Renny had even used his fracture spells, yet the zombie kept rising. Relentless.

"Are you done yet?" he shouted over the creature's snarls.

"Barely!" Myla called back. "There's hardly any remnant here, I can barely fill a quarter of the cup!"

Renny grimaced. "Fine. We'll open another."

"Okay!" she said, stepping away from the coffin.

"Get back," he warned. In one motion, he grabbed the zombie by the neck and heaved it upward, then slammed it back into the grave. The ground shook with the impact. Working together, they dragged the coffin lid shut and shoveled soil over it as fast as they could.

"Let me see the cup," Renny said, holding out a hand. She passed it over, and he frowned at the faint shimmer of soul remnants swirling at the bottom. "Damn. We're going to be at this for a while."

Myla sighed. "Uh-huh."

To him, this was no longer just an errand. What began as a way to vent his anger over losing Charles's soul key had become a drag. He would've refused this one if he'd known what it really was.

As if reading his thoughts, Myla said quietly, "You're regretting helping me, aren't you?"

Renny straightened up, handed her the shovel, and replied flatly, "Yes. However…" he paused, glancing at her, "I can't imagine you handling all this on your own."

He nudged her forward and started toward the next grave.

Myla blinked. "Wait... what's that supposed to mean? You think I can't handle my contract?"

"I didn't say that," Renny said, crouching beside the next mound.

"Yes, you did," she snapped, following behind him. "That's exactly what you meant..."

He sighed and began digging. Her voice trailed behind him, still going, nagging, but he didn't answer. Instead, he dug faster, letting the sound of metal striking soil drown her out. When the coffin was finally revealed, he said sharply, "Enough. Scrap the remnant while I handle the zombie."

She blinked. "Oh."

By the time she realized what was happening, Renny had already yanked the zombie fully out of the grave, driving his dagger through its chest to pin it against the dirt. The creature snarled, thrashing, but Renny met it blow for blow, tearing into it with cold precision.

Myla crouched to scrape what little remnant she could find, about the same amount as before.

They moved grave to grave like that.

He fought.

She scraped.

And each time, the cup filled only a little more.

At times, Myla joined Renny in battle to force a zombie back into its grave. Some were particularly stubborn, their bodies thrashing even after being maimed, and Myla's paralytic needles came in handy, stabbing through the fog, freezing limbs long enough for Renny to slam the coffins shut. They repeated the process again and again until the cup was finally filled.

Both demons sank to the ground, panting heavily, staring up at the dark blue haze that passed for a sky in this place. Myla exhaled and said softly that it was creepy, sitting in a cemetery like this.

Renny chuckled, agreeing.

Then she added, voice lower, "Times like this... I miss Earth. I never really appreciated life. I haven't been a demon for long, but with the way things have been going so far, I'm starting to see the hell in the job."

Renny nodded slowly. "I came to that realization a while ago. At first, you think this is just Earth with a different job title; you even fool yourself into believing you're still part of it. But the longer you stay here, the more you start to see it for what it truly is."

Myla hummed softly. "Hmm."

A brief silence lingered between them.

Then Renny said, "Earlier, I mentioned how I see every demon, worse than the casual souls that end up here. But… in you, I see something else. Some sort of light, if that's what I can call it."

She blinked, surprised. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Tell me, how were you on Earth? What did you do to earn such a fate?"

Her expression dimmed. "I don't want to talk about it."

Renny tilted his head, but only said, "Alright then."

An awkward silence followed before he finally rose to his feet, dusting off his suit. He offered her a hand.

"Come on. We should be leaving now."

She took his hand and stood, brushing the dirt from her skirt. "Right."

Together, they started toward the gate, their steps echoing softly through the fog-bound cemetery.

***

Renny and Myla returned to the Second Ring. There, they presented the cup filled with soul remnants they had gathered. The Collector examined it with a pleased hum before snapping his fingers. The iron bars of Muralen's cell groaned and split apart. Freed at last, the beast lumbered forward and, true to their bargain, handed the Soul Key to Myla.

As they made their way toward the exit, a faint whisper brushed past Renny's ear. He turned to see a figure inside a rusted cage, barely clothed, his garments torn down to a single sleeve and a pair of shredded trousers.

Myla noticed his stare and asked, "Who's that?"

The Collector glanced over casually. "Oh, that one? Ravuto. A Yakzur demon. Been here quite a long time."

Myla frowned. "A demon can be collected?"

"Of course," the Collector replied, smiling faintly. "Anyone can be brought here… as long as it's done the lawful way."

Renny's eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmm."

They said nothing more, continuing their path out of the ring, the echo of Ravuto's whisper lingering behind them.

***

The cab pulled up before the Damaruk Estate, its lights dimming in the quiet street. Renny stepped out first, holding the door open as Myla climbed out beside him. She turned to him, brushing the dust off her suit with a small smile.

"Thank you… for helping me out today," she said. "You really didn't have to. You only did because I asked."

Renny tilted his head, his tone teasing. "Oh no," he said, "I'll definitely come to collect mine, just as the collector would."

Myla laughed softly, shaking her head. "You really don't let anyone off easy, do you?"

He gave a faint smirk. "Not when there's a debt involved."

She stepped closer, hesitating for a moment. "Can I… hug you?"

Renny's brow arched. "Why are you so bent on hugging me?"

She didn't answer, just moved forward and wrapped her arms around him anyway. Her head rested briefly against his chest, the warmth of her smile brushing against the cool air.

"You're the best demon," she said quietly, pulling away before he could respond. Straightening her suit, she nodded. "Have a good night, Ren."

"You too," he replied, watching her as she walked toward the tall gates of the estate and disappeared inside.

For a moment, he stood there, silent, thoughtful. He'd never had a romantic relationship before, but he understood exactly what this was. He'd tried not to get too close, but she was slowly forcing her way in.

He sighed, glancing up at the dim sky before turning back to the cab. The driver waited wordlessly as Renny slid inside, shutting the door behind him.

"Home," he said, leaning back as the taxi pulled away into the night.

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