Seclusion [Old Version | Dropped]

The first night in this world was cold. Nobody was here, nothing alive. Wherever I went, life withered away. 

Time went by, but nothing changed. Slowly, a hollow feeling spread throughout my soul. Was this their plan all along? Sending me into a different world to save what was already lost? Even without me, the others would win the war and finish what I hadn't been able to do—erasing humanity. 

So I wandered with a pang of endless hunger, with a thirst for my ever-dry throat, with the desire of having something I could call mine and solely mine. Hours became days, days became weeks, weeks became years, and years became millennia. Still, nothing about my plight changed. The world, though, began to grow and evolve. 

One day, I saw an animal that looked like a small tiger. As soon as it noticed me, it tried to run away in fear, but after a few feet, it just dropped dead. When I stepped closer, the body just turned to dust—I wasn't even allowed to look at the living from nearby. But there was an unrecognizable feeling of something that still lingered in the air, where the tiger died. I tried to concentrate, and after a while, I saw threadlike particles hovering midair before me. 

I touched them. Instantly a hot burning sensation spread through my body, through my most inner self. It was marvelous. Such a feeling, I wanted more of it, and I wanted it all for myself...

This was the first time that I felt real greed. Only much later did I realize what exactly happened at that fateful moment.  

-------

I must admit that the melancholy that came from breaking the seal was kinda pleasant. But that it happened during an auction, of all things, verged more on a cosmic joke. It couldn't be topped in terms of obviousness. I mean, come on, the seal of Greed broke in an auction hall that also had a casino in it. Some coincidences frighten even me.

Nonetheless, what's done is done. If I wanted to fix the seal, I needed to return to my domain because those repairs require complex magic formations, a mana-rich environment, and a freaking amount of time. The process itself also rendered me defenseless. 

Honestly, the aspect of Greed is wonderful in its own way. It enabled me to cast a specific type of Forgotten Magic—at least that's what the other called it at some point. I've created it, though. This magic is phenomenal, but unfortunately, it also had severe drawbacks—like those emotional swings. Furthermore, sealing away an aspect created an even more powerful method to seal away something else. In addition, emotions are something utterly pointless to me...at least they are now. So why should I bother if I could use them as a way to construct an indestructible cage. But you know, after I'd seen those weird divine threads, maybe there might be a solution for my little problem. What would happen if you combine all fourteen aspects with the System and create a new type of magic that could dampen the drawbacks and produce a suitable exchangeable cage. Just imagine the destructive potential...by doing so, I might finally find a method to locate Anansi and finish what I already started on Earth. 

Also, the thought of using Lust and Love at the same time sounded really alluring. Hey, don't judge me, ok? But for now, let's solve another problem.

-------

I turned my head to my 'apprentice' and pointed at the Teade, which she still was carrying. "Tulsi, please hand her over for a second."

"Um, alright?" she did as requested by me.

At the exact moment I was holding my little foxy in my arms, I slammed Tulsi against the wall with one of my tails. The wall behind her cracked a little, and stone crumbled onto the floor. The sudden impact forced the air out of Tulsi's lungs. For a short moment, she didn't breathe.

"W-Why?" she asked, coughing, with a pained expression on her face.

"Oh, well, my dear Vetala, that's an excellent question! Why don't YOU just answer it?" I replied flatly.

"I-I don't know what you mean! I didn't do nothing!"

Again a tail of mine slammed into her guts. The repeated impact buried her even deeper into the wall. Still, no bones or organs were damaged. However, she screamed aloud in pain. After a few seconds, she tried to speak again.

"I-I really don't know what you mean, so please stop!" she pleaded.

I shook my head. "Tsk-tsk-tsk, I'm really disappointed in you. Well, ok, lemme ask you something. Who. Are. You?"

"W-what? I'm Tulsi, of course!" the Vetala answered, irritated.

"Hmm, I wonder if that's true. At first, you completely fooled me too, I'll give you that. But something about the way your behavior took a complete turn got me suspicious. How could someone, naive as Tulsi, survive in this town. The story she told me was true; at least, that's what she believed. Did you really think you're the only one who could grasp the nature of a soul? To see one of your kind still alive is really astonishing. So let me rephrase the question: You're a Divieria, aren't ya?"

The girl gulped. Her mouth opened but closed again without words—she couldn't speak. I felt the turmoil in their soul. 

"Did you really think that no one would ever find out about your little secret? Not that I couldn't understand why you did it. I mean, Divieria are treated like useless livestock. For someone like the Vetala, such oddities as you are worth next to nothing. A soul formed of two halves—one hampers the other from steady growth. For a warmonger race, a complete failure. And it seems that to this day, they have not found the flaw in their logic. The Divieria I knew were the leaders. Of course, the other nobles spread the misconception that they were just ordinary Vetala in order to ensure nothing would endanger their position, and it seems that this strategy succeeded until today. 

