My Blacksmith System: Transforming my Weapons into Beautiful Maidens
Chapter 44: Fear, demon, priestess

Chapter 44: Fear, demon, priestess

Meanwhile, back at the mansion, in Eri’s room.

Seriphina was lying on the ground, three glowing balls dancing in a circle above her.

Each ball was said to represent a part of the world:

Life, death, and spirit.

Eri, on the other hand, sat down in front of Seriphina’s head, her legs tucked into one another.

With one finger on Seriphina’s forehead, Eri closed her eyes, concentrating.

They had been in this position for at most one hour.

’How long have I been here?’ Seriphina questioned, though she also kept her eyes closed.

’Since I laid on this ground, this person has not said anything to me regarding what she is doing. I don’t trust this... it’s way too quiet. But if I open my eyes, I might end up spoiling whatever it is she is doing.’

Seriphina gripped her fist.

’I am not being fully honest with myself. True, I don’t trust what this woman is doing. I don’t think she likes me very much to begin with. But that’s not the only reason why... I know that’s not all... yet... this heart of mine does not speak to me in a language I can understand.’

She felt it. The sudden beat of her heart.

And then, as the drop of water hit the moist ground, she found herself standing in a familiar place.

Surrounded by darkness, with only a single light pouring down on her from the sky.

In front of her, locked behind a large gate, was a woman, chained to the ground, her black hair scattered on the ground as her green ember eyes stared a hole into Seriphina.

They both stared at each other, a silent voice echoing through their minds.

"What? You’re not going to drop down and scream like you always do? That’s quite new of you, isn’t it?" the woman behind the gate spoke.

Seriphina replied,

"For some reason, I am not afraid. Maybe it’s because of the girl, but my limbs... they are not shaking, and my lips, they don’t seem to be shivering either. I guess... I am not afraid."

The woman frowned a bit. "How naive of you... You really want to get rid of me that badly, you’d trust a random person to get inside you."

She laughed for a while. "I knew something was wrong when I felt a presence watching over me. Who would have thought you found yourself a priest? Unfortunately for you, she doesn’t possess the strength to break through this barrier."

Those words definitely made Seriphina wary.

"I’ll be doing this for both of us. Why do you not wish to be free? Do you not wish to wander the world like you once did?" Seriphina placed her hand on her chest. "Have a body of your own you can fully control whenever you feel like it?"

"You really are naive."

The woman sat upright. Her hair was so long that it covered her entire face, yet her green eyes were still visible.

"I have been with you for 15 years. The time that has passed, we have both shared the same body and mind. Our souls are linked in such a way that you can even use my powers when the need arises, even if you are a complete idiot."

She then pointed at Seriphina.

"Our bodies have become dependent on one another. If I should leave your body, best believe I will die, and so will you. You didn’t get rid of me, and I can’t get rid of you."

Seriphina should be shocked at this revelation.

This woman had been with her ever since she was a child. And since then, she had been looking for ways to completely rid herself of the monster.

And even though the woman knew about this, she never told Seriphina or even thought to bring it up.

And yet, Seriphina was calm.

"How do I know if you’re lying to me right now?" she asked.

"Oh, come on. This isn’t the first time you’ve been here. Although, I used to be the one in control of whether you could come or not. But since you have a dog helping you, she seems to be weakening my control."

"How do I know if you’re lying to me right now?" Seriphina asked again, her expression remaining the same.

The woman gave a slight frown. "Whatever I feel, you feel. When I hated humans, you also did the same. And when you loved the people of this village, I felt the same. We are intertwined. I am stuck with you as a person."

Seriphina gripped her chest. ’So the reason I have always felt this much pain and loneliness in my chest... is because...’

"Hey! Don’t go thinking about something stupid. I do not want your pity whatsoever! Just give me your damn body already! That will make me so damn happy!"

"Is that so you can meet that person? That one you are longing for?" Seriphina asked.

For some reason, that question completely changed the woman’s mood, a sad expression playing on her face.

Of course, she tried to hide it.

"`What?"

"You said it yourself. Whatever you feel, I feel it as well. This person you wait for, I can tell they are special. I can also tell you miss them badly. You want them, even if it means you would die in the process. And I think I know who this person is."

The woman grunted, a sad anger playing on her face.

"It’s the traveler, isn’t it?"

Seriphina gripped her chest even tighter. Just then, she felt the ache—a sharp pain birthed from confusion and sadness.

"So I was right, then. I realized it the first day I saw him. The rage I felt, the anger towards the world—I no longer felt it. I was calm, like everything I had once hated held no meaning. If so, I can’t help but ask you, who is this person to you? Where do you know him from? Why did you distance yourself from him and lay trapped in my body?!"

"Shut up."

"Every time I ask you about who you are, you never give me a good answer. I don’t share your memories, so I can’t know what may have happened in the past. But at least, I feel if you let me know, I can help you!"

"Shut up."

"I can’t deal with the sharp pain in my chest every time I see him. I can’t deal with the sadness when I see another woman make him smile. I want to be the one to do that. You know why I feel this way. It’s your feelings, so tell me?! What could be so bad that you—"

Seriphina’s words got caught in her throat as the woman was suddenly standing in front of her, gripping her neck as if trying to choke her to death.

"Why the hell should I give you any type of explanation for what I am? You talk too damn much."

"You could have taken over my body any time you wanted. While I’m sleeping, or far away from any weapon to inflict pain on myself. And yet you didn’t—you only wanted to scare me. I think I know why..." Seriphina spoke.

"You don’t want the traveler to know what you are. You’re afraid he won’t accept you. You can’t stand the thought of—"

The woman squeezed Seriphina’s neck even tighter, tears dripping from her eyes as she felt the urge to kill Seriphina on the spot.

"What is this? Are you trying to mentally manipulate me into leaving your body? Do you want to die as well?"

"No. Because just... like... you, I... care deeply for the traveler. I don’t know why... b...ut I do. I ca..n’t die."

The woman furrowed her brows. "You make me sick. All of you damn weaklings can die for all I care. Get yourself up and send that damn priest away. If he arrives and sees this, I’ll kill us both."

With that, the woman released her hold on Seriphina before disappearing back into the other side of the gate.

Seriphina fell to her knees, coughing, the feeling of her neck getting crushed still lingering on her soft skin.

The moment she blinked, she found herself back inside Eri’s room.

Tears lingered at the side of her eyes, and somehow, Rashin was present, holding his hands up as he knelt beside her.

His face was hitched with a bit of seriousness and confusion.

Meanwhile, Eri’s back was glued to the wall, fear written across her entire face.

During her ritual to try and chase the demon out of Seriphina’s body, Eri realized something kept pushing her out of the body any time she tried to slip through.

She tried everything she could, but this demon was strong—way stronger than she could imagine.

Just as she was about to tell Seriphina about the situation, she opened her eyes and noticed Seriphina’s face had changed into another person.

A woman with glowing green eyes.

Eri was scared, jerking backward as she let out a short scream.

That was when she sensed the aura leaking from Seriphina’s body.

"Hakia?" she muttered in shock.

.