FOUR FOR ONE

- Well, Kity, if you want to get him out of that place, there's a lot to do.

- Dana... Do you really have a way to get him out of there?

- Do you doubt me?

- ...

- Even if I didn't, you would probably do something to free him, so there's no problem.

- So, you don't have it, huh...

- That's right. I don't, but I left someone working on it, so by the time we return, everything will probably be ready.

When Yukihime and Dana left the spiritual dimension, they didn't go directly to UQ Holder's headquarters. Instead, they ended up in the Castle of Time. According to Dana, that was the most suitable place to proceed with any measures that could be taken.

- This way, Yukihime-sama.

When they appeared on the surface, a robot doll similar to Chachazero greeted the newcomers and led them to a room. As they advanced, they ended up in a door that led to an alternate dimension where time flowed differently from Earth, serving the same function as a certain white training room belonging to some green-skinned god, but, of course, a more advanced version.

- This room is linked to the temporal fabric, which allows the one inside to find whatever has existed throughout history. Of course, certain restrictions have been put in place to avoid paradoxes. After all, that kind of power can only be freely controlled by me. Although, maybe if that girl Kirie were to train her ability and develop it as Tota and Ialda did, then another time witch would be born. Her talent for this concept is incredibly high; she's the only one who can completely rewrite her own timeline. But let's leave those topics for another occasion.

- So, I assume you left Negi working in this place.

- That's right. Tota destroyed all his records. Maybe he knew somehow to avoid his fate, but he couldn't put it into practice due to a lack of means.

- So, in this place, Negi can find all the lost documents.

- That's right. But did it never occur to you to kill Kirie to make her go back to the beginning and avoid everything?

- Her ability is still unknown. I don't know if she uses her own memories as an anchor to return or if there are some other circumstances. On the other hand... I don't plan to trample on Tota's resolution. If he decided to bear everything alone to protect us, then I'll hit him later for doing something so selfish, but still, I need to be quite determined to do that. I will respect that decision.

- ...

- I've made up my mind, Dana. From now on, I'll only look forward.

Hearing those words, a small smile formed on Dana's face, which was not like the ones she normally showed, revealing her disdain for everything else. In a rather rare way, Tota had finally started to fulfill his promise, which caused her lips to loosen with kindness. Although it only lasted for a moment, it was enough to express that she felt satisfied with how things were going and that all this tedious work she was doing was not in vain.

- Mistress! I'm glad you're okay, I...

- Don't worry about nonsensical things, Boya.

- ...

- Don't worry about unnecessary things; we have more important matters.

- Yes, Dana-sama helped me recover my memories.

- I see...

- ...

Negi looked remorseful. Saying that he hurt Tota was too redundant, but still, he felt that way. He was not God, and even God gave free will to his creations, something he didn't do with his own descendant. Although it's not something out of the ordinary in the world and can be considered a necessary sacrifice. He knows it wasn't the right path, and that embarrassed him, not to the point of feeling totally broken, but it was certainly a thorn in his heart that would only come out with the passage of time.

- If you keep behaving like this, I'll have to punish you. How about licking my feet?

- Shut up, perverted vampire!

With an incredibly beautifully executed flying kick, the one who appeared was...

- Damn Kagurazaka!

- Wait until we get your man out of that place if you want compa... Hey... Your appearance, why hasn't it changed?

It was as Asuna said. Even though Yukihime had been hit by her and her magic transformation should have disappeared, for some reason, her adult form was still active, which, of course, was more than strange. Asuna didn't believe that her magic would suddenly fail, but it was also almost impossible for Yukihime to have developed magic immune to it so quickly. That is practically impossible since, like the concept of undoing Venus' magic, Yukihime would also have to work with an equally powerful concept, but it was clear that developing something like that wouldn't be so fast. So, there was only one answer: Yukihime's current form was not due to a transformation but her original form.

- It's normal for you to be surprised, but don't make such a fuss about this. On the other hand, if I wanted to steal Negi, I wouldn't need much effort to do it.

- I want you to try!!!

- I wouldn't recommend th...

However, before Dana could finish her sentence, Yukihime was enveloped in a dazzling golden light that covered her entire body. A few seconds later, it began to diminish, and what appeared in front of Negi, Asuna, and Nagi, who was in a corner with Arika, was a beauty unparalleled in the world. Exactly, what appeared in front of them was what Yukihime transformed into when she found enlightenment in the spiritual world. A goddess like no other.

- ...

- ...

- ...

- ...

There are two types of immortals: genetic and skill-based. The former simply has their bodies modified to never age. The latter, however, is much deeper.

Mortals grow, and their bodies change over time; that's normal. However, it's obvious that this logic cannot be applied to immortals—those who have transcended the mortal plane. Their bodies remain stuck in time for eternity until something or someone ends their existence.

But that's not all; the body is only physical, purely governed by the laws of genetics and nothing more. So why doesn't it change? Why, as they grow mentally, does their physical form stay the same?

Basically, they end up having two bodies: one is the physical body that remains frozen, and the other is the magical, spiritual, or whatever you want to call it, where changes and experiences occur. The first is the shell, and the second is the pilot. The second won't change because there's no way for the first to directly influence it—it only drives it. Until an agreement is reached between the two, it will be impossible no matter how much effort is put in.

For immortals, their bodies and changes depend on their soul. They usually remain stuck at the moment they became immortal because, whether they like it or not, there will always be some trace of when it all began, and it's necessary to be at peace and get rid of that to move forward. Normally it would be like this, but upon entering the spiritual world Yukihime was able to break that curse by freeing herself from the chains of her past and merging her two bodies into one.

And, of course, the way she presented herself would be enough to steal the souls of the other four. Not to mention Negi or Nagi, even Asuna and Arika were petrified to see such a form.

Kity, that's enough. For beings without a kind of soul protection, it's dangerous for them to see you like that.

...I'm sorry. And immediately, Yukihime returned to her adult form, although slightly modified to look slightly younger. Now having only one body and being able to control it at will, naturally, her appearance was easily alterable for her.

The first to wake up were naturally the women who, upon returning and seeing their respective husbands hypnotized by another woman, felt totally angry, slightly scared, and very embarrassed because they also drooled over another woman. Needless to say, possibly Negi and Nagi would have several unfulfilled urges for a good while as punishment.

So, Negi. What were the results?

Dana-sama, it was just as Tota believed. As long as there is a power source large enough to keep the magic circle active until humans change, and as long as that energy has the properties of Mars and Venus, then Tota can get out.

Oh...

Boya, is what you're saying true?

Yes, mistress. In Tota's research, everything was there, from how he created the circles around the world to the investigation of souls and immortals. So Negi already knew why the peculiarities of the bodies of immortals with abilities. Therefore, he wasn't so surprised when he saw that Yukihime could manipulate her age at will. At the same time, it gave him the answer he was looking for.

So please tell me.

It's simple; we just have to give up our spiritual bodies, at least the four of us. At that moment, Yukihime stood still. She didn't understand very well what he meant by spiritual body, but she had a vague idea due to the change she had gone through. And it wasn't surprising. Because what Negi said implied that four of the most powerful beings would totally lose their magic with no possibility of ever using it again.