"You bound a kettle to me?"
Yarrow stared blankly at the crystalline artifact in his hand. He couldn't decide if he should laugh or curse.
Wait… could the system even bind to objects?
His mind spun.
Was it the pot that was bound, or… the spirit within?
The idea sent a ripple of excitement through him. A kettle spirit…? That had potential. If she was anything like the other system spirits he'd met—powerful, eccentric, maybe even a little sultry—this could be fun. And if he managed to win her over, would her wish-granting power be his to command?
He cleared his throat, trying to summon her the old-fashioned way.
"I like you," he whispered to the kettle, voice low and a little hopeful.
Silence.
He grimaced. That wasn't enough.
"Miss Kettle Spirit," he tried again, "I like you. Would you go out with me?"
Still no response.
He took a breath and went for it.
"I like—"
"Yarrow, what are you doing?" Peach Fox's voice cut in, thick with confusion and amusement.
He froze. The awkwardness hit like a brick.
"I, uh…" He coughed, trying to reassemble his dignity. "I think there's a god inside this kettle. I'm… attempting a summoning ritual."
Peach Fox tilted her head, clearly fighting laughter. "So… your ritual is a love confession?"
Yarrow blinked. "Let's… change the subject."
The Wishing Kettle shimmered in his palm, cool and smooth like water caught in crystal. No inscriptions, no carvings, just that elegant blue transparency. Like Aladdin's lamp, but minimalist.
He remembered the message from before. Maybe it wasn't that the spirit didn't hear him—but that she wasn't interested.
"Tch… guess I'll have to try again later," he muttered.
Sliding the kettle into his storage bag, he exhaled. "Let's finish the task and get out of here."
"Okay!" Peach Fox chirped, her energy reignited by the treasure they'd secured. She dashed off again, combing through the props with bright eyes.
Yarrow followed suit, rummaging through piles of peculiar tools and gadgets. One stood out—a mechanical apparatus with multiple gripping arms.
[Sheep Grabbing Machine: Originally designed to catch sheep. Later discovered to be surprisingly effective for loading and unloading cargo.]
"This'll do," he muttered, pulling it free and studying the controls.
But then—a sound behind him.
He spun around instinctively.
A blur shot toward him, fast and low—straight for his waist.
The storage bag.
His hand slammed down to protect it. He rolled away, fluid and practiced. The attacker missed, crashing into a pile of junk with a loud clatter.
Yarrow landed in a crouch, revolver already drawn.
He narrowed his eyes—and frowned.
"…Rene?"
The red-furred snake girl struggled to sit up, tangled in sofa stuffing and prop clutter. Her twin tails twitched nervously. "Haha… I was just playing a little prank! Didn't expect you to react that fast."
Yarrow took a step back, the tension still thick in his posture. His hand drifted toward the pocket watch that could stop time.
"Is that so?" he said flatly.
Rene's expression twitched. She stood slowly, smile cracking like porcelain.
"…Fine," she muttered. Her playful mask shattered. She snapped her head toward him, baring small, sharp teeth.
"Fine! I heard everything!" she growled. "That kettle—you think you're just gonna keep it for yourself? Hand it over. Now."
Yarrow didn't flinch. He leveled his revolver at her, calm and deadly.
"Or what?"
Rene's eyes narrowed.
"Or I'll just take it by force!"
Suddenly, her body shimmered—and expanded. Red fur bristled outward as her form grew and stretched, transforming into something massive. Her snake-like frame rose like a dragon, wings unfurling, her cute snake head now replaced with a sharp-scaled serpent skull lined with gleaming fangs.
The ceiling trembled as her true form unfurled.
"I am the feathered serpent!" she roared, voice now deep and guttural, like a storm rolling across stone. "Give it to me—or die!"
Peach Fox skidded to a halt nearby, her eyes going wide. "What the hell?! What is that?!"
"Peach Fox, get out!" Yarrow shouted.
Time slowed.
The Eye of Death activated.
He moved like lightning through still air, a crimson sigil flaring in his left eye.
