I will strive beyond this cursed bloodline!

“Prepare the defenses!” Was the first thing she heard as soon as they materialized in the central spire. “Don’t let yourself be fooled, till we can confirm otherwise. That is not our Mistress but a [Dragon]. Our mistress would rather die than hurt Mother!”

 

First of all… No wait, that was… Would she actually die rather than hurt Rossie?

 

She wouldn’t hurt Rossie willingly, but would she rather die?

 

…No, that was stupid.

 

“I wouldn’t kill myself, I may maim myself, butcher my [Soul], torment my flesh and rip open my [Heart]. But I would never kill myself, that is the easy way out.” Elizabeth said as she saw all the [Shadow Dragons] point their weapons at her, she could see most of her armada. The first Sixty Six shadow dragons that had ascended, plus some extras.

 

“...Elizabeth? What is…this? These ... People? Summons? Revenants? What?” Jenna said as she landed at her side from their teleport.

 

Elizabeth didn’t have enough time to undo the wards around her spire, so instead she had pierced them using her mastery over both shadow and space to increase the gaps between the wards. Just big enough for her mana to pierce it but not enough to compromise the stability of the thing.

 

The cheeky girl (Beatrice) had tied herself into the wards, just so Elizabeth couldn’t attack her recklessly, at least while something of her remained. The moment her dragon half won and decided that she wasn’t worth the wait she would die.

 

“Hello Mistress, I am sorry to ask you this, but what is more important, Mother, myself or you?” Beatrice asked with a slight bow. One may think she was being respectful, but Elizabeth could see her sending mana into her maid outfit just so it could shift into her armor at a moment’s notice.

 

“Of course my family is important, but that does not mean I am willing to overlook myself. Too many people have sacrificed something to ensure I’m here now.” Elizabeth answered.

 

That made the little maid relax a little, but not enough. " So if it was between saving Mother or keeping your power, what would it be? Would you rip your [Heart] out? Or would you try to change Mother?” Beatrice asked as she raised her head and narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth.

 

“Why would I need to change Rossie? She is perfect as she is.” Elizabeth said back at the cheeky maid.

 

“...She will die at this pace, we can’t purify your mana fast enough, she is being eroded. Lady Rena may survive as a wyrm, but only because her soul was weak and more malleable. Mother is too stubborn, she refuses to change. So she is being ripped apart by the seams.” Beatrice said as she turned to look at the cylinder that housed Rossie, “Either you rip your [Hear] long enough or us to purge the [Dragon Mana] from her, or you transform her into your [Kin].”

 

Beatrice summoned all kinds of data and graphs, all seeming to confirm the same. Rossie would not survive long enough for the [Dragon Mana] to be purged safely, nor would her body acclimate fast enough to become a new species and adapt.

 

“This…Maybe if we had arrived earlier we could do something, Merlin had some experience dealing with Dragons, and if not the Lady of The Lake or Morganna could do something. Perhaps Tesla? Edison?” Jenna mumbled as she saw the data, “I’m sorry Elizabeth, but it is too late. Even if the girl managed to pull through, she would be changed, this mana…it’s too toxic to the psyche, I doubt any of the [Twelve] could survive it intact, maybe only Amelia.”

 

That…was interesting, so if they turned into enemies Elizabeth could let herself be imprisoned and just let all her [Dragon Mana] out?

 

Nah, she had burned most of that already. All that remained from her tank of [Dragon Prana] was barely enough and was already depleting, she couldn’t keep that unless she indulged in that [Dragon Pride], and she wasn’t willing to live like that, she enjoyed the lazy aspect. But that was a life of solitude, and she…wasn’t willing to sacrifice Rena or Rossie for that.

 

“Yeah, I can see why you both would think that.” Elizabeth said as she walked toward the cylinders that housed Rena and Rossie. “This mana is way too toxic, too much taint, too much…Corruption.”

 

Elizabeth could feel the remnants of the [Dragon Mana] calling to her, to let her indulge once more into her [Birthright] to show the heathens who ruled above them all, who was worthy of adoration. To rule above all from her golden throne, to rule [The World], be it a thriving or a destroyed one, it mattered not.

 

“Chloe told me to live for her, Alice taught me that I was too cocky, and Elzbeth taught me that no matter who we end up as, we can remain who we are. No matter how we look like.” Elizabeth started pulling into the connection that joined her to Rossie & Rena, she had seen it as something…hideous and yet precious.

