Bound Warriors

"Thank the gods for Ameko Berries," Juliana said as she stretched, feeling the last few organs in her stomach heal.

Still, everything was too tight. Just stretching had caused enough pain to make her squint.

'Don't worry, hero. I'll be there soon enough.'

She had no berries left, but she knew a few minor healing spells—nothing crazy, just what any mage would have learned. As long as those spells weren't weakened by the same thing her lightning was, it would be fine.

It was troubling, though. Her spells should have been much stronger. She clearly remembered being able to create lightning across the entire battlefield, even if most of her other memories were hazy.

Almost all her memories of magic, monsters, and demons were perfectly intact; it was everything else that seemed to be gone.

So while she didn't even remember her own father, she knew what the hero's aura reminded her of. The thought made her shudder down to her soul.

'Honestly, it's flucking BS that you saved me. Now I have to save you, or some a$$hole vengeful ghost will be on my tail.'

Besides, he did feel different from them. Even if he was strong, he didn't seem too malicious—not to her, anyway. His attitude toward monsters was another story.

'Yeah, it's only right that you heal him. Least you could do.'

Having convinced herself, Juliana spent one more moment lying on the ground before jumping to her feet, motivating herself to perform her task.

The second she saw him, she knew her healing spells were no longer a viable option.

In fact, how the heck was he still breathing?!

She almost couldn't believe that he was still alive. Standing next to him timidly, she nudged his side lightly with her foot.

He groaned in pain, but otherwise was completely still.

"Sorry..." she whispered, taking in his horrific injuries.

They were far worse than anything she had ever seen—well, what it felt like she had seen. Without actually remembering the battles and her comrades, she knew she'd encountered many kinds of injuries before, and none made her stomach churn like this hero's.

'I told you not to strike its arms.' She knelt beside him, pulling back the sleeve of her dress on her right arm. Instinctively, she knew this was where the binding would occur. If her instincts were right, binding herself to him would grant him experience, and the resulting level-up would heal his injuries. Hopefully, after that, he'd be nice enough to free her instead of keeping her as a slave.

This last quiver of fear stopped her, unsure if she wanted to do this. She very much enjoyed her free will.

But the sound of his labored breathing was too much to bear. He saved her, and if she couldn't return the favor, what kind of person would she be? Despicable.

The amount of pain he had suffered just to keep them alive for a little longer... even if it was a stupid charge.

'I warned you about its venom...'

His entire body looked like it was coated in acid. Now that the brief influx of power she figured was a result of his [Zone State] had faded, he had no defense against the acid.

Just the sight and smell of his dissolving body was enough to cause Juliana to fling her arm down to his, instinctively performing the binding process.

She screamed as a light enveloped her arm, causing immense pain. A million tiny daggers pierced her skin, attacking even invisible pain points. No amount of torture could begin to cause this level of agony.

This pain made her vision go dark and her eyes flutter. Everything was going silent and still—her screams, his breathing... The sweet embrace of sleep called to her.

'NO!'

On the verge of passing out, Juliana pushed forward, refusing to stop the process and let this hero die. Since he fought through the pain to save her, she had to do the same.

The light continued engraving her skin. Its pain intensified, but Juliana clenched her teeth and held out her arm.

A mark or tattoo appeared on her right arm. She knew this signified the end. As the light that enveloped her arm disappeared into the mark, she smiled, even as unbearable pain flared through even her soul.

She did it!

Gasping for air as the last bits of light entered her arm, she looked at the hero, waiting for his gruesome injuries to fade.

It didn't take long. Just moments after she was marked, his flesh began to heal. The rise and fall of his chest grew much more steady, and skin began to cover his body once more. In just a few more seconds, it was almost as though he had never been injured.

As he healed, she felt her free will slipping away.

...

Nick groaned as he was pulled from a vast emptiness. For a short eternity, it had become his acquaintance—nothing but nothingness.

Now that he was returning to the living world, he never wanted to return to that place. True death... it was worse than horrible. It was as if nothing existed anymore.

He rather liked existing and living.

Waking up in the dimly lit cave, Nick scraped his fingers across the ground as he felt his chest tighten. Then it began beating stronger than ever. Somehow, all of his injuries were healed.

More than that, he felt stronger. 'Good.'

Tired of lying around, Nick pushed himself off the ground and into a sitting position.

"Hey, what the fluck are you doing, huh! I spent all that time—" Nick raised his hands to his head as the shrill voice gave him a headache. Juliana, that's right. The nice girl turned demon.

Though he sensed something different about her. When he showed signs of pain, she instantly stopped. No, she had already stopped before he even showed any signs of pain.

Curious but also cautious, Nick looked at the redhead beauty and said, "Thanks. But, uh... why am I not dead?"

The system answered for her.

[SSS-Rank Valkyrie: Juliana successfully binded to Progenitor: Nick.]

+--Loading--+

>--< Achievement Unlocked >--<

--(Bind a Valkyrie)--

[Exp. Gained: 1,000]

+--Loading--+

+--Loading--+

[Error: Rewards Overloaded]

+--Rebooting--+

[Start up successful]

[Recalibrating rewards]

>--< Boss defeated: Desert Basilisk >--<

–(Choose a Reward)--

+-- +1 Path point

+-- 1,500 Exp.

Nick didn't know how to respond. He was still grappling with the fact he was alive, and now the system was showing him rewards he didn't fully understand.

Adding on to that, there was clearly something upsetting Juliana. And considering the fact she saved his life...

"It's ok. You saved my life too, remember? We're even. Get your rewards, Hero," Juliana said in a light, happy voice—one he recognized all too well. She now sounded exactly like she did in the game.

Even though he had fond memories of that Juliana, he couldn't shake the feeling that she lost some important, intrinsic part of her to become this.

Even if she said they were even, it didn't feel like it. But he couldn't properly talk to her if the system kept pinging in his brain.

So, promising to talk with her as soon as he got his rewards, Nick made his selection.