Contract Made

A flash of green light passed, and Elodie was back in the luxurious hotel suite.

"You..." Bran stared at her foolishly, his face covered in visible shock, but soon all that surprise turned into relief and wild joy, "You're finally back!"

Outside the window was still the neon-flashing night sky, as if she had never left at all.

Yet Elodie knew things could not possibly be this simple. "Why are you still here? How long have I been gone?"

The other raised his wrist. "Four hours. It's eleven-thirty-one now."

Damn it, she had actually passed out for so long!

"Didn't I tell you that if I wasn't back in thirty minutes, you should leave first!" Elodie said, annoyed. "Why didn't you follow the plan?"

"And then have you suddenly appear in front of the cops like a fairy with a poof?" Bran's voice also rose a notch. "I also said it was impossible for me to leave you behind alone, or did you want to abandon everyone and run off by yourself? This squad... this Skull Hand, you built it all with your own hands! If even you are gone, what meaning is there in us gathering together anymore!?"

Looking at her companion, who was more emotional than she was, Elodie found her retort suddenly stuck in her throat.

"...Sorry."

"I accept." Bran's expression softened instantly. "Just what kind of person are you, though? I mean... normal people can't turn into green light and suddenly vanish and reappear."

"Didn't I tell you that long ago?" Elodie pouted.

"Wait, everything you said before... was that real?" he stammered. "I thought--"

"Thought it was just youthful fantasy? Hysteria caused by watching too much anime?" Elodie jumped down from the sofa. "I would never lie to you guys about something like this."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry... I just need a little time to adapt." Bran patted his cheeks hard, as if trying to slap himself awake. "So... there really are demons in this world? And... you caught it?"

"I..." Elodie could not help but stall.

She looked down at her palm, a myriad of emotions churning in her heart.

It was this very hand that had taken the fountain pen handed over by the demon and signed her name on the contract.

No matter what, she had never expected her first experience to turn out like this—in her projections, she would use her ability to lock onto the demon's location, and upon arriving beside her target, she would conceal herself at the very first moment, secretly observing the demon's situation and the surrounding environment. Only after gathering enough intelligence would she decide on her next move.

Yet everything turned out the exact opposite of her plan.

She had not expected to descend into a completely unfamiliar place, and what was even more fatal was that this trip far exceeded expectations, to the point where she had almost exhausted all her strength. Furthermore, the demon's reaction had been exceptionally swift, locking onto her almost instantly, which forced her to choose a desperate fight...

Elodie had laid down enough psychological preparation for this day to arrive, and she had memorized the "Angel Rules" for dealing with demons back to front, but in the end, not a single thing matched up from start to finish...

Was the decision she had made... really the correct one?

"Elodie, are you okay?"

Her companion's patting snapped her abruptly back to her senses.

She glanced at Wayne Janst, who had fainted on the ground, and rallied her spirits. "I'm fine. Has this guy woken up at all?"

"He woke up once midway, and I gave him another hit with a club."

"Then you didn't call the police according to the plan either?"

Bran shook his head and could not help complaining, "Who told you to suddenly vanish, Boss! Even though you told me to leave first, after Hill and I discussed it, neither of us thought the original plan was still a good idea."

"All right, all right, since I'm back, let's call the police right now. Combined with the criminal evidence we've gathered, it's enough to send him to prison!"

Bran nodded and pulled out his phone.

At that moment, the warning voice of their companion Hill suddenly rang out in the earpiece, "Hey, isn't Elodie back yet? The situation outside the hotel is looking a bit wrong!"

"She just got back. Did something happen?"

"Thank goodness! You need to take her and leave now. The main entrance over here seems to be blocked off by someone... Damn it, the back door is being guarded too!"

Bran walked quickly to the window, pushed it open, and looked down to see many figures in black suits gathered around the hotel. Some of them were blocking tourists, while others were checking the parking lot; their operational style clearly did not resemble a police force.

"Someone has already broken into the hotel. You guys need to hurry!" Hill's voice grew increasingly anxious.

At the same time, chaotic footsteps echoed from outside the hallway.

"What's going on?" Elodie perceived the gravity in her companion's expression.

"We delayed too long. I'm afraid we won't wait for the police." Bran pulled the curtains shut and casually grabbed a table knife. "I guess Janst missed an appointment tonight, which made those people over there suspicious. No matter if this bunch is here for him or not, I'll buy you a window of opportunity."

Before his voice even fell, a knock on the door rang out abruptly.

Knock, knock, knock--

"Mr. Janst, can you hear me?"

"Please open the door!"

Bran had guessed correctly; this group of people had come for Wayne Janst. Not only that, as if they knew Janst was in danger, they only knocked a few times before starting to smash the lock. In thirty seconds at most, they would burst into the room!

"They got here so fast... No time to hesitate!" Bran hauled Janst up and held the knife against his neck. "Elodie, quickly hide in the wardrobe. I'll use him as a hostage to draw their attention. The moment there's an opening, you--"

Elodie did not hear anything else the other said.

What popped up in her mind at this moment was actually the demon's whisper.

"...Scarcity of Wish Force limits you from spreading your wings. In the face of true evil, you stand zero chance without the ability to wield your innate power."

"You need power too, right?"

Had it been her past self, facing such a rapidly deteriorating situation, she truly would have only been able to do as Bran said.

But now, she was no longer the past Elodie.

Just minutes prior, she had reached an agreement with the demon.

Then she had watched with her own eyes as Chaoyang bit his own thumb.

"What are you doing?"

"Advance payment." The other smiled. "I don't like people working for free. Tasting the sweetness will further stimulate a contractor's subjective initiative."

Classical yet stereotyped phrasing, and there was an even more provocative edge to the demon's smile that she disliked, but she suppressed the impulse to object, forcing herself to raise her chin with tension, resentment, and a trace of unnameable expectation.

Until Chaoyang flicked his hand, smearing his blood-stained thumb across her lips.

A shudder immediately came from the depths of her soul. That blood was like a burning flame, scorching her lips. Yet she did not shrink back, instead closing her eyes and pressing her lips together. Clearly swallowing nothing at all, Elodie distinctly felt that ball of fire roll down her throat and immerse itself into her entire body.

And right now, the flame was harbored within her heart.

Elodie stepped forward, blocking in front of Bran.

"Step back."

The latter opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but finally closed it and retreated a few steps backward as she instructed.

Crash!

The door was smashed open at that very moment!

Four or five burly men swarmed in, all dressed in black suits and holding club-like weapons—clearly, in a bustling urban area, firearms were not suitable as a first choice. However, this did not mean clubs were harmless; whether they wanted to take human lives depended entirely on a single thought.

Elodie raised her hand, and invisible violent winds gathered in her palm!

Kiss of Wind Sword!

She chanted silently while swinging her arm down.

In an instant, a violent hurricane swept across the entire room, sending all the burly men who had rushed in spinning away, slamming heavily into the walls! The furnishings inside the room were churned into a complete mess, and the knives and forks on the dining table were even all stabbed into the ceiling.

Clatter.

The table knife in Bran's hand dropped to the floor.

He stared blankly at this scene, his mouth wide enough to fit an entire pizza.

"Let's go."

Elodie turned around, grabbed the wrists of him and Wayne Janst, and pulled them unceremoniously toward the balcony. Then wide wings unfurled behind her, and she leaped upward, braving the neon splendor of the bustling metropolis to fly straight into the starlight-invisible night sky.