To the Next Level of Chaos

By: D. R. Nyan-chan


“Are chu really sure about this, Beryl?” Melfara skeptically inquired.  “When chu used those powers in the war, chu almost died.  It took chu weeks chu fully recover.”

“Nya,” Beryl nodded as she ogled the busty chest of the succubus next to her.  “I’ll need to learn soonyer or later.”

“Beryl, can chu please look at me, instead?” Melfara sighed.  “Chor setting a bad example for the students-chu.”

“Well someone has to do it,” Dr. Gelda Abode chuckled as she redirected Beryl to stare at her again before stroking her ears and cooing, ”Good kitty.  Ms. Melfara, having someone gawking at me is a special accommodation that is literally necessary to keep me sane.”  Dr. Abode then stroked Beryl’s chin and affectionately cuddled her.  “Who’s a good kitty?” she playfully asked.

“I’m a good kitty-nya,” Beryl happily mewed.

“Are you ready to show her what you showed me,” Gelda inquired with a cutesy tone as she nuzzled the School Pet’s cheeks.  “Are you?  Are you?”

Beryl purred and nodded before taking a few steps back and uttering, “Grounded ice of the vine’s nyavel, I offer encrusted flan to the pirated bamboo.  Flee into blocky stubble so that I shrink to the moon’s armpit.  Worms of the fluted barber tire above the with emerald caboose.  Pesky.  Handlebars.  Bellyful!”  An olive-colored fireball appeared in Beryl’s hand and she eagerly caressed it before showing Melfara the blazing orb.

“Is that supposed chu be the basic fire spell I first tried chu cheach chu?” Melfara wondered.

“Nya!” Beryl eagerly nodded.

“Variants in color are common with rouletting and are ultimately harmless,” Gelda explained.  “It was roundabout, but she finally figured out that step.  Along the way, Beryl also figured out a few other incantations, though they’re for high level spells she doesn’t have the stamina for, just yet.”

“That incantation seems to be unnecessarily long for the result-chu,” Melfara pointed out.

“Yeah, that’s another side effect of rouletting,” Dr. Abode admitted.  “The lengths of the required recitations are as random as the words, which brings me to my request regarding Beryl’s Chaos training.  Now that she has a usable incantation, could you please teach her about silent spell casting?  It should be pretty obvious as to why such training would benefit her and most Chaos-aligned individuals take to it pretty well.”

“Please-nya?” Beryl eagerly asked Melfara with wide eyes as she rested her head on Gelda’s lap.

“I can try-chu,” the headmistress yielded.  “I don’t know if chu will be able to learn it from me or not-chu.  However, Dr. Abode, I’m still concerned about the safety of what chor proposing.”

“It’s a risk that all in Beryl’s situation have to decide whether or not to undertake on their own and not even someone of my credentials has the right to make it in her stead,” Dr. Abode explained to Melfara.  “Precautions will be taken to prevent loss of life, limb, and property damage.  I’ll be sure to read your nurse in, as well.”

“B-but-“ Melfara tried to object.

“You can trust me,” Gelda interrupted with a smile as she had Beryl ogle her some more.  “My reputation as a legendary healer is well-earned; I was the one who reversed the effect of your Kyuberei, on that poor girl, after all,” she added, referencing the incident where Ineen was at the wrong place at the wrong time

Melfara looked down, obviously uncomfortable with the reminder.

“It’s not my intent to rub salt on old wounds,” Gelda clarified.  “However, from what I hear, someone outside Vareos culture undoing such a technique is unheard of, is it not?  I’ve been doing this line of work for a very long time, even longer than…” she then leaned into Melfara’s ear and whispered something that caused the Vareos girl’s eyes to widen.

“H-how did chu-?”

After once again pressing a finger to Melfara’s lips, Gelda smiled and softly replied, “The Vareos aren’t the only ones who’ve dabbled in age manipulation, Sweetie.  Now, about the precautions we will be taking.”  Dr. Abode then pulled out a glyphic medical tag, showed it to Melfara, and gave it to Beryl.  As the School Pet placed the tag inside a storage glyph on her wrist, Gelda explained, “That item will allow Beryl to be sent straight to my office if her powers go too far out of control.  Bear in mind that this is a worst-case scenario, though.  I’ll supply your nurse with some Null stones, but anything that trips the tag will be beyond her skill to handle.”

“What type of training will this be-chu?” Melfara wondered.

“The first step towards controlling her Chaos: stopping the flow,” Gelda replied.  Beryl then leapt over onto Melfara without warning and crafted a Line-Light glyph onto one of her eyes, turning it pearl-white.  Through this new glyph, the myriad of glyphs already on Beryl almost seemed like dense war paint.  The headmistress then noticed what appeared to be a few dozen energy nodules hovering around Beryl’s sides; each one glowed a pale blue due to the Chaos contained inside.

