Without its source of power, the forest dome crumbled, disintegrating into particles of light. Their soft green radiance flooded the surrounding with sombre, unnerving ambience as the overgrown dissolved into ashes, leaving behind the dismal aftermaths. The snow-like dust drifted in the air while the icy ground reflected the sunlight shining through the dispersed clouds.
Alone in the middle of the battlefield, Iris raised her head towards the sky, staring at the warm sun, whose intensity rapidly fell. Its serene heat grazed her pale, delicate face, piercing her golden, shiny pupils, forcing her eyes to close. She wryly smiled and enjoyed the fleeting moment of tranquillity, of holiness, of humanity.
Behind her, the countless pairs of wings fluttered, slowly fading into nothingness, leaving behind nothing but the lightness on her back. Her silky clothes submerged into her snow-white flesh, dissolving her body back to its natural state. The sensation of sacredness left her while the feeling of freedom returned. She transformed back from her divine appearance to her charming, teasing Slime Girl body.
Sighing, she touched her forehead. Though she couldn't find it, she could sense that the Mark of the Lord was still inside her, just in the dominant state after supplying her with a stream of Divinity. She was too reckless, but it was the only way for her to withstand Greenwood Swordmaster's final attack.
Thinking back, Iris frowned as she looked at her palms, clenching them. When she experienced the surge of Divinity, something inside her heart whispered to her. It was an indescribable feeling, like a dream of the past life, like an inspiration obtained from future knowledge. She was sure that even without Vilia's help, she would be able to control her Divinity if given time.
"Surely, the Lord must have prepared such a safety net for me," Iris mumbled. She felt slightly dejected that the state of endless inspiration and infinite comprehension lasted so short. "If I were to immerse myself inside the great natural knowledge of the world, I would have gained much, much more than this, but Vilia, you can't bear to see me suffer, right?"
Iris smiled and stared at her chest. Above her busts, a faint, flickering light embedded itself into her. It slowly sank into her slime and vanished out of her sight, yet she could effortlessly sense its existence. It was hovering around her soul, exuding an endless warmth which relaxed her body and mind, supplying unknown energy into her.
"Herrifer, you're still here with me?" Iris touched her chest and chuckled. "I thought I would have to part with you, but it seems my luck is still good. Is it because the Lord favours you and doesn't want you to be sad?"
As Iris's soul interacted with Herrifer's strand of Faith, a new gush of information emerged, assimilating into Iris. It was small and compact, and Iris had already experienced such phenomenon once, making the second time easy and harmless.
"A communication spell, Hearts Connected by the Stars?" Iris took a deep breath. The information about how to cast the spell and how to further handle Faith transmitted into her mind. "This . . . this is the information about the Deity. Is it good for me to possess it? Lord, you've given me too dangerous of a gift."
As Iris was deep in her thoughts, Serinda and Artium ran to her and hugged her. They disregarded their manners as they planted their faces on Iris's body and nuzzled her, pushing against her breasts and back, forcing her to stop her deliberation. She faintly smiled and squeezed them against her body. Artium flushed but didn't resist while Serinda coiled around Iris, caressing her back.
"Aren't you being too emotional?" Iris said, giggling. "You two are already Transformation Phase Monster Girls, strong, exotic Monster Girls. Why are you acting like this? I'm all fine and dainty; don't you think so?"
"We aren't being too emotional," Artium said. "If anyone were to be exchange place with us, they would be like this too, even you, Sister Iris. In fact, you wouldn't be able to resist breaking the rules. We've already done our best not interfering."
Serinda nodded and tickled Iris. Her scaly body rubbed against Iris, forcing Iris to press her lips together, yet her muffled noise still seeped out.
"Don't try to find any excuse, Sister Iris!" Serinda played with Iris's slime hair. It felt silky yet watery, a peculiar sensation. "Even Artium and I have to restrain each other to stop ourselves from seeking you. It's already good enough that we don't sob and demand kisses to soothe our fragile hearts."
"Trying to take advantage of me? You two are getting bolder and bolder. Don't you remember that I'm your elder sister? If you're going to come with me, respect the seniority!"
"We are respecting your status, Sister Iris." Artium stood on her toes and kissed Iris's bouncy cheek. "We are your cute little sisters, mischievous, lovely, and bold!"
Iris resisted and covered her kissed cheek with her hand, but her translucent body failed to mask her pink flushes. They spread on her face as a gradient which warmed her body, heating her viscous, melting slime. She shivered and tried to separate herself from the embrace, yet Serinda smiled and nibbled on her ears. The shock dissolved half her body as she moaned in excitement and shame.
"Serinda, Artium, stop right this instant!" Iris instinctively used her ability, but she had already exhausted her Corruption Power. She failed to create tendrils out of her body, trapped inside the two dangerous Monster Girls. "You did this because you know I'm exhausted, didn't you? When I regain my strength, you're going to suffer. I mean it!"
"Then, Sister Iris, you leave us no choice but to convince you to accept your desires," Artium whispered. Her distinct yet muffled voice echoed inside Iris's head, giving her anxiety mixed with passion. "Serin, we don't have much time; do you want a temporary truce as we express our love to Sister Iris? Our lives depend on it."
