Zen's tail whip cracked through the air like thunder, slamming squarely into Rene's head. The force was enough to send the enormous feathered serpent flying, her bulky form crashing into a pile of discarded props like a ragdoll.
A burst of light followed the impact—her divine beast form shattered. In a blink, she was reduced to her smaller, chubby snake form, scales gleaming a faint green, red-tufted fur sticking up like static. She slumped limply to the floor, dazed and twitching.
Zen didn't even look at her.
No, her crimson gaze was locked onto one man.
She landed in front of Yarrow with a gust of wind, seized his collar in both hands, and slammed him up against a wall with startling force.
"You bastard!" she growled, her breath hot and sharp on his face. "You ruined my detective novel!"
Yarrow blinked, utterly stunned. "Huh?"
"You spoiled the ending!" she roared, tugging his collar even tighter, her full body pressing against his. "Who gave you the right to tell me who the killer was?!"
Yarrow, eyebrows raised, stared at her. "Wait. You chased me all the way here… for that?"
Zen's thighs wrapped around his waist without hesitation, pinning him with ridiculous strength. "What else? And you still dare play dumb?!" she barked, leaning close enough for her lips to brush his ear. "I hadn't even reached chapter ten!"
"You're seriously mad about a plot twist? That mystery was so obvious, a toddler could've guessed it," Yarrow replied, half-laughing even as her legs clamped tighter.
"You dare laugh?" she hissed.
Her eyes blazed. And then—she bit him. Right on the scalp.
"OW! What the hell, are you a dog?!" Yarrow yelped, trying to peel her off.
Before their tangled mess could escalate further, a groan sounded from nearby.
"Z-Zen…?" Rene's voice trembled from the floor. The little snake blinked blearily up at the silver-haired girl straddling Yarrow.
Zen turned her head slowly, mouth still clamped onto Yarrow's head. She saw the shivering, green-scaled creature and narrowed her eyes.
"You."
Rene's blood ran cold. She didn't wait for a second word—just turned tail and bolted.
Too slow.
Zen dropped Yarrow mid-grope and lunged. Her foot slammed down on the squirming snake, then she yanked Rene up by the tail, letting her dangle upside down like a wet plushie.
"NO! I was wrong! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" Rene cried, tears already forming.
"You talk too much." Smack! Zen slapped the top of her head.
Yarrow, still recovering from being used as a wall decoration, watched the bizarre exchange. "Wait… you two know each other?"
Zen spun Rene around like a fidget toy, her grip firm on the snake's soft tail. "This slippery thing stole from me. I beat her, broke her pride, and kept her around for her blessing magic. Didn't expect her to run again."
"Being with you isn't life! You drained me! Every drop of magic—I nearly dried up!" Rene sobbed, cheeks puffing with each shake.
"Complaining?" Zen delivered two crisp slaps to her face.
Rene went silent, tears streaming down in defeat.
"But she's a Quetzalcoatl, right?" Yarrow asked. "Aren't you worried her clan'll come after you?"
Zen snorted. "She's not a pureblood. Kicked out. Not divine enough."
That hit Rene like a hammer. Her little snake body sagged, sobbing quietly, broken.
"I only wanted to find a treasure that could change my bloodline," she whimpered. "That's why I came to this secret realm… why I tried to steal the Wishing Kettle… Please, just let me go…"
"Let you go?" Zen tilted her head and smirked. "Fine. Be my servant for another hundred years."
"NO! That's worse than death!"
"What was that?" Zen grabbed her head and squeezed, fingers sinking into her plush, squishy face.
"D-Don't! My head… it's going to pop…" Rene whined.
"Relax. You've got ridiculous regeneration. You could grow back from a puddle of goo," Zen said, pinching her cheeks like mochi.
"She's not wrong," Yarrow muttered. "That's a divine-tier skill…"
Something clicked in his mind.
He opened the system interface, his fingers trembling with anticipation. If he could bind Rene… he might inherit that regeneration. Paired with the Wishing Kettle, it would make him near unstoppable.
But until now, there'd been no system prompt.
His eyes narrowed. There was one way to trigger a binding manually.
He opened the shop.
There it was.
[Token of Love: Can be used to actively bind a heroine. (Warning: may be rejected.)]
