Recap of Chapter 40:Adrian unleashed his Eternal Bond Domain, rallying the voices of all his Sugar Mommies, and struck Kael with a massive spear of light. The throne began stabilizing in his favor. But Kael, twisted by his Obsidian Overdrive, chose to sabotage the battle itself: slamming his obsidian arms into the ground to crack the Throne of Desire. Now, the system is screaming warnings as the throne teeters between evolution and destruction.
The throne groaned like a dying beast.
Its radiant surface cracked, glowing veins spilling sparks of both diamond light and obsidian darkness. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and molten stone, the walls of the hall splintering under the throne's violent tremors.
Adrian staggered forward, chains lashing at the ground to keep him steady. His crown dimmed, flickering under the weight of Kael's sabotage.
The system's voice cracked like broken glass:
[Critical Warning: Throne Integrity 43%. Immediate action required.][Host Decision: Terminate Rival – OR – Bind Rival.]
Adrian's heart hammered. Sweat ran down his temples, mixing with the blood on his face. He looked at Kael — the once-proud rival, now a monstrous abomination, obsidian veins crawling across his body. The fused Dark Mommies shrieked within him, faces pressing against his skin before sinking back into shadow.
Kael laughed, the sound jagged, unhinged. "Look at it! Look at the throne crack! Neither of us will have it. Desire dies here, Adrian. Every chain, every Mommy, every moan — gone in an instant."
Adrian clenched his fists, his chains rattling like steel in a storm. "No. I won't let you drag them all down."
Celeste's voice rang in his mind, clear as a bell. "If the throne breaks, we break too. You must act."
Seraphina's fire followed. "Kill him now. Strike before the throne collapses. End this nightmare."
But another whisper — softer, unexpected — brushed Adrian's thoughts. It was not from his current Mommies but from a faint, unfamiliar voice buried deep in the bond web. "Even in chains, he can still be bound. Don't destroy what can be tamed."
Adrian's eyes widened. Could it be… the throne itself whispering? Or one of Kael's Dark Mommies, crying out from within his monstrous form?
Kael roared, slamming his clawed obsidian hands into the ground again. The cracks spread wider across the throne. Its glow dimmed to half, sparks shooting into the air like dying stars.
The system shrieked:
[Host Integrity at Risk.][Throne Collapse in 180 seconds.]
Adrian's chains lashed out, wrapping around Kael's arms, pulling him back. The two forces collided once more, diamond light straining against obsidian shadows. Sparks flew, the floor caving beneath their locked struggle.
"Why cling to them?" Kael snarled, blood dripping black from his mouth. "Mommies, bonds, love — it's weakness. Desire is domination. If you want to rule, you must take, not share."
Adrian's crown flared, his eyes burning with defiance. "You're wrong. Desire isn't about chains of control. It's about chains of choice. That's why they chose me — and why you'll never win."
He pulled harder, his Eternal Bond Domain flooding the hall with the voices of his Mommies. The sound of their moans, their laughter, their devotion drowned Kael's howls.
For a moment, Kael faltered. His monstrous form cracked further, obsidian flaking from his chest. The faces of his fused Dark Mommies pressed outward, screaming — some in rage, some in sorrow.
Adrian's breath caught. There it was. The opening.
But which path to take?
Kill him now — unleash every chain in one final strike, ending Kael and securing the throne at the cost of obliterating the Dark Mommies within him.
Or bind him — force his chains into submission, absorb him into the throne, and risk the system's fury by taming what was never meant to be tamed.
The throne pulsed, shaking violently, its glow flickering faster.
[Final Choice Imminent.]
Adrian's chains spread out, his crown blazing with unbearable light. Kael screamed, tearing his arms free, lunging forward one last time, claws raised.
The throne's heartbeat thundered. The system's voice fractured into static.
[CHOOSE.]
Adrian roared, his chains converging on Kael. The hall shattered, the throne blazed — and then everything turned white.
Cliffhanger Question for Readers:Should Adrian finish Kael with a killing blow to save the throne — or risk everything by binding him alive, gambling that even darkness can be chained?