Hiro skidded across the ground.
Screeeeech—
Claws dug deep trenches into the corrupted earth, kicking up a spray of dirt, purple blood, and shattered crystal fragments. The smell of ozone and decay filled his nostrils. His heart hammered in his chest — thump-thump, thump-thump — loud enough that he was sure Yurei could hear it.
Finally, he stopped.
Dust settled around him like a slow-motion explosion.
"…What was that?!" Hiro asked, his voice echoing inside Yurei's mind.
He was referring to the feeling. That dark, hungry thing that had almost taken over. He had felt it once before — during his first transformation. But he didn't expect it to come back. Not with Yurei's Chains. Not with the crimson door keeping him in check.
"That was the primal force, idiot," Yurei said.
Her voice was sharp. But underneath it — something softer. Concern, maybe.
"But I thought the crimson door —"
"That's your natural beast bloodlust," Yurei explained. She adjusted her grip on his back, her small fingers threading through his fur. "As it grows… so does your primal force."
A pause.
Hiro could feel her heartbeat against his spine. Faster than usual.
"My chains — and whatever that door is — keep you from instantly going berserk. But if you let your bloodlust take over…" Her voice dropped. "…both will become useless."
"Crap…" Hiro's thought echoed — heavy, shaky. "I almost lost control."
It was honestly terrifying. For a few seconds there, he hadn't been thinking. Hadn't been Hiro. He'd just been… hunger. Teeth and claws and the need to rip.
He had almost turned into a mindless beast.
"Yeah. Do you know how many times I almost fell off you?" Yurei said.
Before he could respond —
Twist.
She grabbed one of his fox ears and twisted.
*"AWWWU!!" *
Hiro yelped — a high, undignified sound that echoed across the battlefield. His body jerked. His tail fluffed involuntarily.
How were his fox ears that sensitive?!
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he screamed mentally, each word punctuated by another jolt of weird, electric pain.
Yurei held on for a moment longer — just to make her point — then finally let go.
"Don't do that again," she said.
Hiro panted. His ears twitched, still tingling.
"I will keep you steady. But we are a team, Hiro." Her voice softened. "We are supposed to fight together. Not just you going on a slaughter fest."
"Yeah… I got it. Teamwork." He took a slow breath. The red haze was gone. His mind felt clear again. "But what if I —"
"I will keep you steady."
She cut him off — not harshly, but firmly.
"Although you are my slave…" A pause. He could feel her smile, even without seeing it. "…you're also my partner. So if you have my back… I will also have yours."
Hiro blinked.
Something warm flickered in his chest.
Before he could respond —
Grrrrrrowl…
The Corrupted had regrouped.
He turned his head. Dozens of them — twisted, mangled, glowing with that sick purple light — were dragging themselves out of the crater. Crystals crackled. Broken limbs snapped back into place. Empty eye sockets stared.
Their attention turned toward the pair.
"Okay, Hiro." Yurei brandished Longinus — the golden spear catching the dim light, gleaming like a promise. "Let's try that again. Shall we?"
The Corrupted came closer.
Closer.
Hiro clenched his fox claws. His heart raced.
Still scared of losing control.
But then he remembered —
He wasn't alone.
His fear reduced — still there, still real, but no longer drowning him.
"Okay, Captain." His voice steadied. "Ready."
"Severing Claw."
"Longinus Spear Art — Tempest Thrust."
---
Together—
The same four-pointed claw slash tore through the air — silver and sharp — but this time, it was accompanied by something more.
A vortex of earth-shredding winds.
A spiraling beam of light.
The two attacks merged — twisting together like a double helix of destruction — and slammed into the oncoming horde.
*BOOOMM!!! *
The explosion was massive.
A third of the Corrupted group — instantly wiped out. Flesh. Bone. Crystals. Everything vaporized. The shockwave rippled outward, sending dust and debris flying for hundreds of meters. The ground trembled.
Hiro's eyes widened.
Synergy.
The combination of their attacks proved mighty effective.
"Okay, Hiro." Yurei's voice was calm — focused. "We go through the group whilst I turn them into diced mince. You need to familiarize yourself with my fighting style."
"Roger that, Captain!" Hiro shouted mentally.
