Twilight City.
Central Square.
Dawn was just breaking, but the place was already loud and packed.
"Buying familiars at high prices!"
"Goblin, E-grade, starting at 300,000."
"Centaur, D-grade, starting at 800,000."
"Silver-maned Griffin, C-grade, starting at 5,000,000."
With the shouts of sellers all around, Logan followed the line of students and walked slowly toward the summoning altar in the center.
Around them, kids their age were already taking their fresh-summoned familiars into the market around the square.
Looking at faces that were nervous or excited, Logan rubbed his eyes, looking lost.
"Did I... time-travel?"
As he spoke, Logan reached out without thinking toward the girl next to him.
Before Logan could continue, a hard slap hit his arm.
Smack!
"Ow... that really hurts! So I'm not dreaming!"
Logan muttered as he rubbed his sore shoulder.
He looked up at the girl. She glared at him with disgust and kept waving her little fist at him.
"Pervert, I'll deal with you later!"
With that, the girl ran to the center of the altar.
A slow ripple in space spread out, a huge shadow covered her face, and a tall Minotaur, all red and holding a giant axe, stood before her.
The teacher running the ritual lifted his eyes, glanced at the Minotaur, and said loud, "12th Grade, level F, Jessica, summoned familiar Minotaur, B-grade! Are you applying to college, or joining the army?"
Feeling the hot snorts from the Minotaur's nose, Jessica went pale.
Then she folded her hands on her chest, clenched her small fists, and her eyes grew firm.
"I... I want to sell it, and use the rest of the money to buy a C-grade healer-type familiar, and apply to medical school."
Hearing Jessica's choice, the students around weren't surprised, and were even a bit jealous.
A moment later...
Jessica held a black bank card and left the summoning square with light steps.
Watching Jessica's back fade away, Logan felt his head spin.
In a daze, Logan quickly remembered this body's memories.
Another world invaded reality. Barriers popped up everywhere, and tons of monsters poured out.
To fight back, the world moved into a time when everyone trains with familiars.
Federal high school students can summon one familiar for free and make a contract.
Whether it's college or the army, after graduation you have to take your familiar and face monsters from the other world.
No wonder Jessica picked a healer familiar. Doctors who heal are way safer than fighting head-on.
And for poor students like Logan, that's pretty much the best choice.
"Next, Logan!"
Hearing the call, Logan came back to himself, paused, and walked slowly to the altar.
Once he stood at the center of the altar, the teacher running the ritual raised his staff and tapped the ground at Logan's feet.
"Kid, start meditating!"
Following the teacher's lead, Logan closed his eyes and tried to connect with the energy of the other dimension, searching for a familiar.
Compared to Jessica just now, Logan seemed a bit restless.
In this world, his family had died one after another to monsters from the other side.
You might be asleep, and a barrier zone could drop right onto your street.
So only by holding real power could you live well.
And this altar under his feet was pretty much the only chance a poor kid had to flip his fate.
Thinking that, Logan frowned, clenched his teeth, and whispered,
"I have to summon a strong familiar!"
As soon as he said it, waves of space spread from under Logan's feet, and the dimensional gate lit up again.
In an instant, a holy light pierced the dimensional barrier, so bright people couldn't even open their eyes.
Even the teacher was shaken by that holy aura. He had to squint and stare hard at the ground by Logan's feet.
Seeing Logan's worn-out leather boots, the teacher frowned a little, shocked and jealous at the same time.
"This poor kid's lucky. This familiar is at least high A-grade, almost up to the legendary S-grade."
Soon, a figure slowly rose from Logan's feet.
A golden bough crown on her head.
Her skirt fluttered.
Her feet hovered.
She was stunningly beautiful.
Her glowing skin and slender shape made it hard to look away.
As a pair of snow-white wings spread wide, a shout burst from the crowd.
"Oh my God, it's an angel!"
In legend, the closest light-type familiar to S-grade. Nothing else compares.
The vice president of the Federal Familiarists' Association has an angel as his main familiar.
He once used a single angel to sweep a whole runaway barrier zone by himself.
Thinking of that, the students on site all looked over with envy.
Some vendors and speculators watching even had stars in their eyes and rushed the altar.
"Kid! Don't sign the contract yet! Our Dragon Hunting Guild offers fifty million!"
"Back off! Our S.H.I.E.L.D. Guild offers eighty million! Sell to me!"
...
Seeing more and more groups charge up to make trouble, the teacher took a deep breath, lifted his staff, and slammed it down. The heavy shock made everyone freeze.
Then he looked at Logan with a complicated gaze and explained in a low voice, "Angel, a top light-type familiar. Immune to most poisons and curses, with strong self-heal and healing, strong attack, and high-speed flight. Almost no weak spots."
He paused, turned, and swept his eyes over the familiarists who had just bid, his tone full of warning.
"If you raise her well, one day your name will be among the top powerhouses of the Federation."
"However, to raise an angel well, the cost is huge."
"I can tell your family isn't well-off. You probably can't afford it. You might consider joining the army with her."
"As long as you prove your potential, the military will pour resources into your growth."
Hearing the advice, Logan walked up to the angel and stared at the powerful, beautiful humanoid familiar. His eyes burned.
Just after crossing over, he had summoned a top A-grade familiar. Logan was very happy with this start.
As for joining the army—no big deal. He had no attachments. It actually fit.
With that thought, Logan raised both hands to form the seals and start a familiar contract with the angel.
"Wait."
With a soft rebuke, the angel's wings flexed. A barrier of holy light stopped Logan's hands cold, and he couldn't move forward an inch.
The angel rose into the air, looking down at everyone with open pride.
"A lowly bloodline has no right to form a contract with me."
"Also, do you have money? If not, how will you support me?"
The words hit like thunder in everyone's chest.
A familiar refusing a contract—this was the first time anyone had seen it.
As the angel looked ready to fly off the summoning square, alarms rang out over all of Twilight City.
The teacher at Logan's side lifted into the air as well.
"Angel, I remind you: if you flee without permission, you will be wanted across the entire Federation."
"I believe you're smart enough to make the right choice."
At the warning, the angel paused midair. Her eyes toward Logan stayed arrogant.
"Then switch to someone else. I only contract with humans of noble blood."
Humiliated twice in a row, Logan again became the center of attention.
The guild brokers who were shouting sky-high offers moments ago suddenly lowered their bids.
"Kid, if you can't contract the angel, the army won't cover you."
"How about this: I'll personally offer one million. Sell her to me, and I'll take you as an intern at our Dragon Hunting Guild."
Even the teacher who had been guiding Logan showed regret and sighed.
"Logan, on behalf of the military, I can offer a fair trade. You can use this angel to exchange for one more free summon, plus ten million in cash."
As every faction showed their cards, the students around pricked up their ears, waiting to see what Logan would choose.
But Logan had no time for them. All his attention was locked on the words in front of his eyes.
[Familiar: Diana]
[Race: Angel]
[Element: Light]
[Grade: A, 5-Star]
[Talents: Flight, Regeneration]
[Skills: Divine Healing, Purifying Light, Holy Bolt]
[Training Advice: Use Golden Apple, Winged-Serpent Core… to increase this familiar's bloodline purity. Take once every 1 day. Continuous use may evolve into "Archangel." Current chance: 0.03%.]
"Is this… a cheat?"
He let out three long breaths and finally came back to himself.
Then he looked up at the angel hanging in the air, eyes locked on her.
"When you learn what you just lost, you'll regret it."