Weeks had passed, and Rei still hadn't left the archives. She had read every single book available, some even multiple times, in her desperate attempt to find a way to revert her body to its original form. She had practically memorized the contents of the archives, yet no matter how much she studied or experimented, there was still no solution. She remained stuck in this female form.
The others had seemingly given up on trying to coax her out of the archives. It had been days since anyone visited her. Not going to lie, Rei felt a bit lonely being by herself in this place. But she knew she had to continue her research, her experiments, and the relentless reading.
"*Hooo*" A sudden sound broke the silence, as a small owl landed gently on her shoulder.
"You're still here?" Rei asked, turning to glance at the owl beside her. Its round, curious eyes seemed to gaze back at her, as if silently saying, *'You're the one who created me, and yet you haven't given me a purpose.'*
This owl was one of Rei's creations, a result of her experimenting with her Astral powers. While she couldn't manage to create anything larger or more complex, the owl represented the current limits of her abilities. Even though she hadn't achieved the grand feats that Astrals were capable of—like creating powerful Primal Beasts—this owl was a Primal Beast in its own right.
However, this owl is just small and ordinary as an owl from her previous world. It didn't have any extraordinary abilities, nor did it possess the strength of other Primal Beasts. It was, for all intents and purposes, just a regular owl.
Still, it was proof that her time here wasn't entirely wasted. Through these experiments, Rei had begun to grasp some of the other powers that came with being Astral. But creating a true, powerful Primal Beast? That was still beyond her reach.
With a small sigh, Rei gently stroked the owl's feathers. "At least I figured this much out," she whispered, a faint smile on her lips. It wasn't the solution she was searching for, but it was something—a small victory amidst her endless frustration.
"Interesting creatures you have, Rei," came a sudden voice making Rei looked up and see Lucifer entering the room.
"Lucifer? What are you doing here?" Rei asked, surprised but also curious.
"I came here to discuss something with you," Lucifer replied, his gaze shifting to the owl perched on Rei's shoulder. "But I didn't expect you to have created creatures like this."
Lucifer's six wings gleamed softly in the dim light, catching the owl's attention. The owl blinked, its wide eyes locked onto Lucifer, as if intrigued by the sight of it.
Rei glanced at the owl, noticing its curiosity. "It's not much," she admitted, stroking its feathers lightly. "I've only managed to create something small like this. It's far from what I was hoping for."
Lucifer smiled, his expression gentle as he approached. "Even so, this is a remarkable feat. It shows that you can use your power properly. With time, you might even be able to create something far more powerful."
Rei let out a soft sigh. "That's what I've been hoping for, but I still can't figure out how to reverse what's happened to me."
Lucifer's expression grew more serious. "That's actually part of what I came to talk to you about."
"You need to take a break, Rei," Lucifer said, his tone firm but compassionate. "You've been doing this for almost a month without rest. The only reason you're still conscious is because your body is an Astral, and half Primarch at that."
"I don't have time for that," Rei responded, brushing off his concern. "More importantly, can you take me to Canaan? I'm sure there are more archives there that could help me. Also, that's where Lucilius' laboratory is."
Lucifer shook his head slowly. "I don't mind taking you, but you need to listen to your friends and take a break."
"Lucifer, this is more important than that!" Rei argued, standing up abruptly, causing the owl on her shoulder to fly toward Lucifer, settling on his.
"No, Rei. You're not continuing your research." Lucifer raised his right hand, gesturing toward Rei. Moments later, a glowing white magic circle appeared beneath her.
"What are you doing!?" Rei's voice was laced with surprise as she realized what was happening.
"I'm sending you to your friends," Lucifer replied with a calm smile. The magic circle beneath Rei began to shine brighter, and within moments, she vanished from the archives.
The room fell silent once more, the only sound a soft '*hoo*' from the owl now perched on Lucifer's shoulder.
Lucifer chuckled softly, stroking the owl's feathers. "I know. She's been working far too much… This really reminds me of my dear friend Lucilius."
He gazed thoughtfully at the empty room. "I hope she doesn't make the same mistakes he did."
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As the light surrounding Rei faded, she found herself standing in front of a vast ocean, with the sound of waves crashing and a gentle breeze blowing toward her. She looked around, trying to figure out where she was.
"Huh? The ocean...? Wait, is this Auguste?" she muttered.
After looking around more carefully, Rei became more certain that she was on the Auguste Isles—there was no other place with beaches and an ocean like this.
"You're finally here, Rei!" said a familiar voice, causing her to turn toward it.
"Lyria? No… you're not my Lyria. What are you doing here? What happened, and why was I suddenly sent here?" Rei asked, confused.
This Lyria smiled softly, letting out a small laugh. "Fufufu, I know I can't fool you~. But yes, I'm this world's Lyria, and the others are already waiting for you."
Lyria² then gently took Rei's hand, pulling her toward somewhere.
"Wha—!?" Rei was startled but had no choice but to follow Lyria² as she eagerly led the way.
They walked along the beautiful white sandy beach. Under the warm sunlight, their steps felt light, though Rei remained puzzled by the situation.
"Hehe, I heard they said you suddenly turned into a beautiful girl, but I didn't expect you to be *this* beautiful," Lyria² teased, letting out a small laugh while occasionally glancing back at Rei with admiration.
"You know? How did you know that?" Rei was visibly shocked that Lyria² knew about her body turning into a woman.
"You'll find out soon~," Lyria² said, teasingly avoiding the question.
They continued walking until they reached the end of the beach, where a line of shops stood. Rei saw a crowd of familiar faces waiting there, many of whom she recognized immediately.
"What!? Why are so many people here??" she exclaimed.
She spotted Lyria, Orchid, Sandalphon, Halluel, Malluel, Gran, Katalina, Io, and several others. "Heyyy, Rei, you finally made it!" Lyria waved at her, smiling brightly.
Lyria² continued pulling Rei until they both stood in front of the group. Rei looked at them, confused. "Why is everyone in swimsuits?" she asked, noticing that everyone except herself and Lyria² was dressed for the beach.
"Such a silly question, of course, we're going swimming!" Katalina responded with a grin.
"Wha!? So sudden?" Rei blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, remember? You agreed to let me meet the others~," Lyria said joyfully.
"And because of that, we all agreed to come to this island to relax," Orchid added, smiling warmly.
"You've been stuck in that place for so long without leaving, so we had to force you—by asking Lucifer," Sandalphon said, shaking her head with a smirk.
"And now that you're here, we can finally start having fun~," Halluel and Malluel said in unison.
"And of course, since we're at the beach, you need to wear something appropriate!" Lyria said excitedly, pulling out an outfit that made Rei's eyes widen in shock.
"No way!!!" Rei immediately protested when she realized Lyria was holding a swimsuit.
"Too bad~," Lyria chimed as she clapped her hands. In an instant, Katalina, Sandalphon, Halluel, and Malluel were right behind Rei.
"!?" Rei gasped, realizing they were all holding her down to stop her from escaping. "What are you doing!? Let me go! I will never wear something like that!"
"Let's go!" Lyria said cheerfully, walking towards the rental house they had for the vacation.
The group chuckled as they dragged a resisting Rei along. Despite her protests, Rei didn't put up much of a fight—she could have easily broken free, but she didn't want to hurt them. So, she begrudgingly allowed them to continue with their antics, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement.