Author's Note:
This chapter exists thanks to the generosity of @IdleMuse, who commissioned this special What If.
As some of you may remember, there was a lot of discussion regarding Angy's fate and whether Lady Death's miracle should be allowed to stand. While the main story will continue along its chosen path, this chapter explores an alternate possibility where events unfolded differently.
Think of it as a glimpse into another road not taken.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy this special What If chapter.
***
[John POV]
Nakime passed the message to the Mauler Twins, ordering them to haul a professional camera rig and a half-dozen studio lights into the Infinity Castle to prepare a set for our family photo.
It was excessive. Ridiculously excessive even.
The two bulky blue geniuses were bickering in the corner about focal lengths and key lighting, constantly jabbing fingers at each other's chests as they argued over who was the original. They had been at it ever since the new clone had apparently marked himself with "I" as well.
But looking around the room, seeing Ship happily chasing his own metallic tail, Pepsiman striking heroic poses in the background, and Ms. Moo dozing comfortably against Sebas's legs, I couldn't bring myself to say a word to stop it.
While I waited for the Maulers to finish their chaotic setup, I pulled up my system interface.
I still had my best tickets sitting in the vault, might as well roll them now.
I decided to start light and selected the Gold ticket I had earned by finding the Holy Cow loophole and mentally ripped it.
[Clothes Beam]
|Uncommon Ability|
Dragon Ball - You are able to fire off a laser beam that can dress anyone in any mundane clothing of your choice.
A sudden, sharp tingle sparked at the tips of my fingers, glowing briefly with a bright yellow hue before fading into my skin.
I stared at the screen as a grin split my face.
'You know what? I'm not even mad.'
I wouldn't ever have to worry about walking around in blood-crusted rags after a fight again.
I could literally shoot a three-piece suit onto my body or… something risqué on Nakime?
Riding the good mood, I pulled up my three Platinum tickets and tore them all simultaneously.
The holographic wheels spun wildly before the first one clicked into place.
[Super Polymerization]
|Epic Ability|
Yugioh - Allows you to temporarily fuse two living beings together to get a new entity with both of their abilities. Unwilling targets can resist the effect depending on their level of power. The stronger targets you fuse together with yourself or between them, the higher the energy cost. Keeping two entities fused together drains energy over time.
The orange and purple tattoos on my wrists burned. The ink grew deeper, shifting into a vibrant colour as the scope of the ability evolved.
'Huh. Another massive upgrade right after the Full Coverage Insurance Plan?' I mused, flexing my hands. 'Lady Luck really is playing favorites today.'
The second roll snapped to a halt.
[Senzu Bean]
|Epic Item|
Dragon Ball - A small bean containing mystical power cultivated personally by the guardian of the earth. Consuming it instantly restores physical condition to its peak, restores energy completely, and keeps a person satiated for 10 days. Restock Timer: 720 Hours.
A green, centimetre-long bean suddenly dropped into my item storage. Even sitting in the void of my storage, I could physically feel the ungodly concentration of vitality radiating from it.
"Holy mother of…" I slapped a hand over my mouth, cutting off my own shout so I wouldn't disturb the merry atmosphere filling the hall.
'Man, what's with today? Is Lady Luck finally bored with all the shitty rolls I've been pulling?'
A full heal that restocks every thirty days was a literal get-out-of-death-free card.
As I was feeling what it's like to have good rolls, the final Platinum roll slowed down, revealing the prize.
[Servant Voucher]
|Epic Item|
A coupon that allows you to summon your own Heroic Spirit for free, the summoned heroic spirit depends on you as a person. The servant is bound to you in standard Grail War style, with them receiving mana through you via coitus and you possessing 3 command seals to give absolute commands to them. Cannot summon Divine Servants(Divinity above C or Explicitly a god) or Servants that qualify for a Grand position. Servant summoned cannot exceed the performance of an Elite Rank familiar.
A crisp, paper-thin voucher materialized in my storage. I could sense the golden filigree on its edges before tucking it safely away.
'I don't think right now is the best time to drop a brand-new historical figure into the mix,' I thought, glancing around the hall. My current familiars were finally bonded, relaxed, and excited for the photoshoot. Throwing a wild card into the room could ruin the nice vibe we had.
Satisfied with the excellent streak of rolls, I pulled up the heavy hitters.
The two Legendary Tickets.
I ripped them both at the same time and even doing that was making me nervous.
I had to die on a slab of concrete to get the first one and rip myself back to the land of the living to get the second. They were both paid for in blood.
My heart hammered against my ribs as the legendary wheel spun, the agonizingly slow clicks echoing in my ears before the first reward locked in.
[Blue Spider Lily]
|Legendary Item|
Demon Slayer - An incredibly fragile and rare flower contained in a special container. If refined into medicine properly, this flower can turn the one who ingests the medicine into a Progenitor Demon(Legendary Trait).
A single, breathtakingly beautiful flower appeared in my storage. Its petals glowed with a haunting, bioluminescent blue, pulsing with a deeply mystical energy.
I shot up from the sofa, my eyes wide as I read the description.
"Nakim—" but I bit my tongue instantly, cutting the word off.
Nakime glanced over at me from across the room, tilting her head in question. I just waved her off with a strained smile.
'I can't tell her.' I forced myself to sit back down, my mind racing. 'If this flower can create a Progenitor Demon, it contains the key to her curse, too. I need to find the best minds in the world… scratch that, in this universe, and have them reverse-engineer a cure for her blood demon transformation.'
But I couldn't get her hopes up until I knew for a fact it would work. I locked the flower deep in my item storage and forced my eyes toward the second legendary roll.
[S-Snake (Modified by Lady Death)]
|Legendary Familiar|
One Piece - a hollow Seraphim clone of Boa Hancock, the pirate empress, spliced with Lunarian DNA and Vegapunk's augments. Unlike the original, this version possesses no consciousness, personality, or independent will — merely an empty vessel awaiting a soul. S-Snake possesses incredible physical abilities as well as advanced weaponry such as laser canons and her own Lunarion. She also has the ability to turn anyone charmed by her into stone. She also possesses the ability to utilise Observation and Armament haki.
A completely still, lifeless body materialized inside my Familiar space.
It was a young girl with pale skin and straight, snow-white hair, dressed in a simple, sleeveless white tunic. A pair of large, black feathered wings rested heavily against her back, shielding a small, dormant flicker of flame between them. Heavy, golden snake-shaped earrings hung from her ears, and a bright green band wrapped around her right bicep.
But the most jarring detail wasn't the wings or the flame—it was her face. Her eyes were wide open, but they were entirely, unsettlingly blank.
'Huh? How is this a legendary familiar if it can't even think or move?' I frowned, rereading the text. 'Wait a second. It specifically says Modified by Lady Death.'
My breath hitched.
The soft, maternal voice from my dream echoed perfectly in my head.
'Why don't you check the new challenges for this week? There may be surprises waiting…'
My hands started to shake as I swiped the interface open and slammed my finger on the Challenge DLC tab.
[Challenge #1: Kill all invading Viltrumites.]
[Reward: Legendary ticket x1]
[Challenge #2: Bring the civilian casualty count to zero.]
[Reward: Diamond ticket x1]
[Challenge #3: Sacrifice your Highest Rated Ticket.]
[Reward: A gift from Lady Death x1]
I completely ignored the first two lines.
My eyes locked onto the third challenge, reading the words over and over until the letters blurred.
My lungs seized up, and I couldn't even pull air in.
I opened my system, and resting right at the top was the single Mythical Ticket I had earned by flipping the bet on three Near-Omnipotent beings.
I stared at it for a second.
A Mythical roll meant absolute power. It meant pulling an ability so absurdly broken that I would never have to fear Conquest, Battle Beast, or any cosmic horror in this universe ever again.
It was the ultimate safety net—the ultimate power fantasy.
The old John, the adrenaline-junkie gambler who chased the high of the roll, would have agonized over this. Hell, he would have made a list of pros and cons.
I didn't hesitate for even a full second.
I clicked the challenge and threw the Mythical Ticket directly into the sacrifice slot.
