The morning after his Level Up found Hachiman awake early, his body surprisingly refreshed despite the trials of the previous days. The jump to Level 2 seemed to have not only reset his stats but also healed the residual aches and recharged his energy. Beside him, Aqua slept peacefully, clinging to his pillow this time, perhaps sensing the fundamental change in him even in her dreams.
Hachiman lay there for a moment, contemplating. Level 2. Status I-0 again, but with much greater growth potential. Development Ability 'Mystery'. Knowledge to project Noble Phantasms up to Rank C. And the new, powerful Skill and Magic – Savage Determination and Single Strike. It was a formidable arsenal. The alliance with the Hephaestus Familia and the growth armor completed the picture, giving him a solid foundation like he'd never had before. But the threat of Freya loomed like a shadow, and his newfound fame was an unwanted spotlight. He couldn't relax.
He decided to take some time for himself that morning, digest the level up, and more importantly, better understand his new capabilities before returning to the Dungeon routine. He got up silently and went to the small living room of the new house, sitting down as the sun began to illuminate the room.
His mind focused on the knowledge about Rank C Noble Phantasms that came with the Level Up. He sifted through the influx of information. 'Weapons, shields, and certain support items...' he confirmed internally. The nature of Unlimited Blade Works limited his projections to these archetypes. He couldn't just create anything. 'I can't project a full suit of armor like Aspháleia, for example. That's outside the scope. I need items that fit the category of 'sword' or its variations and associated defenses.' He also realized something about Kanshou and Bakuya. 'The ones I've been using... were weaker versions, limited by my own capacity and mana at Level 1, especially those projected instinctively. Their true potential, as Noble Phantasms, is Rank C-. I can project them in their correct form now.'
He mentally scanned the newly expanded catalog of Rank C weapons. There were famous swords, historical spears, legendary shields... Many options, each with its own abilities and mana costs. He would need to organize this, understand what would be most useful and efficient for his combat style and his mana pool (now reset to I-0, although he felt his fundamental magical capacity limit had increased with the Level Up and the previous SSS Rank).
It was then that a specific name jumped into his mind, a peculiar Noble Phantasm that didn't quite fit the category of a direct combat weapon. An irregular, almost shapeless dagger, with an iridescent blade that seemed to distort light. 'Rule Breaker... The Destroyer of All Rules.' Medea's dagger, the Witch of Colchis. Its primary function wasn't cutting flesh, but cutting magic. Breaking contracts, dispelling enchantments, nullifying magical connections.
A bold thought occurred to Hachiman. 'That being... the entity that threw us here... said we were 'bound' as punishment. And that Aqua had her powers restricted. Could this restriction be a form of... magic? A curse? An imposed contract?' If so, then Rule Breaker, even being only Rank C, could theoretically affect it. Could it break the restriction on Aqua's powers?
A bit of excitement surged within him, a genuine prospect of perhaps improving Aqua's situation and, consequently, theirs. 'If she could use more of her divine powers... even limited like the other gods here... she would be much more useful. And maybe...' He thought about the Falna limitation. 'Maybe she could finally grant Falna to others, not just me.' The possibility of expanding the Aqua Familia, of having real allies, was too tempting not to try.
He stood up, decision made. He went to the bedroom and woke Aqua, who grumbled sleepily. "Aqua. I need you to stand up for a moment. I want to test something."
"Test what? It's early..." she yawned, but curiosity shone in her eyes. "Is it something amazing you can do now that you're Level 2?" Her excitement grew.
"Maybe. It could be very useful for us... for the Familia," he said, trying to manage her expectations. He positioned her in the center of the room. "Stand still."
Aqua stood, confused but obedient, watching him expectantly. Hachiman took a deep breath, concentrating on the image, the structure, the concept of the dagger he wanted to summon. "Trace On!"
Mana flowed from his Level 2 body – the sensation was different, more controlled, even with the I-0 status. In his hand, a dagger took shape. It wasn't an imposing weapon of war. It was strange, almost crooked, with a short, irregular blade that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow, like oil on water. It was unmistakably Rule Breaker.
