The sky darkened long before dawn.
Ren Zian stood at the edge of the ridge, staring into a storm that pulsed with unnatural light. Bolts of violet lightning twisted like serpents across the horizon. The air sizzled. The clouds didn't drift—they hunted.
[Warning: Stormblood Domain Detected — Class: A-Rank Hazard][Auction Activation Imminent: 5 minutes][Target: Sealed Heiress – Status: Berserk][Linked Attribute: Soul Rage Curse][Power Class: Elemental Queen / Lightning Core]
Beside him, Lyra was already on guard, flame rippling just under her skin.
Behind them, the Chrono girl—now cloaked in a time-woven shawl—sat cross-legged under a tree, her breathing calm but distant. She had yet to remember her name, but the bond had stabilized.
Ren glanced back. Two pacts. Two bonds. And now… the storm.
"She's not just sealed," Lyra murmured. "She's fighting the seal."
"She's breaking it from the inside?" Ren asked.
"No." Lyra's jaw clenched. "She's trying to die with it."
They stepped into the field.
The moment Ren's boot touched the grass, the ground cracked and a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, striking a nearby boulder and reducing it to glass.
In the center of the field stood a towering cage of bronze and bone, its walls covered in runes, chains, and pulsating black glyphs. Inside thrashed a figure surrounded by lightning — a girl barely taller than Lyra, body wrapped in broken armor and torn cloth. Her long hair floated around her like living current, glowing with streaks of silver and blue.
She screamed—and the sky shook.
Ren winced.
[Target Identified: "Stormblood Heiress – Name Unknown"][Auction Status: Locked (Bidder Exclusive – Ren Zian)][Bidding Begins: 3 minutes][System Note: High-risk pact. Subject is unstable. Prolonged contact may result in spiritual burnout.]
Ren read the warning again. Then ignored it.
"She's in pain," Lyra said, quietly.
The girl struck the bars again, lightning flaring from her hands and eyes. Her power cracked the world—but it couldn't break the cage.
"She's not just cursed," Ren muttered. "She's caged by divine hands."
[Pact Sync Compatibility: 51%][Pact Blocked – Consent Requirement: 3 Conditions Met]Condition 1: Subject must be subdued without fatal damageCondition 2: Subject must hear her own nameCondition 3: Pact must be offered during "Lightning Lull" state (8-second window)
Ren narrowed his eyes. "So the only way to save her… is to remind her who she is?"
Lyra frowned. "That's nearly impossible. She's too far gone."
"I've done the impossible twice this week," he said. "Might as well go for three."
[Auction Begins – 1 Minute Remaining][Note: Your bidding rights are currently locked for 48 hours.][Alternative: Pact Rescue Path Activated – Risk Level: Critical][You may enter the cage.]
Lyra grabbed his wrist. "Ren. If you step in there—"
"She'll kill me. Or try."
"Then don't."
He turned to her, eyes fierce.
"She's the last sealed soul in this cycle. If we leave her like this, the gods will reset her — wipe her, sell her, bind her to someone worse. I won't let that happen."
Lyra's fingers tightened—but then released.
"You're insane," she muttered.
"I prefer bold."
He stepped forward.
The moment Ren crossed the outer barrier, the ground erupted in arcs of lightning.
Pain lashed across his skin as his system flared.
[Damage Received: -27 HP][Resistance: Nullified][Warning: Entering Cursed Range…]
Inside the cage, the girl's head snapped up. Her eyes blazed white-blue.
She screamed again—and threw a spear of lightning straight at his chest.
Ren raised his arm too late.
But the bolt curved around him, striking the air beside his head instead. His breath caught.
"Why did she miss?" he whispered.
[Emotional Echo Detected][Subject has vague memory signature of past betrayal]
"She's not aiming to kill," he said. "She's testing."
He stepped closer.
The cage sizzled. The runes cracked.
"Hey," he called. "What's your name?"
She growled, lightning coiling around her wrists. Her voice came out in a snarl.
"I… burned it."
"Then let me give you a new one."
She paused. Her breath stuttered.
[Name Association Triggered: Unknown term "Arin" linked to residual core memory.]
"Your name," Ren said gently, "was Arin."
The chains froze. The lightning dimmed for just a breath.
[Name Trigger Success – Condition 2 Complete]["Lightning Lull" State Approaching – 10 seconds]
He moved fast.
Arin screamed again, flaring with power—but her eyes weren't wild anymore.
They were… afraid.
She clutched her chest like it hurt to breathe.
"I didn't want to become this," she whispered.
"I know," he said.
She fell to her knees, electricity flickering wildly. "I couldn't stop it…"
Ren knelt in front of her, voice low.
"You don't have to. Just give me your hand."
She trembled.
Then… she reached out.
["Lightning Lull" Triggered – 8 seconds][Pact Request Initiated – Waiting for Acceptance…]
A single spark danced between their hands.
[Confirmed.][Waifu Pact: Stormblood Heiress – Tier I Complete][Skill Unlocked: Lightning Pulse (AOE Shock + Stun)][Passive: Curse Suppression Aura (20s after combat)][Bond Type: Rage Reversal Link – Emotion stabilizes power flow]
The cage shattered in a cascade of light.
Ren fell back, coughing.
Arin collapsed into his arms, sobbing. Not wild. Not violent. Human.
"I'm still broken," she whispered.
He rested his forehead against hers.
"Then we'll rebuild you. Together."
Outside the cage, Lyra exhaled sharply. The chrono girl — still unnamed — looked up with blank silver eyes.
Ren stepped out carrying Arin.
The storm was gone.
And with it, the gods had one less prisoner.
[Auction Cycle: Round 1 Complete][Pacts Formed: 3][Unlock Condition Met: Chaos Tier Advancement Available][Warning: Host has been marked by Divine Watchers.]
Ren looked to the sky.
A black sun flickered once, watching. Then vanished.
"Let them come," he muttered.
He turned to his harem — not toys, not trophies. Survivors. Fighters.
"We're just getting started."