Hikari's heart gradually regained its natural rhythm. It was slow and weak at the beginning, making it difficult to tell the girl was even alive inside in that slimy prison of hers, but it grew stronger over time. When she finally awoke, she slowly stretched her arms until the chrysalis began to twist and tear. It was hard work, but she had to do it by herself. If she couldn't break out of her own shell, where would she ever find the strength to conquer the world?
She had to pry herself the rest of the way out once she reached the halfway point, grunting softly and wiggling her hips as if she were trying to escape a skirt that was a couple sizes too small. When she finally broke free from the frost-colored membrane, she stumbled forward a few more inches on all fours. She was still a little achy from everything she had been through over the past few days, but she felt more rested and energized than she could ever remember. She would have to thank the Tenma's dark priest the next time she crossed his path.
Most of her new attire had already formed while her body was resting and absorbing the cocoon's magically augmented nutrients, and the rest finished materializing as she caught her breath and giggled quietly. She wore a short dress made of pink and white fabric, with rib-shaped armor of the same color shielding the front of her torso. Her black and pink leg warmers have changed to white and pink to match the dress. A stylish combination of white hair ribbons and head armor had formed over her ears. Around her forearms were long, loose pink sleeves that dangled from white pauldrons on her shoulders. They resembled something a shrine maiden might wear, although it probably would have been hard to call Hikari a maiden at this point. Jewel-like formations on her cheeks and forehead had calcified inside of the cocoon to mark her new heritage.
Turning her attention elsewhere, Hikari began inspecting her ominous surroundings. She was in a cavernous chamber somewhere in the pit of the Tenma's palace. Hot, steamy air filled her lungs for the first time since she was sent into hibernation. The place was like a sauna, but it still didn't feel quite as stuffy as she last remembered.
The floor was littered with the bodies of dozens of the Tenma's mindless foot soldiers. They had exhausted themselves and sacrificed their lives so she and her friends could be given new ones. She felt sorry for the poor guys, but she was happy she had at least been able to help them go out with a bang.
The abandoned remains of another, slightly larger cocoon occupied the murky floor only a few feet away from Hikari's. Her curious expression turned to a jealous scowl once she realized Miku had already hatched and left to join Aiko and Sophie, who had been the enemy's first successful attempt at Tenma transmutation. She had a vague recollection of battling her two allies and trying with all of her heart to talk them back to their senses, but she couldn't be bothered to remember why she ever felt that way. If anything, she now pondered why she hadn't volunteered to join their side sooner.
Hikari crawled past a series of ornamental pillars that supported the chamber ceiling before stopping at one in particular. Ranga looked like she had been glued to the structure in her sleep, and portions of her Psyger armor were still intact beneath the questionable material that veiled her from head to toe. The ceremony must have taken a little longer for her, as she looked like she wouldn't be molting for another day or two. In any case, this meant Hikari was now only the second youngest member of her group. Earlier that week, she had been the oddball 19-year-old junior member in a team of fully grown and married superheroines. Having the entire squad reborn as Tenma princesses placed their birthdays much closer together and evened things out.
Slinking further out of the nursery, Hikari found herself drawn to a stream of light shining through the shadows of one of the walls. The source of the light was a narrow opening that connected to a twisted ledge on the outside of the temple. The Tenma had built their humble abode atop one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city when they first invaded, providing a rather expansive view of the landscape. A sudden gust of wind brushed through Hikari's long brown hair as she peeked over her makeshift balcony.
Purple miasma filled the skies. Fires had broken out all over the city. She had to squint before she noticed the distant ants she was observing were actually armies of demons sweeping through the streets. The Tenma's influence was much more widespread compared to when her team had been defeated in their desperate last stand. Three of her four sisters were surely somewhere below, amidst the burning rubble and constant screaming, and she licked her lips as she thought about all the mischief they must have been causing.
Playing the bad guy for once was going to be fun.