Hiro flew several yards through the air before landing cleanly on his feet.
For half a second, he simply stood there in stunned disbelief.
He had fully expected to crash face-first into a wall or slam into the pavement like a sack of potatoes. Instead, he had been thrown with such precise control that his momentum dispersed naturally, leaving him upright.
That black-haired girl… she calculated the angle perfectly.
Even in the middle of a life-and-death battle, she had measured distance, velocity, and trajectory with terrifying accuracy.
Still, he grimaced. "She could've at least warned me before tossing me like a ragdoll" Hiro muttered.
A thunderous explosion shook the air behind him, snapping him back to reality.
'Crap. Focus' Princess Yurei.
Without wasting another second, Hiro sprinted toward the half-destroyed building where she had crashed. He weaved carefully through scattered debris, broken concrete slabs, twisted metal beams, shattered glass—mindful not to trip.
The interior of the structure was in ruins. Entire sections of ceiling had collapsed. Dust hung thick in the air.
And there, Lying atop a mound of rubble—
Was Yurei. Her uniform was in tatters, shredded by the corrosive spray of the Class Five Abyssal. The gold lining of her Imperial attire had melted in places, exposing pale skin beneath.
Surprisingly, the damage to her body was far less severe than it should have been. Only faint burns marked her arms and collarbone. Her skin remained mostly pale and smooth, though a thin sheen of perspiration and dust dulled its glow.
For a split second, Hiro found himself staring. She still looked unreal.
No. Focus.
He rushed to her side, kneeling carefully.
Before he could even reach out—
"Don't touch me."
Her voice cut through the air sharply.
Her eyes remained closed. Her body lay in an awkward position amid fractured stone.
A soft blue glow began to emanate from her body. The light spread outward, enveloping her completely. Torn fabric began to knit itself back together. Melted armor plates reformed. The minor burns on her skin slowly faded, replaced by unblemished flesh.
Regeneration through Aether control.
Hiro watched in silent awe. When the glow finally dimmed, she exhaled slowly.
With his assistance, he carefully helped her sit upright and then stand. The moment her weight shifted onto her legs, however, he felt it.
She was weak. Her body trembled subtly.
If she went back out there to fight that monster again in this condition… She would die.
"A black-haired girl literally threw me here so I could check if you were okay," Hiro explained quickly.
Yurei's crimson eyes shifted toward the sounds of battle raging outside.
"So Elira sent you," she murmured.
Another deafening crash echoed across the district.
Yurei leaned back against a fractured wall for support. "I'm out of Aether," she admitted quietly. "I doubt I could defeat that thing in my current condition."
A painful memory passed through her mind, a blurry figure looking down on her whilst she laid face down on the ground.
You are too weak , the figure said before walking away.
Her voice was steady, but Hiro could see it.
Frustration. Her hand clenched into a tight fist. At this rate, that creature would flatten the entire city.
The thought clearly tormented her.Hiro swallowed. He had only lived in this city for a few years, but it was home. His school. His aunt's apartment. The convenience store he passed every day. His idiot friends who complained about homework and video games.
If that monster was left unchecked Everything would be erased. He gathered his courage.
"Is there… anything I can do?" he asked.
Yurei's eyes flickered toward him.
"The enslavement chains," she said seriously.
The words hit him like a physical blow.
His breath caught.
"Are you insane?" he demanded. "Doing that would take away my freedom."
Under normal circumstances, the concept was unthinkable. A male awakening and binding himself permanently meant surrendering autonomy—becoming a Beast Slave. It meant belonging to someone else.
Body and power.
"For the entire city, it's up to the two of us," Hiro said after a moment, forcing steadiness into his voice.
"My other unit members are deployed on another mission," Yurei explained.
"I can't rely on their support. And Elira won't be able to hold back a Class Five for long."
Another violent tremor rattled the building.
Outside, something massive collapsed.
"My Blessing is the only thing capable of finishing it," Yurei thought bitterly. "But without Aether…"
Silence filled the ruined interior. After a long pause, Hiro spoke.
"What if we form a temporary contract?"
Yurei hesitated.
"I… cannot use the standard chains," she admitted quietly. He blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"There is another method," she continued, her voice softer now. "But it is permanent."
She looked away. A faint blush dusted her cheeks. The implications hung heavy in the air.
Permanent. No reversal. No release.
Hiro's mind spiraled. Complete loss of freedom. Becoming someone's Beast. For a single city. For people who might never even know what he gave up.
He almost took back his offer.
Almost.
Then— A distant memory surfaced. A blurred face. Tears falling.
"Protect them," the voice had said.
His mother. The last thing she had told him before disappearing into an Aether Gate.
He had never truly understood those words. Never taken them seriously. He had always been weak. Powerless. Just another civilian hiding behind the Imperial Army's protection.
But now— Now the choice stood before him. Run Or protect.
The ground shook again.
'I guess I will be falling into the wannabe hero category after this' Hiro thought to himself recalling that he called males who chose to awaken idiots.
He lifted his head, his eyes no longer trembled.
"I accept," he said.
Yurei's eyes widened slightly.
"You understand what that means?" she asked quietly.
He nodded once. "If this is what it takes to stop that thing… then do it."
Outside, the Class Five Abyssal roared, and another explosion echoed as Elira continued to stall it.
Time was running out. Yurei stepped closer.
Up close, the faint exhaustion in her features was more apparent. Yet behind it burned unwavering resolve.
"Once this contract forms," she said carefully, "your Beast will awaken. You will belong to me. Your power will be bound to my Blessing."
Hiro swallowed but did not look away.
"Then let's save the city."
For a brief moment, something softened in her expression.
She extended her hands.