Chapter 4: In Search of a Contract Spirit

"Things are finally starting to settle down."

"Yeah, they are..."

Sitting side-by-side with Gareth on a bench in the courtyard, we idly gazed at the academy's buildings as we chatted.

A few days had passed since the attack. The academy had finally regained its composure, resuming classes and Rank Battles as everyday life slowly began to return to normal.

As for the damages, there were some injuries—primarily among the Disciplinary Committee members—but thankfully, no casualties. All the injured had already recovered and returned to their duties after receiving treatment from President Minea and the teachers.

Though, I suppose what awaited them upon their return was Spartan training courtesy of Loxley, the Disciplinary Committee President.

"Still, sounds like you had a rough time again, huh?"

"Yeah. Seriously, things have been crazy lately."

I answered Gareth while looking up at the cloudless blue sky. Getting targeted by some shady group of weirdos and getting beaten to a pulp every time I fought—I really wanted a break from it all.

"Ah, if only I could just form a Spirit Contract..."

"If normal Spirits are out of the question, why not just try contracting with an Evil Spirit instead?"

"That's not a very funny joke..."

I answered with a heavy sigh, leaning my body back against the bench as Gareth muttered teasingly. A joke I would normally laugh off just couldn't be easily brushed aside right now.

―――You're the same as us, aren't you?

"............"

The hell does he mean, "the same"? Was he screwing with me?

Haunted's words crossed my mind, and I couldn't help but grimace, complaining internally.

Those words were probably meant to imply that I had the qualifications to contract with an Evil Spirit, but I couldn't make any sense of it.

Why? If I had the aptitude, why couldn't I contract with a Spirit? More importantly, what did that guy even see in me to make him think that? I didn't have a clue.

"What's wrong, Roak? Does your body still hurt?"

"No, I'm fine..."

Apparently, I had made a much steeper grimace than I thought. Assuring Gareth there was no problem, I sat up straight.

"By the way, it seems like the Gargoyles stationed around the academy hardly showed any signs of combat during the attack."

"Seriously? Then they're literally just stone statues."

Gargoyles were stationed all around to cover the entire academy.

They were supposed to serve as guards bound by a Temporary Contract, tasked with monitoring, detecting, and intercepting intruders. But from what Gareth was saying, they had essentially failed to fulfill that role during this attack.

"Well, because of that incident, I hear they're reviewing the security protocols."

"Isn't that a good opportunity? They leave way too much to the students in this academy..."

The academy currently touted a school culture of freedom, but honestly, they dumped too much responsibility on our shoulders. I really hoped they would use this as a chance to be a bit more supportive of the student body.

"Good for you, huh? The Student Council will be swamped with various things for a while, so doesn't that mean your participation in the Great Spirit Martial Arts Festival will get postponed?"

"Well, yeah. I guess I'm safe for a bit, but... Hm?"

As I rested my cheek on my hand, idly staring out at the courtyard, a familiar trio of underclassmen entered my field of vision.

"Oh, Gareth-senpai, Roak-senpai."

"Hey, everyone. Heading to class?"

"Yes."

Gareth raised a hand in greeting to Meilie, who held her study materials as she spoke.

Beside her, Akari had a sleepy look on her face, seemingly exhausted. Her head would occasionally droop forward as if she'd completely run out of energy.

"Hey, are you alright?"

".........P-piece... of cake."

Her reaction made me think she definitely wasn't fine. Meilie was desperately shaking her shoulders, saying, "Akari-chan, pull yourself together!" to try and keep her conscious. But at this rate, even if they made it to the classroom, she was bound to pass out during the lecture.

"By the way, what's up with Valhart-san?"

"Eh, ah... N-nothing."

Gareth asked the question with a puzzled expression directed at Leia, who had suddenly, for some reason, taken refuge behind the other two.

She claimed it was nothing, but she was acting incredibly suspicious. In fact, every time I glanced her way, she would quickly avert her eyes for some reason. It was baffling.

"...Y-you two, classes are starting soon. Let's go."

"Eh, ah, Leia-chan! Sorry, we have to excuse ourselves! Come on, Akari-chan, you too!!"

Her silver braid swaying, Leia practically fled toward her next class. Meilie tugged on Akari's arm and hurried after her. We just stared silently at their retreating figures.

"Hey, Roak."

"What?"

"Did you do something to Valhart-san?"

"No, not particularly..."

I honestly had no idea. If anything, I thought I had been super nice to her, but lately, it really felt like she was avoiding me.

"Saying you didn't do anything has to be a lie. A person doesn't act like that towards someone who did nothing."

"No, no, seriously! I swear! If anything, I'm the one who wants to know why she's avoiding me!"

She was my very first underclassman, so I made sure to treat her kindly. Aside from our very first meeting, we should have built a solid relationship. Yet, she abruptly started dodging me out of nowhere.

"Well, it's got nothing to do with me, so whatever."

"Then don't ask. I'm actually pretty stressed about it right now."

I muttered with a sigh. Gareth looked a little surprised, then broke into a nasty smirk.

"Hoh, color me surprised. To think Roak would worry about something like that."

"Of course I'd worry about it like a normal person if an underclassman I was getting along with suddenly started giving me the cold shoulder."

What exactly did he think of me?

As I grumbled with a dissatisfied expression, someone lightly tapped me on the head.

"Yo."

"Hey, Lily."

Turning around, I found Lily raising a hand in greeting. Gareth and I raised our own hands and greeted her back.

"Huh, didn't you have a lecture right now?"

"It got canceled."

Answering Gareth's question, Lily sat down in the empty space between us and turned to face me.

"Hey, Roak, you fought the intruders, right?"

"Yeah, if you're talking about those guys from the other day, we traded blows. Wait, didn't you fight them too, Lily?"

"Yeah. Though primarily, Kyle-sensei did all the fighting while I just summoned my clam spirit to set up a barrier..."

"That's more than enough. If anything, you provided excellent backup."

As someone who fought him firsthand, I'd say focusing on support was the right call. Given Haunted's strength, it would be difficult for Lily to win in a direct confrontation.

"Was he strong?"

"Yeah."

"Very."

Lily and I answered, recalling our encounters with Haunted at the academy and the Ruined Temple of Bibliya. If possible, I never wanted to cross paths with him again.

"What kind of Spirit was he contracted with?"

"An Evil Spirit."

"Huh?"

"I said, an Evil Spirit."

He probably never expected the intruder to be contracted with an Evil Spirit. Hearing my unforeseen answer, Gareth was dumbfounded, while Lily's expression practically screamed, "I knew it."

"You're joking, right?"

"I wish I was."

If it were just a joke, I wouldn't be stressing out this much. Unfortunately, the Spirit the guy had contracted with was, without a shadow of a doubt, an Evil Spirit.

"...I thought so."

"So you noticed too, Lily?"

"No, I wasn't certain. But judging by the presence, I had a feeling it might be the case."

Come to think of it, Lily hadn't engaged in direct combat. Haunted also seemed to be intentionally suppressing his presence, so it was only natural that she couldn't be completely sure.

"But it's hard to believe anyone could contract with an Evil Spirit. I didn't see any signs of mental derangement, either."

"Well, he definitely wasn't normal, but he didn't seem insane."

He spouted incomprehensible nonsense every now and then, but that felt more like his innate personality than the influence of an Evil Spirit. Besides, he was definitely strategizing during the fight, and I couldn't imagine a person who had lost their reason moving the way he did.

"......"

Hearing my words, Lily fell silent, deep in thought.

"Lily, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm considering the reasons why someone might be able to form a contract with an Evil Spirit without any repercussions."

Answering Gareth's question without meeting his eyes, Lily stared off into space as she vocalized her thoughts.

"...The reason, huh."

Hearing Lily's words, Haunted's statement flashed across my mind once more.

If I could figure out the reason someone could contract with an Evil Spirit, wouldn't I also figure out why that guy said I was the same as them?

"Trust from the Evil Spirit? Or mental fortitude? Or perhaps some physical constitution is playing a part?"

"Isn't it a bit hard to speculate on that? Ivan is the only Spirit Master in history to have ever successfully commanded Evil Spirits."

"If the anecdotes about that guy are true, he commanded dozens of Evil Spirits. Is he even a good point of reference?"

Commanding multiple Spirits was inherently supposed to be a massive burden, yet Ivan reportedly commanded seventy-two Evil Spirits. It was probably best to consider him the exception among exceptions.

"The consensus is that a contract breaks the mind, right? By that logic, wouldn't someone with a resilient mind have the qualifications for a contract?"

"............"

Was my mind really that resilient?

If anything, my stomach tied itself into knots every time it looked like my lack of a Spirit Contract was going to be exposed. I highly doubted it...

"I can't imagine it's that simple. It feels like there's something far more fundamental at play here..."

Lily shook her head at Gareth's proposed possibility. True, if that were all it took, it wouldn't be strange for more Spirit Masters capable of contracting with Evil Spirits to appear.

"...We're definitely lacking information."

Lily, who had been muttering to herself in thought, eventually let out a tired sigh and stated the obvious.

It was an undeniable fact that our current knowledge simply didn't provide enough information to theorize about the requirements for contracting with an Evil Spirit. Since the very existence of Evil Spirits was still shrouded in mystery, it would be impossible for us to delve any deeper on our own.

Which meant the person to turn to was...

"...Gareth, do you have time tomorrow?"

"Hm? Yeah, I'm free after school."

"Then could you tag along with me for a bit after classes?"

"I don't mind, but..."

Seeing Gareth nod with a skeptical look on his face, I began formulating a plan for tomorrow afternoon in my head.

"...What about me?"

"Your Rank Battle is coming up soon, isn't it? You should focus on preparing for that."

