"After that," she continued, settling back onto his lap, her weight shifting subtly, radiating an almost purring contentment, "I started looking for… you! And other humans! I started searching for locations that matched the movie! Ancient ruins! Forests! Mountains! Anything that looked like your world! I even checked out the old dwarf base! It wasn't in the movie, but seemed like a place you'd go!"
"I didn't tell the other Flugels," she added
She paused, a slight frown creasing her brow. "My second quest… it hasn't come yet, though. The System's been quiet since I killed the dragon. Maybe it's… waiting for something? Waiting to see what I do next?"
And then, as if the main point of her entire presence had been covered, as if the terrifying power, the intimate violation, the cosmic stakes, were all secondary… she started talking about… other things. Anything and everything.
"Oh, Riku, you should see the sky here at night! The stars are incredible! And the mana in the air? It's so… vibrant! It makes my wings tingle!" She fluttered her delicate wings slightly, sending a shower of iridescent dust into the air. "And the food! I mean, Serabil's body doesn't need to eat, but I tried some berries? They're so much more… intense than Earth berries! Is that because of the mana? Or maybe the soil is just better? Do you guys farm with mana?"
Her conversation flowed like a waterfall, a torrent of observations, opinions, and questions, leaping from the celestial to the mundane with dizzying speed. She talked about the architecture of the elf ruins (boring! Too much nature!), the arrogance of the Warbeasts (so cliché! Where's the character development?!), the sheer power of the Dragon she killed (epic! Like a final boss!), the lack of decent internet access (a tragedy! How am I supposed to watch seasonal anime?!) and the puzzling absence of magical girls (a crime against fiction! Where are the heroines of justice?!). She debated the merits of different power systems she had seen in anime, critiqued the fashion sense of various races ("Have you seen the Dhampirs? So extra!"), speculated wildly about what kind of quests the System might give them next ("Maybe a Dungeon Raid? Or a Tournament Arc?!"), and enthusiastically described her favorite anime tropes and husbandos (mentioning Levi again, much to Riku's discomfort).
As she talked, perched on his lap, describing the wonders and annoyances of her two weeks in Disboard with the breathless enthusiasm of a tourist who happened to have the power of a god, Riku felt the initial terror, the violation, begin to recede, replaced by a numb, surreal bewilderment. This terrifying, all-powerful being… was a chatterbox. A complete, utter, unstoppable chatterbox. A Flugel with the personality of an anime forum regular.
Anna, the 17-year-old American anime fan layered over the ancient consciousness of Serabil, kept talking and talking and talking. She talked about her favorite anime tropes, debated the merits of different power systems, critiqued the fashion sense of various races, and speculated wildly about what kind of quests the System might give them next. She was so engrossed in her own monologue, so thrilled to find someone who could potentially understand her unique reality, that she seemed to have completely forgotten the terrifying power she wielded, the vulnerable position Riku was in, and…
…what she had originally planned to do.
Her golden eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, her hands gestured animatedly as she spoke, her weight shifting slightly on his lap with her movements. She was completely lost in conversation.
The intensity in her gaze was no longer predatory, but the focused light of a kind and helpful girl.
Riku, pinned beneath this torrent of words and light, felt a strange, twisted sense of relief wash over him. He looked up at her, perched on his lap, arms occasionally waving as she emphasized a point about narrative structure, her golden eyes fixed on some internal visualization of her thoughts. She had forgotten. Completely forgotten, at least for now, her earlier intent. The horrifying intimacy of moments before, the terrifying power play… it was all sidelined by the sheer, overwhelming need to talk.
He took a shaky breath. The weight on his lap remained, a constant, undeniable reminder of his vulnerability. But the immediate threat, the terrifying certainty of forced intimacy, had dissipated, drowned out by a flood of anime references and observations about mana density.
He had to pivot. He had to capitalize on this unexpected turn. Her desire for trust. Her eagerness to talk. This was his chance.
"Hey… Anna," Riku interrupted gently, forcing himself to sound calm, even conversational, despite the absurdity of the situation.
She paused mid-sentence, her golden eyes blinking, refocusing on him. "Oh? Yes?" Her expression was bright, expectant, the look of someone whose favorite character had just spoken to them.
"If… if you really want me to trust you," Riku continued, his voice low, choosing his words carefully, leaning into the opportunity her good nature presented, "you have to earn it."
Anna/Serabil's expression shifted, a flicker of vulnerability touching her features. "How can I earn your trust?" Her eyes held a hopeful, earnest light, the light of a good-natured, kind-hearted person who genuinely admired him. This was the Anna Rio's memories might have appreciated. This was the vulnerability Riku could perhaps work with. This was Serabil, viewing the world through the lens of Anna's admiration.
This was exactly what Riku wanted to hear. It was his only leverage.
With a subtle, almost imperceptible movement, Riku reached into his Inventory. His fingers closed around the familiar, cold metal. He withdrew Braham's Ring.
It was a plain, unassuming band, forged from dark metal, radiating no visible power, making no sound. To anyone in this world, it would appear to be just a simple, if perhaps ancient, ring. But Riku knew its true nature. Rio's fragmented knowledge, reinforced by the System's description, whispered its power. An item from the Tower of Trials, first floor, in 'Max Level Newbie'. More than just passive buffs like Magic Resistance +10 and Movement Speed +5% and Suppression +20. Those were minor accessories. Its true ability…
It could trap a soul inside it and seal their powers.
He knew it was easier to use on mindless creatures. But for a conscious being, a being with self-awareness, intelligence, and power… it required their approval. Their consent. A willing surrender, however temporary, to its magic, to the will of the user.
Riku held up the ring, the dark metal catching the dim light filtering through the trees. His gaze, steady and unwavering despite the terrifying being perched on his lap, met Anna/Serabil's sparkling golden eyes.
"If you truly want me to trust you," Riku said, his voice firm, cutting through the lingering strangeness of the moment, "get inside this. Just for a moment. If you can do that… if you're willing to trust me with your power, your very being, in a way that proves you mean no harm… you will do this."
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to. The challenge was clear. A demonstration of vulnerability, a willing submission to his power (however limited), in exchange for his trust. A test framed not just as a security measure, but as a validation of her stated good nature and admiration.
Anna/Serabil looked at the ring, then back at Riku, her golden eyes wide with curiosity and something that looked like genuine interest. The inherent good nature and admiration of Anna.
"Oh!" she chirped, her smile returning, bright and innocent. "Alright, Riku! If that's what it takes to earn your trust!"
Her enthusiasm was immediate, absolute. Without hesitation, without a single question or hint of suspicion about the ring's capabilities or the wisdom of entrusting her immense power to a human, she radiated an aura of complete, willing compliance. She leaned forward slightly, radiating consent, ready to enter the ring, her golden eyes fixed on Riku with eager anticipation. The admiration in her gaze was absolute, a fan utterly willing to follow her hero's lead.
Riku felt a surge of something akin to triumph mixed with disbelief. It was working. His gamble, his desperate play for leverage using a System item, was actually working. He focused his will, channeling the ring's power, attempting to initiate the soul transfer, to draw her essence, her terrifying power, into the small, dark band.
He felt the ring hum in his hand. Felt the subtle pull of its unique magic reaching out towards Anna/Serabil, connecting with the vast, shimmering energy of the seraph. Felt the intention to trap, to seal, empowered by her consent.
And then…
[System: The Soul transfer failed. Soul transfer can't be done on a gambler]