Rhodes had been wondering if Mira had planned a small surprise for him, maybe a gift or sothing sweet.
He never imagined this would be the surprise.
Back when he first decided to help Mira recover from her trauma, he'd always believed two things had to be resolved.
The first was Elfman's emotional state. The second, was Mira's own will.
If Elfman never forgave himself, then Mira could never truly move on either. But if he did, if he could find peace, then Mira would be free to face her own past.
That's why Rhodes had spent so long choosing missions that involved "siblings" or "family bonds," teaming up with Elfman whenever he could. He hoped the shared experiences would remind Elfman that Lisanna had never blad him. That protecting others wasn't a sin.
Little by little, it had helped.
And Mira had understood what he was doing. She had quietly supported him all along.
That had ant everything to Rhodes, because if Mira's heart was open, then all that was left was ti.
He hadn't expected things to move so fast, but sothing must have changed after the siblings visited Lisanna's grave together.
Still, he never thought Mira would show him this so suddenly.
Ugly? What was ugly about this? Is it ugly like Gromp take over?
When Mira revealed her Take Over transformation, Rhodes was stunned, not with fear, but with sheer joy.
And that reaction was what finally gave Mira the courage to look up.
What she saw in Rhodes' face wasn't fear or revulsion, just pure, unfiltered light. A joy so genuine it made all the years of guilt, the scars, the nightmares... fade a little.
"You... you don't find it scary?" Mira asked, her voice trembling. "I look like a totally different person like this."
Rhodes instantly understood what she ant. He rembered when he first tried learning Take Over. Mira had reacted similarly. The trauma from her childhood still lingered, even if she never talked about it.
So Rhodes raised his left arm, transforming it into various monster forms, a rock-hard hand, a clawed beast's limb, a frog's webbed fingers, and finally a massive crab claw.
"No matter what the outside looks like, you're still you, and I'm still ," he said with a soft smile. "You've always been the one I like, Mira. That hasn't changed."
He held up his paw-like wolf hand and grinned sheepishly. "If you're worried I'd be scared of you... how about this? Try pressing the paw pad. If I run away, I lose."
Tears welled up in Mira's eyes, glimring with the sa crystalline light that once made her look terrifying, but now only made her look beautiful.
She reached out, hesitantly pressing her fingers against the rough pads of Rhodes' transford claw.
He didn't flinch.
Instead, he reached forward and clasped her demonic hand in his own, holding it tight like it was the most precious thing in the world.
Mira twitched slightly at the touch, but he didn't let go.
She looked into his warm, encouraging eyes, slowly curling her fingers until they were holding hands properly.
Rhodes couldn't help it, he grinned wider than he had in a long, long ti.
Then he took a step forward and wrapped Mira in a hug with his free arm, still keeping her transford hand firmly in his own.
Her cheek pressed softly against his chest, and her hand rested gently on his shoulder.
The position was awkward, their postures mismatched, but Rhodes didn't care.
He nuzzled his cheek into Mira's hair and whispered softly into her ear, "If you're afraid I only liked the you from before... then I'll start falling for who you are now."
As Rhode's wolf claws reverted to their normal form, he gave Mira's demonic hand a gentle squeeze.
"Anyway, I've caught you now, there's no running away."
"Yeah," Mira replied quietly. Her right hand shimred with light, slowly returning to its human form. With no magical transformations between them now, they were truly holding hands, flesh and warmth, heart to heart.
As if in perfect sync, their fingers gently explored, then laced together, locking tight.
Today's physical training session? Delayed.
But in its place, sothing far more important grew stronger, a shared resolve to protect each other.
And that bond soday, it would beco a strength greater than magic.
Rhode didn't know how long they stood there, holding each other in silence. Eventually, Mira gave him a little push on the chest, and he finally let her go, albeit reluctantly.
She stepped back with her hands clasped behind her back, her expression playful. "Rember what you just said."
"Of course," Rhode nodded, watching her carefully. "Wait... are you about to show the full form of Satan Soul?"
"This ti, it might actually scare you," Mira said with a half-smile, half-worry. "And it's not just about the looks."
"If I get scared..." Rhode blinked. "Then... you decide what to do with ."
"That's what you said," Mira grinned, stepping back further. Her playful look faded as she drew in a deep breath and straightened up, her expression becoming focused and serious.
A surge of magic flared around her.
The air itself seed to tremble as power radiated from Mira's body. Her skirt and hair whipped in the sudden wind, and even Rhode instinctively took a step back.
"This is..." he whispered, stunned. He had expected sothing impressive, but not this. The sheer pressure in the air made his heart race.
Then, in a blinding flash of light, the transformation was complete.
Mira's long white hair stood up like a fla, wild and untad, as if it were alive. A black line traced across her forehead and down the right side of her face, slicing over her eye and down her cheek to her chin. Her lips were blood red, matching the dangerous aura she now exuded.
The red dress she usually wore had changed into a daring, dark outfit—edged in obsidian black and crimson. Two large demon wings stretched from her back, and a sleek black tail curled behind her.
But even more startling than her appearance... was the shift in her presence.
The gentle beauty who had been smiling sweetly just monts ago had vanished, replaced by soone else entirely.
Rhodes wasn't even sure whether she moved her feet or simply vanished and reappeared, but in the blink of an eye, Mira was hovering right in front of him, elevated just slightly above, suspended in the air with her wings spread wide.
She looked down on him, eyes cold and expression unreadable. The sheer force of the magic pressure made Rhodes' breath catch. For a heartbeat, he couldn't believe this was the sa Mira.
And then her fingers gently pinched his chin, lifting his gaze toward her.
Her face, so close now, was breathtaking in a completely different way. Fierce, commanding, untouchable.
Rhodes felt his pulse quicken. There was even a tiny part of him that... hoped she'd be a little bolder.
But instead of any unexpected kisses or teasing, Mira's voice dropped, cool and imperious. "You were scared just now, weren't you?"
Still holding her hand, Rhodes sighed, giving in with a sheepish grin.
"Yeah, you got . That sudden spike in magic power was a lot to handle, and the whole chin-grab thing? Way too bold. I wasn't ready."
Mira chuckled as she landed gracefully on the ground, allowing him to keep her hand in his. Her confident smile blood, proud and playful.
"Hmph. Then be prepared to receive your punishnt later."
That look of satisfaction, having shown her power, having surprised him, it clearly made her day.
She'd always been the strong one, but now she'd reminded them both: she could protect him too.
"Okay, okay," Rhodes muttered, laughing under his breath. "What kind of punishnt are we talking about?"
He had hoped that after Mira's recovery, life would slow down a bit. Maybe even squeeze in so guilt-free snacks. But now?
Now all he could think about was that chin-grabbing mont.
If he didn't step up his ga, Mira was going to completely outpace him in every way, and not just magically.
This wouldn't do.
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