Lily looked dissatisfied at being left out, but unfortunately, I couldn't drag her into this errand.

Even after my response, she continued to pout. Still, she seemed to accept the reasoning and didn't pry any further.

"Alright, well, something just came up, so I'm gonna head out."

"Roak, where should I wait for you after school tomorrow?"

"Just wait for me in front of the school gates for now."

"Understood."

Hearing Gareth's confirmation, I slowly stood up from the bench and started walking toward my destination.

"Where are you going?"

As I was leaving, Lily tilted her head in curiosity. I stopped, turned back to her, and answered.

"Work."

＊＊＊＊＊

"You want to borrow a Spirit again?"

"Yes, is that alright?"

"I won't outright deny you, but it depends on the reason."

Having finished cleaning it during a recent shift, Master Owen's room was kept relatively tidy.

Master gestured for me to sit down before muttering as he sank into the sofa across from me.

Prompted for a reason, I pulled out the scroll-type Vessel I normally carried with me and presented it to him.

"...Hmm."

The moment Master laid eyes on the Vessel, he instantly deduced the identity of the sealed Spirit from the faint Spiritual Power leaking out, and a smile crept onto his face.

"I see. You seem to have captured a Spirit emitting an extremely ominous Spiritual Power, but what exactly do you plan to do with it?"

"I'm going to try it."

"............"

He didn't ask what I was going to try.

Instead, Master's smile vanished, and his eyes quietly narrowed.

"What led you to that decision?"

"I encountered one. A Spirit Master contracted with an Evil Spirit."

"...I see."

When I answered his question, a look of understanding crossed Master's face, followed by a heavy sigh.

"Word has reached me as well. The revival of The Four Perils or whatever—there's a group of troublemakers looking to cause a massive headache."

"What did you think, Master? When you heard the news?"

"If you're asking about humans capable of contracting with Evil Spirits... well, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility."

Master's tone belied any sense of shock; rather, he wore an expression that suggested his suspicions had merely been confirmed.

"As a basic premise, Evil Spirits are still Spirits. It would be stranger if contracts with them were altogether impossible."

"Do you know... what the conditions are?"

"If I knew that, I'd have secured my name in the history books by now."

Gazing at the Vessel, Master casually snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a tiny squid-like Water Spirit materialized from thin air, deftly using its tentacles to hand Master a key case.

"Well, if the rumors are true, then physical constitution is undoubtedly playing a role."

"Constitution..."

"It might just be the reason why you can't form a contract with normal Spirits."

Master's words made me furrow my brows.

Could someone really be capable of contracting with an Evil Spirit but incapable of contracting with a normal Spirit? In the first place, "Evil Spirit" was just a moniker; they were fundamentally still Spirits, weren't they...?

"That being said... I still won't endorse you forming a contract with an Evil Spirit. I believe I told you this before, but..."

"When I was fighting the enemy Spirit Master, he told me something. 『You're the same as us, aren't you?』 he said."

"............"

Haunted's words had echoed in my mind countless times since that day.

It wasn't that I trusted the man. However, now that the chaos had subsided and I had returned to everyday life—forced once again to confront the reality that I had no contracted Spirit—I simply couldn't ignore what he had said.

"I know contracts with Evil Spirits are taboo, and I know they're dangerous. Even so, as a Spirit Master, I want to form a Spirit Contract."

"............"

A contract with an Evil Spirit.

It was a detestable prospect, and seeing what had become of Haunted and his group, I couldn't call it the right choice. Yet, despite all that...

"I've failed to contract with so many Spirits by now that honestly, I was starting to give up. But even if it's an Evil Spirit... if it's possible... If this one will take my hand... then maybe I can be just like everyone else..."

"...Good grief. I suppose it can't be helped."

Even though I was struggling to put my feelings into words, he seemed to understand exactly where I was coming from. Letting out a sigh, Master stood up from the sofa. He took a key from the case and unlocked a cabinet situated behind him, opening its doors.

Inside, row upon row of Spirit Sealing Stones lay lined up, glittering like jewels. Master grabbed one—an emerald-colored stone—and casually tossed it at me.

"Whoa!? ...Wait, huh?"

"You need it, don't you? It's fine, take it."

I panicked to catch the carelessly thrown Spirit Sealing Stone. As I stared at Master in astonishment, he sat back down on the sofa.

"I know I'm the one who brought this up, but are you sure about this?"

"Well, strictly speaking, it's not 'sure.' Given my position, I really ought to stop you... But you're going to try it anyway, aren't you?"

"T-that's..."

"Besides, as your master, I've watched you struggle and work hard all this time. If you're genuinely set on attempting this, Roak, I have no intention of stopping you."

Master replied with a troubled, bitter smile. Because he knew just how hard I had struggled since my first year, he was willing to turn a blind eye this time.

"Besides, there's no actual system or law expressly prohibiting contracts with Evil Spirits. Go ahead and give it a shot."

"Master..."

"Ah, but on one condition."

Saying that, Master held up a crimson Spirit Sealing Stone he had apparently pulled out earlier, presenting his condition.

"Allow me to observe the contract process. And if I determine it's too dangerous, you stop immediately. If you can't accept those terms, I can't lend you the Spirit. Do we have a deal?"

"That's fine. Honestly, having you there will make me feel a lot better."

With Master there, he could handle any worst-case scenarios. It was an incredibly reassuring offer for me as well.

"Good. Since that's settled, we need to prepare. When are you planning to do it?"

"Well, I was thinking tomorrow after school, but..."

"That's rather short notice. By the way, anyone else joining?"

"Actually, I was hoping to get a friend to help me out."

"Hoh, if you're asking them for assistance with this, you two must be quite close."

Master muttered, making the most surprised face I'd seen from him today.

"...Yeah, I'd say so. At the very least, I trust him completely."

One of the few friends who knew about my circumstances.

Even knowing I was a dropout who couldn't contract with a Spirit, he never treated me any differently. He became a good friend and even gave me the means to fight through swordsmanship.

I owed him a massive debt of gratitude.

"I see. So, assuming your friend comes along, where do you plan on attempting this contract? Surely you don't intend to use the academy facilities?"

"Right. My plan is to try it out in Judecca Forest."

I certainly didn't have the guts to boldly try contracting with an Evil Spirit right in the middle of the academy. That's why I chose Judecca Forest as my candidate location, far enough from the city just in case anything went wrong.

"A sensible choice. In that case, I'll head to Judecca Forest early to scout a location and set up a barrier. You can join me after you meet up with your friend."

"I'm sorry. Thank you for your consideration."

"Don't mention it. Just make sure you properly explain everything to your friend."

"Yes, of course... Ah."

Come to think of it, I just asked Gareth to free up his schedule—I hadn't actually explained what we were doing. I'd have to make sure to break it all down for him tomorrow.

＊＊＊＊＊

"So, why have I been abducted?"

"Help me with training."

"Eeeeh?"

The next day. During my free period, I headed to the library to research Evil Spirits, only to be ambushed from behind by Lily and subsequently dragged off to the academy's training grounds.

"Do I really have to be your sparring partner?"

"My next opponent in the Rank Battles is Linda, so either you or Gareth is best suited for the role."

"Ah, I see."

Linda was the type of Spirit Master who fought on the front lines herself, much like Gareth and me.

In order to devise strategies against that kind of Spirit Master, Gareth or I would probably make for decent practice.

Still, considering my plans for later today, I really didn't want to expend much Spiritual Power... but she gave me advice during my last Rank Battle, so I owed her one. I couldn't refuse...

"Haaah. I'm only helping until Gareth gets here, got it?"

"Thank you."

Given her completely flat tone, I had to doubt whether she was actually grateful. I pulled out my Vessel.

"By the way, what exactly do you want me to do for this training?"

"Just fight me normally."

"Oh, is that it?"

"Yeah. You can summon your contracted Spirit, too."

"...Uh, I don't think I will."

She said it so naturally that I nearly blurted out that I didn't have one. That was a close one.

"Tch."

This girl just clicked her tongue at me. Seriously, I couldn't let my guard down around her.

"Look, we're on a tight schedule, so hurry up and summon your Spirit."

"...Minotaur."

"Buoooooh!"

Answering its master's call, the bull-headed Spirit materialized before us. As a high-ranking lightning attribute Spirit, Minotaur released arcs of electricity from its entire body as it unleashed a mighty roar.

It glared at me with sharp, piercing eyes, but I didn't flinch. In fact, I broke into a smile and called out to it.

"It's been a hot minute since we met like this, huh, Minotaur?"

"Buoo!"

Despite its terrifying appearance, Minotaur responded to my words by giving off an incredibly friendly aura.

Despite looking the way it did, Minotaur was actually remarkably earnest and gentle. It often got dragged into Lily's wild antics, so as fellow victims of her whims, we actually got along pretty well.

"You doing alright? Lily hasn't been asking the impossible of you, has she?"

"Roak, how rude. I treasure him properly."

"Really?"

I turned to Minotaur for confirmation. He started to shake his head no—but suddenly switched, violently nodding his head yes so hard I thought it might snap off.

Needless to say, his master was applying some heavy pressure. Yep, looks like things were business as usual.

"Well, whatever... By the way, aren't you going to summon your spirit?"

"No, this is fine."

"Got it."

Confirming that I am only dealing with Minotaur this time, I drew a Lesser Spirit from my Vessel.

＊＊＊＊＊

"Haaah... I'm exhausted."

Having finished my training with Lily, I walked through the academy grounds, battered by a sudden wave of fatigue.

In the end, Lily apparently decided to continue her training. I had left the training grounds behind, casting a sympathetic look at Minotaur's large, sorrowful back as he sat in formal seiza.

"Still, I really am jealous..."

