"What is this?"
Aoi stared at the parchment that had appeared out of thin air, eyes still red and puffy.
Shuya gave her a flat look. "A slave contract. Sign it or don't. Your choice."
Aoi froze.
Her mind spun. So this was why he wasn't going to kill her? She had to sell herself?
Given the state she was in right now, a small, bitter part of her almost didn't care anymore. She clenched her teeth. Fine. If that's what it took…
"Relax. I'm kidding. Mostly."
Shuya waved a hand before she could actually sign. "Shinobu and Kanae already signed the same thing. Once you put your name down, your future is tied to mine. Permanently."
He met her eyes.
"Most importantly, signing will fix the mess you're in right now. You don't want the rest of the Corps finding out you pissed yourself, do you?"
Aoi snatched the scroll and pen from his hands without another word.
"I'll sign. I'll sign!"
Shuya smirked. "Smart choice."
The moment her name touched the parchment, it dissolved into light and shot straight into her forehead. The full contents of the contract flooded her mind at once.
Aoi's eyes widened.
This wasn't some shady slave contract.
It was something far more binding. More sacred than any wedding vow. The terms were clear, and one line stood out above the rest: if a contractor died, Shuya could choose to spend Nen to bring them back.
So this was why Shinobu and Kanae had signed with him?
She felt a strange mix of awe and relief wash over her. At least now she wouldn't have to worry about being "unmarriageable" for the rest of her life. That alone felt like a miracle.
Shuya saw the tears welling up again and quickly pinched her lips shut between his fingers before she could start crying or saying something dramatic.
"Save the emotional stuff for later. Let's get you cleaned up first."
He opened the Crossing Gate and pulled her through without giving her time to argue.
The moment they stepped into Greed Island, Aoi's mind was flooded with information about the world. Her mouth fell open. A massive, private world that belonged only to Shuya? It felt like something out of a myth.
Was he… a god?
Then she was a shrine maiden now? An impure one who had pissed on her god?
Her face burned. She quickly dropped her gaze and stopped thinking about it.
Shuya didn't notice her internal crisis. He was too busy looking around, confused. Normally the Snowball Beasts would've tackled him the second he arrived. This time, nothing.
He spotted them a moment later—both beasts puffed up and glaring furiously at the large metal sphere he had casually tossed through the gate earlier.
He decided not to poke that particular bear right now. His pants were still wet, after all.
He tugged Aoi toward the bathroom instead.
They didn't make it far before running into Yuriko Takagi, who had just woken up. She took one look at their soaked lower halves, raised an eyebrow, and gave Shuya a sly little smile.
"Well, well. New sister already? You really do play pretty wild, don't you, Shuya~"