I will strive beyond this cursed bloodline!

She was scared, ashamed, ecstatic, happy, excited, confused.

 

She was, mostly alive. She knew not what was happening, but her [Instincts] told her something. She would survive, she was changing. And she wasn’t sure if she was deserving of this boon.

 

Her arms had morphed away from the thin but muscular arms she had trained into leathery wings, and her legs had faded away into mighty claws that helped her body move forward. Her torso had shed away the soft pink skin she had before and given way to a leathery gray body. At the end of her lower body now there was a tail.

 

She should fear this change, turning away from humanity into this. But…she didn’t fear it.

 

For one, she invited the change that would ensure no Man ever took advantage of her, and on the other hand, she…knew this to be her punishment.

 

They had been traveling happily around Germania. Rena knew that they had come to finish some business for Elizabeth and that this wasn’t a vacation. But she couldn’t help but enjoy the sights and the fact that she was surrounded by people who cared and loved her.

 

Elizabeth was a love born out of pity and guilt. She knew this, but even so it was honest love, she thirsted for her body of course, and Rena was aware of it. As soon as Elizabeth had kissed her and touched her dirty body she knew this to be true.

 

If it was because Rossaline influenced them through her pink lustful mana, Rena did not know, nor did she care. It was a warm love, a tender love, even while clouded by desire and lust, even when Elizabeth’s eyes screamed the need to ravage her. Not even once had Elizabeth gone above what Rena could tolerate.

 

Every time one of Elizabeth’s hands touched her and Rena moved back, Elizabeth would freeze that hand and move backward instead. She would caress her tenderly, whisper her love and reassurance, and then wait.

 

The blonde girl who boiled with lust and desire to ravage her would quietly sit and wait for Rena. To start again, Rena had enjoyed that.

 

One night she didn’t move ahead and instead enjoyed the sight of Elizbeth fiddling under the blankets as she was a ball of boiling lust and desire. Rena almost felt bad about that, but the kiss in the morning made all that flow away. The blonde girl smiled sweetly at her, wished her a good morning, and apologized for going over the line.

 

She had only kissed her on the neck, and that brought bad memories. Rena had felt bad all that day… While she wanted Elizabeth to ravage her, she also knew that the blonde girl didn’t want to go that far, not yet. And she would respect it; it was the least she could do. She was imposing in a relationship already; she wasn’t…she didn’t deserve to be there.

 

She was dirty, she was used goods. She was Watanabe Rena, the girl who had been toyed for almost twelve years and then thrown away.

 

And then there was Rossaline. She hated the girl, she envied the girl, she wished to be the girl.

 

They had spoken in private when Elizabeth as busy doing other things, about their past, dreams, and what they hoped to achieve…about many things.

 

What stuck the most was that…they both wanted Elizabeth, and neither really wanted to share the girl. It was funny, really. Rossaline feared that Elizabeth would ditch her and keep only Rena.

 

While Rena knew that Rossaline was the only thing that Elizabeth truly loved from the bottom of her heart, her [Instincts] told her that Elizabeth also loved her of course. But…she couldn’t trust them, they never had been wrong. But how could Elizabeth love something so…dirty like her?

 

It didn’t make sense.

 

Elizabeth had told her many times that she wasn’t dirty of course, Rossaline had even offered to purge all her internal organs and external skin and muscles if she wanted. It would hurt like hell, and it would be meaningless, Rossaline had said.

 

Rena did it anyway.

 

The pink-haired girl took her away from the manor in the night, bringing her to an abandoned warehouse. Under the moonlight, she summoned a leather bag filled with knives, scissors, tongs, tweezers, hammers, screwdrivers, wire, and rope…

 

Everything one could need to build a house, repair a car…or torture a human being.

 

“This will hurt you, very much. I will need to rip the organs from the outer-” Rossaline had started saying that night.

 

“From the base.” But Rena wanted the whole thing, “Rip them out from the base and then some. I don’t want anything that was touched by Akira….or myself under his influence, I want you to rip my intestines as far as my arm goes in…and then some.”

 

Rena had done…very questionable things while under Akira’s spell. She wasn’t proud of them, and didn’t want to think about them. But she had become very flexible.

 

“From my ass, vagina and mouth. All as far as my arm goes and some more.” Rena knew best how much she was tainted. “Then my intestines, stomach…everything needs to be gone.”

 

“...Even with my magic, you may die. For what? A psychological placebo?” Rossaline for some reason was against this. “Elizabeth…And I will be sad.”

 

“...please. I don’t want to dirty Elizabeth more. I want to be sure I can use my tongue without fearing that something that was left from him would taint Elizabeth.” But Rena was adamant, “If you don’t do it, I will bite my tongue myself and find a healer to fix it, then open my gut and pull my intestines out myself.”

