“Could it be…”
The silver-haired beauty posed with one hand pinching her chin in thought, her serious little face intently fixed on her arch-nemesis in front of her.
After a long moment of silence, finally—
Keti couldn’t hold it in anymore. Hey, seriously, what’s the meaning of stopping your reasoning halfway through? You totally figured it out, didn’t you! Didn’t you!
“If you know the reason, just say it! Hiss… Otherwise, I’ll start worrying that something bad is the cause of my transformation! No… No way, am I going to die? Is it that… What was it called, ah ah ah…”
Keti suddenly grabbed her head with both hands, shaking it back and forth in frustration.
Lynn quickly stopped the little wildcat who was about to lose it, then coughed twice and said:
“No, it’s not that bad. I just wasn’t entirely sure at first, so I didn’t say it on the spot, in case I misled your thinking…”
“Mm! Right, right, I remember now, it’s called… the First Embrace! The First Embrace, right! That’s… that’s…”
“That’s the ritual that can turn someone into your own race or whatever, ka… I-I-I, I’m not going to turn into a succubus, am I? Ugh…”
“Hey… Haven’t you already transformed, and can still turn back? If it was real assimilation, you wouldn’t be able to return, right…”
Lynn blinked helplessly from the side.
Hearing this, Keti was immediately thrown for a loop, eh, is… is that how it is?
Then.
What on earth is going on?
“I think, maybe, Keti, you have a special ability that lets you absorb others’ powers under certain conditions, and then you can transform and borrow those powers in that form?”
“Ha?!”
Though the evidence was still insufficient and Lynn hadn’t fully figured out the principles behind it, he still boldly put forth his theory.
Meanwhile, the silver-haired beauty clearly hadn’t thought this far ahead.
After listening, the girl blinked in confusion, pondering for quite a while before finally sorting out his line of thought.
“You mean, I-I-I… I can not only transform into someone else’s appearance, but also use their powers?! Even… even their magical talent or something, I could inherit too?!”
At this, especially the last part, the silver-haired beauty suddenly grew excited.
After all… the issue with her D-rank magic talent had always been a sore spot in her heart.
If there’s a way to change it, even if it’s just a temporary boost, well… for combat, it would be enough, right?!
This… This might be the opportunity I most need to seize!
With this thought, her excited breaths grew heavier, making her look… um… a bit like a kitten in heat. This blushing face—if only it was directed at him, Lynn thought with a slight pang of jealousy.
Unfortunately, at this very moment, there didn’t seem to be even a shred of romantic anticipation in the little one’s heart—only an overwhelming desire to fight!
Damn.
Still, Lynn could totally understand this feeling. He knew exactly what the girl cared about.
After a moment, he nodded, following her train of thought.
“I’m not sure yet, but it’s possible! My guess is that you might be able to use some of the copied person’s magic and maybe even fully tap into their abilities?”
“Gu… hu…hu, I can’t take it anymore! I have to try it right now!”
With that, Keti immediately activated her magic again. Pink light flared—little succubus, appearing once more!
Hmm…
Blink. Blink.
Stare—
After a while, little succubus Keti scratched her head in embarrassment, eyes fixed on Lynn, then lapsed into deep thought. Speaking of which, um…
“Um, what skills did that succubus even use? I… I can’t really remember, haha. I don’t think she actually used any magic…”
“Hmm… How about this, little wildcat, why don’t you… try charming me?”
Lynn suddenly grinned mischievously and suggested, causing Miss Succubus to clap her hands—right, speaking of succubi, charm magic is the best trick after all!
But…Uh…
W-wait, charm… charm my arch-nemesis?!
Cough cough cough.
Keti immediately wiped the sweat from her brow. Argh… Isn’t this just bait? Why does it feel like her arch-nemesis has some hidden motive behind this request?!
To do something like seducing her arch-nemesis—it’s just a bit, no, way too hard on herself, right? Hmph.
Still, after a moment’s hesitation, little succubus gritted her teeth. Oh well, right now it’s just about testing the effect. This charm spell—if I can cast it, I should be able to cancel it too, right? I’ll just try…
Worst case, I’ll just shout for help on the spot!
Cough, cough.
So, Keti took a deep breath and then… widened her blood-red eyes, stared hard at her arch-nemesis, and—stared—!
“Seems like… nothing happened…”
Lynn blushed slightly and silently turned his head away. Ah.
No, can’t do it, she’s way too cute!
Ahem… Though he wasn’t bewitched by magic—since he didn’t sense even a trace of magical fluctuation—he was totally charmed by the wildcat’s sheer cuteness!
Why, though? Last night he hadn’t felt anything for this appearance, but now, just knowing that the little one inside is Keti, Lynn found… she was actually pretty cute, hmm…
So this is the destructive power of a pure-hearted little succubus—terrifying indeed.
Still, he couldn’t mislead her. No magical effect meant no magical effect.
Hearing her arch-nemesis, Keti scratched her head in disappointment.
Hmm…
Yeah, she didn’t feel anything special either.
“Can’t you try silently reciting some spell or triggering it subconsciously? If you can transform, you should subconsciously know how to cast the magic…”
Lynn muttered, but Keti only shook her head. “I really don’t feel any urge to cast a spell. It’s like… I just don’t know any magic at all, like I’m missing something…”
“Hmm…”
Looking at the dejected little one, Lynn remembered the previous scene—the pink-haired succubus… had broken away in a panic at the end.
If that’s the case, maybe the magic transfer was interrupted, and perhaps the power Keti absorbed is incomplete?
“It’s probably because that pink-haired succubus ran off. If you’d drained her completely, you might’ve gotten the full power. Right now… it’s true, your transformed state doesn’t even have wings or horns…”
“It must be incomplete power. Next time you run into that succubus…then you’ll be set…”
“Hiss… Is that so?”
Keti pinched her chin, actually, she had the same feeling—this newly gained power seemed incomplete.
But, if that’s the case, um… doesn’t that mean she can only change appearance—just a hollow shell?!
Ugh.