Chapter 137 – Whole Again

    I was genuinely surprised at how well Mikan''s body healed. By the next day, her back had fully recovered, and when I touched it, she said it was neither sensitive nor irritated. Was it because of her magic? I couldn''t think of anything else. It could have been the monster''s blood, but... that was highly unlikely. Still, it made our progress faster, and after a few more days, the tattoo was completed, shining on her back, sometimes literally.

    "Daaaamn... that looks great! Hey, what do you think? Can you draw on me too?" Yuri asked after Mikan finally showed them when her pestering became too much.

    "Eh, I wouldn''t want to get any; I like myself clean." Luna chimed in, yet the way she was biting her thumb, I knew she was still thinking about it.

    "I can do it," I answered, nodding, "But it depends on what we are talking about. And where."

    "You could write ''The Sovereign''s Property'' above my butt!" Yuri answered with a wide grin, making Luna turn around, and her eyes began to shine in a weird, perverted light. "At the front, you could add, ''Private Use Only!'' Or something~!"

    "Okay, enough!" Sasha interrupted us as we were gathering in our room. "Nobody is getting silly tattoos because of sudden ideas! It will never come off, so if you want one, think it out beforehand! Plus, if either Arthur or Leyla''s first word is something strange because of you gals, I will be angry! Haah..."

    "The mother of a budding empire..." Mikan whispered, smiling, pulling back on her dress and making Sasha blush when hearing her comment.

    "Well, everything seems to be ready. Mikan, for now, rest and prepare mentally for the ritual. Same for you, Sasha." I explained as seriously as possible, "I am going to talk with Merlin, go over everything, and when we are ready, we will do it. There can be no hesitation!"

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    When the day arrived, every one of us was a bit nervous and out of jokes, while Mikan, the one whose life was on the line, turned out to be the most serene among all of us. She calmly stripped, wearing just enough to cover her privates while letting me restrain her.

    "Yuri would be making some interesting remarks if she were here." She said to me as I was crouching, tying down her ankles to an X-shaped contraption.

    "You can be sure of that!" I chuckled, looking up, faced with her bottom and tattooed back. True enough, it was like a scene from a fetish movie where I was going to whip her from behind... but right now, I was too anxious about it working than feeling horny.

    All four of us were in the closed-off guest wing of the palace. It had been emptied out completely; no objects remained that could be lifted with magic or people who could be influenced in any way, not within a 30-meter radius. That did not mean we were not surrounded. I had to prepare for a worst-case scenario, so Oleg and Yuri encircled the palace and our room with our best soldiers. They would rush in and finish Mikan off if they received our signal from within the building. There would be no questions, no hesitation... But I trusted Merlin, who constantly told us it would be alright.

    While Sasha and Merlin would use the spell, I was here to observe and be the first responder if something went awry. My best option would be to bonk Mikan on the head, making her fall unconscious before calling for Yuri. If she is not awake, Elyzien has no chance to cast spells—that was my simple idea.

    "We are ready, let''s do it!" Clapped Merlin, rearing to go. Exchanging a glance with Sasha, seeing her nod, I walked over to the other side of Mikan, facing her.

    "I''m prepared. Don''t worry~!" She smiled, at peace with herself and everything that was about to happen. "I trust you all."

    "Now or never..." I exhaled, giving the signal, hearing Merlin already chanting, activating the first ring, while I took off Mikan''s bracelets.

    "Duh, idiot. Mana is inherent to every witch or wizard. You can''t send that into reincarnation; only the soul travels through the sea until it is cleaned and recycled. Yours were probably the most compatible, so mine attached itself to yours. But because I did it in a hurry, unprepared, this bullshit happened! You should have never been born! I was supposed to be you so that mana is not yours; it is mine! Mine! Mine! I had to merge my spirit with it to stop you from accessing it! You would have ruined everything I worked for! You exist because only me; it is my RIGHT to own you!"

    "Shut up. Shut up forever!" Mikan shouted, her golden eyes exploding with light, spreading everywhere in her consciousness, making the air stir, and all that was dark before turned into a shining, golden mist. When she took a second look at Elyzien, her ancestor stood there, trying to say something, but no voice or thought came out from her flickering existence. "You evil... evil woman! I am ashamed to be related to you! You had all that power to do good, to help people who are in need of it! You had MY power and a second chance, yet you didn''t do anything with it! That makes me even more furious... There are people who would have deserved another go at life, yet it was you who got it... Unfair! I will no longer feel bad about what I am going to do with you..."

    By then, Mikan could feel something she always had a vague sense of. Before, it was like a faraway thought, a dream she forgot after waking up, but now? It was real. Tangible... It was finally hers. It was as if, for so long, her nose and ears were plugged in, sick, but then, in a snap, they all cleared out. Then, with a long, deep breath, everything became healthy again, and she could feel it clearly for the first time in her life. She was in control. She was whole again.

    "Elyzien Morningstar. You are no longer permitted to speak, think, or interact with me in any way! You will rot and decay in your own darkness and bitter pool of feelings, all alone. I am taking back what was mine! You created your own hell, Mikki-2. You should have moved on instead of becoming my mana because I am in control from now on. You won''t be remembered, so... Goodbye... forever."

    No matter what Elyzien was thinking or wanting to say, she could no longer form her thoughts in a way that would be heard by anyone. She became a ghost within Mikan''s consciousness, an invisible specter that could not interact with anything anymore. She could only exist in limbo, observing the world around her without ever having a chance to be discovered. She was gone, and as Mikan ordered, she would be forgotten forever.

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    "Did... it work?" I asked, a bit worried, stepping closer and gently slapping Mikan''s face because she went unconscious the moment we started. I saw her eyes roll up, only showing their whites, like in an exorcist movie or something. Brrr. It creeped me out a bit.

    "It... should have. The formation stopped glowing..." Merlin mumbled, looking at Sasha, who was just as worried, approaching us, watching Mikan''s limp body.

    The room was filled with the strong scent of vanilla, and a golden mist rolled off and around her body just as we first met. Sasha was about to untie her, but I stopped her with one hand, shaking my head. We still needed to find out if we had succeeded, so it would not be a clever idea to set her free before confirming our success.

    "Mhm..." With a soft moan, she finally moved, and when her eyes eventually returned to normal, I breathed a sigh of relief, seeing their golden color instead of Elyzien''s silvery ones. "Who am I?" I asked, making her chuckle, answering tiredly.

    "My Sovereign."

    "Oh..." I exclaimed because I didn''t expect that answer, making Sasha exhale, finally untying her and hugging her powerless body.

    "How are you feeling? All good?" She asked hurriedly, helping her stand, dressing her in a robe, covering her curves.

    "I have a headache, but it will pass... otherwise, I feel great." She giggled, looking at us, then noticed the cloud of magic, raising her slightly shaking hand.

    We watched as a golden, simple formation appeared around her wrist where the bracelets had previously been, and the sweet-smelling mana raced back into her body, making her shiver as tears rolled down her face. "I am finally complete... I am... I am not useless anymore!"

    "Woah!" I yelled as she almost collapsed, making us hold her as she began wailing in our arms, holding both of us firmly while Merlin looked on with a proud grin.

    "I told you it would work! I just knew it!"