Chapter Seventy-Nine: Surgery
Some seconds after the fight with Mukuro.
Clocktower's underground facility
A brief silence fell over the room.
It was a cold, enclosed room packed with medical equipment,
Most notably the large medical capsule positioned in the middle of the room.
Morgan, Artemisia, and Cecile all let out heavy sighs almost in unison.
"...well, that's been taken care of."
Rubbing the side of his hair,
Morgan exhaled those words before putting on a white coat.
Artemisia did the same with a wry smile but without any words.
While they did that, pixels converged into one spot before forming a humanoid shape.
It was Beta.
«…We will be starting the [Physical Enhancement Surgery] now»
Her appearance had changed from the childlike, Miku-esque body she once had.
Now, she resembled an eighteen- to nineteen-year-old girl,
Accompanied by long, wavy blue hair and matching eyes.
Her body was clad in deep black, traced with gold-like patterned engravings.
[Aria from Updater]
Beta voiced while looking towards Artemisia who nodded first, then to Morgan.
The male however brought out his phone from his pocket staring at it.
He then muttered, "Took you long enough," or something along those lines.
«Master?»
"No, forget it. Let's begin."
Beta nodded and turned back toward the capsule where Cecile lay.
Since the raid, she had thoroughly analyzed DEM's technologies.
Among which [Physical Enhancement Surgery] was part of it.
But it was rather a double edge surgery.
In exchange for heightened physical ability and strength.
A Wizard's lifespan would be drastically shortened.
The method of enhancement fundamentally damaged the body in irreversible ways.
For instance, accelerated recovery achieved through forced cellular stimulation.
One can imagine what would happen if this went on for a long time to come.
Yes… that is why.
«The procedure has been restructured. Its primary function is now healing…»
In addition,
Should Cecile's surgery be successful, they can market this technology.
Of course, it would be a very, very limited version of this one.
After all,
It was backed by two of the strongest Espers and a quantum-processing AI.
Cecile felt no fear.
She trusted the three of them completely.
It was so much so that the idea of failure never crossed her mind.
"Of course, there might be a few aftereffects, such as an insane regenerative capacity."
Morgan tilted her head as though to say, and you know the rest.
"Is that why we're diluting Mana? To make it compatible with Cee?"
«Yes»
Mana might be a little strong for those who had little to do with it before.
If it were a Magus like Ellen, she could withstand a large intake of mana.
But for Cecile, who never had any dealings with it, she'd be greatly affected.
That's beside the point.
Morgan raised both his gloved fingers with a mask now donned on his face.
"We'll go with the «Ideal Mana» concept and refine it further."
Beta and Artemisia nodded.
Cecile also nodded with her eyes shut tight as slumber slowly pulled her in.
And then the surgery began.
Morgan began by gathering motes of mana from his entire surroundings.
It slowly condensed into a thin ball of light, but Morgan did something different.
He began tampering with the mana.
First, he gathered the thin ball of light, forming it into an actual solid material.
Rather, he gave it a solid composition.
Next was stabilization.
By adding a binding structure, much like a molecular structure that binds atoms, he needed to introduce one.
Regardless, Morgan was no god; in the end, he was still human.
He couldn't create an atom.
So instead, he created patterns, and by using his own innate esper ability,
He could contradict the mana flow to bind it.
Finally was the medium.
Morgan opened his eyes and looked directly at Artemisia, who gave a silent nod.
A sphere of water, about the size of a tennis ball, floated toward him.
The next step was dissolution.
Merging it into pure water.
Water incapable of conducting electricity.
Yet for some reason, the sight stirred a sense of déjà vu within him.
Why yes… a certain memory of him being sucked dry was rekindled.
Morgan's expression paled for a brief moment.
"What's wrong?"
"Ahem, nothing, continue."
With that,
Artemisia gently guided the sphere forward, pressing it against the now-solid mass of light.
It resembled a golden orb.
Though it was described as dissolving into water, that wasn't entirely accurate.
It was closer to a fusion.
A process with ninety-nine percent stability and compatibility.
