A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale

“Mom?” I called out, touching and caressing her head before embracing her.

Since my soul was still more human than dragon, my dragonewt shaped soul couldn’t really wrap its arm around her titanic head. Even worse, her soul was as cold as her scales. Touching her for a few seconds wasn’t an issue, but the longer I held her, the more it felt like her soul was consuming mine.

It reminded me of my first visit in Aurena’s divine realm and how her divinity nearly extinguished my soul. Maybe it was the same here? Her aura alone could probably cause heart attacks or simply crush people from the pressure. Her soul should be around that tier, as well.

“… I don’t feel comfortable,” Hikari said, looking ill. “I really shouldn’t—”

“She’s our Mom, as you said, so please, don’t make me repeat myself.” I frowned, sighing loudly as I let go of Mom. “Instead, should we sing?”

“Do you really think it would work? We got this far due to the information we got, but you kinda forgot to talk with actual soul experts. Do you really think it will work? I mean, sure, Papa’s mantra is our mantra when it comes to music, but it’s just that. A saying.”

I honestly had no idea if I should be embarrassed about myself or proud since I outmaneuvered a Prince of Envy and got him to mostly restore my memories. Sure, the plan was to use Yaldabaoth to wake Mom up, but the issue was that I had no confirmation on this part.

In all my planning for today’s raid, I couldn’t secure information on how to heal Mom’s soul. Ilsaphone was unreachable when I prayed at the onnikai’s temporary shrine to her and Klea was no expert. In fact, none of the gods really answered my prayers. Were all of them so scared of getting on Plesia’s nerves by “intervening?” Some information wasn’t “intervening.”

Well, since I had my Profile back, I should be able to form an idea now. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take too long since I wasn’t sure how much time would pass outside my soul. Every second mattered for my friends, so I had to think of something fast. Thankfully, [Mental World] inherited all my thought acceleration skills.

“Is that seriously your first idea? No, you can’t, it’s a soul. Not a demonic or divine item or something considered a ‘possession.’ Even I know this,” Hikari scolded me. “We might as well sing at this point. Come on, think.”

“Well … If we’re talking skills, then [Soul Vision], but I don’t think I can activate [Battle Frenzy] while only being a soul. Kriffiek kllk gaaung … Yeah, nope. My blood is responsible for that, after all.” I tilted my head, bending a bit to the side to stretch. “Talking? You know, how doctors and studies mention how talking to someone in a coma will help them wake up from it, or how they can listen to us? I don’t know if it works on somebody hibernating, but maybe?”

“But you’ve been doing this every other week,” Hikari stated, reminding me how I would sometimes confide to Mom. She was my diary, in a way. “What’s the difference now that you’re in her soul?”

I couldn’t argue with her. I did feel ashamed I was trying to wing it now. I honestly should have spent some more of my time asking the others for ideas before getting to this point, making me feel so tardy. Yet, I shouldn’t, getting to this point was only possible because all of the hard work I put in paid off. Defeating the Prince of Envy in his own game was the highest priority and I had every right to be proud the plan worked out. It was the first thing I thought of after Akasht died.

… What a fool I was. Success never hinged on hard work alone; that was abundantly clear to me. Yet, without putting in the work and assuring you did your best, success would remain fleeting and the chance of success would remain low. To work hard and to use the experience you gained from your failures was how one evolved as a person.

Wait, that’s right. Experience. The answer was right under my nose, and I had just realized it.

“You have a plan?” Hikari asked and I nodded, before pulling her closer to Mom’s soul.

Ignoring her baffled outburst, I turned around to look at my parallel minds in the distance. They had just finished beating the prince up and were now trying to find ways to tie him, obstruct him from interfering. Sure, he couldn’t consume my soul any longer, but who knew what else he could do. As he rightfully stated, “he has been doing this for a while now.”

Should hurry, but this will take a while. Girls, I need your help on this, I thought, causing my parallel minds to give me several thumbs up. As long as they knew.

Taking a deep breath, I told Hikari to do the same before telling her we needed to smile. Be calm and gracious, show a bit of filial respect since Mom was an elder scale. Like daughters visiting their sick mother. Therefore, we kneeled down on our knees, in a “seiza,” treating Mom as if she was Mama.

“Mom, this is Hikari, my past self. Well, to be specific, I am still her, and she is now me,” I began, confusing my other half since I wasn’t explicitly thinking about my plan right now. “As you can see, our appearance is pretty similar even if we are souls, right? I’m just more red and have my draconic features, but you can really tell we’re the same. Our hair and eye color are different though, and while she’s like my depressed self, she’s still me! I think you’ll like her.”

“Hestia … can you please elaborate what you’re planning?” Hikari asked.

