Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Primrose POV.
We all froze in place before looking at Lady Serena in confusion.
Ultima Uniforms?
Lady Serena seemed expectant and terribly pleased with the name, but… she wasn't telling us anything. Even Lady Narcissa seemed to notice and only chuckled slightly before nudging Serena lightly with her elbow. Lady Serena blinked before smiling.
Lady Serena simply clapped happily before a wardrobe fell behind her and then opened, revealing hundreds of uniforms.
They didn't seem to have anything special about them, it was just everyday clothes, like, literally normal clothes. There were shirts, pants, suits, dresses, coats, lingerie, underwear, and any other kind of clothing; they didn't look at all like a uniform.
She picked up two specifically and showed them; like the others, they had nothing that looked important about them. The only relevant thing was the enormous four-pointed star on her chest. As we watched, the star seemed to glow with an iridescent color before disappearing.
"Very well, these uniforms are our new creation," Lady Serena said proudly. "They will be your uniforms from now on," she declared easily. "To make things simpler, think of them as artificial Sacred Gears." Our eyes widened. "Before you get too excited, finish listening."
"There are three types of uniforms. The one-star uniforms are the most common. They'll simply improve your strength, speed, and stamina a little, and they'll also have some other minor enhancements, but nothing truly impressive," Lady Serena said with an apologetic smile. "But moving on."
"Two-star uniforms are far superior. Upgrading a two-star uniform results in exponential growth, granting the wearer powers they can utilize and making them strong enough to fight on par with mid-class devils regardless of their base demonic power."
" And finally, the three-star uniforms. They are truly special; they will grant you tremendous power. They are strong enough to empower a low-class devil or succubus, all the way up to the high class without any problem, if you can master the uniforms," Lady Serena said, completely satisfied. Our eyes widened.
So… what?
That… couldn't be possible… or could it? Clothes that could empower any of us—low-class succubi and devils—to the power level of a high-class devil, simply by… wearing them?
That… was practically a miracle. According to Lady Serena, we should treat them as if they were Sacred Gears, and… I could understand that. Sacred Gears were often power multipliers, not literally, but having an ability like that greatly helped humans improve immensely.
Yes… If those uniforms were just as impressive, then… it was simply incredible. As expected of Lady Serena.
My eyes quickly wandered to all the clothes inside the wardrobe that had appeared.
"The one-star uniforms will be issued to all members, including Aurors, those in the Garden, and those in the Astrarium. This will be the most basic uniform of all. As Aurors have their own designed uniform, the Ultima Uniforms, they were made to look the same, and for the other two organizations, since their work is more… discreet, we tried to maintain a more casual line." Lady Serena simply smiled before pointing to the wardrobe.
Just as she had said, in addition to normal clothes, I could see several Auror uniforms there, which were suits with a trench coat over them. The same attire that Lady Bellatrix wore, only instead of being white like hers, the Auror uniforms were completely black.
"Continuing, the two-star uniforms—those are more important. They will be awarded only to outstanding individuals from the three organizations, group leaders, or those who have distinguished themselves for other reasons. As these are more… robust, they need to be specifically designed for each of you and tailored, something that will be done once we finish this presentation." With that, Lady Serena clapped again.
With that, a second wardrobe fell, and the doors opened. My eyes widened slightly. This time, the clothes were very different. The production quality was far superior and very specific. It was impossible to hide that they weren't magical clothes.
Each uniform had two four-pointed stars somewhere on the clothing; those stars shone iridescently and spread across the uniform like a rainbow net before they dimmed and seemed inert, just plain clothing.
"And finally, the three-star uniforms. These are... very limited, and for the moment, there are only three of them. One for each leader of the organizations," Lady Serena said proudly. This time, three mannequins appeared behind Lady Serena. Each one was a uniform at a completely different level from the previous ones.
The first was a far more elegant Auror uniform; the undersuit had been replaced by what was practically light armor, and over that was an open black trench coat with a hood. There were several protective plates on the arms and boots. It was definitely for Lord Hood.
The second one, for Lord Altair, maintained the same aesthetic but was far more elegant and of better quality. It was a white tunic with a sleek cut, leather straps, and reinforced bracers. It had a deep hood designed to keep the face partially hidden. It offered much less protection than Lord Hood's, but there were light armor plates and shields, such as on the shoulders and forearms. Most of it was kept lightweight, specifically for freedom of movement, and it all ended with a discreet cape draped over the back.
And the last one was a rather revealing little dress for Lady Maria. A corset and bra were held together by a piece of fabric that fastened at the neck, but it left her shoulders bare, and a short skirt that ended mid-thigh. There were thigh-high stockings and separate sleeves to complete the outfit.
The three uniforms seemed to glow intensely, each bearing three stars that shone brightly and powerfully enough to make each uniform appear truly dazzling. Hood's seemed to be enveloped in lightning, Lord Altair's in flames, and Lady Maria's in darkness before everything went dark.
The three uniforms remained completely inert before changing shape. Lord Hood's had transformed into a standard Auror uniform, Lord Altair's had become a replica of his current suit, and a simple white dress shirt and black skirt had replaced Lady Maria's.
We all stared in disbelief at the display of those uniforms.
"Wait, we have uniforms too?" Lady Maria asked in surprise. Lady Serena laughed slightly.
"Of course," Lady Serena said easily. "You lead the organizations, so of course I'd give you uniforms. You and Maria might not fight at all, but it's best to have them on hand in case of an emergency. You'll be on the front lines in any emergency with our beloved flowers," Lady Serena said with a smile. I couldn't help but blush at being called "dear flower" by Lady Serena. "Very well, now, let's try these uniforms on!" Lady Serena said with a smile.
With that said, she clapped her hands, pulled out a small list, called out at least 20 names that awkwardly emerged from the crowd, then quickly handed out one-star uniforms to each of them. To our surprise, Lady Serena was right.
While it wasn't a huge improvement, I knew some of them well enough to know that all their abilities had improved. They were faster, stronger, and more resilient—nothing truly extraordinary, but even a small improvement was better than nothing.
Besides, either way, it was still a gift and a blessing from Lady Serena; anything that came from her we should feel honored to use.
"Now, for the two-star uniforms, I'll call out your names. Please step forward." Lady Serena said, pulling out a small list. I listened intently to the names—after all, they would be our superiors—before I froze completely.
"She said our names." Spica murmured in shock beside me. My eyes widened just as much.
"L-let's go." I said shakily as we made our way through the crowd, along with the other people Lady Serena mentioned. There were ten of us; I suppose it was, like before, a demonstration.
Lady Serena immediately gave each of us a specific uniform. I focused on mine; it looked like fetish lingerie, complete with cat ears. I awkwardly looked at the clothes before undressing and putting them on.
Once I did, I stood there awkwardly, feeling nothing in particular, until I felt a connection settling into my body. The clothes seemed to loosen before fully conforming to my body, including the cat ears, which melted into my head.
Then I felt it. The power, the magic, Lady Serena's touch coursing through the uniform. The first thing I noticed was that the sounds were much higher-pitched, so much so that I winced, and I felt my cat ears flatten slightly.
The next thing I knew, I felt lighter, much lighter. I couldn't help but stare in wonder at my uniform. It seemed to almost instinctively know what it could do: speed, flexibility, dexterity, jumping ability, leg strength, enhanced reflexes, night vision, and much more sensitive hearing.
I couldn't help but marvel at my impatience. I smiled as I got ready to run, but I couldn't avoid crashing into the wall because of the incredible speed I now possessed. I burst out laughing; the impact had barely hurt. So I started running again, this time jumping and bouncing around. My steps were almost silent, and it was wonderful.
As I moved, I could feel lightning crackling around my feet. My eyes snapped open as I felt the energy building, and I spun around, slamming my feet into one of the nearest walls. The wall shattered completely, and I stared in awe.
Then more explosions erupted throughout the room. She wasn't the only one testing the capabilities of the two-star uniforms.
