When a familiar under an exclusive contract is killed, the summoner can never summon the same familiar again. It’s a final parting. Exclusive contracts grant immense power, but if you form one, you have to accept that risk and think carefully about when to deploy the familiar.
The Dragon King Kanarg was dead, and I could never summon him again.
Our time together had been brief, yet he had been a true comrade. I caught a glimpse of Kanarg’s crushed head, his form fading away, and clenched my teeth.
Mourning would come later. Kanarg had bought us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with his life, and it was our job to seize it. Here and now, Azagralith must be defeated. No matter what.
“Let’s go, Master.”
Without me needing to tell him, Sha-Lau lunged forward. Azagralith—his stance broken, weapon on the ground at his feet, still entangled in the fading remains of Kanarg—was vulnerable.
Sha-Lau’s and my intentions were one.
“Accel.”
Once again, our surroundings seemed to slow down, and Azagralith’s turn toward us seemed to happen one frame at a time.
The demon general extended his remaining hand, getting ready to cast Deflection. But…
“Deflection!”
I cast it, too. Both our spells activated at the exact same moment, and our thin veils collided—the spells canceled each other out.
A look of astonishment crossed Azagralith’s face.
I knew this would happen from my discussions with Mia. We had conducted several Q&A sessions, and it was she who had first suggested the idea of Deflection cancellation.
Mia, you’ve saved my life again, I thought, feeling an overwhelming warmth in my chest. If she were watching this battle from somewhere, I wondered if she would smile and say, “Just like I said.”
Sha-Lau continued his charge, biting fiercely into Azagralith’s throat. Clamping down with all his might, he tore through the soft skin under the jaw, sending blue blood spraying wildly.
Azagralith let out a chilling roar as he attempted to pry Sha-Lau off with his left hand. But this hand lacked the strength that had crushed Kanarg’s head. His right hand hung limply, devoid of power.
The demon general fell to the ground, rolling clumsily as he desperately tried to dislodge the Phantom Wolf King. We were just as desperate, determined to end this.
“Sha-Lau, can you use an attack spell right now?”
“If you’re prepared for self-destruction.”
“Then do it,” I commanded without hesitation. We had to win here, or there was no future. How could I face Kanarg, who’d sacrificed himself, or Mia, who’d given us this chance, if we retreated now?
So, in a deadly gamble, I declared, “Power Spell.”
A Rank 8 support spell, Power Spell significantly enhances the capabilities of a spell for just a few seconds.
“Now, Sha-Lau. Even if this means parting ways with you here, we go for the win.”
“Understood, Master!”
In the next instant, Sha-Lau unleashed an electrifying magic attack, engulfing even himself in the process.
My Power Spell amplified the attack, and it pierced through Azagralith’s throat, spreading throughout his entire body. At the same time, it tormented Sha-Lau, but still the Phantom Wolf King unleashed another blast of lightning. And then another.
That was his limit.
Sha-Lau released his teeth from Azagralith’s throat and staggered away, exhausted. Smoke poured out of the dark ogre’s body, his muscles twitching uncontrollably.
He didn’t attempt to stand up again.
His lips moved. No sound came out, but somehow, I understood what he was trying to convey. I could sense the words he wanted to say with his last breath.
“Well done,” the great berserker finally muttered and then… expired. Content, he closed his eyes and relaxed his body completely. His form vanished, leaving behind a white gemstone.
A token worth a thousand tokens, symbolic of the Four Heavenly Kings.
I leveled up and found myself in the White Room.
✦ ✦ ✦
After the battle…
There was nothing in particular to do in the White Room, and the thought of being alone in it was disheartening. Maybe I was no longer comfortable being alone.
I quickly sat in front of the PC, ready to go back.
✦ ✦ ✦
The aftermath of the battle was devastating.
Every tree had been toppled, and the ground was gouged open with exposed earth and pockmarked with craters. In the distance, I heard a resonating crash—the floating fortress must have fallen to the earth. Had all the ogres on it perished?
Perhaps not. Mage Ogres can use flight or slow-fall magic. The smarter ones might have escaped and even helped their subordinates to do the same. But right now, I had neither the time nor the energy to go after them.
After swiftly collecting the white gemstone, I used Deportation to send Sha-Lau and Nahan back before the Familiar Awakening expired. This would give me a bit more MP leeway.
To be honest, I hadn’t been feeling too good since the battle. I had a terrible headache, and everything felt hazy. Maybe it was from using vastly more MP than my body could handle, or maybe it was some kind of aftereffect.
“Mia. It’s over,” I muttered, looking up at the sky.
Can she hear me? I wondered. Did she see what happened? What will become of Mia Tagamiya now? When will I see her again? Is there anything I can do besides wait?
As I stared at the sky, things started getting louder around me. Ogres had probably spotted me.
“Summon Paladin.”
With the MP I had left, I summoned two Paladins for counterattack. They charged into battle, their swords clashing, while I stood motionless.
All I wanted to do in that moment was sleep. But I had to return to the World Tree. Leen, ever vigilant, was probably monitoring this mountain with her familiars. Soon, she would find me.
After a few minutes, the Paladins returned carrying nine blue gemstones. I realized absently that, a few days ago, defeating nine ogres in such a short time would have seemed impossible.
Then, a hawk descended from above.
“Is this my ride?”
I dismissed my summons and stepped onto the magic circle created by the hawk. The familiar sensation of disorientation accompanied the teleportation. A moment later, the air changed, and…
I was back at the World Tree.
✦ ✦ ✦
Arisu and the others had returned to the World Tree before me. Apparently, right after Mia and I disappeared, they had been ejected from the dome-shaped building. The dome had then lost its rainbow shimmer, making it inaccessible.
They had considered entering by force, but…
That’s when Leen noticed the disturbance at the floating fortress. Someone was wreaking havoc there. They decided to leave a hawk at the Temple of Tepat and retreat to the World Tree, monitoring the area around the school’s mountain.
That was when they saw me, with my three familiars, engaged in a fierce battle with Azagralith. They had lots of questions about why I’d been at the school and why I had exclusive contracts with Nahan and Kanarg.
“What exactly happened?” Yuuki asked.
Ah, so you’re not asking about Mia first. I supported my unsteady body with sheer willpower and bowed my head.
“Mia… she’s gone somewhere far away.”
“Hmm, could you elaborate…? No, never mind for now. Just tell me one thing. Is she…?”
“She’s alive. That much is certain. She chose to leave on a journey. I’m sorry, Yuuki-senpai. I couldn’t protect her.”
Yuuki silently clenched his fists, a mix of emotions on his unmasked face. Then, his expression fading, he embraced me. His arms were strong.
“Thank you for doing your best for my sister.”
His tone was different from usual, but there wasn’t a hint of falsity in his words. He truly understood how much Mia had meant to me and how much I’d done for her.
“I want you to have this,” I said, trying to hand him Mia’s watch, but he shook his head.
“If Mia gave that to you, I want you to keep it.”
“Okay,” I nodded and closed my eyes. I had reached my limit. My consciousness began to slip into darkness.
Arisu and Tamaki were shouting.
It’s okay, I’m just really tired. So incredibly… tired…
✦ ✦ ✦
Thus, the fifth day of my journey in another world came to an end. I had gained so much information, yet I hadn’t begun to sort through it all. I wasn’t even sure what to do next…
Tomorrow would come anyway.
A tomorrow without Mia.
Goodbye, Mia. I love you.
〈To be continued in Another World Survival: Min-Maxing My Support and Summoning Magic, Volume 9〉