(Third POV)
The palace courtyard lay still, the cool night air carrying the faint scent of damp stone. North Emperor Sandor had just finished reading the border report, the words etched sharply into his mind.
Folding the parchment, he slipped it into his sleeve, already calculating how to deliver its contents to Princess Ariel without stirring panic—news that a Red Dragon flock had struck a caravan bound for Ars, one carrying a massive shipment of anti-magic bricks.
That was when he sensed it.
Not wind. Not shadow. Something deliberate.
His hand moved to the steel pole strapped across his back.
"You have three seconds to step out," he said, voice calm but edged with steel.
From behind a marble column, a figure emerged—not by walking, but by sliding out of the darkness itself, as though the shadows had given it birth.
A cold wind curled around Sandor. For an instant, the fox mask sparked recognition and eased his stance—until he realized this was not the man he knew.
The mask was Arumanfi's twin, but the attire was different: a black fur coat draped over the shoulders, hood drawn low to reveal sharp canine ears. Light armor clung close beneath it, built for speed, not defense. Hidden steel whispered faintly with each step—an assassin's trade.
The figure glided forward, silent as moonlight across still water. When only a few steps remained, they drew out a folded parchment and extended it wordlessly.
Sandor accepted it, eyes narrowing at the wax seal. The insignia was unmistakable—Dragon God.
He looked up, ready to speak. But the figure was gone, leaving only a curl of icy air to stir the silence.
Sandor stood alone, the letter heavy in his hand.
***
(Ryuta POV)
I waited in what had become my dining room.
Through Arumanfi, I'd learned my culling of Red Dragons had shifted the balance. The stronger flocks I avoided during my hunts had begun preying on weaker ones. Nature was finishing what I started. What savages these things can be.
But the King Dragon Kingdom was moving faster than expected. Their first wave was already marching. Orsted had seen them only days ago—four more, and they'd reach the border.
That was why I rushed to complete my project: a new familiar. One I had already dispatched to North Emperor Sandor—secretly Kalman II, the second North God. In my letter, I urged him to fortify the southern front.
"Lord Ryuta, I have returned."
"I know," I replied, turning.
Kneeling with forehead pressed to the floor was the proof of my success: a familiar unlike any other.
Outwardly, he resembled a savage Arumanfi—a killer wrapped in shadows. But inside, he was more: a hybrid of spirit and fiend, forged from a Shadow Spirit and a Fenris Wolf.
I named him Sumizome.
The shadows gave him stealth and infiltration, like Arumanfi's light-particle form. The Fenris Wolf gave natural mana absorption and predatory instinct. With Nanahoshi's refinements, he gained more: silent steps, fast travel capable of going anywhere in the world, automated Earth Magic forged weapons, an extra set of arms folded beneath his coat, and the ability to transform into a giant six-legged wolf monstrosity.
But he wasn't flawless.
His fast travel is unreliable since he hasn't fully memorized the map; he can only manage to form a small dagger, and he functions more efficiently in beast form than in humanoid form.
In short, a seedling, waiting to grow.
If I had more Magic Crystals to work with, I could have brought in what I initially planned for. I had to speed up the summoning process, so anything too excessive wasn't possible.
In theory, I should be able to modify him with the right formation of Magic Circles on a later note. Then again, combining spirit and fiend was also just a theory, until I proved it to be legitimately doable.
"Well then," I said, rising from my chair. "Let's prepare. We're going to prevent a war."
***
The first step was the lab—tools useful to intercept the King Dragon forces.
It unsettled me sometimes—the ease with which these inventions came. Like the dull-grey sphere I held. Baseball-sized, yet containing the force of advanced fire magic. One glance at a circle, and five new variations leapt to mind.
I never knew where that inspiration came from. It could simply be a matter of being naturally gifted, but sometimes things in the work of Magic are too easy to understand for me.
"My lord, is something wrong?"
"Nothing, Sumizome."
He slipped into my shadow, concealed. I would have tested him more, but war didn't wait.
I gathered my gear, donned the leather robe left by the masked man, and left my lab in its chaotic state—functional, like Nanahoshi's.
But as I moved through the halls, my detection caught four signatures—people I hadn't wanted crossing paths. Their voices reached me first.
"I mean, look at her! She's barely old enough to read!"
