The red-haired girl closed her eyes, and Elizabeth’s hold against her hand turned into a vice. Rossali a pang of panic followed by shame. Her back was covered in cold sweat, and as soon as her emotions had gotten under trol, she felt Elizabeth tremble. The blonde girl pretended she hadn’t noticed it, but Rossaline knew better.

  Her dumb and i girlfriend had felt ashamed and guilty.

  Rossaline silently took the hand Elizabeth wao worm away from her and grabbed it with both hands. “It will be okay, Eli–Eli, both Ren-Ren and myself are strong. We will get over this without anything happening.” She would not let go of the hand and instead hugged it against her chest. “ you hear this? This stant and steady heartbeat? It is proof that I have full fiden our Ren-Ren. you trust her too?”

  It was also her own circumvention way of proving to Elizabeth that she didn’t fear her, not really. She would never feel scious fear toward the blonde girl.

  Who could?

  She was adorably silly. Her antics didn’t seem like those of a grown-up teeurning woman. They were those of a stupid girl who didn’t know better and was instead walking into the world at rge—a dumb girl who could only see the brightest in those around her…

  They were those of a girl who knew nothing of the real world, someone who had grown up in isotion from it and was only exposed to very specific parts…

  And she loved every part of her.

  Of course, Rossaline khat Elizabeth was more brilliant tha on, more intelligent than Elizabeth realized she was. Elizabeth was a [Genius], she liked to say or even think that she wasn’t. She acted as if she wasn’t sometimes too!

  But it was ridiculous. It took Rossaline, someone who people liked to say rodigy, almost ten years of one-o to master magic to the degree she felt fident showing it to others.

  It took her almost ten years to achieve such mastery that she felt fident enough to take the number one spot in the MPI. And Elizabeth eclipsed her, in a year.

  Nay…Less than that.

  Elizabeth took to [Mana Manipution] as if it was breathing, something natural. Something that [Everyone should know how to do] as she liked to say. And this silly girl thought of herself as [Average]?

  It robably her parents' fault, those who raised her, and those she grew around. She grew up expeg others to say she couldn’t fail, so she thought she robably normal or below average. She pared her magic to that of [Catheriarlight], the literal [Mother of Magic].

  She pared her intelligeh those that stood at the peak, and granted, from what Rossaline had learned about [Catherine], she didn’t act like the mastermind she truly was… No, she acted…much like Elizabeth.

  A [Silly blonde girl]... Instead of the [Mohat she was, Rossaline didn’t hate the woman, if anything she was grateful to her. She had take remaining bits that Akira had left withihe st remnants of her past. The st remaining parts of Michelle Campbell, the girl who couldn't do anything to ge her situation. Rossaline didn't lost anything, and earned much. It was that iion that settled her future, if she was to be worthy of being with Elizabeth she o be [More].

  More powerful, more worthy, more dedicated, more vicious, more ruthless... both with herself and with other people. She couldn't hope to be worthy just because because she had a good body and a cute fao. She o be ruthless with those that stood in her way, she o be ready to be merciless to herself too. It recisely this mentality what allowed her to grind parts of her crumbling [Soul] to drip-feed Elizabeth while she was in a a.

  It was this mentality what allowed her to kill even those that people knew she hated, even if this put her at risk. She found it hirious, people actually ing to ask her if she knew what had happened with the people that had wronged Elizabeth while she was in a a.

  How they judged her, how they bmed her, how family and friends of her [Victim] came to judge her. The same people that did nothing nored how their [I Family member] had attempted to abuse Her Elizabeth, how that was okay.

  But she [Fying him alive and leaving him a husk of his former self] was wrong?

  The hubris of humans was ridiculous sometimes.

  And when they came with w enfort? A single call was enough to ruin their attempts. She only o promise a friend of her family priority with some of her [Healing], and all the allegations vanished in the wind. She moved from a [Hideous criminal] to an [I girl taking care of her sick friend], the optics shifted so much that it wasn't even funny. People who scolded aed her turned into staunch supporters.

  Rossalied all of it.

  They couldn't pare to Elizabeth.

  They couldn't even pare to Rena.

  Those who saw the darkest parts of this cursed [World] and even so, they strived for better. Elizabeth had been abandoned by her [Parents], by [The World]... She was even abandoned by those who should have been with her.