 

The evidence of her Love and the proof that should she fail to contain herself, she would end up making those that she loved a mere toy for her amusement, but right now? Right now it was a lifeline, a pure connection between her Soul and the [Soul] of those she wished to save.

 

“And so know that whatever form you end up as Rossie, you will always be the Psychotic Stalker I love,” Elizabeth said and she willed her skill to flow into Rossaline Singh’s Soul, “ So whatever know that I will not change you into anything, and I won’t mind whatever you end up as.”

 

Then turning to the other girl Elizabeth was… less sure about this. But taking a deep breath and sensing the changes in the Soul of Rena. She really didn’t have any choice at all, worse of all. The changes were too… deliberate. These weren’t the changes of someone who was clinging desperately to her, instead of trying to fill the missing part with the [Link] Rena was instead placing the strands of their shared [Link] in the parts that matched, and left the strands that didn’t alone.

 

Rena wasn’t willing to take all that was Elizabeth (Unlike someone else).

 

“Why are you the sane one Rena? Why?” Elizabeth sighed, “Fine, I will accept it. Your Love wasn’t seeded into you. Even with all the burning desire for survival, you still took the time to think about us. About me, about Rossie, about you…I will admit it. Your love is real.”

 

She felt the strands that had been left alone within Rena’s Soul start accepting and changing, accommodating the other side, for she also needed to learn and adapt in a relationship.

 

“And just like how I will love whatever Rossie decides to turn into, I will always accept whatever you wish to change into Watanabe Rena.” Elizabeth allowed her Skill to flow into Rena’s Soulscape, and so, she kickstarted what had already started.

 

“Lady Beatrice? The readings are stabilizing.” One of her [Royal Mages] spoke to Beatrice.

 

“Let me see.” Jenna at the side moved and seemed to grab papers of someone…of her own size, somehow the documents that the Shadow Dragon was offering teleported to Jenna’s hand. “...the mana readings are stabilizing, the [Dragon Prana] is being purged… But this is…wrong? These aren’t the readings of a [Human]. This body temperature would boil you alive…This heart rate would make your veins burst open…What did you do Elizabeth?”

 

“Mistress? Why is Mother growing…horns?” Beatrice asked as she gaped at Rossie.

 

“Well, the [Human] body can go only so far… I learned that the hard way, as you saw from my… embarrassing showing of the last days.” Elizabeth said sheepishly. “So I threw it away.”

 

“...But you look [Human], I can’t see any [Echo] around you…Nor I can see your [Shifts]...what?” Jenna said scrubbing her eyes, then placing more mana into them she ended with a pair of eyes that seemed to have a complex series of magical circles on them. “Not here…not here….not here….That is a man… That is a squirrel… That is a squid?”

 

Jenna seemed to be going across multiple iterations of worlds that had an Elizabeth Starbright in them. But from this place…Yeah, she was not going to find many useful examples.

 

“Mistress, you seem [Human] enough, and your status hasn’t changed. You still show as a [Human]” Beatrice narrowed her eyes at her. “But Mother no longer shows as [Human], she is coming closer and closer to her [Sin]. You wish for her to turn feral?”

 

….Yes.

 

“Of course not. But we do need to fix their current problem first. After their forms acclimate, I will return their body to a Human one.” Elizabeth shrugged.

 

“You will what? That is impossible, if your body is corrupted there is no coming back. I know that better than anyone.” Jenna glared at Elizabeth, “I grew isolated only with….[Your Father] as company. And even that wasn’t that often since he needed to take care of you and [The World].”

 

Elizabeth felt some…grudgeg in that statement, both to her and [The World]. Yikes.

 

“Well, maybe this can alleviate your fears.” Elizabeth said summoning a [Blue Screen] and sending it toward Beatrice.

 

“And?” Jenna said crossing her arms and glaring at Elizabeth, “Where is mine?”

 

“Jenna love, I liked your friendship while growing up. You were the only one that seemed to enjoy playing with me.” Elizabeth said smiling at the blue-haired woman. “But you weren’t there the last seven years, from the amount of [Mana] I can feel from you I can imagine why, but even so I’ll ask. Why haven’t you been around?”

 

“...I had some work to do as [The Juggernaut], and [Your Father] deemed my presence would become a hazard towards you. Since I was having trouble containing my [Mana] in the form I was using.” Jenna grumbled, “Here, have a look.”

 

Jenna made a motion with her hand, and a [Blue Screen] appeared in front of Elizabeth: “Don’t mind if I do…Identify.” Elizabeth, however, wasn’t sure if that would be enough, so she used her own Skill.

 

“*Whistle* Damn girl, you sure had been busy…And all of this was Pre [Advent]?” Elizabeth asked while turning to look at her childhood friend who nodded “Yikes, next time you want to play with any of my toys just ask for them, don’t want you slapping me into a splat in a wall. I like this body.”

 

“Don’t joke about it and just give it to me.” Jenna glared while making a give-me motion with her hand.

 

“...You are level 99 and you don’t have an [InfoSec] skill?” Elizabeth asked somewhat surprised, “For real?”

 

“I don’t have any skill. Nor access to the [System], never accepted it. Never needed it.” Jenna shrugged, “If I want to know if someone is strong I have Merlin gauge their mana, or if I need to divine someone’s location I use Morgana.”

 

…That was cheating.

 

“Then how are you going to see my skills?” Elizabeth asked confused, she would need access to the [System] right?

 

“I can just summon an [Echo] that is bound to the [System], they are way weaker than me. But in exchange they have the useful [Skills].” Jenna smirked at her, “So.Give.It.To.Me.”

 

Yikes, this girl was a work of art. Just Elizabeth’s type…No wait, that was her childhood friend! The one she used to play dolls and in the poll while little!

 

“Fine, here. Have a look.” Elizabeth shook her head while summoning the description of the [Shift] skill and…nothing else. Unlike with Beatrice, she didn’t send the new addition to her [Crown Of Sin]. That one was…dangerous. She also didn't send the first blue box she got...To either girl.

 

[Shift], you used it to make an alternate mana simulacrum to disguise your identity, thinking that was its only use. You were wrong. This can be used to create a mana simulacrum, this can be used to emulate magic and skills, but it is so much more. It is your birthright. A True Dragon is known for many things: -True Magic -Night invulnerability to magic -Legendary Resistance to poison, be it magical or mundane -Regeneration beyond the mortal realm so long their Dragon Heart keeps beating -Wisdom -Dragon Might, the ability to inflict fear and terror in the weak of heart -True Power -Shape-shifting Now, what have you used before of these ones? Any ideas? That is right. Shape-shifting. What you thought was the mundane [Magic Spell] created to emulate a transformation sequence was so much more. The original design was based upon [Dragon Magic], so you were already closer to the original version. One that was made up to design to match your needs by a madman, a crazy bastard who decided that disguising the Epitome of Dragon Magic as a mundane skill was funny. This is closer to someone who decided to give a toddler the button for a nuke and laughed at its absurdity. But at least you aren’t a toddler prancing around with a nuke anymore, right? Right Elizabeth Starbright?

Instead, she only sent the second one, the one with the description of her [Skill], or, well, she guessed that it was now a Skill.

Shift:

Allows you to alter the very fabric of mana and grants you the ability to channel a spell or skill into something else. Transforming the very essence of something into…another thing. Did you cast [Fire Bolt] and decided that you’d rather have [Ice Bolt]? Well, this is the skill for you. Are you tired of being a [Puny Human]? Wouldn’t you rather be an awesome [Dragon]? Lucky you, this is the skill for you. Are you in danger because your body is oversaturated by [Dragon Prana] and you risk death? Well well, do I have the right skill for you? Yes, Elizabeth, this skill will help you save people in very specific circumstances. It is possible for you to store the original body in an alternate dimension while saving their data on [Akasha] and create a new body, since you still have the correct skill set to tie those functions together. But you will not store anything else within [The World] as you yourself cut that connection. [Not that it will affect you much since you have that ridiculous Shadow Haven] -You can make alternate bodies and save those [Configurations] within the [Shadow Haven]. You may summon them at will at any moment, each has their own stockpile of mana and energy, which they will recover on their own. These bodies will recover from wounds at their own pace only limited by the user’s skills. -It is possible for the user to share these bodies with anyone willing to accept them and who has a [Soul Link] with the user, the body in turn will change to accommodate the new host.

 

This one she also kept to herself, since it was...more of a thing she had gotten after dealing with her Dragon half.

