"Let me go!"
Akahane Yui struggled violently, pushing him away hard. "First, help me kill Hoshino Ren and Kimei Takuya!" she demanded, hastily adjusting her tight-fitting collar.
"How boring," Xuan muttered. Reaching into the empty space beside him, he bizarrely pulled out a contract and tossed it to her. "Sign your name on this contract, and your request will be fulfilled."
Yui caught it suspiciously and looked at the contents. The parchment was made of an unusual, highly resilient material she was certain she had never seen before. It was covered in dense, tadpole-like text that she couldn't read, yet she could bizarrely comprehend its meaning perfectly. In simple terms, it was a master-servant contract. The signer would become the absolute property of the contract's master and could not disobey any of their commands.
She cast a questioning glance at Xuan. She didn't understand why he would pull out a contract at a time like this. Did he actually believe a simple signature on a piece of paper could physically restrain her? He couldn't possibly be that naive, could he? No, if he really was that naive, it would be a blessing.
She stole a glance at him, but out of caution—sensing something was off—she said warily, "You fulfill your end of the bargain first, and then I'll sign."
Xuan laughed secretly in his heart. Her bluff lacked any persuasive power; he'd have to be a ghost to agree to that. The contract in her hand was the Divine Maiden Contract issued by the System. He had twelve copies in total. As long as a female signed it, it would automatically take effect, placing them entirely under his absolute control. It was the ultimate artifact for building his own faction.
The only catch was that it required the woman to sign it "voluntarily" for it to activate. However, the system's definition of "voluntary" was actually quite vague. Xuan initially thought it meant they had to be completely willing from the bottom of their hearts, but then he realized that was impossible—no woman would ever genuinely want to sign away her free will like this. Therefore, as long as the woman physically signed the contract with her own hand of her own volition, it counted as "voluntary."
"Do not push your luck. My mercy has its limits," Xuan stepped forward and flatly rejected her demand. He then chuckled lightly. "You don't have to sign it. I've never liked forcing others, especially women. However, we've been chatting for quite a while now. By my calculations, Hoshino Ren and Kimei Takuya have probably already breached your clan's compound. For every single minute you delay, another member of your Akahane clan will die. Think it over carefully."
Hearing his calm words, Yui's anger flared, but she knew he was telling the absolute truth. Unable to refute him, her heart was plunged into deep turmoil.
"What are you still hesitating for? With just a simple signature, you can fulfill your deepest desires. Hoshino Ren and Kimei Takuya orchestrated your father's death. Do you not hate them? Do you not want revenge? As long as you sign this contract, I guarantee their severed heads will be delivered right before your eyes!"
Xuan's ghostly voice echoed in her ears like the whisper of a demon, making her heart tremble violently. Subconsciously, she gripped the contract tighter.
Coercion and temptation. Xuan wielded these two tools with absolute mastery. His initial threat made Yui acutely aware of her desperately weak position, striking a heavy blow to her mental defenses. Then came the temptation. To a woman whose mind was entirely consumed by hatred, there was no word more intoxicating than "revenge." Although Xuan was technically the mastermind behind her father's death, Hoshino Ren and Kimei Takuya were the direct executioners. Xuan was confident that Yui's hatred for those two was no less than her hatred for him.
"Young Miss!" A panicked voice rang out as Akahane Hoshi sprinted urgently down the secret passage. "The Three-Clan Alliance and Kimei Takuya have led their elites and breached the compound! They are already clashing with our remaining shinobi!"
"What?!" Yui cried out in alarm. This news became the absolute final straw that broke the camel's back.
"I told you to guard the door. Who gave you permission to enter without my orders?"
Following Xuan's cold voice, another 'Xuan' suddenly appeared directly in front of Akahane Hoshi. Striking with lightning speed, he delivered a vicious kick to the Elite Jōnin's stomach. Hoshi let out a muffled groan as he was sent flying backward down the passage, vomiting a mouthful of fresh blood. A heart-wrenching pain tore through him, feeling as if his internal organs had been completely scrambled.
Looking back at Xuan, he was still standing in his original position, as if he had never moved at all. Even Yui, who was standing right next to him, hadn't seen how he launched the attack.
"Scram," Xuan commanded coldly. Covered in cold sweat from the agonizing pain, Hoshi gritted his teeth and remained silent.
"Hoshi, go back outside and lead the clansmen to hold them off for now. Hoshino Ren and Kimei Takuya will pay the price," Yui ordered softly, her voice laced with exhaustion and helplessness.
Without another word, Hoshi turned and staggered away.
"If I sign this contract, you will honor our agreement and kill Hoshino Ren and Kimei Takuya, right?" Yui took a deep breath and looked back at him.
Xuan let out a triumphant laugh. "Of course. Young Miss, I never lie."
Yui fell silent. Walking over to her father's desk, she picked up a brush and signed her name at the very bottom of the contract. The exact moment she completed the final stroke of the character for 'Yui', the entire parchment suddenly emitted a bizarre, brilliant radiance. The light grew increasingly blinding, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut.
[Ding! First Divine Maiden Contract signed.]
[Signee: Akahane Yui]
[Current Level: Jōnin]
[Age: 18]
[Talent: High]
[Divine Maiden Contract established. Fusion commencing. Upgrading Divine Maiden's level. Upgrading Divine Maiden's aptitude. In progress...]
The System's perpetually emotionless voice suddenly echoed in Xuan's ears, causing him to feel a flicker of genuine surprise. So this is the reaction of signing a Divine Maiden Contract.
Right before his eyes, the signed contract dissolved into a shower of brilliant light that completely enveloped Yui. Bathed in the soft, radiant glow, she looked incredibly holy and noble, genuinely exuding the aura of a divine goddess.
A long moment later, the light gradually faded. Yui opened her bright eyes, deeply sensing the chakra within her body. It had become unfathomably larger and far more condensed than before. "What did you do to me?" she asked in astonishment.
[Ding! Fusion successful. First Divine Maiden Contract successfully signed.]
[Divine Maiden: Akahane Yui]
[Current Level: Elite Jōnin]
[Age: 18]
[Talent: Supreme]
The System's voice echoed in Xuan's ears once more. Suddenly, he felt something extra in his mind—a unique mental connection. He instantly understood that this was the exclusive telepathic link between him and his Divine Maiden.
Wanting to test the contract's effects, Xuan smiled and said, "It's nothing. Just know that from this moment forward, you belong to me. Stand up."
Following Xuan's command, Yui was absolutely horrified to find her body moving completely on its own, standing up with perfect, unquestioning obedience.
____
PLEASE SUPPORT ME ON PATREON:
Patreon.com/IndifferentVillain
Early Access and + 60 chapter ahead of webnovel monthly, ur support keeps me motivated...thanks and enjoy reading
_____________