“Our memories,” I stated plainly. “Due to our birth, Mom can never make any memories as a real mother. She missed us as a newborn, toddler, and even a kindergartner, whereas she met us as a jaded adolescent who initially wanted to reject her as a parent. This is what we stole from her by becoming ‘Hestia,’ and while she might have accepted ‘Hestia’ as her daughter, and not the potential daughter she could have gotten without our soul, can’t you feel she might have some regrets?”

My first experience of Yaldabaoth allowed me to learn so much about her past, and our little interactions from before then gave me an idea of her personality.

“You saw how exhilarated she was when she held our egg. How she dearly wished to become a mom. What she did to ensure we wouldn’t have to suffer through the same fate she and our uncle did. She did all of that for us, but our situation only brought her grief and pain,”—I touched her head—“She must have had so many plans. Ideas on how a mom and child would bond and the things she must have wanted to show us! To teach us! To see us grow. That is the blessing Mama witnessed …”

I took a deep breath, feeling like tears were welling up. “Mom never got that chance, but I want to give it to her. She showed a part of herself to us, now it is only right to return that favor. If talking is all we can do, then we will talk and make her want to wake up. That hibernating now would only make her miss even more of how her daughter would grow up! I’m still just a stupid teen, Mom! I still have more to grow up, and you’ve been sleeping for nearly four months now, come on, you can’t make me miss you this much!”

I then turned to Hikari, prompting her to do the same.

She hesitated, feeling awkward as she stared at our titanic Mom. “H-hello … I’m Hikari. Hikari Schartner … I, uh, unlike Hestia, I haven’t really been thinking about things too much, although I did tell my other half that I would consider you our mother. It feels hard to say it, though. She calls us the same, but we really aren’t.”

Hikari then looked at me again, prompting me to nod and push her to continue. She let out a deep sigh, scowling in pain. She then closed her eyes and began pouting, before letting out another sigh.

“I …I started remembering things when I was two years old. The memories of our Earth father and mother are still hazy and it’s hard to properly remember their faces, but I can still remember everything they did for me. They taught me how to speak, even though most of the time, I was just repeating words they spoke with each other. Like ‘no!’ and ‘scared!’ I remembered making my nanny extremely annoyed when I kept repeating ‘milk, milk, milk!’ after she wanted me to go to sleep.”

I giggled a bit, also baffled at how obnoxious I was as a toddler. “I guess we wouldn’t be drinking milk as a dragon whelp, so what would it be like? Mom, nobody has told us how dragon hatchlings are, but you should have met them here and there, right?”

“We would have probably been the same …” Hikari said with a slouched back. “Every newborn is cute and cuddly to look up to, until they start throwing a tantrum. Like, honestly, look at us. Crying out just because we got our clothes stuck in the couch. Kids are stupid.”

And just like that, an illusion of our toddler self was reflected on the ground. Like a hologram, our past self was playing with a bunch of toys as a middle-aged Japanese woman was taking care of us, giving us our porridge and milk, and even bathed us. She would clean our diapers and so on.

Yaldabaoth was still creating illusions even after I had usurped it. As I said, the answer was right under my nose. Similar to how Mom showed me illusions of her past to tell me more about herself, we were now doing the same, trying to influence Mom’s soul. To share our memories with hers while she dreamt.

“Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t have been too different. The difference would be our time together and how our cultures and races would affect how we treat our children,” I said, a bit remorseful. “I would have grown into a pretty prideful dragon if I had stayed by your side since my birth, Mom. I can’t imagine it, but how would my life have turned out if I wasn’t stranded in the Belzac forest? I guess, I would have spoken with somebody earlier.”

My story would have been far different if this were the case. Saori’s and Tasianna’s as well.

“… I just learned who might be responsible for things. The Prince of Envy told me he suspected an Edjurl god by the name of Gel’Glariri was at fault for my [Mana Eyes] and my ability to usurp. A ‘God of Trickery and Laughter.’ Hearing those domains made me think, ‘Is he responsible for my current life?’ He’s supposedly a disciple of Marsven, so did he potentially kill my egg bearer and stranded me in the Belzac forest? Weird thoughts, right?”

“You’re treating her like a diary, again …” Hikari stated, exasperated.

“I am simply detailing what my life with her could have been if some god wasn’t such an ass! So many things could have been different—not like I care at this point—but just the thought experiment was exciting. I mean, look. No … listen.”

I closed my eyes to the illusion happening before me, instead I viewed the memory playing in front of me in my head. The “first-hand experience” if you could call it, yet, to me—to “Hestia”—these were all new. Like watching a movie that invoked a variety of emotions, witnessing my memories flash before me in a less agitated fashion made me feel so solemn. If I already missed my parents before, I had to say, what awaited me now was beyond my imagination.