Reflecting on our training session, the words spilled from my lips before I even realized it.

Brainstorming strategies alongside your partner, training together with your contracted Spirit—it was an everyday scene for any Spirit Master, but something utterly out of reach for me.

"...But soon, I will too."

If this attempt succeeds, then maybe I'll also have a Spirit... Even if it's an Evil Spirit, finally――

"...Hm?"

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of cheering. Turning my gaze, I realized the noise was spilling over from the Arena.

"Ah, right. The Rank Battles."

Because the attack had messed up the schedule, it seemed they were utilizing the participating students' free periods to run the matches.

"........."

Given the time of day, classes were supposed to be in session, yet it sounded like a massive crowd of students was watching.

Who exactly was fighting?

I still had plenty of time before meeting up with Gareth, so out of curiosity, I wandered over to the Arena. I could hear the excited shouts of the students, followed closely by the familiar roar of a dragon.

"That's... Salamander."

Spreading his massive crimson wings, the dragon, Salamander, was engaging in a fierce aerial dogfight with a giant fish-shaped Water Spirit within the Arena.

"Gyaaaaaah!"

"Geee!"

Two high-ranking Spirits clashed. Beneath them, their Spirit Masters traded blows in a dazzling exchange of fire and water Spirit Arts.

The opposing elements annihilated each other upon collision, generating massive clouds of steam. The moment the steam veiled the two combatants, Salamander's roar echoed out once more, unleashing a torrential wave of flames accompanied by an explosive boom.

"Whoa!"

The deployed barrier absorbed the actual impact, but a violent shockwave still lashed at my face, causing me to reflexively throw up my arms to shield myself.

Eventually, the winds from the blast cleared away the steam. Revealed below was the Water Spirit, lying limp and defeated on the ground, and its contractor, slumped over in a total daze. Looking down on them from the sky was Salamander, while Leia stood calmly on the arena floor.

It looked like the match was settled.

『That's enough! Winner, Leia Valhart!!』

The referee's declaration of victory triggered another roaring cheer from the crowd.

Yet, paying no heed to the surrounding applause, Leia simply offered a brief bow before briskly making her way toward the exit.

"Hm."

Come to think of it, Leia had been avoiding me lately for some reason. Figuring I should go offer my congratulations on a match well fought, I left the spectator stands and hurried toward the combatant entrance.

"...Phew."

I arrived just in time to see a fatigued-looking Leia stepping out from her Rank Battle.

"Good work out there, Leia."

"...S-senpai! Why are you here!?"

Thinking I'd caught her at the perfect time, I called out, only for Leia to flash a hugely exaggerated look of shock.

"I saw your match. You were incredible."

Her opponent had a clear elemental advantage, yet she had still secured a comfortable victory. She held the upper hand in the exchange of Spirit Arts from start to finish—it was a masterful performance worthy of an honors student.

"N-no, not at all... Compared to you, Senpai, it was nothing special."

"No, no..."

That's definitely not true. Just having a contracted Spirit is more than amazing enough.

"W-well then... I'll be taking my leave."

"Eh... No, wait a sec!"

As soon as the conversation lulled, Leia tried to make a swift escape. In an attempt to stop her, I instinctively grabbed her hand.

"!?"

"Did I do something to offend you, Leia? I'm sorry, I honestly have no idea what it could be... Wait, are you even listening?"

"............"

I managed to stop her from running away, which was great, but now she was completely zoning out, staring vacantly at our joined hands like she wasn't even there. Wait, did I just mess up big time?

"Ah, sorry! My bad!"

"...No."

I hurriedly let go of her hand. Leia stared at it, shaking her head. She didn't look angry, but her expression hinted that there was definitely something on her mind.

What's going on? What did I do? I seriously have no idea...

"............"

"............"

We both fell silent, and an incredibly awkward atmosphere settled over us.

I couldn't say a word because I had no clue what I'd done to offend her, and she remained speechless, lost in her own thoughts.

Seriously, what should I do about this situation...?

"W-Well, anyway, if I did something to make you uncomfortable, I'm sorry. That's all I wanted to say."

To escape the awkward tension, I muttered a quick apology and turned to leave.

"Uncomfortable? N-No, that's not it! It's a misunderstanding!!"

"Huh?"

Leia's outburst stopped me dead in my tracks.

"A misunderstanding?"

"Um, the reason I've been avoiding you, Senpai, isn't because I hate you or anything like that..."

"I-Is that so?"

So she wasn't avoiding me because she despised me. But if that was the case, then why had she been dodging me?

"Then, um, what's the reason...?"

"T-That's... um..."

When I pressed her for the truth, desperate to know why she was keeping her distance, Leia immediately clammed up. What in the world? Was it really that hard to talk about?

As I silently watched Leia, who stubbornly refused to give a reason, the bell signaling the end of the lecture period echoed throughout the academy.

"I'm so sorry! I have errands to run, so please excuse me!"

"Ah, hey!?"

Before I could even ask for the reason, Leia made up an excuse about having errands and bolted out of sight. Judging by that speed, she was definitely using physical enhancement to sprint away at full tilt.

"What the heck was that about..."

In the end, I never found out why she had been avoiding me, but I supposed I should just be glad that she didn't hate my guts.

"...Guess it's time to head out."

Come to think of it, it was already time to meet up with Gareth. Still feeling a little unsatisfied with how things had ended, I made my way to the academy gates.

＊＊＊＊＊

"...You're joking, right?"

"Nope, I'm dead serious."

After meeting up with Gareth, who had been waiting for me by the gates, I explained my upcoming plans to him as we headed outside the city limits.

As a result, Gareth directed a gaze at me as if he were looking at something absolutely unbelievable.

"No, no, no, even if you do manage to form a contract, you wouldn't be able to summon it out in the open, would you?"

"Even so, it'll still lead to an increase in my Spiritual Power, and more importantly, it'll give me peace of mind."

Having a contracted spirit was essentially the same as having a reservoir of Spiritual Power. And above all, whether it was an Evil Spirit or not, if I could just form a contract, I could finally turn that baseless rumor about me "hiding my true ability" into the truth.

If anything, the fact that my contracted spirit was an Evil Spirit would serve as the perfect excuse for why I was keeping it hidden. Honestly, the fact that I was actively seeing the bright side of contracting with an Evil Spirit probably meant I was a lost cause.

"But more importantly, since when did you even have an Evil Spirit?"

"I just brought back the one we ran into at Luna's Ruins."

"Seriously...?"

We had fought each other with the intent to kill, but the Evil Spirit turned out to be unexpectedly sturdy. Even after taking my finishing blow, it managed to remain in the physical realm without being unsummoned. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I tried recovering it to see if it would work, and perhaps because it was weakened, I successfully sealed it inside a vessel.

"Wait, so there's an Evil Spirit inside that vessel right now?"

"Yeah, it's packed right in there."

When I answered while flashing him the vessel, Gareth looked absolutely appalled.

Well, I supposed I couldn't blame him for being freaked out. After all, I had been carrying this ticking time bomb around while fighting in the Rank Battle and engaging in deathmatches against Haunted's group and those thugs.

"How have you managed to live so normally with something like that on you?"

"Actually, it's been surprisingly well-behaved."

I was on high alert at first, too. But perhaps because it was weakened, the Evil Spirit had completely lost the vicious temperament it showed when we first met. Ever since I sealed it, it hadn't gone on a rampage or anything—it had just been quietly sleeping inside the vessel this entire time.

That was actually one of the reasons I believed a contract with this Evil Spirit might be possible. Especially after seeing Haunted and his lackeys commanding Evil Spirits as if it were perfectly normal, I legitimately started thinking that—setting his words aside—there might just be a chance I could pull it off, too.

"...Well, your crazy ideas are nothing new, I suppose. I understand that you're trying to form a contract with an Evil Spirit, but what exactly do you need my help with?"

"Right, about that. If I end up losing control of the Evil Spirit or if I go crazy, I want you to take me down, Gareth."

"...Take you down? Roak, are you..."

"I mean exactly what I said. Hell, if things look too dangerous, you can even kill me."

"I couldn't do that..."

"You've at least heard what happens to Spirit Masters who try to form a contract with an Evil Spirit and fail... right?"

It would be one thing if it just broke my mind, but if I were to fall into a state of delirium and go on a rampage, it would be no laughing matter.

That was why I wanted Gareth's help. I needed an informed, capable Spirit Master who could stop me if the worst came to pass.

"Is it really worth going that far...?"

"Even if it means going that far... yeah. You get it, don't you?"

At my words, Gareth's eyes widened slightly, and he closed his mouth.

After a moment of visible hesitation, Gareth let out a long breath.

"...Understood. If it comes to that, I swear on the Orot family name that I will do everything in my power to stop you."

"Yeah, I'm counting on y—"

"But I have no intention of killing you. So even if you do lose your mind, you'd better snap out of it."

"—!"

This time, it was my turn to fall silent. I stared at Gareth in surprise, but he just flashed me a grin.

"Of course. I didn't plan on losing my mind in the first place, though."

"That's the spirit."

Matching his grin, I bumped my fist against his. Just as we reached the outskirts of the city, I released the Spirit Sealing Stone I had received from Master beforehand.

A brilliant green light burst forth before my eyes. In the next moment, the wind spirit Sigurum stood there with its massive wings spread wide, fixing its sharp gaze upon us.

"You borrowed it again?"

"Yeah, Master is giving me his full support this time."

"That's reassuring to hear."

Sigurum lowered its posture, urging us to climb onto its back.

"I'm counting on you again."

"Kiiii!!"

In response, Sigurum let out a high-pitched cry, spread his wings, and shot up into the air, taking flight.

"Where are we doing this!?"

