Ch 16: Her decision.

"Let's quickly finish eating, and we'll get to it in my room." said Argo.

They both hurried with their meal, and Noah followed her to one of the inns of Tolbana town. Her room was clean and tidy, with a bed just large enough for two.

Noah silently activated his Hands of Nirvana as Argo turned to face him. And she waited, a slight indecision on her face. Noah guessed she wasn't sure how to proceed.

"Argo, do you have any experience?"

She shook her head, slightly embarrassed.

"Do you mind if I take the lead?"

"Go ahead. What about you, Noah? Do you have a lot of experience?"

"Just a little. But before we start, I suggest you deactivate that protection."

"Ah! I forgot about it, sorry."  Argo quickly deactivated the adult content protection in her interface, blushing slightly.

Noah Hugged her gently while putting his right arm around her waist. With his left, he cupped the back of Argo's head.

"You're beautiful, Argo." He said in a soft voice, while staring at her golden-brown eyes. Since the first time he met her, Argo had purchased some cosmetic upgrade, forming three small and thing red marks on each of her cheeks, like whiskers. It suited her well. Cat certainly was her theme, and for a second, he wondered if he'd be able to find a hairband with cat ears one day.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, almost close enough for their noses to touch, then Argo took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tilted her head to the side slightly. Noah accepted the invitation and kissed her tenderly. Argo hugged him, too, and her tongue started meeting his own.

When she stopped to breathe, Noah started slowly removing her clothes. Soon, she was naked, and he stepped back to admire her. She looked bashfully at him as she used her hands to cover the important bits.

"Beautiful indeed." Nodded Noah. She was smaller and more slender than Asuna, but her body was still very feminine.

"It's your turn to undress me, Argo." He suggested, and she nodded.

Argo did as he suggested, not missing the opportunity to run her hands over his torso.

"Oh, Gods. You must exercise a lot, to have a chest like this. And those abs…"

Noah laughed. "Well, what can I say. I got blessed on this."

"You could say this again. With your face and your body, you're like a dream come true."

Argo kept undressing him, and got a shock when she lowered his boxer.

"Wow." She gulped.

"Don't worry, Argo. I'll be gentle."

"Are you really hung like this in real life? It must be about 20cm?"

"A bit more, but who's counting? The important part is how you use it. And as you can see, Argo, you made me quite excited. I'll have you take responsibility."

Noah hugged her again and kissed her slowly running his hands on her back and her butt. Argo was breathing more rapidly, and her nipples were hardening.

He guided her to the bed and had her lay on her back, and Noah knelt between her legs. A small patch of golden-brown hairs was there. Noah started using his tongue to give her pleasure.

"Oh… Ahn… it feels… good… an…" Noah worked on her for a few minutes, tasting her, and she got her first orgasm.

Wiping his face and her crotch with a small towel he took from his item storage, Noah then used his hands to explore her body, studying her reactions as he gave her a slow, sensual massage, enhanced by his Hands of Nirvana, and noting the spots that seemed to be her weak points.

And Argo was loving it, as she slowly squirmed under his ministrations. When he estimated she was close to a second orgasm, he lowered himself on her body, playing with her right breast and crotch with his hands while he gave some tongue action to her left nipple.

"Ah… Ah… I'm about to…"

And she came again. Noah hugged and kissed her while he waited for her to recover her breath a bit.

"Argo, sweet and cute Argo. You should be wet enough now. Are you ready for the main event?"

She nodded.

Noah carefully positioned himself to be aligned with her sopping wet pussy and entered slowly.

"Nnngh!" Argo tensed.

Noah paused, as he hadn't felt any resistance. he supposed the Nerve Gear's initial body scan didn't go that far as to simulate one's hymen.

"Are you in pain?"

"No… it's just, you're so big."

Noah kissed her again and resumed his advance. When he was completely buried in her, he started going in reverse, then forward. Again and again, slowly picking up speed and trying to vary his angle a bit.

Argo was losing herself in pleasure. By the time Noah couldn't hold back anymore and came, she had experienced two more orgasms. They hugged each other as they stayed connected and recovered their breath.

"Let's stay a few minutes like this, before we start round two." He suggested.

