Location: Hidden Chamber beneath the Research Club – Afternoon.
The hallway to the chamber was narrow, carved out of cold obsidian stone that shimmered faintly under torchlight. The air was heavy, not just with mana, but something older.
Ancient. As if the walls themselves were listening.
Watching. Eiji Kuroryuu adjusted his school blazer, though the temperature had dropped significantly the deeper they descended. It wasn't the chill that made his skin crawl. It was the feeling that he was crossing a line. Again. Behind him, the stone door was sealed with a slow groan. In front, Seraphina walked confidently, the sharp click of her heels echoing off the chamber walls. She looked entirely at home in this cryptic place, like she had walked this path more times than she could count
"Okay," Eiji muttered, eyes darting around the torch-lit walls. "Not ominous at all. Why do all devil basements look like a rejected set piece from a horror movie?"
"Because they usually are," Seraphina replied without turning. Her voice, calm and unbothered, sent a shiver down his spine.
The corridor opened into a massive, circular chamber. Floating in the center was a crystal pedestal surrounded by runes glowing faintly red. Ancient glyphs danced in the air, circling slowly like a silent storm of knowledge.
Seraphina approached the pedestal and pressed her hand to it. A pulse of crimson light rippled out, and the room hummed with power. Eiji's eyes widened as transparent sheets of light, inscribed with swirling demonic text, emerged and floated in midair.
"Welcome to the Contract Chamber," she said, turning toward him. Her tone shifted into lecture mode, but a sharp edge was beneath her elegance.
"Great," Eiji said, crossing his arms. "So this is where you guys do the devil paperwork. Should I be worried? I didn't bring a pen."
"No need. Your soul will do.
"Eiji blinked. "You're joking. Right?"Seraphina smirked.
"Only halfway."She waved her hand, and the contracts rotated toward him, each glowing with a different hue. One gold. One sickly green.
One a deep, pulsating red that made his stomach twist."Devil Contracts are the foundation of our society," she explained.
"We offer what they desire—protection, revenge, success. In return, we take something in exchange. Loyalty, mana, years from their lifespan... or pieces of their soul."Eiji frowned, his gaze shifting between the floating contracts.
"So devils are basically... loan sharks with magic."
"That's a crude way to put it," she replied, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "But not entirely wrong."She gestured toward the golden one.
"Wish Contracts. For those who desire something immediately—wealth, fame, revenge. Instant gratification... at a cost."
"What kind of cost?"Whatever you think their desire is worth. Sometimes, it's a year of their life. Sometimes, they can feel happiness."Eiji grimaced. "You're joking again."She didn't respond."Then there's this one," she said, pointing at the green one. "Protection Pacts. Simple. Someone is desperate, afraid, and they want safety.
We provide it. In exchange, they give loyalty, devotion, maybe a portion of their mana."
"That one sounds less evil."
"That's why it's the most common. Especially among students who see too much or feel too little."She paused at the red one. The script moved, almost alive. It pulsed like it had a heartbeat."Soul Exchanges," she said. "Rare. Illegal. Powerful. This is the ultimate temptation. You take a part of their essence and give them something impossible in return."
"Let me guess. You've done all three."Seraphina's expression darkened, then softened. "You'd be surprised how much someone will give to avoid pain."Silence stretched between them, and Eiji looked around the chamber again."How many contracts can a devil make?
"She hesitated. "As much as your soul can bear.
But every pact leaves a mark. Eventually, you won't remember who you were before the deals.
"Eiji looked down at his hands. "That ship might've already sailed."Seraphina walked closer. For a moment, her cold demeanor wavered. She looked at him not as a devil, not as a mentor, but as someone who had once made their first pact, too."You're still you, Eiji. Just... more or less. It depends on what you choose next.
"That Night – Eiji's Apartment
Eiji sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The glyphs still floated behind his eyes.
The way the red one pulsed... it was as if it knew him, as if it was made for him. He grabbed a pillow and buried his face in it. "Great. I'm becoming a damn villain."A knock at the door.
He jolted upright. That wasn't just any knock. It was fast. Desperate. He opened the door.
Standing there was the Girl from his Class, Kana Miyazuki, the shy girl from class with thick-rimmed glasses and sleeves that were always too long.
Her cheeks were red from crying, and she clutched her phone like a lifeline."Kuroryuu-kun, please—help me."Kana? What happened?
"She stepped in without waiting. Her knees buckled, and she dropped to the floor, breath shaky."My brother... he's in the hospital. They say it's a curse—a real one. But no one believes me. I—I heard the rumors.
That you... that you're not... normal. That you could... fix it."Eiji's stomach turned. "Rumors travel fast."Please." Her voice cracked. "I'll do anything... save him."His human instincts screamed no. His devil side smiled.
He held out his hand. A crimson glyph appeared above his palm."You understand what you're asking for? This isn't free."She nodded.
"I don't care. Suppose it's my mana, my time, my life. I'll give it. Just save him."He stared at her—broken, sincere, trembling.
"Then... I offer a Protection Pact. I shield you and your brother from this curse. You'll lend me part of your mana when I call for it. No lies. No hesitation.
"Agreed."She pressed her palm into the glyph. It flashed.Agony.Eiji gasped as black scales slithered across his arm.
His Espiria Gear activated without warning. The dragon stirred. A low pulse throbbed in his chest. From the hallway outside, unseen, Seraphina watched—silent, unmoving. Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
Later That Night – Eiji's Apartment, Window Side-
Kana had left after thanking him again and again, her hands shaking. Eiji remained by the window, the night air brushing against his burning skin. His arm still throbbed. Where the scales had been, faint marks remained—a reminder.
"This power... It's not a gift. It's a damn curse," he whispered. From within him, a whisper echoed—not words, but laughter. Deep. Ancient. Confident.The dragon. He clenched his fist. "I won't lose myself. I won't."But in the quiet that followed, even he wasn't sure he believed it.
"Good," Seraphina whispered under her breath, eyes glowing faintly. "You're learning."
She turned and vanished into the darkness, leaving Eiji with his burning skin and the weight of what he'd just done.
End of Chapter 9