"Judecca Forest! Master has set up a barrier for us!"

"I finally get to meet your Master, I can't wait!!"

Hearing Gareth's enthusiastic voice, I realized I was also smiling with unconcealable excitement.

＊＊＊＊＊

Riding on Sigurum's back, Roak and Gareth arrived at the outskirts of Judecca Forest. They peered down, searching for Owen, who was supposed to be preparing inside the forest. Just then, they heard the sound of beating wings and spotted a single spirit flying straight toward them.

"This is..."

With a flap of its wings, a small Wyrm—a dragon spirit resembling a legless snake—appeared before the two of them.

"Hey."

"It's fine."

For a moment, Gareth and Roak both braced themselves, wondering if it had reacted to Sigurum and was attacking them. But thinking about it, Wyrms didn't inhabit Judecca Forest, and moreover, Sigurum wasn't showing any particular hostility.

It was safe to assume this was a spirit Owen had subjugated through a Temporary Contract. As if to prove it, the Wyrm showed no signs of attacking, simply hovering and watching them intently.

"Just our guide."

"A Dragon-type for a guide... that's pretty extravagant..."

Gareth shuddered internally at the thought of Roak's master, who casually kept a Dragon spirit—hardly a low-ranking entity—on a Temporary Contract. Ignoring his awe, the Wyrm spread its wings and resumed flying to lead the way. Roak instructed Sigurum to follow, and the two spirits glided over the forest canopy.

After a few minutes of flying, the Wyrm began a slow descent toward a clearing below. As they followed it down, they spotted Owen sitting on a fallen tree.

"Oh, looks like you made it safely."

"A Wyrm showed up, so I was a little freaked out."

"Well, I was worried you might get attacked by stray Spirits on the way if I sent an ordinary Spirit. Anyway, you made it here in one piece, so all's well that ends well."

Roak complained about using a Dragon spirit as a mere guide as he jumped off Sigurum's back.

But Owen just laughed it off. He stood up from the fallen tree and turned his gaze to Gareth, who was climbing down after Roak.

"So, you must be Roak's friend... Wait, that sword... Are you a son of the Orot family?"

"A pleasure to meet you, I'm Gareth Orot. You must be Roak's Master..."

"I'm Owen Libria. I'm serving as Roak's Master, for what it's worth. Nice to meet you."

Owen greeted him, surprised by the unexpected caliber of Roak's friend. However, upon hearing that name, it was Gareth's turn to look astonished.

"Wait, Owen... As in the 《Conqueror》, Owen-san!?"

"...Hm? Ah, come to think of it, people did call me that for a while."

"Master, you had a title like that?"

Unfamiliar with the moniker, Roak returned Sigurum to his Spirit Sealing Stone. Owen returned the Wyrm to its stone as well, but before he could answer, Gareth spoke up in disbelief.

"You're his disciple and you didn't know!? Owen Libria is one of the Spirit Masters who successfully conquered the Palace of Shadows, one of the most difficult ancient ruins out there!?"

"Wait, Master, you conquered the Palace of Shadows!?"

"Well, yeah, but that was back in my prime."

Roak stared at Owen in shock, listening to Gareth speak with uncharacteristic excitement.

Roak had certainly heard tales of him delving into the "Shadow Labyrinth." It was a vast, subterranean maze-like ancient ruin, said to be on a completely different level of danger compared to others. Knowing the countless precious treasures slumbering within, many Spirit Masters still ventured there to this day.

Like many others, Owen had mentioned diving into the Labyrinth a few times to reap its benefits, but Roak never imagined he had actually conquered it.

"Besides, people make a huge deal out of it, but all I did was reach the deepest part... Being called a 'Conqueror' is a bit of an exaggeration, so I don't really like it."

"No, it's not an exaggeration at all...!"

Owen grumbled about it, but even now, there were barely twenty Spirit Masters who had ever reached the deepest part of the Shadow Labyrinth, including him. It wasn't an exaggeration; he was just being ridiculously modest.

"Well, let's put the story of the Palace of Shadows aside for now. Roak's contract takes priority today."

"Y-yes..."

"I've been waiting for this. I'm counting on you, Master."

"'Counting on you'—that's my line."

Owen replied with a wry smile to Roak's triumphant tone. He then pulled four new Spirit Sealing Stones from his pocket and summoned the spirits sealed within.

What appeared were four knight-like spirits, each governing one of the four elements: fire, water, earth, and wind. The moment they emerged, Owen bound them with Temporary Contracts, and they knelt on the spot to show their loyalty to him.

"Alright everyone, I'm counting on you."

At Owen's brief command, the spirits stood and scattered in four directions. They stopped a few hundred meters apart from each other, drew the swords at their waists, and thrust them into the ground.

"Four Spirits Sealing Formation."

Owen crouched and pressed his hand to the earth. The moment he activated his Spirit Arts, a square barrier infused with all four elements spread out, using the four spirits as its cornerstones, sealing the three of them inside.

"Well, this should do for now."

""…………""

Owen said "for now," but casually forming Temporary Contracts with four high-ranking spirits simultaneously, and casting a powerful barrier that intricately combined four different elements, was by no means a technique that could be brushed off as "just enough."

Roak had learned and used similar Spirit Arts, but the caliber of the spirits he manipulated and his technical mastery were not even remotely comparable to Owen's.

As the two boys stood speechless, Owen let out a small breath, stood up, and looked at them quizzically.

"Hey, don't just stand there, you two. Roak, get the Evil Spirit ready. Gareth-kun, you're stepping out of the barrier with me."

"Y-yes, sir."

Snapping out of their daze, the two moved according to his instructions. Roak stood in the center of the barrier, Vessel in hand. Gareth stepped outside the barrier with Owen, resting a hand on the hilt of his Magic Sword to stand by just in case.

"Roak, we're good to go on this end! Start whenever you're ready!!"

"Understood!"

Replying to Owen's voice from beyond the barrier, Roak felt a whirlwind of emotions rushing through his chest.

Fear and anxiety... but welling up even stronger than those were joy and excitement.

"...Phew."

Roak closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

Once composed, he opened his eyes, retrieved the Vessel from his pocket, unfurled it briskly, and summoned the Evil Spirit.

"Come forth!!"

A purple glow erupted from the Vessel, and familiar, massive pectoral fins blanketed Roak's field of vision.

＊＊＊＊＊

"Well, it's begun."

"So that's the Evil Spirit Roak defeated at Luna's Ruins..."

Outside the barrier, Owen and Gareth stared at the stingray-like, high-ranking Evil Spirit that had materialized before Roak.

"Can he really form a contract with that Evil Spirit...?"

Overwhelmed by the ominous, dark Spiritual Power radiating from the Evil Spirit—even through the barrier—Gareth couldn't help but ask Owen.

Up until a moment ago, Gareth thought there might be a chance Roak could actually do it. But seeing the real thing up close, he now felt that possibility was practically zero.

"Who knows."

Offering a vague reply, Owen narrowed his eyes slightly at the sheer pressure emanating from the entity.

From what he could see, the Evil Spirit wasn't throwing a fit; it was floating peacefully within the barrier. At the very least, they had avoided the worst-case scenario: a violent rampage the moment it was summoned.

However, this was just the beginning of the beginning—a single step forward. The real challenge started now.

"…………"

Roak quietly stared at the softly hovering Evil Spirit.

As if noticing his gaze, it slowly descended until it stopped right in front of him.

Its eyes bored into him, but he sensed none of the malice he had felt when they fought at Luna's Ruins. Exhaling softly, Roak fortified his resolve and moved to the next step.

He slowly reached out a hand to the Evil Spirit looming before him, pouring his Spiritual Power into its massive frame.

Establishing a simple connection between Spirit Master and spirit via Spiritual Power... forming a Temporary Contract.

Normally, a Spirit Contract was formed outright without a Temporary Contract stepping stone. But this time, his target was an Evil Spirit, so they were taking it step-by-step to be absolutely certain. If something went wrong at this stage, severing the bond would be easy, and the backlash would be far less severe compared to a full contract.

"…………"

Roak gulped nervously, but the Evil Spirit remained docile, accepting his inflowing power without resistance. And just like that, a bond of Spiritual Power was forged between them—a Temporary Contract was successfully established.

"...Phew."

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

"So this is the second stage."

Even if it was only temporary, he had successfully contracted with an Evil Spirit.

Sweating from the tension, Roak breathed a sigh of relief. Gareth stared at him in utter disbelief, while Owen looked on with a slight sense of reassurance.

"Roak, how's your body!!"

"No problems so far!"

At a glance, there was no physical trauma, but it was impossible to tell what was happening internally.

When Owen called out to check, Roak affirmed he was fine. Judging by his voice, he didn't seem to be lying or pushing himself either.

"...So it's possible to contract with an Evil Spirit if it's just a connection through Spiritual Power?"

Watching Roak and the Evil Spirit, Owen pondered the mechanics of the contract. Was Roak just a special case? Or was it simply that a connection made purely of Spiritual Power was harmless?

With so few historical precedents, his theories were limited. Even so, Owen wracked his brain, desperately trying to analyze what little data he had.

"Master! I'm proceeding to the primary contract!"

"...! Understood!"

Roak's voice cut through his thoughts. Owen immediately snapped out of it, preparing to intervene at a moment's notice.

"Gareth-kun, you need to be on high alert from here on out."

"Y-yes."

Brought back to his senses by Owen's warning, Gareth nodded and focused all his attention back on Roak.

Finally, they were transitioning from a Temporary Contract to a full Spirit Contract.

At this point, nobody could predict what would happen.

Roak could instantly be reduced to a vegetative state, or he might go completely insane and start rampaging alongside the Evil Spirit.

