Charles Patricius

Soma wanted the one who went by the name Habakiri in his collection. It was a quickly growing group, but someone able to mercilessly take life and move on was sorely lacking for his end-game goals. Habakiri made herself a more than viable target, and didn't even seem surprised that he made such a demand. After the interrogation, he saw it as possible. Alas... "You still think I was threatening you? You've got room to grow after all~" he commented, never taking his eyes off the redhead across the desk. Of course he didn't think Habakiri would be handed over. After all, who would let go of such an asset? Soma already understood the key factors at play here. "I don't expect anything of the sort. She made it very clear how dedicated she is to working for you. Dedication like that goes beyond respect; it's become part of survival instinct at this point. I'm remiss to say I couldn't take her if I tried. Not that I would keep someone like that," he muttered. Makima called the other woman part of a matched pair. With that, Soma had a few more theories. A sibling? Those seemed common. There was something in Kaguya's memories before he was born... something very similar to Habakiri, and someone who... ah! "Kusanagi? That makes sense. I have no use for that one," he decided in the moment of realization. "And your OCD isn't going to split them up without good reason. So, we've reached the second part of negotiations. What is the hidden queen of the underworld missing? What's the price of a doll's life worth? And most importantly... why isn't the control freak in control of everything in Osaka?"

For the second time today, Childe was seeing Sakura enter a fit of hysteria. This one was no pet, but he'd also been at the receiving end of the opposite claim. The Sakura he spoke with was not the same one being pounded into oblivion as they spoke ─ her oblivion had already been met. The grin on Childe's face couldn't be peeled off; there was even the slightest hint of laughter underneath it. He barely managed to hold it in while Sakura vented her very excited thoughts. In the end, there was a question. Was she right? "Mostly, yes. It wasn't a miscalculation that ended your path, though. That was me. The one fucking you, was me. The other me is still on that side. Look behind you," he said, gesturing to the rear of Sakura where a path behind her had recently crumbled. He'd brought that one to an end with purpose, but... he'd also influenced that reality into existence to the same end. "Your minds bridged to each other at the same moment. You know what's happening there, she knows what's happening here. Parallel Thought... to Parallel Minds. It's the ultimate form of Deja Vu. Now that you're both conscious of each other, you'll stay magnetized to each other. The problem here is... I really did think you would last a bit longer. She's the one that's still going, and that version of me is in the future. My plan was to hold back on you a bit more, give myself enough time to make sure I could obliterate the second 'you' I visited. That one is still going to die, but I don't know how long it'll take for the full death. That means it's up to you now. Well... I probably already know it's fine if I'm still going out there, but... there's also a chance I've got no idea. It's always weird being the one that has to get there. . ."

Soma thought that Habakiri thought herself threatened. As she remained seated on the couch she kept up, drinking her tea seemingly just a little agitated. "A threat is a threat... even when uttered as a part of interrogation the threat still stands," she said simply. Whether she knew ahead of time this was part of his tactic or whether she'd really been calling his bluff in that van didn't really matter. She wasn't looking for a change of leadership, she was looking for threats to her leader. "You feel strongly about that, breathe Ki-hi..." Makima mentioned. A deep breath was taken and it seemed to calm her down quite a bit... Makima knew that girl was prone to showing her face once her emotions hit a certain level of disturbance. Meanwhile, there was something in Soma's speech which brought the lightest upturn to Makima's lips, "Not interested in poaching? Or is it simply a matter of not trusting a fickle heart? I don't blame you split loyalties are always best when grown and devotion is most easily kept when it belongs solely to you," she mentioned as if it was a perfectly normal thought. Still, the mention of Kusanagi by name even made Habakiri's brows raise, she didn't like that mention at all, but with Makima in the room she'd keep it to herself though she did sit down that tea cup to go on to clasping her hands in her lap. "Are you asking out of curiosity or do you think you can offer me something? The things I want I am already in the process of securing... " she said using the items aligned on her desk to demonstrate. "I am the governor of this region, so acts of government cross my desk for final approval." she explained. "I might also have control of a certain group of people who handle certain problems. And that connection branches me into several other places." she explained. and the last piece might have been two things... she said bringing two pencils together to complete her triangle. "One fled but left his influence, the other... hasn't finished consolidating yet... or so I hear. I have people on it, but the entire situation is the sort that needs more finesse and less force." she said.

