The air in the apartment shimmered, then fractured. In a blur of light, I teleported us back to the safety of our room. I laid Ruby gently onto the bed, her breathing steady and deep, before turning my attention to the notification blinking in the corner of my vision.
"Okay, System. How do I change?" I muttered.
Silence.
"Piece of crap System," I cursed under my breath. "Fine. If you won't help, I'll figure it out myself."
With a flick of my wrist, I pulled up the inventory screen.
[Inventory]
[Patchouli's Grimoire]
[Mini-Hakkero]
[Character Card: Yukari Yakumo]
"Well, that was easier than expected," I murmured, tapping the card. A physical object materialized in my palm—a sleek, ornate card radiating a strange, distorted energy. I turned it over, feeling the weight of it. "Now... how do I trigger this thing?"
I paused, a reckless idea forming. "Maybe I just... crush it?"
CRACK.
The moment my fingers closed tight, a blinding violet light erupted from my palm. I felt my skin crawl, my height shifting, and my very essence being rewritten. My vision blurred as the world seemed to bend and fold around me.
[Character Assimilation Complete]
Name: Yukari Yakumo
Race: Youkai (Boundary Manipulator)
Power Status: Sealed (45% Unsealed)
Stats:
Mana: EX+
Agility: A
Luck: A
Strength:B+
Endurance: B+
Weapons:
Parasol and Fan
Spell cards:
Evil Spirits "Yukari Yakumo's Spiriting Away
Barrier "Mesh of Light and Darkness"
Barrier "Balance of Motion and Stillness"
Barrier "Curse of Dreams and Reality"
Evil Spirits "Dreamland of Straight and Curve"
And more...]
A parasol and a folding fan appeared in my hands, feeling as natural as my own limbs. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror ribbons, purple silk, and eyes that held the weight of centuries.
"Oh my~" I whispered, my voice now a silky, playful chime. "This is... strange, to say the least."
I glanced toward the bed. "How cute. Zwei is curled up right next to Ruby." A small smile touched my lips as I watched them sleep. Since they were out cold, I figured I'd take my new form for a test drive.
I headed for the door, but before I could reach the handle, a sharp knock echoed through the room.
"Hm? Now who could that be?" I murmured. I adjusted my ribbons and pulled the door open.
Standing there, looking confused and slightly out of breath, was Shidou.
"Eh?" I blinked.
"..." Shidou stared at me, his face turning a bright shade of crimson. "I... uh... who might you be, miss?"
I hid the lower half of my face behind my fan, my eyes twinkling with mischief. "I believe I should be asking you that, young man."
"Ah! Sorry, ma'am!" he stammered, bowing quickly. "I was looking for Sakuya. Is she home?"
"And why would you need Sakuya?"
"I just... I wanted to talk to her about something," he said, unable to meet my gaze.
"Well, I am sorry, young man, but Sakuya isn't here right now. If you have a message, I can see that she receives it."
"Ah, no need, ma'am!" Shidou blurted out. He bowed so low he nearly hit the floor before spinning on his heel and sprinting down the hallway.
Meanwhile, in Shidou's head:
I just met someone's mother, he thought frantically, the image of the elegant woman in purple burned into his retinas. Wait... that was... that was the biggest thing I've ever seen in my life! No, no, no! Get out of my head! Focus, Shidou! Find Sakuya!
Back at the apartment, I had long since lost interest in the boy. Instead, I was staring at a silver can in my hand.
"I can't believe alcohol tastes this great," I slurred slightly, popping the tab on another one.
The Youkai metabolism was a blessing and a curse. "Wait... wasn't I supposed to be doing something?"
I stared at the ceiling for a second, then shrugged, leaning back into the gap I had opened in the middle of the air.
"If it's important, I can do it tomorrow," I giggled, feeling the buzz settle deep into my bones.
I stepped into the dark, eye-filled void of a gap and tumbled back into the living room, with a fresh can of beer in my hand and a lace-edged parasol over my shoulder.
"Woooo! That was fun!"
"Well, that's certainly not what I was expecting especially since Yukari got her debut before me!" Maria crossed her arms,
"Author-san, when am I coming, da ze~?"
"Never!"
"Eh!? Boo! Author-san, boo!" Marisa puffed out her cheeks.
"I don't care," I muttered, my fingers hovering over the backspace key like a guillotine. "I'll retcon you, Marisa. I'll rewrite the entire fanfic. You can't stop me."
Marisa didn't look worried. In fact, her grin widened, turning sharp and predatory. "Maybe I can't stop you... but they can, da ze~."
Slowly, deliberately, she turned her head. She wasn't looking at Maria, and she wasn't looking at me. She was looking directly through the screen straight into the eyes of the Readers.
My heart skipped a beat. A cold sweat broke out across my brow. "WAIT! You can't do that! That's a breach of contract!"
"Watch me, da ze~," she whispered, her eyes twinkling with chaotic energy.
"MARISA!!!!"
"Hehehehe."
A/n: marisa is costing me money to fix all this holes. :sob: