Soul Magic 101

Daki/Ume just sat there, unmoving after the Transformation took hold, mouth open, and eyes unblinking as the other girls just stared between the gleaming Host and the broken contestant.

"Now then, I suppose I should finish explaining how the system works during the week, you'll each be taking turns with the Master, having a date night as it were. After 10 o'clock, you should return to your rooms and-"

"He-Hey, didn't you say she had until a Ceremony to get her points back up, if you're just going to keep explaining things, you didn't have to do... that to her!" Trevor said, gesturing worriedly at the pale girl sitting like a lifeless doll.

"Did I, hmm, I suppose you're right, oh well, nothing to be done about it now, I'll try to pay better attention in the future, this will certainly reflect badly on my peer review." Cam said, mumbling to themselves as they turned away, wings giving a slight shiver.

"Wha-What do you mean, 'nothing to be done' FIX HER!" The Master demanded as the host turned back, a much **** smile on their face as they approach the still sitting Master, despite everything, he was still stuck in his throne.

"Of course, sir, just tell me which one you'd like me to kill?" Cam said with all the aplomb of a parent speaking to a child.

"Kill? I don't want you to kill her, just undo whatever you did." Trevor trailed off, unsure how to proceed, now noticing all the girls staring at him. It was to be expected, he was the most vocal, the only one unrestrained in voicing his opinions, and certainly the only one seemingly capable of reining in the angelic Host.

"I'm sorry, perhaps I gave the wrong impression, terminate would be a much more accurate word, does that help you decide?" Cam pushed a little closer as Trevor backed away, pressing the jacket between him and the throne back.

"No, that just sounds the exact same, I don't, what do you even mean?" He mumbled, looking down.

"Hmm, oh I suppose that wasn't very clear, I thought you could all read the words, I'm sorry, I'm still rather new to this after all, Daki's Transformation divided her into two entities, Daki and Ume, they're going to share the body going forward. If it upsets you that much, I suppose I can undo it, just let me know which girl you'd prefer to stick around?" Cam's tone was starting to get on some of the girls' nerves.

"Can't you just, undo it?" Ino asked, her tone similar to a teacher lecturing a student.

"As I just explained, there are currently two people now in there, perhaps the fault falls on me, I suppose you're unfamiliar with the makeup of the soul, I simply divided hers into two pieces. Daki and Ume." Cam tried explaining, but it seemed they were just talking around each other.

"You... split her soul in... two?" Bambi said slowly, a fearfully look in her eyes.

"Oh, I suppose you would the most knowledgably about the subject, yes, thank you for explaining what I already said." Cam's tone didn't suggest the annoyance slowly building back up.

"Can't you just... push them back together?" Trevor suggested as Cam looked at him like he'd suggested maple syrup to brush one's teeth.

"Perhaps I haven't been clear, yes, that is something well within my powers, but I'd like to know which one you'd prefer I dispose of." Cam tried explaining once again.

"Neither! I don't want you killing anyone one, I don't even know what's going on here, you said everything would be fine, but this feels the furthest thing from fine! I just want you to fix her!" Trevor said, pulling his feet into the seat and pulling the hood over his head as he tried to push down the terror rising up.

"Trevor, honey, I'm going to try to explain this as simply as possible, okay?" Cam sounded very comforting, softly patting the shaking Master's head through the cloth.

"Right now, Daki has a soul, and Ume has a soul, both are inside of her, neither has any memory of being the other, if I put them back together, it would be like putting coffee and cream together, one adds to the other. Either it will be Daki with Ume's memories, or Ume with Daki's memories. Understand?" Cam said slowly, surprisingly several of the other girls were nodding, although Trevor was just looking sadly at the Host.

"But they're both her memories, why is it so difficult?" He mumbled.

"It's kinda like me, right, my name is Ryuko, but I'm also Pixiebob, the memories I have as one is part of the other, but you've completely separated them... right?" Pixie said.