Then —
He threw his head back.
Opened his jaws.
And released a gut-wrenching roar that echoed across the wasteland:
*"RAHHHH!!!!" *
The sound vibrated through the air — through the ground — through the bones of every Corrupted nearby. Several of them stumbled. One fell to its knees.
Then Hiro leaped.
Straight into the center of the Corrupted Ape group.
"Now…" Yurei muttered, gripping his fur tightly. "…let me handle the rest."
"Longinus Spear Art — Reaper Slash."
Swish~
Swish~
She swung Longinus — and beautiful things happened.
Ten long golden slashes erupted from the spear's blade, each one humming with contained power. They scattered around the Corrupted mob like falling petals — graceful, elegant, deadly.
Where each slash touched?
Decimation.
Limbs separated from bodies. Heads rolled. Purple blood sprayed in synchronized fountains. The Corrupted around Hiro and Yurei collapsed — all at once, like puppets with cut strings.
"Ten-fold technique…" Yurei whispered mentally finishing her move.
His eyes were wide.
"Wow… it's that same technique from before."
Yurei Skyfall.
The thirteenth Imperial princess.
Believed to be the weakest due to her blessing — Lover's Chain. Not only was it a double-edged sword for both user and slave… but it didn't have any active offensive attacks or capabilities.
None.
Zero.
So when the Matriarch gave her the Sky-Piercing Spear — Longinus , Yurei immediately began to develop the ultimate offensive technique.
To cover for her faults.
Using the spear's natural abilities as the base.
By using Aether to boost her physical stats — combined with her original spear art — Yurei turned herself into an unstoppable force.
"Longinus Spear Art — Tempest Thrust."
Yurei went into her stance.
I feel slightly stronger… she thought.
Her Aether reserves felt fuller. Richer. Like a river that had suddenly become a flood.
And my Aether seems to be more…
The effects of my blessing are already showing.
Lover's Chain allowed her to access Hiro's abnormally large Aether reserves. It also boosted her overall strength using the affection shared between the two.
She gripped Hiro's fur tightly — avoiding falling off as he zigzagged across the battlefield, mowing down any Corrupted in his path with his claws.
Rip.
Tear.
Crunch.
Then —
She unleashed the technique.
A beam of light — accompanied by shredding winds erupted from Longinus.
*BOOOMM!! *
But from the explosion —
A group of Corrupted Apes pushed through.
They climbed over the burnt-up remains of their brethren — smoke rising from their cracked skin, crystals screaming with unstable energy — and charged straight toward the pair.
Before Yurei could react —
"Fox Flare!!!"
Hiro's voice resounded in her head.
Then —
FWOOM.
A small orb of crimson fire shot from his jaws — trailing smoke and heat — and intercepted the charging Corrupted mid-stride.
*BOOOMM!! *
The explosion bloomed like a dark flower.
"Seems he's also receiving the boost…" Yurei muttered, watching the flames dance. "…but to a lesser extent."
She tilted her head.
Is it because…?
"Now we are getting the hang of this," Yurei said.
She stared at the smoldering embers of the explosions. The remaining Corrupted were climbing out of the huge crater — while others desperately tried to put out the flames on their bodies, patting themselves with twisted hands.
"That was epic," Hiro thought.
His tail was wagging. Just a little.
"We are doing it! Let's —"
*ROOOOAR!!! *
A loud roar — deeper than the others, more primal — immediately got their attention.
Then —
A sickening aura hit them.
It felt like drowning. Like being submerged in a swimming pool filled with trash, rot, and old death. The air became thick. Hard to breathe.
Everything shook.
Tremble… tremble… tremble…
From the far side of the crater —
A massive black ape emerged.
It was larger than the others. Stronger. Its fur wasn't gray — it was dark as oil, slick and wet-looking. Its eyes weren't empty — they were burning purple, two miniature suns of corruption. Crystals didn't just protrude from its skull — they erupted from its shoulders, its spine, its knuckles.
Each step it took —
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
— made the ground crack beneath its weight.
Its presence alone crushed the air.
Hiro's fur stood on end.
"…Leader class," Yurei muttered.
Her grip on his back tightened.