Cost: 150 tokens.Balance: 185.
With a flicker of light, he bought it.
A faint shimmer appeared in his palm—and something materialized.
Not a gem.
Not a ring.
A collar.
Smooth black leather, faintly warm to the touch, with a deep red gem embedded in the buckle.
Yarrow held it up, his voice low.
"Huh? A collar? Token of love?" Yarrow stared at the leather band in his palm, disbelief flickering in his eyes. "This is supposed to be romantic? Who the hell decided 'bondage gear' meant affection?"
The crimson gem embedded in the collar glinted suggestively under the light, as if winking at him.
Still, there was no time to dwell on semantics. He slipped it into his pocket and looked ahead.
Zen was still toying with Rene—pinching her soft face, bouncing her in her palm like a stress ball. The poor serpent was whimpering helplessly, her little tail twitching with each squeeze.
Yarrow stepped forward, voice smooth and deliberate. "Rene."
She flinched.
"H-Huh?"
Still dangling from Zen's grasp, she turned her large, tear-glossed eyes toward him. Her cheeks were puffy and pink, either from the crying or from Zen's rough handling. Maybe both.
"Didn't you say you wanted to become a true Quetzalcoatl?" Yarrow asked, his voice soft but commanding.
Rene blinked, stunned. Her breath hitched. "W-Why?"
"I'm offering you that chance." He took another step forward, his tone low and coaxing. "If you willingly submit to me… I'll use the Wishing Kettle to grant your desire."
For a moment, the room went still.
Then Rene's eyes widened. Her body wriggled with sudden, desperate energy as she squirmed out of Zen's grip and dove toward Yarrow, coiling herself at his feet and looking up, her whole body trembling.
"Really? Really, really? You'll do that for me?" she whispered, awestruck. "Even though I tried to steal from you?"
"I don't hold grudges against cute snakes," Yarrow replied, a sly smile tugging at his lips as he reached down and gently ran his fingers along the top of her head. Her scales were surprisingly soft and warm.
Rene leaned into his touch like a kitten starved for affection.
"I'm such a bad snake… Wuu… I betrayed you, and you're still being so nice to me…" she sniffled. "I-I don't deserve it…"
Tears dripped down her cheeks again—except this time, they weren't just from fear or sadness. There was something else swirling in her gaze: longing. Submission. The aching need to belong to someone.
"But," Yarrow said, breaking the moment. His voice grew firmer, authoritative.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the collar.
"You have to wear this."
Rene froze.
Her eyes landed on the collar. The gem glowed softly in the dim light. Her breath caught in her throat.
"A… a collar?" she whispered, voice quivering. "Isn't that…?"
"Yes." Yarrow knelt down, holding it open in his hands. "It's a symbol of submission. Of binding. If you want me to make your wish come true… then submit, fully. Willingly."
Zen crossed her arms, watching from the side with amused interest. "Oh? So the boy's finally growing a backbone. This is getting fun."
Rene's little body quivered, her cheeks turning a deep pink. She hesitated—only for a moment.
Then, slowly, shyly, she lifted her head and inched forward, presenting her neck.
"I… I'll wear it," she whispered. "If it means… I can be yours…"
Yarrow didn't rush. He fastened the collar around her gently, like he was claiming something precious. The clasp clicked shut with a soft snap, the gem pulsing briefly as the system recognized the bond.
[Heroine successfully bound: Rene][Divine Recovery skill acquired.]
The moment it clicked, Rene gasped. Her body trembled again, but this time from something deeper, rawer. Her magic surged within her like a wave cresting too fast, too hot. The mark of the collar shimmered faintly, and her tail curled instinctively around Yarrow's ankle.
Zen smirked from the sideline. "Well, well. Didn't think she'd cave that quickly."
"You don't understand…" Rene whispered breathily, eyes glazed. "This… this feels like belonging. Like I've finally found where I'm meant to be…"
Yarrow ran a hand under her chin, lifting her gaze. "You're mine now."
She nodded, breathless. "Yes… Master."
Zen's eyebrows rose. "Master, huh? Tch. Maybe I should've collared her first."
Yarrow turned, eyes glinting. "You jealous?"
Zen leaned in with a wicked grin. "You wish."