Meanwhile, the Sakura that was in the special space, was coming to the conclusion and she and the one outside were only parallel of each other and not precisely the same. She'd died this day at a certain moment and was standing on the crumbling road of her own branching timeline. "Sou ka, Parallel Minds, starting at Parallel Thought and becoming whole by reaching into parallel planes of existence," she made her understanding clear enough. What was more, Childe had planned this for the most part... the form of her self being pounded into paste was still going to die, but how long that took was up for debate. He'd not planned this as precisely as one would while running an experiment, not it seemed it was a bit more freeform as an idea. "Sou ka, so I have a limited amount of time to construct a form that both of us can settle into, before our minds fully settle in together?" she said carefully. Ah, she could do that... but which forms should she absorb to make it the best? Well... if it was up to her lines like her own would be easiest to concentrate. There was much potential to be found in the failures of her other selves. Yes, she'd work with that line of thought and begin her journey to pick up her otherselves and incorporate them into her next being. "A me, who didn't have Oyaji there the first time I tried something extreme, she blew herself up~" she said at the end of one road. She extended an arm and dark tendrils extraced her pulling her into her new form. Her next few steps there after would be trailed in starlight.

"Hai hai, whatever you say Twinkle-toes~" was all Soma would say to Habakiri. His focus for now was Makima, even if he noted an unusual movement from the green-haired woman at mention of Kusanagi's name. There was a trauma there, Soma thought. Oh well; it was nothing he needed use of now. "My method of poaching would be different. I think I'd rather take out the head to take over the body... but you've got no need to worry about that either. I like your potential, so I'd rather not waste future connections by lopping this head off," Soma mused most casually. As for Makima's side of negotiations, she apparently had need of nothing. Everything she wanted, she was getting... or so she believed. On paper, Makima was right. She had a position of great political power, and one of even greater power in the underworld of this prefecture ─ and likely beyond. Soma listened to her little speech intently, knowing there were factors at play that couldn't even be explained and believed without concrete evidence. Alas, he also knew several truths at work that could easily make her every acquisition moot. "It must be nice to think you're at the top and no one is able to rip the floorboards from under you," he said just as calmly as everything else thus far. "So you think I've got nothing to offer you? Three cubes of sugar went into your cup. If you poured another cup, your entire regime could be taken down by a single teenager before you finished sweetening it. There are things at play that you and your people have no idea about, and I'm sure some of those things are what you're up against. You think controlling most of the underworld is enough to let you pound the rest of it into submission? You're going to wake up something that'll drag you into another dimension, rape everything you thought was near and dear, and leave it all behind while they rise to a podium you can't even see the bottom of from your little perch."

Childe never stopped meandering about, but he also never stopped looking at Sakura... even if there was the occasional glance at a variant or two nearby. She was under time constraints he didn't even know the limits of, all because this was his first time seeing things from this side of the equation as well. "A limited time before she dies and it stops mattering what happens with both of your minds, really. That's my bad. There's not really a way to test these things beforehand," he complained to the universe while rubbing his head. Sakura went on to start collecting fragments of herself, beginning with one at the end of a broken path. That one experienced self-destruction during one of her earlier experiments ─ a thing he could expect of a demon who didn't understand how much bigger they were. "Yikes," he muttered. With that first choice made, Childe became rather interested in Sakura's selections moving forward. Already, she was showing signs of a variant he knew very, very well. Would that be the end result, or would she be something even greater? Time would tell.

Habakiri's face scrunched up just a little, the thought of being called 'Twinkle Toes' gave her a flash of anger that needed to be suppressed. 'I have killed people for less...' she thought as she held her left temple with a very twitchy hand. "Breathe." that was the order given and the one followed. Calling her reliance on Makima a survival instinct wasn't necessarily wrong. "How very Machiavellian of you," Makima mentioned as if amused. In truth she might not have had more mentally stimulating conversation in years. This boy was so young and so sure of his ideations. He uttered threats that most wouldn't have dared thing in her presence and she found it... intriguing. She felt no need to worry about what he said about lopping her head off, because it seemed he wouldn't do it. Given the way he'd walked in here, she'd assumed his motivations were much more straight forward than that. Whatever the case, it would seem that this lad had the wrong idea, Makima continued to smile as she heard him out, and he did have much to say. The lines he drew seemed to contain insider information, references to those new people she was now hearing so much about with their special skills that put them on par with some of her best born and raised. "Do you really think I'd entertain talking to you if I thought myself safe or big enough? I have higher aims than this place and higher ones still, what I am looking for is trustworthy individuals who will follow orders and do what I need. You think too much to be a dog and your ambitions are wildly unfocused for what I need. So tell me, what exactly do you want and what are you willing to actually do for my benefit, to get it. Those are the only important points here..." she explained of her take on his information provided. A lot of things in the world were unexplained, like those murders that had been so recently performed which looked like others. She already had some information about oddities in the world, there was no harm in gaining a little more information to use in her own way.

