Dark Seele—Seele, Have You Abandoned Me?

"Kiana? How did you grow cat ears and a tail? What happened?"

"So, so cute! Seele wants to touch them~"

"Bronya wants to as well. Bronya is willing to trade tonight's beef dinner with Kiana for a chance."

"The texture... it doesn't look fake at all?"

Inside the Valkyrie dormitory.

Kiana in her catgirl form had unsurprisingly drawn everyone's attention. No one could help it—she was just too adorable.

Those perfectly crafted white cat ears on Kiana's head were a match made in heaven. Her equally fluffy white tail swayed enthusiastically, capturing the lively and playful essence of this kitty Kiana.

Cat ears, cat tail, Kiana—Best Match!

"Hehe~ Feast your eyes! This is the culmination of my deep research into the Herrscher of Rebirth's powers. Behold my magnum opus: Catgirl Kiana~!"

"Meow~!"

"!!!" x4

Kiana let out an adorable meow and made a playful pawing gesture with her fists. Paired with her pure, innocent smile, everyone in the room felt their hearts melting.

No wonder she was considered the pet of the dorm—so cute!

Elias happily continued petting the cat-eared Kiana.

He was immensely thankful that the first power he regained had been that of the Herrscher of Rebirth and not anything else. Otherwise, he could never have created such a wonderful being.

The cell manipulation of the Herrscher of Rebirth was fundamentally similar to the 6th Divine Key, Abyss Flower.

It featured both creation and decomposition, with numerous other derivative manipulations built on top.

Elias had run countless experiments on himself using this power. Healing injuries? That was just beginner stuff. He'd come up with all kinds of creative uses.

Like modifying his own body—he had once reshaped his arm into a dragon claw. Not that it improved combat effectiveness much, but it was cool!

He could also alter his appearance at will. From then on, Elias became the world's strongest master of disguise.

Facial features, eye color, hair, gender—the Herrscher of Rebirth could change all of it down to the genetic level.

Elias had once turned himself into a red-eyed, silver-haired vampire with fangs, and also gave himself beast ears. Turns out, real-life character creation was way more fun than he'd imagined.

And that wasn't all—he could modify others too.

For example, no matter what your original size was, with this power... you could be as long as you wanted...

Elias: "If I ever open a clinic with this power, I can't even imagine the demand. As long as I demonstrate it, even Otto wouldn't dare kill me—the world would riot."

Who could say no to a handsome, sunny, benevolent Herrscher who could make you a super-hot guy or a stunning beauty, banish all self-esteem issues, cure all sickness, preserve youth, and even grant immortality?

No one. Absolutely no one.

Otto: "You're a Herrscher. You must die."

World: "Well, Herrschers do need to die..."

Elias: "I am the Herrscher of Rebirth, and I can create a kingdom of beast ears!"

World: "LONG LIVE THE HERRSCHER OF REBIRTH! Herrscher? Who cares! Lord Elias only wants to make the world a more beautiful place!"

Other Herrschers might struggle to gain humanity's acceptance, but not the Herrscher of Rebirth.

Of course, this was all just a fantasy. Elias had no intention of making himself a global sensation.

Right now, he just wanted to snuggle up in the Valkyrie dorm with his kitty Kiana. And snuggle hard!

Kiana flushed from Elias' relentless attention. He was constantly touching her—stroking her cat ears, petting her tail, occasionally scratching under her chin.

These spots were now fully sensitive, and while the sensations were incredibly pleasant, Kiana couldn't help feeling like she'd lost a bit of her innocence.

"Elias, that's enough. You've touched me plenty, haven't you?"

"Absolutely not! Let me touch you for just one mo—"

"One more hour?"

"A lifetime!"

"Nngh! Stop! I can't let this go on. It feels like things are starting to get weird."

Even with her brain mostly shut down, Kiana's Kaslana instincts allowed her to make the right call.

If this continued, their relationship might just cross a strange new boundary.

Elias: "Don't be like that! Let me pet you!"

Kiana: "No way, nya~ I don't want a master with no sense of boundaries! Wait, I mean caretaker... no, argh! I actually called myself a cat!"

