Chapter 63: Fated Burn (19)

"Seiza, what happened?!" Rudabaugh asked as he ran to his side, expression serious.

Snapping out of his shock, Seiza's mind went into overdrive to catch up with what was happening. "I-I don't. I didn't..."

Before Seiza finished that sentence, the fire covering Rea suddenly extinguished. She was left flameless, rolling on the floor with her eyes closed. "W-what the? Rea? Rea!" Seiza distressingly called for Rea's attention so that she would stop flailing around.

If calling for her attention was in vain, Seiza considered biting the delinquent's leg with just enough force to force her eyes open just like Nozomi on her first encounter with the talking dog. Hopefully, it won't come to that...

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When Rea heard Seiza's voice about how she wasn't on fire anymore, she stopped. She still felt pain, but she didn't feel the burning. She slowly opened her eyes to look up at what she expected to be her body not on fire anymore.

Instead, she was welcomed by the sight of a transparent, ethereal body, it was familiar, but certainly different from her real, physical body. And that's not even addressing the various burn marks spread across her entire, spiritual, body she had now. What in the...

...world?

Rea reflexively turned to the direction from where she heard that. What welcomed her left the delinquent with eyes as wide as saucers and a slack jaw in shock.

It was her body. Although the hair, eyes, and clothes were now bright red, her long hair was now smooth instead of messy, with some weird, golden tiara with a red gem in the center and a scorpion's stinger coming from the back of the tiara on her head in an arc... it still was her body. More importantly, Rea was seeing herself laid down on the floor from outside her body, with said body staring right at her, something by all means impossible was now happening in front of her. Then again, if I were to compare it with everything I've seen today... wait, no, what am I thinking? A sudden realization came to Rea's mind as her appearance reminded her of that ghost who called themselves her humanity. You bitch... Rea mentally muttered before scowling at them.

Snapping out of her shock, Rea's humanity, which now controlled Rea's body, raised both hands to stop Rea. W-wait!

Don't you "Wait" me! I knew you were trying to snatch my body! Give it back, NOW! Rea demanded as she lunged at her body to grab them by the collar... only for Rea's ethereal form to pass through it and end behind her humanity.

WHAT?! Rea exclaimed in bafflement. Rea's humanity watched with concern as Rea tried in vain to make contact with her body in every way and from every angle the latter could think of, growing progressively more frustrated by each failed attempt.

"Hey... are you okay?"

Rea and her humanity simultaneously turned to the one who asked that, their eyes landing directly on the puppy who had given Rea the pendant that caused both her and her humanity pain and to switch body states.

You... WHAT DID YOU DO YOU MUTT!? Rea shouted before lunging for Seiza... only to pass right through him. Shit!

"I..." Rea's humanity scrutinized her hands before going over the rest of her body to see if there were no burn marks. Not finding any, she cautiously nodded. "...don't know?" She asked, more to herself than to Seiza, before frowning and turning to the puppy. "Was that supposed to happen?"

"No!" Seiza immediately exclaimed, before calming down when noticing everyone's reaction to his outburst. "I... have no idea what went wrong in the transformation for you to experience that." He looked down at the ground in shame. "I'm sorry."

Seeing Seiza apologize, Rea's humanity glanced at Rea's ethereal form to see what she thought. Not surprisingly, Rea was still not satisfied. You damn dog! I want solutions not excuses! She demanded from Seiza, but it seemed only Rea's humanity could see and hear her. Something Rea's humanity had become very familiar with throughout all those days where she only had her other self to talk with.

Rea's humanity opinion of Seiza wasn't currently the best, even if it was leagues ahead of Rea, who looked like she wanted nothing more than to strangle the dog if her ghostly hands phasing through his neck were of any indication. She considered asking him to wait for later when they were out of whatever this place was, as it would give her time to confirm if his sincerity wasn't a figurative mask and if she should accept his apology.

She was about to speak when Rudabaugh beat her to it. "He is telling the truth." He declared.