Argo groaned. "There's no need for a second round… You pass, Noah… More than pass. I would only have failed you if you had been the 'wham bam thank you madam' type, but you made me cum four times already. I'm not sure I'd survive a second round."

"…if you're too tired for it, it's fine. We'll stop there for today."

"Thanks, Noah." She smiled tenderly at him, a little moved that he was willing to restrain himself for her sake.

"So there will be a next time?"

"You can bet on it. I didn't know sex could feel this good."

"Yeah, is was very fun for me, too… For next time, are you willing to spice things up a bit?"

"Spice things up?"

"In bed, I tend to be rather dominant, as you may have noticed. And it just happens that I somehow managed to find a quest in Horunka village, about rescuing a farmer's daughter from bandits. I don't know the triggering conditions, so don't ask. Quite the dangerous quest, too. Almost got myself cornered in a tight tunnel with bandits on both sides. But the reward was, rather special. A got a bunch of patterns in leatherworking for, specialized goods, let's say. Like this one.

Noah took from his storage a pair of leather cuffs and extended them to her.

"Wow. There's really that kind of toys in SAO?" Argo said with wide eyes, as she took the cuffs in her hands, as if she wanted to make sure they were real, and feel their weight.

"Yeah. Surprising, right? But don't tell anyone. I don't want shady guys harassing me to craft some of that stuff for them. So, do you mind if we use them next time?"

"…Why not. I've sometimes wondered how it would feel, to be bound for sex. And I've not been very active with my hands anyway. I want the right to use a safe word, though."

"Of course. I don't want to do anything that would make you stop our relationship."

Argo nodded and gave him the cuffs back.

Noah laid back and cuddled with her for a while, as he occasionally kissed her and played with her hair. After about an hour of Argo using him as a comforter, however, he gently extracted himself from her arms.

"Do you really have to leave so soon?" She complained.

"Yes, Argo. We still need to prioritize leveling and beating this game. We'll have plenty of time to fool around in the future." Noah headed to the small, attached bathroom to clean up.

Argo sighed and followed him.

They took a quick shower, dried themselves and left the inn.

"See you later, Noah." Argo pecked his cheek, hid her face under her hood, and left just like that.

Noah watched her leave with a smile. Then he headed back to the labyrinth. He wanted to kill some kobolds and get his next level before he would go check on Asuna.

…

It was late afternoon when Noah found a secluded place in the labyrinth and teleported to his house.

He appeared in the living room, and as he looked around, he noticed that both the gag and the blindfold were absent from the table. She also didn't turn the slave contract to shreds. Those were pleasant surprises.

He walked to his room and gently opened the door. And a strong smell of sex assaulted his nostrils. Asuna was asleep on the bed, naked save from the pieces of black leather on her torso, neck, lower face and eyes.

For a moment, he considered letting her sleep, but he needed to progressively sync her with the night-day cycle of the rest of the server.

Sitting on the mattress near her, he gently shook her awake.

"Wake up, Asuna."

"Mmmff?"

Noah helped her stand and removed the blindfold. He gave her a moment to get used to seeing it again, and as she saw him smiling at her, Asuna blushed and lowered her gaze.

"Present."

Asuna almost immediately put her arms behind her, clasping her hands together, and leaned forward a little, while slightly bending her back.

"Good girl." He praised her. "You also have followed my instruction to use the blindfold. I am pleased, Asuna."

"Hhmmff." She groaned quietly.

Noah started removing her gag.

"Good news, slave. I just learned a very important information today. How to make pasta! I'll need to get a few things first, but we'll soon be able to gain some diversity in our food."

He gently removed the rubber ball from her mouth, and Asuna worked her jaw open and shut.

"How are you doing, slave?"

"I'm… fine, master." She answered, unwilling to meet his gaze. She was obviously embarrassed from having put on the gag, and Noah chose not to put her on the spot for it.

Instead, he hugged her and patted her head for a moment, silently conveying his approval.

"Follow me, Asuna. I'll do the cooking, and you can watch."

Asuna nodded and followed him to the kitchen.

He put the ingredients on the counter and started to prepare them when he looked at her.

