Kraak!

My consciousness returned to a bright, blue sky with a couple of clouds covering the sun, though they weren’t dark enough to hide the light. I closed my eyes once again, feeling the comfortable warmth I missed from our raid. A moment of tranquility …

“Urgh … that plan hurt like hell, to the point I even felt it in my soul.” I grimaced, but I was glad my idea worked, somewhat.

I was under no illusion. I knew this was [Original Sin: Yaldabaoth] recreating one of my memories, most likely from one of my many park visits. I had never planned to escape the ability, after all.

As such, I knew once I fell unconscious that my [Aerokinesis] would stop, since my parallel minds fell asleep with me. Meaning, when the second pain shock I anticipated came to be, it gave me that jolt needed for me to regain consciousness and quickly wake up before I revealed something weird to the Prince of Envy, unlike last time.

It took too bloody long for me to wake up and stop my other half, Hikari, from witnessing our trauma and death. She was still an “individual” soul even if she was part of me. Seeing as I couldn’t feel nor see Hikari around this park, I let out a sigh of relief that everything worked out. Now, it was time—

“Time to look for me?”

Wha—

I snapped my head around to the voice, but before I could, tree roots shot out of the ground and wrapped around my limbs and neck, entangling them and holding me down. I tried to struggle but it was to no avail. I couldn’t even feel my mana, although I quickly learned from my translucent body that I couldn’t since this was my soul. My raw, unprotected, red, scaly, “Hestia”-influenced soul.

“Certainly a ‘raw’ soul, indeed.” Another translucent body—another soul—approached me. His, however, was mostly green aside from a black ball located in the center of his chest, constantly beating like a heart. “Human-like, but with scales. It’s red like your innate element but there are small holes here and there.”

“… Pervert,” I unconsciously said to no reaction.

“Are you some child?” I could see his brows furrow … and I had to agree, what I said was a bit too cliche. “Hmph, regardless, say what you must. You are trapped there.”

He smirked, looking at my helpless figure, unable to move or fight back. I didn’t have my magic here, after all. I really only had access to my usurpation ability, if I remembered correctly from the last time I was affected by Yaldabaoth.

“That ‘seed,’ is it invisible?” he asked. “You can see the seed he left in my chest, the curse he left behind after I dared try to harm his new toy. Look, it has taken root all over my chest.”

The demonkin traced his fingers across his chest, making me acutely aware of the thin lines barely visible in his green soul. They were like little capillaries.

“You reacted! You must have good eyes, even as a mere soul.” He smiled once again. “... You really don’t know too much about him, do you, Lady Hestia? Gel’Glariri, I mean, the Travelling God of Trickery and Laughter?”

I squinted my eyes, not saying anything, but my silence alone was enough of an answer for him.

“You wouldn’t, unless you were more acquainted with the Edjurian Pantheon, the gods of the Origin God’s original world. Nowadays, most Bole’Tarians only really know the basic few, but Gel’Glariri? He isn’t as well known, as his followership isn’t as strong. Trickery and laughter? Only the latter domain could properly nourish a hungry god … Yet, to those in the know, many know the ‘Jester’ as the disciple of Marsven. He, as well, is a believer of progression and defiance.”

The demonkin then came closer but jumped back as I was about to touch him. “I see, so simply touching your soul will nullify my original sin ability, huh? That is how you did it. That is your ‘seed,’ your gift … Although, I think those eyes of yours are more fascinating. I saw their movements; you were able to see these lines that even I couldn’t see! I can only feel them!”

This time, I was more speechless. What exactly was the demonkin talking about? “…What are you talking about ?”

“And there is it! That curiosity. You want to know what I am talking about, no? What does this ‘lunatic’ have to say? … Then, let me tell you this — my mind is gone, irrevocably tainted by the seed of that god, but my soul isn’t. After all, shouldn’t you know that the best, reincarnator? Our souls inherit our thoughts and memories as well, and I thankfully am still sane in here even if the brain in my physical body is being corroded.”

