The door slammed shut behind them. Inside Kev's apartment, he yanked off his jacket and threw it hard onto the couch, frustration written all over his face.

"Man, fuck!" His voice echoed through the small apartment, sharp and rough with frustration.

He started pacing, running both hands over his head. "We had that damn contract locked in. Everything was lined up, and somehow, we lost it to Renny? The hell kinda nonsense is that? He's still a grade one!"

He stopped, breathing hard. The anger buzzed off him. But when he looked up, Ammy was still standing there... quiet, frozen in thought.

Kev frowned. "Yo, what's wrong with you?" She didn't answer. Just sat down slowly on the armrest, eyes unfocused.

Kev gestured at her. "Nah, don't go silent on me now. You couldn't stand his ass before... swore up and down you ain't like him, and now he saves your ass and you just... quiet? I'm his homie and I'm the one losin' it here!"

Ammy looked up finally, her tone calm. "I'm just… processing, alright? I didn't expect that. Him doing what he did... it's… surprising." Her voice faltered near the end, the memory flickering in her head; Renny's arm pulling her out from Zauric's grasp, the heat from his body, that fierce, determined stare.

Kev clicked his tongue, sitting down heavily. "Man, this is some bullshit." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "I don't care how he did it, or what kinda power-up he got... I ain't gettin' shown up like that again. A grade one? Nah, never again."

Ammy sighed, a small trace of softness cutting through her usual sharpness. "Kev… relax. We both know that fight was insane. You can't blame yourself for that."

Kev shot her a side glance. "Yeah? Maybe. But I still ain't lettin' it slide."

She gave a tired smile, brushing dust off her sleeve. "Go take a shower. Cool off. We'll talk about this later."

Kev exhaled through his nose, muttering under his breath, "Yeah, yeah…" He loosened his hair, letting the dreads fall free, and disappeared down the hall toward the shower.

The running water filled the silence.

Ammy stayed where she was, her expression unreadable, half annoyed, half… unsettled. Her mind kept flashing back to that moment. The way Renny's eye burned violet. The pain on his face. The way he held her, like a man burning through agony to keep her alive.

She swallowed hard and crossed her arms, muttering softly to herself, "Damn him…"

***

Renny and Old Man Baro stepped out of the Bureau for Contract Building, the weight of victory sitting light on their shoulders. Each of them carried a new slip worth 1,000 CP, glowing faintly in the early dawn haze.

For Renny, the feeling was more than just relief; it was validation. A rare moment where everything seemed to click. His confidence had been shaken for so long, but this… this proved he could still rise. All he had to do was stay focused, stay locked in, and everything would fall into place.

Baro, on the other hand, was practically beaming. With this latest addition, his total had climbed to 2,000 CP, and the old man hadn't spent a single coin on weapons or abilities yet. He scrolled through his balance, a grin splitting his weathered face.

"Not bad for a few days' work, eh?" he muttered proudly.

Renny looked over, half-smiling. "That's a lot, old man. You could buy some high-tier demonic weapons with that kind of balance."

Baro barked out a laugh, waving his cane. "Tah! Weapon? You think that's enough, boy? Two thousand is nothing! Peanuts!"

Renny frowned. To him, two thousand was more than enough; he'd survived a whole year here on less. How could someone who'd only been around for a month already see that as little, without even understanding the full scope of things?"How's that not enough?" he asked.

Baro leaned close, tapping his temple. "Because, my boy, I need more. Much more. You don't stop when you get the cheese... You buy the whole cow, you got it?"

"So, you're thinking of taking more side contracts then?" Renny asked.

Baro scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Mmm… not quite. Not for now, at least. Maybe later this year. For the moment..." he raised a finger, eyes twinkling, "...I'm working on other ways to earn points. Ways that don't require me to chase some angry beast up a mountain."

Renny blinked. "Other ways?"

"Si, si," Baro said, his grin turning sly. "Now that I've got my base, I just need to double it. I'm cooking something, Renny boy. And when it's ready..." he tapped Renny's chest lightly with his cane, "...you'll be the first I tell."

