In the Stands

In the Stands

"I was really scared when he appeared!!!"

"Ah, just like his summoner, all he has is his looks!!!"

"All show, no substance!!!"

"Will you all just shut up for once and stop commenting on everything?"

"Isn't it a bit too late to be acting in bad faith?"

The headmistress observed the scene with a perplexed expression but chose not to intervene.

Xerces: "Listen to them. They're right. Your summon is as useless as you!"

Xerces approached Rina, who lay on the ground, and began kicking her repeatedly until she lost consciousness.

"This is supposed to be a magic duel! Where are the professors?!"

The crowd murmured in disbelief, but Stromeddeger could not intervene. He was partly responsible for Rina's predicament. He had planned to declare her the loser at the critical moment, but he hadn't counted on the headmistress's presence. He was now completely trapped.

Regardless, he knew this situation had spiraled out of control, and he would surely face consequences.

As soon as Rina lost consciousness, the summoned being stepped forward, attempting to stop Xerces' foot. The latter hadn't sensed his approach. But as his attack landed, it simply passed through the summon's form.

The summoned entity realized his body was unstable—he had manifested as a semi-spiritual entity.

So that's how it is, he thought.

Xerces, briefly startled, attempted another kick, but this time, the summon caught his leg with his hand.

It wasn't that he had achieved full physical form—it was more like telekinesis, giving the illusion that he could touch things when, in reality, he couldn't.

Summon: "She's unconscious. You've won!"

He lifted Rina's limp body, intending to carry her off the battlefield.

Xerces: "What do you think you're doing, trash?!"

Xerces grabbed the summon's shoulder, but his hand passed through him. Undeterred, he began unleashing the Jerfrost family's signature spell. The air around the summon started freezing little by little, and Xerces smirked.

The temperature around the arena plummeted.

The summon turned to face Xerces, locking eyes with him.

Summon: "No matter the world, no matter the era... there are always those who don't know when to stop."

Just that gaze alone made Xerces feel smaller and smaller. His mind teetered on the brink of breaking.

Then, the headmistress stepped between them.

Headmistress: "Enough. This ends now!!!"

Summon: "I was wondering how long you planned to just watch, Eunice."

Headmistress: "What?!"

How does he know that name?! The headmistress was stunned, but she forced herself to remain composed.

Xerces had collapsed to the ground, and a dark stain spread across his clothes—he had likely wet himself.

Summon: "Now, take me to the girl's dormitory."

Eunice: "Fine."

Eunice: "This is strange... The moment she lost consciousness, their magical link was severed. So how is he still here?"

Everyone in the stands was dumbfounded. They whispered among themselves, questioning what had just happened—and, more importantly, who was the little girl that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

This incident would spark endless speculation. The professors decided to postpone their judgment, but the duelists were severely injured. Handling this situation would be a nightmare for the academy, especially given the prestige of the noble families involved.

The future looked bleak for Rina Vibe Doscheni.

And thus began the story of Rina Vibe Doscheni—a girl who aspired to become a supreme-ranked mage—and her familiar, whom she saw not as a servant, but as her master.

The Thirteen

In a dark chamber where no light seeped in, Headmistress Eunice sat on a chair. Suddenly, nine shadows materialized before her. One had the distinct features of an elf, three were women—one a beastkin—while a massive dragon loomed behind Eunice. Among them were also a dwarf, a man, and two figures of unidentifiable races.

BlueKnight: "Of the Thirteen summoned, only nine have answered the call."

Dragon's Shadow: "Headmistress, can you explain what happened? I sensed a powerful magical force from your academy—one that appeared suddenly and then vanished just as quickly."

"Although we saw the event, I would rather hear your explanation."

(The dragon had witnessed the event through the crystal carried by his puppet, so he had not needed to come in person.)

Eunice: "At first, I suspected an attack from the inhabitants of the Black Continent, or—more likely—a rupture in our contract."

The Elf's Shadow spoke up: "Have some faith in us. In these troubled times, we cannot afford to betray our allies!"

Dwarf's Shadow: "Says the one known for being untrustworthy!"

One of the women interjected: "Now is not the time for petty squabbles!"

"This incident is irreversible. What do you plan to do, Headmistress?"

Eunice: "I initially intended to kill the girl."

"However, the situation has changed. Even after their magical link was severed, the summoned being continued to act independently. He is fully autonomous. He must be a high-ranking spirit."

She recalled the way he had called her by her name. It was deeply unsettling.

One of the unidentified figures spoke: "Would you consider handing them over to me? I'd like to conduct some experiments."

Eunice: "Absolutely not."

"For now, they are under my protection."

"That's no fun," the shadow muttered.

"Do you realize you made us all gather here? My absence is already being noticed."

"It's merely a projection. You never actually left."

The female shadow spoke again: "It's highly likely that he has noticed this event. Things will escalate quickly—we must take action."

"For now, I'll return after running some errands in town. We'll discuss this again in due time, since you're handling the situation."

One by one, the shadows vanished.

The unidentified figure who had requested the girl whispered, "This isn't over yet," before disappearing.

Most of the shadows who had remained silent followed suit, fading into the darkness.

Eunice was left alone in the chamber. She let out a deep sigh, feeling more exhausted than usual. Her workload was about to increase yet again.

"Just what exactly is happening...?"

BlueKnight, too, had disappeared.