"Stop!"
It was a firm, commanding shout, halting Lia and Erias in their advance, and a moment later, they were surrounded by four Soulbound cultivators.
"Report!" The same voice ordered them, belonging to a middle-aged-looking man.
"I don't make reports to Disciples." Erias snorted, sneering at him, and let loose some of his aura. He made sure he only used his soul to mimic their powers and masked it with Kyaranin's essence; it quickly turned the others extremely nervous.
"Sorry… Elder!"
"Grand Elder!" Erias barked, increasing the pressure, making them quickly cup their hands and bow deeply.
"We thought all of you left to Meriath or are ordered to remain back at home, guarding the…"
"You don't need to think! That is not your assignment! Or are you an Elder that I know no of? Because if you are, you ought to understand what is going on and not 'thinking about it,' hm?"
"..." None of them had anything to say, and thankfully, they remained in a bow, looking down at their feet, missing Lia fighting back her giggles.
"Continue as you were! Because we are in a war, your punishment can wait until it's over."
With that, he flew onward without any obstructions, followed by Lia closely. When they were further away, she couldn't help but let out a loud laugh, winking at him.
"That was really nice!"
"Thanks. But there was a time when I was like that. So it isn't really something I am unfamiliar with!"
"They still pissed their pants! Wait… can they… we, even piss? I didn't feel hungry since waking up… nor sleepy."
"Hahaha… You clearly are my descendant, aren't you? No, I don't think they piss. Nor do we. All you need here is the thin cosmic energy that is present all around us, especially as you are nothing but a soul."
"But what about you and your recreated body?"
"Same. The energy here is so pure it sustains you indefinitely. They may be our mortal enemies, but I do admit, their methods when running to hide here and create their base is something marvelous."
"So, are we going in? Right now?"
"No, first you need a body. If we succeed, this whole thing will be destroyed, and you can't return to Meriath without a physical container."
"You sound like Somia." She giggled, making her ancestor smile.
"Come… let me introduce you to her properly then!"
After a long flight, Lia was wondering where they were going. She couldn't be happier to simply follow Erias as looking around, everything looked to be the same… a sea of clouds. She just couldn't tell where they were, where they were going, and if she would be left alone, she would simply fly in circles, that was for sure. Yet, Erias knew perfectly where they were, and when he changed directions with an abrupt left turn, suddenly Lia could see gras below them… then came a small pond… and a naked woman sitting at its edge, meditating.
"What is this place?" She asked whisperingly when they landed, not wanting to disturb Somia, who she recognized at once.
"It's my own little space! I learned a lot from them and also studied how to manipulate the immaterial and turn it into… tangible. Going by the Golden Claw's dogma and mixing it with the Soulbound's way of strength, I could create this and also hide it from them. The ground we are walking on is made out of the element of earth, for example."
"You can control it?"
"I studied it. I can't say I can be called someone proficient with it, but I did dabble in all of the eight since coming here, yes. Although, when it matters, I only use my four primary elements. Those I have complete mastery over!"
"I see…" She whispered, munching on her lips while thinking and only stopping her train of thoughts when they stood before Somia's body. "She has remade hers too?"
"Of course! Although her soul and mind exist at both ends. She is present at both realities thanks to her invention."
"That is why she is so… weird?"
"Ahaha! Nope!" Erias laughed, patting Lia's head, "She was like that originally! Soso was always that… so-so."
"Eh? You call her so-so? What type of girls are you into, Grandpa? I won't say she is not a weirdo, but so-so? Look at her body; she is gorgeous! Not as nice as Rinzen, but… still!"
"Hm?" Erias couldn't help but tilt his head, looking at her with one eyebrow raised to the top of his face, looking back and forth between Lia and Somia. "Soso is the perfect nickname for her! She is a beauty, yes, but her personality is something only I can tolerate…"
"I don't care about what others think."
This time, it was not Lia who spoke up but Somia as her eyes slowly opened, and she stood up without covering her body, letting her breasts jiggle, making Erias watch them without any shame.
"Hmmmm…" This time, it was Lia who hummed, leaning closer, watching Somia's boobs before grabbing them and giving the two a good squeeze. In return, Somia just looked at her, letting Lia do as she pleased and only speaking after she released them.
"Had enough? Why not feel yours?"
"I need a reference when recreating my body! Also… Rinzen’s are softer.”
"I need to meet this Rinzen you are speaking of." Erias grinned, and before Lia could answer, Somia did so in her place.
"She is the Berison girl I told you about. Currently, she has started reforming her House and gathering the natives. Reyra granted a temporary home base for them, placed inside the Amarin's territory, with complete autonomy over it."
"They are fine? Haaah… good, good!" Lia couldn't help but let out a deep breath, feeling her mind and spirit relax, which was a visible, tangible improvement in her appearance. She almost looked like she was glowing now. "I was a bit worried… but if all of them are fine, it is all good! Can you… tell them to not worry?"
