Second Blood, Second Bonding..

The boss didn't wait.

As soon as the dungeon opened, the ground split and a roar echoed through the air.

Thick hot glowing chains came first, they slammed into the dirt on either side of Kaito like fierce lightning.

The name floated overhead.

[BOSS: THE FLAME PUPPETEER – LV.??]

Kaito's throat went dry. "Oh good, a mystery level. That's always comforting."

The boss didn't speak, It just pointed a burning hand at Lyria.

Chains snapped to life again and shot toward her like snakes.

She moved instantly, rolling under the first chain and slashing through the second, her sword lit up with fire as she twisted mid air and landed in a perfect stance.

Kaito just stared. "Holy hell."

She charged.

What followed didn't look like a fight,

It looked like a grudge exploding.

Lyria struck it, her sword moved too fast for his eyes to track slicing through the boss's arms, armor and even the chains. Every hit caused a spark, the ground shook beneath them.

But it wasn't enough.

The boss didn't even stagger, it's armor repaired mid hit.

[SYSTEM NOTE: BOSS IS MADE OF BONDED TRAUMA – EMOTIONAL DAMAGE REQUIRED TO BREAK CORE]

Kaito squinted. "What the hell does emotional damage even mean in a fight!?"

[Current Combat Role: Support-Type Sync Node]

[Direct Damage Output: Minimal]

[Recommended Action: Maintain Bond Integrity]

"So I'm basically the sex battery," he whispered.

He tried to run to Lyria but the heat near the boss blew his skin instantly.

He stumbled back panting.

[WARNING: BURNING STATUS – DAMAGE OVER TIME APPLIED]

[INJURY: Light – Healing Disabled in Zone]

Great, So he couldn't heal, couldn't fight and was slowly being roasted like a breakfast sausage.

Meanwhile, Lyria was going full berserker, well not "fully". Fire bursting from her every swing, her eyes glowed red, her aura wild and burning.

But Kaito saw it, her legs were shaking.

Her swings were getting reckless, she was pushing past her limit.

[SYNC WARNING: BOND STABILITY DROPPING]

[EMOTIONAL CORE NEARING BREAK POINT]

"No, not like this."

He took a deep breath then ran toward her anyway.

The heat burned.

The system screamed but he didn't stop.

Kaito sprinted into the heat like an idiot with a death wish.

The air was like fire against his skin, not just hot but angry and alive. His vision blurred, every step felt like walking through boiling water.

But Lyria needed him.

And something inside him, something under the system maybe even deeper than stats screamed not to let her fall alone.

The Flame Puppeteer lifted its hand again, Chains coiled mid air then shot straight for her back.

"LYRIA!"

Kaito threw himself forward slamming into her just as the chain cracked through the air.

It caught him across the side instead, Pain shot through his ribs like lightning, he hit the ground hard, rolling.

[DAMAGE TAKEN: 39% – CRITICAL ZONE ENTERED]

[HEALING BLOCKED – BURNING STATUS ACTIVE]

[ERROR: Core Integrity Compromised – Beginning Fragment Stabilization]

He coughed, blood on his tongue.

Lyria turned, eyes wide. "Why the hell did you.."

"Again..?"

Then she saw the blood.

Something snapped.

Her rage exploded outward in a wave so hot it turned the dirt beneath her feet to glass. She stood straight, shaking, her pupils flickering between red and gold.

Her voice dropped an octave. "No one touches what's mine."

The boss reared back like it recognized her rage or maybe remembered it, then it attacked.

And Lyria had lost it, she charged with no plan, no restraint. Her flames doubled, tripled, her swings carved deep into the boss's chest, she was like a blur of violence.

Kaito watched from the ground, blinking through pain and system blur.

She wasn't in control anymore.

[WARNING: SYNC STABILITY COLLAPSING]

[LYRIA STATUS: BERSERKER LOCK – ALL BOND FEEDBACK OVERRIDDEN]

[Side Effect: Memory Fragment Reopening…]

"If she keeps this up… she'll break herself," Kaito said.

The boss started adapting, it's chains wrapped around its own arms now, channeling her flames into itself.

It was feeding on her fury.

Kaito clenched his fists.

"I have to reach her."

But how?

His health was in the red, his combat class wasn't even active. He had no spells, no sword just pain, bond and one very horny broken system.

And then… it hit him.

The only way she broke the rage last time… was by syncing with him (give or take)..

He looked up at her wild and shaking, glowing like a star about to explode.

And he stood.

Pain running through his body, his skin soaked, the system beeped a dozen red warnings, he didn't care.

He walked straight into the storm of her aura and shouted..