Each one looked truly different, but for some reason, they all had animal themes. There was a boar, a fox, a bird, a rabbit, a raccoon, a tiger, a wolf, and even Spica was a dragon! That was understandable. What I couldn't understand was the outfit of one of the stars. It looked like a furry white jumpsuit worn by an animal that Lady Serena calls a Demiguise, which could somehow turn invisible, but I could see its usefulness almost immediately.
And besides, it seemed each of us had our specialty. Strength over agility or vice versa, endurance over both, or something similar. And then an element we could easily manipulate: lightning for me, fire for Spica, but wind, earth, water, and several others were all possible.
Lady Serena, along with Lady Narcissa, approached each of us to personally adjust our uniforms, effortlessly explaining everything each could do. I listened intently to her every word.
Finally, we all returned to our places, still wearing our new uniforms, as the others looked at us in amazement.
"Now it's your turn," Lady Serena finally said, looking at the three leaders.
"Tch, give me that." Lord Hood growled before grabbing the mannequin's uniform, then he didn't even hesitate to take off his own clothes, revealing his completely purplish-black skin without any concern.
"Thank you for this gift, Lady Serena." Lady Maria was next; she approached her while she, too, undressed without any shame, quickly putting on her shirt and skirt.
"I am deeply honored by this gift. Thank you for your blessings, Lady Serena." Lord Altair was the last, and he was the only one who used the small booth to change, but even so, he quickly left, leaving his old uniform aside while he finished adjusting the new one.
"So, how does this work?" Lord Hood asked, frowning as he looked at the clothes he was wearing.
"Just like everyone else, the uniform synchronizes with you; they are made especially for you. Simply think that you want to unleash the true power of the uniforms," Lady Serena said calmly, though her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked on.
The first to change was Lord Altair. The transformation seemed to undress him momentarily, and for some reason, his face still appeared hidden, and then the suit formed around him.
Next were Lady Maria and Lord Hood. In both cases, it also seemed as if their clothes vanished, leaving them naked for a few moments before their fully awakened uniforms reformed.
"Oh, now you're talking," Lord Hood said with a sinister smile as he raised his arms, enveloped in lightning. Then he slammed his fist against his hand, emitting a powerful discharge.
"This... is interesting." Lord Altair said, raising his hands, which were ablaze. He tried to control them before a flaming knife appeared between his fingers. Lord Altair began to play with the knife from side to side.
"That... what is this?" Lady Maria asked as she moved her hands, and a violet darkness followed her fingers; then she created a sphere of purple energy between her hands.
"Unlike those from two stars that can manipulate the elements, these uniforms are somewhat different. This is Arc, Solar, and Void energy. The Arc is related to electricity and electromagnetism; it's not just electricity, it's much more complex than that, but for the moment it doesn't matter."
"Solar energy is combustion, heat, and fire, as intense as that of a star. At the same time, the energy of the Void is gravity, dark energy, and dark matter. Any of the three energies has a great number of applications; it depends on you how they will manifest. I will help you master the basics, but the rest is up to you," Lady Serena said with ease.
After that, the three of them began training with Lady Serena. The first was Lord Hood; he seemed to be enveloped in lightning before shooting into the sky. Large thrusters emerged from his shoulders, and his uniform adapted to them. Then he shot off at great speed before the lightning enveloped him again, increasing his speed to a terrifying degree—fast enough that I couldn't even see him.
Lord Altair was given a revolver that Lady Serena called "Last Word". She taught Lord Altair how to envelop the revolver in fire energy and solar energy? to fire bullets that seemed to incinerate and turn to ash any target they touched.
Finally, Lady Maria was not to be outdone. She could create spheres with that… void energy. Spheres that seemed equal to the destructive power of the Bael's Destruction trait.
Each one was truly terrifying in its own right. And they were definitely far superior to any of the previous uniforms. They had definitely reached the upper class. My eyes widened in surprise. That… that was the level a three-star uniform could confer.
"Very well, and that concludes the discussion on uniforms," Lady Serena said, appearing completely satisfied. "I want to apologize to those who are dissatisfied with their star rank. I wish I could eventually provide you all with superior uniforms, but frankly, it's not possible," Lady Serena said with a sigh. "Uniforms are complicated to make, at least the higher-star ones—impractical at best."