 

“I will start with the tongue and throat.” Rossaline sighed as her eyes lost color and her eyes gained a cold detached focus. She spoke almost clinically, “Your tongue I will pull with these tongs, then I will use this drug to make it numb and cut it at the base, I will pour acid down there to burn your throat till the esophagus…”

 

Rossaline said as she set down a bottle of a translucent green liquid.

 

“My magic will stop it just above the mouth of your stomach. It will also give oxygen to your lungs, preventing you from dying from the fumes and another spell will help with the blood loss. Not having a throat will prevent you from screaming yourself into unconsciousness.” Rossaline said as she stood in front of her, her eyes were dead. “Are you sure of this Watanabe Rena? You will get nightmares from this.”

 

“I’m sorry for doing this to you Rossie.” Rena had said that night under the moonlight of a full night.

 

“Oh don’t be, I get it, trust me. I would….probably not do the same, but I get it.” Rossaline said as she shoved the tongs into her mouth and pulled the tongue and in one movement she cut it.

 

Rena had tried to scream at the sudden pain, but she couldn’t for a bottle was being shoved into her mouth. She could feel the burning sensation as the acid melted her insides, and yet…

 

She felt a barrier preventing her body from melting away; only her mouth, throat, and esophagus were melting away, as Rossaline had promised. For some reason, all her skills that increased her regeneration weren’t starting either.

 

“Sorry about that. I have found that people seem to feel less pain when they don’t know when I will start, mostly because I usually tell them about it first.” Rossaline smiled sadly. “Also, sorry about the teeth. I will grow you new ones later.”

 

The pink-haired girl seemed…excited? Sad? Rena wasn’t sure what, but her eyes seemed mostly sad, was she smiling trying to reassure Rena? Why?

 

“You either will hate me or fear me after this. But I will—" Rossaline started speaking but stopped when she noticed Rena moving. “What? Are you saying you will not hate or fear me?”

 

Rena nodded her head, and Rossaline started laughing.

 

“Fine, then you won’t mind me giving you the first test run?” Rossaline had said mockingly. “You will have a new body after this, no part of you will be the same after I’m done. But you won’t give your new virginity to Elizabeth. No, that will be mine. Just like how Elizabeth’s virginity will also be mine.”

 

Rena nodded her head of course. That was the least she could do, she was giving the sweet pink-haired girl new nightmares, her eyes looked not like those of a psychopath or a sadist, but to Rena, Rossaline’s eyes looked like the haunted eyes of someone who regretted how they lived and what they did.

 

So Rena tried her best not to scream, to not wince, to not react as Rossaline opened her body and ripped out her organs one at a time. She ripped and cut, she took all that Rena deemed dirty. Her breasts? Cut away in one move. At some point she even thought about cutting her lower body and growing a new one. But it seemed that was more hard than growing individual parts.

 

So they did that.

 

Rossaline Singh was really worthy of her title as [Saintess of Healing], for she did the impossible.

 

She regrew a new Watanabe Rena from the ashes of her former self. When they had been done Rena stood in front of the gore that had been most of her previous body, the only thing missing was the heart, brain, bones and cardiovascular system.

 

Most of her internal organs had been ripped out, same with fat and muscles, really. This was only possible because they had Rossaline’s magic and her own natural regenerative powers, at least after Rossie had allowed those to work again.

 

The girl was a monster, being able to cut her access to those skills like that.

 

And after? Rossaline had indulged in her body, Rena didn’t resist and allowed the pink-haired to drown in the pleasure of her body. And Rena enjoyed it.

 

For the first time, she didn’t have to worry about whether she was dirty or not. Was this sane? Of course not. She was aware of that, and her [Instincts] told her that she was crazy for even thinking about doing what she did; she was way worse for actually doing it.

 

Would Elizabeth condone this? No. She would not. The girl was too pure. She would probably cry a river and hug her; she would never let her be alone. Her other selves had thought the same, too.

 

She had turned the skill that had brought them off while the [Procedure] was being performed for the same reason.

 

But did that alleviate her fears? Her insecurities?

 

No.

 

Her body may have been cleansed, but what about her [Soul]?

 

That was why she was embracing this change. The fact that her body was pure was okay, but if she ever wanted to truly have any hope of a relationship with Elizabeth without fearing dirtying the girl, then she would need to cleanse her [Soul], too.

 

She had thought to do so by convincing Rossie to do the same with her [Soul], but the pink-haired girl hadn’t accepted that, citing that her [Soul] was too fragile at the moment. Rena knew better.