"The boss of the First floor has been located. Forty-four players will face it tomorrow morning. I'll be one of them."

Asuna nodded, lost in thoughts.

"Master…" She finally asked, unsure. "…what will happen to me, if you die?"

Noah looked at her.

"I guess you'll be stuck here, until the lack of food… But it's ok, I won't die. I am a very cautious guy.  I am also stronger than the average player. And if you keep being a good girl, become completely honest with your desires, and give yourself to me, I'll soon let you out of here, and we'll live together outside of this house, too. If I somehow die then, you will still be able to live on."

"I… have no other choice... Being yours." She said in a barely audible voice. But Noah detected no trace of unwillingness in her voice.

Noah paused his cooking, and he considered her thoughtfully. It was a bit early… But then again, she had put on the gag... And he didn't think she was a good enough actress to fake it. He decided to take a chance.

"Come with me, Asuna."

Returning to the living room, Noah put his pen and placed it on the Slave Contract. And he put Asuna's rapier next to it. He faced her, seeing understanding on her face.

"What will you choose, Asuna? If you take up the pen, you will be mine, and we will take care of each other, forever. We will explore that side of yours you just discovered, and we will make each other happy. If you take up the sword, I will remove the collar and the chest harness, give you your clothes back, and teleport you in the labyrinth. After that, we will never interact with each other again, aside from cooperating during boss fights."

Asuna considered him in silence for a minute, before she spoke.

"…You will have more than one slave, right?"

"Yes." He nodded simply. Trying to lie at this point would be the worst thing he could do.

Asuna lifted her gave and looked him in the eyes.

"…If I become your slave, won't you cast me aside eventually, to spend your time with other, newer slaves? Will you abandon me, when my beauty fades away?"

"Of course not. I won't always be able to treat my slaves equally, but I will reward my slaves' loyalty and devotion to me. If you want me to prioritize you, all you will have to do is become the best slave. Or are you afraid of competition? …As for old age, you don't have to worry. When I say I want us to be by each other's side forever, I mean it. It is a promise with a degree of commitment comparable to marriage vows."

Asuna trembled.

"…Can I have, a bit more time, to think about it, master?"

Noah nodded, and returned to the kitchen. Asuna didn't follow him, as she kept staring in turns at the contract, and her sword. He already was almost certain of her decision. She already would have taken her sword if she was going to choose freedom, and with her last question, he had appealed to her competitiveness. All her life, Asuna's parents had pressured her to obtain the best grades in class. And she had done well. She wouldn't fear a bit of competition. Her worry about being cast aside was also proof she was seriously considering being his slave.

Noah finished the cooking, and like before, he fed her while she sat on his lap. She still occasionally glanced the at the contract and the sword, on the other side of the table, but said nothing.

"Was it good?"

"Yes, master. Thank you." Asuna nodded.

"Sit on my lap, Asuna, facing me."

Asuna shifted her position, and he hugged her waist with one arm. With his free hand, he slowly traced patterns on her breasts and belly, keeping his touch light as a feather, barely perceptible. He did this for a few minutes, keeping her aroused.

"Are you going to… train me, master?" she hesitated.

"We'll have a bit of fun together, but it won't be real training. I'm pausing it until you sign the contract. Instead, we're just going to talk. You must have a lot of questions."

Asuna nodded, and looked at his eyes.

"…If I choose to be your slave, what kind of things will you make me do?"

"In the long term, after your training is completed, or as part of your training?"

"…Both, master."

"…In the long term, and in private, you can expect frequent bondage sessions, and wearing a large variety of sexy outfits for me in private, with an emphasis on leather and latex. No painful stuff, as I'm a control freak, not a sadist. No piercings, branding, or tattoos. The chores would be shared between you, me, and the other girls that would eventually join our family. In public, your identity as a slave would be hidden. Instead of the collar, I'd maybe have you wear a cute choker, a bangle, or a ring. And you'd be in charge of assisting me with something. I can't tell you what yet, but you would end up helping a lot of people in a very concrete way. You would be doing charity work. I would also make sure you have time to yourself every day, to pursue your own interests."

"Mmh…" she let out a cute moan as Noah lightly pinched her left nipple. "…And as part of the training?"

