Steel and Mana

Chapter 142 – Regenerate (2)

Mikan and Yuri were preparing for the 'operation' in a room isolated from everybody else and from any potential disturbances within the palace. Leon decreed that neither himself, Sasha, nor Merlin could come in and watch, observe, or interfere with Mikan in any way. It was way too important to let anything disturb them, jeopardize Mikan's success, and endanger their lives.

"Are you ready?" Mikan asked after she finished drawing the formation on the floor, placing the charged CCs in their positions while she held her newest, crimson-colored staff gifted to her by Leon.

"As ready as I could be!" Yuri nodded, being completely naked, ready for a transformation she didn't know what to expect from it at all.

"It may hurt, I am not so sure myself because-"

"Let's do it! Mikan, I trust you, okay?" She interrupted her, making the priestess nod, taking a deep breath, and knocking the bottom of her staff into the middle of the formation.

The room was filled with golden light at once when the hardened tip of the monster's blood made contact with the floor. The formation came to life instantly while Mikan's chanting voice began echoing from all possible directions as if there were a chorus singing beside them. Yuri could feel a sudden warmness wash over her while the scent of vanilla filled her senses, expelling everything else from the room.

Soon, she could smell nothing else as a golden mist invaded her body through her nose and mouth, filling her up and making her feel like she was back in the days when she was a young prostitute. It made her chuckle, but her body was no longer listening to her, which, for the first time, scared Yuri. 

No matter what she tried, her body became frozen in place and kept being filled with the golden mist until it permeated everything and began releasing back into the air through her pores. It wasn't painful, but it was... uncomfortable. She felt like little bubbles were everywhere now, racing around her body like tiny ants, getting around, making it itchy and prickly. 

"Ugh... this is worse than if it would hurt... I can't even scratch myself now!"

If she could have moved her head, she would have been able to see that as the mist evaporated from within her, the scars on her body were slowly opening up as if they were rearranging themselves. They were not bleeding but simply reclosing once again as her skin regrew at a visible speed, this time without leaving any visible marks as the old scars continued disappearing. 

It wasn't just happening outside on her body, but below her skin, between her muscles and bones; everything was being renewed and healed. Old wounds that went deep, injuries that often almost meant the end of her life, everything was disappearing and being replaced with renewed tissues.

"Ouch...? There it is... Pain." She thought to herself as a sharp sting penetrated her chest, just like when she lost her breast. She remembered the feeling well as it was not something one could forget, only suppress. It was coming back in full force, but only for a few seconds before she could feel a pop, and it was gone. Forever.

"D-done..." Gasped Mikan, her voice weak, her breathing heavy.

The light surrounding them began fading, as did the fog, and when Yuri could move again, she was astonished by what she saw. Her body was smooth and pinkish, but she was sure that would fade. Probably. Hopefully.

"Damn, I'm hot!" She giggled, feeling that it was literally true after touching her sparkling skin. She was about to say something before yelling out in panic, seeing Mikan collapsing, barely able to catch her. "Mikan! Hoy! Mikan!"

No matter how hard she yelled, the priestess was no longer conscious, her ragged breathing scaring her more than anything before.

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"She will be fine, relax!" I said the eleventh time, patting Yuri on her shoulders, amazed by what Mikan had pulled off.

"Are... Are we sure?" She asked, cracking her fingers one by one. Unable to calm down, she walked in circles in the room where Mikan had been resting for the past half an hour.

"Yep. I am kinda expert with it by now, thanks to Merlin."

"Hey..." He moaned, finishing taking a look at the unconscious girl. "Khm. Well, it is for sure a kind of backlash from using a spell above her capabilities! But she should be fine... I was!"

"But you are a freak..." Yuri added, making Merlin twitch the end of his mouth, holding back his replies and deciding to take it as a compliment.

"If Leon says she will be fine, she will be!" Sasha exclaimed, trying to calm her down the same way, holding her shoulders and examining her still pinkish face. "Heh, you became cute!"

"I was always cute." She joked, trying to force some humor on herself.

"Sometimes." Luna chimed in, bringing in a small basin with water and beginning to wash Mikan's face. "I will take care of her; worry not! If she wakes, I will tell you first, okay?"

"Thanks..."

"Come!" I added, holding Yuri's waist and pushing her out of the room, "Let Luna take care of her and let Mikan rest!"

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"What she did is nothing less than incredible," I mumbled, sitting in our bath, Sasha in my lap while Yuri was in our room, indulging herself in something she was more than willing to try out. Well, she was breastfeeding our kids—both of them at once.

"Yeah!" Sasha nodded, gently twisting and turning her hips while talking, "She didn't just become complete again; she even produces milk? Mikan maybe put a bit too much effort into healing her!"

"Are you jealous?" I asked with a grin, reaching up, holding her chest, and pinching her stiff nipples between my fingers.

"A bit... She seems to be bigger than me... hauh, now I am back to last place!"

"What about Luna?"

"She was always flat. No point in including her in the list."

"Damn, you are cold!" I laughed, hugging her back onto me, holding my wife down as I increased my pace.