"A Vetala whose growth is reduced by half is much slower in accumulating powers and much more vulnerable. Thus, they shunned them. But, their so-called 'handicap' is actually an advantage in the long run because when a Divieria's soul reached a certain point of strengthening, it was simply stronger than its peers. The soul potential is just doubled at the end of the day, even if it took a long time to reach that point in the first place.

"And even among the Divieria, those whose another half of the soul had attained its own consciousness were yet rarer. This symbiosis, the bond that will be forged, amplifies the potential all the more. But I'm sure neither of you knew this, or you wouldn't have escaped, would ya? In truth, it seems to me that you wanted to protect Tulsi and enable her desire for recognition. I must say that I am a little touched. However, it was a mistake on your part to try to fool me. Or...could it be that she doesn't know of your existence?"

Her eyes went wide, and the reply just shot out of her, "Y-You're right! I...we are a Divieria. Yet, Tulsi doesn't know about it! I've always tried my best to keep everything a secret from her and conceal the takeover in such a way that she always thought she was in control. I can hear her yelling in my head, complaining about what the hell is happening right now. But please, believe me, it was not my intention to fool you in any way; I just wanted to protect her. Tulsi is simply too kind. Even when she was looking for a way to raise her level, she made sure to lure only those people into the back alleys who were truly evil. She's too soft for a demoness to carry this cruel world on her shoulders alone."

"True sibling love, huh? Well, maybe it was luck, fate, or just plain misfortune that you stumbled upon someone like me who purely coincidentally could teach you higher soul magic that will make you stronger than any other Vetala. Mind you, this comes at a cost. Yet, if you really want to protect Tulsi, you should consider it."

"What's that price?" she asked without hesitation. 

"Well, even though I can't really separate your souls completely without causing a fatal backlash, I can still give you a body of your own. You two are still basically one rather abstruse soul but in different bodies. Like this, on the one hand, you could protect Tulsi much better and at the same time be far more useful to me. AND to have such a special Divieria working for me would be totally worth it. Ah, but I don't need an answer right away. First, try to talk to Tulsi, who is probably running amok in your head now that she found out about your existence. Uhh, and sorry for that, didn't think you would keep it a secret. Aah yes, despite all that, I still want to know who you are."

"I-I am Sophia. And yes, I know it's not a very special name, but it means a lot to me!"

Sophia freed herself from the wall and slowly moved next to me. Her endurance was incredible. I was about to say something when another question spurted out of her mouth.

"Um, M-Master, I wanted to ask one more thing, if I may?"

"Ask away!"

"Your appearance and that strange magic...are you a chim—"

Before she could finish the sentence, I swung my foxtail in her direction again, causing her to fly towards the ceiling this time. With a loud bang, she crashed into it and, shortly after, directly onto the floor. NOW I could hear bones breaking. 

"Dear Sophia, if you cherish your life, never again compare me to one of her absolutely failed and ludicrous experiments again. Do you understand me?" I spoke with a tone so calm and chilly that it literally froze the air around us. 

She raised her head with a pained expression and simply nodded. A moment later, though, a new question rang out again— my, my, how persistent she is! 

"But aren't chimeras among the strongest Mana Beasts? How can something like that be a failed experiment? I mean, they were created by the Eternal Witch, the most powerful witch who ever existed!"  

...

Huh? "Huh?" I thought and spoke at the same time. "Who the hell is this Eternal Witch supposed to be? I only know one being named Eternal, and as far as I remember, she wasn't a witch. Yeah, well, maybe others called her that, but she's someone who'd never cast magic, so how would she be a witch?"

Now Sophia, who slowly stood up in pain, looked at me questioningly. "B-But the chimeras were created by the Eternal Witch with her dark magic before she got ultimately sealed by the Origins and the Sword of the Gods."

I thought I was getting a headache. "Stop, stop, stop! Please tell me, what kind of godly sword are we talking about? And who the fuck are the Origins supposed to be?"

"W-What? Those are the stories that everyone grows up with! The ones that described how the witch takes the sun and the knowledge. In which is sung of her immortality, and how, in the end, through the courage of the heroes, she was sealed with a sword in the place where she first entered the world. And yada yada yada.

"Nope, that doesn't ring a bell," I curtly replied.

"How can that be? How can you know Circe but not the Eternal Witch? It's simply not possible. They belonged to the same ancient coven, members of which are said to be alive even today. But no one knows the identity of the others, only Circe, Laticia the Witch Queen, and Walpurgis II. are public knowledge!" 

"Ohh, Walpurgis had a daughter? Interesting, interesting. But I'm afraid I must disappoint you; I have absolutely no clue who you're talking about. Well, be that as it may. We have more important things to do," I said, trying to hide the anger that is swelling inside me.

