Chapter 24: Transcended Humanity

The apple was sweet and just tart enough, tasting better than any apple Elaine had ever eaten before in her life, and she savored it as the video file opened to show Professor Stollos sitting behind his desk, looking much more chipper than Elaine had ever seen him before.

“Congratulations, Elaine," he said and she startled. The Professor had never called anyone at the compound by their first name, with the exception of Jeanne and Rachel. Apparently Elaine now rated as more of a person than she did before. “You have broken the shackles of your humanity and thus you have become the first new Lacrima in decades. I cannot give you this briefing in person but I want to teach you a little about your new powers. While I am certain Typhon has already told you a bit about what you're capable of now, his perspective as a Soul Shard is skewed, so allow me to provide you with information he no doubt lacks.

“Both Heaven and Hell classify Lacrima as being of the same threat level as Arch Fiends and Cherubim but that isn't quite accurate. Even with the massive boost in power you've gained you aren't quite as strong as beings like Jeanne or Rachel... yet.

“You see, the first significant difference between you and them is that celestials have a more intimate relationship with their Soul Shards. They do not need to gain their approval the way you do because the Soul Shards are woven into their being much more deeply. This means it takes your kind a while to gain the same level of power they have from the start. The flip side of that coin is that you can grow even more powerful than them eventually.

“The second difference is that celestials do not have bodies. You may have noticed that both angels and demons are perfectly tangible but their bodies are just constructs. Angels and demons are, essentially, beings of pure spirit. The bodies they create are only shells for their true selves. You, on the other hand, were born as a physical being and will stay that way until you die. In practical terms this means that if a celestial dies they are reincarnated as a mortal, usually losing most or all of their memories. You, on the other hand, are technically still mortal. If you die, you will be transported to the afterlife, keeping most of your memories.

“Before I made peace with Heaven and Hell Lacrima were barred from entering either afterlife, forcing their souls to remain on this realm forever, which had the significant advantage of letting me keep clone bodies for them around to inhabit in case their mortal flesh perished.

“Once you return from your mission we can discuss if you would like for me to prepare a clone body or three for you. However, know that there is a downside to cloning, in that all clones suffer from albinism. I can save you from shuffling off the mortal coil but you'd lose your hair color and gain red eyes in the process. Also, I am not entirely sure how a cloned body would interact with your enhanced stats.

“Ah, in case you have ethical concerns about this practice, know that while cloning bodies is possible, one cannot clone a soul. Even a perfect clone would never be truly alive because there is only one way to create a soul, and that is through the union of two others. So cloned bodies would just be meat sacks waiting for a soul to inhabit them. This makes them utterly useless for most purposes but very useful indeed for bodiless Lacrima.”

Elaine was about to wonder aloud how Caulder could use cloned bodies for his cyborgs if that was the case, even knowing that Professor Stollos wouldn't be able to answer her in a prerecorded video but before she could open her mouth he paused and then said:

“Ah, in case you are wondering how our enemy is making clones work as cyborgs, I frankly do not know. I have my own hypotheses, the most prevalent of which being that their brains are augmented with cybernetics that hijack their nervous systems, making them move despite the lack of animus. But that is neither here nor there.”

He paused to take a sip of water before he continued.

“Now, the final and most notable difference between a Lacrima and a celestial is the matter of wings. Celestials, all celestials, can summon forth a single pair of wings whenever they wish. I believe you have seen Jeanne and Rachel do so in the past. Celestials are also capable of entering a Higher form, unleashing some of the power hidden inside them. This will, without fail, grant them wings. Arch Fiends like Rachel and Cherubim like Jeanne will actually gain two pairs of wings in their Higher form, an indication of their status. The Angel and Demon Lords gain three pairs of wings in their Higher forms.

“You, as a Lacrima, cannot summon a pair of wings at will. You can, however, access a Higher form, just like them. In this form you will gain some form of flight. You aren't a true celestial so you will never gain true wings. However you will gain some form of flight nevertheless. We call this ability 'pseudo-wings', given that it acts the same as a celestial's wings but without them truly being wings. How exactly your pseudo-wings will manifest is something you are going to have to find out for yourself. Some variants I have seen so far included wings made of blood and cloaks of shadow.

“However. A Lacrima's Higher form usually starts out incomplete and unable to summon pseudo-wings until they have gained the acceptance of their Soul Shard. I am possessed of a reasonable confidence that you will be able to gain Typhon's acceptance soon enough but you won't be able to count on unlocking your pseudo-wings during your first transformation.”

Elaine paused the video and then spoke into her mind: So, are you going to mess with me or will you give me those wings immediately?

The answer was accompanied by the impression of an eye roll: I already told you I approve of you. So long as you use your powers in accordance with my conditions you have my support. That includes your ability to fly.

Awesome, Elaine said and resumed watching the video. She had no idea how it would work but she'd already found that if Typhon told her something she could be certain that it was true. She didn't trust him, exactly, but he hadn't given her any reason to doubt him either and he had, so far at least, been honest with her in everything she could verify. It also helped that if she died so would this iteration of him and so he had more than a bit of interest in keeping her alive.

