The waves crashed against the sandy beach of Salenros. Iris shielded her eyes from the harsh rays of the golden sun. Her target hid beneath a curl of seawater.

“And there you are,” Iris muttered.

“Heya girl. Wanna go for a drink?” a man asked.

“Fuck off.”

Iris dropped her sunglasses onto her nose bridge. Grabbing the narrow white board, she went into the water. Before long, she was riding the waves.

“Oi!” she called out, “Professor Langley!”

“Whoa whoa whoa. How are you so fast?”

“Magic, you’re a professor. You should know. I need to talk to you!”

“Urg! Fuck off! No work here!”

He turned around. His eyes wandered around, and he pointed his palm at her. A small beam of white light dashed right towards her. No doubt, he was holding back.

“Don’t try that shit with me. Apologies in advance.”

Weaving around, she avoided the laser with ease. It collided with the water behind her, and dissipated. He clicked his tongue. Pointing her index and middle fingers, she shot out a bolt of energy, and compared to his, it was in another world. Racing by, he flinched before blocking it with a shield made of greenish mana.

“Fuck!”

He swerved, and collapsed into the wave. The surfboard slipped away from his feet. When the wave rolled over, she paddled to his rescue.

“Told you. I apologise. But I really need to speak with you professor.”

“On what basis would that warrant shooting me down?”

“The fact that you shot me first. Now then, to shore?” Iris gestured to the beach.

The beach was crowded, yes. But that was the reality of Salenros Beach. Nobles from all over the continent flocked to this beach when holiday season came by. Holding extravagant parties, they took every opportunity to flaunt their wealth. Of course, the beach is also favoured by the locals in the region, much to the noble’s dismay.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed his wandering. In particular, looking something all over. She knew what he was looking at, of course.

“Professor, if you could stop staring at my body for a minute,” Iris said.

“Oh sorry! I didn’t notice.”

“A likely story. Now, is it true that you specialise in magic that involves souls?”

They were sitting on a mat. Presumably, his. Complete with an umbrella stabbed into the sand, it actually looked rather normal. Certainly, nothing about it screamed academic.

“Well yes, but souls as a concept is hard to visualise. I assume you are familiar with magic?”

“I am not an academic, but I am not a stranger to it either.”

“Fine by me.”

“So, would it be theoretically possible to transfer a soul into another vessel?”

“You are asking for the impossible. If not that, the highly improbable. First of all, anything to do with souls has a high risk. Are you willing to take on that risk?”

“I’m not the subject here.”

“Then who is?”

“That group should be arriving soon. Keep a lookout for grey hair. And any obviously pretty people.”

“Oh no need to tell me about that, I keep my eyes peeled for those all the time.”

He wriggled his eyebrows. With his hand, he gestured towards Iris. That man, just how much of a pervert was he?

Langley leaned on his elbows, before changing to lie on his back instead. Shirtless, and with a pair of dark shorts, he looked like he was on the beach for one reason and one reason only.

“So, what’s a beauty like you walking around looking for soul magic for?” He gasped. “Wait, could it be? You want me to be your soulmate? Aw, if it's you then a night’s all we need.”

“I will make two holes in you. One in your head, and one in your heart.”

“Feisty girl. Always nice to have.”

He chuckled. With his six pack up for display, several passing women glanced at him, and he returned their gazes with a cheeky grin.

“Ah Iris. There you are. Is this the guy you were talking about?”

Walking up towards the two was a rather large group. One of the sisters, and three beautiful women. Immediately, the professor’s attention was on them like a dog smelling meat. He stood up, no, he jumped onto his feet and met them. His offer of a handshake was left ignored. By everyone.

“Yes, rather unfortunately.” Iris got up too and walked over. “I see you’ve copied my swimsuit.”

“I had it custom made. Far too many complaints about ‘not enough padding’ or ‘but it’s so tight’ and ‘the cutting is way too high’ was enough to make us go to a special shop instead.” Ms Kim looked like an artist proud of her work.

