< System Space, Operating Table >
" Curious, very curious, indeed. " Circe says as she checks it using her Magic.
" Do you find anything? " Twelve asks Circe about this as he sees Battle Maiden.
" Awakened with other person's memories, a very strange kind of 'Awakening' indeed. " Circe says while scanning the Maiden.
" It is a thing that never happened on any beings' awakening, beings outside the Diviners and Deviants. "
" To think one would be awakened in another person's body instead of her own in the Next Timeline... "
" Pseudo Awakening, to be exact. "
" Pseudo Awakening? " Twelve asks as suddenly the other Ragnas come in.
" What happened!? " Hundred asks Twelve quickly shares his vision of what happened.
" What, that's impossible!? " 69 shouts in disbelief.
" Awakened in another person's body! "
" Carla!? " 69 asks as he approaches Battle Maiden's body.
" That's new... " Ragna (Current) says as he sees Battle Maiden.
" I believe this never happened before, in the Previous Timeline. " Ragna asks.
" Nay. " the three Ragnas replied at the same time.
" We've never seen anything like this before. " Twelve says as he puts his hand on Battle Maiden's forehead.
" Carla... " Twelve says as his grandfather's instinct comes in.
" Wait, Twelve... " Circe calls him.
" Don't forget that is another woman's body, one which is unrelated to you in any way. " Circe says to Twelve.
" If so... " Twelve says as he remembers the recent thing where Battle Maiden acts precisely like Carla, even somehow emanating the same Presence which Twelve caught for a glimpse.
" If so, how the hell does the Maiden somehow have some features of energy that my granddaughter had back in my Timeline!? "
" If that's the case, then... "
" Here's why. " Circe says as he uses the Aether to pick up Battle Maiden's Core that contains her Soul.
Using the Aether, Circe carefully brings out the Maiden's soul, showing it to Twelve and the others.
" You Ragnas see this? " Circe asks.
< (!) Message (!) >
< " Battle Maiden's Soul is taken out. " >
< " It must returned back into the Gift Core for three hours before the Universal Reboot Device or other Divine Devices claim it. " >
" What? " Ragna asks as he sees this.
" What do you mean by this? " Ragna asks the System.
" Another feature of the Gift Cores," Circe answered.
" During the Second Holy War, before the Universal Reboot Device is created as well as the Timelines after it. "
" The Diviners made the Gift Cores for humans, as they put it to cage their Soul within it. "
" Not only to give the humans' souls their powers but also to shield them. "
" To shield it from being randomly claimed, by the 'Universal Reboot Device' or other Devices that the Diviners Made fueled by the Souls, uncovered and unprotected by the Gift Core's very layers. "
" After all, as they had the Gift Cores, it means their souls were protected, unlike those who were. "
" 'Ungifted'... " Ragna says to Circe.
" Yes, they're the ones in trouble in this world. "
" Those who were Ungifted will have their Souls vulnerable, easily taken from them by the Device's Systems. "
" The 'Soul Harvesting' that's what it was called. " Circe says.
" By Harvesting the Souls of those who were not protected by the Gift Cores, the Universal Reboot Device will refuel its power to perform the Reboot. "
" Speaking of that, I'm still far from knowing the full details to know more, I must find the 'Universal Reboot Device' first and look what's inside. "
" Regarding this matter, about the Maiden's Soul. " Circe says as she then uses the Aether, to try and separate some sort of part of Battle Maiden's Soul Essence.
" I think I know why 'Carla' is inside her. " Circe says as she separates it.
" This is a fragment of her Soul Essence. " Circe says which made all the Ragnas except Ragna Current.
" Impossible, that is her Soul! " Twelve says as he remembers the Maiden received it from Athena.
" How could Athena have it then? If she could give a fragment of it to the Maiden, then... "
" What do you say, Twelve? " 69 asks which Twelve shares his vision again, with all of the people present.
" What the-!? " Hundred shouts as he sees it.
" Preposterous, how!? "
" How could Athena have the fragments of Carla's Soul, how- "
" Interesting... " Circe says after seeing it.
