The words landed like a bomb in his head.
Only one.
No senior slave.
No support.
No extra Aether source.
Just me.
Hiro swallowed.
"So if I screw up…"
Marian tilted her head. "Then we all do."
Daisy crossed her arms. "Which means you won't."
Elira looked back at the TV, though it was clear she wasn't watching.
"You wanted to know how this unit works," she said quietly. "Now you do."
Hiro looked down at his hands.
Not a battery.
Not a replaceable tool.
The only slave in a unit that can't even use him properly.
We really are the weakest on paper.
He exhaled slowly.
"…Then I guess I'll just have to get strong enough that we're not."
For the first time since the conversation started, Daisy smiled although just a little.
"But wait," Hiro said, his brain finally catching up.
"If everyone here is incompatible with , then how was Yurei able to bind me?"
The room went quiet for half a second.
"It's because of her blessing."
Hiro turned.
Bailey stood at the entrance, hair slightly damp from her bath, dressed neatly in a clean Imperial uniform. She walked in calmly, adjusting her gloves.
"Captain's blessing is called
"Lovers Chain?" Hiro repeated.
Why does that already sound suspicious?
Bailey nodded. "It allows her to bind an individual using affection as the chain."
"…Affection?"
Hiro froze.
Affection?
His mind immediately replayed the memory.
Yurei's sudden kiss.
The warmth.
The chain mark burning into his skin.
Wait.
WAIT.
So that's why she kissed me?!
His face started heating up.
Bailey continued as if she hadn't just detonated his thoughts.
"She can also bind others, though to a lesser extent. Just like she has done with all of us here."
Hiro's eyes nearly popped out.
"Wait she did WHAT?!"
"Yes," Bailey said calmly. "She has bound every single one of us."
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
One by one, the girls adjusted their clothing just enough to reveal faint chain-shaped tattoos.
Bailey — left shoulder.
Marian — upper chest.
Daisy — beneath her arm.
Elira — along her neck.
All similar to Hiro's.
But lighter, less intense.
His brain stalled.
Why would she enslave her teammates?!
That makes zero sense!
"But… why would she do that?" he demanded.
Bailey folded her arms.
"It's not enslavement. It's resonance."
Elira picked up the explanation.
" It amplifies mutual affection. If genuine emotional bonds exist, both the master and the bound individual receive a boost."
"So it's like a power-sharing contract," Marian added, smiling softly. "Not control."
Bailey nodded. "That's why even without beast slaves, we can stand our ground against Abyssals."
Hiro blinked.
"So the chain strengthens both sides?"
"Yes."
"And there are… other effects," Elira said. "Limited telepathic communication. Emotional awareness. Synchronization in battle."
"Though we can't communicate with her right now," Daisy added. "She's too far away."
So it's a substitute for Spirit Chain…
But powered by feelings instead of dominance.
Hiro processed that slowly.
Affection-based binding.
Hold on.
If it requires affection—
His imagination immediately betrayed him.
Yurei surrounded by all of them.
Soft touches.
Close whispers.
Kiss after kiss—
Holy crap. Yurei-san has a harem—
Zapp!
A sharp jolt hit his side.
"Agh!" Hiro jumped. "Hey that kinda hurt!!"
Daisy stood with her finger pointed at him, faint sparks dancing at the tip.
"Not that kind of affection, idiot." She removed Elira's bandage fully.
Elira sighed. "Any genuine emotional bond qualifies. Respect. Loyalty. Sisterhood."
"Trust," Bailey added.
"Admiration," Marian said gently. "It doesn't have to be romantic."
Hiro slowly deflated.
Oh.
So no secret yuri bath sessions.
"…I wasn't thinking anything weird," he muttered.
"Your face was," Daisy replied dryly.
Marian giggled. "You're very expressive, Hiro."
He covered his face with his hands.
I need better mental discipline.
Bailey continued. "Captain took each of us in when other Royal Units rejected us."
Daisy looked away slightly. "We were considered failures."
"Incompatible soldiers," Elira added.
Marian smiled faintly. "But she didn't see us that way."
Hiro looked at the faint chain marks again.
Lighter.
Less dominant.
Mutual.
"And because we respect her," Marian continued, "the chain strengthens us."
"It's not forced," Bailey said firmly. "It only works if the affection is real."
Hiro nodded slowly.
So it's not slavery.
It's… connection.
"Then why," he asked carefully, "did she say she couldn't form a temporary contract with me when I suggested it?"
Bailey's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Because you are male."
"…That again."
"Male Aether is far more potent and volatile than female Aether," Elira explained. "Nearly ten times stronger in raw output."
Hiro blinked.
"Ten times?"
"Yes," Daisy said. "But it's also unstable."
Bailey continued. "A weak binding would snap instantly. That is why Captain had to use the full force of on you."
Hiro's throat went dry.
Full force?
"That's also why your mark is darker than ours," Marian said gently.
He subconsciously touched the chain tattoo on his body.
So mine is… stronger.
"You should be proud," Bailey said calmly. "You are Captain's first true beast slave."
Hiro's brain short-circuited.
Right—
Wait.
"I'm her first?!"