The next day, Lefiya came to the home to meet with Cirrus about the situation with Filvis's body.

"So, are you going to help her soon?" Lefiya asked in Cirrus’ office.

"Yes. It has been put off long enough. Dionysus has been working on it, right?" Cirrus said going over documents.

"He has done so with diligence, but he needs your help to progress further."

"I see. Alright, tell him I’ll come by later today."

Much like what Cirrus had said, he went back to help Filvis get her body back.

 

He spent three months helping when he wasn’t taking care of the kids.

"Hm♪ Hm♪ Hm♪" Cirrus was humming a nice tune.

"You are in a good mood," Filvis said.

"Ah well, my kids said their first words!" He said, beaming rays of sunshine.

"What did she say?" Dionysus said, mixing some fluids.

"Well, Hakushika said his name! Well, the first part anyway. And Callisto said, Dad!"

"I’m not surprised," Lefiya said, helping around. "She is really attached to you. I’m positive she would be learning to walk just to follow you."

"… Alright well, uh, when that time comes, I would be coming here a bit late." Cirrus was both looking forward to and not looking forward to those days when she could walk.

Now that he understood what it was like to have a child, he couldn’t let Dionysus fail his only one.

But after a total of four months, they had finished what they set out to do.

"Ooh… So this… This is the end? Huh?" Lefiya said, looking at a floating cloned body of Filvis in a tube.

The body looked identical to Filvis’ before she was turned. There were also some other things about which Lefiya was not informed, including Filvis’ pleas.

"Yup. After 24 failed attempts, this one here." Cirrus taps the glass. "Is the best one so far."

"We ran it through all the tests, and the body has every feature a person has," Dionysus said. "A cut will heal over time. If it's too hot, the body will sweat, too cold, it’ll shiver. Stayed too long on the water, and the skin will prune. Everything. We ran it through every possible thing, and it is perfected."

"Yeah, we even have to ask Ouranos if Lord Dionysus could use his Arcanum for a bit to accelerate the growth of the body to ensure nothing goes wrong."

"It's really odd seeing an elf turn old before our eyes. But at last, we have done it! A perfected Homunculus!" He raised his hands in celebration. He walked over to a table. "Knock on wood. Knock-knock."

"Um... Lord Dionysus? Mr. Zephyr, where is Filvis?" Lefiya asked, looking around.

"Right here."

Lefiya turned to see Filvis naked, with various patterns and ink on her body.

"W-why are you naked!?" Lefiya quickly turned her gaze away.

"It is for the ritual. Isn’t that right, Lady Freya?" Filvis said, turning her head.

Coming up next to Filvis was Freya, with ink on her fingers.

"Yes. It will help with the soul." She looked at the tube and smiled. "It’s wonderful to have even made this. Cirrus, Dionysus, you will hold your end of the bargain, yes?"

"Of course, Freya," Dionysus said.

"It might take a while, probably years, but it will be done," Cirrus said, getting into position. "I assure you of that, Freya, you will get your reward."

"Fufu! Thank you both so very much! And to you as well, Filvis, for being the one to bring about this moment. Now lay on the ground. I will make the magic foundation and formation. Ouranos! If I may!"

"Permission Granted."

They could see a rainbow color emanating from Freya. It slowly turned silver, then black was mixed in. Had it not been for the special room Cirrus and Dionysus built, the gods would not have known that a deity was using their arcanum.

Her silver eyes glowed brightly as a magic circle formed in the room around Filvis and the body.

"Are you ready, Child of Wine?" Freya said, gazing at her intently.

"I am," she said, lying down on the cold ground.

"Very good. Thousand Elf: I suggest stepping away. This is going to be very intense."

Lefiya does that, and she watched from the sidelines.

 

Lefiya watched it all go down.

"Cirrus gives the body the spark of sentience," Freya said.

"On it. (Sing)!!" He placed his hands on a spherical device that powered up the device in the center, and more lights began to fill the laboratory.

Then a bolt of electricity struck Filvis’ clone body.

Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep!

"We have a heartbeat!!" shouted Dionysus.

"Child, brace yourself," Freya said as she waved and weaved her arms.

The magic circle and foundation began to spin and change. Eventually, even the patterns on Filvis’ body glowed.

"Gr!!" Filvis's body shook. "Gaah!!?!?"

Filvis could feel her soul being ripped out.

"Filvis!?" Lefiya shouted.