" So they kept the Divine Hero's Soul Fragments within them for Timelines, interesting... " Circe says.
" Who do you mean? " Ragna asks.
" The Diviners, the gods, of course! " Circe tells him.
" If I remember correctly, your 'granddaughter' Carla is a Divine Hero who served all the gods who ruled the earth, for Many Timelines. "
" I already knew that, Circe. " Ragna tells her.
" The question I'm gonna say is- "
" 'How' could they have her Soul or perhaps only some fragments of it? "
" An interesting question, which answer I could immediately speculate. "
" Speculate? " all the Ragnas asks her.
" Oh yes, judging from the Subject herself, I could only speculate one thing. "
" That is? " all the Ragnas ask again.
" The 'Blood Vow' between humans and mortals... "
" The 'Blood Vow' any Divine Avatar would do before they became their gods' Avatar. " Circe tells which surprises Ragna Twelve, 69, and Hundred.
" Hmm? " Ragna sees them as his Previous Timeline Selves are having their thoughts as they hear it.
They suddenly remember the moment Carla became the gods' Divine Hero in their Timelines, which was becoming the gods' Divine Avatar first. They remembered the moment, Carla did make a vow, as she recited it in front of the gods and in public.
" I am sworn, to serve the gods, and purge the demons. "
" To let the gods have rights over my Soul and Body as I serve. "
" To let humanity have rights over my Strength and Might as I protect. "
" I am sworn, I recite this, to hold this eternal vow that transcends time, as I put my blood over this Grail of Holiness. " Carla vows, giving some of her blood inside the Grail, and offering it to the gods.
" Be proud of yourself, my child... "
" For now on this very day, you are now given this very honor to become one of the gods' avatars on earth, one of the chosen heroes with the responsibility to protect humanity. " Athena says to Carla at the time, along with the other gods present.
They all gave her the honor of becoming their Divine Avatars, giving access to all their powers to her after the vow, making them officially their Divine Hero in front of the public which Ragna, in every Timeline, witnessed it, at that very time.
" No... " all three Previous Timeline Ragnas says as they all remembered, they remembered the Keywords that might've made this happen.
" To let the 'gods' have 'rights' over my 'Soul' and 'Body' as I 'serve'. "
" 'Sworn' and 'recite', to hold this 'eternal vow' that 'transcends time' as I... "
" 'Put my blood' over this Grail... " The trio were shaken, they realized it.
" The Blood Vow...! "
" This happened, because of that... " They were all very heartbroken and saddened as they remembered this, immediately storming out of the place leaving both Ragna Current and Circe behind to look over Battle Maiden's body.
" Oh, I better put this back. " Circe says as she puts back the Soul into the Core and returns it inside the Maiden's body.
" To think you could just take the core by phasing through the flesh... " Ragna says after it all happened.
" The power of Soul, Magic, and Aether my dear~ " Circe flirts.
" By the way, I'm still intrigued by this 'Pseudo Awakening'. "
" So please, allow 'Carla's Soul Fragment to live inside the Maiden's Core alongside hers for a while. "
" I still want to see more of this. " Circe requests.
" Fine, let's do it that way. " Ragna responds.
" But please, if anything bad happens... "
" Don't worry, Ragna, I'll be prepared, fufufu~? " Circe says as Ragna leaves her with the Maiden alone, trying to follow where the other Ragnas went.
" Things are getting interesting. " Circe slurps as she sees the Battle Maiden in her comatose state.
" Right, my apprentice... "
" Carla..., fufufu~ "
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Extra:
This happened because of the Blood Vow.
Chapter 250: Motives Part 2, It's a reverse 'Blood Vow' since the contract is made by the god, Loki first to Uncle Andrew.
The real Blood Vow is sworn and recited by a human first like what happened here.
Since the Blood Vow is made between a human and the Divine, the divine gods had the benefit of holding the fragment of the human's soul as it exists, always being constant, and transcends the very reboot effect of the Universal Reboot, bringing the Soul Fragments with them to the next Timeline.