I saw my little four-year-old self playing with my nanny. She helped me sit at my Papa’s classic black piano, the one he used since his days in Germany, monitoring me as I “played” on it. My parents hadn’t started training me in the musical arts just yet, but I knew how to differentiate the different notes in a melody. Being exposed to two music lovers since birth would do that, and it was like learning English, German, and Japanese to me.

The musical scale was like a mother tongue to me.

Even if I couldn’t play the piano at all, simply mimicking what Papa would do with his fingers, I enjoyed every moment of it. I got so enraptured by it that I was eating and drinking my milk at such a snail’s pace that my nanny scolded me for it. I actually got into trouble with my parents due to this, as I was misbehaving and making my nanny’s job harder.

Nanny was practically a second mother to my Mama, and as a Japanese, she held familial and elderly respect to a high standard. Sure, kids could be rowdy, but I was four. I knew how things worked in our household, so me acting so spoiled was a no-go. My Papa, especially, couldn’t support me since I was arguing against Mama like a stubborn mule. I resorted to growling, screaming, and stomping to get my points across.

Even now, I could only smile in embarrassment as I couldn’t even understand my actions. What made me such an obnoxious child at this moment? Well, if I could hazard a guess, it was due to the fact I found my love for music at this age.

Calling it being enraptured might be an understatement, now that I thought about it. I was smiling and my mind was so engrossed in my piano playing that I was actively fixing my mistakes. I wanted to make my melody as similar as Papa and this smile as I had fun blinded even me.

Nanny could understand it, as she probably witnessed it with Mama, but she also wanted me to be healthy. I shouldn’t obsess myself so much in creating the perfect tune. Even Mozart couldn’t perfect his craft despite being a “genius,” ‘cause music was an adventure without an end.

When I finally gave up and began sobbing as I couldn’t get my ideas across, thinking Papa and Mama hated me for trying to be like them, this misunderstanding caused a small ripple in our peaceful family life. I ran into my room, crying so loudly I thought I was a fire alarm. Second-hand embarrassment made me want to look away, but I didn’t. I watched through all of that, hearing it all while I finally noticed Hikari had been narrating everything to Mama. Once she was done, my small self stopped crying and finally opened the door.

Mama embraced me so firmly, crying and asking for forgiveness. I was in the wrong, but my parents understood after talking with Nanny that my child’s mind couldn’t rationalize the situation. I told them how much I loved music and wanted to create it, but my parents could only think about how I disrespected a family member. As such, when we finally made up, I could feel the warmth when we all embraced. The memory was so vivid.

Although hungry, I had been too tired to eat. Papa still forced me to eat two spoons of cake and rice before laying in my bed. I was given a bottle of milk and, to my surprise, my parents sang me a lullaby. Not some typical German or Japanese one, but an English one. One Mama just improvised.

Papa went out to his piano while Mama stroked my hair. Even on the second floor, I could hear his piano echo through the apartment. Every note sounded like a hopeful invitation that something better will happen tomorrow. Like watching the sun reveal itself through the clouds on a rainy day, or a dance between two lovers imagining what life would be as they gazed into each other’s eyes. A warmth that invoked happiness.

“Here you are, my little jewel ♫

Your laughs are our treasure ♫

The day’s so bright, even if we fight ♫

We cry whenever you smile ♫

And yet, the day, it’s almost done ♫

It’s time to go to bed ♫

How brave, you are, our perfect girl ♫

How much we love you, dear ♫”

I wanted to cry.

“So hear us sing this lullaby filled with thoughts for you ♫

The life you want, we’ll make it so no matter what you dream ♫”

I wanted to cry. I wanted to hate myself so much.

“I love you, we love you ♫

Our dearest daughter ♫

Keep these words in mind ♫

I love you, we love you ♫

So be free, fly high, reach for the stars ♫”

… It made me remember that one argument I had with Papa when I was 15. When I played the violin and we got into that fight where I shouted at him how he wanted to stop my idol dream. I was a fool back then, believing I had to go down a doomed path that couldn’t work due to my stubbornness. Funny how, after ten years, I’ve never outgrown it.

Maybe it was that I’ve forgotten my Mama’s words. We might have fought, yes, but Papa was worried for me. He wanted to see his little bird fly into the sky, allow her to shine in a stage she deserved, but I couldn’t see his worry. If he had been a bit more forceful, he might have changed me, or, maybe it was more important to stop me from continuing onwards after my second audition failure. Yet, he didn’t. Even if I was making a mistake, he wanted me to learn it by myself.