 

The girl didn’t want her to…be hurt. Rossaline may hide it, but she was also growing to like Rena. Rena didn’t know why the pink-haired girl would even look at her with fondness, she had hurt her, both mentally and she had hurt her feelings by making her cleanse her body.

 

Rena had every reason to love and care for Rossaline, but Rossaline did not have reasons to do so.

 

But now? Now she didn’t need to worry about that!

 

“*ROAR!*” Rena had found the way to cleanse her [Soul]!

 

At first when Elizabeth screamed in pain while they traversed Germania, she had feared the attack. Someone that could make so much pain in Elizabeth? That was dangerous.

 

Especially since Rena’s [Instincts] couldn’t find anything. But when her [Instincts] screamed at her that Elizabeth would [Kill] her? She was ashamed by the fact that she let Elizabeth's hand go.

 

Ashamed because Rossaline even while hut, even while in pain, she still tried to help Elizabeth.

 

But Rena? What did Watanabe Rena do?

 

She fought against her body to stay firm and fainted from [Mana Overdose], the best she could do was cry tears of blood while her body started failing. Fighting to not run away from Elizabeth, fighting to not run away from Rossaline…

 

Fighting so she could remain and…at least die with the people she loved.

 

But she didn’t need to worry about those things anymore! Those were things [Weak Humans] worried about! She wasn’t a [Weak Human]anymore!

 

She could feel her [Soul] change as her body reflected the changes. Gone was her red hair. No longer would she need to hold a sword to prove her might. No longer would she need to worry about whether she was worthy or not!

 

All she would need to do was lay eggs for the new generation and be there for Elizabeth…no, be there for the [Alpha]. For the [Great Being] that would be born from the [Egg] that had been [Elizabeth Starbright].

 

Because that [Mana]? That had been the [Egg] cracking, the [Great Being] that had granted her a new chance to be [More] to [Ditch] her [Weak Human Self].

 

“Is this really how we are going to be?” A [Weak Human Voice] spoke, a [Human] girl materialized in this space for her [Rebirth]. “Is that all that Watanabe Rena amounts to?”

 

“*Squeak*! / what would you have me do!?!?!?” The [Wyrm] spoke back at the [Puny Human Girl]. “*Sqeak*! / I have been cleansed Emma Brown, I have no more need for you!”

 

And in one go the [Wyrm] launched towards the [Puny Human Girl] and devoured her whole, the [Wyrm] got hold of the girl’s arm and ripped them apart with its mighty maw, she ate them one at the time. All the while the girl only stared at her.

 

Judging.

 

Examining.

 

And….pitying her.

 

“*ROAR!*” The [Wyrm] roared, it wasn’t sure why, but it felt…ashamed.

 

“Are we feeling powerful now that we discarded everything that made us?” a new voice spoke. The [Wyrm] turned around and found a woman clad in very little armor wielding a mighty bastard sword. “Are you proud of killing a brat?”

 

“*ROAR*! / Go away Sword Saint! My liege granted me a new hope! A cleansed Soul! A new start! I will fear no man! I will fear no [Tyrant]!” Roared back the [Wyrm] as it lunged at the new [Human].

 

“You are…pitiful Watanabe Rena.” The [Woman] said as she moved away from her maw, barely by a few centimeters, just enough to not get caught, but plenty enough to mock her. “You got a chance to run away and you took it? Really? Was this all you could stand? You are weak.”

 

“*ROAR!* / What do you know!?!?? I suffered! I got dirtied! I got toyed! And when hope came… I was too late! She was already in love with someone else! I got turned into an add-on! An extra! I thought I would be happy with that. That it would be okay so long she could spare a look… But I too want love! Is it wrong to embrace the chance! Is it bad that I want to be made a new by my [Love]?” The [Wyrm] cried back as it did its best to catch the [Puny Human], it lashed, it flew, it used the [Breath] attack. It even tried to use its mighty tail.

 

“No, to chase love is okay. To want to be cared for is okay…” The [Woman] answered, “But what you are doing is nothing of that. You saw a chance to cover your insecurities and jumped at it, not caring to look first.”

 

The [Woman] smirked as it threw its sword, it…missed the [Wyrm] by a few centimeters and flew straight away.

 

“*smirk*” The [Wyrm] delighted at the missing. She was about to launch a new series of attacks.

 

“I wasn’t aiming at you.” Only to be stopped by the [Woman], “Look at who you are pledging yourself to.”

 

The [Wyrm] turned back and saw…the [Mighty Dragon]; it did not understand what the [Puny Human] spoke.