“And you got to be our doll again. Win-win all around,” Elise chimed in, “Nice to see you again, Iris.”

“At least everyone asked me for my thoughts and opinions this time,” added Francis.

Iris scanned that strange being from top to bottom. A dark, single piece of fabric was all that was covering his body. A casual, one-piece swimsuit with a skirt incorporated into its design. Strikingly similar to the same one that she was wearing.

“You know them?” Langley turned around and spoke to Iris like he was an excited dog. She could just about see him panting in the same way too.

“You talk when spoken to.”

“Oh, okay.”

“So... Not looking anything like I expected,” Francis commented.

Iris could only stare. What sort of timeline was this? Never in her life, in the history books or by the prophet’s prediction could she have imagined him in that. She found herself growing more intrigued about him. Not the him that she was familiar with, that was sickening to think about. Not the genocider, murder, rapist him, but the other one. The newer, fresher element.

“I-it looks weird doesn’t it?” He laughed nervously.

“No, don’t say that. It looks great on you,” Iris corrected.

“You look great as well.”

“Thank you. Now, time for some introductions. This is Professor Langley. He is the one that specialises in souls. And this is Lady Adelaide.”

“Hi there. Nice to meet you, professor.” Francis extended his hand, which the professor took with eager eyes.

“I am Adelaide, daughter of Count Santiani. Pleasure to meet you,” he continued.

“And I’m Langley. Professor at the Atlas Association, with a reputable history of... Pleasuring women like you.”

“Heads up, you don’t talk to a woman like that. That’s just gross. And downright disgusting, really. Kind of a shame that you’re the only one available.” Francis shook his head.

“You said it. I know, I know. But, in my defense. Two pretty ladies in swimsuits are near me, and accompanied by a beautiful knight, and a sexy lady in a bikini. I can’t resist it.”

“Exactly just as the file described then,” commented Iris. “The headmaster described you as ‘A brilliant man, whose intellect is only rivalled by his own libido’, and I agree.”

Iris fidgetted. The tight fitting swimsuit wasn’t the most comfortable, and it dug into her skin. No doubt, Francis was feeling the same. After all, his and hers were almost identical, except that the skirt on hers was nonexistent. Sea water dripped from the fabric that stuck to her skin, from the areas where the padding was thicker.

“Wait, you got access to the staff files?” Langley asked.

“Yeah. Headmaster William gave them to me.”

“What did you do to him?”

His entire attitude seemed to change. No longer was he interested in the people in front of him that attracted everyone’s attention. His eyes gained a suspicious, cautious look to them.

“Absolutely nothing. He handed it over willingly. Relax, he’s fine. Anyway, can we please leave the beach? I want to get out of this.”

Iris pinched her shoulder straps. The fabric was thin. Too thin. She couldn’t quite help but squirm. How did Francis endure something like that? It was digging into his skin.

“Oh, you’re uncomfortable with your skin?” Ms Kim asked.

How? How was she so confident in that? That stupid, attractive woman. Iris’ eyes wandered. A blue string bikini, with side-tie bottoms and a front-tie top. It was like something awakened in her. A drop of saliva dripped out of the corner of her mouth before she even realised what she was doing. Out of nowhere, that woman that stood in front of her made her feel feelings she had never felt before. But just as quickly as those feelings of lust set in, they had gone,

Iris looked up towards the clear skies. There could only be one culprit. Them.

“Iris?” Francis asked.

“Wuh- Hi! Uh, repeat your question, please?”

“Are you uncomfortable with your skin?

“No, no. I’m perfectly alright. I’m just worried about Lady Adelaide? Are you alright?”

“It's actually pretty nice, especially after you complimented me.”

He smiled. Honestly, he really should have been a lady instead. In what world could a boy like him be so pretty? His laugh was exquisite, and far too cute. Her eyes wandered again. Were the gods of love fucking around, again?