"Hey... I am not... Nyauh... I am not complaining, but what about Yuri? Wouldn't... nyah, wouldn't you want to reserve... some for her? Ah!"

"Relax... your hubby is in a good mood now~! She will get it the same way as you do!" I whispered, gently nibbling on her ear.

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"Up again?" I asked whisperingly, watching Yuri stand at our window, naked in the middle of the night. Yet, this time, the atmosphere was completely different than previously when this happened.

"Yeah, I need to get used to it!" She nodded, returning to the bed, climbing onto my left while Sasha was holding my right side, sleeping with a cute smile plastered all over her face. "How long will I remain pink? What do you think?"

"Forever."

"Huh! Well, then I can remain your unique little fetish, eh?" She countered my joke with her own.

"You still are." I deployed my last card, pinching her butt, making her giggle.

"Fair enough! It is weird having two boo-"

"Sssh!" I stopped her from saying the magic words, kissing her quickly, my eyes looking towards the crib next to the bed where the two little imps were sleeping, hugging each other. "Don't say it out loudly! They are like... super intelligent spy kids. They hear the codeword, no matter which term you use, be it the B-word or the T-word, they immediately wake up and begin crying for a quick smooch on the nipple!"

Well, the moment I said it out, Leyla suddenly sat up, looked around, eyes wide open, and shook her brother awake. They were looking at us expectantly... almost blackmailing us to do something, or there would be loud crying coming next.

"Huh. You are right!" Yuri mumbled, surprised, before sitting up and picking them out, letting them grab onto her 'new' breasts without fussing about it. "Well, well, well! I need to train anyway, so it is not a big issue, and I think they like trying new ones once in a while~! Maybe when they grow up, I can be the cool mom and get them girls to nibble on~!"

"Haaahh... Just don't mention it to Sasha." I mumbled, not knowing she wasn't joking. "I will also need to add the N-word to the list. Do not say it out loudly around them."

"N-word? You mean, nipple?"

"Yeah..." I chuckled, deciding not to explain why I found the situation funnier than I should.

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"How long was I asleep?" Mikan asked, still a bit pale and weak. She was sitting in her bed, being prompted up by multiple pillows, wearing a loose robe. Luna was sitting beside her, spoon-feeding our priestess on her left side while Yuri was on her right, waiting for her to finish so she could begin cleaning her up.

"Three days." I explained calmly. "Luna was taking care of you."

"And me too!" Yuri exclaimed, making our little loli maid roll her eyes.

"She was most helpful when it was about bathing you. Figures."

"Oh..."

"I remained proper and didn't do unlawful things!" Yuri protested, watching Mikan turn red in the face. "Leon has laws about... what did you call it? Sexual harassment! I did not break those rules!"

"Okay, stop." I groaned, rubbing my forehead, but it finally made Mikan chuckle, which was the clearest sign that she would make a full recovery. "As you can see, your spell has worked flawlessly."

"Yep! Everyone has tested my body already!" Yuri explained it in a way Mikan would understand and also misunderstand her at the same time. "I even began fading back to my normal color; for the first one and a half days, I was pink!"

"For now," I interrupted her before she could start saying more weird things, "Do not try to cast any spells, Mikan. Especially not ones on the same level; you are clearly not ready for it. What you experienced was a magical backlash, which could have been worse. When Sasha is done, she will also visit you and explain it more with Merlin."

"I will listen to you." She nodded obediently, meaning it, unlike how Merlin would do it. It is good to sometimes have someone who is sensible enough. Wait... is this how Sasha feels about me?

"That's all I ask for. When returning to the temple, don't be surprised, though!" I exclaimed, expelling the thoughts from my mind.

"W-why?" She asked, a bit nervous, looking at us questioningly.

"I used you for a bit of propaganda." I explained, feeling a bit ashamed, but not really. It was the perfect opportunity, and I couldn't miss it.

"What does that mean?" She looked at me, confused, trying to think of possible outcomes but unable to make up any.

"We announced in the newspaper what happened to you and set it up as a blessing from the Gods. It would have been too hard to explain that a centuries-old monster was living in you, reincarnated into your mana. Honestly, that would be a good trope in Merlin's books, but as news? Nah. So, I blamed it on the Gods for explaining why you suddenly have magical powers and become the third mage in Avalon. They noticed our ways and efforts and blessed you and, through you, our city. I was a bit of... hm, creative with it, nudging the narrative to be beneficial for us all."

"Yuri was right about you." She murmured, looking at me with enlarged eyes, "You are a dangerous man, Leon."

"Am I?"

"Hehe... Yes. You are." She nodded, giggling again, looking away with a slight blush, making Yuri and Luna exchange gazes.

"Oh well! I think it played out well because it became part of the celebration the city is having. Still, after we release you, don't go around using your magic willy-nilly! I also made sure it is mentioned that your magic is for dire moments only. I used the saboteurs as an example, saying how you could now save more lives and the people must not exhaust their powers for every little thing that our medicines can also cure."

"Thank you..." She nodded, realizing that if everybody came to her with every little injury, she would have no free time left at all.

"You are welcome!" I clapped, standing up and smiling, "I will have to go now; I will leave you in the care of the girls. Rest, Mikan. You earned it."