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“A White Salamander might be too much for us to handle, but we should be able to destroy Plum instead.”
“Destroy Plum? I really don’t want to have to go that far.”

Ruri was the first to complain about Christina’s decision.

“Ruri, Plum has been built with technology that not even the national research institutions are aware of. Can you imagine what would happen if a shady trading company got their hands on such technology?”
“I get that much, but still…”
“I’m sure that would lead to some terrible incident one day. As part of a noble family of Seperion, and more importantly as Plum’s master, I can’t allow that to happen under my watch.”

Plum is like a discount version of me, but even then the mechanisms in her are at a far higher level than most magic automatons. If they were to leak improperly, it’s easy to imagine what kind of appliances they would end up in.

If Christina feels responsible for stopping that from happening, then I have no right to tell her to change her mind.

Even if Plum is my sister, Christina is her master, and has more authority than me.

“Ah-”

‘It’s unlikely you’ll be able to restrain me with the same material as my nerve threads.’
‘Bone replacement materials found. Entering second stage of regeneration.’

Plum told me I can’t restrain her with my nerve threads since she can control them too. Then the White Salamander used Steel Silk to regenerate its skeleton, which is the same material as my and Plum’s nerve threads.

That gives me an idea.

“Christina, just give me one chance.”
“Natalia?”

This is a bit of a gamble. I don’t know if it’ll work, and if I fail I might get in danger. But I can’t give up here.

“I’ll tear Plum away from that White Salamander.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes.”

I can do it. Or rather, only I can do it, as I can control the same material as Plum’s nerve threads.

“Ruri, could you distract the White Salamander for me? I just need a moment.”
“I should be able to handle something like that at least.”
“Thank you.”

Just in case, I’ll also give them some of the potions I keep in my magic storage.

“Natalia… please take care of Plum.”
“Yes, I’ll certainly rescue my sister.”

I’m sure Christina doesn’t want to destroy Plum too, she just can’t think of any other option. If she could save Plum, she would. The same applies to me, and that’s why I’ll rescue Plum.

“I’ll go then.”
“Alright.”

Ruri takes off her mask and grins menacingly, I also take off my mask and get ready.

“Bloom wildly, Suimonka!”

Ruri dashes ahead, quickly appearing next to the White Salamander’s chest, where she swings her dagger which leaves behind a trail of water flowers.

“Nghuhhhhhhh.”

The White Salamander ignores all the wounds, instead raising its front leg in an attempt to crush Ruri. But she’s too swift for the White Salamander, and quickly gets out of the way.

While the White Salamander is focused on Ruri, I shoot my arm to the ceiling, lodging it there with a magic blade, then wind up my nerve threads to hoist myself into the air before landing next to the white flesh surrounding Plum.

“I’ve come to save you, Plum.”

The white flesh and liquid have grown more than earlier, reaching up to her neck. Now it almost looks like she’s the one coming out from the White Salamander.

“Rescuing me might prove too risky. Sister, please escape immediately.”

She’s still saying that?

“You’re in no place to decide that. Just keep still and let me rescue you.”

I kneel in front of Plum and reach for her exposed nerve threads and start channeling mana into them.

I focus and start to trace the signals. The mana generated by the Sorcery Core is traveling through the Steel Silk like a facsimile of blood and nerve signals to move the White Salamander’s body.

So far it’s going according to plan.

Let’s keep going then.

I take a deep breath and then increase the amount of mana I’m pouring into Plum’s nerve threads.

“Nughhhhh!”

The White Salamander stays still for a second, but then starts moving carefully again.

I figured I would be able to take control over the White Salamander through the Steel Silk, but it’s not going as easily as I thought.

“Nughhhhhhhh!”

It seems like my mana’s presence is bothering the White Salamander greatly, as it starts to shake its body violently.

The shaking nearly makes me slip and fall, so I quickly let go of Plum and instead anchor myself with a magic blade.

