And then, a strange sensation crept beneath his skin.
It was subtle at first, almost unnoticeable, like a whisper of warmth threading through his veins.
Mize barely registered it, distracted by his own anticipation.
But as the seconds stretched into moments, the feeling intensified slowly, a simmering heat picking up momentum like embers fanned into a flame.
"Is this for real?" Mize muttered, brows knitting as he pinched at his arm, then his thighs, fingers pressing into the heated flesh.
The sensation bloomed everywhere, moving beneath his skin. "The last transformation was way more abrupt... a whole skip in time… and now it's happening this slow?"
His breath hitched slightly as he compared the experiences.
The prior change had been a burst of changes, an instant shift.
But this time, it was different.
A Prolonged transformation... As if his body were marinating in the transformation itself.
"So it takes longer now?" he murmured, exhaling a sharp breath.
He fanned his neck, trying to cool himself down, but the warmth only climbed higher.
Beads of sweat traced paths down his skin, rolling from his temples, down his neck, pooling at the hollow of his collarbone.
His chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, and even lower, a murky heat coiled in the crevices of his body.
An unspoken sensation flash through him.
Snap!
A sudden impulse surged through his limbs. Mize stiffened before quickly smacking his own cheeks, a sharp sting grounding him.
"Focus," he chided himself, fingers curling into fists. "Now is not the time to get carried away."
His gaze darted toward the bathroom. A thought surfaced, taking root before he even had time to second-guess it.
Without another moment's hesitation, he slid off the bed, his movement eerily weightless as he drifted toward the bathroom door.
The motion was effortless, his body responding almost instinctively, like a feather floating on the wind.
With a flick of his wrist, the door clicked open.
His mind whirred, but his thoughts found their focus.
"Titrus…"
A deep, resonant voice answered almost instantly, reverberating in his mind. "Titrus, at your command Master"
"New orders," Mize murmured, the link between them connected.
His hand moved lazily, and with a soft creak, the faucet twisted.
The temperature dial adjusted on its own, shifting fully to the right, cold.
"No one enters my room," he continued, his voice like silk wrapped around steel. "Not for any reason. Even if it costs your lives."
"Understood, my master." Titrus's deep timbre carried a solemn weight, and just as quickly as the connection was established, it severed.
Mize wasted no time.
In one fluid motion, he lowered himself into the waiting water.
The instant his body met the cool embrace of the bath, he felt the stark contrast, an icy relief against the molten heat radiating from within him.
His breath shuddered, his body reacting to the opposing temperatures in an odd harmony.
Beneath the water's surface, his transformation continued. His hair shortened in waves, strands vanishing as if dissolving into the liquid.
His clothes, too, altered-fabric shifting, peeling away like dissolving petals until only tiny pink bubbles clung to his skin, tracing ephemeral patterns.
Then, finally, his hair stopped shortening, barely brushing against his ankles.
"Now it won't be a hassle to sit around in this tiny space"
His head tilted back, settling against the edge of the tub.
A waterproof cushion caught his nape, soft against the hard ceramic, letting him sink deeper into this strange, intoxicating change.
He exhaled slowly, his voice a murmur. "What's different this time?"
The heat within him burned still, yet the cool water cradled it, amplifying the contrast, the sensation crawling over his skin like an itch he couldn't scratch.
"Is it because I'm about to enter a whole new realm of appearance?" he mused aloud, though no answer came.
Not from the system.
Not from himself.
Time trickled by, agonizing and sweet all at once.
For an hour, Mize found himself shifting, squirming under the water, his breaths uneven, his thoughts a tangled mess.
A dangerous glint flickered behind his half-lidded eyes, an arc of crimson flashing before it dulled.
His lips twitched. His thighs brushed together unconsciously, the movement subtle, restless.
If not for the water masking the evidence, the damp heat might've been far more noticeable.
Then it happened.
A new sensation.
Subtle.
It started at his chest, his waist, his hips. An unrelenting tingle, as if a million tiny, invisible ants were crawling beneath his skin, reshaping, molding, adjusting.
His gaze dropped lower.
The bubbles parted, revealing his submerged form.
…?
"Ah…"
Mize's breath hitched, his throat tightening.
He blinked once, twice.
His lips parted, his voice caught between shock and amusement. "They're… growing?"
His fingers ghosted over the swelling shape beneath the water, the transformation making itself clear.
This time, his body itself was being… optimized.
Mize didn't mind. If anything, curiosity flickered within him.
The change wasn't unwelcome, though one question remained at the back of his mind.
"Is this permanent? Or…"
His expression shifted, intrigue curling at the edges of his lips.