Elias: "With your intelligence, maybe being a cat is more fitting than being a person, Kiana."

Even if Kiana wouldn't let him pet her anymore, Elias had no shortage of volunteers. The other girls in the dorm were already looking at him expectantly.

Elias would never disappoint them.

"Anyone interested in real cat ears and tails, come line up here~"

Bronya and Dark Seele rushed over, followed by Mei, and finally a slightly hesitant Himeko.

"Alright, first up—my dear Bronya."

"Mm. Bronya entrusts her body to you."

"That sounded a little weird, you know?"

Elias chuckled as he patted Bronya's head. Soon, a pair of adorable silvery-gray cat ears appeared, followed by a half-meter-long fluffy tail.

She now looked just like a Siberian Forest Cat.

"So cute! As expected of my Bronya."

"Mmm... this is an odd sensation. Touching the ears and tail gives Bronya some... hard-to-describe feelings."

Bronya poked her new feline features curiously.

Her face remained stoic, but her cheeks were flushed red. A three-no catgirl loli? Absolute perfection!

Elias held up a sign that said "10 out of 10."

"Next up, Seele."

"Hehe~ Then I'll be counting on you, Papa~"

"Having you call me that again isn't half bad. Ahem, now let me think... what kind of cat ears and tail suit my Seele best... Got it."

Elias gently stroked Seele's head. Soon, a pair of deep blue cat ears emerged.

As expected, matching the hair color looked perfect.

Of course, visually there was no difference between White Seele and Dark Seele. Unlike in the game, the two forms didn't switch to black hair and red eyes or anything.

That thought left Elias a bit disappointed.

He really wanted to see both White Seele and Dark Seele in catgirl form, standing side by side. Twin-tailed, contrasting catgirls!

(Wait a second. Why not just make a body?)

A flash of brilliance struck him!

With his Rebirth powers, creating a physical body from scratch was child's play.

He had done something similar before—like when he made a human body for Bella.

"...Seele, with my current powers, I can create a physical body to house Dark Seele's consciousness. Do you want that?"

Elias looked directly at [Seele] as he spoke.

"Eh?"

"What?!"

The unexpected offer caused both White Seele and Dark Seele to short-circuit for a moment.

They were the dual souls of beyond twin stars, two-in-one, inseparable. While one of them often talked about separating and becoming independent, deep down, neither had ever seriously considered it.

Now that Elias had placed that opportunity before them, Seele fell silent, unsure of what to do.

"Papa Elias, what do you want us to do?"

"Emmm... back to White Seele now, huh? You two always call me 'Papa' when you're nervous... Honestly, from my perspective, of course I'd hope the two of you can become independent. That way, I'd have two Seele~"

Elias gently touched the girl's cheek.

He wanted to see both Seele stand before him. It was a self-centered wish—but a sincere one.

He wished to touch, to embrace, and to love both of them equally. Not just have one living in the spiritual space connected by shared sensation, but both living, breathing girls standing before him.

"Dark Seele, maybe we should separate?"

"...What, you're abandoning me now?"

Dark Seele's voice turned cold and distant.

Mei blinked. She couldn't help but feel like this situation was somewhat similar to what she had experienced the day before.

"Of course not! But I think... if you could have your own body, it might be a good thing."

"Because then, you could do whatever you want without worrying about inconveniencing me."

White Seele's voice was full of sincerity and care, and Dark Seele looked momentarily stunned.

"Seele, you..."

"I know, you love spicy food, right? And you really want to go to arcades and play those intense games. I'm sure there are so many other things you want to do but couldn't, because we share a body."

White Seele looked slightly guilty as she continued.

She wanted Dark Seele to have a body of her own. It wasn't because she wanted to push her away.

It was a pure blessing.

She wanted Dark Seele to live her own life.

She wanted her to do the things she loved.

"Honestly, I don't want to be without you. I'd be lonely. But... I want you to be free."

White Seele gathered her courage to say it.

Sometimes, letting go is the kindest thing you can do.

To her, Dark Seele was as important as Elias. They had accompanied one another through everything, creating a bond deeper than even blood sisters.

It was precisely because she cared so deeply that she didn't want to become a burden. Her love for Dark Seele outweighed her own desire to keep her close.

