The battlefield didn't settle.
It tightened.
Ryu stood opposite Takeru, still grinning—but now sharper, more focused. Uro hovered higher, wary of both Mahoraga and the growing instability of the space. Yuta remained still, watching Takeru carefully, as if waiting for a decision only he would understand.
Takeru exhaled once.
Then spoke.
"…Here goes a 40–60% chance."
A pause.
"…and I'm with the 40."
His hand rose slightly.
Calm.
Certain.
"…Lend me your strength."
A beat.
"…Rika."
The air split.
Behind Takeru—
Rika manifested.
Not attacking.
Not reacting.
Just appearing.
Massive presence.
Silent authority.
But she didn't move.
Didn't obey blindly.
Instead—
she paused.
And looked at him.
Something changed.
Not hostility.
Not instinct.
Recognition.
Because what she sensed in Takeru—
wasn't different from Yuta.
It was… aligned.
Rika didn't lunge.
Didn't restrain.
Didn't destroy.
She simply listened.
Yuta's eyes widened slightly.
"…Rika?"
Ryu's grin faded a fraction.
"…That thing listens to him too?"
Uro narrowed her eyes.
"…That's not normal behavior for a shikigami…"
Mahoraga tilted slightly in the distance.
Even it turned its attention.
Then—
the narrator returned.
"…1. The 5-Minute Full Manifestation."
A pause.
"…Yuta can only access his full potential for a continuous five-minute window by connecting to Rika through his wedding ring."
Takeru glanced at the ring on his hand.
"…During these five minutes: Infinite Cursed Energy—Yuta gains access to a 'bottomless' supply of cursed energy stored within Rika, effectively refilling his own reserves."
Rika remained still behind Takeru.
But the pressure of her presence intensified.
"…Cursed Technique Mimicry—Yuta's innate technique, 'Copy,' is fully unlocked. He can use any of the techniques he has previously copied and stored inside Rika."
Yuta slowly lowered his stance.
"…This is active…"
Takeru didn't look surprised.
Only focused.
"…Weapon Storage—Rika acts as an armory, storing various cursed tools that can be deployed mid-battle."
A faint shift—
space around Rika tightening like a vault being unlocked.
Ryu muttered.
"…That's ridiculous…"
The narration continued.
"…2. The Shikigami 'Rika.' The current Rika is a shikigami vessel that remains after the original soul left. Outside the five-minute limit, Rika can still partially manifest (e.g., arms or torso) to protect Yuta or restrain enemies, and she possesses her own sentience and will, often acting instinctively to defend Yuta even without command."
Rika's gaze stayed on Takeru.
Not Yuta.
Not Ryu.
Not Uro.
Takeru.
"…3. Conditions for Copying."
The air tightened again.
"…To copy a new cursed technique in the Culling Game, Rika must consume a part of the target's body. The more significant the body part, the better the mimicry; however, binding vows may allow limited bypass usage."
Ryu's eyes sharpened.
"…So she eats your technique to steal it…"
Uro clicked her tongue.
"…Disgusting system…"
The narration continued.
"…4. Role as 'External Storage.' Because the human brain can typically only handle a few cursed techniques before overload, Rika functions as external storage, holding copied techniques and massive cursed energy reserves to prevent neurological damage."
Rika finally shifted slightly.
Not aggressively.
Just… adjusting to the field.
"…In this current state, Rika's behavioral alignment has synchronized between Yuta Okkotsu and Takeru Gojo due to shared access through the ring connection. Yuta temporarily gains access to Takeru's Copy mechanic, allowing both to share replication capabilities during combat interactions. This requires Takeru to be wearing the ring for dual-function activation, resulting in a temporary overlinked system state."
Silence.
Then—
the battlefield felt different.
Ryu stared at both of them.
"…So you're telling me…"
A pause.
"…both of you can copy now?"
Yuta exhaled slowly.
"…That's what it sounds like."
Uro stepped back slightly.
"…This is escalating too fast…"
Mahoraga's wheel turned once.
Slow.
Measuring.
Takeru looked down at the ring.
Then at Rika.
"…Understood."
A pause.
"…This is efficient."
Rika remained still.
But her presence steadied.
Protective.
Aligned.
Ryu cracked his neck.
"…Yeah…"
A grin returned.
"…Now it's getting tasty."