. Instead, he scratched his cheek with a bashful expression and murmured quietly, "Well... actually, Kobayashi-san was the one who didn't let me join the fight."

"What's that? Aren't you still just a brainless country bumpkin?" Mine seized the exact right moment to deliver a mocking retort.

"Stop insulting me!"

Furious, Tatsumi rushed forward to pick a fight with her. Realizing he was genuinely angry, Mine quickly scrambled behind Sheele for protection, leaving Tatsumi—who owed a debt of gratitude to Sheele—frustrated and helpless.

"Alright, alright, cut the bickering. Regardless of the details, it's a great relief that no one was injured in this mission."

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit too rowdy, Najenda reined the group back in.

She turned to Tatsumi and said, "You mentioned earlier that you don't possess a Teigu and therefore couldn't intervene in the battle. Does that mean you feel frustrated about it?"

"...A little bit."

Tatsumi lowered his head slightly, his voice dropping a notch as he replied, "Before I witnessed a fight between Teigu users, I foolishly thought the gap between them and ordinary people wouldn't be all that wide. But after watching Miss Ruri fight Zantank, I clearly understood that there is an unbridgeable chasm between us."

If he had been the one facing Zantank and his Omnifarious Sight: Spectator, he undoubtedly would have suffered a crushing defeat.

"No, no, no, it's not as exaggerated as you make it sound."

Najenda waved a hand to signal that he shouldn't lose heart.

"Every Teigu has different functions and effects, and there are even some that don't enhance one's combat power at all. For instance, Gaia Foundation is used purely for transformation, and its user's combat capability is inferior even to that of an ordinary person, even when utilizing the Teigu."

She must be referring to Chelsea, that assassin who lacked hand-to-hand combat skills and possessed weak physical and athletic abilities.

"However, there is one undeniable truth."

Najenda said with a solemn expression, "An ordinary person stands no chance against a Teigu user. Only a Teigu user can defeat another Teigu user."

Old man's words held true in this world as well.

Though it sounded somewhat humorous, it was unexpectedly a profound truth.

"By the way, would you like to try out a Teigu? Specifically, the spoils of war we obtained from Zantank?"

"Can I?!"

Tatsumi was immensely excited by Najenda's suggestion, but a second later, a wave of doubt hit him. He asked cautiously, "...Is it really alright?"

Saying the exact same words with a different tone naturally conveyed an entirely different meaning.

Najenda smiled and said, "Well, then you'll have to ask the person who defeated Zantank."

"Kobayashi-san..."

Tatsumi opened his eyes wide, looking at Kobayashi with a pitiful, pleading expression.

Rubbing his chin, Kobayashi replied, "To be honest, I hate it when other people use my spoils of war."

"How could you..."

Tatsumi looked somewhat crestfallen.

Then, however, he heard Kobayashi change his tune. "However! If it's you, Tatsumi, I suppose I can let you give it a try."

"Really?! Thank you!"

He jumped up in joy.

Tatsumi's wavelength probably wasn't compatible with Spectator and synchronization would fail, but doing this would earn him a personal favor. Besides, even if synchronization somehow succeeded, it didn't matter. Having undergone his own ideological education, Tatsumi was an essential component of Kobayashi's subsequent plans, and increasing his strength would allow him to play a greater role.

"Then... I'll help myself."

Tatsumi swallowed hard, nervously extending a hand toward the Spectator while inwardly complaining about how ugly the Teigu looked.

He picked up the Teigu and placed it on his forehead.

Once worn, it truly looked hideous.

Kobayashi's explanation followed closely.

"Based on my battle with Zantank, Spectator possesses five distinct abilities: Insight, Telesight, Farsight, Illusions, and Foresight. Insight allows you to see through a person's thoughts by observing their facial expressions; Telesight lets you see distant objects; Farsight allows your vision to penetrate obstacles; Illusions can make the target hallucinate; and Foresight allows you to perceive the opponent's upcoming moves through subtle muscle twitching. All of these abilities are immensely useful in combat, so feel free to test them all out."

"Oh oh oh oh oh! So strong!"

Tatsumi tried out all five abilities one by one. It was his first time using a Teigu, and he was both extremely excited and terribly cautious.

Perhaps because he had mentally complained about how ugly Spectator looked, the Teigu seemed equally displeased with his weakness, triggering a rejection reaction only moments later.

"Ugh!"

Tatsumi felt a wave of dizziness wash over his brain, and he staggered to his knees on the ground, drawing gasps of alarm and anxiety from the others.

Lubbock remarked with a hint of pity, "What a shame. It seems you aren't compatible with this Teigu."

"Is that so? I can't use it?"

Tatsumi's gaze dimmed slightly.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed. Everyone in Night Raid was a Teigu user except for him, so it was inevitable that he would feel a sense of isolation.

Yet, he quickly adjusted his state of mind and said to the others, "Well! Since I can't use it, why don't one of you take it? Even though it looks a bit weird, the effects are really powerful!"

"No, no, no."

Lubbock waved his hands in refusal, looking visibly repulsed.

Bulat explained, "Teigu place a massive burden on both the physical body and the mind. As a principle, each person should only wield a single Teigu; attempting to use more carries the severe risk of overexertion and death."

"...Is that how it is?"

This was the first time Tatsumi learned about such harsh conditions regarding the use of Teigu.

At that moment, Kobayashi suddenly spoke up. "No, I think I'd like to try it."

"You mean Kobayashi wants to use it?" Leone patted his shoulder to stop him, warning, "Don't push yourself. Isn't having Ruri already enough? Look, she's already getting jealous."

"Uh..."

Following the direction of her finger, Kobayashi saw that Ruri's gaze was radiating a dangerous aura.

Yet, Spectator was also the first Teigu Kobayashi had ever acquired personally; there was no reason not to test it out, and he was confident in his ability to achieve synchronization.

"Actually, I am capable of altering my own wavelength."

"Eh???"

Hearing his words, the members of Night Raid looked slightly astonished.

Kobayashi continued, "Whether a Teigu can be utilized depends on whether the user's wavelength falls within the same threshold as the Teigu itself. The closer the wavelengths match, the higher the compatibility, and the greater the power of the Teigu. As for me, I am somewhat special—I can alter my own wavelength to forcefully use a Teigu."

It was the effect of magic.

Every mages was a master of exceptional mental fortitude; altering one's spiritual frequency to resonate with elements was elementary.

Mismatched Teigu wavelengths were an insurmountable problem for Tatsumi and the others who didn't know magic, but for Kobayashi, it posed absolutely no barrier.

"In other words, is Kobayashi-san a man who can work with anyone?"

Leone suddenly made a bawdy remark, completely shattering the astonished yet solemn atmosphere the group had maintained.

Kobayashi shrugged. "You could certainly interpret it that way."

Still...

A woman who could "work with anyone" sounded rather suggestive, but why did a man who could "work with anyone" sound so strange?

"Could it be... is that the exact method you used to wield Miss Ruri?"

Kobayashi didn't answer, merely offering a mysterious smile, which the others took as tacit confirmation.

Najenda thought of another humanoid Teigu back at headquarters—one that had remained completely unusable for hundreds of years.

If Kobayashi could use this same method to activate it... then defeating Esdeath might not be entirely impossible after all!

"Very well, then go ahead and give it a try."

To verify whether Kobayashi's claim was true, Najenda wanted him to demonstrate it right then and there.

"If you say so, I will."

Kobayashi took the Teigu and decisively placed it on his head.