"Rinzen already figured it out. The Realm Key is still connected to you." Somia answered, making Erias flinch.
"Wait! You have a Realm Key?!"
"I accidentally obtained it, but… yes… It got stuck on my finger, but I lost it when I died."
"This is great news!" He clapped onto Lia's shoulders, looking into her eyes, "When our assault succeeds, and this place is destroyed, the ripple will throw the Realm Door open! It will be much more violent than when someone advances…. But…”
"But the leader of the Soulbound Sect has three of them… He could fight back against it or do something that we can't stop." Somia finished it for him, making Lia think.
"But with only one ring… And I don't even have it with me!"
"When we smash through their defenses, it should also return to you!" Erias hummed, thinking about it. "I think it couldn't follow you here as this place was created and separated by his powers and the use of his rings. We will see, but if you can call upon it, try to use it to stop the old bastard from keeping the Gate closed! Even if for a little…!"
"Mhm… okay!" Lia nodded, feeling excited, and then turned back to Somia, "So they know… Good! I didn't want them to worry! All of them are healthy, yes?"
"Injured but on the road to recovery. For now, Aurora took over your Misfits and is currently their new leader."
"I'm fine with that! Phew! Now I can really focus! So… how do I get my body? And wear clothes? I won't go around as a nudist like some weirdo!"
"Soso here has no sense of shame!" Erias laughed, hugging Somia's waist, pulling her close, and kissing her face, but she barely reacted.
"It's just a body. If not for your physical carvings, I wouldn't have recreated it."
"Wait…" Lia twitched her mouth, "Are you… together?"
"Yes.
"No."
Came two different answers, making Erias twitch his mouth.
"Come on… we are!" He moaned, looking down at her, but Somia just tilted her head, looking unbothered.
"I entertain your desires because I respect you and think of you as my mentor."
"See what I am dealing with here?" Erias continued to complain to Lia, who couldn't decide whether to laugh or not. It was the weirdest pair she had ever seen, and she couldn't decide to pity Erias or Somia. "Haaah… No wonder she died a virgin!"
"I found no beings interesting enough to indulge in unimportant desires with. Just like eating, drinking, or sleeping, the carvings of the body are byproducts of being born as a biological organism. I much prefer my current existence. I wasted too much time with sleep while being alive. Now, at least, I don't need to worry about those hindrances and can focus on the important things."
"Erias… you are something else," Lia whispered, looking pityingly at her ancestor, who only chuckled, not minding Somia's words.
"By the way," Somia turned towards her, not lover yet partner yet not companion, speaking as if nothing had happened. "Most of the elites are going down. If you want to act… Ah." It was then she noticed the difference. They had white hair and green eyes, something that her mind simply ignored until this point. "You got yourself some essence of a Supreme Elder? Good. It can disguise you all well."
"You are coming too!" Erias grinned, leaning in and kissing her, and soon Somia had just as white of hair as them with a pair of jade-like eyes.
"If I do, I will lose direct contact with the outside world. I can only leave behind imprints that communicate with my subconsciousness. I won't be able to go back and forth so quickly or easily." She warned them, checking out her new hair color.
"You go and tell them this, warn them, and while doing so, I will help Lia here to form a new body!"
"Um." With a simple nod, she quickly sat down, going back into meditation, while Erias led Lia to the other end of the aisle.
"How are we going to do it? What should I know about it? Aaaand… why not wait for it? Wouldn't they be discovered as fleshy beings if they infiltrate their base?"
"Not unless we physically engage with them for too long. They also like to pretend to be flesh, so don't worry about it! We need a body because when all goes up in smoke, we will rush to return to Meriath! If you don't have a body… you won't be able to exist there! So this is doubly important!"
"Okay! I get it!"
"As to what to do, it is very simple. First, you will strip."
"Huh?"
"You are wearing clothes because your mind thinks so. You are a soul only right now, Lia. You will have to sit down and immerse yourself in meditation to see your inner self! The memory of your body is still fresh, so it won't be hard to imagine how it was. Just focus on that; I will do the rest!"
"Oh… okay! Thanks!" She smiled at him, making Erias rub her head with affection.
After sitting down and focusing her mind, she very quickly fell into a trance, and Erias didn't hesitate at all. With a move of his hand, he summoned raw energies from all around them, containing all the elements present in the Cosmos itself. By now, he had ample knowledge of how to do it, and like a conductor, he listened to his will, swirling around Lia, merging with her soul. Only an hour later, she was, once again, reborn as flesh and bones, blood flowing in her veins. In all sense, she was reborn… and perfected. Her body was now something that was born from the pure energies of the Cosmos, a boon that neither she, Erias, nor Somia realized at that time.