Roak hesitated as tragic possibilities crossed his mind, but a moment later, he steeled his resolve. Holding his hand out toward the Evil Spirit, he began chanting the incantation with a clear voice.

"O noble Spirit. Answer my call and forge a pact with me. Do so, and my body shall become your vessel. I command thee once more: if thou wilt answer to my will, state thy true name!"

Upon finishing the incantation, a circuit far deeper than Spiritual Power—a link between their very souls—was established. Simultaneously, the Evil Spirit's thoughts flooded directly into Roak's brain, translated into comprehensible words.

―――――This is it.

Roak closed his eyes and focused his consciousness, intent on catching every word of the incoming voice.

『◎△＄♪×￥●＆％＃！』

".........Huh?"

『★♯●■＄！：＊％!?』

".........Eh?"

"▲☆＝￥〒♂◎＆■♯"

"…………"

He couldn't understand a damn thing it was saying.

＊＊＊＊＊

"Something isn't right..."

The first to notice the change in Roak was his master, Owen.

Since reciting the incantation, Roak had stood perfectly still, and the Evil Spirit had stopped moving altogether.

At first, Owen thought the contract had finally succeeded, but observing the situation, that didn't seem to be the case.

"Owen-san, please open the barrier. I'll go inside and separate the Evil Spirit from Roak."

"Wait a moment, Gareth-kun. It's best not to carelessly provoke it right now."

Gareth had already drawn his Magic Sword and summoned Beowulf, ready for battle, but Owen stopped him.

"But...!"

"Since we don't know Roak's condition, provoking the Evil Spirit could actually backfire."

If they carelessly prodded the currently docile Evil Spirit and provoked it into a frenzy, Roak's life would truly be in jeopardy.

Furthermore, as long as Roak's Spiritual Power wasn't fluctuating wildly, things hadn't devolved into a critical situation that demanded immediate intervention. Thus, Owen calmly reasoned with the anxious Gareth, trying to settle him down.

"Then... what should we do?"

"For now, we have to trust Roak and watch quietly."

Owen was fully prepared to rush in the moment anything went wrong. But it wasn't the right time yet. Unless there was a far more obvious anomaly with either the Evil Spirit or Roak, acting prematurely was a poor move.

"...Gwoooooh."

"Roak! Are you alright!?"

After observing for a while, Roak let out a pained groan.

Gareth called out, raising his Magic Sword, ready to jump in depending on the answer. Beside him, Owen prepared to drop the barrier at a second's notice.

"Master!"

"What's wrong!?"

However, the answer the two received was completely unexpected.

"I can't understand what it's saying!!"

"I can't understand what you're saying either!?"

Owen shot back instantaneously. "No idea? What does that mean? I have no idea either, explain yourself properly."

"Incomprehensible words have been flooding my head this whole time! What is this!?"

"Incomprehensible words flooding your head?"

Owen gave a skeptical look at Roak's explanation.

Beside him, Gareth looked utterly bewildered, wondering what the hell Roak was talking about. Owen ignored him for now, trying to grasp what Roak was actually experiencing.

From the phrasing "pouring into my head," Roak was likely referring to telepathy, but if that were the case, it made even less sense.

Telepathy was the means by which a contracted Spirit Master and spirit communicated their intentions without spoken words. The sensation was like having the spirit's thoughts automatically translated into words inside your brain. Was Roak saying the translated words themselves were nonsensical?

Or rather, if they were being translated to be understood, how could they possibly be gibberish?

"...What's happening?"

At the very least, this was decidedly not normal.

That left the Evil Spirit as the only conceivable culprit. And yet, it didn't seem like the spirit was actively trying to harm Roak. In fact, since they had managed a Temporary Contract, it was safe to say it harbored no hostility toward him whatsoever.

"...I suppose this is the nature of Evil Spirits."

"Gwaaaaaah! I'm losing my mind!?"

"Owen-san!"

It seemed the situation had deteriorated further while he was lost in thought.

Judging from the scene, the Evil Spirit was continuing to try to communicate, but for Roak—whose brain was processing it as incomprehensible noise—it was pure agony.

"We need to separate them for now."

Roak was groaning, but he still seemed to have a little leeway. Still, leaving things as they were wouldn't improve the situation. Concluding this, Owen moved to dismantle the barrier—when Roak suddenly changed again.

"Gaaaaaah!? ...Ah... Uh..."

"...Roak!?"

The pained groans abruptly ceased, and his body stiffened unnaturally.

Gareth yelled out, but Roak didn't react. At a glance, it looked just like how he was before he started groaning.

However, the atmosphere surrounding Roak began to shift into something oppressive and eerie. Realizing things were no longer the same, Owen stopped opening the barrier and instead reinforced it.

"Gareth-kun."

"Yes."

Owen called out his name, and Gareth instantly understood his intent, quietly raising his Magic Sword. Without a sound, Beowulf stepped up from behind his master to stand by his side.

Something dangerous is coming.

A vague sense of dread washed over everyone present—Spirit Masters and spirits alike—as they silently shifted into combat stances.

"…………"

Validating their unease, Roak stirred. Moving like a phantom, he slowly turned his head to survey his surroundings.

The Evil Spirit hovering in front of him. The four spirits boxing him in.

"…………"

And finally, his master, his friend, and his friend's spirit. His eyes, now a blood-red hue brimming with a murderous intent he would never normally harbor, fixed on them in a menacing glare. The very next instant—

"……"

A deafening roar erupted as a shockwave exploded outward, centered on Roak.

The blast slammed into Owen's barrier, sending massive cracks spiderwebbing across the entirety of the reinforced Spiritual Power wall.

"Wha!?"

"Hey, hey... You've gotta be kidding me."

It was a barrier maintained by four distinct spirits, yet a single attack had pushed it to the brink of collapse. The sheer destructive force drew a twitching smile from Owen.

"Gareth-kun, fall back for now! I'll handle this!"

"But!?"

"Just fall back!"

No sooner had Owen yelled for Gareth to retreat than another shockwave burst from Roak. Already pushed to its limit by the first strike, the barrier shattered with the sound of breaking glass, completely obliterated. The aftershocks cascaded toward the two of them.

Reflexively, Beowulf threw up a wall of ice in front of Gareth, even throwing its own body in the way to protect its master, but it wasn't enough. The wolf and its master were sent flying backward together.

"Guh... Restrain him!"

Owen, on the other hand, withstood the blast using physical enhancement fueled by Spiritual Power and a wind barrier. Surviving the brunt of it, he immediately ordered the four barrier spirits to detain Roak.

The spirits responded, waiting for the shockwave to weaken before lunging at Roak, their weapons drawn.

"In the way."

『『『『...!?』』』』

But just as they were about to close the distance, they were violently slammed into the ground, completely immobilized as if pinned there.

"One after another..."

The spirits were flattened against the earth as if being crushed from above. Seeing this, Owen muttered in annoyance. Roak was likely using some form of Spirit Art, but Owen had no idea what the principle behind it was.

Watching the spirits struggle desperately but fail to rise, it was clear some invisible force was pressing them down. Was he manipulating gravity?

He wanted to analyze the power at play, but seeing Roak pointing a palm directly at him meant there was no time for leisurely deduction.

Just as another shockwave was about to be fired at Owen, a massive chunk of ice shot toward Roak from behind.

"...Haaah."

Roak looked at the incoming ice with utter boredom. He twitched a finger, and the ice instantly veered off in a completely different direction, vanishing into the distance.

"Owen-san, it's probably gravity! They said the Evil Spirit at Luna's Ruins could manipulate gravity! Roak must have been possessed by the Evil Spirit!"

"I see. Then we need to figure out what that implies..."

Acknowledging Gareth's shout from behind, Owen shifted his gaze to the space right next to Roak.

『!!』

The four spirits buried into the earth... and the Evil Spirit, still hovering right beside Roak.

If the Evil Spirit had formed a contract and taken over Roak's body, then why was it also squashed into the ground like the rest of the spirits?

It was a complete mystery.

"………"

Roak shot a glance at the four spirits, then slowly closed his outstretched hand into a fist.

Instantly, cracks spiderwebbed across the armor of the buried spirits. Unable to withstand the crushing gravity, the spirits merged with the earth before shattering into particles of light, violently unsummoned.

"This is seriously no laughing matter..."

Since they were bound only by a Temporary Contract, there was no way to retrieve them once they were sent back.

Having lost four of his combat assets in the blink of an eye, Owen looked thoroughly exasperated.

"Come, Sigurum."

Next, Owen pulled out the Spirit Sealing Stone he had taken back from Roak—Sigurum's Vessel. Once summoned, Sigurum didn't hesitate for a second, unleashing a tempestuous blade of wind at Roak.

"Futile."

Just like the chunk of ice, the blade of wind was deflected off course. It missed Roak entirely, soaring off to slice through the surrounding trees instead.

"…………"

However, from Sigurum's actions, Owen gleaned one crucial piece of information.

He had lent Sigurum to Roak several times. While they hadn't formed a true Spirit Contract, they had definitely built enough mutual trust to sustain a Temporary Contract.

Yet here was Sigurum, a high-ranking spirit, attacking Roak without a shred of hesitation. In fact, it seemed to look at him with outright disgust. And it did this while under a Temporary Contract—a bond loose enough that it could easily resist an order if it wanted to. This was extremely strange.

"...Roak, what happened to you?"

The answer to his question came in the form of a sweeping gravity wave, launched with a swipe of Roak's arm. Owen channeled his Spiritual Power into Sigurum, using wind charged with energy to offset the incoming barrage.

"What did you do to my friend!"

"Gaah!"

While Owen drew the attacks, Gareth had circled around behind Roak. Aiming to knock him out with the flat of his blade, he swung his Magic Sword.

