The Extra's Rise

Chapter 288  Phase 1 (2)

Reika looked unconvinced, but she nodded slowly. Her Gift—Cursed Script—allowed her to transcribe curses directly into a person's body, altering their very essence. This Gift was used to temporarily boost mana rank, but it could be used in a different way as well when mixed with Rose's Paradox.

"I'll need your help too, Rose," I said, turning to her. "Your Paradox Gift is essential to create the closed space where reality can be manipulated without outside interference."

Rose nodded, her earlier embarrassment giving way to professional interest. Her Gift allowed her to create localized pockets where the laws of reality became flexible, malleable to her will. Within those spaces, she could bend causality itself—though the strain of maintaining such distortions limited how far she could push.

"And my Gift?" Kali asked, leaning against the wall with forced casualness. "What does Dark Embrace contribute to this little experiment?"

"Your connection to Deepdark," I explained. "We're not turning you undead, but we are borrowing from that spectrum of power. Your Gift lets you channel and control those energies naturally—it's the perfect conduit."

Kali nodded slowly, considering.

"And your Gift?" Rose asked, eyes narrowed slightly. "How does Lucent Harmony fit into this?"

I smiled. My Gift had always been the least flashy of the four, but perhaps the most essential. "I balance everything. Without me, the other three Gifts would tear Kali apart—quite literally. I keep the energies harmonized, ensure they sync instead of conflict."

The room fell silent as they all processed what I was suggesting. Using four Gifts in conjunction wasn't just ambitious—it was practically unheard of. The potential for disaster was enormous.

"So," I clapped my hands together, "shall we begin?"

"Wait," Rose interjected. "Just like that? No preparation, no safety measures, nothing?"

I gestured around my office. "Why do you think I called you all here? This room is already prepared."

I tapped a sequence on my desk, and the lights dimmed slightly as hidden panels in the walls slid open, revealing intricate runic arrays etched in luminescent material. The floor beneath us hummed softly as similar patterns activated, creating a complex matrix of magical circuits.

"I've been planning this for months," I said, allowing myself a small, satisfied smile. "The preparations were completed weeks ago. All I needed was to get you three in the same place at the same time."

Kali whistled, genuinely impressed despite herself. "You sneaky bastard."

"Always," I agreed cheerfully.

Rose still looked concerned. "And you're absolutely certain this won't harm Kali?"

"As certain as I can be," I said honestly. "There's always risk with something this experimental, but I've run the calculations hundreds of times. The probability of success is... acceptable."

"Acceptable?" Kali repeated, eyebrow raised.

"That's not exactly comforting," Rose muttered.

"It wasn't meant to be," I replied. "It was meant to be honest. This is experimental magic on a level few have attempted. There are risks. But the rewards..." I turned to Kali. "The rewards are worth it."

Kali pushed away from the wall, straightening her posture. "Alright. I'm in. What do I need to do?"

"Stand in the center," I directed, pointing to a circular pattern on the floor that had begun to glow a soft blue. "Rose, take the north position. Reika, east. I'll take west."

They moved to their positions without further argument, each standing on a glowing marker in the floor. The room's lighting dimmed further as the runic arrays brightened, casting an ethereal blue glow across everyone's features.

"Rose, begin," I instructed. "Create the Paradox space."

Rose closed her eyes, her face serene with concentration. She extended her hands, palms facing inward as if holding an invisible sphere. The air between her hands shimmered, distorting slightly as reality began to flex under her will.

Slowly, the distortion expanded, spreading outward in a perfect sphere until it encompassed the entire ritual space that was now full of blue roses. The air felt heavier, thicker somehow, as if we were suddenly underwater. Sound dampened, and the colors in the room shifted subtly, everything taking on a slightly surreal quality.

"Perfect," I murmured. "Reika, prepare your script."

Reika nodded, raising her hands. Her fingertips began to glow with amber light, intricate symbols appearing in the air before her like burning calligraphy. She moved with practiced precision, each gesture creating new characters that floated and swirled around her.

"Use the pattern I showed you," I reminded her. "Focus on integration, not dominance."

She nodded again, her face a mask of concentration as she continued to write in the air, creating a complex lattice of cursed script. The symbols floated toward Kali, orbiting her slowly, waiting to be inscribed.

"Kali," I said, "channel your Gift. Draw on Deepdark, but don't shape it. Just let it flow."

Kali closed her eyes, her breathing slowing. A subtle darkness seemed to gather around her, not visible exactly, but perceptible as a weight, a gravitational pull that wasn't physical. The temperature around her dropped slightly, frost forming on the floor at her feet.