“The final thing I want to tell you is that accessing your Higher form is tiring. For a celestial it is freeing, but not for you. They call what you think of as their normal state their 'Sealed' form, as it locks away most of their powers inside a replica of a mortal shell. You, on the other hand, still have a normal body and draw the power from deep within. Until you have gotten used to handling this power, expect to pass out after using it to fight.
“Even without accessing your Higher form you are now significantly stronger than before but with it you will be a force of nature. Part of our assessment of you was to make sure we could trust you with that kind of power and we decided that we could. So please, Elaine, go out there and prove us right.
“I wish you the best of luck and hope to speak to you in person soon.”

**

Elaine dismissed the message and then looked up to see the adoring expressions on her team mates' faces.

“Good to be back," she said again.

“Glad to have you back," Alexis said. “So, what did the Professor have to say?”

“Basically I'm a one-woman-army now, apparently," Elaine said, clenching her fist and staring down at it, wondering if he'd been exaggerating. She didn't feel that much stronger. Sure there was a feeling of barely restrained power inside her but she was still far away from the world feeling like it was made out of cardboard. Or maybe it was just because she was sitting in a vehicle from Heaven alongside a team of supernaturally powerful people. She supposed she would find out once she saw her family again.

“Sorry to butt in but you'll want to see this," Abigail said from the driver's seat.

Elaine and Evelyn rushed over to see what she was talking about.

The refugee camp was already in sight, as was the road leading up to it and it was the army on that road that had caught Abigail's attention. A supply wagon had pulled in front of the army, rushing ahead. When it was about half a mile ahead of the bulk of the force four bulky cyborgs jumped out of the vehicle, carrying loops of wire that they tossed onto the ground. As they tossed them they unspooled into perfect circles of wire, with arcane symbols along their insides. Moments later the cyborgs set up something that looked a bit like a generator and then connected cables to strange modules attached to the wire circles.

“What are they doing?" Elaine asked. “Those look like summoning circles, but wrong somehow.”

“Let me," Evelyn said and used her Akashic Knowledge skill on it. She began reading for a moment before she said: “Oh fuck.”

Before anyone could ask for clarification it became clear what the circles had been meant for. One of the cyborgs flipped a lever and the circles flared to life. They shimmered with strange energy for a moment and then wendigo simply appeared inside the wire circles, rushing out of them and hauling ass towards the refugee camp. When there were two dozen of them the wire circles fizzed out, leaving nothing but charred and blackened wires behind.

“Skirmishers," Elaine hissed.

“What should we do?" Abigail asked. “As fast as these things are they'll reach the camp before I'm done landing this thing.”

Elaine took a deep breath and spoke into herself once again.

What do you think, can we take them?

Typhon gave her a snort. They should make for a nice warm-up.

Elaine smiled.

“Alright, I'm heading out," she said.

“You're what?" Evelyn asked.

“I want to test out my abilities," Elaine said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“We're four hundred feet in the air," Abigail countered.

“Typhon assures me it won't be a problem," she said.

“We should let her," Cassie said, surprising everyone. “She's probably dying to see just how strong she's gotten.”

“Yeah, but wendigo are scary fast," Abigail said, having seen first-hand just how crazy quick they are.

“I'll be fine," Elaine said. “Just... wait for me before you enter the camp, okay?”

Alexis sighed. “Alright, but if something happens to you we'll be really angry, got it?”

“Yeah," Elaine said, then stepped over to the side door of the Gospel. “By the way, who dressed me?”

“Alexis and Ophelia," Cassie said. “Why? Did they put your panties on backwards?”

Elaine snorted. “I don't wear panties, you should know that. No, everything's just right, that's why I'm asking.”

“Well, we have gotten you out of your clothes quite a few times already, so it's only natural," Ophelia said.

“You're all impossible," Abigail said but she was desperately holding back a chuckle as she did. “Good luck, Elaine.”

“Thanks," Elaine said and then reached deep inside herself, for that well of power she'd been feeling ever since she'd woken up.

To her surprise the moment she did a prompt flashed up before her eyes.

She hit Yes and power exploded outward from her at once.

**

Alexis couldn't take eyes off of Elaine as she shifted forms. The signs weren't as dramatic as when she'd initially transformed. Her entire body wasn't glowing like a neon tube this time. Instead her armor was shimmering and shifting and her hair was growing out, getting longer and longer until it hung down to her bellybutton. The armor meanwhile seemed to rearrange itself, reshaping until it looked more bestial. When the glow died down it looked like it was made from glass or crystal, light blue on her limbs and gradually darkening to an almost black turquoise towards her torso. The hexagonal scales of the armor still stood out prominently but now they looked crystalline and sharp, with jagged crystal growths sprouting from Elaine's knuckles and elbows.