"Stop!"
It was a firm, commanding shout, halting Lia and Erias in their advance, and a moment later, they were surrounded by four Soulbound cultivators.
"Report!" The same voice ordered them, belonging to a middle-aged-looking man.
"I don't make reports to Disciples." Erias snorted, sneering at him, and let loose some of his aura. He made sure he only used his soul to mimic their powers and masked it with Kyaranin's essence; it quickly turned the others extremely nervous.
"Sorry… Elder!"
"Grand Elder!" Erias barked, increasing the pressure, making them quickly cup their hands and bow deeply.
"We thought all of you left to Meriath or are ordered to remain back at home, guarding the…"
"You don't need to think! That is not your assignment! Or are you an Elder that I know no of? Because if you are, you ought to understand what is going on and not 'thinking about it,' hm?"
"..." None of them had anything to say, and thankfully, they remained in a bow, looking down at their feet, missing Lia fighting back her giggles.
"Continue as you were! Because we are in a war, your punishment can wait until it's over."
With that, he flew onward without any obstructions, followed by Lia closely. When they were further away, she couldn't help but let out a loud laugh, winking at him.
"That was really nice!"
"Thanks. But there was a time when I was like that. So it isn't really something I am unfamiliar with!"
"They still pissed their pants! Wait… can they… we, even piss? I didn't feel hungry since waking up… nor sleepy."
"Hahaha… You clearly are my descendant, aren't you? No, I don't think they piss. Nor do we. All you need here is the thin cosmic energy that is present all around us, especially as you are nothing but a soul."
"But what about you and your recreated body?"
"Same. The energy here is so pure it sustains you indefinitely. They may be our mortal enemies, but I do admit, their methods when running to hide here and create their base is something marvelous."
"So, are we going in? Right now?"
"No, first you need a body. If we succeed, this whole thing will be destroyed, and you can't return to Meriath without a physical container."
"You sound like Somia." She giggled, making her ancestor smile.
"Come… let me introduce you to her properly then!"
After a long flight, Lia was wondering where they were going. She couldn't be happier to simply follow Erias as looking around, everything looked to be the same… a sea of clouds. She just couldn't tell where they were, where they were going, and if she would be left alone, she would simply fly in circles, that was for sure. Yet, Erias knew perfectly where they were, and when he changed directions with an abrupt left turn, suddenly Lia could see gras below them… then came a small pond… and a naked woman sitting at its edge, meditating.
"What is this place?" She asked whisperingly when they landed, not wanting to disturb Somia, who she recognized at once.
"It's my own little space! I learned a lot from them and also studied how to manipulate the immaterial and turn it into… tangible. Going by the Golden Claw's dogma and mixing it with the Soulbound's way of strength, I could create this and also hide it from them. The ground we are walking on is made out of the element of earth, for example."
"You can control it?"
"I studied it. I can't say I can be called someone proficient with it, but I did dabble in all of the eight since coming here, yes. Although, when it matters, I only use my four primary elements. Those I have complete mastery over!"
"I see…" She whispered, munching on her lips while thinking and only stopping her train of thoughts when they stood before Somia's body. "She has remade hers too?"
"Of course! Although her soul and mind exist at both ends. She is present at both realities thanks to her invention."
"That is why she is so… weird?"
"Ahaha! Nope!" Erias laughed, patting Lia's head, "She was like that originally! Soso was always that… so-so."
"Eh? You call her so-so? What type of girls are you into, Grandpa? I won't say she is not a weirdo, but so-so? Look at her body; she is gorgeous! Not as nice as Rinzen, but… still!"
"Hm?" Erias couldn't help but tilt his head, looking at her with one eyebrow raised to the top of his face, looking back and forth between Lia and Somia. "Soso is the perfect nickname for her! She is a beauty, yes, but her personality is something only I can tolerate…"
"I don't care about what others think."
This time, it was not Lia who spoke up but Somia as her eyes slowly opened, and she stood up without covering her body, letting her breasts jiggle, making Erias watch them without any shame.
"Hmmmm…" This time, it was Lia who hummed, leaning closer, watching Somia's boobs before grabbing them and giving the two a good squeeze. In return, Somia just looked at her, letting Lia do as she pleased and only speaking after she released them.
"Had enough? Why not feel yours?"
"I need a reference when recreating my body! Also… Rinzen’s are softer.”
"I need to meet this Rinzen you are speaking of." Erias grinned, and before Lia could answer, Somia did so in her place.
"She is the Berison girl I told you about. Currently, she has started reforming her House and gathering the natives. Reyra granted a temporary home base for them, placed inside the Amarin's territory, with complete autonomy over it."
"They are fine? Haaah… good, good!" Lia couldn't help but let out a deep breath, feeling her mind and spirit relax, which was a visible, tangible improvement in her appearance. She almost looked like she was glowing now. "I was a bit worried… but if all of them are fine, it is all good! Can you… tell them to not worry?"