"LYRIA. Touch me."

Lyria turned.

Her eyes were different, they glowed too bright like flames possessed her bones. Her mouth opened in a snarl but something in Kaito's voice cut through the haze.

He stepped into her burning aura, the heat covered his skin.

Every instinct screamed to back off.

He didn't.

"Touch me," he said again.

She stared at him shaking, breathing hard, she didn't understand but didn't really need to.

Her hand gripped his jaw.

[SYNC ENGAGED – BOND SURGE DETECTED]

[DANGER: BERSERKER RAGE CONFLICTING WITH CORE DESIRE]

[ERROR: SYSTEM OVERLAP – NSFW MODULE OVERRIDE]

[INITIATING EMOTIONAL RESET… THROUGH PHYSICAL CONTACT]

Kaito grabbed her back, pulled her down.

Their lips met hard, it wasn't romantic, It was a reset.

Lyria gasped as her fire shifted from wild to warm. Her hips slammed against his, armor clanking.

He didn't think, he just moved.

Her body was trembling but still charged, still dangerous.

But now… synced.

[SYNC CHARGE STABILIZING – EMOTIONAL LINK REESTABLISHED]

[TRIGGER UNLOCKED: DESIRE LINK – LV.1]

"Use shared arousal to invert opponent's control-based abilities."

"Gods, I'm going to kill you for this," she whispered, panting against his lips.

"You can try," he groaned. "But wait till I finish saving your ass."

Everywhere shook, the boss staggered.

Chains twitched midair like it felt the desire ripple across the field.

Kaito's system lit up:

[TARGET ANALYSIS: THE FLAME PUPPETEER – DESIRE: CONTROL]

[ACTIVATING COUNTER: SUBMISSION FEEDBACK]

He reached out still tangled with Lyria and touched the nearest chain.

The heat vanished, the chain recoiled like it had been slapped.

The boss roared.

[BOSS STUNNED – DESIRE CORRUPTED]

Lyria's eyes locked onto the opening.

She smiled, her smile wild and beautiful.

"Now you die."

The boss stumbled back, chains flailing in all directions.

Kaito could still feel the warmth on his lips, Lyria's breath, her heartbeat syncing with his and somehow… that was what gave him power.

[DESIRE LINK ACTIVE – TARGET STUNNED BY FEEDBACK LOOP]

[BONUS: Shared arousal disrupting control-based abilities]

[NEW COMBAT TYPE: Emotional Tether – Temporary Boost: +40% Movement / +60% Impact]

Lyria moved, gods.. she moved.

Not just fast,focused.

She launched herself off Kaito's body like a missile, her blade igniting from base to tip.

The boss tried to raise its chains again.

Too slow, her sword slammed into its chest through the armor, through the cracked stone of bone underneath and out the back.

She roared and it was not just a scream or a battle cry. Just… fury.

The boss choked on fire.

Its entire body lit from the inside.

[ERROR: CORE DESTRUCTION IN PROGRESS]

[WARNING: BOND LOOPBACK UNSTABLE]

[DISINTEGRATION INITIATED]

The Flame Puppeteer twisted once, like it was trying to turn back time then it exploded outwards.

Kaito covered his face.

Everything went white.

When it cleared, the battlefield was gone.

No spire, no chains.

Just a burnt circle of dirt… and Lyria on her knees in the center.

He ran to her.

"Hey... Hey, Look at me."

She didn't.

She was shaking, her eyes wide and her sword was stuck in the ground beside her.

"I lost it again," she whispered. "I was gone again."

"No," Kaito said grabbing her face, forehead to forehead. "You came back, you chose to come back."

"I was going to burn everything."

"You didn't."

"You were going to die."

"I didn't."

A pause.

Then..

Laughter... It was quiet, Shaky but real.

"You're so stupid," she said, leaning into his shoulder.

"Yeah," he whispered, holding her. "But now we're stupid together."

He definitely saw that quote in a movie.

[BOSS DEFEATED – EMOTIONAL CORE REPAIRED]

[FRAGMENT DUNGEON COMPLETE – 1/??]

[REWARD: New System Class Unlocked]

Kaito's interface started glitching violently.

Everything blurred, Systems started twisting stats broke apart then rewrote themselves.

[NEW CLASS ACQUIRED: BOND-WEAVER (GLITCHED)]

[UNIQUE PATH DETECTED – EROS COMPATIBILITY: 74%]

[WARNING: SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR PROTOCOL… UNLOCKING]

Kaito stared.

"…What the hell is a Bond Weaver?"

[A glitch in the world's last backup plan.]

[Let's find out.]