Miria pulled closer to Asterios, hiding her rosy face in the crook of his neck.

  “You’ve already partaken in each other’s bodies so many times.” The cheeky Dryad rolled her eyes with a tiny smirk. “Or is it my presence that discourages you? Should I leave until you get comfortable?”

  “No.” The panthergirl shook her head, taking a peek at the exquisite lady of dark caramel skin. “You are right. And you have seen all of us do it many times through Master’s eyes. Besides, you are now his mate too… I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to join in with us here…”

  Asterios cupped Miria’s flushed cheeks and lifted her chin, placing a loving kiss on her soft lips. “For now, let’s focus on you. I’ll give you a hand if you do the same for me. Alright?”

  She smiled adorably and dipped her head. Her furry fingers moved to his face to caress his cheeks too, then slid down his neck, starting to tug at Ast’s crimson coat. Slowly and gently, they helped each other out of their tops. Miria’s face heated up along the way, but she kept the charming smile up, bravely not hiding her chest behind her arms. She admired his physique as much as he admired hers.

  A moment later, they stood before each other in their birthday suits, Ast’s hands resting on Miria’s sides while hers affectionately grazing his chest as their gazes connected deeply. They got a bit lost in the leisurely closeness and intimacy, exchanging a few pecks, until a contented sigh broke them out of their world, making them look to the side.

  “You two make such a perfect couple.” Tia rested her chin atop her palm as she grinned at them fondly. “No wonder you are the first female Master fell for.”

  “I think it’s the other way…” Miria murmured, getting even redder.

  “What are the next steps?” Asterios asked, brushing his fingers over her skin, trying to guide the process forward so as not to embarrass his timid mate further.

  Their generous host snapped her fingers, and part of the ticklish grass around them fell with an audible snip. They glanced at the ground and watched a gentle spiritual current carry the green blades away, revealing a complex magical formation under their feet.

  “Sit while facing the same direction, but close enough to reach with an extended arm,” Tia instructed them.

  The duo followed her guidance, and figuring out the proper circumstances, ended up sitting in a cross-legged position with Asterios behind Miria, as close as his legs allowed him. He scratched her back a bit, making the feline girl giggle sweetly and throw him a cute pout over her shoulder, the tip of her tail starting to tickle his nose strongly enough to make him sneeze.

  Their wise friend approached them from the side and assumed a slightly more serious expression. “Miria.”

  “Ummm… Yes?” The panthergirl’s expression grew tense too as she gazed upon the beautiful tree girl.

  “I’m going to assist you two as much as I can, but this will very likely hurt like nothing you have ever experienced before,” Tia said with a calm but stern tone. “You don’t have to worry about the consequences of failure, success, or even going too far, but I have to ask before we begin, are you sure you want this? I understand your desire to grow stronger, and there might be more opportunities for you to gain power in the future without being so painful. There is no shame in walking away now.”

  A resolute frown descended on the usually cheerful panthergirl’s face. “I want this. For Master, I can bear anything. Unless something goes wrong and I risk injuring myself gravely or losing my life, allow me to endure anything. If it comes to that though, stop me even if it’s at the cost of all the strength I currently possess. I would rather become powerless than let Master blame himself for everything and have his heart break. I would sacrifice my everything to stay by his side and support him with just my weakened presence.”

  “Miria…” Asterios looked at her proudly straightened back, her black tail resting trustfully in his hand

  He knew how much she yearned for equal power to stand next to him like the proper warrior that she was. Her statement was so much stronger with that knowledge, making his chest tighten.

  An adoring smile appeared on Tia’s lips. “I’ve heard your oath. I swear on my very nature that I will uphold this promise. Now, Asterios, are you willing to permit this ritual?”

  He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Denying Miria this opportunity after listening to her words would be the greatest offense I could show her. I’m proud to be her mate. Therefore, I’m willing to support her fully in this endeavor. Know that my love for you will not change in the slightest, regardless of the result. You could be at the level of the most basic human, and I would look at you no differently ever. I will not deny your faith and devotion.”

