Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

At first, Atlas considered giving the first batch of soulbinding armors to his elite subordinates first. However, after some deliberation - especially with input from Edrik and Kurogasa, he started reconsidering.

The elite subordinates who were currently with him were, at the very least, the most prepared, the most skilled, and the most capable of handling challenges at their current level.

Take Kurogasa, for example. He was an assassin who could fight by exploiting his enemy's openings and vanish into the shadows when pressured. The same applied to Edrik, whose natural talent allowed him to escape combat and stay hidden when necessary.

More than that, both Kurogasa and Edrik had their signature weapons secured already. They were more than capable of surviving in this battle.

Then there was Baldric, who had the strongest defense among them. Because of that, it felt like he needed the armor less than the others.

And Lyrassa? Her healing abilities were already powerful for the entire team, let alone for herself. She had a set of skills that allowed her to sustain herself exceptionally well.

With all of this in mind, Atlas ultimately decided to give the first batch of Soulbinding Armor to the team leaders, which included Garen, Kaida, and Veylor. And for the last piece, he chose Mira.

Well, yeah… as for Mira, his reason was simple. Among all his elite subordinates, she had the wildest and most brutal fighting style - even more so than Morganna. The difference was that Morganna had incredible healing potential, allowing her to sustain herself in battle. Meanwhile, Mira… she lacked the means to protect herself. So, this armor was a perfect fit for her.

Finally, Atlas handed over the Soulbinding Armor to the four of them.

"The rest will get theirs too. Everyone will receive one in turns," he assured the group.

"Thank you, My Lord," the team leaders responded as they accepted their armor.

But when it came to Mira, her reaction was… a little different.

The bunny girl froze in place, her mouth hanging open, her wide eyes locked on Atlas in pure shock.

"My Lord… this… this is for me?!"

"Yes… take it. Its grade is—" Atlas began, but before he could even finish, Mira bolted forward and threw herself against him, wrapping him up in a fierce hug.

He let out a long, weary sigh.

"My Lord… you're so kind…" she whimpered, tears welling up as her fluffy ears twitched. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I don't deserve something this precious, but you still gave it to me! You always take care of me… you always protect me… I'll treasure this forever!"

Her little hands clutched at him as she nuzzled against his chest, her voice breaking between sobs.

"You're the best, My Lord… I'm the luckiest bunny in the world… I'll never let you down, never ever!"

But instead of her usual bouncing enthusiasm, Mira suddenly burst into tears, crying openly.

"Yes, now put it on," Atlas said softly. "That way, you can fight more safely, okay?"

"Thank you, My Lord… I'm so happy… you're so, so kind… I'll fight harder than ever! I'll smash them, stab them, tear them apart. No one will ever bother you again, not while I'm here in this armor!"

"Yes, Mira. That's enough." Atlas wheezed, struggling for breath as her hug grew tighter by the second.

"Now, put on the armor."

The surrounding troops, who had been quietly watching the exchange, fell into silence. Not from shock, but because Mira's words had stirred something in them as well.

"That's enough, Mira."

Atlas tried to pry her off, but if this continued any longer, he feared he might lose his composure. Because this girl… this Mira… agh!

Why did it suddenly feel like he was on the verge of tearing up, too?

"My Lord, I've never… I've never received a gift this valuable before…" Mira whispered, her voice trembling as her ears drooped slightly.

Atlas sighed and gently patted her shoulder. In that moment, the bunny girl hopped back, her face shifting in an instant - bright, radiant, and glowing with pure joy. Her smile stretched wide, her eyes sparkling.

And… oh no. Why was Atlas being struck down by her cuteness again?!

"My Lord, thank you!" she beamed.

"Yes! Yes, now put it on!" Atlas hurriedly said, quickly turning his gaze away from her innocent - and dangerously adorable - expression!

"Bind the armor to yourself, and then you'll find out what grade it is."

Once the team leaders bound the armor to their bodies, the transformation began. Garen, Kaida, and Veylor watched as a new layer of energy flowed across their bodies, shaping itself into its final form before fully materializing into their new appearance.

"This is so cool! Hahaha! I feel like I could punch through a mountain right now!" Kaida exclaimed, striking a pose as she admired her new armor.

Though at a glance it wasn't so different from the mage robe she usually wore. Something like a half-open yukata, the design was far from modest. The armor didn't cover her completely. Her thighs were still exposed. Really, why couldn't they just cover everything?

The tight fit hugged her frame, while the layered robe draped over it gave her an edge that was both fierce and striking. So much so that it was hard for anyone to look away.

"That looks great on you, Kaida," Atlas said with a grin, giving her a thumbs-up.

Kaida smirked and responded with her usual tomboyish flair. "My Lord, this thing's insane! The armor helps me recover both stamina and mana, plus it boosts my fire damage. It's like this thing was made for me. Absolute perfection!"

Atlas's eyes widened. "It even boosts fire damage? That's unexpected, considering it's supposed to be defensive gear."

Baldric let out a booming laugh. "Hahaha! That's the craziness of this Soulbinding Armor! Looks like Kaida, who's meant to stand at the rear, gets more out of the fire damage boost than the protection itself. Still, she gains plenty of defense from the stamina and mana regeneration. It's a win-win for her!"

On the other side, Garen now wore an imposing black armor with cracks of fire glowing through parts of it. He looked every bit like the powerful and sturdy tanker that he was.

"Ah, this is incredible," Garen said, flexing his arms with a booming laugh. "Now I really feel like a volcanic mountain. Hahaha!"

"What about the ability, Garen?" Atlas asked.

"Yes, my Lord," Garen replied proudly. "It gives me an enormous defense boost - perfectly made for a tanker like me. But that's not all. Anyone who attacks me takes fire damage in return. So it works both defensively and offensively."

"That's incredible," Atlas said, nodding in approval.

Meanwhile, Veylor, the wolf beastkin, had received armor that struck the perfect balance between sturdy and flexible. It moved with him rather than against him, complementing his swift, fluid melee style.

And then… there was Mira.

Her armor gleamed in shades of white and purple, standing in stark contrast to the gardener-like outfit she usually wore.

"My Lord, this is so cute!" Mira exclaimed.

"Yes, very cute," Atlas replied with a small smile.

Once the four of them had finished admiring their new armor, Atlas's thoughts shifted to what truly mattered: the grades.

"What about the grades?" he asked. "They should range from Elite, Epic, Unique, all the way up to Legendary."