The brilliant pink ticket suddenly crumbled into pink ash right on my screen, yet it couldn't feel a single ounce of regret.
Ultimate power meant absolutely nothing to me if it meant I would never see her again.
A notification chimed as something incredibly heavy yet comfortingly warm dropped into my item storage.
I reached out my hand and materialized it.
A marble-sized sphere rested in my palm. It wasn't solid glass; it looked like a tiny, contained galaxy. Swirling nebulas of deep blue and silver drifted inside the orb, glowing with a soft, warm light that pushed the shadows away from the sofa.
I stood there, lost in my musings, when a shadow fell over me.
Sebas and Nakime had crossed the room, their eyes locked entirely on my hand.
"Master…" Sebas whispered, his golden eyes widening in a rare look of shock. "Is this… a pure soul in your hand?"
"I don't know if it really is a soul," I replied, my voice cracking. "But I believe it's Angy."
Nakime gasped, slapping both hands over her mouth. "Master's sister? But how?!"
"It's nothing," I said, never taking my eyes off the swirling blue marble. "I just had to sacrifice something of value."
Sebas leaned closer, his expression shifting into grave urgency. "Master, this is a pure, untethered soul. And belongs to your sister nonetheless. We must find a suitable vessel immediately before the spiritual energy begins to dissipate, or something terrible will happen."
Nakime instantly pivoted, her kimono swishing around her ankles. "Maulers! Drop the lights! We need a cloning vat prepared immediately! Now!"
"No, wait," I said, grabbing Nakime's wrist to stop her. "I think someone very generous has already taken care of the body for us."
I swiped the air.
The space in front of the sofa warped as a summoning circle lit up with golden light. The lifeless body of S-Snake gently materialized, hovering an inch above the wooden floorboards.
"That's a summoning circle!" Nakime muttered, taking a step back. "When did Master summon…?"
I stepped forward and held the starry marble directly over the child's head.
The moment the soul drew near, the marble flared in sky-blur light. It began to float on its own, slipping out of my palm and hovering in the air.
Ship let out a startled, metallic yelp," Ship!" backing up quickly until Pepsiman gently placed a silver hand on the pup to calm him down. "Pepsi..."
The room went dead silent as everyone watched as the starry marble slowly descended, phasing directly through the girl's sternum and disappearing completely into her heart.
For three agonizing seconds, nothing happened, and I started to sweat, terror gripping my throat.
'Did I mess it up? Did I—'
The girl's body suddenly levitated higher.
A brilliant, ethereal blue light erupted from her skin as specks of energy floated off her like stardust.
First, the dormant clump of ash between her black wings ignited. A beautiful, roaring plume of Lunarian fire flared to life, casting dancing shadows against the walls of the Infinity Castle.
Then, her chest hitched.
In the pin-drop silence of the Great Hall, a sound echoed.
Thump-thump.
It was a heartbeat. Strong, steady, and alive.
The girl's eyelashes fluttered, and her eyelids slowly opened.
The dead eyes from before were gone; instead, her pupils had taken the shape of brilliant, glowing stars, radiating with pure life and wonder.
As the ethereal light around her finally dimmed. Gravity reasserted itself, and the girl began to fall.
With Sebas and the rest still awestruck, I was the only one to move; c, I dove, hitting the floor hard, skidding across the polished cedar on my knees, and caught her small body securely in my arms.
I couldn't speak; my throat was locked tight.
The girl blinked, her star-shaped eyes adjusting to the ambient light of the room. She looked at my suit, then slowly tilted her head up to look at my face.
"Your... face…." she muttered. Her voice was small, and so familiar that it shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. "John… is that you, Johnny?"
Recognition finally flooded her face as she threw her arms up, wrapping them desperately around my neck and burying her face into my shoulder.
"Angy… my little Angy," I wailed.
[Image Here]
I didn't care that people were watching. I didn't care about looking cool or acting like a hardened survivor.
I buried my face into her white hair and broke down, with heavy tears streaming down my cheeks, as I held onto the best thing this gacha has ever given me.
[A/N]: For what I couldn't write in canon.
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