"What do you mean you bound our souls?!" Rian shouted, staring at his empty hands as if the sword were going to reappear out of thin air.
"Exactly what you heard," the voice inside his head answered, tone thoroughly satisfied. "Our souls are now connected. It's a permanent bond."
"You're a liar!" Rian snapped, clenching his fists. "You said you just wanted me to take you outside! That you were going to find another bearer!"
"Well… yes, I did say that," the voice admitted without a shred of shame. "But if you'd been in my position — spending centuries lying in this dark hole, no one to talk to, unable to move — you'd understand."
"That's not my problem!" Rian exclaimed.
"Of course it wasn't your problem," she replied calmly. "But now that our souls are bound… technically it is."
"…"
Rian opened his mouth to respond, but the words didn't come.
'She conned me,' he thought, feeling a vein throb in his forehead. 'A rusty sword lying in a hole conned me.'
"You talk way too much!" Rian groaned, grabbing his head with both hands.
"And you're way too grumpy for my bearer!" she shot back, though her tone stayed cheerful. "But anyway, let's set that aside. Tell me! How do you want me to help you? I can do lots of things!"
Rian ignored her for a moment, looking up. The opening was still far above him, and his body was still in pieces. His legs were shaking, his back was on fire, and his left arm was barely responding.
'If I don't get healed, I'm not getting out of here,' he thought grimly.
"Can you… heal my injuries?" he asked, with no small amount of suspicion.
Several seconds of silence passed.
"…Yes," she finally answered.
'Why did she take so long to answer?' Rian thought, narrowing his eyes.
But he didn't have many options.
"Then do it," he said. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a wreck."
"Alright," the voice said. "I need you to close your eyes for a moment…"
Rian hesitated, but obeyed. He heard her draw in a breath, as if bracing herself for something, and then a light blazed so intensely he could feel it through his eyelids.
"—!"
The light lasted a few seconds before going out.
Rian opened his eyes — and his jaw dropped.
Standing in front of him was a girl.
Her skin was white, almost pale, and long silver hair fell straight down to her waist. Her eyes were a clear, bright blue, and they were watching him with an expression somewhere between shy and expectant.
But that wasn't what left Rian speechless.
She was completely naked.
"WHA—?!"
Rian lurched backward, tripped over his own feet, and landed sitting on the ground.
"What is happening?!" he shouted, face red all the way to his ears.
The girl tilted her head, confused by his reaction, and turned to face him.
Rian saw everything.
Everything.
"DON'T TURN AROUND!" he yelled, throwing both hands over his eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked — and her voice wasn't inside his head anymore. It came from her mouth, soft and real. "Why are you shouting?"
"Who are you?!" Rian demanded, eyes firmly shut behind his hands.
"It's me," she replied, a little shyly. "The ego sword."
"The ego sword?!" Rian repeated, still not looking. "Why do you look like this?" he asked, trying to pull himself together. "A second ago you were a sword that disappeared!"
"By fusing with you, I'm gradually adapting my power to your body," the girl explained calmly. "This form lets me channel the contract's energy more effectively, and on top of that I can—"
"Why are you naked?" Rian cut in.
"…Hm?"
"Naked," Rian repeated, voice strained. "No clothes. Why are you standing in front of me with no clothes on?"
The girl looked down, examining her own body as if she were only just noticing.
"This is the only form in which I can heal you," she replied, as if that explained everything.
"And exactly how are you supposed to heal me?" Rian asked, still not opening his eyes.
"My saliva is curative."