Rhode didn't stop to check the item's description. Seeing that it could be stored, he tossed it into his inventory and immediately vanished from the area.
Only after he was far enough away that he could no longer sense any magicians did he find a quiet spot to inspect his loot.
The purple flame had gone out. In its place was a purple crucifix, no larger than a man's palm. Just holding it, Rhode could feel an immense power brewing inside.
That old hag Augusta was truly wasting this thing.
If she had been able to draw out 100% of its potential, Rhode wouldn't have been able to take her down so easily.
"I thought Longinus were weak," Rhode muttered, a smirk playing on his lips. "Turns out, the users were just trash."Rhode clicked his tongue.
He had Augusta's lack of skill to thank for this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to snag such a massive bargain.
[Longinus: Incinerate Anthem (Crucifix of the Purple Flame Lord)]
Description: Originally a common crucifix, it contains the will of a certain Saint. The holder can release purple holy flames in the shape of a cross. These flames possess extremely high temperatures and powerful sacred energy, posing a lethal threat to devils, reapers, vampires, yokai, and similar races.
Status: Ownerless.
"Just as I suspected—this thing can change hosts on its own."
Normally, a Sacred Gear cannot be obtained through conventional means from its possessor. Once the host dies, the Gear typically vanishes to find a new, unborn human host at random. However, there are exceptions.
One method, as seen in the original story, involves Raynare using a specialized magic circle to forcibly extract the Gear, though this process is agonizing and usually fatal for the host.
The other method involves the nature of the Sacred Gear itself. Some, like Incinerate Anthem, have the unique trait of detaching upon the host's death to seek a new one. This process can be active or passive. Actively, the Gear wanders the world for a suitable candidate. Passively, if someone catches the manifested Gear immediately after the host's death, they can refine and fuse with it.
Such Gears are incredibly rare, and very few people are aware of this loophole. Rhode knew because he recalled its history—in the original timeline, it had three different masters: Augusta, then Walburga, and finally a six-winged Reincarnated Angel much later in the story.
It was a "servant of three masters," a top-tier Longinus that didn't mind switching sides. Rhode had only intended to try his luck; he hadn't expected to actually pull it off. This "act of kindness" might not have been a system quest, but the reward was far better than anything that stingy system would have given him!
You hear that, you trash system? I'm talking about you.
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield...
Even though Augusta was dead, the fires she had ignited continued to rage. Unlike ordinary flames, these refused to be extinguished even by water. Near Augusta's corpse, several magicians were frantically searching the area.
The usually smirking, eccentric Walburga was no longer laughing. She and her companions had rushed back the moment the fighting stopped, only to find their leader's body. Instead of mourning, however, they were scouring the surroundings.
"How can Incinerate Anthem be gone? It should have manifested to find a new host the moment she died!"
"Dammit! We've looked everywhere, but there's nothing!"
"Could that man have taken it?"
"I don't know... I was watching through surveillance magic from a distance. After Purple Flame died, that man left immediately."
"Curse it all! Not only did we fail to get the treasure, we lost the Flames too!"
The witches were seething with indignation. This operation had been a total disaster—they had lost their leader and their prize.
Who was the bastard that snatched their treasure?!
Elsewhere, Rhode was happily tucking the "auto-looted" Longinus into his storage space. It was a great find, but he couldn't use it yet; who knew if there were hidden traps or "bugs" during the fusion process?
Before long, he heard a faint murmuring from his shoulder. Lavinia was slowly drifting back to consciousness. As she opened her eyes, she saw Rhode crouching beside her, staring straight at her.
"You're awake. The surgery was a success," Rhode said with an expression of deep relief and a voice so sincere it was hard not to believe him. "You are now a very cute boy."
Still dazed from the mental and physical trauma of the battle, Lavinia's mind went blank for a split second before she snapped into full alertness. Despite her aching body, her hands instinctively flew to her chest and down her torso, checking herself.
A few seconds later, she let out a long sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Nothing "extra" had grown, and nothing important was missing.
Once she confirmed she was fine, Lavinia looked at the young man before her, her usually stoic face clouding with a look of intense, weary annoyance.
"Just a joke to lighten the mood," Rhode said, shrugging.
"That joke was not funny."
Despite the meaningless banter, Lavinia felt herself relax for the first time. Rhode shrugged again; he didn't care if she laughed—he certainly found it amusing.
"Who are you? Why did you save me?"
Despite the massive shock she'd received, Lavinia hadn't developed "drama-trope amnesia." She remembered losing her strength and nearly being hit by Augusta's black magic. At the last second, a man in glasses had saved her. She didn't know the rest.
"The name's Rhode. Just a passing freelance mercenary. As for saving you... I don't think I need a reason for that."
Of course, Rhode did have reasons. If Lavinia had been a seventy-year-old crone like Augusta or some grizzly old man, he wouldn't have spared her a second glance, let alone carried her to safety.
Upon hearing his answer, Lavinia's gaze shifted slightly. She looked him in the eye, searching for an ulterior motive, but found none. Her impression of her savior rose several notches. Having spent time among the Five Great Clans, she had seen her fair share of coldness and calculated politics. Someone as "pure" as Rhode seemed rare.
"Where is Augusta?"
"Dead."
"Dead?" Lavinia blinked, stunned. She had planned on seeking revenge once she recovered.
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