  Rossaline wouldn't have minded if Elizabeth had killed her after waking up; Rossaline knew she had more than earned such penance. But what did Elizabeth do?

  She fave her.

  She fave her parents.

  And while she wasn't sure, she could guess that she had chosen tive [The World].

  At the very least, she had decided to give a sed ce to Rena, one who had pointed her sword at her filled with [Hate], instead of refusing to help her. Elizabeth decided to extend her hand to the red-haired girl, and when the girl decided to give her [Love], Elizabeth didn't use this ce to twist the girl into a [Sve].

  Rossaline wouldn't have mihat, aher would Rena. But instead, what did Elizabeth do?

  She tried to steer the blossomiionship into something else, into [Love]. Elizabeth didn't want [Servitude]; she wanted...[Family].

  Something Rossaline didn't uand before, something Rena didn't know. And now?

  Now, when they had advanced so much, when they had grown so much. After Elizabeth had grahem yet another ce to grow in power beyond what they would have before?

  gratutions!

  You have achieved the middle point in your travels. You have achieved something only those worthy of their power, only those who have succeeded in their path to power and glory, achieve!

  Stand proud [Hero], for you have arrived at a point in whiight will surpass that of your peers!

  Make your stand among this [World]’s mightiest!

  Now that they had arrived at this point?

  Elizabeth had wao go first, of course she did. Even though their previous job ge had almost killed one of them. She had wao risk herself, again.

  At least they mao vince her about the order. Rena, the one who had the most ces to suffer, the oh the most resilient body, would go first. This way if somethi wrong... Rossaline could help fix it.

  Even if nothi wrong in the end, Rena's job ge ended with nothing giernally. As far as Rossaline could tell from her diagnosis spells, the red-haired [Soul] had moved more towards stability. Unlike before, when her [Soul] was barely hanging by thanks to Elizabeth's [Soul Link]. Now, she felt more solid.

  "Everything okay there Ren-Ren?" Rossaline asked as the red-haired girl opened her eyes. For a sed, the girl's red eyes seemed to have an azure hue.

  Rossaline couldn't help but smile at that. Elizabeth's color looked good in the red-haired girl.

  "Yes, I am happy with the choices that I got." Rena smiled shyly. "I...didn't pick the most effit ohis one will probably not give me much power. I hope that's okay?"

  Elizabeth looked at her and silently hugged the red-haired girl.

  "I'm happy as long as you are okay," Elizabeth's voice was trembling, Rossaline didn't o see her to know the girl robably g, "And yes, you pick whatever you want. If you want to throw away the swords and pick up a [Seamstress] Job you too."

  Rossaline could only smile at that, she felt fuzzy at the image of Her Elizabeth hugging Rena. What before would send her mind into pnning how to skin alive someone, now it only made her happy. Such a weird ge.

  "Okay then. So it's my turn now." Rossaline said, sitting on the floor. "If something goes wrong, just send some mana into these artifacts."

  Rossaline had prepared plenty of those, mostly desigo cast her [Magi case she was too panicked or wouhey were all inally desigo work only with Elizabeth in mind.

  Nowadays, she o increase the rao include Rena, so they ended up being allowed to work with everyone who held a [Link] to Elizabeth. This meant that they would work with her, too.

  "Are you sure Rossie?" Of course, Elizabeth didn't wao risk herself.

  Both of them khat it was Rossalihe o more risk of the three, not Rena whose soul was crumbling. Not Elizabeth who had a [Soul] that was barely [Human].

  No.

  It was Rossaline Singh, the one who had mutited her [Soul] herself, but everything would be okay.

  "Yes Eli-Eli, I am sure." Rossaline had plete faith in that everything would be okay. Why? "Everything will be fine because your [Love] will ensure I am okay."

  And that wasn't mere empty words. Rossaline khat as long as her Goddess was there, she would be able to return. Elizabeth had granted her [Soul] stability, and now she had made sure [Her Body] erfect match. So, really, nothing could g.

  A [Body] made to match her [Soul]? What else did she need? Now that her [Vessel] erfect [Match] and plimented her [Soul], everything would be okay. So, with that in mind, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into the [Soulscape].

  Such a wonderful pce, the evidence of her [Love] with Elizabeth. What had started as merely a refle of her [Soul] had bee so much more...

  But as soon as she opened her eyes within their shared apartment... She noticed that her [Jobs] weren't popping up, instead she got the feeling that there was more.

