-----
-----
"Familiar contract?!"Thoru blinked, looking genuinely surprised.
"Yeah," Max nodded with a calm smile. "A familiar contract."
He looked straight into her eyes and added softly, "It means that from now on, you'll always be with me."
"That we'll be real family."
"That we'll rely on each other and never be apart."
"Thoru, are you willing?"
"Family…"
Thoru stared at him, a little dazed. The golden-red glow in her beautiful eyes flickered faintly.
No one had ever said something like that to her before.
Someone who wanted to become family with her.
To never leave, to always stay by her side.
Their gazes locked.
Thoru could feel the sincerity in Max's words—he truly meant it.
Her eyes trembled slightly. Clearly, she was hesitating.
Max didn't push her. He just waited quietly.
"…Okay. I'll do it."
About half a minute later, Thoru's face softened into that cute, radiant smile of hers as she nodded.
She didn't dislike Max—if anything, she felt a strange warmth toward him. He had saved her life, after all.
And even when they'd first met, he hadn't shown a hint of fear or disgust toward her dragon form.
Instead, he'd treated her with kindness… even affection.
Her instincts told her that Max was someone she could trust.
When Thoru finally agreed, Max let out a small breath of relief.
He hadn't been sure she'd say yes—after all, they hadn't exactly gone through the "slowly-falling-in-love" stage.
But she did. Even with hesitation, she still agreed.
Which meant her feelings toward him were probably stronger than he'd expected.
Guess sometimes being direct pays off.
Of course, that only works when there's already a bit of mutual affection—otherwise, it'd just be reckless.
"So, what do we do?"
Thoru tilted her head, curious.
In her world, contracts were usually made using special scrolls enchanted with contract magic. She wasn't sure how it worked here.
"Watch this," Max said with a grin.
He shifted closer until their bodies almost touched and gently lifted her chin.
"??!!"
Thoru's eyes widened slightly. Wait, was he—
Before she could react, Max pressed his lips against hers.
Her eyes widened for a moment, but before she could pull away, something strange stirred deep inside her.
Max had activated his Supreme King's Authority, channeling the golden power of sovereignty into Thoru's body.
The other divine powers didn't matter—only the golden one did.
It could fully awaken her physical strength and magic potential, pushing both to their absolute limits.
And beyond that, it enhanced her overall power.
The Familiar Contract of the King carried many effects.
It bound their souls together—something that couldn't be undone, not even by reincarnation.
Even if her soul were to split, every fragment would carry that same bond.
As Max's familiar, she would gain a portion of his strength… and share his lifespan.
The contract also protected her soul, making her immune to all forms of mental or spiritual interference.
As the Supreme King, Max held the ultimate authority—he could reclaim any power he granted at will.
The familiar mark that appeared on her lower abdomen wasn't just proof of their bond—it was a fragment of his divine authority.
Through it, Thoru could wield a portion of his power, and if needed, Max could project his will into her body—controlling her actions temporarily or empowering her with his full strength.
It was also a safeguard: if the familiar's life was in danger, the mark would automatically trigger a Royal Sanctuary and alert Max instantly.
Golden energy surged through her body, gathering at her lower abdomen, touching her soul.
Thoru could feel it—it was Max's essence, his power—and she didn't resist.
Not that she was thinking much about that right now.
Her eyes fluttered shut as she leaned into the kiss, responding softly, returning his warmth with her own.
They stayed like that for what felt like forever—ten minutes, maybe more.
When they finally parted, Thoru's face was flushed red. She looked a little embarrassed… but mostly happy.
There was a faint sweetness in her chest—a new, unfamiliar feeling that made her heart race.
Her gaze toward Max had changed, filled now with something subtle and complicated.
Max looked at her with a gentle smile.
"The contract's complete," he said quietly.
"From now on, Thoru—you're mine."
"Mm."
Thoru smiled, cheeks still pink, but her grin was bright and full of energy.
She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the new power inside her.
It felt strange—different from mana—but it could merge with it.
Curious, she tried fusing the two energies…
And nearly gasped.
Once combined, her magic output doubled instantly.
And when she moved that energy through her body, her physical strength surged—easily half again as strong as before.
Max could tell what she was doing and chuckled.
"The contract lets you share part of my power," he explained. "It boosts your overall strength—and also…"
"It lets you share my eternal lifespan."
"Eternal… lifespan?!"
Thoru's eyes went wide.
Sure, she was a dragon—a long-lived race that could live millions of years. To most short-lived species, that was basically eternity.
But it wasn't truly endless.
Eventually, even dragons died.
Yet Max… he had a god's eternal life.
And now he could share that?
That was insane—even gods couldn't do that!
"Just… who are you, really?" she asked, staring at him in awe and curiosity.
"Who am I…" Max blinked, then smirked playfully.
"I'm Max. Male, sixteen years old. Live near Shakujii Park in Tokyo's Nerima Ward."
"I'm a high school student. You can think of me as… a psychic, I guess."
"I hate chaos, love a quiet life, and I'm into beautiful things—like you, Thoru."
"And from now on, I'm your lifelong partner."
"Ah…"
Thoru froze for a second, her face turning crimson.
That last line hit harder than she'd expected.
She felt shy, but… also happy.
Seeing her reaction, Max's smile grew wider.
Then Thoru blinked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Max," she asked suddenly, "can I fight you?"
"Huh?" Maxi was caught off guard for a moment, then chuckled. "Sure. I was just wondering how strong you really are."
"Come on."
He raised his hand, summoning the Gate of Mist.
Obviously, they couldn't fight on Earth—it'd be safer in the Mirage Realm.
As long as their power didn't shatter the realm itself, any damage would automatically regenerate later.
Thoru blinked at the misty portal, feeling the ripples of spatial magic pulsing from it.
A moment later, the two of them stepped through—one man, one dragon.
They emerged into a vast desert stretching endlessly in every direction.
"Come on, let's fight," Max said with a grin.
Both vanished at once.
A heartbeat later, a flash of gold clashed with a streak of red—
BOOM!
The explosion shook the heavens.
Waves of energy rippled across the desert like a stormy sea.
The ground cracked open, forming a massive crater hundreds of meters deep and a kilometer wide, the sand and rock pulverized to dust.
"....."