-Pride’s Crown:

You are the one who reigned over all your realm; you stood at the top in your golden throne. Was your demesne a broken and ruined world? It matters not. Your peasants worked tirelessly to feed you their energy so that you would make your work come to fruition. And so, you wielded with pride your Crown, standing atop the ashes of a billion souls. [Allows you to control the make of any soul who you hold within your Domain.] [Allows you to split, break, and even destroy that which makes an entity a living being.] [Allows you to bestow a Soul shard to whoever you wish; should they nurture that shard, a new full-blown Soul will be born.] [Allows you full control over those that pledge themselves to you, and in turn, you may grant them eternal freedom for any further tampering, should you wish to grant that boon to them.] [Original Owner of this sin: [Unnamed], The Dragon Empress]

“....This one is…wrong.” Jenna said after reading her skill, that was just rude.

 

“It worked for me, it allowed me to go from this crazed bitch

.” Elizabeth said shifting momentarely to her [Dragon Empress] form, the one that had a gala black dress, a crown made of dragon horns, a pair of leathery wings at her back and a tail growing from just above her waist. “To this human totally average lovely and beautiful girl.”

 

“....right. I can see your Mother leaking.” Jenna said ignoring the theatrics of Elizabeth, “I mean it Elizabeth, this skill is [Wrong], no [Human] should be able to do what you did. And speaking of impossibles, I can hazardly guess it but…we are in….?”

 

“The Lost City of Aquila, the Capital of the Saintsworths.” Beatrice answered before Elizabeth did.

 

“That doesn’t answer my question, and I want Elizabeth’s asnwer. Not your answer.” Jenna said, looking down at Beatrice. Elizabeth mused at the fact that Beatrice was the only Minion that Jenna seemed to look directly at and not some vague spot above them.

 

“...This is indeed the Capital of the Saintsworth’s Empire. Aquila. But it is also something...else.” Elizabeth said as she raised her hand, and when it was at the her higher point she snapped her fingers. “This…somehow became my [Soulscape], then it became the place my [Shadow Dragons] hanged around…at some point it started to become something more and more important…Nowadays people refer it as…”

 

“Elizabeth’s Domain.” A highly sultry voice spoke, Elizabeth felt a shiver run through her back at the sound of it, as if the most enticing of all the world’s things had been condensed into this voice. “A sacred place only worthy for those of us who love her unconditionally, a place where we receive her LOVE her CARE…”

 

“A place for the lost, a place that houses those of us who cried for help and no one came to us.” A second voice started speaking, this one made her feel a different type of rush, it made her felt her excited, as if she was experiencing the thrill of adventure, of surpasing adversity, a rush of adrenaline. “Speak woman, who are you and what right you have to question Elizabeth. But be warned, you may be PROUD of your might in the HUMAN WORLD but you stand in Elizabeth’s Domain right now. You stand in THE SHADOW HAVEN.”

 

Who were these people that made Elizabeth’s Heart beat this fast?

 

“....What have you done Elizabeth?” Jenna said as she looked at the new additions to this conversation. “A Demoness? Sucubbus? What did you do to her?”

 

That’s right, her lovely and cute girlfriend Rossaline Singh had shed her [Human Shell] and woke up as a incredible enticing Succubus. She was sure that her new Race wasn’t something as lowly as mere Succubi but she would find more about that later.

 

“And you? What even are you? Four arms? Three faces?” Jenna said turning at the other girl. “I am inclined to think that you are some kind of demon too…What? Ashura? The hell is an Ashura Morgana?!?”

 

Rena on the other hand…Made her tingle for all the wrong reasons, the girl’s change wasn’t inferior to Rossie at all. While her pink-haired girlfriend had grown almost to a height of two meter tall with a pair of leathery demonic wings, two lovely (VERY LOVELY) horns and a very enticing tail. Rena’s change was mostly muted.

 

Rossie’s skin had changed a few tones paler while Rena’s had turned a few tones more dark red. Rossie’s arms had grew pointy obsidian black nails with hearts in each finger, while Rena had grown two extra pair of muscular(VERY MUSCULAR AND VERY HOT) arms.

 

Rossie’s face had changed as if to mimick an adult seductress face, while Rena’s face had remained mostly baby faced… But had also grown two extra faces at the side.

 

It was an interesting change, because while Rossie had turned into a tall mommy, sorry. A tall mommy, sorry. A very tall mommy….A very mommy tall…. lsdfhaskljfasdljasfkdjasf

 

While Rossie had grown to be a very normal (albeit HOT AS A THOUSAND SUNS) woman. Yes, that.

