Chapter 1543: Alma’s Dream Heart Awakening
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It was thanks to all these people that Alma was here right now. Without them, she would never have gone this far. Her mother died for her to be born, and her father died on the battlefield, fighting the Nightmares for her. Her grandmother raised her, continuing to live and fight despite how old and tired she looked at times. Sometimes, it even felt like she would die at any moment, but she continued living, fighting against her own crumbling body to raise her, no matter what.
Their memories flowed out of Alma’s Aura, as everyone suddenly saw something wondrous: images of her past, emerging through the water of her aura manifesting into the real world.
"What’s going on?" Emily looked at Alma. "Alma’s powers! What’s that?"
"Looks like she’s awakening something," Arthur’s eyes widened. "Incredible, her power keeps rising endlessly?"
RUMBLE!
Celes felt the oceans shaking behind him, no longer just responding to him, but to someone else as well.
"Remember those that have been with you since you got here, and that despite all the difficulties you’ve faced, they will forever remain by your side, because they’re your true friends."
Alma cried a little tear, as Sofia, Emily, Martina, and Maria quickly appeared in her mind, but then Nyx, Celes, Arthur, Partner, Emeraldine, Jonathan, Lucifer, and everyone else. She had way more friends than she could have ever believed. Her grandmother would be so happy if she knew of all the wonderful friends she had made by now.
And of course, to think she would find the person she would love here as well, with her friend Maria.
As she thought about her, her Dream Heart shone incredibly brightly, and all the power she had within her flowed out instantly.
FLAAASH!
Indeed, as Undine had stated, the power of Dream Hearts can grow exponentially when the Human goes through both physical and mental growth. Alma had already grown immensely strong, but most of this power had yet to awaken until now. Through the feelings of Love, the strongest positive emotion one can feel, Alma truly awakened.
And went beyond.
FLUOSH!
Her Aura erupted, resembling a gigantic tower of spiraling water that reached the skies above, making the world tremble.
"Impossible! What is this power?"
The Kaiju-shaped Original Nightmare Curse couldn’t believe his eyes as he saw the tower of water emerge and the immense wave of Dream Power surging from Alma.
"Well done, Alma. Now, let’s finish this. Take my power, all of it, because I was born from you, and now I shall return to you."
"Undine?"
Alma’s eyes widened, as Undine’s staff merged into her body, fusing with her completely. Her Soul, her Dream Heart, and her Body transformed. Her body fully accepted the changes, as Alma grew a long mermaid-like tail instead of legs, her skin turned pale blue, and her hair, although still pink, gained a lot of blue colors to it. She gained sharp gills around her ears and neck, fins, and her blue eyes glowed with a hint of emerald color.
Her appearance had fully changed, evolving into something beyond human. Alma had assimilated Undine, a mermaid-like spirit of water, and so her body changed to demonstrate this fusion.
"Alma? Is that really you?" Emily couldn’t believe it.
"She changed so much!" Arthur muttered.
"Wooow!" Celes clapped. "Amazing, Alma! I knew you could do it!"
"Yes," Alma’s voice reverberated through the skies. "I am still afraid. I cannot lie about that, but I am more confident than ever about my strength. I know I can make a difference, and I will!"
"What can a mere insect do? Your tricks won’t work against me anymore!"
The Nightmare Curse grew desperate, raising his power to its limits as a blazing nightmare aura surged from his body. The ground shook beneath him, as giant crystals made of crystallized nightmare energy erupted, aiming at Alma.
However, Alma’s power continued spreading everywhere. Hundreds of hands made of water manifested from her aura, clashing against all the crystals growing towards her, reaching the size of skyscrapers, and shattering them into pieces.
"It feels like I can finally do what I want with my powers!"
Alma always felt restricted, like she couldn’t quite get to do as she pleased with them. First, they could only heal and then barriers. It took her a while for her to manage to freeze her water and then use it to produce powerful projectiles and spells.
And now, she had finally ascended into an even higher form, an even higher realm of power with her Dream Heart and Dream Weapon now merged into her very body. Her Aura continued fluctuating, growing like countless rivers of azure light.
"Let’s go, Celes!" she said, as the boy nodded happily.
"Sure thing, Alma! Let’s go!" Celes nodded.
The boy’s Aura surged. The power of his three Water Spirits, which his previous life left for him, manifested. Their divine spiritual power merged with his own, helping him power up to the limit.
With this power, the boy flew forward, Arthur and Emily rushing by their side, knowing that this new strength that Alma had awakened was what they needed to turn the tables.
"You’re nothing but fodder! Useless fodder!"
The Nightmare Curse screamed, opening his jaws and unleashing a giant beam of blazing nightmare flames against them, an atomic breath the same caliber as he had unleashed before.
TRUUUMMM!!!
The flames reached the group, and yet Alma and Celes pushed forward, their Water Magic combining together, swirling into a gigantic hydra made of azure water.
"{Dream Heart Weapon Combination Technique}: {Nightmare-Eating Azure Ocean Hydra}!"
They roared in unison, as the hydra monstrously opened its jaws, devouring the incoming blast of black nightmare flames and beginning to rapidly make the whole beam disappear, pushing forward with everyone else.
RUMBLE!
"Looks like they’re managing to push forward more and more!" Arthur said, as his Dream Weapon glowed, reacting to his own Aura. "We better do our best as well, Emily!"
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