"It requires truly exotic and complicated materials to acquire, and primarily, my own body," Lady Serena said. We all froze completely and stared at her. She seemed almost indifferent to what she had just said publicly—that she was using her own body. "They are made of something I call Life Fibers."
"In short, they are made from my body and imbued with my power, which allows for the creation of the uniforms." Lady Serena said before raising her arm horizontally, then used her free hand and seemed to pull on her arm before dozens of iridescent white threads emerged from it.
Lady Serena tugged the threads tightly before tossing them to Lady Narcissa. She simply pulled out several spools of yarn, and dozens of needles floated into the air before she began knitting at a terrifying speed. In a few seconds, a complete uniform was ready in mid-air. Lady Serene smiled contentedly before cutting the threads from her arm with a flick of her wrist.
"As you can see, this is how a uniform is made. The problem is that one-star uniforms are made with 10% Life Fibers, while two-star uniforms have 20%, and three-star uniforms have 30% Life Fibers."
"A star's uniforms are quite easy to make, as you saw; it doesn't take much time, but that's simply because they have 10% Life Fibers. It's not demanding on the other materials and production."
"But two-star ones require much more time and more magical materials to support the load of the Life Fibers, and it's much more complicated with three-star ones."
"And before you ask, yes, it would be possible to create four-star or higher uniforms, but I won't. The price alone would be exorbitant, but more importantly, the physical and mental strain that even 40% Life Fibers would cause would kill or drive anyone who wore the uniform insane, except in very rare cases, but it's not worth the risk."
"And a uniform made entirely of Life Fibers wouldn't reach the same level of strength as me, but it would definitely reach the strength of an ultimate-class devil, and no one would survive wearing it. So the limit is three-star. If anything changes, you will be notified immediately."
"The uniforms will be supplied regularly, so don't worry about damaging it," Lady Serena said with a satisfied smile. "Any questions?" Lady Serena asked, looking at us expectantly once more, but no one seemed to speak.
I was sure none of us could. We were all stunned. She… she was giving us her body? Transforming her body into threads to create uniforms, uniforms that would make us stronger, that would protect us and keep us safe.
To my surprise, Spica, next to me, raised her trembling hand. Lady Serena's expression seemed to light up at the sight of someone raising their hand and pointing at Spica.
"Yes... Spica?" Lady Serena asked as she looked at Spica, who squealed at being called by her name.
"I-I-" Spica tried to say shakily. "C-creating the uniforms, does it hurt?" Spica asked tremulously, but terribly worried about Lady Serena. A feeling of dread crossed my chest, and I felt my heart drop.
"No," Lady Serena said immediately and calmly, and I could breathe again. "I mean, it tires me out, yes, I can't create threads infinitely, there's a real limit, but it doesn't hurt me in any way. It's not like I'm losing power or life force or anything like that, so don't worry, it just tires me out and makes me hungry." Lady Serena said lightly. I looked at her face without hesitation and tried to find any sign of deception, but I just sighed with relief when I found none.
Lady Serena finally left, but none of us really moved. We all continued staring straight ahead, in complete shock, at the spot where she had been standing. Without hesitation, I raised my hand to my chest and gently grasped the uniform that wrapped around me. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around myself and hug myself as I felt the uniform envelop me. I could feel Lady Serena's power and essence enveloping me.
Matthew 26:26; While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
Is this how Jesus' disciples felt when he gave them his body and blood? Lady Serena had given us her blood so that we could stay alive and be free, and now she had given us her body to protect us and make us strong.
Oh, Lady Serena really was our savior.
…
No. Not a savior.
I smiled slightly before falling to my knees along with the others as we thanked Lady Serena, even though she was no longer here.
She was our goddess.
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Author's Notes: Did I go overboard? I just wanted to write about Goku uniforms, I swear, but I ended up with a fanatical religious succubus of Serena. I don't regret it at all. The good thing is that Serena is starting to develop a religion, even if she doesn't know it herself.
Now, who will fight and adore Serena more, the succubi or the angels? A very serious debate.
Second serious debate: Is Kill la Kill a magical girl series?! Because as I continued writing this, that's what it seemed like to me!