Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

With a consensus reached, the subsequent agenda of the tea party shifted to more specific coordination matters, namely resource allocation, the establishment of information sharing channels, and response procedures under certain pre-set scenarios.

Lin Yi basically stopped speaking, just sat there quietly, occasionally picking up his teacup to take a sip, as if he were really just a guest listening in.

However, Sakurako Utazumi and Mina Aomori's gazes kept involuntarily falling on him.

The "script" provided by Baiheyuan Shengya doesn't contain much description of Lin Yi, but every sentence carries a kind of understated yet thrilling tension.

Phrases such as "a devastating strike can be launched against a specific area if necessary to eliminate uncontrollable factors" or "its individual combat capability is assessed to be far beyond the level of a conventional disaster, and it is recommended to avoid direct conflict" sound like they are describing a natural disaster rather than a person.

The two couldn't help but have doubts.

They had witnessed the top combat power of Givotos, whether it was the monsters with special talents within the Holy Trinity or the madmen on Gohena's side known for their pure violence, all of whom had the ability to change the course of a local battle.

But are descriptions like "destroyed area" and "far exceeding disaster level" too exaggerated?

They had no idea what had happened on the streets of District 3 not long before.

If they knew, their doubts would probably have been replaced by apprehension by now.

As the meeting progressed into its second half, the detailed discussions inevitably became lengthy.

Mika Seien was the first to get restless. Her personality was naturally impulsive and her patience was limited. Political games and resource calculations were far less satisfying to her than real fighting.

Although her background gave her some knowledge and made her better than the average person, she was still, at heart, the "pink-haired gorilla" who was easily influenced by her emotions.

Bored out of her mind, she rolled her eyes and finally fixed them on Lin Yi.

She leaned closer, extended her index finger, and gently poked Lin Yi's ribs with a hint of curiosity.

"Hey," Wei Hua said in a low voice, a eager smile on her face, "Just sitting here is so boring. I heard you're pretty good? How about we arm wrestle?"

Lin Yi glanced at her sideways, a barely perceptible hint of helplessness on his face.

He didn't want to engage in a pointless physical contest with a clearly over-energetic "problem child" in this situation, but he also didn't want to be harassed any further.

He raised his right hand, lightly rubbed his thumb and middle finger together, and snapped his fingers.

The moment the snap of the fingers fell, in the shadowy corner of the tea party balcony, the air was quickly stained dark, like ink being poured onto the surface of water.

Immediately afterwards, a tall figure stepped out silently.

Mika Seien let out a soft "Wow!" Her eyes lit up instantly, as if she had discovered a new toy, and her earlier little provocative thoughts were immediately forgotten.

"Summoning? You can use summoning magic? That's so cool!"

While she was shouting and yelling, Kirito Nagisa on the other side had already frowned and was about to tell her to be quiet and not disturb the important matter.

When her gaze fell upon that dark figure, all the words of rebuke stuck in her throat.

This is the core area of ​​the tea party. The area around the balcony appears spacious, but it is actually filled with elite guards directly under the tea party and various detection methods.

Let alone a living person, even an unregistered mechanical insect flying in will immediately trigger an alarm.

But this person's appearance did not cause any ripples, as if it were always meant to be there, part of the shadows.

Sakurako's brows furrowed tightly. As the head of the nun's order, her perception of energy and existence was far more acute than that of ordinary people.

That black-armored soldier lacked the vitality of a living being, the orderly logical circuits of an autonomous machine, and was unlike the "halo" system that the students of Kivotos relied on.

This reminded her of the records in the ancient books in the Sisters' Secret Archives, which were kept on high shelves and only the Superintendent and a few core members had the right to access.

Aomori Mina also leaned forward slightly, her armor making a soft scraping sound.

She didn't have Sakura's keen perception, but her intuition, honed through years of battle, was giving her a frantic warning.

This black-armored soldier is dangerous, and the way it exists... Her sharp gaze turned to Kazumi Sakura, and the moment their eyes met, they both saw a fleeting look of surprise in each other's eyes.