That is, the ratio at which both components bond together,
…must not fall below roughly ninety-eight percent.
«I will now handle the calculations»
"Counting on you."
Beta's eyes lit up as she extended her hand toward the two spheres.
Deep computation was activated.
As a quantum computer,
Beta could accomplish far more than any conventional artificial intelligence.
The only other AI to achieve this is none other than Maria.
But presently, Beta was the strongest AI.
Simulating an atomic-level bonding property between the two different elements is a trivial thing for her.
Right…
This was precisely why Morgan had created those patterns earlier.
In which those patterns would substitute for atoms.
It was for this.
By merging those artificial patterns with atomic behavior, an altered state could be produced.
That altered state was «Ideal Mana».
Naturally, it came with limitations.
It could not be produced in large volumes or across an entire body of water.
Doing so would be far too taxing.
Even for Morgan.
«Ms. Artemisia, please follow the calculations I am transmitting to you.»
"Understood."
Artemisia nodded, closing her eyes as her domain spread throughout the room.
Beta overlaid her calculations atop the domain.
Then, the fusion process began.
While that was underway, Morgan formed another solid sphere of light.
Apart from his focus on Cecile.
He had another thought in mind.
'It's payback time. Finally, time to subdue Nightmare.'
With that in mind,
Morgan subtly used the domain's effects to create another portion of «Ideal Fluid».
Beta from across her master stared at him intently with a knowing gaze.
However Morgan pretended like he knew nothing, as simply smiled.
[I know what type of person you are, Master]
Morgan could practically hear her voice in his head, but he calmly replied.
'[You have no proof]'
For some unknown reason.
A suspenseful background music began playing as the two silently locked gazes.
The exchange lasted until Artemisia finally finished her work.
Both of them finally looked away.
"...hm? What's wrong?"
[Poor, clueless Ms. Artemisia… having someone important to her stolen by a wolf.]
[No, by a dinosaur.]
Beta thought her sense of humor was slick.
That … wasn't the case.
Regardless, it went smoothly and the «Ideal Mana» had been created.
"Now then, time for [Solution B]."
[Solution B].
Morgan truly had an awful sense for naming.
The term was borrowed directly from DEM's [Material A], altered with no creativity whatsoever.
In any case…
"Now comes the hard part."
Everyone's expression hardened.
Highly concentrated mana was dangerous to any ordinary person if taken in directly.
Put simply…
Everyone possesses mana, or Reiryoku, but only in infinitesimal quantities.
Breaking it down further, that amount was equivalent to one's very lifeforce.
Simply by possessing mana, one's lifespan can naturally be extended.
At least to some extent.
Talk about how Ellen and Westcott looks so young, right?
In any case..
Because the amount within a normal person is so minuscule,
Sudden contact with a concentrated amount of mana or Reiryoku will..
Well, you guessed it.
Either they die of mana poison, or they inflate till they burst like a balloon.
"If we regulate the mana and gradually force her skeletal frame and nervous system to adapt to it…"
"We can use the «Ideal Mana»'s ideal patterns to realign and heal her body."
Artemisia muttered that out after seeing Beta's formula, which was flawless as usual.
But Morgan had a tad bit of concern.
If her body were reconstructed into its ideal state and continuously healed…
Wouldn't her body simply remain in that perfected condition indefinitely?
'...that's actually concerning.'
It was then Morgan finally realized: Wasn't he just the same as Westcott?
There was no difference; he was just an ethical Westcott.
Nothing more, nothing less.
«Master, please focus on the surgery»
"Right."
[Aligning target with Ideal Mana…]
The golden fluid, under Morgan's control, stretched.
With that done, Morgan gently wrapped it around her.
It formed a thin membrane around the girl's body like a blanket.
As he did..
[Stabilization of Mana flow established]
Artemisia subtly altered its composition, allowing it to regulate airflow.
[Scanning initiated]
Beta went next,
She activated the medical capsule's scanning and regenerative systems.
Naturally, the capsule contained a built-in realize, which was why.
[Identifying deviations from ideal bodily state…]
[Ideal physical blueprint generated]
The capsule showed an X-ray of Cecile's body, as though her body were see-through.
