"I-I…"

Justin didn't have a choice in the matter, the way he saw it.

If he didn't accept the deal, Ater was definitely going to do something incredibly awful to him. Ater knew all about his arrangement with Adrien, including the Soul issue, yet he was confident in killing him.

That meant there were other ways he could die—ways he didn't know yet.

'Adrien told me not to get overconfident about my immortality, so this is what he was talking about…' Justin sighed.

'If he can somehow save me from Adrien's grasp, spare my life, and make me stronger… is there really a reason to refuse?'

This was essentially just changing owners. It was the same job, but now he would be working for a different person.

'Adrien is searching for a way home, which I would be losing out on if I follow this man. But… I just have to bring it to his notice.'

"... I have some conditions to make before I—"

"No conditions can be made. This is not a negotiation, but a simple choice." Ater interrupted Justin before he could complete his statement.

"I know you desire to go home, and your deal with Adrien somewhat gives you that guarantee. You aren't sure you have that kind of security with me, which is fair. I won't make that promise to you, but you should also be aware that Adrien could just as well not keep his side of the deal… and you can't stop him."

Justin already knew that, which was why he had very loose loyalty to Adrien. Thanks to Ater's words, more doubt began to creep into Justin's mind.

Was there really a way home? Was he going to ever see his family again? He didn't know for sure.

"I can promise you this, Justin." Ater maintained his confident smile as he spoke. "You will see your family again."

"R-really…?" He whispered.

Was this a moment when Ater would laugh at him, or maybe mock him for being easily manipulated? Was it?

No… not at all.

"Yes. If you serve me well, you will meet them and have your happy ending—however you want it. Isn't that great? A concrete future that you can count on."

"I am not sure I can count on you, though."

"True. Which is why I told you that this isn't a negotiation." Ater shrugged, almost as if he couldn't be bothered by Justin's skepticism.

"You already know you have two options at the moment. Join me… or die."

"...."

"I believe you already know which is the best way to achieve your goals. You're sensible, at the very least."

Yes… Justin already knew.

"I get it. And, just to confirm, if I join you… you'll undo the whole Soul stuff with Adrien, right?"

"You wouldn't be of much use to me if you're still on his leash, so of course I'll liberate you from his clutches."

"And then you'll own my soul?"

"That won't be necessary. I do not need to own or even be in possession of it to affect it. I'll make sure to protect it from any external attacks, though, so you should still be safe for the most part."

"W-what does that even mean?" Justin, at this point, was in way over his head.

He could not really grasp Ater's explanation.

"Haa… okay, I'll try to simplify this whole deal to you so that even you can get it."

Justin ignored the clearly condescending tone and use of words that Ater employed. Partly because he had no choice in the matter, but also because he was interested in what came next.

"You have your Soul with Adrien, but it's impossible for your body to function without a Soul occupying it, so only a portion is with you, while the rest is with Adrien. Both of them share a connection that tethers them to each other. Are you following so far?"

"Y-yeah!"

"Now, what I'm going to do is surgically separate the piece of your Soul that occupies your body from the one with Adrien. That would—"

"But wouldn't that kill me? Or maybe like… make me lose some of my memories or power? It's my Soul, after all!"

Ater shook his head and sighed.

"Sorry, sorry! Please just go on…" Justin swiftly apologized, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Fuu… fine, I'll explain Soul Theory to you."

"Soul Theory?"

"Your Soul isn't like your body. It doesn't have an arm or leg with distinct functions or parts to them. If you amputate a hand, you've damaged the whole body, and if it isn't healed, the body becomes incomplete forever. But with a Soul, it's different. While it is possible to harm a Soul, you can't damage it permanently by just attacking a portion of it."

"Really?"

"Yes. You attack the whole thing. It's why Adrien has the Soul with him tethered to the Soul with you. That way there's a constant connection that he exclusively has access to. If he wishes to harm you, he'll attack your Soul through the connection, damaging both pieces."

"So… by removing the connection this piece shares with his… he won't be able to harm my Soul any longer?"

"Indeed. Though, you are right in the fact that you'll lose a great deal of your power and potential if you lose that chunk that exists with him. Every living entity's true ability depends on the state of the Soul, after all…"

Before Justin could say anything after gasping, Ater raised a finger in the air to prevent him from speaking.

"Fortunately for you… I have the perfect solution. I'll supplement your Soul with lots of nourishment so you'll be even stronger than ever."

"You can do that?"

"Yup! You'll become as… hmmm… maybe a Dragon Lord will be your limit."

"D-Dragon Lord…?" Justin remembered the appearance of the Dragon Lord that shook everyone to their core.

He could never hope to go against that, and yet… he was hearing that he would be able to stand against such an entity. That sounded surreal.

"I agree! When do we start?!" As soon as Justin said this, Ater grinned devilishly, instantly vanishing from where he sat.

~SQUELCH!~

A hand pierced Justin's chest, causing the boy to instantly lose consciousness, and the silhouette responsible for that let out a soft whisper.

"Right now."