They thought of the same thing, the same almost legendary record.

The Church of Jesus Christ.

That was a name long forgotten in the official history of Trinity, existing only in the corners of the oldest secret archives.

It claims to be the sword-bearer of the code and the dignity of faith, with a history dating back to the founding period of the Holy Trinity College and even earlier. It has been a witness and executor of important early creed meetings and has participated in many secret events that laid the foundation for the Civotos faith. Its most famous achievement is as a staunch supporter of the "Trinity" doctrine and participated in the purge of the Arians, who were considered heretics at the time.

But this powerful organization vanished completely, as if evaporated, shortly after the school was founded.

Its functions of religious oversight and doctrinal enforcement were inherited by the later Sisters' Order, while its "Sword Bearers" aspect of force and punishment vaguely resembles the prototype of today's Justice Realization Department.

The most crucial connection lies with "Saint Barbara".

Legend has it that she was the last president of the Eustina Saints' Guild, and her guardian spirit once manifested in a form beyond reason, confronting the terrifying existence that threatened the academy.

One of the most iconic abilities of the Saints is the ability to summon the so-called "Saint's Armor"—neither a living person nor a machine, but a combat avatar formed from a certain contractual power.

Sakurako Utazumi had spent a great deal of effort secretly searching for any possible legacy or clues left behind by the Sisters of Eustina, hoping to give the Sisters enough strength and influence to stand firm in the internal power struggles of Trinity.

Unfortunately, after years of searching, nothing was found; those records seemed to be nothing more than fictional legends.

Mika Seien had no time to pay attention to the turmoil in Sakurako and Mina's hearts.

Her entire attention was drawn to the cool, shadowy army in front of her.

She walked around the Shadow Legion guards twice, making "tsk tsk" sounds of admiration, then stretched out her index finger and poked their arm hard.

It feels cold to the touch and has no elasticity.

The guard's two scarlet eyes suddenly lit up for a moment, and he turned his head slightly to "look" at the Saint Garden Mika who had stabbed him.

"Eek!" Mika Seien was startled by the sudden look and jumped back half a step, protecting her chest with her hands. A look of surprise flashed across her face, a look that often appears when a young girl sees a ghost in a horror movie.

Even though she possesses exceptional martial arts skills, her fear of ghosts doesn't seem to be exempted despite her strength.

Lin Yi glanced at her, then casually pointed to an empty corner of the luxurious long table.

The shadowy guard silently stepped forward, pulled over a high-backed chair and sat down, then placed his right forearm steadily on the table, palm outstretched, ready to arm wrestle.

Upon seeing this, the fear in Seien Mika's eyes was instantly replaced by an even more intense excitement.

She rubbed her hands together, a slightly silly smile returning to her face. She took a few steps to sit down opposite him, and extended her own fair and slender hand to shake his.

Lin Yi glanced at both sides.

The shadowy legion guard he summoned was a power-specialized individual within the legion. Its pure strength attribute, after long-term nurturing and specific enhancement, had broken through its limits and reached a level of around 130 points.

However, other attributes are relatively mediocre; speed, endurance, and other aspects are only at the level of a regular elite soldier.

As for Sheng Yuan Wei Hua... Even without using deep detection, Lin Yi could tell from his previous observations and the current magma-like life energy and "halo" fluctuations within her that her basic physical qualities were definitely above those of the Imperial Guards, especially her strength, which was probably more than a level above them.

In a contest of sheer strength, the Imperial Guards have little chance of winning.

Lin Yi remained expressionless as a halo of light rippled out from beneath his feet, instantly sweeping past the guards.

At the same time, Lin Yi gave the Imperial Guards the order to give full play to their abilities without holding back.

At first, Mika held back, afraid of accidentally damaging this cool summon. She only used about a third of her strength to tentatively press down. It didn't budge.

The other person's arm was like a steel pillar cast into the table, without even the slightest tremor.

"Huh?" Mika Seien let out a soft exclamation, her interest piqued even more.

