551 Sweet and a little numb (1/2)

All of the crocodile monster's giant tentacles were cut off by the golden bell. The wriggling tentacles smashed onto the ground and evaporated into mist.

A low roaring sound of pain resounded from within the bell. It sounded rather pitiful.

Seiji didn't even stop to make certain that the monster was dead and ran straight past the bell.

Every single second was precious to him right now. He didn't care one whit if this monster had died or not.

Mika felt like her entire body was burning up as if her blood had turned to boiling water. It was incredibly painful.

Her head was dizzy, her vision was hazy, and everything around her was nothing but a blur. She didn't even know if she was currently standing or sitting.

'Am… I going to die?'

This thought appeared in her mind.

Death.

The moment this concept appeared in her mind while she was in such a state, it transformed into a bottomless dark abyss!

'I'm so afraid.

'This is so terrifying.

'But… why… does this feel slightly familiar?

'The shadows of death, and the endless darkness… it doesn't feel like I'm experiencing this for the first time?'

In a dark and hazy realm that was simultaneously boiling hot and icy cold, Mika faintly saw various scenes.

These scenes were different from what she knew to be her memories. However, it felt as if they had really happened to her before.

Especially the scene of Seiji's expression of unbearable pain and endless self-blame seemed so clear as if it was deeply engraved in her mind.

'Seiji…'

Mika didn't know what exactly must have happened to cause Seiji to have such an expression.

But he indeed protected her from dying in the past.

Would he… do so this time as well?

He definitely would!

Mika believed in him.

'He'll save me, just like that time.

'Even if I sink into utter darkness, I don't need wo worry… because he'll definitely find me and save me!

'That's why I don't need to be afraid or despair.

'I just have to believe.'

”Seiji…”

Mika muttered the name of the person she loved as she gradually lost her consciousness.

”MIKA!!!”

A loud shout reawakened her consciousness that was about to completely fade!

”Seiji…”

Mika looked in the shout's direction and did her best to look for Seiji.

In her hazy vision, a familiar figure flew over to her.

This was definitely no illusion.

He really came!

The heat within her body reached an extreme at this point in time. It felt as if her very soul was burning up, to the point where maybe she would burn to smithereens in just the very next second.

But even so… even if she died, she wanted to do so in his arms.

Mika used the very last bit of her energy to reach her hand out to him.

Something was wrong with Mika's condition!

A dark-red mist floated around her. Her hair became silvery and wild. Her body shape and face all changed as well.

Her legs became longer, her breasts became bigger, her skin became whiter, and her face was even more beautiful than before… To put it frankly, her beauty massively increased to an incredible level!

The long silver-haired incredible beauty had an almost ethereal aura about her. Since she had her eyes closed, it greatly reminded Seiji of what Sleeping Beauty would look like if fairy tales were real.

Seiji recognized this as the phenomenon of being in a state of high synchronization with one's bonded spirit! Just like how Rana Kirin was capable of transforming from a cute cat girl into a demonic mature cat woman.

Why did Mika undergo a state of synchronization?

The most likely possibility Seiji came up with was that Mika must have combined with Mashiro! As for why she combined with Mashiro, he had no idea.

Mika's body was incredibly hot to the touch. He figured that this was a side effect of the synchronization. How was he supposed to cancel her transformation?