[Chapter 138: Soul Swap]
Frank Douglas immediately froze.
Katherine, standing beside him, stopped moving as well.
They both knew that the "her" Daniel referred to was Tanusha, who currently occupied Katherine's physical body.
Frank Douglas asked, "What if we just let her die?"
Daniel replied, "Her Soul has already been transferred twice. The damage is even worse than Katherine's. Letting her die means doing nothing and moving straight to the Soul transfer. During that process, she will definitely die. But if the body dies, there's no guarantee Katherine can return to it."
Before Frank could say anything else, Daniel continued, "Letting her live is simpler. We give her a soul condensing Elixir to repair her damaged Soul first, then proceed with the transfer. That greatly improves the chances of success."
Frank Douglas said immediately, "Let her live."
"Let her live," Katherine gritted her teeth. "Even if she survives, her Soul will be damaged again. I want her to know what it's like to be trapped in this decrepit old body, unable to speak or move, just watching time slip away as her life ticks down."
"All right, we'll proceed with that," Daniel said. "You may continue your reunion."
...
Daniel left and headed to Tanusha's room.
As soon as she saw him, Tanusha, wearing a straitjacket and bite guard, grew restless and struggled violently.
Daniel removed her bite guard, and she immediately asked, "Have they started yet?"
"Oh?" Daniel was curious. "Why do you say that?"
"I can feel it."
"Your intuition is sharp. Do you feel like you're about to die?" Daniel asked.
Madness flickered across Tanusha's face. "Die! Let me die already! I want to die right now."
Daniel said, "I wouldn't mind letting you die, but Katherine refused."
"She's still hoping to switch back with me, so she doesn't want me to die," Tanusha scoffed. "It's useless. Without thirty years, the Soul can't be repaired at all. She won't be able to wait that long. In thirty years, she'll be long dead."
Daniel said, "Don't measure powers you don't understand with ignorance."
Tanusha sneered even more. "Isn't that the truth? You've been searching for a solution forever, have you found one yet?"
"You'll see soon enough."
Daniel raised his hand and pressed a soul condensing Elixir into Tanusha's mouth.
"What did you feed m--"
Before she could finish, her head dropped just like Katherine's had before, and she entered the state Katherine through just before.
Daniel untied her restraints, letting her curl up like an infant. This posture helps the Soul repair itself more effectively. Katherine hadn't been asked to do this before because her physical body was too old to endure the effort.
Daniel stood behind Tanusha and pressed his palm to her back.
...
When Tanusha woke, she found herself sitting on the floor, arms raised.
Across from her was the body she once used. But now, inside it, was the owner of her current body, Katherine.
Their palms pressed together, blood occasionally oozing between their hands.
Around them, candles flickered, and mirrors were angled toward them.
Strange runes were drawn on the floor beneath them.
She recognized those runes very well.
No, it wasn't just the runes, it was the entire setup.
Because she had used this exact method to perform two Soul Exchanges herself. Add her husband's two attempts, and that made four times.
"W-what are you going to do?" Tanusha panicked.
She wanted to move but couldn't, so all she could do was look at Daniel nearby.
"How could you not know, bitch..." Katherine, her palm pressed against Tanusha's, roared furiously. "Bitch, soon I'm taking back my own body."
"No, impossible! How can this be?"
Tanusha was in full panic, her face tight with terror.
She struggled desperately but was bound as if paralyzed by a Body-Fixing Spell, unable to rise.
Katherine laughed heartily. "I struggled just like you are now. Now you get to experience it. Back then, you told me, 'Stop struggling, it's useless.' Now I'm returning those words to you."
"No, I don't believe it, I don't believe you can do this..." Tanusha shook her head, sobbing, tears and snot streaming down her face.
"Bitch, don't pollute my body," Katherine spat angrily.
If she wasn't immobilized, she would have beaten her.
Daniel stood nearby and asked, "Are you ready?"
Katherine replied immediately, "I am ready, Mr. Cross."
"I'm not! I'm not ready!" Tanusha cried out desperately.
Daniel said coldly, "I wasn't asking you."
He looked toward Frank Douglas. "Do you want to observe the ritual? It might be a little uncomfortable."
Frank Douglas hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly. "I'll stay."
"Then let's begin."
Daniel didn't delay.
He stepped forward, and the runes on the floor suddenly flared with a deep purple glow.
A mysterious power surged, enveloping Katherine and Tanusha.
Normally, this step required mixing precious materials with fresh blood to activate the runes.
But Daniel used spiritual energy directly. The effect was just as strong, if not stronger.
The runes beneath Daniel's feet also lit up.
He spread his arms and began chanting in Latin:
Foedus Animarum Geminarum, per Aetherem coniunctum.Umbra Lunae, Ignis Solis — hoc corpus mortale ligate.Per signum Geminorum, per viam Subterraneam.Anima transferatur, corpus mutetur.Ita iussum. Ita sigillatum.
(Covenant of twin souls, bound through Aether.Shadow of the Moon, fire of the Sun — bind this mortal body.By the sign of the Twins, by the path beneath.Let the soul be transferred; let the bodies be exchanged.So ordered. So sealed.)
In the sealed, secret room, a cold wind suddenly swept through, causing candle flames to flicker wildly.
Katherine and Tanusha shuddered violently.
They lifted their heads at the same time; their pupils vanished, replaced by milky white eyes, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Mysterious forces wrapped around them, rapidly converging.
"No... no..." Tanusha screamed, struggling futilely.
Daniel's chant continued:
Per Aetherem testem, haec translatio sub auctoritate sigillata declaratur.Per ritum statutum et legem veterem, transitus perficitur.Anima integra maneat; corpus incolume servetur.Ita iussum. Ita sigillatum.
(By Aether as witness, this transference is declared under sealed authority.By established rite and lawful method, the passage is enacted.Let the soul remain whole; let the body endure unharmed.So ordered. So sealed.)
As Daniel finished, the mirrors shattered one after another.
All the candlelight went out, and Katherine and Tanusha collapsed forward, tangled in a heap.
With the candles extinguished, the room fell into darkness.
Frank Douglas was tense, desperate to speak but holding back.
Until he heard a click.
The overhead lights flickered on, flooding the room with light.
It was Daniel who had switched them on.
Frank immediately saw Katherine and Tanusha in the center of the Soul Transfer Formation.
"Mr. Cross, is it... successful?" Frank asked, voice tight with anxiety. He had never been this nervous, not even negotiating billion-dollar business deals.
*****
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