You could argue this wasn’t love but neglect, and it would be a fitting explanation. After all, I was dumb and stuck in a bad mindset. My love for music molded me into the person I was today, but it also made me blind to everything else. That perfection I aimed for was a disease. I never outgrew it … until I met Saori and Tasianna. Until I saw how much of a little brat I was.

All that emotional baggage led me to make “Promise.”

“… Love you ♫”

Huh!

My eyes snapped open as I heard that familiar voice. I hadn’t heard it in nearly four months and it reappeared once the memory and Hikari’s retelling ended.

The both of us looked over to Mom. That was her voice! The same voice she used as a dragonewt and during our telepathic conversations, so I couldn’t mistake it for somebody else’s. I went closer to her head, finally noticing she was humming softly, causing my mouth to go agape. Was the plan actually working?

Realizing this, Hikari and I continued our storytelling, moving onto our first day of kindergarten. I showed off my nervous wreck self as it would be the first day that I wouldn’t have any of my close family or friends around. Yet, I kept up a smile and optimistic appearance, imitating how Papa and Mama would act whenever they performed. My first “mask” was created on this day.

A good attitude made the biggest difference when everybody was just young kids, yet even after many months of being in kindergarten, I hadn’t been able to make a fast friend. I had friends, but I had nobody I spent a ton of time with. From the look of it, my love for music made me rather uninterested in other types of media or games.

That only really changed when Mama started sharing her interests to me, specifically, anime and games. She never was shy about it, as she had a hobby room just for her collection of videos and games, where she would bring me along whenever I was bored. She would gush about her hobby like crazy, tiring me out to the point I couldn’t listen to her lullaby before falling asleep. Strangely, I didn’t mind it, in fact, I just got more addicted to games.

My interests grew and so did my relationships, as my parents made an effort to have me get closer to my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. We were traveling far more than usual, using up any holidays I had to assure that. This was also the main reason my Mama stopped being an active violinist. She was taking care of my social growth while Papa was focusing on his career.

It was a chance for me to show Mom the numerous countries we’ve visited. The US, Germany, and Japan were the most common, but we had spent some time in France, Denmark, and Austria since traveling through central Europe was pretty convenient due to the train services. If a road trip in America meant driving a car, then in Europe, trains were the best option.

If Papa could come with us, Australia, Italy, and Spain were options as well for holidays. Weirdly, although we were wealthy, we’ve never traveled to Hawaii, the Bahamas, and Maldives before. I never asked my parents about it, but I guess they were more cultural nerds than beach fans. Fortunately, now that these memories were back, I could share them all with Mom and Saori.

And here I thought I only traveled to Germany and Japan. Mama really loves traveling, huh?

I smiled as I saw my shadowed Mama clapping with Nanny and me when we went to a fair in France. I would love to call this nostalgia, but all of this felt new to me … but not for Hikari. She was narrating everything, as if she hadn’t lost her memories as well.

She described everything so faithfully until we reached the time when I discovered my love for idols. She fell quiet, grimacing at the start of our nightmare, treating it like a trauma despite it being one of our happiest days ever. I had found my dream, my goal for the future. My love for music had exploded and that affection latched onto an image of myself on that same stage. That video of my favorite idol group performing with so much energy … It was awe inspiring.

I didn’t know how to feel. I was elated to see this memory again, but Hikari was devastated. For her sake, I decided this was where our retelling stopped. It wasn’t like I had more to share since the prince stopped repairing my soul in my memory with Franz.

“… Traveling … Enjoy.”

Fortunately, all this talking was working. During our entire storytelling process, Mom kept mumbling more and more. I have heard of physical therapy, but soul therapy?

My theory, at this point, would probably be stimulation. After that talk with the archerudite and vampire princess, I’ve mostly understood the struggles of being an immortal mortal. The longer you lived, the more your soul would degrade due to either lack of stimulation or exhaustion. Hibernating helped heal one’s soul, since allowing your soul to degrade too much would eventually lead to death.

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I was terrified when I heard this after Mom fell asleep. I couldn’t lose a mother I had just accepted and the fear of her mortality clutched my heart once again, so what a relief it was to hear that I could solve her problem. Stimulation and granting her new fond memories to force her soul to stay awake.

Just talking to her didn’t help, but now in this setting where I could just make her see my memories? Perfect. Yaldabaoth was perfect for this! Meaning, it was time to give her a wake up call!

A song.

Hasn’t she heard this enough already? I mean … No, let’s try it. If there is one song that I would choose amongst a thousand to sing, then it has to be ‘Promise.’

What better way to do it than a duo? Hikari began. No music, no beatboxing, just pure singing.