His body was splendid. Slim, but not skeleton-like. And he was just the way she liked people. Not domineering, and not overly macho like several men she met. Quiet, funny, witty. An image popped into her mind. Oh, his blushing face, as she pushed him down on the soft bed. She could see the family’s traits when she compared him with his sister. With a red bikini similar to Ms Kim's, her six pack and clear smooth skin were up on display.

There was something strange though. That sister, Elise Rayleigh, was known as the fighter out of the pair. Yet, despite her reputation, there was a clear lack of scars. Not on her arms, her legs, or anywhere on her body. Scars could mean several things: That they’re a fighter that wins, that they’re either weak enough to get picked on often or strong enough that opponents seek them out. But the lack of scars told a similar story. One might be too much of a coward that they flee from every fight, or overwhelmingly strong to walk off without a scratch. In the case of Elise Rayleigh, there was no other answer. Still, never would she have expected this situation. Her eyes locked on to the muscles she possessed. Years of sword training and fitness regiments built that. To have so many unexpected things come up, like the unknown effects of Katalina and Ms Kim, how much the new soul changed Francis Rayleigh to put him in a sexy swimsuit, no!

“I want to do you on a table,” she said.

“Wha-” He hid his face behind his hands. Beneath that, an obvious blush sneaked through. “Only one other person has said that to me. And I don’t think I’m ready to date you yet.”

Iris slapped herself. No! She couldn’t be horny. She stopped her mind from wandering further. Any further, and she might have taken it way too far. Not here, not now. She cursed the gods in her head.

“What am I doing? Stop fucking with me!” Iris pointed an accusatory finger to the skies. For a moment, she could hear brief, omnipresent laughter.

“Wha- I can’t believe you’d say that to me just after proposing that.”

“Hey ladies. Mind including me in that equation?” Professor Langley reached out to grab onto them by their waists, but was stopped by the swift threat of getting impaled by Katalina. That knight was good at protecting her lord.

“Urg, Nevermind, I’m back on earth. Let’s get the ball rolling.”

Iris shook her head, and the remnants of the pair’s influence melted away. That faint snickering filled the air, accompanied by hushed whispers. Were they a pair of voyeurs, messing with birds just to see their reactions? Certainly, that would be something the gods would do.

With a brief shower, everyone got ready. The professor searched through his loose notes in a bathrobe, and mumbled to himself. He spied on the group of girls out of the corner of his eyes, though it wasn’t as if Iris didn’t notice that.

He drew a large circle on the wooden floor with white chalk. Still in his pink bathrobe, he sat outside and motioned for everyone to follow suit. They were in a rented beach villa. The waves crashed on the sand outside, and the salt sea spray filled their nostrils.

“I just need to warn you. Anything to do with souls is incredibly risky. Furthermore, this procedure is highly experimental. I need all of you to act as my witnesses, and for Lady Adelaide to sign this oath. It says that I, and the Atlas Association at large, cannot be held responsible for anything from this procedure. This has never been done before, so I thank you for giving me this chance.”

“Good chance for learning then. What do I need to do?” Francis asked.

“Take off your dress and your underwear. You need to be completely naked, Lady Adelaide,” Professor Langley answered with a straight face.

“Katalina, I give you full authority to remove his intestines.”

“I can help. I want to practice my Sogbal,” Ms Kim contributed.

“Good. Hold him down and I’ll gut him. Or I’ll have to cleave through his arms and legs,” commented Elise.

“I- I was just kidding everyone! Haha! But Lady Adelaide, if you so desire, you may strip down.”

“No. Just get this over with. He is being noisy and disrupting everything.”

“Alright. Lie down, My Lady.” Francis followed the professor’s instructions.

“If he tries to rape me, castrate him and parade his body around the Atlas school. Provide the students with shovels and let them dig a way to hell,” Francis said as he laid on his back.

Everyone nodded in understanding. All of them said their own encouragements as Francis closed his eyes. Langley muttered something to himself as well, before commencing.