“Well … gosh?” I gulped a bit, feeling anxious after this revelation, seeing something else in the way he looked at me. Calculating, like a hunter who had finally trapped his prey and was now having fun with them before he finished the hunt.

However, what rattled me the most was the fact I finally had an idea who the third god was Aurena and Kargryxmor mentioned. Gel’Glariri, an Edjurian god, presumably, who sounded like a chaotic troublemaker than anything else. If this information was true, then it meant the usurpation ability came from him, although I felt befuddled when the prince mentioned my eyes. [Mana Eyes] was a skill I received out of nowhere for no reason … Almost as randomly as [White Flame] and [Corrosive Fire] from Danterno.

Yet, I held my curiosity back. This was not the time or place to fulfill my need to know.

“How about you undo your Original Sin ability and we can continue bashing each other on the heads? I’m still not done with you, you bastard,” I replied.

The demonkin’s smile disappeared, replaced by a long sigh. He then pointed his finger behind him, causing the ground to open up, revealing ten young women strapped onto the trunks of trees. My eyes widened, realizing they weren’t just random women, as they all looked like me—my parallel minds.

Seriously? What? I tried to contact them, but all ten of them were asleep.

“You have a very twisted and broken soul. Eleven individuals in one? Or, I guess, it would be more suitable to call them all part of the collective soul that makes up ‘Hestia.’ Like planks used on a sinking ship, desperately trying to keep the vessel going despite all the storm? What have the gods been doing to you?” He kneeled down again, smiling, causing me to feel something in my chest. I didn’t have my heart or core right now but it felt so … warm. “Tell me, did Aurena truly tell you the truth about this matter?”

I squinted my eyes. “No, but she told me to learn more about the church, which led me down the road to learn more about you. Considering she hadn’t reprimanded me about anything I learned, it seems she doesn’t mind.”

“Apparently so … So, it seems there is still a hint left in her that pities us, huh? A soft, weak goddess that doesn’t deserve the mantle of divinity feeling compassion for us demonkin? … Hehe, how amusing, but how fitting for this world.” The demonkin looked into the sky. “This is the perfect world for a god of her demeanor to grow … So, why hasn’t she shown any of us an ounce of it? Where is our miracle?”

He then turned back to me. “Do you want to see it? My memories? Our plight? Why we’re so desperately trying everything to survive and win in this war?”

Before I could answer, he swiped his hand across his chest and caused the scenery to change completely. From the lush park from before, it changed into a dreary, dry wasteland with houses made from pale, crumbling wood and stone. Yet, they stood firmly, giving this medium-sized town a “civilized” feeling to it, especially with the harbor nearby and the walls and towers fortifying the rest of it..

Although … why did it smell so fishy? I knew this was a fishing town due to the numerous large boats with nets, but the smell was rather atrocious. I could smell everything from here, despite being in the middle of a marketplace.

“Mhmm, the smell of Bole’Taria … I could never forget it. Home. The drying, smoking, and fermentation of fish is the mark of any flourishing demonkin town due to our need for massive amounts of rations. Nothing beats the abundance of fish and merfiends you can find on our mana-rich coastlines,” the demonkin explained, suddenly appearing from behind. “Do you like it?”

“Free me, then I will tell you after I look around,” I said, cold and dispassionately. I was still bound on the ground, but the ground itself was now floating around so I could see.

“And have you turn everything around? Your last year on Earth really showed your weakness, but I now know becoming a dragon had rid you of it,” he replied with a smirk, causing me to shiver for a moment. His laughter was like pins, stabbing me in the worst places. “This is my family’s town. Our mansion is right outside the city, on the cliff over there for our own protection. Envy demonkin are prone to be jealous, heh … Nothing luxurious about this hamlet, though, but we deal in plenty of seafood. Better than the usual rations or the ilktails, though … Urgh.”

Why does every demonkin have such a reaction to ‘ilktails?’ It’s just fish.

He then snapped his fingers, causing the entire town to be filled with people. The ghost town from before disappeared as numerous demonkin suddenly occupied the streets, houses, and various stalls aligned on the roads.