"Rinzen already figured it out. The Realm Key is still connected to you." Somia answered, making Erias flinch.
"Wait! You have a Realm Key?!"
"I accidentally obtained it, but… yes… It got stuck on my finger, but I lost it when I died."
"This is great news!" He clapped onto Lia's shoulders, looking into her eyes, "When our assault succeeds, and this place is destroyed, the ripple will throw the Realm Door open! It will be much more violent than when someone advances…. But…”
"But the leader of the Soulbound Sect has three of them… He could fight back against it or do something that we can't stop." Somia finished it for him, making Lia think.
"But with only one ring… And I don't even have it with me!"
"When we smash through their defenses, it should also return to you!" Erias hummed, thinking about it. "I think it couldn't follow you here as this place was created and separated by his powers and the use of his rings. We will see, but if you can call upon it, try to use it to stop the old bastard from keeping the Gate closed! Even if for a little…!"
"Mhm… okay!" Lia nodded, feeling excited, and then turned back to Somia, "So they know… Good! I didn't want them to worry! All of them are healthy, yes?"
"Injured but on the road to recovery. For now, Aurora took over your Misfits and is currently their new leader."
"I'm fine with that! Phew! Now I can really focus! So… how do I get my body? And wear clothes? I won't go around as a nudist like some weirdo!"
"Soso here has no sense of shame!" Erias laughed, hugging Somia's waist, pulling her close, and kissing her face, but she barely reacted.
"It's just a body. If not for your physical carvings, I wouldn't have recreated it."
"Wait…" Lia twitched her mouth, "Are you… together?"
"Yes.
"No."
Came two different answers, making Erias twitch his mouth.
"Come on… we are!" He moaned, looking down at her, but Somia just tilted her head, looking unbothered.
"I entertain your desires because I respect you and think of you as my mentor."
"See what I am dealing with here?" Erias continued to complain to Lia, who couldn't decide whether to laugh or not. It was the weirdest pair she had ever seen, and she couldn't decide to pity Erias or Somia. "Haaah… No wonder she died a virgin!"
"I found no beings interesting enough to indulge in unimportant desires with. Just like eating, drinking, or sleeping, the carvings of the body are byproducts of being born as a biological organism. I much prefer my current existence. I wasted too much time with sleep while being alive. Now, at least, I don't need to worry about those hindrances and can focus on the important things."
"Erias… you are something else," Lia whispered, looking pityingly at her ancestor, who only chuckled, not minding Somia's words.
"By the way," Somia turned towards her, not lover yet partner yet not companion, speaking as if nothing had happened. "Most of the elites are going down. If you want to act… Ah." It was then she noticed the difference. They had white hair and green eyes, something that her mind simply ignored until this point. "You got yourself some essence of a Supreme Elder? Good. It can disguise you all well."
"You are coming too!" Erias grinned, leaning in and kissing her, and soon Somia had just as white of hair as them with a pair of jade-like eyes.
"If I do, I will lose direct contact with the outside world. I can only leave behind imprints that communicate with my subconsciousness. I won't be able to go back and forth so quickly or easily." She warned them, checking out her new hair color.
"You go and tell them this, warn them, and while doing so, I will help Lia here to form a new body!"
"Um." With a simple nod, she quickly sat down, going back into meditation, while Erias led Lia to the other end of the aisle.
"How are we going to do it? What should I know about it? Aaaand… why not wait for it? Wouldn't they be discovered as fleshy beings if they infiltrate their base?"
"Not unless we physically engage with them for too long. They also like to pretend to be flesh, so don't worry about it! We need a body because when all goes up in smoke, we will rush to return to Meriath! If you don't have a body… you won't be able to exist there! So this is doubly important!"
"Okay! I get it!"
"As to what to do, it is very simple. First, you will strip."
"Huh?"
"You are wearing clothes because your mind thinks so. You are a soul only right now, Lia. You will have to sit down and immerse yourself in meditation to see your inner self! The memory of your body is still fresh, so it won't be hard to imagine how it was. Just focus on that; I will do the rest!"
"Oh… okay! Thanks!" She smiled at him, making Erias rub her head with affection.
After sitting down and focusing her mind, she very quickly fell into a trance, and Erias didn't hesitate at all. With a move of his hand, he summoned raw energies from all around them, containing all the elements present in the Cosmos itself. By now, he had ample knowledge of how to do it, and like a conductor, he listened to his will, swirling around Lia, merging with her soul. Only an hour later, she was, once again, reborn as flesh and bones, blood flowing in her veins. In all sense, she was reborn… and perfected. Her body was now something that was born from the pure energies of the Cosmos, a boon that neither she, Erias, nor Somia realized at that time.
