Contract

Ashen Valkyrie has all sorts of systems for powering up the Valkyries you pull from the gacha.

You can level up characters by fighting Erosion Species, or pour resources into raising skill levels.

There's Limit Break, where you merge duplicate characters pulled from the gacha.

Ascension, which raises the maximum cap once you've hit it.

And Transcendence, which you can do once you've maxed out every other element.

In every way, it followed the textbook formula of a proper otaku gacha game.

*And the same holds true in this world. The one thing all the Valkyries who suddenly grew inexplicably stronger had in common — a deep bond with their Commander.*

Which meant that the systems possible in the game worked here too.

So I thought about which of those I could actually use… and the answer I arrived at was the contract.

"A contract… what exactly is that?"

After the engineer loaded the civilians onto the train and departed.

The Commander, now alone with me, posed the question.

I already knew this term didn't exist in this world.

Of course it didn't — it was purely game terminology. It would sound foreign to him.

So I answered him with a composed expression.

"It's a method of making a Valkyrie stronger… known only to a very select few, myself included."

"Does something like that actually exist?"

"Yes. But… it isn't an easy method. It carries considerable burden in many respects. To be honest… if I weren't already in a situation where I'd expended so much of my strength, I wouldn't have brought it up."

"If that's the case, you don't have to push yourself…."

"No. I have to do this. Reinforcements will take at least several hours to arrive. But this Erosion Species jamming communications is a new type — one that's never been seen before. We can't afford to let it slip away here."

I said this while holding his gaze.

My face right now must have been wearing an expression full of conviction.

He furrowed his brow as if wrestling with the decision, then answered with a grave look.

"…Understood. If that's your resolve, Leila, I'll follow whatever you decide."

Of course, about half of that was a lie.

No matter how much strength I'd spent, the enemy was nothing more than a tutorial mob.

Honestly, I didn't think I'd lose even if I fought right now.

But doesn't saying it this way make me sound so much more admirable?

Showing the resolve to shoulder risk — all for the sake of doing one's duty.

Oh, this is definitely going to send my favorability rating through the roof.

Commander. It's perfectly fine if you fall for me watching this. I'll gladly allow it.

*Besides, I have no intention of settling for the kind of distance we had in the original.*

In the source material, Leila and the Commander were nothing more than trusted comrades.

To the Commander, she was something like a senior colleague at work — someone who'd saved his life and guided him through his shortcomings.

But I had absolutely no intention of letting things stay that lukewarm.

The more precious something is, the greater the pain when it's lost, right?

I intended to work on the Commander by any means necessary and carve myself deep into his heart.

I smiled brightly and stepped toward him.

He watched me approach with eyes that looked like he'd already steeled himself.

Eyes so perfectly to my taste that I'd have wanted to pluck them out and keep them.

"So then, how does this contract work… huh?!"

The Commander sucked in a sharp breath mid-question.

Whatever gravity he'd had a moment ago — where had it gone?

He fumbled, unable to hide his flustered state.

The reason for his reaction was simple.

I had abruptly lifted my top and bared my stomach.

Not that I was exposing skin for any improper purpose, of course.

It was an unavoidable step for the contract.

"My Stigma is just below my navel, on my lower abdomen. Can you see it?"

"Oh — yes…! I, I can see it!"

"Would you touch it with your palm?"

"W-with your hand?!"

The Commander's eyes went wide with shock.

Getting this flustered over something as minor as touching a stomach.

He clearly didn't have much experience with women.

Part of me wanted to tease him a little more right here.

But that didn't quite fit Leila's character.

So I averted my gaze ever so slightly, as if embarrassed, and spoke.

"Commander. You know that the Stigma is the source that draws out a Valkyrie's power, yes?"

"Yes. That's what I was taught."

"And Commanders have an artificial Stigma inscribed on them to interface with Valkyries. By connecting the two Stigmas, the contract is formed — and the Valkyrie gains greater strength and ability."

"That's… something I never knew."

"Well, Valkyries feel a strong aversion to having anyone touch their Stigma. It's not strange that it isn't widely known."

The Stigma was, to a Valkyrie, a second heart.

Accordingly, Valkyries felt an instinctive fear and revulsion at having it touched.

Something like how a cat goes into a frenzy when you touch its belly, perhaps.

When I tested it on Arishia the other day, she reflexively slapped me across the face. The degree of aversion was considerable.

Which was precisely why maximum favorability was required here.

Only a Valkyrie who trusted the Commander from the depths of her heart would permit her Stigma to be touched. That was roughly how the mechanic worked, I supposed.

*But I don't feel any particular aversion.*

Though perhaps that was because I had transmigrated into Leila.

Having my Stigma touched didn't bother me in the slightest.

I'd confirmed this through several tests with Arishia.

Meaning I didn't need to bother grinding the Commander's favorability up.

Simply making contact with the Stigma would be enough to form the contract.

*And on top of that… this solves one more problem.*

One of my goals was to become stronger than the original Leila.

More precisely — I wanted to be in a state teetering on the very edge of death in the fight against the Erosion Species that would otherwise reduce me to pulp.

But perhaps because I'd already hit the ceiling of my growth.

No matter how much I trained, there was no meaningful improvement in my actual abilities.

At best, I could only add new applications for the abilities I already had.