"What a weird dagger..." Aqua commented.
Hachiman ignored her. He approached Aqua and carefully touched her shoulder not with the blade, but with the dagger's hilt. He focused on the intent behind the weapon's ability: break rules, nullify external magic. And activated the Noble Phantasm's power.
There was a faint pulse of iridescent energy that emanated from the dagger and seemed to flow into Aqua. The goddess's eyes widened. She gasped, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Hachiman... what..." she began, but then an expression of pure joy and surprise washed over her face. "I feel...! My power! It's not... completely blocked!" She raised her hands, and a small sphere of pure, shining water appeared floating between them, much clearer and more stable than any party trick she had managed before. She then made the water dance, change shape, even create small ice flowers that hovered in the air for an instant before melting. "I can do it! It's not like before, in Heaven, but... I can use my powers for real!" She laughed, genuinely happy.
Hachiman watched the scene, a small smile of satisfaction appearing. 'It worked. Rule Breaker broke the external restriction.' He analyzed the level of power she demonstrated. It was clearly limited, comparable to what he knew about other gods in Gekai. "It seems that entity's 'punishment' has been removed," he explained. "But you're still subject to the normal limitations of gods in this world. Your Arcanum is still sealed, except for the Falna."
"But I can use my other powers now! Purification, healing, maybe even some minor blessings!" Aqua vibrated. Then, another realization hit her. "Wait! If the restriction was broken... does that mean...?"
"Probably," Hachiman anticipated her thought. "It means the reason you could only give me the Falna – our forced bond – might not be the only way anymore. You can likely grant your blessing to other people now." He noted internally, however, that the feeling of the link between them, that fundamental, unwanted bond, was still present. Rule Breaker broke the power restriction, but not the tie that bound them.
Understanding hit Aqua, and her eyes shone with an almost manic fervor. "Other people! I can have more followers! A real Familia! Big, strong, rich! With many members to worship me and bring me offerings and build my temple!" She was already gesturing excitedly, ready to run out the door and recruit the first adventurer she found.
"Whoa, hold on there!" Hachiman caught her by the shoulder before she could dash off, predicting exactly this reaction. He turned her to face him, adopting his most serious, piercing gaze. "Aqua. Listen. Being able to have more members is good. But we can't just go inviting anyone."
"But why?! The more the merrier!" she protested, pouting.
"No," Hachiman was firm. "Think about it. Do we want a large, mediocre Familia, full of weak or problematic people who will only give us headaches? Or do we want a smaller, but strong, loyal Familia, with members who truly contribute to our growth and safety?" He appealed to her pragmatic (and perhaps slightly elitist) side. "The better the members, the stronger and richer and more prosperous our Familia will be. We'll have more respect, more influence. There's no need to recruit just anyone for numbers. Quality over quantity." He paused. "Let me handle finding the right, qualified people. People worth having in the Aqua Familia."
Aqua seemed to ponder the argument. The idea of an elite, rich, respected Familia clearly appealed more to her ego than a disorganized crowd. "Hmmmm... An elite Familia... Yes, that sounds much more worthy of me," she finally agreed, though she still looked a bit sulky about not being able to recruit immediately. "But you have to find good people soon, okay?"
"I will," Hachiman assured her, relieved to have convinced her.
With the issue of Familia expansion temporarily resolved and Aqua's situation partially improved, Hachiman's mind turned to another pending matter. He retrieved the pouch where he had stored the spoils from the fight against the irregular Wyvern: the magic stone glowing with dark green light and the sinister black bone claw. They were clearly unusual items, likely linked to the monster's irregular nature and, by extension, to Freya. He needed someone with knowledge to analyze them.
'Hephaestus-sama,' was the obvious conclusion. With the alliance formed and her unmatched expertise, she was the perfect person to consult. 'I need to go to the Hephaestus Familia headquarters.'