“As I stare into the sky, I wonder what happened that day ♫

It was bright, so bright, my dazzling dreams; It pains me, to think of them ♫

I sealed my tears, sadness into a mask, how could I be so blind to theirs ♫

Oh, by chance, I wish a second try, but now, that chance is gone. ♫”

Her voice was more solemn and she wasn’t singing it how I would do it, giving these lyrics a more heartful, down to earth feeling to them. She was reflecting on herself instead of telling a story, which I did after she was done.

“Instead, everything was changed ♫

I could have cast my past into flames ♫

But my memories remained, I couldn’t fail; their hopes for me, I will hold to my heart! ♫”

It was a ballad and I made sure to convey the intent behind my lyrics by emphasizing them, to show my listeners my emotions when I wrote them. To show them what I had experienced and give them the context they needed to understand what came next.

“Like a soaring star, I will fly ♫

Through this darkness, my light will never fade ♫

Even in the darkest hours, this smile will always stay ♫

This promise etched into my eternal soul! ♫

As if reality can break my wings ♫

Defy all, keep your eyes on the prize ♫

For this single chance in life, I will stand tall and proud ♫

Let the world hear my voice! ♫”

Harmony! A brilliant combination between the both of us. Sure, our voices were exactly the same, but we interpreted the songs differently, giving it some distinction, texture. Like a sweet muffin with some crumbles on it.

“Wooohooooooo whoooooohaa—”

“Hraaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Hikari and I snapped our heads around as we heard that shriek. It was a girl’s voice, yet, the only girls inside this mental space were us and our parallel minds. The latter shouldn’t be in such trouble that they would scream, after all, they should have the Prince of Envy under control. They should.

Yet, when we looked over, the prince was standing up and held #10 up by her throat. The black ball in his chest had spread its roots, reaching up to his right arm, darkening it. #10 continued screaming, caused by those roots invading her soul!

“Huurrrry!” she screamed. “Run! Run! Hurrrry!”

My other parallel minds tried to help her, but #10 pushed and kicked them away. She continued screaming in agony before her body began to melt into the prince. Horrified, I tried to rush in, but both Manager Mind and #2 grabbed my arms and pulled me back. “[My Darkest Thought!], come on!” they shouted, but it was too late.

“Huurrrry!” she screamed for the last time before her body vanished into the prince’s soul. Not even a hint of her red soul or her draconic features could be found within that blackened demonkin.

[Parallel Thoughts] has been usurped by individual [Envy Demonkin, Thals’Yond]

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 10]’s maximum level has been permanently reduced by 1. [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 10] degraded into [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 9]

Huh?

Everybody’s eyes widened in terror. What just happened? What did the System mean that the level cap was reduced by one? Why did the skill go back to Lv. 9? Th-this didn’t make sense, when could skills randomly go down a level?

“Y-you fucker! You fucking piece of shit!” I shouted as the Prince of Envy suddenly began cackling.

With a wide grin, he raised his hand up. “I must take it back. God Gel’Glariri has given me a blessing as well! I might have looked into the abyss, but I’ve come out of it with the same power as yours! Usurpation! An ability strong enough to bring down the order of the divine! A fate-altering ability that neither the demonic nor the divine can ignore … And neither can you.”

My parallel minds next to him took a step back.

“You usurped Yaldabaoth, but I can usurp your copies, regaining some of my powers back. That one? I consumed it, and with it, a part of your soul and memories!” he explained. “It doesn’t seem to have affected you. So, they are part of the Divine System, right? Created by it? Meaning, the only way to defeat you is by …”

He grinned, pointing at Hikari and me.

“By consuming ‘Hestia’ and ‘Hikari.’ That’s how I kill ‘Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor.’” He lowered his knees, getting ready to pounce forward. “Give me my power bac—Kagh!”

“Hurry!” #9 shouted as she slammed her tail into the demonkin’s face, sending him flying back. “Wake Mom up, you idiots! Stop staring and worrying about us useless copies!”

I hesitated. I just … I just witnessed myself die, no? They might be copies of me but that didn’t invalidate their existence! They were me! #10 was me and she just died. Even if you disregarded the copy part, #10 was still one of my friends and companions, who has been fighting side-by-side with me for months now! Nearly a year!

Yet, just like that, she was gone. The level was permanently reduced as well. We couldn’t get her back!

“Yo, I said to—Argh!” The prince grabbed #9’s leg and tripped her, before tearing the limb off. She screamed and squealed, trying to crawl towards the other parallel minds but the demonkin pulled her closer to him before grabbing her by the throat.

“Sing!” Manager Mind told me, so I did just that.

“Staring out the window while it rains ♫

No one here to talk, silence is all I have ♫

So I delved into my thoughts and wondered, “What if?”♫”

But no matter how long I did it, it wasn’t working. [Music Resonation] didn’t appear. In fact, no magical attacks worked as none of my parallel minds could cast spells. Was mana completely cut off as well? Like my dragon blood? Then, what the hell was [Mental World] supposed to do, then?