“Do you even know how expensive this is! You’re overcharging us like crazy, you damn grevi!”

“Schrack! Come on, you call this ‘wheat?’ From where? Some downtrodden village in Evida that you pirates raided? This thing is tumbleweed!”

“Hiya, darlings! Come on, a moment for respite to control your fevers. A good time to control yourselves! Wrathies. Special prices for you men, of course.”

… Suffice to say, it was lively.

The prince cackled. “Greeds are, heh, greedy. Not exactly the best personality trait when our economy isn’t robust enough to support our growing population, but it does force desperate people into relying on raiding, pillaging, and pirating for survival. Our more dubious citizens take it upon themselves to do whatever for survival, and that means sailing as private fighters into Empire territory.”

“Showing and explaining this to me won’t gain you any sympathy, you know that, right?”

“Would you like me to lie to you, then?” The demonkin smiled. “Would you have me show you falsehood? I love my country, but I also despise it from the bottom of my heart. I envy you. You and everybody else who doesn’t have to live on this dried up rock we call ‘home.’”

The people around us suddenly froze in place as the prince walked over to a street vendor. He gazed at the pot of seaweed, crabs, and lobsters, taking in a big huff that ballooned his chest. After a long, satisfied sigh, everything unfroze.

“Bole’Taria has many problems. You can see it every day, yet my family doesn’t do much. We support it just enough to survive, but all our funds—their taxes—go into the war effort. Economical and social stability hasn’t been our focus for years, simply because we have no real trade partners, no cultural exchanges, and little land to work with.”

As he started to walk inside his memories, more aspects of the town were shown.

Alleyways filled with young orphans and pickpockets that would sneak up to merchants, stealing their produce with most being caught by a random passerby, beginning a chase between the criminals and guards. Neighborhoods that were split between the seven demonkin types, showing the disparity between them by their treatment from the guards and government officials.

For example, the lust district was just the red light district … As in, there wasn’t a building reserved for the “business” but the lust demonkin were inviting people into their private houses. There were so many people coming in and out of buildings, I didn’t even know if they lived there or were customers. Meanwhile, the wrath district was devoid of this bustling atmosphere as countless guards, even soldiers, wandered the streets to monitor the people there.

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t been able to see a single wrath demonkin outside the alleyways of their neighborhood. It only came to me when I saw a caravan entering the district, distributing produce and ingredients to the people there.

“Wraths are volatile; you allow them too much stimulus and they go wild. Unless they’re trained, most of them are just ticking time bombs,” the demonkin said, staring at the situation with a neutral expression. “As such, living necessities and such are personally brought to them. Other sin types may move wherever they wish within a Bole’Tarian town, but wraths are outlawed from it. You and your family are to stay here, unless you join the army, for the safety of the rest of the populace.”

“It looks like a prison,” I replied, frowning at the sad state everything was.

All of them looked so lifeless and depressed, moving along the streets with barely any emotions. Not all of them were L.E.P., as I could see children having fun, mothers smiling at their children, and men drinking together after a hard day of work, but it didn’t feel like there was anything else. The vibrantness of the rest of the town was nonexistent here.

“Yes.” He nodded. “I heard from my cousin, Vifi’Yok betrayed us? Hmph, I would have never thought a Warbringer would do it, but I shouldn’t be surprised. Wraths are restrained monsters on the brink of exploding … How much did she tell you about us?”

“Do I look surprised?”

He shrugged. “I am glad I do not have to persuade you then. Makes it easier.”

He snapped his fingers once again, changing the morning blue sky to an orange, afternoon one. The noise hadn’t gotten any quieter; in fact, it had only gotten worse as people screamed and begged for their lives, accompanied by ear-piercing sounds of flames crashing into the nearby buildings. Giant rocks zoomed through the air, demolishing whatever they landed on, whether it was buildings, the walls, or people.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

A siege had begun. Panic and fear spread through this small town as human soldiers invaded the city once the initial artillery barrage destroyed the guard houses and archer towers. Various flags were raised over a nearby hill where mages and tents were situated, including archers who kept aiming in a single direction.

The prince and I began to levitate, taking a bird’s eye view over the situation, where I found out the arrows were aimed at the local adventurer’s and mage’s guilds. Once they were tagged, prompting many demonkin to flee from the location, the human earth and fire mages quickly followed up with fire and rock balls, quickly ending their ability to rally at those prominent locations.

“It was a surprise attack,” the prince stated. “Our harbor is our most vulnerable location, so we always believed the humans would attack us there, since the town was located quite deep into our territory. To reach us, they would have to fight through four other towns and two castles, so any information would have reached us before then. Yet, this happened.”

He then pointed at the mansion standing on the cliffside next to the town. The siege hadn’t touched it yet, though a single knight was slowly walking up to it. “A strategic attack to eliminate a food source. The town we’re responsible for, as I said, is used to deliver rations to the frontline while also supplying the other residential areas. They wanted to starve us; a fine plan, actually.”

We zoomed into the mansion as the knight attacked it, easily slaying the many guards blocking his way, even killing three wrathies. He sliced the gates and barrier down with a strong downward slash before dashing through the gardens and into the building. Looking through a window, I saw the man slaughtering anybody he saw, whether it were normal maids, battle-trained servants, or even children.

“This was an elite task force led by a single man. A Hand of Heaven, you see. They could evade the normal routes a large army could take, simply relying on mages and rogues for the siege,” he explained, reminding me of what was happening tonight. “My memories aren’t complete. I hadn’t fully witnessed everything that happened in the city, so I patched the holes up through imagination. What I saw when I fled my home. This, though, is the full truth.”

“Nooo!” The high-pitched voice of a woman echoed through the hallways of the mansion. As our vision stopped at a window, I saw the knight slaying a female demonkin trying to protect two younger envies.

The children—a girl and boy around kindergarten age—instantly died while the woman cried out, hugging their bodies as tears ran down her face. “Gods, no, please. Not them, not them, please! God Marsven, please!” she screamed.

The knight, witnessing this, looked at the blood of his blade, hesitating for a moment before raising it. However, before he could, another voice roared through the building before a mass of tentacles slammed right onto him. The knight was forced back, barely able to cut himself out before being squashed by them.

Jumping out of the window, the demonkin and knight engaged each other inside the garden, letting their magic and blades clash. Eventually, the battle ended, with the demonkin ripping the man’s head off before letting out an exhausted, but pained, victory cry. He fell onto his knees, sobbing before returning to the mansion where he found the woman from before, dead, cradling the children.

“Your face looked different,” I said after the memory froze.

“Handsome, a far cry from now. This moment is how I can still remember my face. The broken mirror shards on the ground—my daughter’s hand mirror—reflected what happened. The blood from my wife and children stained it. It has been a long time now since I took up the mantle of the false pope, but I could never forget this moment. It has motivated me, kept me focused. I wanted to destroy the Empire and all humans with all my might, yet, this story is probably as common as any other. Revenge is such an easy motivation to create.”

“I am sorry and my condolences.”

“Thank you.”

“That doesn’t mean I will forgive you for everything. The people you killed, the lives you ruined, and the friends you killed on my side. Just as you sought revenge, I am as well.”

He smiled. “You have every right to it. Yet, for me, the fire that was lit in my heart had dimmed over the decades. 2608, that was when we first infiltrated the church; the year my family and town vanished from my life and I had nothing but hatred left. If I remember it correctly, I killed and consumed Pope Gwyn in 2644? Over 30 years now. Maybe Marius was right, living amongst humans has softened me. Or, maybe the years are at fault? I am already 99.”

If there was one thing Vicar Marius was absolutely correct about was the way the Prince of Envy talked. He was smart but cunning, hiding it all behind a veil of friendliness created by how much he talked. How much he was willing to reveal to reach his goal.

“The Vicar didn’t specify when this entire incident happened, but 30 years? Really?” I raised an eyebrow, keeping the conversation going.

