"There is no way you can make that girl fall in love with you, Shiro. Just give up already and let me take full control."
The butterfly's voice rang inside Shion's mind by her shoulder.
Both of them watched from a distance as Selene marched after Rin.
Shion straightened her dress and whispered under her breath. "I said stop talking."
"Make me," the butterfly teased, sounding pleased with itself.
Shion sighed quietly and turned away from the scene.
She walked back into the busy market, weaving through the crowd.
When she reached the vendor whose stand had been crushed earlier, she crouched down and started lifting the fallen boxes and baskets.
The merchant rushed forward to help, clearly wanting to thank her, but Shion had already moved on before he could speak.
When she was not fighting, Shion often wandered through the markets like this.
She helped merchants carry crates, arranged displays, or lifted heavy items for travelers.
It was her quiet way of spending her free time.
And now, despite the dark stone incident that stained her reputation, she tried to continue as she always did.
Some merchants still smiled at her, but others stepped back nervously when she approached.
Roaming around the market was how she found out that Rin loves makeups and fancy things.
Shion continued down the path until she bumped into someone.
She took a sharp step back.
"Oh, I am sorry. Are you alright? I didn't mean to…" Shion reached out to help the person up.
The girl looked up at her with a bright smile.
It was Lady Blossom.
"Today must be my lucky day, my Lady," Blossom said as she rose gracefully. "No need to apologize. It was fate."
"Oh look, another lovesick maiden, just the one i need." the butterfly muttered as Shion hears.
Shion ignored the comment and lowered her head in greeting. "Lady Blossom. What brings you to Hoshino territory?"
"I came to see my lovely flower," Blossom said with a soft blush.
"What?" Shion blinked.
Blossom cleared her throat and quickly changed her posture. "I mean, I am here to buy ornaments. There is a special one I want, but it is only sold here."
"I am sure you will find it," Shion said kindly. "Merchants from all around the world come here. If there is something precious, they will have it. I wish you good luck. I should take my leave."
Shion bowed politely and began to walk away.
Blossom's face fell a little at her sudden departure.
Shion took three slow steps… then stopped.
Her shoulders shifted subtly.
She turned back with a lazy grin.
The butterfly had taken over.
Butterfly Shion walked back toward Blossom with a slow, confident sway. "Lady Blossom, perhaps I can help you find the special ornament you seek. Tell me, what is it? Earrings? A necklace? A hairpin?"
Her smile widened. "Or is it me?"
Blossom's entire face went red.
She stared at Shion like someone who had just been hit by lightning.
"That is… that is too much to say, my Lady," Blossom whispered, flustered beyond belief.
A small pink flower bloomed in her palm.
Blossom offered it shyly.
Butterfly Shion accepted it with delicate fingers, lifted it to her nose, and inhaled.
"This smells lovely," Butterfly Shion said. "Just like you, Lady Blossom."
Blossom's blush deepened into a warm, glowing red.
Then her eyes softened. "I know you are not my Shion. But do not worry. I will free her from your captivity."
Butterfly Shion's grip on consciousness slipped.
Her eyelids fluttered, and she fell forward.
Blossom caught her before her body hit the ground, holding her carefully against her chest.
"Do not worry, my lovely flower," Blossom whispered as she lowered Shion gently. "I will free you from this bond."
.....
Inside a wide chamber filled with old books and ancient artifacts, a dry stone fountain stood at the center.
No water flowed inside it, only dust and faint carvings worn by time.
Fire torches burned along the walls, their orange light dancing across the marks drawings.
At the foot of the fountain, a small round altar had been set up.
Shion's body lay on top of it, still as if she were sleeping.
Blossom stood a few steps away, flipping through a thick book as she searched for the next page she needed.
Butterfly Shion opened her eyes slowly.
Flower stems wrapped tightly around her wrists, pinning both hands in place.
She did not struggle.
She simply watched the room with quiet curiosity, then looked at the fountain.