"Exactly, let me put it another way Trevor, right now, Ume has no memory of becoming a demon, of killing all those people, of eating them. Remember how when she died, she could have gone to Heaven, or whatever it's called in their world, Ume's soul was pure and blameless, if I put them back then she'll be **** to remember what she turned into. And Daki has no memory of being a human, of how it feels to be cold, and starving, and the other things she went through. Aren't you a bit curious what their lives would be like this way, ironically, Daki is now the one who wasn't raised by her brother, although she still remembers him, just as the Upper Moon 6." Cam explained as Trevor looked up, pulling his hood away.

"I just... I don't get it. Isn't there something you can do for her?" Trevor mumbled from the ball of cloth and flesh at he'd turned into.

Cam let out what had to be the longest sigh as she scratched at the side of her head.

"I suppose if it's going to upset you that much, it wouldn't be very good ratings. She hasn't woken up yet, so it would just be a blip in her consciousness, like a hiccup in her lifeline..." Cam began mumbling as well, backpedaling on his previous assertions as if there wasn't an entire argument to the contrary. "Since I'm doing something for you, you have to do something for me... or her, if that helps any." Cam offered as Trevor looked out of his head, pale green eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Me?"

"Yes you, I'll fix her, but you have to give a fitting Punishment for her." Cam said, holding her fingers as if to snap, which made her look very Italian.

"I have to... pick a new Punishment for her?" Trevor said, pulling the hood back as the girls looked at him, mildly curious to see how this exchange would play out... after all it could one of them in that position one day.

"Of course, if the one I picked is that upsetting, it makes sense for you to replace it." Cam exclaimed.

"I-uhmm, I don't want to, I don't want to punish her, she didn't do anything wrong!' Trevor argued as Cam's expression shifted minutely.

"Now, we both know that's a lie, and my patience is running thin. You didn't want her to be eliminated, you can't pick between two halves of the same girl, and now you say she shouldn't even be punished? Are you truly that passive, I thought you understood what would happen when you came here, but all you've done is try to get away, from your girls, from your choices, from even having to make a choice in the matter!" Cam snapped, both verbally and physically as Daki's Punishment was covered by bright red letters.

(CURSED TRANSFORMATION)

"There, happy, if Daki can go until the actual Transformation Ceremony without losing any more points, I'll consider her lesson learned, but in exchange, consider this your last chance. Next time what I say stands, regardless of your personal feelings on the matter, got it memorized?" Cam declared with a tone of finality. "Oh, and don't worry about explaining it to her, she's awake now, she has an idea what's at stake." Cam glared as he turned back to his Hosting.

"Now, as I was getting around to explaining earlier, each girl has 3 Transformation Paths, they relate to different aspects of the girl." Cam launched into another lecture, all the girls leaning in given the importance of the information. "Take Kurumu here for instance, she'd have a path relating to being a Succubus, and one for being rather 'gifted', of course, these can relate to dreams as well, like Mafuyu's being a teacher or sometimes be an opposite of the person like Ino turning into an Amazon, understand. So, I'll adjust Daki's paths to relate to either her or Ume as part of her punishment, this part stays!

"Lovely, I can't think of a better time to let our viewers make their opinions known." Cam said, snapping his fingers at the cameras, only for nothing to happen. "Just one moment, I just need a little practice with it. Uhm, Elly, Alex, could you please show our guests around, I'll catch up in just a few moments." cam said as his two wings fluttered, dropping to the stage as two smaller children stood up, saluting, one very obviously a girl, the other a boy, although they heavily favored each other.

"What are the chances that never gets explained?" Ino leaned over to whisper to Trevor.

"I'm more concerned with this feeling like something inside me is different than it was ten minutes ago." Trevor replied, still shaking from the showdown with the Host.

As the contestants filed away behind her two assistants, Cam looked back to the cameras, "Okay guys, this is my first time, so if it all goes wrong, please leave a nice peer review, otherwise..." Cam let the threat hang there as he cracked his knuckles, words forming from the ether.

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