 

“That isn’t the girl you loved, but something else. Just as Emma Brown is not Watanabe Rena, and how Watanabe Rena is not [The Sword Saint of Aetheria].” The [Woman] said as she punched herself in the chest and ripped out a crystal-like gem from there. “Look clearly, here, have a freebie of what our [Instincts] will evolve into.”

 

And breaking that crystal-like heart, the [Wyrms] eyes opened.

 

The Prideful Dragon Empress, Carrier of the Pride Gem of Mana.

 

“....roar?” The [Wyrm] didn’t understand, that…should be…no, it was the [Great Dragon]she had wanted to serve. And yet…

 

“Look closer, look at those fancy horns.” The...[Human] said as the rift in space was closing.

 

The Last Vestiges of Elizabeth Starbright, The Inheritor.

The Vestige of Wrath.

The Vestige of Gluttony.

 

“....RNOOAORO!!” The [Wyrm] screamed painfully as the rift closed. It turned towards the [Woman] hoping for help, for an answer, for…guidance.

 

“Nothing that can help you there darling, you made your choice. Just as I did all those years in Aetheria.” The [Woman] said as she pointed at her neck, the wounds of a sword on her neck. From the moment she had been decapitated that first time so long ago. “I knew that fighting was impossible and I did so anyway, even if that made my life a living hell, tormented to see my body toyed with, tortured as I saw myself turn into a mere toy in the form of a human... You thought it was impossible to be with your lover…and decided to run away. You decided to turn into a mockery of an overgrown lizard who would turn its ass towards the big bad dragon and hope for it to look in your way and impregnate you.”

 

The [Woman] spat at the floor, its figure started crumbling slowly.

 

“So enjoy your new life as a pet lizard of a lizard.” The [Woman] stopped for a second as the crumbling was nearing her head. “...stupid Emma Brown haunting me from the afterlife…FINE! Another freebie. Cling to your Love, if you do you will have a second chance, don’t waste it. My [IPnrsetdiinccttison.] tells me that you may have a second chance.”

 

And like that the [Woman] disappeared, leaving her [Alone]. A lone [Wyrm] struggling to keep the [Weak Human Emotion]...No…A lone girl struggling to keep the flame of Love burning in her chest.

 

It was hell, not the same one she had almost forgotten as the memories of her life as a [Puny Human]. No, not the same as the one she had lived as Watanabe Rena. But even so, she felt the smoldering flames of her Love want to leave, she felt the last remnants of Rossaline’s [Lust] fade away, she felt the embers of her [Wrath] fade away…

 

All that remained was…

 

Rena and her love for Elizabeth.

 

Rena and her love for Rossaline.

 

Rena and…her regrets.

 

Was it so bad that she wanted to not be… dirty? Had Rossaline told her that she was dirty?

 

No.

 

Had Elizabeth thought of her as dirty?

 

No.

 

Then why had she done this? Why hadn’t she fought back? Why had she allowed herself to be turned into…this?

 

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

 

She wouldn’t do that again. No. She would fight, she would rage, she would rage against everything, against the world, against the gods, against all that stood in her path!

 

SHE WOULD FIGHT EVERYTHING SO LONG SHE COULD RETURN ONCE MORE TO ELIZABETH!

 

SHE WOULD KILL EVERYTHING SO LONG SHE COULD GO BACK AND APOLOGIZE TO ROSSALINE!

 

SHE.

 

WOULD.

 

FIGHT.

 

“.... Moments such as this is why I love these silly stories.” The world froze as a 丂Øм𝑒𝐓𝓱Ɨ𝐍𝕘 appeared. The [Wyrm] couldn’t move, she struggled to do so, but even so she could barely twitch a wing. “See? You shouldn’t be able to move, you shouldn’t even be aware of me!”

 

The Wyrm struggled, she felt her body not move, she felt her [Mana] be stuck.

 

“You were fated to die. To be an example for The Inheritor, a lesson that she needs to be aware of the people around…And yet here you are… a seedling, a new path opening, something that…should not have happened, you mortals always look so adorable while struggling.” The [Thing] spoke as she plucked one strand of thread from her dress, “So cling to this last thread till The Inheritor returns, if you manage to keep your WRATH that long you just may survive.”

 

The [Thing] smirked as the [THREAD] embedded itself into [The Wyrm]. And she felt…the dread coming from the [Mana] that wanted her to stay as a [Wyrm] recede, it made it easier to withstand it.

 

It made it easier to stay [Rena]...

 

At least till Elizabeth came for her. The [Wyrm] didn’t know when she would come, didn’t know why she Loved her so much, didn’t know why she was sure that Rossaline would be there waiting for her.

 

She only knew…that she would kiss them both when she returned.