“Hurry!” #9 shouted, but I couldn’t control myself any longer.

I forced myself through my parallel minds and rushed over, using an imitating of [Gale Steps] to get over to the demonkin just seconds before #9’s throat started to blacken. With a wide grin, the demonkin reached his arm out, but with trained movements, I parried him. His smile waned as I destabilized him by kicking his kick, punched his right arm to free #9, before landing an elbow uppercut right on the demonkin’s jaw.

[Mental World] soul battle has begun. Reduce the maximum soul health to 0% to win this battle

Thals’Yond: 98%

Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor: 100%

What?

That was all the explanation I needed, since I hadn’t dared to try fighting my friends here. I didn’t know what would happen if I tried to hit somebody’s soul, after all, and I didn’t want to risk permanently hurting anything. I couldn’t have been more grateful for this.

Yet, I had to question why this message hadn’t appeared up until now; I had a feeling it had to be due to Yaldabaoth. After all, before I usurped him, I didn’t have access to the System. Even Hikari’s punch from before had dealt nothing. Which didn’t answer why my parallel minds didn’t deal damage nor the demonkin deal any damage by absorbing #10.

Did it only count if the original soul attacked? Most likely, which meant only Hikari or I could deal damage to him. One of us had to be in the frontlines!

I then kicked the demonkin back before touching #9’s throat, successfully removing the black bits from her soul. Meaning, it was a tug-of-war between usurpation abilities. He could destroy my parallel minds but I could save them; however, if I took too much direct damage we might lose this [Mental World] battle.

“Shit, my leg,” #9 gasped, touching her missing limb. “I-It’s okay, I think I can regrow it. We just have to win!”

“Hikari!” I called out. “You need to wake up, Mom! Sing for her, please!”

“W-wait, that’s—”

“This isn’t the time to be scared!” I chastised her. “Look into our memories, Hikari! All that combat experience is yours as well, so use them! Stay calm and—”

“Original Mind!” #9 called out before pushing me to the side just [Foresight] started to ring in my head. An attack was coming from behind me.

I turned around, only to see the demonkin’s limb extend, similarly to how he did it with its normal body. It grabbed #9 and pulled her to his side before I could save her. She then heaved her up in the sky before slamming her body into the ground, squashing her.

“No!”

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 9]’s maximum level has been permanently reduced by 1. [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 9] degraded into [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 8]

… For fuck’s sake.

“On Original Mind!” Manager Mind shouted before all my parallel minds gathered around me, shielding me with their bodies. “Original Mind, we’ll take care of your survival. Land some hits! Hikari, please, start singing! You heard the bastard, he has nothing on her, so you have to get us that win!”

“But I—”

“We’re idols!” I encouraged her. “Our job is to bring a smile to people’s smiles, and tonight, we have a bunch of people we cannot disappoint. Yes, you’d failed during our auditions but stop thinking about them! Just ‘cause some industry ‘experts’ think that we’re not good enough doesn’t make us bad. You’ve seen me perform! We have the talent, we just lacked the confidence to take over the limelight! Besides, what parents care if we sing perfectly today or tomorrow? As long as we give it our all, that’s what matters! The love of singing is all that matters!”

I turned around, believing in Hikari to do what we did best. “Music is the art of touching the souls of thousands to empower and heal them.” I believed in her.

As such, I held the frontlines. I stared at the smiling demonkin as he touched his overgrown arm, retracting it and reforming itself back into its normal state. From the look of it, it wasn’t actually his [Original Sin: Demiurge] or his envy powers performing the deeds. If I couldn’t use my songs and racial abilities, then the rules applied to him as well. It was likely that the black seed was responsible for everything, since his overgrown arm was completely black.

Regardless of whether this was the real reason or not, I could see that using black seed wasn’t good for the demonkin’s mind or soul. It was starting to break apart. Cracks were forming on his soul, letting fragments fall onto the ground, and causing his eyes to exude this eerie aura.

“Remember Neill’s training. Remember Yorshka’s movements. Remember Vifi’s instincts,” I said as everything turned silent. Even the demonkin was waiting for our first move.

For the first signal.

“As I stare into the sky, I wonder what happened that day ♫

It was bright, so bright, my dazzling dreams; It pains me, to think of them ♫

I sealed my tears, sadness into a mask, how could I be so blind to theirs ♫

Oh, by chance, I wish a second try, but now, that chance is gone. ♫”

Now!

The demonkin roared like a feral beast before he touched his arm again, causing his soul to balloon up and deform. He then shot the elongated arm at us, forcing my parallel minds to dodge to the side while I took a step back and landed a right hook.