Simultaneously, Beowulf lunged, baring its fangs at the Evil Spirit still immobilized on the ground.

Gareth didn't know why the Evil Spirit was pinned.

But he was absolutely certain it was the cause of whatever had taken over Roak. Thus, he chose to strike the spirit as well. However, in the very next moment, both Gareth and Beowulf were slammed into the earth by a crushing gravitational force from above.

"Guh!?"

".........Die."

Roak had cast the Spirit Art intending to crush them to death, but Gareth cloaked his body in Spiritual Power. Even as he was hammered into the ground, he somehow managed to endure without being flattened.

But Roak merely looked down at Gareth struggling pathetically at his feet and moved to increase the gravity to deliver the finishing blow.

"...Haaaaaah!"

"...!?"

Immediately after, Gareth unleashed a furious war cry and unleashed the power of his Magic Sword.

Purple lightning arched out from the blade. Caught off guard, Roak instinctively broke the Spirit Art holding Gareth down and jumped back.

"You bastard!"

"To think you wouldn't understand my Magic Sword! You're definitely not Roak, are you!?"

Gripping his crackling sword, Gareth shouted with total conviction that the person standing before him was not the real Roak, following up with a fierce horizontal slash.

"Shut up! Just quietly get crushed!"

"!"

Roak roared, his anger entirely exposed. At the same time, a chill ran down Gareth's spine. Trusting his instincts, he rapidly dove out of the way.

The next second, the ground where Gareth had just been standing caved in with a deafening rumble.

"What happened to your prized sword skills, Roak!?"

"Shut up!"

Irritated by Gareth's taunt, Roak waved his arm, casting yet another Spirit Art.

"Haaah!!"

As the gravity wave rushed toward him, kicking up a cloud of dust, Gareth dug his feet firmly into the ground and hoisted his Magic Sword high. He swung it down with all his might, taking Roak's Spirit Art head-on.

"Oooooh!!"

The Magic Sword clashed with the invisible force, echoing like a thunderclap. Eventually, Gareth roared and sliced cleanly down, cleaving the Spirit Art right down the middle.

"!?"

Roak looked stunned that his Spirit Art had been shattered through pure, frontal force. Purple lightning zipped past his side, popping loudly in the air.

"Beo!"

"Gyaaaaaah!"

Thanks to Gareth weakening the restraint, Beowulf regained its mobility. With a fearsome howl, it activated its own Spirit Arts, blasting a wave of freezing air to encase both Roak and the Evil Spirit in ice.

"Insolent humans!"

Undeterred by the cold, Roak swung his arm down. The ice enveloping him and the Evil Spirit shattered, and a crushing pressure slammed into Gareth and Beowulf, completely immobilizing them.

"Die!"

Using his Spirit Arts, he violently ripped a massive slab of earth into the air, before sending it plummeting straight down at Gareth and Beowulf, accelerating as it fell.

"Guh... Damn it!"

"Gwoooooh!!"

Gareth and Beowulf struggled with everything they had, but they couldn't break free from the overwhelming restraint. Left with no choice but to glare up at the incoming boulder, Gareth caught a glimpse of green wings out of the corner of his eye.

"Kiiiiiiii!"

With a piercing screech, Sigurum folded his wings and launched himself into a spinning dive directly at the boulder.

Shattering the rock with a deafening crack, Sigurum spread his wings once more, blowing away the debris. He snatched up the fallen Gareth and Beowulf with his talons and swiftly evacuated the area.

"Sigurum, keep guarding Gareth-kun."

Instructing the retreating spirit, Owen let out a short breath and stepped forward.

Opposite him, Roak stared at Owen with palpable hatred, furious that his killing blow had been thwarted once again.

"Good grief... Is it really okay to hurt your precious friend like that outside of a Rank Battle, Roak?"

"…………"

"And shooting me with such a bloodthirsty glare. Is that how you treat your Master?"

Roak remained silent, but his glare only sharpened.

Bathed in his own apprentice's venomous, murderous gaze, Owen let out a heavy sigh.

"My, my. From the looks of it, have you completely forgotten?"

As Owen muttered with an exasperated expression, a pillar of purple fire erupted from behind him, surging with a terrifying amount of Spiritual Power.

"...!"

"Then I suppose it can't be helped. I'll just have to carve it into your body once more."

A swaying, black silhouette emerged from the pillar of fire.

The humanoid figure casually strode through the purple flames until its full form was revealed before Roak.

It had a tall, slender build cloaked in black. Its left hand, adorned in a white glove, held a lantern flickering with purple fire.

But its most distinguishing feature was its head—a hollowed-out pumpkin. From the darkness of its carved eyes, two glowing golden pupils fixated on Roak. Overwhelmed by its presence, Roak instinctively took a step back.

"The fear of me."

As Owen declared this, the pumpkin-headed spirit behind him grinned with the mischievous smile of a prankish child.

"I'm counting on you, Jack."

"Just when I thought it'd been a while since I was last called... You summon me at such a troublesome time again."

Owen's contracted spirit, Jack-o'-Lantern, surveyed Roak's form and twisted its pumpkin face into a frown.

"Is that your disciple, Roak-kun? He's unrecognizable in a bad way."

"Is it that bad?"

At least from the outside, Roak didn't look any different...

"The atmosphere he gives off, his presence, you could say. He's always had a creepy side, but now he just looks like a completely different person."

"I see..."

Owen nodded, seemingly convinced by Jack's words.

Indeed, Owen had felt the exact same way. That said, considering his connection with an Evil Spirit, it made a certain amount of sense, and perhaps there was no need to be overly suspicious about it.

"Whatever the case, he clearly isn't in his right mind right now. Just don't kill him, Jack."

"Adding a troublesome request on top of it, I see..."

Grumbling half-heartedly at his master's instructions, Jack slowly raised his lantern, the purple flames flickering within.

"This is!!"

The ground beneath Roak's feet suddenly grew scorching hot. He reflexively leaped backward, and a pillar of fire erupted from the exact spot he had just been standing.

Before he could even register the terrifying amount of Spiritual Power packed into the flames, another spout of purple fire surged from beneath him. Roak sprinted around frantically, dodging the relentless onslaught of infernos.

"He certainly dodges well."

"He does."

Roak's mobility was incredibly troublesome. Since he lacked a contracted spirit, he had honed his own body to fight on the front lines. Pinning him down would be a herculean task.

Therefore, they needed to cripple his movement.

Owen slowly pointed a finger at Roak, who was busy dodging Jack's flames. Channeling Spiritual Power into his fingertip, he took aim. The exact moment Roak's posture broke after dodging a purple burst, Owen targeted his leg and fired a flash of lightning.

"Gah!?"

The lightning bolt acted like a spear, piercing straight through Roak's right ankle with pinpoint accuracy.

Driven to his knees by the sudden pain, Roak's movements ground to a halt. Not letting the opening slip by, Jack conjured up another wave of purple fire, engulfing Roak's entire body.

"You're holding back properly, right...?"

"More or less."

Watching the roaring flames inferno in front of them, Owen asked his spirit, but Jack's reply did nothing but inspire more anxiety.

"No, no, what do you mean 'more or less'? I need you to be clear on that."

"Considering the opponent, half-hearted attacks won't do anything. Besides, look."

Jack casually directed Owen's attention back to the spreading sea of purple fire.

Suddenly, a multidirectional gravity wave blasted out from the center of the flames, completely extinguishing the inferno encasing Roak.

"If you hold back too much, you'll be the one getting taken out. Surely you'd hate to lose to your disciple after acting all tough?"

"I wasn't acting tough."

In truth, he *had* been acting cool, but Owen ignored Jack's jab and focused on Roak. Smoke billowed from his entire body as he emerged from the dissipating flames, but it seemed he had properly defended himself; apart from his right ankle, he hadn't sustained any visible wounds.

"How dare you... to this body...!!"

Seeing the blood running down his own leg, Roak was consumed by boiling fury. He manipulated gravity, ripping the surrounding trees from their roots and hurtling them straight at Owen and Jack. However, Jack merely raised his lantern, and the incoming trees instantly burst into flames, reduced to nothing but ash in the blink of an eye.

"Out of my way!"

While his vision was obscured by the fire, Roak thrust a hand toward Owen, firing a Spirit Art.

"Whoa!?"

Owen felt himself float lightly into the air, only to have his body violently flung, slamming headfirst into a nearby boulder.

"So I'm the target, am I?"

As if to confirm Jack's mutterings, an immense gravity crashed down upon his entire body, temporarily pinning him in place.

"Well, well... This is quite something!"

Unable to remain standing under the extreme pressure, Jack was forced to drop to one knee. Roak formed his right hand into a blade and channeled his spiritual power into it.

Judging by the sheer volume of spiritual power gathering in Roak's hand, Jack realized that taking a direct hit would be fatal. However, it would take a bit of time to break free from the restraint, leaving him no time to dodge the impending attack.

"First, you..."

"Shaaaaah!"

Just as Roak brought his hand-blade down, the dragon spirit Wyarm lunged from above with a fierce roar.

"Stay out of my way!"

"Gyiih!?"

Roak extended his left hand toward the approaching Wyarm and clenched it into a tight fist, as if crushing something unseen. In an instant, the Wyarm's entire body, from its head to the tip of its tail, was compressed into a sphere before dissolving into particles and being unsummoned.

But taking advantage of that brief opening, Jack broke free of the Spirit Art. He spewed a blast of purple flame from his mouth directly at Roak. While Roak was engulfed in the fire and unable to move, Jack quickly retreated from the spot.

"You mere pumpkin..."

Roak clicked his tongue and cursed as Jack fell back to Owen's side.