“It’s too dangerous. You should prioritize your own well-being, Sister.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”

She’s still saying that even though someone else controlled her and now a monster is trying to take over her body. I hate that she’s coming to that conclusion not because she cares, but because she deems herself worthless as a magic automaton.

But a magic automaton is more than just the materials and work-hours put into building it. I don’t like how she’s thinking of herself.

She didn’t come to life by chance like I did, she was created because Christina wanted her to exist. So I want her to have at least that much self-respect.

And on top of that…

“I’ll never abandon my precious little sister!”

The White Salamander keeps still for a moment, so I use that opening to dispel my magic blade, then grab my left wrist and tear it off with all my strength.

My body is made of Orichalcum and World Tree wood, which are very resistant materials, but my joints are still weak points.

“I can’t comprehend, Sister. What are you-”
“Just shut up!”

I split off my nerve threads from my fingertips, pulling all of them out of my broken hand.

Obviously enough, magic automatons are completely different to regular living beings. In very loose terms, we’re only a bundle of nerve threads, while everything else is just attached to that. Maybe it’s easier to imagine if I describe it as a very thin and lanky hand wearing a large and articulate gauntlet. So if I remove the outer piece I can still move the inner nerve threads. It’s no different from how I control loose Steel Silk.

I control those loose nerve threads to touch Plum’s on her arm, and pour mana into them again. The contact is direct this time, making the mana transfer much more efficient.

“Guh!”

But that also meant the opposite was true, and Plum’s mana started to flow into me.

«Remove obstacles»
«Enable regeneration functions»

The commands coursing through Plum get transferred to me, becoming an intense pain in my mind.

Argh damnit! I knew this would happen. But I won’t lose to it.

«Stop activity»
«Stop regeneration functions»

I also send new orders with my mana.

But Plum’s mana was strong, and coated all the Steel Silk forming the White Salamander’s skeleton. I need to get rid of it if I want to wrestle control for myself.

Simply channeling my mana into some of her nerve threads won’t be enough.

I control my nerve threads to follow Plum’s, going inside the White Salamander’s body.

I’ll just attack the entire body at the same time!

But that’s also a double edged sword. While I can control the Steel Silk more easily, this also makes it harder to resist Plum’s commands.

«Remove obstacles»
«Enable regeneration functions»

“Guh!”

I resist the commands with all my strength and continue sending my own orders.

«Remove obstacles»
«Stop activity»
«Enable regeneration functions»
«Stop regeneration functions»

The conflicting commands clash against each other.

I continue slipping my nerve threads into the White Salamander, trying to resist the incoming commands by overwhelming them with mana.

“Nughhhhhh!”

The White Salamander groans trying to resist as more white flesh pours out from Plum’s Sorcery Core, covering Plum’s body and creeping up my arm.

Since our nerve threads are connected, the flesh is also identifying me as a part of her.

Some of the flesh I’m standing on also starts to swell up, so at this rate I’ll be fully swallowed soon enough.

“Natalia! Take Plum’s Sorcery Core! You just have to destroy that!”

Suddenly I hear Christina’s voice.

“But then-”

What’ll happen to Plum if she loses her Sorcery Core?

“She’ll lose her source of power and won’t be able to move, but if the rest of her body is intact then it shouldn’t affect her memories at all! I’m sure you can do it if you’re so close to it!”

Ahh, I see.

Taking aim at Plum’s Sorcery Core on the back of the White Salamander is impossible from the ground, but from up here it should be easy enough.

My plan was to take over the Sorcery Core, but this is a good compromise too.

“You heard her. It might be a bit painful, but can you handle it?”

I ask Plum, who looks as emotionless as ever. But her reply is resolute.

“I can. So Sister, please save me¹.”

I’m sure she didn’t say that out of duty or a command, it’s her first time expressing her own will.

“Nicely said!”

1. Robinxen: Emotions!