"As expected of my angel daughter~"

"Bronya agrees. Seele is too sweet."

What a gentle, kind-hearted girl!

Elias and Bronya wiped the corners of their eyes. As Seele's father and sister, they couldn't help but feel proud.

"Tch, you really are a dummy, Seele."

Dark Seele finally spoke again after a moment of silence. Her voice wasn't scolding at all—only full of affection and joy.

The next second, she took control of the body again and looked up at Elias seriously.

"Thank you for your kindness, Papa. But for now, I don't need a new body."

(Another me?!)

"This silly girl can't do anything without me. So I'll just be generous and stay by her side a while longer. Sharing a body isn't really that inconvenient anyway."

(...Thank you, my other self.)

"Hmph~ Don't get me wrong. If I did get my own body, you'd make me attend St. Freya Academy too. I don't want to deal with homework or boring classes."

Yep, as expected, always a tsundere to the end.

She clearly didn't want to be separated from White Seele either—her smirk had curled up so high—yet she still refused to be honest.

Elias couldn't help reaching out to pat Dark Seele's head, thinking that this girl had a different kind of cuteness from White Seele. But no matter which Seele it was, he liked them both dearly.

"Ahem, well, I might not need it now, but in the future... can I pre-order, Father?"

"Of course. Whatever Dark Seele wants, just let me know—I'll custom-make it for you."

"Really? Awesome! Let me think… A few basic requirements: at least 160cm tall, same face as Seele, red eyes, black hair, and… my bust? Make it three cup sizes bigger than Himeko's!"

"..." x5

As Dark Seele rattled off her ideal specs, the other girls' eyes twitched violently.

She was cheating! Outright cheating!

Using Elias' willingness to custom-build her a body, she shamelessly loaded up every stat—it was clear she wanted the perfect physique. And what for?

Everyone turned to stare at Elias.

They didn't even need to ask. Obviously, it was to seduce him!

"Bronya believes… it's best not to let Dark Seele become independent. Adjusting her parameters with a mod like that is cheating. Ban-worthy behavior."

"Agreed. Better to keep her sealed inside Seele forever… She's too dangerous."

"Three sizes bigger than mine? Are you trying to break your back? Don't be greedy, 'other' Seele."

Bronya, Mei, and Himeko all glared darkly. This girl had no sense of limits. Full resistance!

"You horrible women! What does my future body have to do with you?!"

Dark Seele puffed up angrily. Her father had already given her permission!

Just you wait—once Seele grows strong enough, I'll become independent. Then I'll appear in my perfect new body and steal Father away!

After all, Father always belonged to us—to Seele. I'm not sharing him with anyone else!

"Alright, alright, there there~"

Elias chuckled helplessly and hugged the puffed-up Dark Seele, who looked like an angry, hissing kitten about to bite someone.

Thus, the Seele-independence project was postponed until White Seele matured enough to handle it.

But Seele wasn't the only one with multiple personalities in the room.

Elias turned to Raiden Mei.

"Mei, would you like me to do the same for you?"

"Yes. I do need it."

Mei answered firmly.

"Uh, don't you think you should talk it over with Herrscher Mei?"

"No need. I have no intention of sharing this body with that coward."

Herrscher Mei cut in with disdain.

Unlike Dark Seele, who was all tsundere and secretly fond of Elias, Herrscher Mei and regular Mei genuinely disliked each other.

If Elias could create a new body to separate them, both sides would gladly accept.

"Same specs as Dark Seele's request. Just swap the face to my own, add 10 to 15 centimeters in height, same for leg length… As for the body shape—just make it whatever you like, Elias."

Herrscher Mei spoke boldly.

"..." x5

Once again, everyone was stunned.

At least Dark Seele had the decency to pretend. Herrscher Mei was just openly shameless!

"No way! I object!"

The main Mei immediately protested.

If this succeeded, her own position would be on the line.

They were both Raiden Mei, but the queenly Herrscher had way more bite. And if Elias got to create a custom body to his tastes…

What then? He might end up with a "Raiden Mei Pro Max Edition!"

What chance would the original Mei have against that?!

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