Meanwhile, Sakura was having her time limit confirmed. Apparently, this wasn't the type of experiment that could have exactness as part of it, it wasn't something he'd seen all the way through yet. "Sou ka, so it's like an experiment for you too. Well, good thing I have at least a full mind to dedicate to this activity, right Jaxu~" she mused. And she moved along, an utterance of surprise was heard about that particular fragment she'd picked up. It was truly a sad end. And there were more yet to come, "Eww, a death to a well-fed Kakihara. That just makes me want to cuck him again..." she said as she picked up that version of herself as well. "Oh? A me that was kidnapped by the rapey Sea God..." she mused that one would be worth delving into. She kept moving along the road, not jsut to ones who died, but also to those whose paths came to an end a bit too swiftly. "I found my way to the broken island and ended up paired with their fake hero? I could have done better..." she said shaking her head but still reaching for the fragment. And with everyone consumed her body gained mass. "Oh, the one who followed the real hero and learned about soul flames~" she claimed as if that was actually something worth looking into. Her body was forming becoming larger. She was gathering pieces, growing air. Her feet were steadily becoming starlight, her hands too, were starting to be dusted by it. "Lives without Kazzun are always so boring... " she mumbled as she pulled in several such fragments with various endings. A gathering was taking place and as her body became more complete, well, extras started to fill in other places.

The attitude of Habakiri was going to be an issue if he actually took her in at any point. Soma carried that knowledge with him as he ranted and ranted, still avoiding giving the redhead too much information. She seemed to understand there were greater forces at work, albeit with no sense of those forces' depth. "I think if you had any idea how out of your league you are, you would have had more people brought along than me. It's the kind of problem someone would think to throw caution to the wind for," he replied. Moving on, Makima wanted to know his desires and what he could do for her benefit. Obviously she wasn't listening hard enough. "Chess pieces are what I want. You," he said, pausing to look in Habakiri's direction. "Tell me your name," he demanded. "You won't get someone who will follow orders out of me. I'm going to be so much bigger than you. What you'll get instead... is a partnership. You don't want me to be the one tearing down your establishment, right? No one will ever know it was me. Turn on the news," he added, knowing that idiot from earlier should have been discovered in some obvious place by now. "Either you can work with me, or I can work by myself. I can open your eyes to things you can't even understand right now... and crazy as it might sound, that'll probably involve opening your legs first. Doesn't matter. A driver's license, a house, a gun... and a Knight for my chess collection. If you think that's ridiculous, then I welcome you to wait on the decision until you've met the other boy you're probably calling for by now. He's the three-second guy, in case you were wondering."

Childe was indeed performing an experiment of his own. It was a bit more of a mandatory success than he wanted it to be, but such was the way things happened at times. True to Sakura's words, it was favorable that her mind was at their disposal. "That makes a big difference. It's always annoying to have nothing but stupid people along to explain these things to. All that time talking just for them to be useless for execution. It's lose-lose," he complained openly. Moving on, Sakura was doing precisely what he wondered about. Her second choice was noteworthy as it involved a death by fault of her first terrible decision. Childe couldn't judge her for something done in ignorance, but he could chime in when she continued. "You want help with that? I cuck people as part of my vacations all the time," he offered. A third Sakura remnant had fallen due to the god Enki. Things didn't get much better when one of the variants died whilst connected to a false hero near her birthplace, though the one immediately afterwards was quite decent. Not all ended paths were deaths ─ some were cut short simply because they contained unnecessary spoilers. She went on to comment on how lives were boring when Kazuhiko wasn't involved. Obviously she hadn't seen some of the others yet, but Childe's response remained nonetheless. "Woah, ouch? They can't all be boring, right?"

