THE CONTRACT

"That's enough; you've done well enough for today," Hannah said as she casually slid her sword back into its sheath.

Hanz gave a simple nod in response. His body was drenched in sweat, and his expression showed how exhausted he truly was.

Hannah’s gaze lingered on him. Her voice softened slightly as she asked,

"Hanz, what's going on with you? Since you woke up yesterday, you've been acting strange."

Seated on the grass, Hanz glanced over at her and noticed the faint concern in her eyes. He sighed and replied coolly,

"It's nothing serious. It's just... something weird happened when I went into my kantar realm after I blacked out."

Hannah didn’t say a word, but her attentive stare nudged him to continue.

Hanz took a deep breath.

"I don’t know how to explain it. I fought with my demon... and while we clashed, I saw these... visions. No, not visions—memories. Forgotten memories. I saw how I was born. And I also saw that I have..."

"You have?" Hannah interrupted sternly, her voice sharp and commanding.

Seeing that she wouldn’t let it go, Hanz finally blurted out,

"I have a younger twin brother. I saw when Mom gave birth to him... and how the demons took him away. They killed everyone—except me. Mom managed to hide me before they found her."

Hannah let out a long sigh and sat down next to him. Her voice was calm.

"Let me guess—you want to find your brother."

She glanced at Hanz, who didn’t respond, but his silence spoke volumes.

"That’s not a good idea, you know," she said. "According to those memories, he was taken by demons. That means he would’ve been raised by them—trained by them. He’d probably have an easier time using his demonic powers than you. You won’t be able to talk sense into him with just words. And without full collaboration with your demon, you won’t even be able to touch him."

Hanz looked at her, his voice low but firm.

"How are you so sure he’s that much stronger than me?"

Hannah responded coolly,

"Because I fought in the war against the demons. After a third-class demon raped a human and gave birth, the child was stronger than the rest of its class. Over time, without even trying, that child grew until its raw power matched a first-class demon."

She leaned back, continuing,

"Normally, when a third-class demon has a child, that child stays third-class—unless a Demon Lord deems them worthy of promotion. Demons don't just grow stronger naturally. That’s something only humans and celestials can do."

"But during the war," she went on,

"demons started breeding with humans deliberately. To increase their chances of winning. They'd use demonic magic to rapidly age the offspring, pushing them into their prime and sending them off to war. Most of those demons were third-class or commoners—yet their kids reached the strength of first- and second-class demons."

She paused and looked directly at Hanz.

"The Demon Kings and Demon Lords got scared. They saw the potential those hybrids had and decided not to create hybrid children of their own. From what you saw in your memories... your father was a Demon King. That means your brother's current power might be well beyond mine—*definitely* beyond yours."

Hanz clenched his fists, his eyes burning with determination.

"I don't give a crap. I have a brother, and I'll do anything to see him again—even if it means working with the demon inside me."

As the words left his mouth, the world around him suddenly faded. The trees, the grass, Hannah—all of it disappeared. In their place was a vast, white void.

Sitting opposite him, grinning from ear to ear, was his demon.

"Are you sure about what you just said?" the demon asked, clearly amused. "Because if you are, I'm willing to make a deal."

Hanz, stunned, asked,

"How the hell did you do that?"

The demon chuckled.

"I'm your kantar spirit. I can summon you here whenever I want."

It stood, resting its sword on its shoulder.

"Now, back to the point. Are you willing to make a deal with me?"

Hanz gathered himself, took a deep breath, and nodded.

"Yes. I am. What do you propose?"

The demon smirked.

"It’s simple. I lend you my power and help you gain full control over your demonic kantar—under *one* condition."

It paused, grinning maniacally.

Hanz narrowed his eyes.

"What’s the condition?"

"Whenever you lose a fight and put our survival at risk... I take over," the demon said casually.

Hanz paused, thinking it through. Then he nodded.

"All I have to do is make sure I don’t lose." He frowned slightly. "But why are you so eager to strike a deal all of a sudden?"

The demon’s grin widened.

"You’re not the only one curious about meeting his brother."

Before Hanz could ask anything else, the void vanished. The scenery returned—and Hannah’s face was hovering over him, her expression filled with anticipation.

"What did he say?" she asked.

Hanz wasted no time explaining everything.

Hannah listened carefully, then walked over to where his blade lay on the grass.

"Well, since you guys have decided to work together... this won't be needed anymore."

She picked up the blade and, with kantar-enhanced strength, shattered it. The dark kantar sealed within it flowed back into Hanz's body like a stream of black fire.

Hanz looked at her, shocked.

"Why did you do that?!"

Hannah grinned.

"Simple. We need you at your best. That means returning your kantar to its rightful place."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny staff.

"My son abandoned this when he turned twenty. You can use it now."

She extended the staff and tossed it to him.

Hanz caught it with a grin and spun it in his hands. With a thought, he reshaped it into a sword—almost identical to his old one, except the blade shimmered with a deep crimson hue instead of jet black.

"It’s mine now, right?" he asked, grinning.

Hannah chuckled.

"The only person who could wield that staff so easily was my son. I think it’s already chosen its new owner."

"Niiiice," Hanz said with satisfaction.

But Hannah’s tone suddenly turned serious.

"Now that the groundwork is set, it's time to awaken your kantar technique. I’ll also teach you some watered-down versions of other techniques I’ve copied over the years. Are you ready for this?"

Hanz shrunk the sword to the size of a toy and slipped it into his pocket. With unwavering resolve, he walked toward her.

"I was born ready. So please, Hannah—make me as strong as you possibly can. Strong enough to get my brother’s attention when I finally meet him."

Hannah saw the fire in his eyes and smirked. She gently tapped his forehead with two fingers.

"You have my word. Training starts tomorrow. But for now\... take a break."

Hanz nodded and lay down on the grass, staring up at the sky as his breathing slowed.

Hannah stood silently nearby, watching him with a soft smile on her face.

In him, she saw the boy Shu once was.