"Doesn't mean she can't learn."
"Yeah, shut it, twerp."
"Cease your foul tongue! The little one is still learning."
I turned the corner. The dwarf girl cowered behind Zanoba. Linia and Pursena loomed over Cliff.
"What's the meaning of this ruckus?" I asked, stepping to Zanoba's side. My eyes went to Cliff.
"Cliff, if you're upset Zanoba keeps a child slave, then—"
"What?! No!" Cliff snapped. "I want to know why you're teaching her chantless Magic instead of a genius like me!"
"…Huh?"
So that was it. Pride, not morality. Typical.
"That arrogance," I said flatly, "is why I'll never waste a thought on you."
From my pocket dimension, I drew a stack of papers and handed them to Zanoba.
"Here. Lessons. In the Human God and Beast God tongue. Continue her studies. I'll be away. Longer than before."
"Boss, you alright?" Pursena sniffed. "You smell like… wolf?"
Impressive. Even with Sumizome hidden, she noticed. Might need to do something about his odor if there are any beastfolk that need to be eliminated.
"That isn't me." I tapped my foot against the shadow. "It's my familiar. Sumizome, show yourself."
*Thud*
"…Sumizome," I muttered, "did you just come out in beast form?"
"It is to show these fools your might—that you command one such as me."
Perfect. A superiority complex. Just what I needed.
"Switch to humanoid. Now."
"As you wish."
Gasps followed his transformation—shrinking, folding, until he stood in human guise.
Zanoba recovered first. "Master…! You truly are unrivaled. To subjugate even a spirit-wolf hybrid! My reverence for you knows no bounds!"
"Keep it bound," I muttered.
"Shall I silence them, my lord?" Sumizome asked.
"No. Nothing unless I order it." My sharpness surprised even me, but he bowed and sank into shadow.
Zanoba's hands shook as he held the bundle of lesson papers, but his eyes shone with almost childlike reverence. The dwarf girl peeked up at him, clutching the hem of his robe.
I glanced at Linia and Pursena, who were still smirking at Cliff's outburst. "And you two," I said. "If she struggles with the Beast God tongue on those papers, you'll help her. You hear?"
The beast girls blinked, then grinned in unison.
"Heh, homework, huh?" Linia snickered.
"Fine, boss. We'll make sure she learns fast," Pursena added, tail swishing.
Good.
I turned my gaze back to Cliff, who was fuming but trying hard not to show it. "As for you. If you're so desperate to prove your genius, then stop whining about who I teach. Join Zanoba. Practice Earth Magic without chanting."
He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off.
"If you manage to pull it off even once, I'll teach you myself about the things I research, and perhaps teach you how to make these," I said, pointing at Sumizome.
That shut him up. His indignation melted into wide-eyed surprise, then hardened into determination. "You mean that?"
I nodded. "But until then, don't waste my time."
Cliff clenched his fists, already burning with the challenge.
"Anyway," I said as I went on my way, "I'm gonna be gone for a while, so make sure Frederic doesn't start complaining about you guys again."
As their chatter resumed behind me, I let my steps carry me further down the hall, Sumizome's presence a muted pulse at my heels.
One more place to visit.
***
(Nanahoshi POV)
Spirit–fiend. Or Hybrid Familiar. Call it what you want. It was supposed to be a ridiculous theory. Ryuta just went, "Let's try it," and now it's standing in my lab.
I've devoted myself to Summoning Magic with all the seriousness of a scholar. He, meanwhile, creates an abomination that shouldn't exist.
And it doesn't stop there.
"A seven-part familiar with one shared mind?" I'd asked.
"That was my aim," Ryuta replied, "From analyzing the Strife Zone's monster-repelling system, how they were able to send out their signals like they were radio waves, it would've ended up a hive-mind construct. But the materials weren't enough, so a single one was all I could manage."
This… barbaric Arumanfi knockoff could easily surpass most of Perugius's familiars in combat if given time to modify.
Right now, though? It looked like some cosplayer dragged out of a novel. No tail, but I was fairly certain the "coat" was part of its body. The thought made my stomach turn.
"Are you sure he'll be of great help?" I asked, knowing that this thing is still learning about its new body.
"Grrrrrr!"
The thing growled, fur bristling. I was right about the coat!