"She is fine, child," Freya said. "Grit those teeth!! Pain is worth regaining your pride. Hmm!!!!"

Freya kept going, and after about a minute or so of torturous pain, Freya walked up to Filvis, who was convulsing.

"Just one last feeling of pain, child." Freya reeled back her arm as the gloves turned to ash from her power. She then thrusts her hand into Filvis. "Hah!!!"

Shunk!!

"!" It was a foreign and new pain. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The pain was more than enough to faint, but her body was strong. She could feel Freya grabbing hold of her soul, her gentle yet tight grip. She then pulled.

"GASP!!!"

It was as if she pulled the air from her lungs and veins. The warmth quickly left her head and spread from her toes to the center of her body, leaving her cold. She no longer felt pain; it evaporated as Freya slowly pulled from her body a purple and white amorphous substance.

"T-that’s her soul!?" Lefiya said, surprised.

"Yes. It doesn’t have a shape now that its vessel is removed." She holds it with both hands and walks to the tube. "Now, Child of Wine, who was stripped of her agency, regain it and walk a new path!!!" she shouts as she puts the soul into the tube and carefully puts it into Filvis’ new body.

"One last jolt!! (Sing)!"

A current goes through Filvis’ new body, and her eyes shoot open.

Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep!

Bubble!!!

She was gasping for air.

"Don’t worry!!" Dionysus shouted as he pressed a button and pulled a lever.

The special fluid he made sank below as the tube began to drain itself into the ground.

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!" Filvis breathes heavily, trying to get her breath back. "Ahh~" She could feel her body begin to feel more alive and warm. Her heart was pumping; the air in her lungs was taking in the oxygen, her brain was firing off neurons. She was alive. She clenched her fists and roared. "UUUUURRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! I AM ALIVE AGAIN!!!!" She was smiling from ear to ear.

"Filvis!!" Lefiya quickly rushed to her.

"Lefiya!!"

They both hold one another dearly.

"Are you fine!? Anything wrong!?" Lefiya said, worried, checking to see if she was healthy.

"I am fine, I think?"

"No, wait your eye!? One of your eyes is green!?"

"Yes, they are what I wanted."

"W-what do you mean?"

"She means she wishes to honor the god who knelt and bowed his head to give her back that which was forcibly taken," Cirrus said, taking notes. "So, any weird feelings?"

"Anything off?" Dionysus said, observing her.

"Nothing off with your soul?" Freya said, returning to normal.

"I am fine. My body and soul are all—!?" She tried to get up, but she was weak in the knees. "I can’t pick myself up?"

"Ah, I guess you will need some physical therapy. Your muscles aren’t as developed yet." Cirrus said.

"Well, now that this is done. Cirrus, when do you think you will fulfill our promise?" Freya said.

"A while. Besides, you still haven’t progressed enough for us to even work on it."

"… That is true. Very well. I’ll get you the material, eventually."

"Gross." Both Cirrus and Dionysus said.

"U-um, could I get some clothes?" Filvis said.

"Here." Cirrus holds out his hand. "(Theïká Panoplía: Ceryneian)."

The armor had some changes to it, for one, the horns were much like those of a Sambar deer, and the attire had more gold trims to it.

"Thank you. Lefiya, could you help me?"

"Of course."

The two get up and head to the other room.

"Well, today has been a long day," Cirrus said, stretching. "I’ll be going. Freya, we will get to work on the possibility of a child being made in a few months. I am sure you would rather spend your time with your Odr, and Dionysus wished to help Filvis get back on her feet."

"That’s fine by me."

"I as well," said Dionysus. "Know that our research has been fruitful."

"Yes, you made a healthy clone, but what I want is—"

"I mixed some of my vessel’s blood in with her."

"Yeah, she is kinda like me, but even less of a god; she is like what?" Cirrus looked to Dionysus.

"She is about 5 to 10% god. I am surprised she doesn’t have any genetic defects."

"Well, so long as she is regularly checked, she should live a healthy life."

"Hmm. Tell me, Cirrus." Freya glanced at him. "Do you think it was as much of a success as it was due to your exploit with the Divine Flame?"

"That could also be a factor. My magic has gotten—(Sing)." A quick split-second formation of his magic circle, and in his hand a ball of white electricity formed, crackling. "More unique."

"Ooh~," Freya smiles ear to ear. "Then my faith is rightfully placed. Fate has brought about this fortune!"

Hearing her, Cirrus felt a bit manipulated.

‘Fate… God dammit.’