Thals’Yond: 95%

Seeing as he was aiming for Hikari, I parried the arm out of the way, but it suddenly began to convulse and shoot out multiple needles at me, scratching me on the cheek and shoulder.

Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor: 93%

Damn, this hurts! I thought. I might have my Profile back, but most of my skills just weren’t working in this mental world. Even [Foresight] took ages until it warned me. What was causing this?

Regardless, it was starting to turn messy with how much he could influence his soul. Meanwhile, this option was impossible for me. I couldn’t usurp my own soul, which meant that black ball really was at fault for everything.

With the fact his soul was so moldable, our party had it rougher than before. His attack angles were harder to anticipate and we had to protect Hikari. We might have had proper physical training from our numerous allies, but in this world, we were just “normal” girls now. Thankfully, even as a normie, we were still dragonewts and could take to the sky with our wings. Gravity was, thankfully, not an issue here.

With one half consisting of dragoons and the other foot soldiers, my parallel minds kept attacking and redirecting the demonkin’s arms and projectiles away from me. Being touched wasn’t an issue but prolonged contact allowed the prince to usurp my parallel minds and consume them.

Sadly, even if I managed to hit him here or there, my attacks were just less effective than his.

Thals’Yond: 85%

Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor: 75%

I could hit him as hard as I wanted, but my strength stats wouldn’t affect the damage. The number of hits didn’t matter either. I landed 17 hits on him while he only needed two to bring me lower than his. Was my soul just more fragile? At this point, I would have loved if [The Light] and [Divine Inferno] could show themselves for just a moment.

“However, I will always hold you close ♫

For my life was filled with all your love ♫

So, please, watch over me you two ♫

My promise to you, I will now make it true! ♫

Like a soaring star, I will fly ♫

Through this darkness, my light will never fade ♫

Even in the darkest hours, this smile will always stay ♫

This promise etched into my eternal soul! ♫

As if reality can break my wings ♫

Defy all, keep your eyes on the prize ♫

For this single chance in life, I will stand tall and proud ♫

Let the world hear my voice! ♫”

And … and it wasn’t going any better for Hikari. She just finished singing Promise but nothing. Mom kept mumbling like before, but nothing.

“Kraagh!” The third emergency. #6 was caught and had her arm ripped out to escape.

Sadly, before I could help her out, a tendril erupted from the mutated arm and grabbed her by the throat, stealing her away before I could get there in time. She tried to struggle, but it was futile. None of us could get to her in time.

“Dammi! Fuck off you slimy piece of shit!” she cursed. “You want a piece of me? You think you can end me like this? Then think again, this is a soul fight, and if you think you can touch me, then I’m gonna ruin your day! You want our memories, fine! I’ll give you ALL of them, you dead man walking!”

#6 then bit into the tendril as a last act of defiance before the demonkin ripped her head off, destroying my third parallel mind.

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 8]’s maximum level has been permanently reduced by 1. [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 8] degraded into [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 7]

Although she talked a lot, nothing happened. Nothing fucking happened that could help in this situation. We … had to deal with it ourselves.

“Continue singing, Hikari! Don’t stop!” I cried out once more before we all continued this fight.

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 7]’s maximum level has been permanently reduced by 1. [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 7] degraded into [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 6]

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 6]’s maximum level has been permanently reduced by 1. [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 6] degraded into [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 5]

Thals’Yond: 68%

Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor: 51%

It wasn’t working.

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 5]’s maximum level has been permanently reduced by 1. [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 5] degraded into [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 4]

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 4]’s maximum level has been permanently reduced by 1. [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 4] degraded into [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 3]

Thals’Yond: 49%

Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor: 30%

It wasn’t working!

“#4! Shit, shit!” #2 cried out as one of my original parallel minds disappeared before our eyes.

Urgh, I …

I felt exhausted and tired. Like staying awake after doing an all-nighter. I couldn’t focus, I felt dizzy, and it felt like I was about to collapse into a coma. Worst of all, I felt heartache. All my parallel minds were disappearing. Without [Tranquil Mind] helping me keep my composure, I felt all that pain welling in my soul.

I wanted to kill the prince of envy so badly. I wanted to kill him so badly!

Yet …

Shit!

“#3!” I shouted as I landed a roundhouse kick on the demonkin’s head, successfully getting his health down to 40%. Yet, I couldn’t continue the onslaught as I saw one of my original parallel minds dangling in the air, ready to be executed.

She struggled, looking terrified at the prospect of disappearing, but the moment our eyes met, she forced a smile. A beaming smile that could blind anyone! “B-been a good run, OG! Make sure our other half doesn’t feel too—”

Crunch!