"Good," I encouraged. "Now hold it steady."

Finally, I activated my own Gift. Lucent Harmony spread from my body like ripples in a pond, invisible but tangible. Where it touched the others' energies, it soothed them, aligned them, preventing the natural rejection that would occur when different magical forces interacted.

"Now," I commanded. "Rose, constrict the Paradox. Reika, inscribe the script. Kali, cycle the energy through your core."

They moved in perfect synchrony, as if we'd practiced this a hundred times instead of never before. Rose's hands drew closer together, compressing the Paradox space, intensifying its effects. Reality bent further, the laws of physics becoming suggestions rather than rules.

Reika's floating script accelerated, spinning faster around Kali before suddenly diving inward, each symbol sinking beneath her skin like ink in water. Where they entered, brief lines of amber light traced across her body before fading.

Kali gasped as the script entered her, her back arching slightly. The death energy she'd gathered compressed, forced through her magical core like water through a filter, changing as it moved.

I intensified my Gift, watching carefully for any signs of rejection or instability. This was the critical moment—where the components either harmonized or conflicted.

For a heartbeat, I felt resistance, the various energies struggling against each other. Then my Gift prevailed, smoothing the interactions, creating bridges where barriers tried to form.

The runic arrays in the room flared brightly, then dimmed to a steady pulse, synchronizing with Kali's heartbeat. The frost at her feet spread outward, covering the floor in delicate crystalline patterns.

"Almost there," I said, voice tight with concentration. "Rose, release the Paradox gradually. Reika, anchor the script."

Rose slowly pulled her hands apart, the distortion in reality fading progressively rather than all at once. Reika made one final gesture, her fingers tracing a complex seal in the air that seemed to sink into Kali's chest, directly over her heart.

As the Paradox space dissolved completely, Kali dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. The frost around her melted instantly as normal reality reasserted itself.

"Kali!" Reika rushed forward, concern evident on her face.

"I'm fine," Kali said, waving her off. "Just... intense." She pushed herself back to her feet, swaying slightly before steadying. "Did it work?"

In answer, I picked up a letter opener from my desk and tossed it to her. "Check."

She caught it deftly, understanding immediately. Without hesitation, she dragged the blade across her palm, opening a shallow cut. Blood welled for a moment—then the wound closed before our eyes, healing in seconds.

"Enhanced regeneration," I confirmed. "And the other abilities should manifest soon. You'll need to practice, learn to control them."

Kali flexed her hand, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Not bad, Nightingale. Not bad at all."

Rose approached me, her expression a mix of amazement and lingering concern. "That was... incredible. I've never seen Gifts used in conjunction like that before."

"Few have," I replied, allowing myself a moment of pride. "It takes compatible Gifts and precise control. Most attempts end in disaster."

"But not yours," she said, studying me with new eyes.

"Not mine," I agreed. The unspoken question hung between us: how had I known it would work? How had I calculated the exact pattern needed to achieve this transformation?

But Rose was too clever to ask directly. Instead, she simply nodded, filing away this new piece of the puzzle that was Arthur Nightingale.

"So what's the next step?" Kali asked, examining her hand with fascination. "You said this was just the beginning."

"It is," I confirmed. "The full transformation will require several more procedures, each more complex than the last. But today was the foundation—and it was successful."

"Well," I clapped my hands together, breaking the moment, "I think we're done for today. Kali, rest. Your body needs time to adjust. Reika, excellent work with the script—precise as always."

They both nodded, moving toward the door. Kali paused before exiting, glancing back at me.

"Arthur," she said, her voice uncharacteristically serious. "Thank you."

I nodded once, acknowledging the rare display of gratitude. She flashed a quick smile, then disappeared through the doorway, Reika following close behind.

As the door slid shut, Rose turned to me, arms crossed, a pout on her face.

I smiled, patting my lap invitingly. After a moment's hesitation, she relented, allowing me to pull her back into her previous position.

I leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her neck before whispering in her ear, "Not satisfied?"

She shivered, though whether from my touch or my words, I couldn't tell.

"You're impossible," she murmured, though there was no real reproach in her voice.

"I prefer 'ambitious,'" I countered, echoing our earlier conversation.

Her cheeks colored slightly. "Arthur, I should go. My father will be wondering where I am."

"Yet you don't want to. Let him wonder," I murmured, leaning closer. "I'm not done with you yet."

Before she could protest further, I kissed her, swallowing whatever objection she might have made. She resisted for approximately half a second before melting against me, her arms sliding around my neck.

As her lips moved against mine, I couldn't help but smile into the kiss. Phase one of Zombie Princess plan was complete.