“Nonsense, really. Our partnership had only begun recently in comparison; as a pope, Gwyn had many duties and chances to avoid talking to his vicar directly, such as leaving him behind in Aureolis as a regent while I traveled to the Empire. The connection between the Holy Emperor and the Pope allowed me to stay away from Marius until I decided it was time to recruit him. Hmph, so my worries were true, he did document everything we spoke about, correct?”

I nodded, but that was all. The Prince sighed and snapped his fingers, returning the memory back to the park.

Turning around, he glared at me. “I have a proposal. I wish—”

“No, we cannot work together,” I interrupted. “I heard enough from your deranged body and I’ve made it clear that I won’t forgive you even if your own history isn’t full of sunshine and rainbows. You have an appropriate reason for your actions, and I don’t want to lecture you on it, but I know for sure once this is over, our goals and ideals will not and can not align.”

“You haven’t even heard me speak about it. How do you expect to make a proper evaluation if you simply shut me down. I understand you are still a child, but from our interactions, I assumed you would be more patient, or at least sly about it. You kept me talking up until now, never outright shutting me down, but now? Why?” he scowled, genuinely angry this time.

“Because it wouldn’t be a discussion, it would be an ideological argument that I don’t want to start,” I said. “Here is the main difference that cannot allow us to be compatible. I am an idealistic young girl who wants to spread smiles to everybody, to help them get over a rough day if possible. I don’t want war, I don’t want to continue all this killing that will only continue the cycle of hatred. Call me naive all you want, but that is what I want.”

His eyes squinted, looking at me in disgust or, to be more precise, as if I was actually a child. His reaction when I called him “pervert” was more about being annoyed at my random comment, but right now? Oh, he was thinking about it. However, what did he want me to say? A lie?

I then pointed at him. “You, on the other hand, will definitely continue on the war path regardless if I veto it or not. You want to overthrow the gods? How? Destroy and break down every single religion in the world? Ha, dude, if you think I’m actually a naive child, then I think you’re an overly optimistic idiot with an ambition so inconceivable that it belongs in a fantasy novel. Do you even have a plan? Of course you don’t, because you even admitted it yourself. That ‘seed’ is corrupting you; your soul is dying.”

I let out a boisterous laugh, making fun of him as I couldn’t contain my emotions any longer. It felt a bit relieving to simply cackle in the face of my “evil lord” enemy. A tiny bit of myself did feel bad for him, but, honestly, who cared? He was trying to use me anyway.

“Klea and Vifi warned me how envy demonkin love to talk. A ‘demon’s whisper’ is what we Earthlings call it, when your consciousness is trying to fight back against your intrusive thoughts, but I find it very fitting now! An actual demon trying to sweet talk me, thinking my sympathetic side can be appealed to. Think again, asshole; I am a dragon. You and your minion stole Eshe from me—my friend—and you nearly forced the dwarves and elves to join the war against the Empire. You. Need. To. Go!”

The prince turned silent, shaking his head in disappointment. “A shame. You could have made my job easier. Enough talking, let’s begin.”

He then snapped his fingers, causing a sudden pain to rush through my body. I jerked, taking a deep breath as it felt like I was being burned alive. I screamed like a helpless girl, feeling like I was a normal human again with how the agony wouldn’t stop. My skills wouldn’t activate.

All I could do was endure it. I grit my teeth and forced myself to remember the pain I felt in my early days as a dragon hatchling, about my near death experience and how I survived through all of them. I reminded myself of the deaths of my friends and my own, telling myself the holes created on those days were more painful than this. The thought of my grieving parents, lamenting the death of their idiotic daughter.

That was suffering! Torment from hell! All the memories I could have made with those I’ve lost was true misery! I would rather confront my phobia against frogs and toads than have to think of their tears!

Seeing me fight back against my voice, glaring at him definitely, the demonkin’s expression distorted and he snapped his fingers, ending the torture. He came closer.