"So you truly think you can free your lovely flower," Butterfly Shion said. Her voice held amusement, not fear.
"You are the Ice Queen's problem," Blossom replied. "But for some reason she has chosen not to fix it, so I will. Lady Shion's suffering is my priority now. I will cast you out of her body, and she will be free from your torment. She will live as she once did."
Blossom closed the book and placed it beside her. "This poison art will work. Once it enters your system, you will not be able to endure staying inside her. You will be forced to leave."
She began mixing different liquids inside a small bowl.
The smell was sharp and cold.
Blossom cut her palm and let a few drops of her blood fall into the mixture.
A flower formed from the blood, dark red and trembling with power.
Blossom guided the flower toward Shion's veins.
The moment it touched Shion's skin, her body reacted.
Heat surged violently through her.
Blossom's eyes widened in panic, thinking she had gone too far.
But then the heat faded.
Shion's breathing steadied.
Her body absorbed the poison as if it welcomed it.
Butterfly Shion smiled.
Then she laughed. The sound echoed around the chamber like something sharp and mocking.
"You poisonous serpent," she said. "Using dark moon magic on the Dark Queen. How intelligent you are."
Blossom tried to silence her, covering her mouth with more flowers. "Do not speak. I said do not speak!"
She poured more poison arts into the body, one after another, but each time Shion's body absorbed it calmly.
It was as if nothing could harm her.
Butterfly Shion snapped her jaw lightly and the flowers fell away from her mouth.
With one slow stretch, her hands slipped free from the stems that restrained her.
"All of this was fun at the start," she said. "But I am bored now."
She sat up on the altar while Blossom stepped back in disbelief.
"I am a queen," Butterfly Shion continued. "Even without my full potential, I cannot be cast out. Not from this body. Not by you."
She stepped down from the altar and walked slowly across the room, her bare feet quiet against the floor.
"Selene cannot cast me out either. She would have to kill this body. But thanks to Rin Kisaragi, I have more time than before. Time to finish what I have to do."
Butterfly Shion ran her fingers along the side of the dry fountain.
The stone lit faintly where she touched it.
"Your freedom won't last, and the Ice Dragon is not by her side. That means Selene is planning something dangerous. I must prepare before she reaches me."
Blossom clenched her fists. "I will never allow you to hurt her. Shion does not deserve to be caught in a queen's rivalry. She should have lived a simple life."
"Simple life," Butterfly Shion repeated. "That was never possible. Lady Shion's life was created for me. If she loses, I will take over completely. She will vanish. Everyone will forget her. Even you."
"I will not forget the girl who saved my life," Blossom said. Her voice trembled. "You will not win. Take me instead. I offer myself as a vessel. Leave Lady Shion alone."
Butterfly Shion laughed softly. "I wish I could, you lovesick bird. But I already said it. Shion's life was made for me. And if I had the choice to take someone else, Rin Kisaragi would be the first name on the list. Her aura is strange. Even the Ice Queen is drawn to it. The closer Rin gets, the more it drains her."
She turns to Blossom , eyes cold and bright.
"I cannot wait to see Selene Kurosuki's face when I ruin all her plans."
Blossom's hands shook. "You allowed me to kidnap you, without putting in a fight. Why? What are you planning?"
"I need your cooperation," Butterfly Shion said. "The Kazutora Clan holds knowledge that others do not. You have the history of the queens of Kaida. The stones. The legends. All of it."
She tapped the side of the fountain again.
"So let us skip the boring parts. I need this fountain running before Baby Ice arrives. I must create a hellbound, and I already know who it will be."
Blossom's eyes widened. "You need darkness to do that."
"I know," Butterfly Shion said. "Why do you think I let you feed me all that dark magic? It was delicious."
She turned away, leaving Blossom frozen in place.
Only then did Blossom realize what she had done.
She had not saved Shion.
She just made things worse and