Twenty-Two vol.2

Elsa stood before Rose, and Rose before her. They faced each other and Lilias placed herself besides them. Far behind the two golden doors, the sun of the dungeon's first floor was low.

"Hold the orb in one hand, Then make contact with a direct part of Elsa's body, preferably her hand. After that, connect a mana line to the orb, and a line to her," The dragonian said, looked over the two, and continued, "If you were doing this for yourself, you would need only the singular mana line."

Elsa took her iron-laced glove off her right hand. Rose, holding the orb in her left, held the girl's hand. With her willing, she heard the hum of the surrounding mana, noticing its density far exceeding that of the outside world, and called out to it. She focused and a mana line connected to the orb from her index finger, then another connected to Elsa's hand.

"This almost looks like a marriage ceremony." The slum-born girl cracked a grin, a light blush at her cheeks, her hand gripped Rose's tighter. "Holding hands and promising to stay together forever. That's basically it, right? All we're missing is the kiss."

Rose rolled her eyes, wondering why the girl was blushing. "I'm never wearing a dress again."

"Huh? Again? Never seen you in one."

"I've worn one once," Rose explained, "It didn't end well."

". . .I kinda wanna see. . ."

". . ."

As Elsa wondered what Rose would look like in a dress, Lilias stared expressionlessly at the two and continued.

"Concentrate, and you should be able to feel two energies within the orb, both mana, the same, yet different. The one that seems alive, as if it has a will of its own, should be the spirit. Focus and will it to break away from the mana orb, enter your mana line, and transfer through the other and into Elsa," She said, "This works on the principle that mana can store information, and the current state of the beast's soul, quite simply, is information."

Rose nodded.

She closed her eyes and felt her way. Just as she could tap into Maria's core, she could tap into the mana orb. At first, there was only one form of it, mana without shape or will, merely floating inside, a swirl that seemed almost chaotic. Then, when she reached deeper, a metaphorical hand grasping in the darkness, crimson eyes stared back at her, and she touched it and pulled.

It listened to her, readily, as if it hungered to escape the cage it was in, and Rose guided it into the mana line. It passed through her skin, took the shortest route with her wishing, and entered the other mana line. Then, it flowed and touched Elsa's hand. Its image immediately appearing on her skin and the girl, compelled, closed her eyes with the roar of the beast resounding in her mind.

"And there you have it, in the same way, you can store them inside mana orbs. . ." Lilias sighed as she touched her chest. Reminiscent about the gift her brother had given to her. He might have went against orders. Went against traditions. Lost. Broken the crimson swords, heirlooms of the family but, at the very least, he hadn't simply taken his punishment without doing anything. ". . .or transfer them between people."

'I should have stopped him,' She thought, expressionlessly staring as her hands grasped her swords and sheathed them on her back. Forming a black x. 'I should have stopped him when I had the chance. I should have stopped him from wielding mana. From wielding magic. From teaching me. And from challenging her. All for love. . .how foolish.'

Yet, even as he was currently serving his punishment, the spirit he had treasured was here with her, protecting her in his place.

Lilias took a breath and glanced at Rose, crimson eyes running over her. "Now, you realize one of the main reasons humans use homunculi for soldiers instead androids, don't you?"

As Rose watched Elsa stand still, eyes closed, the marking of the silver wolf swimming up her arm, she responded to Lilias.

"I'm supposing spirits can only be etched onto bodies made of tissue and actual skin," She spoke. Then, remembering that Bianca could summon and use 7, continued. "What about the amount a person can wield? What determines that?"

Lilias shrugged. "Since Geared are usually able to wield more spirits than most, many believe it's based or loosely tied to the strength of a person's soul. Though, that theory is flawed seeing as homunculi can wield spirits without having souls of their own."

"So no one knows for sure."

"Precisely." Lilias nodded. "Another theory suggests it's based on the person's mental willpower as spirits are controlled by the mind. Yet, that too is flawed seeing as, even if you become mentally tougher, the amount of spirits you can wield never changes."

"How do you know your maximum then?"

"You'll know when a spirit refuses to so much as touch your skin," Lilias said. "Incidentally, I don't yet know my maximum."

"Interesting. . ." Rose muttered.

The image of a wolf swarm from under Elsa's shirt and stopped at her stomach, right around her belly-button. It wasn't large, perhaps its diameter only 3 or so inches, but there, a white wolf was tattooed, its head chasing a tail of lightning in a circle.

Elsa opened her black eyes.

She folded her right, ungloved, fist and lightning crackled about it.

"This is. . ." She stamped down. Her foot, coated in the spark of lightning, fried the earth. "Damn awesome. Holy shit."

"So, in an activated mode, she can coat any part of her person in lightning, just like the mana beast could," Rose observed.

The tattoo at the girl's abs shinned white.

Elsa's body changed. From one instance of being a human to the next, she blurred stood a white wolf on four paws. Though smaller—about as tall as Rose—her body resembled the beast they had just battled. She grinned, the sharp teeth she now held gleaming, and her figure flickered. In the next moment, she was two meters away from them.

"That's rather surprising, she shifted. . ." Lilias muttered, crimson eyes shocked for the first time, "She's a Hollow."