SPELLCRAFT: Reincarnation Of A Magic Scholar

Silence filled the blank room as Serah made her declaration.

She spoke with a firm tone, one which many would consider disrespectful.

However, it was only a testament of her resolve.

There was no time to squander, and she was going to be risking her life to protect existence from whatever Legris wanted to do.

There was no way she could tolerate any hesitation on the part of the Constellations.

She wanted decisive action from them too, and she wasn't alone in this desire.

One after the other, the other members of the team stepped forward and joined her in this declaration. Their faces reflected equal resolve, and while a few were nervous, they stood their ground.

'This is no time to show weakness. We've been training for this moment!'

Serah did not know about anyone else, but she was more than ready for the power they would bestow on her.

'And if it will bring me one step closer to stopping that monster… then I won't accept NO for an answer.'

Aquarius fidgeted slightly once she noticed the thoughts and gazes of the mortals on her and the rest of her siblings.

She recognized precisely what drove the mortals to behave in such a brave manner, and she realized she could no longer deny them the rewards for their struggle any longer.

Besides, they truly needed all the help they could get.

"Very well. But we still need to deliberate on—"

"Is there really any need for that?" Virgo interrupted Serah with a sigh.

It caused the head Constellation to look at her with what could only be recognized as a frown.

"Virgo has a point, though. We could all just make our picks. It's not like it really changes much." Gemini responded.

"Yeah. We all have our varying tastes, so there's hardly going to be a conflict of interest." Pisces added.

In the end, Aquarius' desire for a bureaucracy was not necessary.

"Haaa… fine! Make your pick." Aquarius sighed, waving her hand in resignation.

"You should pick first, Aquarius. You're the oldest and strongest, anyway." Virgo swiftly added once more.

"W-what?!"

"I agree!"

"Me too!"

"The honor should go to you!"

Several, if not all, of the Constellations made it so that she had to choose her Host first.

"Of course, if you don't want to pick anyone… you can always waive your right." Virgo's sly smile radiated across her pure face.

"What's your concern anyway, Virgo? You already have a Host, don't you? Stay out of this!" Aquarius spoke in mock annoyance.

"Sure… sure…"

The rest of the Constellations backed off as well, leaving Aquarius alone with her thoughts.

It was finally time for her to decide.

No one could see her expression, so it was difficult to understand her thoughts on the issue.

The only one who knew what was on Aquarius' mind…

'Haa…'

… was Aquarius HERSELF.

'… What should I do now?!' Her thoughts echoed in a panic.

Currently, the Head of the Constellations was in a dilemma.

For eons, since her birth, she had never fully settled on a Host—temporary or permanent.

However, all of that changed during the Legris invasion.

Due to the circumstances, she had to create a temporary Bond with a certain human… and that completely altered her position in the entire concept.

As someone who had kept her streak for so long… finally losing it in such a way felt a little unfulfilling.

The tension had worn off, and an emotion similar to regret began to kick in.

But… other than that feeling… something else manifested.

It rose from Aquarius' very depths, an overwhelming sensation she could not ignore.

… A longing for more.

'I want to feel that again. Becoming one with someone…'

It was almost like she was addicted to it, despite only getting a taste.

'Now I know why everyone keeps having Hosts despite the repercussions.'

It was an euphoric feeling with an irresistible allure.

Aquarius understood all of that now. As such, her desire for a Host was at its strongest at the current moment.

However, this presented the major issue she had.

'None of them are compatible with me!'

The kind Aloe, the mature Beruel, the strong Serah, the gentle Maria, the pragmatic Kuzon… heck, even the immensely intelligent Ana and Lemi.

None of them were her type.

None except someone… the one she had bonded with the first time.

'No! Anyone but her!' Aquarius nearly cried internally—though that wasn't even possible—as she stole a glance at Ciara Epilson.

Even at the moment, she was distracted by the Jerry boy beside her.

Aquarius held no strong opinions on Jerry. In fact, she thought he was weak. Yet, Ciara kept clinging to him… and it was puzzling.

She couldn't understand the girl at all.

'She doesn't respect me. She has no regard for anyone but that man, and… and…'

Before Aquarius could go any further in belittling Ciara, she remembered their encounter.

The memory flashed in her mind almost instantly.

~Fine! I'll do anything to save my friends! Let's do this!~

Those were the words Ciara uttered when push came to shove.

'She was also able to be calm under pressure, and she recognized the situation almost as soon as she was shown.'

Before Aquarius realized it, she began to notice Ciara's positives. And then, slowly, she became enamored by the young lady.

She no longer stared at her with a look of disgust or annoyance, but that of curiosity.

Almost like a man would look at a wild rabbit and desire to understand why they acted in such savage manners despite having endearing qualities as well.

'I can't deny it any longer…' Aquarius sighed to herself.

"… I want her."

As soon as Aquarius pointed at Ciara, the entire room descended into silence, and the hosts of Constellations let out joint gasps.

This was a miracle! It was something unprecedented under the heavens.

Aquarius… THE Aquarius… had finally chosen a true Host?

And it happened to be with the girl she seemed to detest most of all?!

"N-NO WAY!"

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[A/N]

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Looks like Ciara and Aquarius have some sort of cool bond that we get to explore more.

I like this…