Then Nava woke up, finding himself enveloped in a strange sensation, as if everything around him existed on a higher existential plane. He yawned and stirred in the same place [or half of it], but... there was a peculiar feeling, as if someone was hugging him. He could tell it was a girl by the soft, pleasant touch and the distinct press of her chest against him.
Turning his head to look, he found a girl with celestial pink hair and pink eyes, possessing a breathtaking beauty that felt far beyond the reach of ordinary gods and goddesses.
Why is a girl like this hugging me while I'm asleep and looking so happy in a situation like this? he wondered, deciding to just ask since he couldn't make heads or tails of it.
"Excuse me, who are you? And why are you hugging me?"
The girl answered almost instantly—so fast that Nava recognized the voice immediately, freezing in his tracks.
The pink-haired girl replied with a teasing tone:
"Ara, ara, master is so cold that he forgot me this quickly. You really know how to break a girl's heart and make her sad." She said, pouting playfully.
Realizing what had happened, Nava stammered:
"No way, you're..."
"That's right, master! It's me, the great Celetia herself! How do I look? Do you like it? I manifested this form to step out into the world for a bit instead of being trapped inside your mind all the time."
Nava was completely shocked by the revelation.
"El... Ele... Celetia? What the hell?! Well, who would've thought you'd look this gorgeous? Literally."
He stared at her, though his eyes lingered on her chest with an appreciative look, though he tried to keep it lighthearted.
Celetia noticed and smiled wickedly.
"Ara, ara, master, your eyes seem to wander to certain places, don't they?" she said in a sultry voice, shifting her body seductively with a crooked smile as she licked her lips.
Nava quickly caught himself.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't notice, but you were so provocative that it was hard to stop. Anyway, let's get out of here. I just want to leave this place."
He said before Celetia stopped him, grabbing hold of him and saying:
"Master, have you actually looked at your own appearance yet? You've become entirely different after fusing with Shiroryu's essence."
Nava was startled by her words. He quickly conjured a mirror out of the void to check his reflection—and was instantly stunned.
"Ha?!... Why is my hair so long? Why do I look this feminine? Why do I have diamond-blue eyes? Since when did I get taller? What the hell is going on?!"
He screamed, then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself down.
"At least you look pretty with this look," Celetia smiled, before fading away and returning to reside inside him as a skill.
He walked over to the door, which was decorated with strange carvings this time—covered in numerous skulls—though he didn't care.
He stepped through into the tenth floor of the labyrinth.