Chapter 38 - Anastasia Part 1

Seeing Mersa's sub-transformation, all three of them came to the same conclusion.

*He*...

All three knew that the moment he gave Celina the "gift," he caused her sub-transformation. He did it directly.

Even Claire couldn't explain the circumstances. Sub-transformations were incredibly rare, and it was unthinkable for someone to induce them at will, especially in another person. This matter had been forgotten with the passage of time, but now...

Something must have happened to him!

[Celina: Mersa-chan, please calm down.]

[Nova: Mersa-chan, it's alright.]

[Mersa: ... Vorst...]

She murmured absentmindedly.

What was happening?

Her eyes were fixated on the state of her hair.

It had already turned pink. This sub-transformation was extremely slow. Nearly a minute had passed, and it was still going on; normal transformations completed in a matter of seconds...

White...

The first time it happened...

He...

That's right, the first time it happened, he survived what should have been a lethal poison from the black scorpion.

Last time this occurred...

He also sacrificed himself for her...

Maybe...

Just maybe...

Just... maybe...

He. W. O. K. E.......... UP?!!!!

For the first time in the past five years, light returned to her black eyes.

A light of hope.

CRASH

[Celina: ...]

[Nova: Sigh, let's move, Celina-chan.]

[Celina: ... Roger that.]

Mersa instantly summoned her M-Collos and used it to crash through the cafeteria windows.

Various screams resounded behind her, but she didn’t care.

She had chosen a window where no one was seated!

In a matter of seconds, she arrived before THE DOOR.

But today...

THE DOOR before her was incredibly intimidating.

For the first time in years, she felt fear.

Inexplicable fear. Fear of THE DOOR.

THE DOOR, the Last Boss.

Trembling.

Chilled.

She was scared...

Never before in her life had she felt this level of fear.

Petrified, she stood helplessly before THE DOOR.

Right now, she wasn’t the Crimson Ice Queen anymore.

Right now, she was just a helpless girl.

She had done this thousands of times before.

Thousands of times she had casually turned that handle without any problems.

She could overdrive her body to the breaking point and not even feel the pain of her muscles tearing apart.

She could overdrive her mind to the breaking point and train for days without giving it an hour of sleep.

She could overdrive her soul to the breaking point and continuously fire psychic powers while coughing up blood.

However...

This handle...

THE DOOR...

This time...

She couldn’t muster any strength.

Two arrived after her.

Both knew what she was feeling, as they too were incredibly nervous. They understood how agonizing it was for Mersa, who was undoubtedly the most dependent on him. What if... What if nothing happened? What if the outcome was the complete opposite? What if he was gone forever instead?

Celina came forward and hugged the wolf girl from behind.

[Celina: It's fine. No matter what happens, we are here with you.]

Warmth...

That’s right.

That time, he also shared his warmth with her so she could endure the despair...

Za-senpai...

The blue-haired girl also reached out to grab her hand.

Aria-senpai...

That’s right...

Now she just had to believe.

Believe in him...

An image of his emerald eyes flashed through her mind.

Believe that he can...

An arrogant smirk appeared on his face.

That’s right, with the three of them together, they could overcome THE DOOR.

Her hand reached out towards the handle...

Eyelids slowly opened...

Emerald-like shine was slowly revealed...

The image became clearer, and he finally noticed those jade-colored eyes smiling at him. The softness of her skin immediately put him at ease.

[--Marc--: Kaya.]

[--Kaya--: Welcome back, love~]

[--Marc--: I forced you to wake up early...]

A hint of regret was evident in his voice.

[--Kaya--: Hehe~ It was already too noisy, and this place was shaking. How could anyone sleep under such conditions?]

[--Marc--: How is your condition?]

[--Kaya--: No problem, your Kaya is at her peak form!]

[--Marc--: ...]

[--Kaya--: ... I lost two of them.]

[--Marc--: I'm sorry...]

[--Kaya--: No worries. I'd gladly give up all of them for you. They will regrow given time, so it’s no problem, right?]

A brilliant smile appeared on her face.

However, Marc knew... Losing even one of them was unspeakably painful. Part of her was torn away after all.

[--Calla--: Hmm... Hello, Kaya.]

[--Kaya--: Ragna-nee~ Welcome back.]

[--Calla--: You must have also used several of them to heal Marc, right?]

Marc’s expression turned grim.

[--Kaya--: ... Don’t worry, Marc. I only used five of them. Here is one left, see?]

With that, one large serpent emerged, putting him at ease...

[--Lily--: Anastasia.]

[--Kaya--: Lilith.]

The demoness had a grateful expression in her eyes, but only for a split second. It quickly turned into a fierce smile. Kaya returned the competitive spirit immediately.

[--Lily--: You never miss a chance to get naked with Marc, do you?]

[--Kaya--: Fufu, it’s all part of the treatment. You must know that skin-to-skin contact improves the effect.]

[--Lily--: Huh, excuses.]

Kaya’s background was incredibly complicated.

She was the only one among the seven Valkyries not cursed.

She was also the only one among the seven Valkyries not blessed with an "Omen."

In fact, she was the first to be with Marc, second to form a link, but due to "special" circumstances, her link sequence was changed to third.

Kaya - When Marc first found her, she had amnesia, so this was the name he gave her.

Anastasia - The name she had prior to memory loss.

And lastly...

Orochi. Her true name. Originally, she didn’t have one, but due to "special" circumstances, she obtained this one, along with the highest-class blessing.

Orochi, the Eight Serpents of Immortality.

Anastasia "Kaya" Orochi. She has no field she excels in. Besides Calla, whose power is simply too extraordinary, the five others have specializations. However, her power is extremely balanced, allowing her to rank 2nd in terms of power!

She is also the one who initiated the harem, somewhat forcing Marc into a path of being "unfaithful" to her...

The Eight Serpents of Immortality. Each serpent has its specialty, but all have the power to restore body, mind, and soul. Each serpent is incredibly powerful, and consuming one releases extreme vitality, granting a "second" life to a chosen person.

There is one exception to this rule. If a person’s soul is incredibly strong, it will require more consumptions. Marc’s Adamantine Soul is a prime example. This time, to heal a single crack in his soul, five serpents were consumed.

A consumed serpent will "return" as time passes. She can consume eight of them and... herself, and that one will not come back. That’s what Marc feared most; even he didn’t have enough soul control powers to replicate what Fate did...

A lost serpent will need to regrow, requiring a lot of time, effort, and power.