She gradually increased her strength, five points, six points... until she used seven points of her strength, at which point the other person's arm began to show extremely slow resistance, and the reverse force exerted on her steadily increased.

Below their elbows, the expensive tea table, crafted from precious hardwood and fitted with an alloy frame for added stability, began to groan softly under the weight.

Fine cracks appeared on the surface of the wood and spread rapidly.

"Crack... bang!"

Finally, at the focal point of the struggle where Mika Seien continued to intensify her resistance, the tabletop completely shattered!
Wood chips exploded with a soft, metallic crackling sound, sending fragments flying in all directions.

Several sharp wood shavings flew past Mika Seien's cheeks and arms, but didn't leave a single white mark, as if they had hit a high-density alloy instead of a girl's delicate skin.

Mika Seizo's face was flushed with excitement. It had been a long time since she had encountered an opponent who could make her feel "pressure" in a pure contest of strength. Nagisa Kirito was not going to play that game with her.

Their competitive spirit and fighting instincts were ignited at this moment.

"Hey—ya!" she shouted, no longer holding back, and the terrifying power belonging to "Saint Garden Mika" erupted completely at this moment!
That's not just simple muscle strength; it also incorporates the extraordinary properties bestowed by the "halo."

"boom!"

The dull thud wasn't the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground; it sounded more like a fully inflated balloon being popped instantly.

The shadow legion transformed into a thick cloud of black mist, which then quickly dissipated into the air, leaving only a few embers of crimson light that had not yet completely died out, which then vanished without a trace.

Lin Yi sighed silently, looked at Mika Seien, whose expression had instantly frozen, raised his hand, bent his finger, and flicked her forehead lightly.

"You crushed him." Lin Yi's tone was as calm as if he were saying, "The tea's gone cold."

"Huh?!" Mika Seien snapped back to reality, looking at her empty hands, then at Lin Yi. The excited blush on her face quickly faded, replaced by a hint of panic and confusion. "I...I killed someone? No, it...it wasn't...I didn't mean to! Is it alright?"

She was incoherent, all the excitement she had felt while arm wrestling had been completely dispelled by this sudden "unexpected turn of events."

"The Shadow Legion doesn't suffer from death in the conventional sense; they can regroup after a period of rest," Lin Yi explained, reassuring her.

The guard was indeed seriously injured and will need time to recover in the shadows.

"Phew...that scared me to death." Upon hearing this, Mika Seizono breathed a huge sigh of relief, patted her chest, and smiled again. "It's good that you're not dead, it's good that you're not dead...uh..."

Before she could finish speaking, an almost tangible low pressure spread from behind her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

The smile on Mika Seien's face froze again, and she turned around slowly, like a rusty robot.

Kirito Nagisa had already stood up at some point and was standing half a step behind her.

The girl's face was expressionless, devoid of anger or blame, only as calm as a deep pool.

But it was precisely this calmness, coupled with the chilling aura emanating from her that seemed to freeze the air, that made Mika Seien feel an unprecedented... danger.

It was a feeling that made her heart pound even harder than when facing a powerful enemy.

"Nagisa...?" Mika's voice trembled slightly as she tried to force a fawning, innocent smile. "Is...is there something you need?"

Kirito Nagisa's gaze slowly shifted from Seien Mika's guilty face to the magnificent long table behind her.

In the center of the long table, where a three-tiered cake tower and exquisite refreshments were originally placed, there was now a shocking sign of damage.

Centered on the elbows of the two people, the tabletop, about half a meter in diameter, completely disappeared, leaving only jagged, broken edges and a twisted, deformed metal frame inside.

Wood chips and a few crumbs of pastry were scattered everywhere, creating a mess.

This table was designed by Nagisa Kirito himself. It is made primarily of thousand-year-old ironwood from a precious forest outside of Kivotos and was crafted by top craftsmen over three months. It incorporates modern composite reinforcement technology and is not only a piece of furniture but also a symbol of authority and taste at tea parties.

