Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
[Greetings Contractor AC2C85EAC1F39919, "Serena Snape"
We have noticed your plans to abuse the Power Swap benefit to acquire knowledge quickly and easily. Although in the Company, we must applaud your ingenuity to abuse the previously mentioned benefit, we STRONGLY recommend that you do not follow that path. From now on, you will be able to save the memory and knowledge of your powers acquired by the Power Swap benefit in metallic minds, but they will be erased entirely when using the benefit again. If you continue with your attempts to abuse the benefits, you will not like the results.
Sincerely, The Company.]
Shit. Shit. Shit! SHIT!!
[Ps: As compensation, we will give you full access to the "Magia Baiser" template so you can use it in the tier corresponding to how it appears in the catalog. Also, the cooldown of the Power Swap benefit will be reduced to 0, and the template will manifest immediately]
I felt a surge of power flowing through me, but I ignored it. I could still feel the panic creeping through my body. Stress Defense was working overtime, as was my poor Occlumency. I hadn't noticed but most of it had disappeared with Severus' template. Still, it was working but it took me a good few minutes to calm down enough to analyze the situation calmly.
It was just a warning. I really didn't want to get on the Company's bad side; it was a bad idea with all caps and exclamation points. So I would stay away from Power Swap in the short and long term; only an emergency could make me reconsider using the perk. I would have to settle for adding potential by visiting other worlds or just using Template Stacking, goodbye my 103,000 grimoires. They will one day be mine, but it won't be today.
I patted my cheeks lightly. It was not the time to continue crying over spilled milk. Thanks to that compensation, I could now use the full power of Magia Baiser, which includes La Verità. The second transformation of magical girls into Akogarete, their strongest form. It was good not to have to unlock my own La Verità. I didn't want to ruin the transformation and become the "ugliest flower." Venalita wasn't about to ruin everything, but I didn't want to risk it in any way. At least not before I could get Corruption Defense, which wouldn't happen any time soon, considering how expensive it was.
I tried to mentally feel my inventory, and the stored items came to me easily. It was a relief not to have to constantly use my phone to take out and put in items. Scanning everything inside, I found what I was looking for. I took my transformation star out with a thought, and it fell into my palm. It was a four-pointed yellow star. It seemed completely inert in my hand, but I could still easily recognize it. The words were about to escape my lips when I realized I was sure the magic wave would be felt throughout magical London, and I had no desire to be chased. So, with a tired sigh, I played with the star between my fingers while thinking. Then, I stopped stiffly when a thought struck. I hummed again, considering it. I had already done something stupid and was in the sights of the Company, but what I was thinking didn't have as many consequences as that. I shrugged. He who does not risk, does not win.
I grabbed my transformation star and held it in my free hand, taking a deep breath before placing it on my chest.
"Trans-Magia!"
I felt the massive surge of magic fill my entire body. It was intoxicating. I felt strong, much stronger magically than even any memory of Severus I could recall, but it felt… corrupted, dark, evil. It didn't feel like the magic I, as Serena, was used to using, but I instinctively knew it was mine. I could use it and wield it as I wished without any problem.
Once I finished inspecting my magic, I looked at the rest of my body and blushed slightly. It was the exact same Magia Baiser outfit: a corset under my breasts and low-rise tight pants, both made of black leather, black star-shaped pasties, bat wings on the back, a… sort of skirt coming out from under my corset and ending at my calves. Finally, white shoulder pads, long fingerless leather gloves, and some heels. Which, I still didn't know how I was standing with them.
I could feel my cheeks getting hot the more I looked at myself. When I put my hands inside my skirt to get a good look at my pants, they were stupidly obscene. They barely covered my crotch and went down over my hips. In fact, I tried to feel where they ended, but when I put my hands behind me, I could only feel that they literally left half of my ass hanging out. I was extremely grateful for the skirt.
I wouldn't lie. I loved the outfit. It was sexy and looked good on me. It was the first time I felt confident and comfortable with my figure, but it would take time if I wanted to wear it publicly. Thanks to dysphoria, I never really liked flaunting my body when I was a man. It was too uncomfortable even during sex, and the part that was Serena didn't help either. So, I needed some time until I felt comfortable in my own skin.
I took a deep breath to calm myself and looked at the ground where Frusta Dominazione was lying. She had fallen when I transformed, at least 60~80 centimeters long, much longer than my wand, which should be about 26 centimeters. With a bit of care, I touched the crop. I quickly felt a surge of warmth that I recognized intimately. It felt like my wand. Inspecting the crop further, it was extremely flexible, made of leather, wit a little star at the tip. I didn't know if I could use wand magic with it, but it was easy to test.