“I see. Your memories, huh? You are using them to endure Yaldabaoth, prolonging your defiance and preventing me from consuming your soul … Well, if this is how you want to play it, then I shall take it slow. Gwyn eventually gave up as well. They all do.” He then began examining my soul, looking up and down with glee. “Those holes … They are blocking so many memories. If I want to be you, I need to understand you better. From how you developed this personality to the reasons for that naivety of yours. Well, let me see what I can do.”

I gripped my hands in fist, struggling a bit when I heard him say this.

He raised his head, smiling. “Oh? Don’t worry, I am no god, or even anywhere close to Ilsaphone when it comes to manipulating souls. Yaldabaoth sends you into a dreamscape like this, unless I personally send my soul in to intervene, which led us to this scenario. I can fill up some of the about-to-be-fixed holes, but that is about it … Hehe, you truly thought I was an idiot, no? Did you really think opening a subspace to summon your mother would save you?”

The cat was out of the bag.

The prince sighed deeply before snapping his fingers again, causing the park to lose definition, revealing an void-like world. Stairs were there, connecting this plane—my soul—with another. I couldn’t see what was there, as it was obstructed by a fog, but seeing this made me feel elated. My plan worked.

[Storage Magic] was the last spell I used before I fell asleep, as I wanted to take two items out—my [Room] stones. Once they were out, I activated them, opening the portal that led to Mom’s dragon nest, where I had left Mom prior to my fight. Why? To have her soul be affected by Yaldabaoth. To bring her into this place.

“[Mental World], correct?” he guessed. “I isolated her soul before I touched it with Yaldabaoth. We do not wish to wake up your sleeping mother, no? Yet, you used the fact that Yaldabaoth is still a mental ability. It affects your mind, causing it to go to sleep before it interferes with your soul. How clever. You bridged our three souls by creating this mental world … You were prepared, but it would have only worked if I was a fool. I’ve done this many times. I know how to win.”

I coughed, forcing myself to smirk. “Even without my usurpation, you had issues trying to hurt Mom’s soul even back then. Your first try failed, how do you think it would have gone the second time?”

“I didn’t expect your mother to enter the subspace I reserved for you. I had ordered Vifi’Yok to do as such, yet she failed, and it brought us to that situation. The other subspace prison would have just entrapped her, nothing more. Why would I wish to look into the soul of a being older than my grandparents?”

“How sad …” I pouted, looking away in defeat. “Checkmate.”

“Hmm?”

“A victory cry, you can say. It comes from one of our tabletop games from Earth, where the goal is to trap a king with your units.”

The prince nodded, smiling this time. “Fascinating. Yes, it truly is ‘checkmate’ for you. Now, please, be quiet as I look into your memories. Let me know when I reached the part with this ‘checkmate’ quote.”

Like a jolt, I groaned as memories of my past came rushing into my head. I remembered! The blank, fractured spots in my memories were starting to come back, with the haze being banished as if a hand had waved the fog away. I groaned, not from elation, but from the pain of receiving all these memories again.

It started when I was two, when I started to form proper sentences, or at least could speak to my Papa and Mama. Their faces were still obstructed, blackened even when I could remember us looking at photos or mirrors. Fortunately, I could see mine.

Hikari Schartner—I could hear my parents call me that. I could feel their hugs and warmth, the love they flooded me with. My nanny and my personal chauffeur, Clyde, were even there, appearing here and then. I remembered how Clyde wasn’t just a chauffeur, we actually met before when one of Papa’s friends came over with his family, which included his nephew.

Clyde, you damn Scot! Do you think I can understand what you say on our first meeting when I was just six? I shouted in my head. Back then, he was just a freshman in high school, so that also meant he was older than Franz.

Oh, Franz … Of course. How could I forget about him? When Franz told me he knew me, I could still remember my own befuddlement. I couldn’t tell if he was correct or not, but due to Tatsuya, I was about to fully confirm Franz was Hikari’s cousin. My cousin. I saw his face as a young teen.

I couldn’t even continue talking about my grandparents. I missed them so much, no, I couldn’t believe how much I missed them now that I could see their faces. I didn’t know why my parent’s face were hidden, but I was okay with this tiny teaser. I was okay with teasing! As long as I could remember, I was happy.