 

Rena had remained mostly at her previous size. She had turned into a young-looking girl with four arms and three faces. Her body was more muscular(AND HOT AS HELL), yes, but that was about it.

 

“Right, I would love to explore and learn all about your new bodies girls. But I know from personal experience what that must feel like.” Elizabeth said trying not to think too much about what she VERY MUCH WANTED to do with ROSSIE’S TAIL, FACE, WINGS, HORNS, AND BODY at the moment. So grabbing the HOT MOMMY’s hand, she channeled some of her Mana into the girl and said “Shift - Night Temptress into Rossaline Singh.”

 

And like that, the figure that embodiment all the correct ways to make Elizabeth miss her pledge of staying somewhat [Pure] till she was eighteen vanished and left behind the figure of her lovely and cute girlfriend.

 

“....I didn’t get to play with that body yet, Eli-Eli. You are a mean. I wanted to do soooooo many things with you….” Rossie said sadly as she looked at Elizabeth, “ I am back, Eli-Eli. Sorry for being unable to help you back then. You must have suffered.”

 

….God damned Rossie.

 

“...We will talk about that later.” Elizabeth said trying to not think too much into the image of her bloodied girlfriend in the ground trying to [Heal] her.

 

“Mistress.” Meanwhile, Ashura-Rena walked up to her and extended one of her arms. “I’m at your beck and call.”

 

….she would beck and call her back to…..ajem.

 

“Shift - World Breaker Ashura into Watanabe Rena.” Elizabeth channeled once more her Skill into the girl she wanted to train into using those four set of arms, three set of tongues into…doing things…for science!

 

Into the red-haired small and definetly not petite girl.

 

“That was a rush.” Rena said as her form returned to normal.

 

“Yes, yes it was.” Elizabeth said, “A very dangerous rush, let’s not do it again okay. For my mental health, I may need to see a psychiatrist after this.”

 

“...What in the seven planes of hell did you…[I summon thy by our accords Morgana La Fey, inspect the figures in front of me and tell me their secrets.]” Jenna chanted as the figure of a woman who was wearing a nigth gala dress manifested in front of Jenna.

 

“....You would use your boon on this Jenna Lewis? Fine, I shall answer it, but the answer you seek will not come.” The phantom spoke, Elizabeth felt wary as something seemed to be trying to peek at her Soulscape only for it to…rub a piece of paper? It felt as if someone rubbed a piece of paper on your skin. “Watanabe Rena, Rossaline Singh, Elizabeth Starbright - Ashcroft. Three normal human girls, seventeen year old the three of them. Two born on the same day with a third one being born a couple months later.”

 

…That….was mostly correct?

 

“No normal human girl would do what she just did!” Jenna said as she pointed at Rena and Rossie, “You saw them! Those weren’t humans!”

 

“And yet The World says they are Human. Lodge your complaints to that, not to me. The World says they are Humans.” Morgana said as she turned to look at Elizabeth, “Isn’t that right Elizabeth Starbright?”

 

Why was she looking at her like that?

 

“Yes? I mean…I haven’t….talked with her too much as of recently. But she seemed like…she was an okay-ish person?” Elizabeth answered.

 

“[The World]? You spoke to it?” Jenna asked surprised. “And she was an okay-ish person?”

 

Then, as if the dam had been broken, Jenna started laughing, “Right…you were the daughter of not only [My Hero] but also of Catherine…No way you would be normal. Fine, I will believe in your [Humanity], only because [He] asked me to look after you.”

 

[He]?

 

“[And with this I have shown that we mean no ill-will Oh Goddess of the darkest night please don’t be too harsh on Jenna, she means the best. But she wants to live up to a Legend and while you may not know what that is. As power flows through your veins. She means the best for you too.]” The phantom woman spoke directly into her mind.

 

“So? What now?” Jenna asked tiredly. “Will you change me into a new species too? Are we opening a portal to hell?”

 

“Well, that is rude. Next we are going to speak with [Shadow Pact], it is rude to scare the living hell of innocent girls. And while Chloe and Alice may have moved on… He was my [Hero] growing up. I need to straighten him back…for the previous Chloe too.” Elizabeth answered as she willed a rift into the real world to open.

 

Alice had taught her how after all. It was time for their return to Zaanam.