Habakiri might have been a bit of an attitude problem waiting to happen but such was the exchange for her living past the point most traumatic in her life. Moving on fromt hat it would seem that this lad though Makima to be completely out of her own depth. His claim being that she'd be less cautious about such meetings if she knew how big the problem actually was, "Hm." just that noise. Well, she'd take most things with a grain of salt. She was more the type of person who needed to see how something worked to fully believe in it. Even if she knew of her own type of oddity from time to time. And oddly enough she would see, as a demand was made of Habakiri where she sat, a demand for her to tell this lad her name. It wasn't something she'd done, she'd not even given her real name when giving her number to the lad in the card shop. Protecting one's legitimate identity was part and parcel of being an assassin, so why, was her mouth already opening and the sound falling out long before she had time to consider what she was doing. "Kirihara Kyoka," she uttered only to realize afterwards what had happened. Makima for her part in this didn't seem upset, she merely watched as one of her favored charges seemed to be upset and want to lash out. "It's fine, stay seated... I don't blame you." Makima mentioned which seemed to keep her from moving but didn't quell her anger at all. However he'd managed to compel her, it was definitely something beyond regular methods or even hypnosis, both of which she was trained to identify, ignore and fake in the right situations. Her description of his lad as Machiavellian was more spot on than she'd realized. When told to turn on the TV, she angled her eyes to Kyoka and watched as a screen lit up. A news channel would be showing a man who'd apparently made a spectacle of killing himself with five bodies on his person. "Oh, not exactly what I had in mind when I mentioned cleaning up a mess. Still, not bad," she mentioned as if genuinely impressed. If one thought such information would scare Makima it didn't. If nothing else it brought into perspective the oddities surrounding a certain other political scandal and let her know she'd been right to start looking for new people. It also gave the hint that the boy she already wanted to see would be useful to her, and likely more easily managed than this one, which is likely why he came here first. Ambitious. "A knight, a house, a driver's license and a gun..." she said thinking it over. As far as a list went that one wasn't too steep. Most of them were easily gotten though the personnel issue was one which would require a bit of balancing to find the right fit. "Gender preference for your knight, and a name for your things," it wasn't a question it was a necessary detail. She'd definitely withhold those things until she was absolutely certain of what would be provided, but if she got what she wanted they'd be simple enough to supply.

Meanwhile, Sakura was picking up pieces of herself to rebuild her form while Childe had complaints to launch about the stupidity of others in these same times. "Hai hai, always a bit annoying when they can't keep up. But that just means when someone can, it feels so rewarding~" she claimed on her own. As she collected there was commentary, he'd help her cuck Kakihara again? "Sou, I am working on an entire baby for exactly that purpose and I still want to do it again. keep it on the back burner, it doesn't have to be a baby this time. I suppose. We might be able to slip in a good one~" she claimed with an amount of amusement which was devious in its nature. As for her mention of boring lives that didn't include Kazuhiko a chuckle came from her, "Hehe, gomen gomen... I didn't mean it like that. I assume any that include you as well can be classified as equally enticing and exciting~" she clarified, if only because she was gaining understanding. Though not completely. As such she walked upon the last one, "I really hate when I see my experimentss that go so far left. I know I always say there are risks involved, but...the creepy father god has to be my least favorite ending. Definitely bottom 3 ways to die." she concluded as she reached out for that last one. Her form was ever large. Sparkling legs which seemed to be draped in the void of starry space, arms too dipped in sparkling night starlight. She'd sprouted wings, horns a glowing crown. She'd traced the passage of all of her failures into a pure exploration of her own desires... and she'd found, something whole. "This should do nicely, big enough for all of us... all that potential, should be big enough for what you're offering that me getting pounded right now, right... O-nii-chan~" she said knowing that this would still require her to properly magnetize at the point of death.

Kirihara Kyoka was the name of the green-haired woman he'd been in the company of lately. He'd have to remember that in the future, as he still wanted to at least figure out what she could truly bring to the table. As for Makima, she did go about switching on the television to see news of Kyoka's former dog. Her observation of events was a bit lacking for what Soma intended, but... the seeds he intended to plant were all planted in the moment. Besides, it seemed he could acquire the things he needed from the redhead. That wasn't the full list of his desires, but it would suffice for this particular negotiation. All Makima needed to start was a short list of things, which included a name and his future knight's gender. "Remember that open legs thing I was talking about? That was important. I won't take a man unless he's better than her by at least 30%," he said, gesturing toward Kyoka. A bit of contemplation was to follow. "The name... Noel Stollen for identification purposes. For an act of good faith... Asakura Soma. Take that, and know that I don't take well to betrayal. I don't care how big you think you are. If you cross me, you and everyone connected to you will find out death is a gift I'm not generous enough to give my enemies. Alternatively, you could sign yourself up for something else. I'm still in the market for a good Queen piece too."