"More bondage, though I don't think you'll object to that at this point. We'll soon have actual sex, and I will start training you for oral and anal, as well. As I unlock more and more patterns to craft more restraints and, I suspect, sexy clothes, I will have you try them all."

"…Will you ever… share me… with others?"

"When I acquire more slaves, we might do threesomes. And I will train you to enjoy bondage sex with them, so you girls can comfort each other if I am not available. But I will never allow anyone who isn't my slave to do anything sexual with you. You will be mine, and I'm not sharing."

"…I see… I would still be allowed to see my family?"

Noah nodded. "Of course. But you would live with me. I will need some time to procure a suitable place for us to live together, and until then, you'd live with your parents. After that, you could visit them or your brother regularly."

"…Master… can you tell me more, about you?" asked Asuna as she panted under his ministrations.

"There's a lot about me that I can't tell you yet. Not until we get out of this game. You wouldn't believe it anyway, until I could provide proof. But, money isn't going to be an issue in our future, so you can expect comfortable living conditions. My objective, as I said before, it to improve the world, by using a mix of doing charity work and political lobbying, on one side, and fighting systemic corruption on the other."

"You're only one person. Isn't trying to improve the world, overly ambitious?"

"Is it? In the end, you can change the world simply by applying pressure on a limited number of decision-makers. I'm nowhere near able to exert that kind of pressure yet, but I will, eventually. I have a… very powerful backer, let's say, that has entrusted me with this task."

"Does that… backer… knows that you want to create a harem of slaves?"

"She knows, and she approves, yes. And no, she isn't ever going to be part of my harem. I doubt she'd want to, since she's a dominant herself, not a sub, and I know better than to even think about biting the hand that feeds me. But you don't need to concern yourself about her. I don't think you'll ever meet her in person."

Asuna frowned in confusion.

"Master, you're... about my age. How did you get such a backer? Is your family powerful?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that yet. As for my family… My parents died in a car crash some time ago, and my family was average middle class. I have no siblings. It was basically pure coincidence that I met my backer, and I am still being tested. Now, Asuna, tell me about you. You told me you recently tried video games, and liked them, it seems. What other hobbies do you have?"

"… Sometimes, I'd go visit a friend. I would read shoujo and josei manga with her. I bought some myself, but I had to leave them at her home… Mother would just throw them away."

"She sounds like the type that would force you to take violin lessons, if she thought it would make easier for her to marry you off to a guy from a wealthy stuck-up family."

Asuna nodded, her panting increasing as Noah increased the intensity of his stimulation.

"Any favorite sports?"

"Ah… I like volleyball, master.  Scuba diving, too…"

"…I'm imagining you wearing a volleyball uniform, as well as a diving suit, and I like it. I look forward to seeing you in them."

Noah gently kneaded her breasts with both hands, making her gasp in repressed desire.

"Do you want to cum, slave?"

"…Yes, Master. Please." Replied Asuna, not hiding the desire in her voice.

Noah smiled and placed a hand on her crotch.

"You can cum, slave, but you'll have to do so by rubbing yourself on my hand. I won't move it."

"Urgh. Master is a bully." Asuna groaned and hesitated for a few seconds, then she started moving back and forth on his hand.

"But my cute slave wants it that way. To be made to do embarrassing things to please her master."

Asuna didn't try to deny it, as she humped his hand with wanton abandon.

Before long, she came, shuddering as she exhaled a hot sigh, trapping his hand between her quivering legs.

"Let's go clean up a bit. Then we'll cuddle together. I need to get some sleep if I'm to fight the boss tomorrow."

Noah took her hand, and they went to the shower. As he started washing Asuna, he suddenly smiled.

"If you sign the contract, Asuna, one of your duties will be to wash me, just like I'm washing you. It will be more fun this way."

"Yes, master." She nodded obediently. It wouldn't be a hard thing to do, compared to the rest. And part of her wanted to run her hands over his torso even now.

Once they were both clean and dry, Noah gently took her hand and led her to the bed.

Once under the cover, Noah pulled her close, as he put his arms around her.

"Good night, Asuna."

"Good night, Master." Answered Asuna.