"Lumos," I quickly looked away once more as the light came out of the whip. It was much stronger than with my wand before the transformation "Nox!" I smiled as it went out, it was perfect. Now, there was one more thing to try. I grabbed my wand, and it still felt warm in my hands. I quickly repeated the light charm, and it came out just as strong, mmm, maybe a little easier. It was easier to control something with the length of my wand rather than the Frusta's, but it was stupid to use both simultaneously when the Frusta could use magic, so I would have to practice with both.
Now, most importantly, I quickly looked around my empty room for an acceptable target and found some empty potion bottles scattered around my rickety desk. I carefully slapped one of the bottles away and stared anxiously. Nothing at all seemed to happen for a few seconds, and my hope was fading, but that quickly changed when the bottle began to shake before sprouting eight spider-like legs. The living bottle spun clumsily and seemed to wait for my order.
"YES!" I exclaimed happily. Schiavo was a great minion generation skill, easy and quick to use, extremely versatile, and in some cases, extremely strong. It was a good skill.
Next, I took a deep breath and- I stopped.
I grimaced at the thought of transforming into La Verità. I was of age, and there was no trace of them to follow my magic, but La Verità was different. I was sure that using it in a muggle area would set off all the alarms in the ministry.
In fact, on second thought, I was lucky that no one had come yet because of my transformation into Baiser. However, on second thought, if they can't trace dark magics like the Unforgivable or everything Voldemort did in his life, then it stands to reason that they couldn't trace me. Still, I didn't want to risk anything.
Wait. I had a solution. Maybe.
I took a piece of parchment and began to draw a transmutation circle. I removed one of the copper rings from my finger and placed it on top of the paper before activating it. The ring was perfectly cut into small metal beads, exactly 1 gram each. I extinguished the paper which was on fire before taking a bead and bringing it to my tongue, and- I stopped.
I couldn't help but blink a few times with my hand hanging in the air. I had fangs. I ran to the bathroom and quickly opened my mouth. I had two extremely long and sharp canines; I kept blinking before I realized Hiiragi Utena had the same teeth. They must have come with the template. I stopped myself from groaning in frustration as I continued to check myself.
After a few minutes, I shrugged; they weren't unpleasant, but I would have to be careful if I didn't want to cut or stab myself by accident. After that, I returned to the room, took the copper bead again, and swallowed it carefully. I felt the furnace in my stomach again and quickly burned the metal allomantically.
Allomantic Copper could create a "cloud," better known as a Copper Cloud. Which could prevent Allomantic pulses from being detected within the said cloud, but not only could it block Allomancy, it could do the same with other types of Investiture, which was the energy that blanketed the Cosmere and what all magical systems in that universe were based on. I mean, magic, not really, but it was close enough that I wanted to test if it could blanket my magical pulses from Ministry detection.
I took a deep breath as I stood firmly in the middle of my room and grabbed my star that was now located around my neck.
"La Veritá!"
My star burst into power and black spider webs. I quickly enlarged my copper cloud when it seemed like the magic would exceed the size of my cloud until it stopped, and everything came back inside me.
It was… indescribable. The absurd amount of magic I could feel coming out inside me was incredibly strong. I was now entirely sure that this would have drawn the attention of the ministry, but since there was still no one above the house, it would seem that I was completely safe beneath the copper cloud. That was good.
Even more so! If copper can block magic and investiture, that means that the effects of allomancy and feruchemy on investiture also worked on magic. The allomantic metals of Enhancement, specifically allomantic chromium, could drain different forms of investiture. Just thinking that it could drain magic made me feel almost dizzy. I needed to test IT!
But later, for now, I had things to do. First, I checked myself over once more, blinking a few times as I looked at my grown figure. I was taller, had more curves, and had longer hair; it would seem that the growth that came with Baiser's La Verità also applied to me.
My outfit was now… imposing yet stupidly lewd. It looked completely like a uniform if it weren't for the fact that it left half of my breasts, several cup sizes larger now, out in the open. While my lower half was severely lacking in coverage, the only fabric present, weakly covering my crotch, didn't deserve to be called clothing. Still, I must admit that I still liked how I looked as my adult version.
I went to the mirror to check my reflection, and I liked it. If that was what awaited me in a few years, then I was satisfied with that thought. I undid La Verità but kept my transformation. There was still something I wanted to do while I was at Baiser.