  So following that feeling she found aor within one of the walls, opening the doors and peeking inside one of the buttons said [Job ge], so thinking th is was another of Elizabeth's weird quirks Rossaline walked in and puhe button.

  Soon enough the elevator started going down, Rossaline didn't feel panic or anything at all really, if anything she wondered how much they would go down. For the image of the [Shadow Haven] was getting farther and farther away.

  The journey ended in an open underground space filled with multiple crystal pilrs holding the ceiling in pce. Rossaline found the elevator door opening into what seemed to be a fy study with a bed.

  "...sis...she is here...say something to her." Within this space, Rossaline found a bck-haired girl with green eyes. Behind this bck-haired girl, anirl was trying to hide from Rossaline.

  "You don't get it, Alice. You are fine because you don't look that much like Elizabeth, but I am exactly like her! Do you know what that psycho would do with a spare Elizabeth?!?!?!?" Behind the bck-haired girl was a blonde.

  Some people would think it was another Elizabeth. But to Rossaline?

  "I don't like fakes." She couldn't be more different. The body was the same, the face too, the makeup, even the way their hair was set up. Everything erfect copy. "You couldn't be more different."

  But to Rossaline?

  This wasn't Elizabeth; if anything, it felt like a cruel mockery of her wishes when she wao wake up Elizabeth. How she had gone about trying to twist random blondes into looking like Elizabeth was a reminder of her [Sins].

  "See? She is his isn't like you, sis." Alice said, sighing, "Well, I might as well get this over."

  "What is this pce? Why are you here? Didn't Elizabeth kill you both?" Rossaline asked, looking around, "Is that...?"

  When looking around, she found another crystal tower near hers. This one seemed to be a more reddish color, and inside, she could see what seemed to be a training room with some swords.

  "Oh, that? That's Rena turret. We just finished w there, so we came to this one wheiced it was lighting up." Aliswered, still trying to get the bloo stop hiding behind her.

  "Here, pie or something. So you leave." However, The blonde refused to budge and tio g to the bck-haired girl.

  Rossaline didn't have time to refute or say anything as a blue s maed in front of her, the job ge options.

  Avaible Jobs:

  High Cleric

  High Priest

  Druid

  Alchemist

  Shaman

  White Mage

  Medic

  Oracle

  Sage

  Mystic

  Astrologer

  Spirit Mage

  Animist

  High Acolyte

  Blood Mage

  Soul Mage

  Psychic Healer

  Fey Healer

  Shadow Healer

  Soul Healer

  Voodoo Priestess

  Neancer

  Soul Weaver

  Divine Cleric

  Are Healer

  Array Healer

  Assassin

  Stalker

  Reaver

  Soul Reaver

  Blood Reaver

  Blood Soul

  Psycho

  "Iing. Why do you have this power over me?" Rossaline asked as she reviewed the options. She had imagi would be something like this.

  Even if none called, especially to her, she wanted something more inal. Something in lih what Rena had selected.

  "We are w as managers for Elizabeth's Domain." Aliswered while sighing, "We allow or hinder some aspects of [The World] when it es to you and Rena, Elizabeth of course doesn't want to limit you in any way whatsoever, but..."

  "We still o make sure nothing nasty goes from [The World] into you, si would in turn, i Elizabeth's Domain." The blonde girl said, "...please don't gre at me. I have some of Elizabeth's memories without the pink gsses... I know what you did."

  ....Oh.

  "Right...that would be the normal rea." Rossaline would love to say that she hadn't been affected, but...it hurt.

  To see someone who looked like Elizabeth fear her like this. Even if Rossaline k wasn't Elizabeth. This was one of her [Echoes], the ohat was her [Elemental Weaver] shift.

  "How?" Rossaline asked in a trembling voice, "How do I look to you?"

  Rossaline didn't know why she had asked that, she didn't want to know. She shouldn't want to know, knowing would hurt her. She had gotten past her hideous insecurities, she didn't hem. She was growing past them! She was getting real [Emotions]!

  She had learo [Love] someone besides Elizabeth, she had learned how to [Share] her Elizabeth!

  "Sis?" Alice turo look at the girl behind her.

  "Ugh...fine." Chloe sighed and walked from behind Alice, she stood in front of Rossaline.