"Maybe… I can mold it at will?"
And perhaps, just perhaps, he could create a skill that granted him full control over these changes.
His innate ability could make it possible.
But for now…
He exhaled, sinking deeper into the water, letting the transformation continue.
All that was left was to wait.
Who knew how much time had passed?
The reddish glow that had once stretched across the horizon was slowly retreating, swallowed up by the vast, endless night.
In its place, the warp's sky stretched out in all its star-strewn starry carpet, breathtaking expanse, glittering speck of light standing against the dark void.
No clouds, no barriers, just an open canvas of beauty.
Perched on the edge of one of the castle's spiraling towers stood a massive figure, his posture rigid, like a statue.
His armor earthen, gleamed under the night's glow, each jagged plate catching the starlight.
Titrus's gaze was locked onto the starry view up above the heaven. A sight to behold, this was a habit of his as his job even way back then in his past world.
"What a beautiful night… "
The words came out low and grumbling, like distant thunder rolling across the land.
His shadow stretched long behind him, and without shifting much, he cast a brief glance over his shoulder at the other spiral nearby.
"Don't you think so?"
"You caught up well."
The voice was familiar, the smooth and calm underlined tone, carrying the kind of confidence that never quite settled.
And soon enough, as the moon rose higher, its silver light revealed a figure lounging casually on the other tower.
Loose black robes swayed slightly in the night breeze, blending into the shadows.
Dark hair stirred just enough to hint at movement, and a lazy, half-lidded smile played at the man's lips.
There was something unreadable in his gaze.
"May I ask… what exactly brings you here?"
The armored figure stirred at last.
"Titrus…" His voice carried in a deeper tone, each syllable deliberate.
He turned, slow and intentionally unhurried, finally locking eyes with the other man. "That was the name given to me by my Lord, my master, my salvation"
"Ah…" Aizen's smirk deepened, something amused flickering in his expression. "So you're one of her Highness's summoned heroes?"
"Indeed." Titrus gave a slight nod, but there was a shift in his tone, something more pointed creeping into his next words. "Though I have to wonder… You don't look human."
"You noticed?" Aizen's grin widened, gold eyes glinting like a crescent moon. "And here I thought my Lord's disguise for me was flawless!"
A low chuckle followed, casual, like the whole thing was nothing more than a joke. "I never thought I'd be seen through by… you"
Titrus didn't so much as flinch.
"There are flaws in your form," he stated plainly. "But your existence" His voice rumbled lower, a subtle pressure permeating through the air. "That cannot be erased from my sight"
"Creeeepy," Aizen chuckled, fingers briefly pressing against his lips in mock amusement.
His head tilted slightly, the movement smooth. "So… You're here to keep her Highness safe, huh?"
"That is my duty," Titrus confirmed, his gaze indifferent.
He shifted slightly, the metal of his armor giving a low groan as he turned toward the moon. "My master has entrusted me with guarding her chamber from any and all intruders."
"Ahhh… so she's planning to sleep like a rock tonight!" Aizen nodded knowingly, his smirk still in place, though it never quite reached his eyes.
"That makes me wonder, though…" His voice took on a teasing lilt, his gaze sharpening just a fraction. "If I were to disturb her right now… wouldn't that mean you failed your duty?"
The shift was subtle, but it was there.
Titrus's armor let out a deep, steady clank as he adjusted his stance.
His eyes cold and distant carried neither anger nor surprise, just certainty.
"As expected," he rumbled, the sound reverberating through the air.
"No matter how human you appear, your essence lingers, disgusting creature, heretic existence"
"A pity, no?" Aizen mused, tilting his head slightly.
"Not really."
BOOM.
The instant Titrus took another step forward, the air boomed under his movement, his eyes hardened.
The very space around them trembled, a deep thrumming pressure settling over the spirals causing the wind to riot into the distant.
"Through all the years I have existed, I have known only one purpose, guardianship" His voice was level, cold. "My existence was meant to defend my lord's honor, her words are to be protected, her will is my path for salvation and never ending duty!"
"And in fulfilling that duty, I have slaughtered billions of creatures like you."
The weight in his words sank into the air, the night itself seeming to still.
"So go ahead…"
The next words were quieter, but they carried the gravity of an approaching avalanche.
"Test my will if you dare, and see for yourself as I grind you to nothingness in her name"
…
The conversation stopped.
Aizen remained exactly as he was, relaxed, smirking, perfectly at ease.
And yet, beneath that unchanging expression, something in his gaze had shifted.
Slowly, his smile narrowed. His golden eyes, usually filled with amusement, squinted ever so slightly.
Silence filled the air.