  “Master…” She gazed at him over her shoulder, her eyes glistening at their edges.

  “I’ve heard you both.” Tia held her palm over her heart. “I will give my everything to support your bond. You are unaware of how deeply being part of this incredible family touches upon my soul. I’m honored to call myself your sister-mate, Miria. And I’m elated to be one of your bonded females, Asterios. Let me show you just how grateful I am through this ceremony.”

  The elegant Dryad walked closer and knelt by Ast’s side. Joining her hands together, she whispered a few unrecognizable words, and her fingertips began to glow almost orange. Bringing her pointer finger to Miria’s smooth back, she paused briefly, meeting the panthergirl’s curious black eyes.

  “This will sting. And leave a mark that might become permanent. Are you completely certain?” she asked coolly.

  “Do it.” Miria nodded seriously. “I know that no matter how unsightly it might end up looking, Master will never let it stand in the way of his feelings for me. I said I would bear anything and I meant it.”

  Extending her left hand to Asterios, Tia nodded back with respect. He took it carefully as she turned to him.

  “Just follow the flow and let me guide your energies for a moment,” she explained. “I’m going to start. Prepare yourselves.”

  Miria gritted her teeth and latched onto her knees. As Asterios opened himself to Tia, bringing forth all three of his sources, the Dryad’s own lifeforce connected with all of the spiritual cores. He could tell that it was a challenge even for her, an ancient Arch Dryad with lots of knowledge, experience, and strength of the soul. Trying to harness the power of two True Dragons was no joke.

  The combined mana ravaged Tia’s ethereal body as it flowed through their connected limbs. She kept healing herself constantly, at the same time directing all that energy to her finger. Achieving a satisfactory and stable connection, she finally pressed her fingertip against Miria’s skin.

  Immediately, a pained wail escaped the panthergirl’s lips before she clamped her mouth shut with a vicious growl. It shook Asterios briefly, but he recomposed himself a fraction of a second later. This was what Miria wanted, and he wasn’t going to ruin it with his overprotective anxiety and concern.

  She was a strong woman. One of the strongest he knew.

  She was also his mate. The True Mate of a powerful True Dragon.

  Just like he had absorbed the cluster’s energy earlier while letting it burn his very flesh to protect his friends and family, she was taking in lots of his spiritual power while Tia’s fingers burned her skin.

  Literally.

  A faint trail of smoke wafted from the point of contact as the Dryad traced complex patterns over Miria’s gorgeous back. It was a long and arduous process for both of the ladies. Asterios could only focus as much as he could and watched the sophisticated tattoo appear on his lover’s smooth skin. And as Miria had said, seeing it expand bit by bit, leaving a black path in its wake, he just thought how much more beautiful she was becoming, all for his sake.

  After what felt like an hour, the dark circuit was almost complete. Looking at it as a whole, Asterios couldn’t help but experience an eerie feeling of familiarity. Then, just about the time Tia was going to wrap it up, he understood, and his eyes widened to the brim.

  This was almost exactly the same pattern he had once inscribed on Miria’s back during their early days, making her fur go into flames as she wielded his energy. The difference was in the depiction in the middle and the general characteristics of the style with which the lines were made. Back then, they had seemed connected to a fiery entity that could be a Phoenix, but right now, they had assumed a clearly draconic theme.

  It took him back, seeing this kind of thing again.

  Especially since he didn’t exactly need much of its help to turn Miria into a flaming goddess anymore.

  Tia’s finger traced back to the start of the reminiscent formation, and she slowly brought it away. The draconic circuit now fully completed on Miria’s glistening and sweat-riddled skin emitted faint fumes as her growling lessened in strength and volume, switching to heavy, labored breaths. His Dryad lover shuddered, and Asterios quickly wrapped his arm around the forest lady to bring her against his shoulder, rubbing her waist comfortingly.