So if the contract could make me stronger here —

It would be a splendid solution, resolving all the worries I'd accumulated until now.

"Commander Yujin. Please touch my Stigma."

"But you said Valkyries dislike having it touched…."

"I'll be fine. If it means reducing casualties from Erosion Species, I can endure this much."

Well, in truth I couldn't care less whether I lived or died.

But if it could change his mind, I could lie as many times as needed.

Though he was, in the end, simply worried about me.

Seeming to realize my resolve wasn't wavering, he gave a nod.

"Understood. Leila… you're that kind of person, aren't you."

"…?"

"I'll do it. Ah, but — once the contract is made, can it be undone?"

"Of course. As long as either party expresses the wish to dissolve it, the contract can be terminated at any time."

"Huu…. In that case, I'm relieved."

I'll proceed, then.

The Commander said that and brought his hand to my lower abdomen.

A thick palm with the rough, coarse texture particular to men.

The moment it made contact with my Stigma, my body flinched involuntarily.

*Ugh, ngh… it tickles.*

Strange. It didn't feel like this when Arishia touched it.

I bit down hard on my lip against the unbearable ticklish sensation.

Immediately, the Commander's expression went rigid.

"Please… ngh, close your eyes."

"…Yes."

"Just like that… beyond your palm, hff, try to feel something."

"Something — what exactly do you mean by…?"

"If you concentrate your senses… you'll surely, hhh… feel it."

Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure about that part myself. I'd never actually formed a contract before.

In the game, you just sort of held your hand there and it happened automatically.

It seemed like this world had its own process that needed to happen.

*Ngh, this is…?*

After enduring what felt like torture-by-tickling for several minutes.

While the Commander stood there with his eyes closed, concentrating on something —

A warm sensation came flooding in like a wave from deep inside my abdomen.

As if the inside of my body were being connected to someone else's.

I had an instinctive certainty that this interlocking, interwoven sensation was the contract.

"Hah, hah…. Um… Commander…. P-please, your hand…."

"Oh, yes! I'm sorry. My mind went blank for a moment…. Did it fail?"

"No… it seems like it… worked…."

I nearly died holding that in, you idiot.

My legs gave out and I dropped to the floor with a thud.

I hunched forward and checked my lower abdomen where the Stigma was.

There, it was glowing faintly.

Thank goodness. It worked. The tension drained from my shoulders on its own.

*Honestly, I wasn't entirely confident. But it actually worked.*

I felt a little giddy.

Just how much stronger had the contract made me?

I finally pulled my clothes back down and checked my own power.

I was hoping I'd at least be as strong as an A-rank Valkyrie.

*…Hm? Something feels… like it hasn't changed much….*

But there was no meaningful change.

I'd have to verify my physical capabilities separately —

But my innate ability, the lightning, was almost identical to before.

The total volume of power hadn't increased.

And the output hadn't grown stronger either….

…Could there be conditions for the contract that I didn't know about?

Like, the effect doesn't fully activate unless favorability is maxed out.

No, that would make the whole thing pointless. A cold sweat broke out on my skin.

"Um… did it succeed?"

"Hm? Oh, yes! Thanks to you, I feel like I've definitely gotten stronger. Thank you, Commander. Let's go take care of that Erosion Species right away!"

"Yes. I'll follow your lead."

"Th-this is just my guess! But I think the signal interference will probably get stronger the closer we get to the Erosion Species! So… if we move in the direction where the noise on the terminal gets worse, we should be able to find it!"

But I couldn't honestly admit that.

After building up all that atmosphere — *actually, the effect was pretty much nothing.*

Oh, I could never say that out loud. I might actually die of embarrassment.

Fortunately, the Commander didn't know the full extent of my abilities.

If I just said I'd gotten a bit stronger, he'd probably take it at face value.

So I quickly changed the subject to the Erosion Species.

*Let's just finish this and go back….*

I already knew where the hiding Erosion Species was.

A cave about thirty minutes on foot from here.

It was probably lurking in there, waiting grimly for its chance.

No need to wander around — once I found the cave,

I drove dozens of nails into the Erosion Species' head right in front of the Commander.

"KIEEEEK!"

"This is the power of a B-rank Valkyrie…! Incredible. Leila!"

"Hehe, it's thanks to you that I was able to put in a little extra effort, Commander."

Ahh, that felt good.

I'd been getting beaten up by Arishia every single day lately.

Winning this decisively and one-sidedly — it felt great.

After the new Erosion Species' death restored communications,

The reinforcements dispatched from headquarters arrived safely.

From here, I could leave the rest to the support unit.

Transferred to the nearest city, we set off once again toward our destination: Lumia.

"I was surprised. I never imagined you were also heading to Lumia, Leila…."

"I was surprised too. I never imagined Commander Yujin would turn out to be my actual Commander…."

And here, I learned that the Commander was heading to the same city as me.

Doesn't this feel just a little bit like fate?

I smiled with a *well, what a coincidence* sort of expression and said,

"In that case, there's no real need to dissolve the contract, is there?"

"Hmm…. Yes. That does seem like the rational choice. I look forward to working with you."

"Yes. Commander. I look forward to it as well."

Truly — I look forward to what comes next.

I felt genuinely pleased at a relationship that was ripening so deliciously, step by step.