[Soul Necklace (Epic): A necklace capable of housing souls.Current Soul Count: (1)]
When Kurose Akira saw the epic-grade Soul Necklace Natasha was wearing, curiosity immediately stirred within him. But what truly shocked him was the fact that a soul was actually residing inside the necklace.
Whose soul was it?
"Mr. Akira… are you very interested in this necklace of mine? Or is it… something else?"Just as Akira was intently observing the Soul Necklace resting against Natasha's snow-white neck, she asked softly, her voice tinged with a hint of shyness.
Akira immediately shifted his gaze elsewhere and asked, "Does this necklace hold some special meaning for you?"
"Mmm~"Natasha nodded gently and explained, "This necklace is a treasure passed down through generations of my family. During the use of soul secret arts, it plays a crucial supporting role."
"Besides assisting in the execution of soul secret arts," Akira asked in a low voice, "does it have any other function? For example… could it be hiding a soul inside?"
"A soul… inside?"
At those words, a flicker of alarm flashed across Natasha's eyes. She let out a soft cry, half-teasing, half-nervous."Mr. Akira, please don't scare me like that!"
"I'm just speculating. If you're really worried, I can help you examine it afterward," Akira said with a light smile, trying to reassure her.
"That would be wonderful~" Natasha patted her chest lightly and let out a relieved breath. "Once I'm done with the soul secret art, I'll trouble you to take a look for me, Mr. Akira."
After their exchange, Natasha removed the sapphire necklace from around her neck and handed it to Akira.
"Mr. Akira, please hold onto this necklace. Loserine is currently a member of your guild—using you as the medium may be more appropriate."
"All right."Akira nodded and took hold of the necklace.
Natasha then gently wrapped both hands around his palm. Her touch was soft and warm, bringing with it a sense of calm and comfort.
"Th-then~ I'll begin~"
Natasha closed her eyes and began chanting softly.
A blue halo of magic gradually bloomed from her palms. The faint glow steadily intensified, as though it were about to illuminate the entire room.
At first, only the blue light flickered within the chamber. But after several minutes, Akira was startled to see countless spectral afterimages of souls beginning to materialize around them.
They interwove and drifted, circling the Soul Necklace as if searching for the right moment.
Akira also noticed that all of the summoned soul remnants appeared to be female—likely the result of Natasha deliberately filtering the souls by gender during the summoning.
Just then, one of the soul remnants extended a finger, attempting to approach Natasha, but it was blocked by an invisible barrier formed by the blue magic surrounding her, unable to draw any closer.
"No… it's not you either…"
Natasha slightly opened her eyes. A faint blue glow shimmered within her reddish-brown pupils as she scrutinized each summoned soul, searching for Loserine's memory fragment.
In just a few short minutes, the room was filled with countless spectral remnants.
And then—
Suddenly, a distinct soul appeared within the chamber.
The instant she lifted her finger, every other soul remnant was blown away, scattered in an instant.
"This is…?"
Akira frowned slightly. This summoned soul was clearly extraordinary—far more powerful than the others.
"S-Su… Mr. Akira, I think I've summoned something… very dangerous."Natasha's beautiful eyes tightened, deep worry surfacing within them.
She had never expected to summon such a powerful soul. After all, there shouldn't have been a being of this caliber anywhere near Sunset City. And more than that—this soul felt different.
"Wait here. I'll deal with it."
"Alice, come help—now."
Akira immediately called out to Alice via soul communication. He needed her assistance at once.
Alice's Soul Cutter possessed a natural suppressive effect against soul-based entities. Against undead that existed purely in soul form, there was nothing more effective.
"Master, I'm coming!"
Alice responded instantly to Akira's call.
In the next moment—
A jet-black pair of scissors suddenly manifested in the room and launched an attack at the rogue soul.
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
"Ahhh!"
With a single shrill scream, the soul was sliced apart by Alice's massive scissors, shattered into fragments as it fled in panic.
"All done~ Master, you can keep going now~"
"That's it?"
Akira stared in mild astonishment. Alice could control her soul weapon remotely?
That was… incredibly convenient.
"It's all right now, Natasha."Akira turned to her, letting her know the summoned soul had already been driven away.
But at that moment, he suddenly noticed something else.
Natasha was gazing at him with tear-filled eyes. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, lending her an unexpectedly alluring air.
"Natasha?"
Akira was puzzled. Had the soul secret art failed in some way?
"I'm fine, Mr. Akira. It's just… that soul reminded me of certain things." Natasha wiped the corner of her eyes, her voice subdued. "Let's continue. Today, we must find Loserine's soul."
As she spoke, she once again activated the soul secret art, resuming the search for Loserine's final memory fragment.
After the ritual restarted, the number of souls appearing in the room was noticeably reduced. Without interference from that powerful soul, the process progressed smoothly.
However, the prolonged magical exertion began to take its toll. Natasha's body grew unsteady, and she stumbled, nearly falling to the floor.
Akira reacted instantly, reaching out from behind and supporting her with one arm.
"Thank you," Natasha whispered softly before continuing the ritual.
At such close proximity, Akira could clearly feel the softness of her body. Her skin was even more supple and moist than that of a young girl, as though it were made of water itself.
More importantly, whenever Natasha chanted her spells, she unconsciously swayed her body ever so slightly. Those subtle movements caused her to press tightly against Akira, her hips brushing against him, sending exquisite sensations through his nerves…
Ahem.
Suddenly, Natasha's gentle voice drifted over."Mr. Akira… what do you think happens to a person who's missing part of their soul?"
"Missing a soul?" Akira pondered for a moment before answering, "They'd probably end up like Loserine is now—kind of airheaded."
"Exactly~"Natasha smiled faintly and said softly, "Someone missing part of their soul becomes foolish. No wonder Loserine is always worried I'll be tricked by bad people…"
"..."
Akira remained silent.
Ever since he'd seen the soul inside the White Rose Flower—identical in appearance to Natasha—he'd known her identity was anything but simple.
Although he hadn't yet confirmed the connection, the theory that she was a fragment of the White Rose Flower's soul had always been one of the most plausible possibilities.
Just as Akira was lost in thought, Natasha slowly turned around. A gentle light shimmered within her clear eyes.
"Mr. Akira~ look~"
She raised her hand slightly. Resting in her palm was a fragment of a soul.
She had succeeded.
A surge of indescribable joy welled up within Akira.
Loserine's final piece.
At last—
It had appeared.
..
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