When Elaine opened her eyes again they were the same stormy blue-gray they'd always been but with a depth that didn't belong in human eyes. The longer hair had acquired multiple small braids that gave her previously unruly hair an almost regal appearance. Most of all though, her presence had shifted. Alexis found it difficult to breathe in this new Elaine's presence and, unlike before, it wasn't just because of her beauty.

The woman in front of Alexis was still recognizably Elaine but this Elaine felt like a goddess by comparison.

**

Elaine had gone skydiving once before. She'd been on a date with a sporty girl and the girl had suggested it, saying it might be fun. The girl had almost chickened out and had vomited once she'd been back on the ground but Elaine had loved it. She'd never forgotten the thrill, the feeling of falling, the fierce wind and the thrill of seeing the ground coming ever closer.

And now she was feeling it again. Except this time Elaine didn't have a parachute strapped to her back. She was the parachute.

As she fell she left a part of her mind to the task of enjoying the thrill of the fall while the rest of her was busy using the Winds gathered by those emotions, to weave them into a working of earth and wind, casting her crystal magic.

Typhon had shown her a lot. She'd only been out a few hours but it turned out that being able to communicate at the speed of thought meant she could get rather a lot done inside that mental world. He'd shown her how to refine her technique, making her spells less wasteful and more efficient, and not only was her technique significantly better now, she was also a much more powerful mage than she'd been just hours ago. Her capacity to work with the Winds of Magic had been enhanced significantly by the Oath of Crystal Tears and then yet again by an order of magnitude when she'd entered her Higher Form. And now she drew on all of that to summon what was hers, her pseudo-wings.

A dozen crystal swords formed in an instant, floating behind her back in a formation, taking the rough shape of wings, six on either side, fanned out like pinions. There was no logical way that these would be able to act as wings. They were, after all, made of incredibly dense rock. And yet Typhon had assured her that they would be able to lift her if she beat them. Not only that but they would keep her from splattering on the ground. Although with this new body, in this form, wearing this armor, Elaine was certain the ground would shatter long before she would.

Even more, she was still able to use the swords as she did her normal crystal blades, wielding them as weapons and projectiles. But controlling a dozen blades was far from what she was capable of now.

She was on a crash course with the two dozen wendigo charging at the refugee camp and after taking a fraction of a second to analyze the speed they were going at she summoned blades underneath the asphalt, not where the wendigo were but where they would be once she hit the ground.

Then she summoned another half dozen blades around herself, calculated trajectories for a moment, and then sent them out.

A breath before Elaine hit the interstate the blades hit home, skewering four of the wendigo right through the cankers. And then Elaine's crystal wings beat once, blowing out a plume of dust that obscured her as she daintily touched down on the ground, light as a feather.

The moment both of her feet were on the ground she balled a fist and raised it up, causing the crystal blades she'd hidden underground to shoot upward, impaling another three wendigo and shredding the feet of two others. She'd arranged the blades in a rough half circle so while only a few of them were hit, the rest were still hemmed in, stuck between the wall of blades and Elaine herself.

Half a dozen of them blurred at her all at once. A human would have been overwhelmed instantly, a human mind unable to keep up with a single wendigo, let alone six. Elaine, instead, reached through the tangle of razor-sharp claws and grabbed one of them by the face, then yanked it towards her so it ended up getting shredded by the claws of its mates. When the body no longer gave any resistance she let go of it and ducked forward into a shoulder check that was enhanced by the six crystal blades over her shoulder that tore into the incoming cluster of monsters even as Elaine crouched low to avoid their claws. Despite her best efforts two of their claws struck her armor but Elaine felt no more than a dull ache before she heard a series of cracks that definitely came from their bones rather than her crystal armor.

When she raised herself up again five of the six that had rushed her were sliced to ribbons, with one of them only cradling a broken claw. It stared at her, then let out a shriek before attempting to rush backwards.

Even if the wall of blades hadn't been there it would have been futile as the next wave of wendigo rushed her, trampling their companion in their haste to get at her. She couldn't even tell anymore if they had no sense of self-preservation or if they did and were fighting like cornered rats because of it

Either way, not too long ago these things would have been daunting to face, especially in these numbers. Now though, as Typhon had said, they were a decent warm-up at best.

**

Evelyn's breath had caught when Elaine had gone hurtling towards the group of monsters, her girlfriend dropping towards the ground at a velocity somewhere between breakneck and 'smear on the ground'. But then she'd summoned forth wings of brilliant crystal swords, looking like a crystalline avenging angel, and had touched down to wreak havoc among those abhorrent beasts, carving through them almost effortlessly. It was a stark reminder of what had happened. Her girlfriend hadn't just survived the ritual. She'd become something far more than human in the process.

The thought should have scared Evelyn but somehow it didn't. The knowledge that Elaine was now as breathtakingly powerful as she was gorgeous only excited Evelyn further. Knowing the kind of destruction this woman could deliver somehow made the gentle cruelty she gave Evelyn during their moments of intimacy even more exciting.

She definitely needed to get some private time with Elaine when this was all over.

ChrisLensman

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