Time passed, and Noah was sound asleep, but Asuna was thinking. Part of it was due to her napping just a few hours earlier, and she didn't really feel tired. But she was mostly trying to sort out her feelings.

In his arms, she felt… safe. Protected. After being abandoned by the friend she trusted the most, Asuna felt like she couldn't trust anyone ever again. But Noah… she could trust him. Because he was her kidnapper. The strange thought made her smile, but there was some truth to it. He already could do whatever he wanted to her, so he didn't need to lie to her. He had not bothered to hide his flaws from her, and for that, she could trust him. There were things he had not told her, but he must have his reasons.

Asuna knew that he really cared for her, in his own twisted way. He had yet to kiss her or use more than his hands. Had it been any other boy from her high school who had been allowed to hold such power over her, to have her bound and isolated from any possible help, she was certain she would have been violently raped within the first hour, with little regard for her mental wellbeing.

She guessed that his restraint was his way to draw a line in the sand, to respect some emotional boundary. A line he would only cross with her consent. It even made her believe that his offer to free her was genuine. But, did she really want that?

Her whole life, Asuna hadn't had more to look forward to than the life of a housewife. A life of 'supporting' some imaginary husband figure with a respectable career and position. A man that would be chosen by her parents, not herself.

They were already considering having her marry one of her father's subordinates, Sugou Nobuyuki, despite him being twelve years older than she was, and the way he sometimes looked at Asuna gave her the creeps.

What Noah offered her wasn't that different from what her parents wanted from her, when all was said and done. It was just more honest, not bothering to disguise a life of submission to a male figure with fancy words such as 'supporting'. And it promised so much more pleasure…

Taking care not to wake him up, Asuna slowly extricated herself from his arms, silently walked to the bedroom's door, and opened it without a sound. Closing the door behind her, she flicked on the switch on the wall to lit up the living room, and slowly walked to the table. The butterflies in her belly were back in force.

Even though she already knew the contract's terms by heart, she took the time to read it again slowly.

SLAVE CONTRACT

1/ I, ……………………., hereafter called the 'Slave', agree to voluntarily give up all rights, personal and legal, and become the personal property of my Master, ………………., hereafter called the 'Master'.

2/ The slave agrees to obey and submit completely to the Master in all ways. There are no boundaries of place, time, or situation in which the Slave may willfully refuse to obey her Master.

3/ The Slave also agree that, once entered into this Slavery Contract, her body, heart, mind, soul and time belongs to her Master, to be used as seen fit.

4/ All of the Slave's possessions likewise belong to her Master, including all assets, finances, and material goods, to do as her Master sees fit.

5/ The Slave agrees to please her Master to the best of her ability, in that she now exists solely for the pleasure of her Master.

6/ The Slave understands that all she has, and all she does, shall now move from right to privilege, granted only as her Master wishes, and only to the extent that her Master finds useful.

7/ The Slave agrees to be disciplined by her Master, to learn from it, and to be grateful for His efforts to teach her how to better herself as a slave.

Signed:

Asuna took a deep breath, picked up the pen, and wrote Asuna Yuuki in the first clause. She did not sign it. It should be done in the presence of her Master.

"So you have made your decision." His voice sounded behind her.

Asuna froze for an instant, then slowly turned toward him and nodded.

"Yes, Master. The things you made me experience. The care and affection you have shown me... It has changed me. I know that I will be able to find happiness with you. And if I need to offer you my everything to be by your side, then I am willing. So, please, make me your slave."

Noah walked closer, hugged her, and gave her a gentle kiss. After a few seconds, she eagerly returned both.

"I claim you as mine, Asuna."

"Yes, my Master. I belong to you." smiled Asuna.

[You have received 400 Yang points.]

Noah pushed the notification aside, gently took the pen from Asuna's hand, and wrote 'Noah Enfield' on the contract. Giving the pencil back to Asuna, she smiled and signed the document.

Noah kissed her again and took her hand.

"Let's go back to bed, my dear slave."

"Yes, Master."

They cuddled together again in the bed, and this time, Asuna had no problems falling asleep, safe in the arms of the person she had just decided to make the center of her life.