“Ever since Heart of Chaos came into being, Beryl’s been accumulating Chaos at a gradually accelerating rate,” Dr. Abode explained.  “Normally, Chaos-borne familiars don’t appear for at least a century or two after a case of Chaos Fever’s initial onset, if at all.  However, that’s usually a good thing since their mere existence brings the ones they serve one step closer to a fatal Fever.  Those Gathering glyphs that you see are how Beryl’s been redirecting and storing her Chaos.  If she were to release one, she’d instantly have another flare-up of Chaos Fever.”

Melfara gasped, turned to Beryl, and asked, “How long-chu?”

“When I first woke up from my long nyap, It took about a week for the first one to fill,” Beryl explained with an unusually serious tone.  “Nyow it takes about a day if my Fever behaves.”

“This is why we need to rush things along,” Dr. Abode emphasized.  “Beryl’s first step will be to open up a nodule and dispel the Fever of her own will.  If she can consistently accomplish that, her life expectancy will extend dramatically.  At the same time, having Beryl learn about silent castings will up her tolerance for Chaos and provide the level of control she needs to succeed.”

I’ll do what I can-chu,” Melfara conceded, remembering her brief encounter with the future incarnation of Beryl that effortlessly disabled and cuddled her.  “Chu both make sure chu do what it takes, as well.”

“Thankies for understanding-nya,” Beryl happily mewed as she cuddled Melfara.

“J-just don’t forget chor duties as a teachur,” Melfara replied as she tried to separate herself from the kitty.

After leaving the headmistress’s office with a leashed Beryl and walking down the halls for a while, Gelda inquired, “So what is this really about?”

“Nya?” Beryl inquired with a seemingly innocent smile.

“You can’t keep secrets from me, you naughty kitty,” Gelda emphasized as she knelt and slowly pulled Beryl in closer by her leash.  “You’ve been in my office often enough for me to know that you wouldn’t come to me with your own problems even if you were on your deathbed.  What we discussed with Melfara, all of those concerns were genuine and should’ve been brought to my attention much sooner, but why suddenly reach out to me like you did?”

“W-well, one-nyof my students, a pixie, is also working with a sort of Chaos nyagic and I thought the two of us could train together,” Beryl admitted.

“But that’s not all, is it, my pet?” Gelda pried as she scratched Beryl’s ears.  “Come on, you know you can tell me.  Besides, you’re such a silly kitty to think that I won’t find out, eventually.  Yes I will.  Yes I will.”

“That’s nyat fair,” Beryl blissfully purred before confessing.  “W-well, It’s about my friend, Sami.  I have this feeling that something big is going to happen-nyan I want to help her-nya.  To do so, I may need to nyuse my Fever.”

“And you would’ve tried to find a way with or without guidance,” Gelda added with a sigh.  “Well, at least this way I’m less likely to get clocked by your sister.  Speaking of which, that pendant of hers is going to glow alongside your Fever.  Can I at least tell her why so that she doesn’t worry?”

“Nya, I love my sister, too,” Beryl nodded in consent.  “I want to help Sami any way I can…” the School Pet then went on to explain about what Samusagi had been going through as well as what the banshee had previously told her, including Sami calling herself a weapon, alongside the kitty’s own suspicions.

“I think you may be on to something and I’d have to see her personally to be sure,” Gelda mused after ensuring that Beryl was once again staring at her assets, “but you’ll have to convince her to see me personally, first.  Also, her psyche may be a little too fragile for a direct approach in that regard.  Still, if she does come to me, I promise I’ll do what I can.”

“Nyaaa, thankies,” Beryl cooed as she cuddled the medical succubus.

“Now get going, you silly kitty,” Gelda giggled.  “I have my own errands to attend to.”

As Beryl put her leash away and skipped off, Gelda wrapped her arms around the next person she saw.  “B-Beryl!  Every time?” Vogen exclaimed before noticing who it was.  “Oh, uh, hello?” he squeaked with a reddened face.

“Hey, Cutie,” Dr. Abode flirtatiously greeted.  “I was wondering if you could do me a small favor.  Could you please escort me to the nurse’s office?”

“I-it’s down the hall and-“

“I need an escort,” Dr. Abode interrupted as she pressed a finger to his lips.  “I’ll explain why along the way, but I need you to accompany me there.  Can a hot werewolf like you handle that?”

“H-how did-?”

“I’ve been in the fields of medicine and healing for eons,” Gelda explained.  “After a while, you just pick up on these things.  I’m Gelda.  Dr. Gelda Abode.  I have business with Morgana.”  Although she didn’t say anything more, Dr. Abode also figured that Lucifer would likely want to interact with her, as well, not that she minded.

“I-I’m Vogen,” the Alpha introduced as he gently pushed the succubus off of him.

“It’s an honor, Vogen,” Gelda replied with a friendly giggle.  “Out of curiosity, how’s your level of control after you transform?”

“Not the best,” Vogen admitted.  Somehow he got the feeling that Gelda was able to read him like an open book.

“Well, perhaps I may know of some basic techniques to change that,” Gelda offered as the bottom of her staff clacked on the floor.

Vogen shrugged and said, “This way.”

“Oh, and Vogen?” Dr. Abode inquired.

“Yeah?”

“My chest is down here.”