When Rea's humanity turned to Rudabaugh, the latter just shrugged. "From all the times I've witnessed it, this is the first time I've seen a magical girl transformation cause pain to the one transforming. If you have any doubts," Rudabaugh pointed behind him at Nozomi and Yoshino. "You can also ask them."

"Then... what went wrong?" Rea's humanity asked, still not entirely convinced.

Rudabaugh shrugged. "Just like the puppy said, I don't know, your guess is as good as mine and everyone else's."

"I... guess if it's fine if it was really an accident..." Rea's humanity trailed off, not sure if she should fully believe in the words of these strangers she had never met before... but in the end, she decided to give them some, although shakey, benefit of the doubt since one of said strangers did save her a few minutes ago.

As the issue between her transformation was, for the moment, settled, another question crossed Rea's humanity mind as she remembered her other self's presence after the latter screamed in, retrospective, justifiable anger over having their body suddenly stolen.

Should I reveal this detail to them?

Rea's humanity bit her lip as she considered if it would be better to come clean with them about the whole situation between her and Rea. It didn't take long for her to realize waiting for when the situation was less dire would be for the best.

When Rea's humanity glanced at Mukarramma, a chill ran down the former's spine as the latter had, while everyone was occupied with Rea to notice them, stood up, and put her cell phone away before staring intently at the eyes of Rea's humanity.

But... nothing else happened. Even though Rea's humanity had unintentionally attracted Mukarramma's attention, the latter just stood there, not by choice, Rea's humanity assumed, but because, for some reason or another, they couldn't do anything meaningful as it was. I guess I can say goodbye to getting out of here without a fight... oh, well. Rea's humanity thought to herself, not regretting one bit over her decision to refuse Mukarramma's offer of mercy. That's assuming they were planning to spare me in the first place!

When the delinquent's humanity turned to look at Nozomi, whose uneven breaths and bloody bandages tied up a knot on the stomach of Rea's humanity. "How's she?"

Biting his lip in visible frustration, Seiza obliged. "She's... enduring it for now." The talking dog said, clearly stressed over his inability to help the magical girl in white clothes.

"I see..." Rea's humanity slowly nodded in understanding. Rea might've been too prideful to admit it, but Rea's humanity was thankful Nozomi saved her when she did and would thank her when all of this was over and she had the time to do it.

Urgh, this is insane... WHY ARE THESE IDIOTS BELIEVING ANYTHING THIS BODY-SNATCHING BITCH IS TELLING THEN!? Rea shouted at the top of her lungs at the sky angered over getting ignored. Tsujin clenched her hands and frowned but didn't speak up, as Rea did raise a good point.

"Why are you guys believing what I'm saying so quickly? I mean, how do you guys know I'm not just messing with you guys or something?" Rea's humanity asked the group in front of her, also curious about why they trusted her so quickly.

"I mean... are you?" Rudabaugh tilted his head while asking that.

Rea's humanity frowned. "No, but..."

Rudabaugh shrugged. "You believed in us even though you have no reason to... it would be kind of unfair if we didn't do the same." After a moment he continued. "Also, compared with everything else around us... your explanation isn't too hard to believe."

Rea's humanity opened her mouth to argue back but couldn't think of one as Rudabaugh's questionable logic wasn't entirely wrong. I... guess if it's like that... it can't be helped...right?

Rea was quick to interrupt her. No! Screw that! That still doesn't answer how I get my body back and get you-!

One thing at a time! We still have to get out of here first! I'll switch with you the moment I'm sure this girl who just saved our sorry ass is going to be fine! Rea's humanity finally snapped and cut Rea off, giving her a side glare. Rea recoiled a little taken aback by her other self's sudden mental outburst. Unbeknownst to them and everyone else, a weak red glow flickered once from the index finger of Rea's physical body, disappearing just as fast as it appeared, before anyone could notice.

Seeing her other self's reaction, Rea's humanity sighed as the side-eye she gave Rea became softer while remaining firm. Please... just until we know she's okay.

Surprisingly, after staring at each other for what felt like an eternity, Rea listened, turning away with a Tsk.

Rea's humanity sighed in slight relief before turning to Seiza and the others. "So... what now?" She asked, wanting to get this over with and leave this place.