The Bookkeeper

She was gone. Her luggage was gone. Aeris was gone.

Leo was confused about her decision, and kept asking what would prompt Aeris to leave. Raiden, however, remained untouched by her betrayal, but one question lingered in his mind—why now?

Leo and Levi dropped Speed’s chained body into one of the rooms downstairs. No lanterns, no furniture—just pitch-black emptiness. The room felt designed for torture alone. They stood watching him writhe and scream in agony as the devil milk continued its transformation from within.

"Ash’s chains can bind him for quite a while," Leo said, turning toward Raiden on his right. "You must hurry with the contract."

He turned toward Speed with a confused expression. "How, though?"

Raiden gave him a puzzled look, trying to figure out why Leo was speaking of a contract, but it only left him more bewildered. "What do you mean by a contract?"

Levi turned to Raiden, his expression showing even more confusion than Raiden’s. "How can you forget? You’re supposed to get more contracts to build your mana reserve."

"Is that necessary?"

Leo gave him a firm nod. "You need contracts at the 8th realm to increase your mana pool. Refine them by using them effectively, and you’ll be able to advance to the 7th realm."

"The exact amount varies by person, but I’d say two should do it."

Raiden smirked and placed Ash on his shoulder before kneeling beside Speed. Contracting Speed wouldn’t be a bad idea—with Aeris already showing signs of betrayal, he needed more allies alongside Leo and Levi. He pulled down Speed’s turtleneck and examined his crest. It was still white with a seven, but the crest was starting to fade.