"Not much. There are some things that aren't clear, but most of what I remember are from before I went into the pod. I can't remember anything that happened while I was in there."
Mark nodded as he already assumed that this was the case. He knew that QUEEN was the one in control when Arit came out from the pod, so he didn't think she would remember much from that time.
"I don't know how to say this gently, but there are some things that happened to your body when you came out from the pod. Your body is different now compared to before. You're stronger and if you don't learn to control that strength, then you could easily cause a lot of damage unknowingly."
Arit gained a thoughtful expression. Arit could already tell that she was physically stronger than before, but she didn't think it was anything to be worried about. She felt like she could control it, or rather, she felt like the voice inside her head could control it.
There was this mental barrier that was preventing Arit from exerting her full strength, and Arit knew that it was the other voice in her head that was blocking the strength. right now, Arit felt like she was no different from a normal girl.
She didn't have to worry about using too much strength to accidentally injure someone.
Arit told Mark that she felt she could control the strength and Mark looked into her eyes and made sure she was not just saying things to lessen his worry. Once he was sure that she was not lying, he spoke up again.
"Have there been any changes you've noticed recently? Like, maybe there is a voice in your head talking to you and telling you to do some things or you feel like you would lose control of yourself at any moment?"
Arit blinked in surprise at how accurately Mark was able to deduce the symptoms that she had been experiencing. She wrung her hands together and looked away as she wondered what to do. She didn't want to burden Mark with this after everything that he already did for her. She didn't think that it was important enough for her to tell him about it since she could control the voice for now.
And she also felt very embarrassed about telling Mark about the things that the voice always told her to do when they were talking about Mark!
The voice in her head was twisted, but it was also devoted to Mark, and Arit would die of embarrassment if Mark knew the lewd and sexual things that voice always suggested that she should do! And Arit was even more embarrassed since she knew that she also wanted Mark to do those things to her!
"Well, I don't feel like I'd lose control. I know I'm in control… but there have been some voices. But it's not so bad! I feel like I can control it and I don't listen to them even though they tell me to do some dangerous things! I swear it's not bad!"
Arit quickly started to defend herself once she told Mark about the voice and Mark left his eyes narrow for a moment. Mark already knew that there was something wrong when he noticed Arit's silence, and once she told him that he was right, he was immediately worried!
Mark was now sure that QUEEN was still inside Arit and talking to her, but Mark wasn't sure what sort of effect this would have on her mentally.
Mark decided to take her to Pat's house with him in two days so that Pat could take a look at what could be wrong with Arit. If Pat couldn't find out what was wrong with Arit, then they would have to find a medical professional who could help them. It would be dangerous if she loses control of herself and QUEEN takes over unexpectedly.
Mark came to sit beside Arit, and Arit bit her inner lip once more as he spoke. She thought that Mark would ask her more about the voice in her head, but she was surprised when Mark began to ask about something else instead.
"Alright, what did you want to talk about? Is it about me being a superhuman?"
Arit put her hands on her lap and looked at Mark as she nodded. She was glad that Mark was no longer asking about the voices. She didn't want to talk about them at all.
"It's actually something related to that. When I was kidnapped by the Anima, they said something that stayed with me. They said that they were doing all of this just to capture the KING. I just wondered if... I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong, but it just sounds like they were talking about…"
"Yeah, they were talking about me."
"R-Really? They were? So, that means that you're really…?"
Mark nodded as he leaned back on his hands.
"I was the one that fought the Armageddon four years ago. A lot happened back then and I lost my powers for some time because of that fight. But I recently got it back and I'm working towards getting to that level of power again. I'm KING."
Poomph!
A pair of arms suddenly enveloped Mark, and Mark was surprised as he felt Arit hugging him tightly! Mark put one hand around her carefully and asked her if there was something wrong. Arit shook her head as she just tightened her hug.
"I just really wanted to hug you."
Arit couldn't believe it. The one person that she respected the most was the one responsible for that fight four years ago. Arit felt awed by Mark, but she couldn't help but also feel sad for him.
Arit knows that Mark is eighteen, so back then he would have been barely fourteen years old. A fourteen-year-old child was given the responsibility of saving the world, and he didn't back away from it. He didn't abandon them, and he fought for three days straight just to make sure that everyone survived. Arit couldn't imagine how difficult that must've been.
It made her respect and adoration for Mark increase even higher than it already was! In her head right now, Mark was everything!
Arit detached herself slightly from Mark and put her hands on his shoulders as she looked down at him lovingly. She was practically sitting on Mark's lap, and Mark gazed up at her with intensity as she felt heat rising to her cheeks.
"I don't know if anyone's ever said this to you before, but thank you for saving the world, Mark."
Mark smiled as he reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her head before he put his hand on the back of her head and brought her down for a kiss.
"Mmph~"
Arit didn't even try to fight against it as she wrapped her hands around Mark's neck and deepened the kiss! Mark grabbed Arit by the thighs and made her straddle him as he put both hands on her back and brought her closer to his body until there was barely any room at all between them! Her breasts pressed into his chest, and Mark growled at the back of his throat as he felt the soft sensation!
He opened her mouth with his tongue, and she moaned into his mouth as she felt him exploring her mouth with his tongue! Mark traced his hand down her back until he reached her ass, and Arit jolted as he grabbed her ass in both hands and squeezed.
"Moan~!"