He saw every motion of Rene's wings mid-beat—too slow now, too easy to read.
He pulled the trigger.
Six shots.
Two for the eyes.
Four for the center of the head.
At the same time, five massive fireballs ignited behind him, swirling in concentric orbits. Heat rolled off them in waves as they locked onto their target.
Ever since he'd unlocked the Moon Style Meditation Technique and harmonized with the power of the Dragon Clan, his control over fire had multiplied tenfold.
Five fireballs. Precision magic.
No incantation. No hesitation.
Just death.
The Eye of Death deactivated.
In the very next breath, time snapped back into motion—and the barrage began.
Bullets and fireballs tore through the space between Yarrow and Rene.
She had just opened her mouth to chant when her world lit up in chaos. Five blazing fireballs suddenly materialized before her eyes—but the bullets reached her first.
Bang—Bang—Bang.
Both eyes took direct hits. She shrieked as blinding pain surged through her. A moment later, the fireballs detonated across her massive serpentine frame.
"Eeeeeek! It hurts!!"
Rene writhed violently, her thick body thrashing as flames engulfed her. The heat warped the air, smoke curling up in violent plumes.
With a furious roar, she unleashed a surge of water magic. A wave burst out from her scales, smothering the flames in an instant. Steam flooded the room, hissing like a thousand serpents. Out of the mist, water bullets shot forth, homing in on Yarrow.
He raised a hand calmly and conjured a glowing shield. The water bullets smashed against it, exploding into harmless bursts.
Yarrow narrowed his eyes.
Something's off… Her attack is too weak. Is she still holding back? Or…?
As the steam cleared, Rene unfurled her wings and flared them outward, dispersing the last of the fog. Her colossal form emerged in full view.
Yarrow's expression shifted.
Her eyes… they're fine?Not even scorched. No blood, no burns. Not even a scratch.
But he'd heard her scream. Felt her agony through the Eye.
An illusion? A bluff?
"I advise you not to resist any further!" Rene thundered. "Your attacks are useless against me! Hand over the kettle!"
Yarrow sighed. "So you were lying to us all along."
Rene's head drooped slightly, her voice quieter now. "I wasn't… at first I really just wanted to use you to escape this realm."
Then she lifted her head, eyes flashing. "But you suddenly found something so valuable—it's not my fault I got tempted!"
Yarrow looked at her for a long second, somewhere between exasperation and disbelief.
"…Are you seriously this bad at villainy?" he muttered.
Rene flinched. "W-What do you mean?"
"I mean, even if I gave it to you… do you even know how to use it?" Yarrow asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll figure it out!" she snapped, though her voice wavered. "Eventually!"
"You're a divine beast now, aren't you?" Yarrow said, folding his arms. "You have the power of a Feathered Serpent. What could possibly be out of reach for you that you'd need a wishing artifact?"
"None of your business!" Rene roared, trying to reassert her dominance.
She reared back, magic swirling around her. "I'm warning you one last time! Hand over that divine kettle—or I'll—!"
A vortex of water formed in front of her, spinning rapidly into a sharpened drill of liquid force.
Yarrow took a cautious step back, his fingers twitching toward the time-stopping pocket watch.
But before he could press it—
BOOM.
The ceiling exploded.
A beam of brilliant light surged through the breach, illuminating the entire chamber.
A figure descended like a comet, energy crackling around her, voice echoing in righteous fury:
"Yarrow!! Die for this Queen!!"
Yarrow blinked in confusion. "…Zen?"
As the dust cleared, the descending figure revealed herself—tail coiled, fists blazing, face twisted in rage.
Zen spun in midair, preparing to lash out—but clearly hadn't anticipated the massive serpent directly beneath the impact zone.
Her tail slammed straight into Rene's skull with the full force of divine fury.
CRACK.
Rene let out a strangled grunt as her head bounced off the floor with a dull thud, completely dazed.
Yarrow stood there, stunned.
"…Okay," he murmured, "did not see that coming."
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