"Hey! Watch it." Ryuta set a hand on its shoulder, glaring until it stilled.
"We discussed this. I'll bombard them from the front. You'll strike from the shadows. We use our strengths. Understood?"
Then he looked at me, apologetic. "Sorry. I may have given him too much personality when trying to make him adaptable."
"'Too much' is an understatement," I muttered.
Not the worst outcome I'd feared, but still dangerous. Either it becomes a loyal servant… or a fanatic.
"Well then. Sumizome. Time to go."
"You're leaving already?" I asked.
"I need time to set traps. To turn the terrain to my advantage. Since there will be several people not originally part of the King Dragon Kingdom, I won't know what awaits me."
It all sounded absurd.
I always knew Ryuta would end up in serious conflicts. I just didn't expect him to walk straight into a war.
He slung his satchel over one shoulder, checking the robe's clasp with practiced fingers. His face was calm, too calm—like a blade laid bare.
"You really think you can hold them back?" I pressed.
"I don't need to hold them back," he said. "Just ensure they hold their forces long enough for Asura to gather their own forces."
He spoke like it was simple. Like stalling an army was something you did before breakfast. The confidence was infuriating—and terrifying.
I stepped closer. "You know what's at stake if you fall out there. No one else besides you is capable of working for Orsted. You can't treat yourself as expendable."
His eyes softened. A weary smile tugged faintly at his lips. "I'm not planning on dying, Nanahoshi."
"People don't plan on dying. It just happens. You should know that better than most."
"Fair." He adjusted his glove. "But if I don't stop it from happening, the Asura Kingdom will lose for certain, even if they have three powerful knights in their ranks. The King Dragon Kingdom has an advantage in numbers. I'm just evening things out by giving Asura the chance to come up with a plan."
His certainty twisted my stomach. Armies were pieces on a board to him; his own life, just another move. Strategy over survival—that was Ryuta.
I clenched my hands against my robes. He's too calm. Too sure. That calm could get him killed.
Sumizome stirred in his shadow, restless, like an echo of his will.
"Trust me," Ryuta said quietly. "I'll be fine."
I hated how nearly convincing his words were.
"…You better be," I muttered.
That earned a laugh. Brief. Honest. Then he pulled up his hood.
"Understood."
And then he left, Sumizome slipping after him like a second shadow.
The lab felt colder without him—too quiet, too fragile.
For the first time in a long while, I caught myself praying he'd be right.
***
The next few days blurred together, as they always did when I drowned myself in research.
Without him, the lab felt hollow. His mess of scribbled notes and half-finished devices used to crackle like static in the air. Now the silence mocked me.
So I worked.
I charted summoning arrays, layered them, and tested stabilization. Progress was slow. Too slow. And yet, even with ink-stained fingers and burning eyes, my thoughts drifted.
What's he doing right now?
Setting traps. Sketching new tools. Hunting. Fighting. Stalling an army.
If he was overestimating himself again… No. Thinking like that was pointless. He said he'd be fine.
By the third day, fatigue gnawed at me. I leaned back, ready to stop.
I could see if Sara has some free time and hang out.
"Gosh, I miss having a phone," I muttered to myself as I looked out the window.
Then the crash came.
Glass shattered. Wood splintered. The shelves rattled like bones in an earthquake.
I froze, heart hammering. "What the—!?"
The wall itself seemed to give way. A shape tumbled through, black fur and tattered cloth scattering dust and shards across the floor.
I staggered back, heart hammering. For an instant, I thought it was some wild beast—until the fox mask lifted into view, fractured and crooked.
"…Sumizome?" The word slipped out, half-question, half-denial.
He clawed himself upright, staggering. The fox mask was fractured, with one ear bent backward and a jagged crack running down the eye. His left arm was gone, cut clean at the shoulder. Wisps of shadow bled from the wound, curling like smoke.
"Warn… Orsted…" His voice was broken, guttural, scraping like torn echoes forced into words.
The mask split again. A chunk fell with a hollow *clack* against the floor.
He convulsed once, then unraveled—his body dissolving into motes of shadow that hissed and scattered, until nothing remained but silence and the stink of scorched iron.
I stood frozen, staring at the empty space where he'd been.
Because if this was the state of his familiar—
Then whatever had happened to Ryuta… It was nothing good.
///