"Rei, can you bring out the Hundred Hearts tree?"

Eri looked excitedly at Rei.

The light in Rei's eyes dulled slightly, but the soft smile on his face never disappeared. He was at most a walking bank of treasures for Eri, but this will change very soon. A number of ideas wracked in Rei's mind. How can he grasp her heart?

Rei waved his hand, and a 9-foot tall tree appeared in front of them. Countless ruby red fruits hid amongst the deep purple leaves, and a distinct aroma of sweetness drifted from the plant. Eri rushed forward and began to flip the heart-shaped leaves to count the fruits.

"30, 31, 32...32 ripe fruits! And there are still more waiting to mature! Hmm...since I can't use all of it, let's give some to Alfie."

"Gau gau!"

Eri prepared to twist the fruit off the branch, but a red barrier of light flashed and her hand bounced off.

"Wha-what happened? I could touch the fruit before!"

"My Eri, allow me to pick for you."

Rei's slender hand snapped a fruit off and handed it to Eri.

My...Rei's hands are cool to the touch. His hands look so elegant, he could be a hand model! His fingers are long and a bit tapered at the end, it's like a girl's, but his palms are huge. It's clearly a man's hands when it's next to mine...

"Eri?"

"Ah...yeah! I mean nothing! Alfie, catch it!"

"Gauuu."

The little beast that looked like it could be both a dog and a cat jumped up and bit into the fruit.

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After a few minutes, the little beast slumped on the ground. A red ball of light spun around the centre of its limp body, and the flesh on the animal seemed to wriggle and float.

"Alfie? Alfie!! What's wrong? Rei, what's happening to him?"

Eri tried to touch Alfie but Rei held her back.

"Don't touch him right now, my Eri. He's moulting."

In reaction to Rei's words, clumps of fur fell off Alfie's body. With a couple of kicks and painful moans, the little beast went silent. A group of purple fur bunched over the body like a cocoon.

"Rei, let me go. Can't I look at Alfie now?"

Rei loosened his hands from Eri's shoulders.

"Alfie!! Wake up! Alfie!"

Eri swiped away the cocoon of fur but she jumped back with a scream. Alfie was enveloped in layers of skin. He was barely visible under the armour of pink wrinkly matter that was still slightly moist.

"Will I hurt him if I peel this..skin off?"

"My Eri, put him back in your contract beast space. He will wake in time."

Eri's hands went forward to touch Alfie but she retracted her hand hesitantly and finally flashed Alfie into her contract beast space.

"Don't worry, my Eri."

Rei's thumb brushed over Eri's cheek softly with a whisper of comfort.

"Ha..ha who's worried? You said he is moulting, that's a good thing!"

Ding! Ding!

⧫[Contract Beast Status Update]⧫

Variant beast gains a real heart. Evolves into a demon beast.

+ A pair of wings (purified blood inheritance of a winged lion)

+ element of [lightning] 

+ 500 mental power

+ 500 physical power

"A pair of wings!! Alfie can fly? So the Hundred Hearts fruit can improve the purity of bloodlines...this effect wasn't mentioned before."

"My Eri, that was a byproduct of gaining a real heart. Beasts are generally inferior to demons, but he has mixed blood, so he should have evolved into a demon beast."

"Demon beast? I thought they could only be found in the land of demons! What a surprise, I could never figure out Alfie's species before. If he's got wings can't he carry us to the sky?"

Eri's eyes shined and she imagined riding on Alfie's back, flying through a sunset. The soft smile of Rei's lips twitched.

"My Eri, I'm afraid he's only the size of a cat."

"What if he grows up? Don't break my dreams!"

"He's an adult already...my Eri."

"Wha- isn't he a winged lion? They're supposed to be large!"

"My Eri...he's only got the blood of a winged lion."

"I'll...feed him more Hundred Hearts fruit..."

"It won't work, my Eri. Giving him any more would only give him an extra life."

"This..."

Eri fell silent and contemplated.

Rei sighed with relief in his mind. Fortunately. Fortunately, the effect of the fruit was only so much. Did she want a ride a male demon beast? Does she know what this means? He really has to find a female flight beast soon...