Its cost easily exceeds nine figures.

Now, it has an ugly hole in the middle.

“Mika.” Kirito Nagisa finally spoke, her voice soft, yet every word struck Mika Seizo’s heart. “This table was specially ordered for my birthday last year to entertain the most important guest at the tea party.”

“I remember someone eating a limited-edition cake worth eight million yen on the table and then confidently saying, ‘Nagisa’s table is the best, and I will take good care of it.’”

Cold sweat began to bead on Mika Seien's forehead. She remembered something like that... The cake was so delicious, she was so focused on eating it...

“So,” Kirito Nagisa took a small step forward, and despite being of similar height, he now exerted a tremendous sense of pressure on Seizono Mika, “can you explain what’s going on with this ‘protection’?”

"Um... this... he agreed to the arm wrestling!" Mika Seien, quick-witted, tried to shift the blame to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi picked up his teacup and calmly took a sip.

He tilted his head slightly, admiring the neatly manicured gardens of Trinity College outside the balcony.

Kirito Nagisa's gaze did not waver even slightly from Mika Seizo's accusations; it remained firmly fixed on her.

"You broke the table."

“It was…it was the first thing that was flimsy!” Mika Seien tried to struggle.

"Oh?" Kirito Nagisa raised an eyebrow slightly. "So, it's because my table is of poor quality and doesn't deserve the divine power of you, Lady Seizono Mika, right?"

"That's not what I meant!" Mika Seizo was almost in tears. She knew that Nagisa Kirito usually doted on her, but on certain matters of principle, this close friend and guardian could be terrifying when she got serious.

"What do you mean?" Kirito Nagisa asked leisurely, even taking out a clean handkerchief from her small bag and slowly wiping her fingers, which were not dusty. "Was it an accident? Or do you think it doesn't matter if it's broken, and that Nagisa can just buy another one? After all, Master Mika's allowance next month should be enough to pay off... Oh, I forgot, your allowance next month isn't even enough to pay off a fraction of my debt."

Accurate last hit.

Mika Seien was completely wilted, like a big pink dog that had been soaked by the rain, its head drooping and its hands nervously twisted together.

"I'm so sorry, Nagisa... I really didn't mean it... I'll make it up to you! I... I'll take on missions and earn money to pay you back!"

"Compensate?" Kirito Nagisa finally finished wiping her hands, carefully folded the handkerchief, put it back in her bag, and then looked up with an extremely gentle smile on her face.

That smile sent a chill down Seien Mika's spine, a coldness shooting from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

“Okay,” Kirito Nagisa said gently. “A replica will be made using the original materials, techniques, and production schedule. In addition to the extra costs incurred due to the interruption of this meeting and the cleanup of the venue, as well as compensation for my emotional distress… well, from today until your graduation, all your stipends, mission bonuses, and family allowances will be directly managed by me. Your meals will be based on the academy's minimum standard. Any unnecessary expenses such as snacks, desserts, game top-ups, or shopping must be submitted in writing and approved by me before they can be carried out.”

"Huh?!" Mika Seizono was struck dumb. For someone who loved to enjoy life, this was a punishment comparable to hell!
"Any objections?" Kirito Nagisa's smile deepened.

Mika Seizo shook her head frantically, tears welling up in her eyes: "N-nothing!"

“Very good.” Kirito Nagisa nodded in satisfaction, then shifted his gaze from the lifeless Hijirizono Mika to Lin Yi, Utazumi Sakurako, and Aomori Mina. His face regained its composed and elegant demeanor as the chief of the tea party, as if the “creditor” who had been radiating dark pressure had never existed.

"It was a little mishap, please excuse me." She bowed slightly. "We can discuss the specific details of the cooperation later through encrypted channels. That's all for today."

Sakurako Utazumi took a deep look at the hole in the table, then at Lin Yi's face and the dejected Mika Seizono, and her opinion of this "special instructor" at the tea party rose even higher.

What secrets does this "variable" that Saintia of Lily Garden has found still hold? (End of Chapter)