"Rather than looting my corpse, gaining the power I offer would surely be more beneficial to you. Can you trust me?"
"You…" Aoko spoke in a meaningful tone. "You're not by any chance the 'King' created by the Nox, are you? An ordinary silver tear couldn't possibly reach your level."
"H-How did you know that…" The voice of Asimi sounded flustered, but it seemed to quickly regain its composure. "…You're right. I was indeed entrusted with that mission by my creator. But it's been far too long. My creator, and the people I was meant to protect and save, have long since perished. Even if I became the Eternal King, it would all be meaningless."
"I could let you go," Aoko said lightly, her intentions hard to discern. At the same time, Blaidd drew his greatsword and cautiously approached, preventing the silver tear, who called itself Asimi, from escaping. "But I won't trust you unconditionally. Everything requires a guarantee."
"…What kind of guarantee do you require?"
"Can you still transform back into my appearance?" Aoko snapped her fingers, dispelling the magical sword that had been embedded in Asimi.
Asimi tried, and although its body was damaged, it managed to transform back into Aoko's form. Moments later, two Aokos stood before Blaidd.
"Since you've copied a portion of my magic circuits and magic crests, you should also be able to sign this," Aoko said, pulling out a parchment scroll. "This is a highest-level self-binding contract that acts on the soul. It's a pact that neither party can violate. Breaking any clause will result in irreparable soul damage."
Asimi silently accepted the self-binding contract scroll that Aoko handed over. Thanks to copying some of Aoko's abilities and magecraft, it could now understand the contents of the scroll. Yet, with each clause it read, its heart sank deeper.
This was undeniably a tyrannical and unreasonable agreement. By signing it, Asimi would essentially become Aoko Aozaki's servant for eternity, its fate eternally tied to hers, its will rendered unbreakable.
But what choice was there? This was simply survival of the fittest. If it didn't want to die and wished to see new horizons, signing the contract was practically its only option.
With that in mind, Asimi transformed part of its body into a silver quill pen and unhesitatingly signed its true name and a portion of its soul's traits onto the scroll. A moment later, it felt an irresistible binding seal upon its soul.
"All done." Aoko smiled sweetly as she retrieved the signed self-binding contract from Asimi's hands and stored it in her imaginary space. "Welcome aboard, Asimi. Trust me, you won't regret the decision you made today."
Asimi, wearing Aoko's face, gave a bitter smile. Yet, inexplicably, the artificial monarch felt a faint anticipation for the future. The strength of the divine being before her was undeniable, and her mastery of magic and knowledge was beyond anything Asimi had ever seen. Even though Aihmi could copy parts of Aoko's techniques and abilities, her memories remained inaccessible.
"So, how should I 'use' you, Asimi?" Aoko curiously studied the silver tear before her, seemingly assessing its value. This made Asimi feel a little nervous.
"As long as you allow me to enter your body," Asimi said, "I can amplify your power completely. Or, as I am now, I can serve as your 'avatar' and fight for you…"
"Eh? Enter my body…?" Aoko appeared slightly stunned. Beside her, Blaidd seemed ready to object. The suggestion was too shocking, and even with the contract in place, there was no guarantee Asimi wouldn't harm Aoko.
However, it seemed Asimi wanted Aoko to directly experience what this "amplification" entailed, so it decided to act.
It was a kiss with a faint metallic taste, unexpected and electrifying. Before Aoko could even process what was happening, she saw her face drawing near, an uncanny reflection that sent a shiver down her spine. As their lips met, something warm and fluid flowed into her mouth, a mix of sweetness and something more intoxicating.
Aoko's instincts screamed for her to pull away, to resist and refuse this strange encounter, but the sensation was overwhelming. The process unfolded with uncanny speed, and to her surprise, it brought no discomfort—only an exhilarating rush that clouded her thoughts.
In the blink of an eye, she felt a cool sensation spread through her stomach as if a wave of energy was igniting her senses. Just as quickly as it began, Asimi vanished from sight, leaving Aoko breathless and bewildered, the taste of that forbidden kiss lingering on her lips like a secret yet to be unveiled.
Aoko clenched her fist, sensing the changes in her body.
"Can you hear me?" Asimi's voice echoed in Aoko's mind. "I've already merged with your body… Your strength is truly beyond my imagination…"
"Amplification of physical abilities, reaction speed, and magic circuit efficiency, all across the board?" Aoko frowned as she tested her body. She crouched down, picked up a stone from the ground, and crushed it into powder with a squeeze of her hand.
"Hmm, not bad," Aoko said, shaking her hand to rid it of the stone powder. "Better than I expected. You're more useful than I thought, Asimi."
"You can command me to leave your body at any time," Asimi explained softly, "but if I do, I'll only be able to act as your avatar and won't enhance your strength."
Aoko nodded, satisfied with the outcome. Thanks to the contract, she could feel that Asimi posed no threat to her while inside her body. Additionally, she could use her Fifth Magic to forcibly end Asimi's possession if necessary. However, entering the Redshift state would require Asimi to leave her body first.
"Alright, let's go find the Finger Blade. Blaidd?"
Aoko turned to her companion, only to find the tall, burly half-wolf warrior awkwardly facing away from her.
"I-I didn't see anything, okay?" he said, covering his ears as if to pretend nothing had happened. Then, turning back to glance at Aoko and confirming that the silver tear had vanished, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Alright, alright!" Aoko rolled her eyes at him. "We're heading to the temple below to retrieve the Finger Blade now. How's your recovery?"
"My recovery? I wasn't even hurt—" Blaidd began but stopped mid-sentence when he saw Aoko standing at the edge of the cliff, preparing to jump down. His face turned pale once again, though, with his thick fur, it might have been hard to tell.