"Taking out a dragon species in a single blow..."

Clutching his throbbing head, Owen stood up. He watched quietly in horror at the sight of the Wyarm being dispatched so easily. Even if it was a low-ranking spirit, did Roak really possess the capability to unsummon a dragon species with a single barehanded strike?

"...My disciple sure grows up fast."

"Is this really the time to be so carefree?"

Jack scolded Owen with a mix of exasperation as he muttered. Owen hadn't intended to sound so carefree, but it was true—at this rate, they wouldn't even be able to buy enough time.

"It can't be helped. I didn't want to do anything too rough, though."

"Piercing his foot was already rough enough."

Ignoring Jack's pointed remark, Owen placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. Suddenly, Jack's body began to glow, and a dazzling light enveloped the area.

"...What is that?"

Shielding his eyes from the blinding radiance, Roak looked up to see that Jack had vanished. In his place, Owen now held a massive scythe with a pumpkin-shaped pommel and a sharp, dark gray blade.

"It's a Spirit Dress, achieved by transforming a contracted spirit into a weapon. I believe I showed this to you during an explanation once, but I suppose you've forgotten?"

It was an advanced technique—only usable by a select few Spirit Masters—that transformed a contracted spirit into a weapon to be wielded. By donning the spirit's power, the user could draw out strength that surpassed the spirit's innate abilities.

"It's actually quite dangerous, so I didn't want to resort to this..."

Muttering to himself, Owen gripped the shaft with both hands and slowly twisted his upper body.

An eerie, cackling laughter echoed from the pumpkin on the pommel as purple flames ignited along the scythe's blade.

"!!"

A sudden chill ran down Roak's spine, and a vivid image of his head being severed from his body flashed through his mind.

He was going to die. If he just stood there, he would undoubtedly be killed.

Driven by the terrifyingly clear premonition of his own death, Roak broke into a cold sweat and instinctively dropped low to the ground.

A split second later, purple sparks scattered just above his head. Every single tree left standing in the vicinity was instantly sheared clean off at a uniform height, turning the entire area into a barren logging site.

"Oops, I overdid it."

"You're just as bad at holding back as ever."

Since it had been a while since he last used a Spirit Dress, he hadn't been able to control his strength properly.

As Owen cradled his head in dismay at the fallen timber, Jack—the pumpkin pommel—let out an amused, cackling laugh.

"Shut up."

"Gugeh!?"

To punish his contracted spirit for making fun of him, Owen slammed the pommel into the ground. Since Jack was currently in his Spirit Dress form, he couldn't put up much resistance and was entirely at Owen's mercy.

"Honestly... Hmm?"

While Owen was distracted punishing Jack, leaving himself wide open, Roak unleashed a Spirit Art, enveloping Owen's entire body in crushing gravity.

But to Roak's sheer astonishment, Owen simply swung his scythe to intercept the attack with movements that suggested the heavy pressure had absolutely no effect on him.

"Monster..."

"That's mean."

As Owen offered a wry smile in response to his disciple's harsh words, the surrounding felled trees and rocks levitated before hurtling toward him at high speed.

"It's hard to hold back, so please don't make me swing this too much."

Faced with an overwhelming barrage of projectiles approaching from all directions, Owen grumbled in annoyance. He reignited the purple flames on his Spirit Dress and unleashed a horizontal sweep. With that single strike, everything hurtling toward him was swallowed by the purple flames and obliterated, while the residual fire continued surging toward Roak.

"Guh!"

Roak instantly raised the earth to form a makeshift wall, successfully blocking the brunt of the fire. However, the scorching pain on his skin left him trembling with a deep-seated fear.

"Good, good. I'm glad you managed to defend against that."

"Are you mocking me!!"

Roak shot him a vicious glare. Owen was about to unleash another restrained attack when he seemed to notice something, and he abruptly lowered his weapon.

"...What are you doing?"

"Time's up. It's a shame, but our little fight ends here."

Owen's fighting spirit completely vanished, making it clear that he had no intention of continuing. Roak stared at him suspiciously.

"What are you—"

"We'll catch up on everything else once you wake up."

It happened right after Owen muttered those words, interrupting Roak mid-sentence.

A deafening crack of thunder echoed through the area as a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, piercing Roak's body.

"...Gah!?"

The immense shock of electricity coursing through his body instantly robbed Roak of his consciousness, and he collapsed to the ground, smoke rising from his form.

"Good grief."

As Owen let out a heavy, exhausted sigh, a massive avian beast with two pairs of blue wings flapped down and landed right beside him.

"Well done. That was just the right amount of restraint."

Owen offered those words of praise to his second contracted spirit, Thunderbird, which he had covertly summoned under the cover of Jack's purple flames.

＊＊＊＊＊

"...Huh? Where am I?"

Before I realized it, the surrounding scenery had shifted from a dense forest into a void of total darkness.

Just moments ago, I should have been in Judecca Forest, attempting to form a contract with an Evil Spirit within the bounds of a barrier. So what exactly was going on?

"Master? Gareth? Where is everyone...?"

The Evil Spirit that had been right in front of me, Master and Gareth who were watching over me, and even the spirits maintaining the barrier—every single presence that had surrounded me was completely gone.

Where did they all go?

"...No, more importantly, where the hell is this?"

Questioning the nature of this mysterious space, I tried to retrace my memories.

Right. A little while ago, I was trying to establish a contract with the Evil Spirit. Then, incomprehensible words flooded my mind, sending me into a total panic, and...

『You can't. You shouldn't form a contract with something like that.』

"...Huh? Who's there?"

Hearing a voice behind me, I turned around to see someone standing in the darkness. Their facial features were obscured by the shadows, but judging by their voice and silhouette, it seemed to be a young girl.

『Something like that isn't fit for you.』

"What are you even talking about...? Wait, more importantly, who are you?"

For some reason, she spoke to me with a tone of familiarity, as if she knew exactly who I was, but I didn't recognize her at all.

...No, was that really true?

I couldn't explain why, but I felt a strange sense of déjà vu coming from her—a somewhat nostalgic atmosphere.

"Have we... met somewhere before?"

『...!』

"Hmm... No good. I can't remember."

I had a vague feeling that I actually had met her, but my memories were clouded by a thick fog, refusing to clear up.

『............』

As a result, a faint aura of displeasure began to radiate from the girl standing before me. It seemed my answer had rubbed her the wrong way.

『...Sigh. I suppose it can't be helped.』

"...Uh, sorry about that."

『Well, it's fine. I messed up this time too, so I'll let it slide.』

"Messed up?"

Ignoring my confusion over what she meant by "messed up," the girl slowly approached me, the wing-like appendages on her back rustling softly.

Stopping right in front of me, she curled her lips into a smile and pointed a finger directly at my face.

『But listen, I won't forgive you if you go getting distracted by others and neglect your cute family, okay?』

"...Huh? What did you just—"

『Well then, see you later. ■■■■■.』

＊＊＊＊＊

I opened my eyes to a warm, rough sensation trailing across my face, only to find the massive wolf spirit, Beowulf, staring down at me with his tongue hanging out.

"Pant, pant, pant."

"Whoa! Beowulf!?"

"It seems you've regained your sanity."

Scrambling up, I turned toward the voice that had spoken from behind me. There stood the pumpkin-headed spirit, Jack-o'-Lantern, holding his lantern.

"Jack-san?"

"It has been a while, hasn't it, Roak?"

"Why are you out here—Gah!?"

As I stared in confusion at my Master's manifested contracted spirit, a sudden jolt of pain shot through my entire body, causing me to wince. Looking down, I realized I was covered in scratches and bruises for some reason, and my right ankle was wrapped in a heavily bloodstained bandage.

"Eh? Why am I covered in so many wounds?"

"Because you went on a rampage, Roak."

It was Gareth, sitting on the ground nearby, who answered my question.

"What do you mean, I went on a rampage...?"

I was about to ask what he meant when I noticed the state of Gareth's body—he was just as battered and bruised as I was. The words caught in my throat.

"Did I... cause those injuries?"

"Well, whether it was actually you who did it is a bit debatable."

"...Master."

I shifted my gaze to Master, who had just stepped out from behind Gareth. Though he didn't seem to have any serious injuries, his clothes were covered in dirt and partially torn, clear evidence that he had been in quite a scuffle.

"Was I... swallowed up by the Evil Spirit?"

"Well, I wonder. It's hard to definitively say the Evil Spirit was the sole cause... How much do you actually remember?"

"Up until incomprehensible words started flowing in from the Evil Spirit. After that, practically nothing..."

I answered Master's question while clutching my aching head.

I had a faint feeling I'd spoken to someone after that, but I couldn't remember what they looked like or what we had discussed. Was it just my imagination?

"...Jack."

"At the very least, that unpleasant presence from earlier has vanished."

As Master glanced at Jack, the spirit seemed to understand his intent and responded while swaying his lantern.

Master cupped his chin in thought, as if something about Jack's answer was bothering him.

"Um... Master, what happened to the Evil Spirit?"

I didn't want to interrupt his thoughts, but I couldn't help but be anxious about the invisible Evil Spirit. At my question, Master stopped his pondering, reached into his coat, and pulled out a Spirit Sealing Stone.

"It's safe. I took the liberty of sealing it back into this stone for now."

Seeing the stone radiating a dark glow, I let out a soft sigh of relief. I had fully expected it to have been unsummoned, but it seemed he had managed to retrieve it intact. Thank goodness.

Wait, considering it might have been controlling me, was this really something to be happy about?

"Master, Gareth, Beowulf, and Jack... I'm truly sorry. I was so full of confidence, yet I ended up causing this disaster. I have no excuses..."

"Well, I understand how you felt. Regardless, we all made it out unharmed, so there's no need for you to beat yourself up over it."