  “I’m alright.” She smiled gratefully. “You should direct your affection at this brave mate of yours. I shall rest briefly, my dear master.”

  He received a thankful peck on the cheek, and she pushed him forward. Crawling around the panting panthergirl, Asterios sat in front of Miria, who kept herself upright with her hands on her knees, her claws digging deep into the spiritual depiction of her flesh. Gently uncrossing her legs, he pulled her closer until their waists came together and her arms wound around his neck affectionately, her chin resting atop his shoulder.

  “I did it… Master…” Miria muttered between her rough breaths.

  “Yes, you did. I witnessed all of it. You are so amazing.” He comforted her in his embrace, caressing her lovely ears with his entire heart.

  “How bad… is it?” she asked tentatively.

  “So bad I can barely hold myself back from making love to you right here, right now,” he answered honestly.

  Miria understood the meaning of his words instantly, her own heart filling with so much joy and fondness too, also becoming very aware of how close and intimate their lower parts were during this tender hug.

  “You know you can always do anything you want to me, Master, ehehe~” She tried to hide her growing excitement behind a little tease.

  “I do know, but you are still hurting, so I’ll just stay with you like this until the pain goes away,” he replied, making the inside of her chest flutter softly.

  They remained stationary for a few minutes before Miria pulled back and brought her lips to Ast’s, kissing him passionately while releasing cute purrs. They chased each other’s tongues for a moment and chuckled after parting.

  Sighing daintily, she glanced over her back. Seeing the effort with which the panthergirl tried to examine her skin, Tia giggled and shared her sight since they were part of Ast’s bond.

  Miria’s brows rose in surprise. “Oh, wow. Isn’t this like…”

  “It is.” Asterios nodded.

  “Why is my hair not on fire, then?” She tilted her head.

  “Because what Asterios instinctually used back during your first adventures is very close to what I engraved on your soul,” their Dryad friend explained.

  “Soul?” He frowned.

  “Yes.” Tia nodded, moving closer to brush her palm over the pattern. “You made a temporary circuit with the intention to share that fiery energy during that battle. Right now, we are inside your soul, your Ancestral Plane, and the two of us are also spiritual projections of our own existences. This hurt so much because I was operating directly on your very being, Miria. This is not a mere tattoo or some other etching. It’s much more serious than that.”

  “Awesome…” Miria whispered in awe. “You gave me external circuits?”

  “I guess you can think of it like that.” The elegant lady giggled. “But, it’s not completely correct. This is vastly different from what your vulpine sister-mate possesses, even if its function is somewhat similar. I’m afraid your source wouldn’t be able to bear the strain of these pathways covering your entire figure like hers is.”

  “I wouldn’t ever expect myself to come anywhere close to how remarkable Selene is in that regard.” The panthergirl showed a warm smile that held no jealousy or sadness.

  “You are a wondrous thing yourself, Miria. I’m sure our kind master will agree.” Tia stood up with noble grace. “Now, if you have recovered in his affectionate embrace, shall we move on to the next step?”

  “Next step?” Miria’s forehead creased in confusion. “This wasn’t all?”

  The Dryad giggled amusedly. “Oh, no. We haven’t even used the cluster’s energy yet, or the magical circle I have prepared for you. This little thing on your back is simply… a small gift from me. The real thing is only about to begin.”

  Blinking a few times in a stupor, Miria supported herself on Ast’s shoulders and also rose with an unsteady step. She turned to face Tia and bowed deeply, forcing Asterios to avert his eyes as his face came in direct line with an unbelievably arousing view.

  “I have no words for how grateful I am, Tia. I’ve never been good with those. Thank you so much. I swear to use this gift as well as I can and master it quickly to not disappoint you,” Miria promised.

  Tia brought her up with a charming smile and embraced her adorable sister-mate, pressing their foreheads together. “Do not bow before me, sister. This is something from one female caring for a male to another who holds him in her heart too. We grow stronger supporting each other, and so does he. Since I can’t assist him in the real world, I’m passing that responsibility onto your shoulders. It’s more selfish than you might think.”