I … wanted to cry. I actually remembered not just the bad memories but also the good. The small moments of being a fulfilled little kid made me smile unconsciously. It felt like I found another part of myself. Oh gosh, it really illustrated how peaceful my life was until I discovered my love for idols. How I could have developed if Mama hadn’t come with me to Japan for my first idol concert.

Haaa, wishful thinking as this was my path now. It worked. It all worked perfectly! Yes …!

My plan worked.

“Huh?” The demonkin stumbled back when he reached the moment when Franz and I were in Sakurazaka park, when I was still in primary school and he was about to enter high school.

The first memory when she appeared.

“Forget it all, Hestia!” My voice screamed from my body, causing the prince to jerk back, holding his head in pain.

“Tsk! What is this! Who is—”

“Us!” I proudly stated, grinning widely as black smoke seeped out from behind the prince.

The shadow turned into a hand before it grabbed onto his leg, tripping him. The shadow then grew in size, revealing more of its body before it finished, revealing it to be her. Hikari. My partner. My other half.

“Thanks for repairing our memories, you bastard. Nobody touches our soul and tries to steal our memories!” She raised her fist up.

“No, stop!” he pleaded but before he could do anything, Hikari punched him straight in the face.

Checkmate.

You have usurped control over [Original Sin: Yaldabaoth]. You have regained control over your soul and your usage over the Divine System

Yikes. So Yaldabaoth just strips you of the Divine System once it gets its claws into you. This is really a demonic power. I quietly thanked Klea for all the information she gave me. Without her, this plan would have never been formulated.

The memory around us glitched for a moment before it returned to the peaceful park. The trees in the distance turned into ash, releasing my awakened parallel minds as they rushed over to us. Once the eleven of us were together again, we jumped, clapped our hands together and roared, “Suck on that!”

3# then shouted, “Oh gosh, I thought we were actually done for! When I found out we couldn’t fully usurp him unless we touched him, I thought it was over!”

“Sheesh! This is not a gamble I want us to ever do again, you hear, Original Mind?” #2 pouted in anger, but seeing at her trembling legs, she was just as afraid as me when I first learned I couldn’t usurp him.

“Sure … but it worked out in the end, no? We fooled him,” Manager Mind stated to our collective agreement. “Hiding Hikari by making her act as if she was just another part of her soul, and then, boom! Ambush him when he thought he won! Nice work, dumbing him down for her, Manager Mind!”

“And he repaired some of our soul!” #4 added “Split soul personality for the win, girls!”

“Yeah!”

My parallel minds then turned to the Prince of Envy. He was trying to crawl away but like a buncha gangster, they encircled him and began kicking him, laughing wildly like actual delinquents. I acknowledged I was a bad friend in my past life, but a bully? I never thought I had the potential.

“Come.” I grabbed Hikari’s hand, tugging her along me.

“W-woah, no, no, come on, We don’t have to, okay? I told you already, I’m fine with you making new memories, Hestia, but I’m just—”

“No, you said it yourself. Our dragon mother. Melloxtressa is equally my mother, as she is yours. So, instead of acting like a bad daughter, how about we give Mom a visit and help her soul heal with some singing? We are, after all, idols. Our job is to make people happy and this is a woman who needs us, right now!”

My other half flinched but eventually showed me an embarrassed smile. She nodded. “I’m so out of practice.”

“Shut up! You’re me, girlfriend. As long as I don’t suck, you won’t either! Come on!” I turned to the bridge to Mom’s soul. I reached my hand out. “Mental World, connect!”

The bridge glowed as Mom’s soul slowly was pulled over to mine, eventually melting into one giant plane. We both walked over to her, finally noticing her soul was the exact size of her dragon form. She was sleeping even here, peacefully and without any noise.

Phase five might involve the defeat of the Prince of Envy, but it was also Operation “Our Souls.” Use the Prince of Envy to wake Mom up and, hopefully, heal it enough that she didn’t have to hibernate as much. My filial duty as her daughter meant making as many memories as possible with her!