Ren Hoshino stood awkwardly in the middle of a sleek, high-tech facility surrounded by battle-hardened women glaring at him like he'd just walked into the wrong locker room.
Because… he had.
"Is this really necessary?" he asked, tugging at the collar of his tight black uniform.
Kaela glanced at him from her seat across the room. She was dressed in her full commanding officer's gear now—black and gold with blood-red accents, high boots, and a long cloak draped off one shoulder. Regal. Intimidating. Drop-dead gorgeous.
She sipped tea, legs crossed.
"This is the Pact Integration Chamber. You need a baseline scan."
"A scan? What, like… a magical body check-up?"
"Yes. To ensure our resonance won't overload and explode during combat."
He paused. "Wait—explode?"
Kaela smirked. "Try not to fantasize about that."
Ren was about to protest, but a team of stern-looking female researchers pushed him toward a glowing platform and activated the scanner.
Bright lights swept over his body, reading his vitals, soul resonance, core affinity, and… other things.
One of the researchers squinted at the results.
"Unbelievable… he's at 89% sync rate with Commander Kaela already. And his body's adapting to the Crimson energy at an unnatural pace."
"Lucky me," Ren said, grinning. "Maybe I've got a hidden talent for being a weapon."
The researcher scowled. "Don't get cocky. A Pact like this could collapse both your minds if handled improperly. You're a liability."
"Yeah, but I'm her liability," he shot back. "Right, Commander?"
Kaela didn't answer. But her smirk deepened.
Later, Kaela led Ren through the Citadel's training grounds—a massive courtyard ringed by crimson banners, where armored women sparred with inhuman strength.
Ren tried not to stare too much.
Key word: tried.
"Let me guess," he said. "This is the part where I get hazed by your elite battle squad?"
"No," Kaela replied. "This is the part where you meet your rivals."
A heavy door slid open.
Inside, lounging on a throne-like bench, was a tall woman with short silver hair, dark skin, and gold piercings. Her uniform was unzipped halfway, revealing ample cleavage and glowing tattoos trailing down her collarbone.
Her name: Commander Arva Kess.
And she was Kaela's former teammate.
"Well, well…" Arva drawled, eyeing Ren. "So this is the boy who awakened the Queen's blade. Cute."
Ren blinked. "Uh… thanks?"
"Mind if I borrow him?" she said to Kaela, stretching. "Just for a spar. I want to see what he can really do."
Kaela narrowed her eyes. "He's not a toy."
"Didn't say he was." Arva smiled. "I'm just curious how your pet handles real pressure."
Ren leaned toward Kaela. "Uh. Should I be worried?"
"Only if you lose."
They entered a mock arena—a circular combat ring with glowing barriers.
Kaela stood on the sidelines, arms folded.
Ren stepped in hesitantly.
Arva licked her lips. "Okay, sweetheart. Let's see if you're worthy of being the Demon Queen's blade."
She snapped her fingers—and her own Pact partner appeared: a massive jagged glaive, forged from blacksteel and fire. Her Conduit grunted inside the weapon, clearly used to this abuse.
Ren winced. "Oof. Poor guy."
Arva lunged.
Ren transformed instantly—Kaela's energy flaring as she threw him forward into sword form, catching him in mid-air.
Her voice echoed in his mind. "Focus. Match my pace."
They moved in sync—Kaela's strikes clean and fast, Ren adjusting his edge, helping her redirect power, spark resonance. The longer they fought, the more fluid they became. Like dancers. Like lovers.
Arva grinned. "Not bad!"
She pushed harder. Her strikes grew savage, erratic. Her weapon roared with heat. The arena cracked beneath their feet.
Ren felt Kaela's grip tighten.
His own voice chimed in her head: "You okay?"
"Perfect. Let's finish this."
Kaela vanished—reappearing behind Arva in a burst of red mist. With a single elegant arc, she sliced the glaive's shaft cleanly in two.
Arva blinked, stunned. Her weapon fizzled out. She staggered.
Kaela leveled the tip of Ren's blade at her throat.
"Don't challenge me again."
Arva smirked. "Still scary, huh? Fine. I concede."
Kaela turned and walked away, Ren materializing at her side again.
He was breathing hard, sweat dripping down his face. "Okay… that was intense."
"You kept up," Kaela said simply. "I'm impressed."
"So… do I get another Resonance Reward?"
She stopped walking.
"...You're really going to ask that after every battle, aren't you?"
He beamed. "Absolutely."
That night, in Kaela's private quarters…
Ren sat awkwardly on the edge of a luxurious bed, still dressed in his uniform, hair damp from a shower.
Kaela entered, wearing a sleek, sleeveless black bodysuit. Her Core glowed faintly against her chest.
She stood before him, arms crossed.
"Your synchronization rate is climbing fast. You're adapting to the Pact better than anyone expected. But that means the Resonance needs to be stabilized… regularly."
Ren blinked. "Wait. Are you saying—"
Without a word, Kaela climbed into his lap, straddling him.
His brain nearly short-circuited again.
"W-Wait—don't we usually do this after combat?"
She leaned in close, breath brushing his cheek. "This is combat. You're fighting off instability. I'm fighting off detonation."
Her body pressed close. She placed his hands on her waist.
Ren's heart thumped. "You're gonna kill me one of these days…"
She smiled faintly. "I haven't even started."
Their bodies glowed softly with crimson light as the Resonance deepened. Warmth. Pulse. Heat.
Then—
Ping.
Core stabilized.
Kaela pulled back, her expression unreadable.
"That's enough."
Ren exhaled shakily. "I need… ice water. And therapy."
She stood and turned away. "Get used to it. You're mine now."
Ren flopped backward onto the bed. "Best. Apocalypse. Ever."
TO BE CONTINUED.