  “Okay.” The shy panthergirl grinned. “I’ll work hard for both of us. Everyone will. As Master’s first mate, I’ll make sure of it.”

  “I would expect nothing less from a proud beastfolk.” The gorgeous Dryad nodded. “Alright. Let’s get back to whatever we have been doing before our beloved Dragon reaches the limit of how much he can hold himself back.”

  Miria took a peek over her shoulder at Asterios, who still sat on the grass behind them, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. She shook her bubbly rump at him with a timid giggle, causing him to groan while tearing his gaze off the two beauties embracing each other. They quickly separated, not wanting to further provoke the insatiable beast locked deep within Ast’s chest. As much as either of them would have enjoyed submitting to it.

  “This time, we all have to hold onto each other,” Tia said, guiding Miria to sit next to Asterios with her. “And the real pain will start now. You will feel like bursting from inside, Miria. Don’t try to contain it. Relax as much as you can and work on assimilating as much of the energy as you can, even if it’s going to feel like it’s stretching your insides above and beyond.”

  The feline girl shot Asterios a fleeting glance, making him blush a tiny bit as he caught its meaning.

  Their Dryad companion chuckled openly, clearly picking her words intentionally. “Okay. You are comfortable enough. Work alongside me, Master. You have already experienced this, but having three sources made it less distressing. We will scoop everything she can’t take hold of and either sprinkle it over our own sources or release it into the air. Don’t be greedy. This is about Miria.”

  “I won’t.” He made a solemn face. “Her well-being is my priority.”

  “I warned everyone outside.” Tia closed her eyes. “It’s time.”

  They joined her and deepened the connection the three of them shared, opening themselves consciously to each other. For a few minutes, they meditated on it, synchronizing their minds and bodies, getting to know each other intimately. Trying not to distract themselves with the flashing memories appearing here and there, they became one.

  A mighty pulse shook them and everything in their vicinity as the familiar energy of the fake sun started flowing into them. It wasn’t the same as the last time, and Asterios had a hunch that the cluster hadn’t been triggered. Tia was simply guiding its power while it remained dormant. Not knowing if that would last forever, he gave it his all.

  With a surge of spiritual energy coming into her from both sides as she held hands with Tia and Asterios, Miria let out a deafening cry. It almost forced him out of their joint concentration, never before hearing his beloved mate in so much agony. But his jaw clenched to its limits as he focused on not crushing the gentle palms of his girls, staying true to Miria’s wishes and unfathomable dedication.

  As for Miria, she had thought she was ready for the pain, but Tia’s warnings were literal. As potent mana crashed into her source like an unstoppable tsunami, filling it up in a blink, she felt herself ready to explode. Her entire circuits buzzed with the overload of power, making it feel like they were burning, electrocuting, and freezing her flesh from inside all at once. Only her caring Master and her newest sister-mate stood between her complete annihilation, and she understood it well.

  So, she fought viciously for them. For him.

  More screams and howls filled the air alongside intense spiritual storms. The formation Tia had prepared in the grass shone with a green glow, actively rejuvenating and soothing Miria’s soul. Meanwhile, the panthergirl’s body shone with strong golden light from her very core, turning her almost transparent and bathing the wooden chamber in blinding light.

  Asterios did what he could to help Miria direct the robust mana, but this was somewhat different than doing it to himself. He couldn’t take her place fully. She had to be the one to assimilate it. It was up to her to make use of this opportunity and turn it into a valuable benefit. As much as he knew her inside out, there were things that only she could comprehend.

  And that thing was the power of her Werebeast lineage.

  Miria, a little panicked at the moment, scared that she would end up wasting so much of the received energy and her companions’ goodwill, took note of it. She had been convinced that there wasn’t anything else to explore in that regard. The Elders had taught her everything, and she cultivated her bloodline to its purest form, achieving the full transformation.