"Woman, you seem to have a strong desire to die. What's wrong? Are you really that hopeless about this world?"
After calming his emotions slightly, Sora asked with a hint of curiosity, as if he had thought of something.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Martha was once again taken aback, seemingly very surprised that he would suddenly ask her such a question. However, the smile on her face gradually froze, and a look of sorrow and loneliness appeared in her expression.
"Ah, yes, I'm very hopeless about this world!"
Martha's voice echoed under the night sky, and even someone as strong-willed as Sora couldn't help but be moved. He wondered what kind of tragic story this woman had to make such a soul-wrenching cry.
However, in the next moment, Sora's eyes lit up with an intense, fiery glow.
He had been watching Akame's battle from afar earlier. Although Akame had an absolute advantage in terms of combat power, as an observer, Sora knew very well that if this woman had truly wanted to kill Akame, the immature version of Akame from before would never have been able to avoid her "sneak attack."
This was a very intelligent woman, or perhaps an exceptionally cunning one. Even now, Akame probably hadn't realized that this woman had been helping her all along!
If it weren't for this woman, Akame might never have taken that step forward. Without cutting off her naivety, Akame would never have become the mature and strong person she is now!
The reason Sora decided to give Martha a chance was that he always liked such intelligent women. However, what he didn't expect was that this woman's heart harbored such immense power, filled with hatred for this world!
This time, it seemed he had truly stumbled upon a treasure!
"Hey, woman, how about joining me? Let's destroy this hopeless world and build a new one."
"A world without sorrow, without oppression, without bloodshed, where everyone can smile."
Seeing the resentment in her heart, Sora spoke the words that would most deeply resonate with her.
This was a woman with immense power hidden deep within her soul. With proper guidance, she could become another powerful ally. For a woman with such great potential, Sora would never let her go!
"Destroy this world… a world without sorrow, without oppression, without bloodshed, where everyone can smile…"
Martha kept murmuring these words. Just as expected, she was deeply shaken by Sora's words!
She hated and despaired of this world. Yes, if that's the case, why couldn't she destroy it and build a new one?
But—
"Thank you, young man. I've never felt so fired up, so eager to live, as I do now. But… I'm already done for. If you can really do it, then I'll leave it to you…"
A helpless and desolate smile appeared on her face. Although she was deeply moved, Martha knew she no longer had the chance to achieve it, for she was about to die.
And even if she didn't die, what could her frail body accomplish? Her strength was too small, insignificant in the face of this world…
"Heh… it seems you've already come to terms with it! But if you want to do something, do it yourself. Don't leave it to others."
"However, your performance still satisfies me greatly. As a reward, I'll give you a little gift."
Stopping the flow of energy into Martha's body, Sora smirked. With a wave of his hand, a water-blue pearl appeared in his palm.
Under Martha's astonished gaze, Sora pressed the pearl directly onto her forehead. Instinctively, Martha closed her eyes, but to her surprise, the expected pain didn't come. Instead, she felt a cool sensation on her forehead, as if something was merging into her body.
"Now, experience it to the fullest—the power of the Super Teigu, Water Dragon Possession [Black Marlin]!"
Boom!!!
Just as Martha was about to ask what he was doing, she suddenly felt something rapidly spreading throughout her body. Her heart, her body, even her soul, all trembled violently!
"Ahhh!!!"
Pain—deep, bone-chilling pain—engulfed every cell in her body. The agony was so intense that Martha couldn't help but scream uncontrollably.
"You can't gain power without paying a price, you know."
"And from the looks of it, you've gained far more than you've lost!"
Stepping aside, Sora watched as Martha writhed and screamed on the ground. Instead of comforting her, he crossed his arms and admired the scene with a satisfied expression.
The pearl Sora had merged into Martha's body was the Super Teigu Water Dragon Possession [Black Marlin], a modified version of the original Teigu he had obtained from the Minister while Esdeath was fusing with the Demon's Extract. Unlike the original, which could only unleash its power near water, this Super Teigu allowed Martha to control and even create water at will, regardless of her surroundings.
But the effects of fusing with a Super Teigu didn't stop there.
Under Sora's watchful gaze, Martha's body underwent a dramatic transformation. The wounds Akame had inflicted on her healed at a visible rate.
Her once black hair and eyes gradually turned into a deep, ocean-like blue. Her waist became slimmer, her legs longer, her chest and hips more pronounced. Even her skin became fair, smooth, and delicate, as if a single touch could make water drip from it…
Hmm, from Sora's professional perspective, if Martha was an 80-point beauty before, she was now at least a 95-point S-class beauty!
Like the fiery mark on Kije's forehead and the crimson jade on Najenda's chest, Martha also bore a unique mark after fusing with the Super Teigu—a teardrop-shaped, water-blue mole beneath her left eye.
Already stunning, Martha now exuded an even more alluring charm with the addition of the blue tear mole.
"Haah… haah… you brat, what did you do to me?!"
As the fusion with the Super Teigu completed, Martha finally caught her breath. Lying on the ground, she panted heavily, glaring at Sora with a mix of resentment and exhaustion.
Clearly, the pain had taken a toll on her.
"Heh, instead of asking what I did, I suggest you take a look at the changes in your body first, you cunning Martha, who deceived little Akame!"
With one hand on his chin, Sora chuckled as he continued to admire Martha's transformed figure.
Not bad, not bad. She now had the qualifications to join his harem. The only regret was that her outfit was still a bit too plain, but that wasn't a problem. There would be plenty of opportunities to dress her up in cute and alluring clothes later.
"How did you know…"
Martha was instinctively startled by Sora's words, but as he reminded her, she began to notice the changes in her body. When she finally focused on herself, she was utterly stunned.
"How… how is this possible…"
Not only were her injuries completely healed, but her body had also undergone a dramatic transformation. In disbelief, Martha kept muttering to herself.
Sora wasn't in a hurry. He stood to the side, thoroughly enjoying the sight. After all, no matter what expression a beauty made, it was always captivating.
Raising her hand, Martha felt an inexplicable but strong intuition that she could do something.
Sure enough, in the next moment, a curtain of water appeared before her.
"Is this really me…"
Martha stared at the faint image of herself still lingering on the water screen, unable to snap out of her daze for a long time…