How could it be that the events that I know happened were twisted like this? What is going on here? Why wasn't I included in any narrative? Why was it mentioned that there is someone with the Title Eternal Witch when the Eternal—who really created the chimeras—was completely magicless? It just didn't make any sense! I really had to find out what was happening. How dare they cut me out of the story!

Sophia cleared her throat and snapped me out of my thoughts, "Is it alright to ask one more question?" 

"Go ahead." 

"If you're not a chi-" she began her sentence but cut it off mid-sentence when she noticed my wildly whipping tail. "What are you?" she eventually changed her question. 

I rolled my eyes. She just didn't want to learn. "I'll give you one last warning, my dear. You are special, but not special enough. Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong. Got it?"

She swallows loudly, "Y-Yes."

"Good, now let's move on. I still want to get out of this facility today."

"Where are we going anyway?"

"To the butler, picking up a mansion. I don't plan on living in such an inferior part of town. By the way, aren't you going to let Tulsi retake the wheel?"

"Oh, uhh, not yet. I'm still trying to calm her down, and besides, unlike me, she doesn't have a high skill level in [Pain Resistance]. So it's preferable for us that I'm in control for now, " she explained. 

I just nodded and told her to follow me, which she did, limping slightly.

-------

In the old man's office, who apparently indulged in other activities besides being a butler, I was presented with some basic floor plans of the mansions. Unfortunately, most of them were too small for me, didn't have enough different rooms for their size, or simply didn't appeal to me. Though one floor plan sparked my interest. 

"What about this one? Is it within my gold range?"

The old man looked at the plan and its associated documents. 

"Well, it is; Albeit, this mansion is close to the academy. And since many of the students from the noble houses commute daily between their homes and the academy, they also pass by this property. So there might be some encounters that might disturb you. Especially since a student society from the academy wanted to use the mansion as their housing."

I pondered about it for a moment. That actually sounded a bit annoying. And since I was a no-name, so to speak, and didn't intend to show my 'true' appearance or an aspect of it anymore—as I did this evening— and put on a disguise instead, it could happen that they wouldn't respect me and get on my nerves. Unless I somehow fabricated a noble title, which shouldn't be too hard. Either way, according to the documents, this house was the only one with an extensive and well-equipped library that contained extensive historical data. In addition, there were also a lot of so-called sorcery and other magic-related books. Not to mention the large cellar vaults, which were perfect for my purposes.

"No, I'll take the object. Please prepare the required documents and a carriage to take us directly there, we-"

The Vetala, who by now was carrying the Teade again, tugged at my dress. "You do realize you forgot someone?"

"Uhh..." I considered.

"Deidre?" 

I struck my forehead with the palm of my hand. I'd entirely forgotten about the succubus. "Ah yes, that's right. Thanks for the reminder. Please, prepare two carriages for us. Send one in front of the eastern district's entrance and the other to the entrance of the royal district. Sophia, would you be so kind as to pick up Deidre and ride together in the carriage to our new home?"

"We can do that, don't worry!" she exclaimed and was about to salute till it struck her that this wasn't possible with the Teade in her arms. At that, she smiled sheepishly. 

-------

I was already sitting in a pompous carriage, which held no coat of arms yet asserted that there was someone high ranked in here. I'd taken the Teade with me while Tulsi and Sophia collected the other demoness. Piece by piece, everything fused together. The butler quickly prepared everything and informed the servants who maintained the mansion via magic crystal that the new owner would arrive soon. Before we arrived, however, there were still two other problems to solve—my appearance and the collar. 

The problem with my appearance was quickly fixed by putting on a necklace that had a potent illusion spell on it—I became an ordinary beautiful black-haired human girl. The collar, unfortunately, was a tad trickier. 

I studied the divine threads that were enveloping the item. First, I'd to disconnect the threads from the system. A bright light illuminated the inside. A golden metallic liquid dripped onto the collar from the long sharp nail tip of my index finger. With each drop, the collar structure changed more and more, until ultimately, the original material was made of pure gold. Even the beginnings of the threadlike connections had turned golden. I grinned with satisfaction. Mida's curse was just as powerful as before. The spell had the effect of usurping ownership of the objects on which it was cast. The side effect was complete gilding. Fortunately, this magic does not affect living beings...unless you really want it. But the aspect of Greed had much easier ways to do stuff like that. 

Now it was possible to cut the divine threads with my soul magic—combined with Greed—without significant problems or harm to the Teade. Thus, I went to work. It took me quite a while and a hella lot of mana to cut those 'fragile' threads. But through the Absolute Territory, paired with the Soul Blade, it wasn't too hard in the end. 

Finally, I tapped against the collar, and it disintegrated into fine gold dust—she was freed. The coachman announced a few seconds later that we'll arrive soon.

Just before we reached our destination, I could feel my little fox girl stirring. Sluggishly, she opened her eyes and tried to orient herself until she eventually focused on my face.

"Good morning, my dear Teade," I said lovingly and cupped her cheek with my scaly hand.