Childe didn't have much additional purpose in the space filled with Sakura's variants, but he did have reason to keep discussing matters with her. She mentioned a child being processed for the purpose of exacting some form of vengeance against Shota. Having a bit of foreknowledge, Childe laughed. "Have fun with that one. It might turn out better than you thought," he mentioned. Childe wouldn't be keeping any plans on the backburner, though. Instead... "I'll just skip ahead to when it happens. Make the new you work, and you'll end up with my number... sort of," he mentioned. Regarding the realities in which he was connected to Sakura in Kazu's place, she did assume they would be entertaining. She had no idea. Childe would say nothing more about that initially, choosing instead to view the variant who fell to another of the annoying gods. What he found most interesting was the effectiveness of her parallel mind, as she seemed to be thinking of some variants in hindsight before absorbing them. Indeed, what she had thus far was suitable. "Based on what I'm seeing right now... yeah, you're ready for that. Well... you won't die at least. You'll probably awaken a secret thing that I can't explain to you right now. And if it doesn't work, you could always just go here," he said while gesturing toward a long, thick path leading to a version of Sakura startlingly similar to her current appearance. That variant was paired with a male figure with long black hair, red eyes and a perpetually displeased expression toward the outside world. "Have fun either way it goes. Oh, and... don't step on anybody's shadow too hard for the first fifteen hours or so."

Kyoka had given her name and was apparently still on an interest list for the boy who'd hitched a ride with her back home. By her own understanding of this situation, Makima found his musings at least interesting enough to humor him. First on his list was about his gender preference for a knight, according to him, his earlier reference to opening legs was his obvious preference and he wouldn't accept a man who wasn't at least 30 percent better than Kyoka. "I remember every word of this conversation. I might need to reference it... Still, I do not judge so the question was necessary. Gentle follow up, what percentage of Ki-hi do you rate her attitude?" There were always options for this sort of thing and perhaps even a few others could be offered up to this point but it'd have to be a careful selection. Beyond that point the name he wanted for his documentation was Noel Stollen. Interesting choice for a cover, but she wouldn't judge that either. She simply made a note of it on a sticky note which was under her hand. Apparently this lad didn't take kindly to betrayal and gave his legitimate name as an act of good faith. She'd keep it in mind and look into anyone with that surname to make sure there were no incidental overflows. You could never go wrong with a bit of extra information and running a bit of interference in a secondary situation was always a good way to level the tables at these sorts of negotiations. It came with a certain amount of benevolence. "That isn't anything to worry about. I am not in the habit of crossing allies... it is not a good way to keep them. Though I appreciate the warning..." Makima said. The truth of the matter was she was a bit more protective of her assets than that. "As for that last offer, I'll respectfully decline. I am more of an absolute kind of ruler..." she mentioned without fail. With that out of the way, Makima figured that anything else would be handled when it popped up. She'd be reserving the things he asked for and deciding if they were needed by the time she met with her next target. She still needed a proper debriefing which she would now be getting about that missing oaf and her extended contact with Asakura Soma as well as how she felt about that command she'd followed despite years of training.

Meanwhile, a once ended Sakura was finding new life, and having confirmation of her successful baby making. "Oh? That's exciting, I can't wait to see how he turns out..." she said of her next child, whose gender was about the only thing she'd determined. Ah but that wasn't all, if a cucking was coming apparently this man would be skipping ahead to that point. A grin crossed her face as she found out she would soon have his phone number, kind of... "Hai, Jaxu~" she said seemingly amused by that information. Finally, they were at a point of branching. It would seem that Sakura had enough of herself to finish this form of hers, all the while there was a certain acknowledgement of the depth she might lack. It would seem that she could go where she wanted and there were options. The one up ahead was a rather interesting one to look at, it was almost worth abandoning her current thoughts for. "Tempting, tempting... I want to check it out but... I should try this way first~" she said. "Ja ne Onii-chan~" she claimed hearing that last bit about a shadow she took the path towards her self being pummeled ands started the process of forcing herself into it. At the same time, that Sakura was losing her grip. She'd been seeing something in her mind, aware of a deep thinking moment which had gone astray around the same time she stopped being able to feel her body properly. The light in that Sakura's eyes were fading and her hips had stopped moving.