Renny blinked at him. "Why me? Why would you let me know?"

Baro chuckled, tilting his head. "Ah, perché no? In case my little venture needs a bit of your… expertise." He jabbed the cane lightly toward Renny's chest. "With that ability of yours, ehh, there's a lot we can do. A lot."

He adjusted his stance, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "By the way, Renny boy… what kind of ability was that? Those grade two and three clowns couldn't even scratch the beast, yet somehow yours managed to work. Don't tell me it's one of those special Ezraphor tricks, eh?"

Renny rubbed the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly. "Something like that, yeah."

Baro studied him for a moment, eyes sharp beneath his wrinkled brow, then broke into a grin. "Perfetto! Whatever it is, keep it close. With whatever I come up with next, I know you'll make it shine."

Renny smiled faintly. "Well, if it benefits me like the last one did, I'm open to anything."

"That's what I like to hear, Renny boy!" Baro said, laughing as he clapped him on the back with his cane.

A taxi rolled up beside them, its brakes hissing. Baro straightened, cane tucked under his arm, and turned with a grin. "One day, Renny boy, this won't be a taxi. It'll be a luxury car, with a driver opening the door for me, like a king."

Renny shook his head, chuckling as the old man climbed in, waving. "Yeah, sure, old man."

Baro winked from the window. "Arrivederci! Don't you go dying before I make that happen!"

The cab pulled away, its laughter echoing down the dim, infernal street, leaving Renny standing there with a tired smile and a lighter heart.

***

By the time Renny reached home, he was already replaying the day. It was February first — the date he'd missed — and everything had otherwise gone to plan. Missing Seraphine's deadline nagged at him like a promise of trouble; she wouldn't forgive an absence forever. He could imagine, in vague and unpleasant detail, what she might do when she came for him.

Practicality steadied him. He'd banked CPs, and he meant to spend them on something reliable: a fracture dagger. He preferred the tools he knew. There were other fracture implements, but an upgraded dagger fit his hands and his habits. He'd seen one listed for 750 CP, a heavy price, but the cost itself promised durability. It might not be enough to sway Seraphine, he admitted, but it would be useful, and he wouldn't be relying on steel alone this time. The Royal Eye and his spells had proven far better against beings of true power; the weapon would be an aid, not the answer.

After buying the dagger, he picked up the Dominion handbook again, continuing from where he had stopped before embarking on the journey to the pit. He studied the sections detailing how Dominion could be woven into his demon spells to amplify their effects and the various Dominion enhancements available to him at the branch level. He worked through passages, tested theory in the margins, then read on.

He didn't notice when sleep crept in. The book slipped from his lap, open on a spread of inked diagrams, a soft weight of exhaustion finally claiming him.

Seraphine's voice cut through the haze of sleep, smooth but cold as steel."Get up, Ezraphor. Sleep time's over."

Renny's eyes fluttered open, a sharp pulse running through his temples. The air was thick and metallic, like the breath of some vast, unseen creature.

"You missed the date," she continued, her tone calm but laced with venom. "After I warned you not to test me… and yet, here you are. Defiant to the end." She stepped closer, her heels clicking against the floor. "As a noble demon, I keep my word. And you, dear Ezraphor, are about to learn what that means."

Renny pushed himself up slowly, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. He wasn't in his apartment anymore. The space around him curved inward, walls pulsing faintly as if alive, like the inside of a massive mouth. Iron stands and scaffolds ringed the square, their black frames slick with a faint red sheen.

Seraphine's voice softened, almost nostalgic."Beautiful, isn't it?" she said, her eyes glinting faintly under the dim light. "This was where higher-grade demons gathered at times. They'd bring some of us here back then, those who displeased or disobeyed them when we were still in Grade One or Two." Her lips curved in a faint, cruel smile. "On fortunate occasions, they'd bring human souls instead… or weaker beasts to amuse themselves."

She took a step closer, her presence pressing down like a tightening chain. "So," she murmured, tilting her head, "consider yourself tonight's entertainment, Ezraphor."

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