Gareth offered a wry smile as I bowed my head in apology.

"More importantly, is your body okay, Roak? You took a direct hit from Owen-san's contracted spirit..."

"Ah, so that's why I'm in such terrible shape..."

No wonder my whole body ached so badly. It made perfect sense now.

"My apologies. I really couldn't afford to hold back too much, you see."

As if responding to Master's words, the Thunderbird—a lightning spirit with four massive blue wings—flapped down from the sky and gracefully landed on the ground.

"You even summoned the Thunderbird...?"

"Yes, though this one is terrible at holding back. It could have easily burned you to a crisp."

"How rude. I'm far better at controlling my power."

Master's second contracted spirit, the Thunderbird.

To have taken a direct hit from a high-ranking spirit on par with Sigurum and walked away with only this level of injury meant it really must have held back substantially.

"Well, your little rampage did result in a few of the spirits I use for Temporary Contracts getting unsummoned, but let's just be glad we all survived, like Gareth said."

"...Did I really go that crazy?"

"Oh yes. It was a rather spectacular rampage."

Master nodded at my question and glanced at Gareth for confirmation. Gareth nodded solemnly in agreement.

"...I am truly, incredibly sorry."

I bowed my head deeply in apology once more.

To think I had unsummoned the spirits Master had in his possession... It seemed I had caused far more trouble than I could have imagined.

"I won't ever attempt to contract with an Evil Spirit again..."

"Well, I'll think about replacing the lost spirits later. More importantly, there are a few things that caught my attention. Do you mind if I confirm something with you?"

"Yes, of course."

When I nodded, Master immediately posed his questions.

"When you attempted the contracting ritual, you heard a voice from the Evil Spirit, correct?"

"Uh... yes, well..."

Though I had absolutely no idea what it was actually saying.

"...Did you sense any sort of hostility or malice from the Evil Spirit at that moment?"

"...No, I didn't feel anything like that."

"...Hmm."

It was true. I hadn't sensed even a shred of hostility from the Evil Spirit.

That was exactly why I'd harbored hope that a contract might be possible. But in retrospect, that naive hope was probably the beginning of my failure.

I now understood that the people in the past who had gone mad attempting to contract with Evil Spirits had likely met their tragic ends because they had let their guards down, just like I had.

"...One last thing. Have you ever encountered an Evil Spirit besides this one in the past, Roak?"

"...No, probably not... I don't think I have."

"...I see."

Having concluded his barrage of questions, Master nodded and casually tossed the Spirit Sealing Stone containing the Evil Spirit back to me.

Wait, what?

"Whoa!?"

"I'll return that to you, Roak. It seems to have taken somewhat of a liking to you."

"...But, still."

"But it should go without saying: do not try to attempt a contract again. If you absolutely need to borrow its power, restrict yourself to a Temporary Contract, which you've already proven you can handle safely. Understood?"

"...Are you sure it's safe to leave this with me?"

Was it really okay for someone like me, who had just caused such a massive disaster, to hold onto an Evil Spirit? When I asked, Master looked at me with an exasperated expression that clearly said, 'What are you talking about now?'

"Whether you're contracted with it or not, it's customary to take responsibility for a spirit you picked up yourself. If you truly don't want anything to do with it, I can hold onto it for you, of course."

"But, Owen-san, won't the Evil Spirit go on a rampage if it stays with Roak...?"

"I highly doubt we need to worry about that. At the very least, it didn't rampage when it was first summoned, and the loss of control only triggered when he attempted a true Spirit Contract. As long as he doesn't recklessly attempt the ritual again, it will be fine."

"............"

Listening to Master's reassurance, I stared intently at the Spirit Sealing Stone he'd handed back to me.

Was it really going to be fine?

Would I really not lose control again as long as I held onto this thing?

Something that hadn't worried me in the slightest just yesterday was now filling me with endless anxiety. I honestly found it bizarre how I'd managed to live my life up to this point casually carrying around a live bomb.

"Roak."

Perhaps unable to bear watching me stare blankly at the stone, Master called out my name.

"Can you not trust it?"

"...Huh?"

"The Evil Spirit. And maybe... yourself as well?"

"............"

He hit the nail right on the head, causing me to bite my tongue. Master just chuckled in amusement.

"This is quite rare for you, Roak. You're being awfully timid."

"Of course I am. I convinced myself I could successfully contract with an Evil Spirit, and look what happened."

In the end, it only served to re-prove the harsh truth that I was merely a half-baked Spirit Master utterly incapable of forming a contract. Even so, since I had staked a final, desperate sliver of hope on this attempt, the shock of failure was quite substantial.

"...Do you know what the most important aspect of contracting with a spirit is?"

"...What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"The answer is mutual trust. You must forge a connection between your souls, becoming literally of one mind and body under the contract, all predicated on deep, mutual reliance."

"...Trust."

In other words, since I couldn't form the Spirit Contract, did that mean this Evil Spirit didn't trust me?

Well, considering we had been trying to kill each other not too long ago, I supposed it was perfectly natural...

"However, the same rule applies to Temporary Contracts as well."

"........."

"Even with a Temporary Contract, where the bond is fleeting, borrowing and lending power is simply impossible without some foundational level of trust."

"...Do you really think there's any trust between me and this thing?"

"The very fact that you managed to form a Temporary Contract proves that there was at least a small amount of trust, wouldn't you say?"

"............"

Could that... really be true?

"And even if there wasn't, wouldn't Roak Areas be the type of person to find a way to earn that trust regardless?"

"...!"

His words caught me off guard. When I snapped my head up to look at him, Master was still wearing his usual smile.

"I didn't just blindly hand it back to you without thinking it through. I entrusted it to you because I truly believe in your unwavering resolve—the sheer grit that has kept you fighting as a Spirit Master despite being unable to form a contract. I know you won't be an issue."

"...Master."

"Or, if you're really that worried, I can take it off your hands? I wouldn't mind."

Master reached out a hand. I let out a deep breath, slowly stood up, and shook my head.

After hearing words like that, there was no way I could just back down.

"No, I will hold onto it. It's not a problem."

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes. I won't let another rampage happen, and I swear I will never let this thing run wild again."

Exactly. Shrinking back in fear after a single failure just wasn't my style. If I made a mistake, all I had to do was learn from it and ensure I never repeated it.

It was no different from everything else up to this point.

I just had to keep pushing forward and working as hard as I always had.

"Well, if you're fine with it, I won't press the issue. But this isn't just your problem anymore. Gareth, what do you think?"

"Well, if he insists that strongly, I don't mind either. I was a bit worried when I saw how he was acting a minute ago, but I have no complaints about the Roak I'm looking at now."

Gareth laughed as he brushed off Master's question.

It seemed his earlier apprehension had merely been because he had to witness my pathetic, moping state.

"Besides, we were caught completely off guard this time, but I also got to see you fight against Owen-san. Next time, I'll be the one to cut you down."

"I'd really prefer it if you didn't try to cut me down..."

I'd just die if he actually did it, so using the back of the blade would be nice... But then again, as long as I didn't lose control, there wouldn't be an issue in the first place.

"...Well, it seems everything has been settled, so why don't we head back? We can grab some food on the way. It'll be my treat... Paid for by Roak, of course."

"Wait, I'm paying!?"

"Thank you very much. I'd love to join."

"Excellent. Let's go, then. Thunderbird."

"Wait, seriously? I have to pay?"

I frantically called out to the two of them as they carried on a conversation I couldn't simply ignore, but they acted as if they hadn't heard a word. They blatantly ignored me and climbed onto the Thunderbird's back.

"H-Hey, wait a minute!"

Regardless of the aftermath, my grand attempt had officially ended in failure.

As expected when dealing with an Evil Spirit, things hadn't gone smoothly. Still, I hadn't walked away entirely empty-handed.

Swearing to burn this failure into my memory and use it as fuel for the future, I climbed onto the Thunderbird's back, and we returned to Academy City Galadea.

As a side note, for the meal, Master dragged us to his usual haunt—a hyper-expensive restaurant that no student could possibly afford. Master ended up paying the bill, but only by officially placing me in his debt.

I immediately made another silent vow: I was going to find a way to wriggle out of paying him back, no matter what it took.

＊＊＊＊＊

The sharp *clack-clack* of hurried footsteps echoed through the academy corridors as a lone female student walked briskly down the hall.

Her name was Siltotte Millrine, a second-year student. Having spotted her master's name listed in the newly published lineup for the upcoming Rank Battles, she was hurrying to his side to report the details.

Soon, Siltotte arrived at the grand auditorium at the end of the corridor. She pushed open the massive doors and stepped inside.

The instant she entered, a smooth, flowing melody graced her ears. The beautiful tone echoing throughout the hall was so mesmerizing that Siltotte almost lost herself in it. However, she quickly refocused her thoughts and called out to her master—a young boy standing on the stage, his long golden hair swaying as he dramatically waved his hands, conducting the unseen music.

"Kei-sama! Your participation in the next Rank Battle has been officially decided!"

"............"

In response to Siltotte's shout, which easily pierced through the music, the young boy brought his conducting hands to an abrupt halt. The moment he did, the music flowing through the auditorium vanished instantly, leaving the vast space cloaked in pure silence.

"...And my opponent?"

"It is Roak Areas."

At the sound of that name, a faint tremor ran through the boy's shoulders.

Eventually, he slowly turned around, fixing his strikingly handsome features upon his attendant as he parted his lips to speak.

"Then the timing is perfect. Even though I only had myself to blame last time, he did saddle me with a loss. It's time for some revenge."

With those words, Kei Traluus, the Spirit Master ranked third in his academic year, curled his lips into a confident smile.

ToC