contract binded.

The ginger–haired student opposite Ace took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes again.

The flames of emotions in his eyes had dwindled into a sparse ember.

He stared at Ace in silence, his dull grey eyes stared into Ace's pitch black eyes, as if he was having a staring contest with his illusive reflection in Ace's Iris.

Ace was the first one to budge, losing the staring contest that he had Unconsensually been drawn into.

"So is…is the offer still on?" Ace asked in a tentative manner.

"Sure, of course, as long as you don't make any unreasonable demands, the offer is still on." Ace took a miniature sigh of relief.

Now that the first worry on his list had been rejected Ace already knew what he'd ask for.

"Okay, then let me just revise this, in exchange for trying my absolute best to put you on the same team as Emilia in the final academy exams, you'll grant me a wish of mine that you can fulfil…" Ace paused allowing a bit or silence to pass through, before affirming,"…Right?"

"Yes, so long as your demand is not so ridiculously outrageous" He confirmed.

"Then I want ask you for how to do the thing I saw you do earlier; detect a person with concealed vitality." Ace said.

Before going on to ask a slightly mocking tone. "…Or, is that too much for you." He was unnafected by Ace's jest, atleast if he was he hid it very well.

"Tomorrow." he said "Tomorrow morning at this very spot, I'll give you what who ask for."

"Boohoo! Why don't you just give it today?" Ace exclaimed.

He briefly wrinkled his face in displeasure, before quickly straightening them out. This time the dying embers of emotions in his eyes failed to be rekindled by anger, this time he kept his emotions under control.

'What a volatile man, stable one second and…'

"Wait, wait! Where are you going." Ace called

He had started walking away the moment Ace was zoned out in his thoughts.

He turned around and looked at Ace. "Why are you calling me? I have told you when I'll give you your request, haven't I?"

"Don't you know It's rude to leave without telling me your name."

His emotionless eyes stared at Ace for a while before he turned around walked outside the protective roof of the cafeteria allowing the cold rain to batter against him.

"Tch ~ what a guy, he didn't even say his name." Ace complained

"Aequs, my name is Aequs." His voice resounded next to Ace's ears even though his figure had went out of sight.

This startled Ace, almost making him think he had sneaked up on him again just like earlier today. But even as he searched around Ace did not find him nearby

"Must be a voice transmission technique." he remarked. 'What a show off, he could have just said it like a normal person.'

...….

The chilly weather of Astreal made quick work of stealing heat from the creatures that lived within it's embrace, the worst part was, it wasn't even winter yet.

"So cold…" Ace muttered admist the chatter of his bones and the patter of the rain.

The rain drops that fell from about felt like liquid Ice dripping on him.

"Thank goodness! mundane cities have the automatic heating and cooling system that regulates the temperature of the city, otherwise I don't think I would have survived the past fifteen years."

Ace sniffled and rubbed his nose.

"Damn ba*st*d, why is he late."

Ace looked around the cafeteria, looking for the figure of aequs in the midst of the light fog that vieled the academy.

Finding no luck so far, he contemplated going back inside the cafeteria.

"If he doesn't find me outside, it's his fault." He convinced himself to go on inside.

But just as he was he was about to go inside he caught a vague figure in his peripheral vision.

"Speak of the devil!" Ace muttered as he watched aequs'd figure emerge from the mist.

"Hey! Why were you so late?" Ace asked him when he got within earshot.

He answered with silence bringing a fresh–looking book out of his pants.

"Here is your part of the deal."

"Careful! dimwit, the rain can get the book wet." Ace exclaimed, quickly snatching the book away from aequs's hands.

'Hmm ~ strange, how come it's bone dry?' Ace wondered slightly confused.

Ace instantly got the answer to his question when he saw the rain drops dripping on aequs was sliding on an invisible object — an inch over his skin.

'Spirit mold!' Ace exclaimed.

He was using spirit mold to form a shield from the bad weather.

Envy flashed in his eyes.

'So unlucky! If I didn't have a soul injury right now I would be doing the same right now."