Experiment 1, Blood

[Warning. The next few chapters get dark. Save any questions you have until the end of this small arc. Enjoy, you sadists.]

It was the next day, Mitsuna did not sleep much. Thoughts of her brother plagued her.

The nights weren't cold or hot but there was something unsettling about them.

As she was provided something resembling breakfast, she ate without much restraint.

The tall woman appeared behind the glass.

Opening a small hole in it with the flick of a switch, she spoke.

"Morning, child."

Mitsuna did not respond.

"It's fine. You'll get used to it. My name is Nickolangela and yes, my parents could not decide. Today will be your first experiment. Hooray!"

She said with a light smile while holding her cheeks with her hands and tilting her head.

'Creepy.'

"Today's experiment will be... Blood!"

"...?"

"Don't worry, the blood of your ancestors will remain as is, we will just... add to it."

Giving a signal to her side, a man entered and placed restraints on Mitsuna.

She still couldn't appraise their strength since it seemed that something was blocking the attempt.

Still wary, she followed the woman.

'Experiments on blood?'

"You must have heard about the rumour that has been floating around for nearly a decade."

'I don't like where this is going. Can't she explain it in 10 words or less?'

"A rumour regarding that particular divinity holder. It states that she could steal bloodlines. If she were given enough time she would have become quite powerful. Although the rumour is scarce and hardly talked about it is said that it came from someone who worked for her. I guess they had a strong appraisal skill?"

'Damn. That was way more than 10 words.'

Mitsuna, who was still not taking the situation seriously, changed her attitude as a door opened in front of her and the woman.

"Well, this experiment is to see if we can make such a skill artificially. Oh, and since we will be seeing each other a lot these next days, you can call me Nick."

The woman said with a smile while stepping to the side of the doorway.

Inside the room, there was a table with metal straps. The straps already had some dried blood on them. Surrounding the table were countless large needles that were connected to long wires which in turn were connected to either large tubes of red liquid, blood, or coffins.

Mitsuna was, to say the very least, horrified.

She tried to hide her reaction, believing that her brother would save her any second now. Holding on to this belief, she was taken and strapped down to the table.

"We have quite a few rare beasts and bloodlines in this room. Some are from your families personal zoo. Gosh, what a rich and varied zoo it was. For the first test, we will only insert one type of blood. After an hour, when you have rested a little, we will insert more if your condition is good. After that, if you are still fine, we will insert all of them. We have a lot to spare after all."

'It's just a little blood... It can't be that bad. Before it gets bad I bet my brother will march in here and burn all of these guys to cinders...'

"Begin test 001."

A large needle was inserted into Mitsuna's elbow.

"This is a particularly rare bloodline. If I remember correctly it's an offshoot of a unicorn. Blight Pegasus. I hope you survive~"

Pain immediately surged within Mitsuna's body. Her blood almost turned to dust as the light balance between the blood of her father and mother was destroyed.

'H-help!'

Mitsuna refused to scream or let out much noise since she believed the woman, Nick would only get pleasure from it.

She seemed like the sadistic type.

The only sound present in the room was the sound of pumping machinery and the faint groans of pain from Mitsuna.

After a minute the machine stopped but the pain did not.

"Great. Still alive and sane. I think. Undo the restraints. We'll observe for now."

The people left the room as one of the side walls turned to glass that Mitsuna could not see through.

Falling to the ground, Mitsuna gasped for air as she gripped her chest. Her lungs seemed to be full of microscopic blades and her heart seemed to only pump burning poison through her body.

Some changes did appear in Mitsuna's body, though they could barely be seen.

A black ooze swirled around her eyes as her hair turned darker by the slightest of margins.

The pain lasted a while but after half an hour or so, it relented and ceased entirely after another 20 minutes.

She could finally breathe again without any knives in her lungs.

She was about to check if anything had changed in her status but before she could, the door opened and clapping could be heard.

The woman entered and spoke.

"Very well done, child. It seems the blood was put in its place by the blood already existing in you. A balance of sorts seems to have formed."

Mitsuna still had a slightly tough time breathing so she couldn't answer. Not that she would have anyway.

Still, on her knees, she looked at the woman in the eyes. A smirk appeared on her face as she spoke yet again.

"Place her back on the table."

"N-no."

"Hmm?"

Mitsuna finally spoke, it seems she understood her situation.

'Brother can't rescue me. At least not now so I need to buy time at the very least. Besides... I don't want to do that again.'

"It seems you don't understand. Child. This is not your choice to make. Due to talking back, we will insert two new bloodlines to teach you a lesson. Only speak when spoken to."

Not daring to utter another word, Mitsuna could only think.

'Please hurry, brother!'

"Begin test 002"

Back on the table. Two needles were inserted, both behind a knee.

The machine started pumping as Mitsuna braced herself.

"This time it should be the blood of... a High Elf and a Fallen Angel if I am remembering things correctly."

Just as last time, she held in her screams as hard as she could.

But unlike last time, before her own blood could combat the new, the two new bloodlines started fighting between themselves.

Pain surged in Mitsuna's legs as they started shaking violently.

Before Mitsuna could do much else, she fainted.

In a deep abyss. Mitsuna looked around only to see faint images of beasts and humanoids.

A grey dragon, a blue phoenix, a black horse, an elf and an angel with black wings.

All of the images lacked faces.

Mitsuna just summarised that she was unconsciously implanting images to the blood so she could discern them better.

The images didn't speak but rather fight in silence.

Mitsuna praised her subconscious for giving them seeable bodies or else she would only see a bunch of red fighting a bunch of red while a bunch of red looked on.

She took a step towards the images and as she did, they all stopped.

The angel and elf who were exchanging punches stopped as they landed a hit on each other's faces while the other three just suddenly turned to her.

Mitsuna felt awkward. The images suddenly started charging at her.

Shocked, Mitsuna took a step back and as she did, she noticed something. Something bad.

Although she did not feel it, it seemed as though the scientist took the chance of her being unconscious and started experiment 003.

Suddenly a bunch of red portals appeared in the pitch-black void as creatures started entering through them.

The images already present gathered and seemed to discuss with only minute glances, not paying Mitsuna much more attention unlike earlier.

Mitsuna looked at the portals dyed in deep red. And the creatures that exited them.

A white alligator, a gnome, a diamond shelled turtle, a green fairy, a gryphon that seemed to be covered in gold, another fairy, this time light blue, a fox with 9 tails, a big spider with a woman's upper body and finally, what seemed to be a regular human.

No more portals opened and Mitsuna seemed to be having trouble breathing even in the void of her mind.

The images that were there even before she arrived made their presence known as the other images gathered around them.

They communicated something but before Mitsuna could even get a clue, she fell to her knees, taking deep breaths.

The pain. It surged. And it dare not stop.

And yet, as if in waiting, her eyes glitched for a moment and the images stopped. They grew more defined, gaining faces and a voice.

Before Mitsuna could react, the glitching effect in her eyes disappeared and she fainted, this time in her own head.