"I could do with or without it," was all Soma had to say about Kyoka's attitude, or her personality in general for that matter. He didn't see it as a deal breaker, nor did he see it as a hard selling point. Most things could work. After all, he had a few methods of dealing with all types if need be. Moving on, Soma came to realize how very alike he and the woman ahead of him were. She wasn't one to double-cross allied forces for similar reasons to his own. No tool could have use if its owner broke it or tossed it into a trash bin. "That's why you are where you are," he commented. His offered 'Queen' position was addressed thereafter. As either of them could have anticipated, Makima turned it down to avoid clashing leadership. He figured as much. Still, there were always methods, always answers. "I know what you are. It would be stupid of you to take that kind of deal anyway... but this won't be the only time we talk about that, or something like it. People like us can really make use of each other." With that said, Soma finally shifted himself out of that chair. Once he was standing on his own feet, he tilted Kyoka's sunglasses down onto his eyes. One final clause would be shared with Makima as he departed. "Between five and sixteen habitable rooms for the house. I can make any number between those two work for my collection. Hold the bugs."

Sakura showed a momentary interest in joining with the variant Childe pointed out. Alas, that was not where this version of her fit best. It wasn't a simple choice between him and Kazuhiko, but instead the superior choice of... all best endings in one playthrough. That was the sort of realm Sakura was walking into, and the sort Childe would be growing alongside his own primary partner. "I thought you'd say that. See you on the other side~" he bid, watching her departure intently. On that other side, Sakura's limp body was still being battered even as the light left her eyes. Childe had her right leg lifted over his shoulder, leaving the left to dangle off something that should have been a table, but was currently just some solid surface in a shadowy, star-filled realm. The only thing around them was that dark abyss and multiple pools of Childe's essence in, on and around Sakura, and even on the man himself. "Oh come on, you're not dead yet!" he cheered. Surely the plan worked in time, or... perhaps what Sakura needed was another massive influx of energy? Well, she'd be getting that whether it was necessary or not ─ even if she'd been filled to the brim since the first couple of minutes passed.

Kyoka had one of the more extreme personalities of Makima's personnel. If her personality wasn't necessarily a deal-breaker then there were quite a few options she could potentially look into, surely there were a few who would find a job working for a man like Noel Stollen better than being crushed under Makima for whatever reason. "Noted." she said to that point. Apparently, her stance on betrayal had them aligned in a resonating sort of way. Given this was a sticking point she assumed she wouldn't have to worry about his betrayal at any point in the near future. Most didn't cross her for similar reasons. Still the matter of his open queen position wasn't one which was apparently asked with full intention of gaining acceptance. "Oh? Are you still testing me?" she questioned lightly, and almost rhetorically. Whatever the case, this may or may not have been a point that was revisited later. The last thing this lad had to say before an exit while putting on those sunglasses directly in front of Kyoka and earning himself a glare was, how many rooms he needed in that 'house' he'd asked for. "That's a small army's worth of living space. But I'll see what I can do... and I suppose in the interest of fairness, I won't place bugs," she said knowing she would stick to her own word about it, even if she found it annoying. As he left she had but one thing to say to Kyoka, "I know they were your favorites but avoid making a fuss right now," she uttered. "They were limited editions. You know how hard it is to get those? There is only one other person I've ever even seen with a pair..." Kyoka griped.

Meanwhile, Sakura's two sides were joining back together. A little goodbye would be leading to a major hello soon after. One of her legs was up an on Childe's shoulder, her back was pressed flat to a surface that was once a table. She was surrounded by darkness, getting pounded into paste, as that orange haired man would have said. But once more her body couldn't hold on any longer. She exhaled a breath seeming to lose consciousness and all else. Perhaps she'd died. But... Childe spoke to her and offered energy. Did she need it? Not really, but it was a good catalyst. As her secondary consciousness forced her new self forward, she shut down only to have that burst of mana spilling into her person, start her anew. A deep breath was taken as her body paled in the darkness. Those eyes of hers opened a jewel red color. Her hair once shoulder length and purple turned white and began to move, with the image of the stars reflected underneath. "WOOOOH~ My brain is on fire♥~" she chimed as ehr body began feeling again. That tingle at her scalp spread along her body as she condensed, compacted and her form became something more but also more compressed. She'd lost no real dimension but she'd gained quite a bit of weight, and any expelled mana on her person once again began the absorption process as was natural. "I have so much stuff in my head right now. I assume this means the experiment worked... and I got a body and a second brain that's interesting~" the girl known as Sakura spoke those words, but her voice and body sounded a bit different from the norm.