The room was dim, the air thick with tension as Yulli and Remi recounted all that had happened in their close call with death.
Bruce and Lawlet heard with bated breath, their faces changing from curiosity to shock.
When Yulli was finally done, Lawlet let out a deep sigh, massaging his temples.
"That's what occurred then… Manifestation, eh?" He scowled. "That's a method I've not come across before… Bruce, what do you think of it?"
Bruce shook his head. "Nope. First time."
Lawlet exhaled heavily, lost in thought. "Nevertheless… from what you told me, that's what it is that gives Hunters an edge in combat against Beasts." His eyes became stern. "No way a Hunter without it would have…"
Yulli flinched a bit at that, his hands involuntarily clenching into fists.
Bruce, as clueless as always, leaned back in his chair, tossing his arms behind his head with a smug smile.
"Hah! If only I'd been a bit more careful, I could've whupped that thing's rear end without the help of the old codger!"
Dead silence.
Then—
"Okay."
A voice rumbled behind Bruce.
The room as a whole jumped out of their damn skins.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
Bruce almost tipped his chair backwards, Lawlet grabbed his chest as if he had a heart attack, and Yulli almost fell off the bed.
It was Julius.
Behind Bruce stood.
Completely unexpected.
"WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!" Lawlet shouted.
"Why are you like this?!" Remi clutched her heart, breathless.
Julius, not very perturbed, just inclined his head a little, observing them with mild amusement.
"I was always here."
"LIES!" Bruce shouted, pointing a finger at him. "I would've noticed!"
Julius scoffed. "Of course, you wouldn't have, because you didn't."
Bruce opened his mouth—paused—then shut it.
".Damn, you got me there."
Rio wheezed-laughed in the corner, wiping a tear from her eye. "Man, I love to see you kids struggle."
Yulli, also startled by the jumpscare, growled. "Is this Hunter behavior? Y'all just like to pop out of nowhere and give people heart attacks?"
Julius shrugged. "Good practice for the field."
"Good practice for WHAT?! So I never sleep soundly again?!"
Bruce finally snapped out of his shock, folding his arms. "Wait, wait—hold up—old man, what the heck was that Manifestation thing you did? The one where your creepy demon friend ate the Beast alive?"
"Yes!" Remi burst out, her fear forgotten in curiosity. "I sensed two mana presences! One from you… and one from your sword! How is it possible?"
Julius's smile faded slightly. He sighed and sat before them.
Julius relaxed against the wall, his fingers drumming against the hilt of his sword. His face was inscrutable—half smile, half serious.
"What you saw there," he began, "was Curse Gear—or part of it, at any rate."
"Curse Gear?" Remi said, her eyebrows knit together in puzzlement.
Not saying a word, Julius reached behind him and held out the gun for them to view.
It seemed… normal.
A great, massive hammer, its face appearing chipped and weathered from decades of fighting. Anything but unusual. Anything but ominous.
Bruce frowned. "Uh. It just looks like a regular old hammer."
"You're right." Julius grinned. And with no more ado, he pressed his hand to the hilt and drew.
A blade protruded from within the hammer's grip—long, serrated, and pulsing with unnatural power.
Yulli's eyes grew wide. "What the hell?! Is that a sword?!"
Julius laughed. "Bingo." He looked at Remi. "I'm sure you've worked it out by now, haven't you?"
Remi paused but slowly nodded.
"Y-Yeah…" She gestured toward the hammer. "That thing—it bore your mana signature. But the blade?" Her voice shook slightly. "That's not yours."
Julius smiled. "Sharp as ever."
Yulli blinked in perplexity. "What are you telling me?"
Remi drew in a deep breath. "The hammer he had in his hand first—that was his mana. But when he drew out that sword?" Her grip eased a bit. "It had a completely different aura.
Julius snapped his hands together. "Right! This sword?" He drew it part way up so the pale light ran along its ghostly edges. "This is the seal. This is where my demon resides."
Yulli swallowed. "You mean…
"Yep. I made a binding contract [1]with it."
Silence.
"You contracted a demon?" Lawlet's voice was low, nearing incredulity.
Julius nodded. "With a set of contracts and a ritual. It wasn't easy—demons are not the most… obedient of beings." His grin widened. "But every power has its price."
Bruce scoffed. "Let me guess. Did you sell your soul or something hipster like that?
Julius snorted. "Nothing so dramatic as that. But yes, I did have to sacrifice something." He spun the sword once before plunging it into the hammer again. "Everything has a price. Always."
The air in the room seemed denser.
Julius stepped away from the wall and began pacing.
"Curse Gear belongs to two categories." His voice became solemn.
"First, Demon Manifestation. That's what I use." He motioned to his weapon. "The demon manifests by using the weapon itself, fighting alongside you."
He let that sink in before continuing.
"Second, Demon Possession." His voice lowered. "As the title implies… you become one with the demon. You don't just utilize its power—you welcome it inside you."
The room fell silent.
Julius breathed out. "It's powerful. Unequalled, even. But there's an enormous risk." He stared them straight in the eye. "If you're not powerful enough, if your will wavers even for a moment—"
He stopped.
"—the demon will take over."
Yulli's fists clenched.
"You mean… you'd get possessed?"
Julius nodded. "Completely." His gaze grew distant. "And once that occurs… there's no return."
The room was silent, thick with silence.
Even Bruce—who always had something to say—was speechless.
It all made sense now. The power Julius had shown—the thing that had devoured the Beast in a matter of seconds—that wasn't him.
It was something different.
Something terrifying. Julius let them stew for a moment in their heads before clapping his hands sharply together.
"Welp!" His tone completely shifted. "That's all too complex for you kids at this stage in life, so don't you worry about it!"
Bruce winced. "Dude, how do you go from scary as hell to carefree uncle mode in two seconds?!
Julius smirked. "Talent."
Yulli, still in contemplation, slowly spoke, "So… we need to make a deal with a demon to even stand a chance?"
Julius shrugged. "Not necessarily. There are other forms of strength. But." His smile was back, as sharp as ever. "Let's be practical—you want it, don't you?" The room fell silent.
No one answered. But they did not refute it.
[1] A binding contract is essentially a contract that an individual can enter into with themselves or another person. The act of adhering to the rules and restrictions agreed upon in these contracts can result in increased power or the achievement of a goal, but breaking a binding vow has strange consequences.