Artium and Serinda looked at each other and smirked. They gradually turned to the powerless, bitter Iris, who shook her head as fear and complicated feelings rose in her heart. She craved yet disliked such things, her mind dismayed, her body yearning, her soul confused.
"Yes, we should convince Sister Iris to accept us, or she will punish us once she regains her strength. Sister Iris, Artium and I will give you a lot of love until you let go of your restrain and shower us with forevermore love." Serinda stuck out her long, slithery tongue and licked Iris's neck, coiling around her chin. "Don't worry; you'll look back at this moment fondly. We'll be even closer from now on."
"Wait, wait, wait," Iris shouted. "I won't punish you anymore; I won't do anything. I promise."
"But we want you to do something to us, Sister Iris. If you don't punish us, naughty little sisters, we won't respect you."
"I'll punish you by . . . by giving you a forehead kiss!"
Iris felt like she was heating up to the temperature of the sun as the words left her mouth. An instant regret, but she couldn't do anything except pretending that she was serious, too serious for any tease.
Artium and Serinda froze in their places as they rigidly turned away from Iris, blushing, feeling strange like a forest fire was devouring their pulsating, stimulating hearts. Iris's punishment was light and dull to them, but something in her voice, her manner, her expression, something in her captivated their desires to let her have her way.
"Sister Iris, are you speaking the truth?" Artium mumbled, her voice now meek. "I . . . I accept your promise; please, please be gentle."
Serinda said nothing, but she separated from Iris and stood in silence, staring at her own hands, absorbing Iris's cold yet warm touches. She wanted to hold that pair of delicate hands, not as a tease, but as an expression of mutual affection. Since when have I become so attracted to Sister Iris? It is too strange!
"Sister Iris—" Serinda looked up, but Iris had already vanished. Artium, who was opposite of her, also stared at the blank space, blinking.
"What?" Artium frowned. "Sister Iris? Where are you?"
The two rapidly turned around, yet no matter how hard they looked, they found no trace of Iris as if she magically disappeared. Their prior happiness and excitement changed into anxiety and panic as they cast their myriad spells to determine what had happened. Artium frantically tried everything before getting interrupted by Serinda, who managed to calm down, having absolute confidence in Iris.
"You found anything? Artium said, biting her lips. "Where is she? She won't leave us, right? We are family now, right?"
"We are, Artium. We are. She won't leave us." Serinda smiled. "I might know where she went. If my guess is correct, we should wait for her; she'll come back soon enough. She didn't leave us but forced into another place."
Artium contemplated for a moment before she found her answer. Sister Iris is going through a precious opportunity. We must not feel down and wish her the best!
“We’ll know the truth when we found her clone!” Artium said. “Let’s search. She must be somewhere around here.”
...
Iris was inside a vast golden hall, with countless shiny golden pillars supporting the tall ceiling in a fixed interval. There was no torch nor any source of light, yet the ambience and the atmosphere remained at the overcast visibility. Aside from Iris, everything was motionless, silent, lifeless. They eagerly waited for someone to come up to them and choose them.
This place was the imperial treasury. Only those who accomplished the miracle could enter this place and obtain one thing they desired.
Before Iris did anything, she surveyed the surroundings and narrowed her eyes when she couldn't find Serinda and Artium. Greenwood Swordmaster told her that everyone would enter the imperial treasury and that even the Overseer couldn't bend the rules set by the imperial family.
The Overseer might not be able to go against the imperial family and the Puppeteer Legacy Ground at its peak, but everything was crumbling, falling, assimilating back into the world. It was possible that the Overseer could find a loophole.
Iris herself was the course of such destruction, from destroying the everchanging orb to ripping a giant hole through the second floor. She hurt the Overseer and the Puppeteer Legacy Ground, but she also hurt herself.
"This is bad. If I stay here for too long, the Overseer will surely prepare hells for me to go through. Serinda and Artium are in danger; I must hurry."
Iris took a deep breath and walked around the imperial treasury, keeping her focus on the surrounding. The moment she crushed the everchanging orb, every established rule became obsolete. She must now proceed with caution, with the preconception that the Overseer was watching, scheming, trapping.
On the sides, countless treasures and exotic materials were floating above the golden stabs. They exuded an ancient, mystical air which proclaimed their excellent quality. All of them were the objects of envy and trouble, of power and influence. Unfortunately, Iris merely glanced at them for a moment before moving past them.
It was not that she was greedy, but because she was looking for something. Her heart reminded her about it, and she could never take anything else except it. The artefacts were enticing, but her lack of knowledge about their capabilities made her not as excited as she should be.
She didn't rely on her eyes to judge the treasures, but her heart, her soul. It subtly guided her deeper into the treasury, where the artefacts became grander and rarer, yet the heavy feeling inside her heart intensified. She felt like her heart was rapidly expanding without slowing, threatening to burst into an ocean of frustration.
As her heart was about to burst open, Iris found herself standing in front of a delicate altar, where a pile of glowing crystals rested. They were fragile, merely giving off a faint aura, incomparable to everything within the grand imperial treasure.
To others, they were worthless, but to Iris, they were the most precious thing she could ever wish for. They were the source of hope, redemption, repentance, acceptance.
"I know it," Iris murmured, her eyes teary. "It's here after all."
Smiling, she gradually reached out to the alter, like a lover reaching out to her long-lost sweetheart.
Taverius· Oct 10, 2021