  Rossaline could [feel] her emotions, the [Fear] from the girl. And the absence of [Love].

  "I hated it, the fact that you slowly maniputed Elizabeth into liking you. Feeding her just the right amount of care, how you took advantage of someone who didn't know better. How you twisted an i girl into...well, what she is now." Chloe spoke without restraint, "But... Elizabeth is also at fault, she noticed it you know? She decided to ig because she liked the feeling of unditional love, it pleased her [Ego], it boosted her fidence...And she didn't want to push you away, someone who she could trust."

  Each word hurt Rossaline more than the previous.

  "Sis..." Alice, at the side, tried to move forward, but Chloe's single gesture stopped her.

  "And then there is...whatever this is," Chloe spoke, moving her hand towards Rossaline's face. Rossalihought she would sp her, punch her, or something. Instead, she only felt a soft caress around her cheek, "Tears...we are in the realm of the Soul. You fake these here. So what, You truly feel sad? What a joke."

  "Sis...that's enough," Alice spoke again, this time with mravitas ione. "

  "...So, to answer your question, Rossaliarbright," Chloe spoke once more, "I don't hate you for what you did. I hate how you did it, but at the end of the day, it isn't me who should give an opinion about other people's retionships. If that toxic retionship you and Elizabeth wield around works for you, then gratutions. Just...please get therapy one of these days."

  Rossaline was surprised, she had thought that anirl with the same experiences as Elizabeth would straight up want to murder her. But...this Chloe only hated how she had do, not that she had do?

  "So...if I hadn't maniputed the circumstances..." Rossaline asked.

  "If you had gone ahead and asked Elizabeth to date or tried to win her without slowly boiling her like a crab. Then yeah, I wouldn't have as many problems as I do with you." Chloe nodded, "And I may be a lesbian too; as it stands, I would rather...not join yies if you don't mind it."

  "Okay...I live with that." Rossaline said, "Are you..."

  "YES I AM!" Chloe screamed while running behind Alice again, "Now pick a job aurn before Elizabeth gets more annoyed."

  Right, that's what she came for. "Are these all? I don't see...you know... one of those Bck S ones." Rossaline had expected those to show up; after all, she did have a Bck Status S, too.

  "Here, we worked hard to rush these out, so we don't have as many. But there." Chloe said, throwing a pair of bck ss at Rossaline from behind Alice.

  Job Evolution avaible:High Priestess of Healing

  Shadow Healer

  Shadow Padin

  Dragon Healer

  Apprentice Hierophant

  Ethereal Shadow

  These....didn’t feel like something that Elizabeth would give to her. They felt more normal than what her silly bimbo girlfriend would give.

  “Are you sure these e from Elizabeth?” Rossaline asked with narrowed her eyes.

  “You o uand that we tailored those to what we think could work with you and what you have.” Alice said, she seemed to be ready to expin each option but.

  “Here are the ones Elizabeth made subsciously while thinking and fantasying about you!” Chloe really wanted Rossalio go away.

  Job Evolutions Avaible for the hottest and sexiest girlfriend ever!-Healing Princess.

  -Magical Girl Girlfriend Healer.

  -Smoking hot healer.

  -Wish she healed me with her body.

  -Hot staff-wielding girlfriend.

  -Restor-or.

  -Job that proves that Rossie truly loves Elizabeth and isn't mind-trolled into liking her.

  -Job that serves as proof that Rossie doesn't mind Elizabeth also liking Rena.

  -Sexy Stalker.

  -Hot Psychopath girlfriend.

  -Remember to stick it in crazy...even if you don't have it.

  Yeah...these looked more like what her silly girlfriend would think, “Thank you.” Rossaline smiled as she read the [Jobs].

  No...as she read the jobs that her girlfriend imagined her having.

  “Now...whie should I pick...” Rossaline smiled as she read the silly hat each job had, and pared them with what [The World] and Elizabeth’s Domain had to offer for her.

  She now uood why Rena had apologized, the temptation to pie that promised not more power, but a closer retionship with Elizabeth was great. Good thing that Rossaline was strohan Rena in that aspect.

  She didn’t he guarantee of one of the silly jobs to feel closer to Elizabeth.

  “Yeah, I will pick this one.” Rossaline said as she felt the ge within her Soul take pce.

  She couldn’t wait to see what face Elizabeth and Rena would make when they saw her.