Some parts of her body, specifically parts of her legs, were highlighted in red.
'That's it, alright.'
[Bone structure recalibration initiated — lower limbs]
Artemisia focused on passing the ideal pattern of the fluid, which tightened around her legs.
"Right, easy…"
Artemisia muttered, letting the fluid slowly caress her feet.
She passed the ideal patterns through it.
[Muscle, tendon, and nerve reinforcement in progress]
"So far so good."
Morgan muttered as he focused on another spot, her upper half.
Specifically, her face.
[Ocular structures reconstruction initiated]
[Optic pathways and sensory function restoration in progress]
Morgan passed the ideal patterns of the fluid into her eyelids opening a pathway.
Then his eyes glowed golden.
He watched as tiny particles of golden merged with her nerves.
Just when he did,
He noticed the ideal patterns started merging with her skeletal frame.
'Can't be helped.'
He'd muttered that quietly before activating [Deep Analysis] on her.
[Ideal state synchronization completed]
[Structural and functional strengthening applied]
[Ideal Mana withdrawal initiated — process complete]
The golden blob of fluid returned to its normal state floating before Morgan.
Yet his attention wasn't on that.
It was on his own expression.
A strained smile crept across his face as sweat slid down his chin, despite the cool air.
'Yabai…'
This was far different than Kurumi's.
It was so different that even Kurumi might pale in comparison to this girl.
Essentially,
Kurumi merely used an ideal state as a battery to power her Angel.
But Cecile's different.
Everything about her had reached its ideal form. The patterns, no, the formula itself—
Had begun integrating with her entire body.
They latched onto even the smallest nuclei within her cells and body.
However,
'What?'
Morgan's lips parted beneath his mask as he stared in disbelief.
What happened to that perfect body he'd created was a contradiction.
Yes.
A contradiction.
Despite achieving a perfected state of being, her body could not retain mana.
Yet from that impossibility emerged something even stranger.
In a manner of speaking.
While she can't hold mana, she can act as a conductor for it.
«….»
Beta stared at Morgan, who was deep in thought.
She could understand.
Thinking back now, they'd come a long way, from one small creation to this…
Realignment of bones and elevating the body to the ideal state.
In other-worldly terms,
Cecile could best be described as a Sage.
One who had broken free from the limits binding ordinary humans, capable of living far longer than most.
Beta could understand the surprise.
After all,
Morgan had unknowingly recreated something that exists within his memories.
Having witnessed the worlds contained within those memories.
She found herself satisfied with the results.
«Since the operation was successful, Beta proposes a course of action»
Morgan and Artemisia turned toward her.
«[Eclipse] will arrive soon, and the three of us will be leaving this world»
«I recommend empowering the remaining three to at least Ms. Cecile's level»
Morgan closed his eyes in contemplation.
There's only less than a month remaining before [Eclipse].
Right…
Ashley herself might be on the level of a Spirit, Leo wasn't quite there yet.
Same with Maya.
And in this case, it wasn't the spirits they were going against but..
Westcotto!
Morgan had no doubt Westcott would come chasing after him.
If anything, he understands why.
Even he too wants to simply crush Westcott.
But more importantly.
"No, I'm against it."
Morgan eventually shook his head.
At first, strengthening them might seem good; heck, even Morgan believes so.
But everyone here was already aware of the consequences.
Cecile herself was okay with it.
Yet, that wasn't entirely it.
He believed they should best explore their own possibilities.
For example, Ashley.
She did better than he'd expected in the battle against Mukuro.
Even when using [Overlimit],
Ashley managed to regulate everyone's power as effectively as possible.
She had even overpowered Mukuro with it.
That alone was proof of growth.
And that was precisely why—
"Hm, I've been with the others for quite some time now, so I can vouch for them."
Artemisia cut in.
"Those girls are tenacious, after all."
«…»
Beta let out a quiet mechanical sigh.
«Understood»
«Beta will leave this matter to the Beta of this world once Beta departs with Master and Ms. Artemisia.»