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 3]’s maximum level has been permanently reduced by 1. [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 3] degraded into [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 2]

“… Hirraaaaagh!” I snapped my body around and landed a soccer kick on his face, sending him flying away. Blinding my rage, I rushed at him, dodging his strikes only to turn around and use this chance to strike at his mutated arm. As long as I hit his body, I could inflict damage.

This was all I could think of, all while chastising myself that I nearly lost my temper during a life-or-death fight. This wasn’t a situation where I could indulge myself as all the tools I was so used to were gone. Everything I’ve used up until now to turn the tides of even in the most direst battle were gone.

I’ve gotten too lax. Too used to my abilities as a dragon.

Thals’Yond: 36%

Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor: 28%

Too damn used the fact that I was stronger than others!

Thals’Yond: 24%

Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor: 26%

When all I was was a damn brat too afraid to disappoint everybody and die again in obscurity.

Thals’Yond: 16%

Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor: 22%

… A brat that was too tired at this point.

“Kurragh!” I fell onto my knees as the demonkin suddenly roared out and charged at me. Devoid of even the ability to speak, he touched his chest before his entire soul began to morph, turning into a giant centipede.

This …

Thals’Yond: 20%

I lost 2%? How? How did—

Ah … my body.

The crimson scales that were framing mine were cracked open, revealing the many swiss cheese holes. With every passing second, the holes got wider as bits of me fell off. I believe my soul has reached its limit.

Shit … move, I told myself but couldn’t as the demonkin’s stampede began. His body was just above me but I couldn’t muster the strength to fight. It felt like I was dying for real. Maybe my real body has reached its limit as well.

As long as you survive, Hikari. As long as you survive, we will continue to shine. So … I turned around to look at her, recognizing the terror on her face. I smiled. “Goodbye. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Hestia!” She screamed before she snapped around. “Mom! Please, wake up! Wake up, I need your help, please! Please save me!”

Haaa, maybe it could have worked before but—Urgh!

But just as the demonkin was about to slam onto me, somebody suddenly tackled me to the side. I groaned and looked over, only to see #2 smiling fearlessly. She showed me a thumbs up before my vision turned around and I was slung just out of the way of the demonkin. With a grand slam, I was blown away even further.

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 2]’s maximum level has been permanently reduced by 2. [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 2] degraded into [Parallel Thoughts Lv. 0]

[Parallel Thoughts] has become a defunct skill. You may choose to keep it or remove it

“#2 … Manager Mind. Please. Don’t leave me alone like this.” I reached where those two should have stood. “Please … Not after everything we went. This can’t just happen like this. Not after everything you did for me guys, not after everything we’ve done to fulfill our dream.”

I looked up, grimacing as the demonkin centipede looked at me, mandibles itching to consume me. The prince of envy, or rather, the former prince of envy, growled like a feral beast, all traces of intelligence gone. Maybe it was a fitting price that I would die with him. It was the minimum to ensure one of the seven leaders of Bole’Taria would disappear while I was just a weak rank B dragon.

It is official. I am not ready to join this war.

I’m sorry, I said my last words before accepting the end. I closed my eyes as the centipede shrieked.

…

“Here you are, my little jewel ♫

Your laughs are my treasure ♫

The day’s so bright, even if we fight ♫

I cry whenever you smile ♫

And yet, the day, it’s almost done ♫

It’s time to go to bed ♫

How brave, you are, my perfect girl ♫

How much I love you, dear ♫”

… Huh?

My eyes widened as I looked up, Tears began to form in my eyes as I stared at the silver dragon soul towering over me, having grabbed the demonkin by his head. He was struggling and actively trying to bite and harm her, but everything that touched her soul was instantly pulverized. As if her mere presence alone was enough to kill him.

“If you wish for the world to be frozen and delivered to you as a play thing, I would do it without fear.” She turned her head over to me. “If the gods continue bullying you, then I, Melloxtressa Wisperia Nordor, would become a rank SSS to take down their pantheons.”

“Mom!”

“I’m sorry for sleeping so much,” she said as she looked over to Hikari, who was crying like a baby behind her. “I should have heard my daughters before they started crying.”

With one squeeze, Mom crushed the demonkin’s soul.

[Mental World]’s soul battle has been completed. Souls will be repaired to survivable state before returning all participants back to their bodies

Your [Mana Eyes] is reacting to the [Shard of the Trickster God] consumed through [Mental World]. [Mental World], [Parallel Thought], and [Mana Eyes] are reacting to this shard

Skill evolution will now commence

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A note from AbyssRaven

Aye, I wish I could have brought you guys this chapter a bit earlier, but here we are ... o7 to Hestia's first allies. At the cost of her parallel minds, she saved her mother and healed her soul, while also destroying the prince of envy ... but at what cost?

… Today's song is from RWBY "All Our Days" Rawr

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