My psychokinetic intuition was screaming at me. Even without my mecha, the Vaisaga or the Soulgain, my gut told me that the Kyoto trip was going to be a battlefield. Maybe my sense of danger was heightened because I didn't have a "half-body" like the Glowsaver with me in this world.
"I see," Chizuru whispered. "But... are you going to leave me behind again when it happens?"
I stayed silent.
As she was now, Chizuru could barely manifest a Magic Archer spell. In a mock battle like the one between Eva and Negi, she might have been safe enough to observe. But the Kyoto trip wasn't going to be a game. It would be a struggle for survival. If I took her with me and she got hurt—or worse—I would never be able to live with myself.
"Is it because I'm weak?" she pressed.
"..."
"So, if I had power... you wouldn't leave me behind. Is that it?"
"What?" I finally broke my silence, frowning.
"Something like... Ayaka's contract," she said.
"Wait, Chizuru—!"
"Kamo-san, if you please!" she called out to the shadows of the trees.
The mention of a Pactio set my nerves on edge, but before I could move, a familiar voice chirped from behind a nearby trunk.
"You got it, Chizuru-neesan! Let's do this! Contract!"
A magic circle erupted beneath our feet. It was the same geometry I'd seen when I formed a bond with Ayaka.
"A Pactio circle?!"
The moment the light flared, my own mana resonated with the spell. Just like before, the natural affection I felt for Chizuru was surged, amplified a hundredfold by the magical link.
"Chizuru..."
"Axel-kun, I love that you worry about me," she said, stepping into my personal space. She reached up, her warm palms cupping my cheeks and tilting my face up to hers. "But I don't want to lose you. And I want to be your strength. Please."
She leaned down. Her lips met mine—firm, insistent, and unexpectedly hungry.
"Mmm..."
"Alright! Pactio complete!" Kamo shouted.
A card materialized in the ermine's paws, but Chizuru didn't seem to care. She kissed me again. And again. By the fourth or fifth time, she finally pulled back, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink, though her smile was triumphant.
"They say a first kiss tastes like lemons or strawberries," she teased. "Mine tasted like strawberry crepe."
"...I don't even know what to say to that."
"Hehe. I did this of my own free will, Axel-kun. Don't go blaming Kamo-san for it."
"Y-yeah, well... here's the card, for what it's worth," Kamo said, scurrying over to hand us the newly minted Pactio card.
I briefly considered wringing the ermine's neck for dragging another innocent girl into the world of mages, but I couldn't ignore the fact that Chizuru had sought this out herself. She knew the risks, and she'd made her choice.
"Kamo."
The ermine flinched, but I sighed. "Relax. She wanted this. I won't hold it against you."
"Phew! Glad to hear it! Anyway, check out the card..."
I looked down at the Pactio card. It depicted Chizuru in a stunning red party dress that emphasized her mature curves—hardly looking like a middle schooler at all. On her right wrist, she wore a bracelet that shimmered with seven distinct colors.
Name: Chizuru Naba
Title: The Guardian of Destruction
Color: Rainbow
Attribute: Courage
Direction: South
Celestial Body: Asteroid
"The Guardian of Destruction?" Chizuru tilted her head, reading her own title.
Kamo nodded knowingly. "I thought so. Just like with Yukihiro-neesan, Axel-aniki's mana is leaking into the contract's definitions."
"Ayaka's title was the Bloodsoaked Maiden, wasn't it?" Chizuru recalled.
"Exactly. The 'Bloodsoaked' part likely came from Axel, while 'Maiden' was all Yukihiro. In this case, 'Destruction' is definitely Axel-aniki's influence, while 'Guardian' represents Chizuru-neesan's personality."
Destruction and Guardianship. It was a strange contradiction, but then again, so was I.
"Naba-neesan, hold the card and say the word: Adeat."
"Adeat," she whispered.
In a flash of light, her casual clothes were replaced by the crimson gown from the card. The seven-colored bracelet on her arm—shining with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—pulsed with light.
"That bracelet is definitely the Artifact," Kamo noted. "Do you know how to use it?"
"Hmm... let's see. Like this?"
The moment she focused, a translucent red dome of energy expanded from Chizuru, forming a perfect defensive barrier.
"A defensive type? Wait, let me see that card again," Kamo said, snatching it back. "With Axel-aniki's mana as the source, there's no way it's just a shield. Though an undiscovered Artifact is rare enough as it is..."
"Wait, why did her clothes change too?" I asked. "When I contracted with Ayaka, she only got the Artifact."
"Compatibility, probably," Kamo muttered, lost in thought. "Wait... Naba-neesan, when you triggered that shield, you touched the red part of the bracelet, right? What happens if you touch the orange part?"
"Like this?"
She tapped the orange gem. Instantly, the red barrier vanished, replaced by an orange one.
"It just changes color? No... wait, is that...?! Are you kidding me?!" Kamo's eyes nearly popped out of his head, but before he could explain, a small figure appeared through the trees.
"Kamo-kun! The illusion magic is about to—wait, what?!" Negi stopped dead, staring at Chizuru's glowing Artifact. "Is that... did you form another contract, Kamo-kun?!"
Negi looked absolutely betrayed, but after I explained that Chizuru had practically forced the issue, the little teacher finally managed to calm down.
Character Status
Name: Axel Almar
LV: 38 | PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272
Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Spend SP to increase Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain Rating: Air: S | Land: S | Sea: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regen, Concentration)
Psychokinesis LV.10
Attacker
Gunfight LV.9
In-fight LV.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Grey)
Magic (Fire)
Magic (Shadow)
Magic (Summoning)
Dark Magic
???
Total Kills: 376
-------------------------------
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