Gambit

Disclaimer: The Familiar of Zero and Code Geass are owned by their respective studios.

Cover Artist: Akili-Amethyst.

Forms of Narration:

[Magic Spells]

'Dialogue'

Thoughts

HELL

A lone figure rushed his feet along the barren wasteland cracking with flames, littered with bodies of the condemned whose lives still lingered within the pieces of flesh burning here and there. Their torturers were heinous creatures whose eye sockets enclosed black horns, lacking the ability to neither hear nor feel their desperate cries for mercy kept butchering them into bite size pieces each time the sinners rejuvenated. For they were immortal and the surface of ground emitted unyielding flames upon contact with their skin.

The Holy Armor of Salvation – one of the many sacred treasures of the divine realm – granted the wearer immunity against hellfire, mental protection, and invisibility to those forged under the blaze of hellfire. Despite having such perks at her disposal, the vice-captain of Gabriel's squad – Hikari couldn't help but shiver at the notion of being found by the demon's keen sense of aura detection. She kept herself at a steady phase, believing in the armor's abilities more than her own.

I shouldn't have accepted this suicide mission.

The tales of her predecessors' reckless fight against the one who ruled this land of the wicked was engraved in her head, mainly the part where he was cut down and served to his nine guardians for food.

That's definitely his lair.

The sight she came to witnessed gave a furtive glance of the warden's might. A lake of sizzling hot lava surrounded the circumference of a structure best described as a medieval fortress or the human's used to say a castle: four circular towers at its sides housed the undead overlords – master of void magic, and as for the ramparts, they were lined with finest archers equipped with the vast array of enchanted weaponry dazzling under the helmet's advance eye-sight.

How could someone be so cruel hearted?

Once she got a closer look at the walls, it made her grief for her fallen comrades. There were supposed to be ancient gray but under relentless heat, the surface wasn't able to fully adapt and had turned black like the night's sky only difference being instead of the glittering stars, the remains of angels lost during the dark rebellion adorned the smooth surface with their skulls.

[Flight]

Most angles like Hikari didn't have wings. They were regarded as the symbols of power granted only to those befitting of the name, Archangels. Lesser angles like her required alternative means of flying, mainly the use of third tier magic called flight. Soon her feet left the ground, and she levitated over the lake of magma.

It's too soon!

Hikari was half way through the lava when she observed slight disturbance in the waves beneath her feet. She gulped in surprise as a serpent poked his head out of the lava and stared at her direction with curious eyes. 'State your business.'

For a moment, Hikari's whole body refused to respond. The holy armor she wore was believed to be undetectable as proven in the times of war unless the creature wasn't born in the flames. Nonetheless, she mustered her courage and made her appearances known to the serpent.

'Collective Consciousness has tasked me to deliver a message of uttermost importance to the warden.'

The serpent fully emerged from the fluid. Its bloodshot eyes lay trained on the intruder and its gaze sharpened to the point sweat began to pour from the side of the angel's face. 'Do you have the seal?'

Collective Consciousness was a deity responsible for the balance of order across all planes of existence. Its responsibilities also included those forged in the flames of hell — children whose parents gave birth to them while serving their sentences were also subjected to this place's horrors due to its neglect for their well being, and maybe they still would have been suffering the same fate if it wasn't for the warden.

'I am the seal.'

Hikari took off the helmet, her chestnut hairs waved down from her shoulders, and the eyes of the same shade didn't sway in the slightest, knowing the demon's hunger for fear.

[Dark Arts: Illusion Break]

The serpent spotted the seal right at the center of her forehead, as its bright red eyes glowed upon confirmation.

'I'll be your escort,' it spoke.

A silent 'Huh!' managed to escaped Hikari's mouth, as a mist of wild winds shrouded the crimson serpent like a hurricane and when it startled the existence of the creature vanished to reveal a petite girl with heterogeneous eyes of ocean blue and volcanic red.

'Follow me.'

Hikari found little choice in this matter. She could sense the undead magic casters no existence eyes burning through her soul as they watched from the comfort of their towers.

'Don't worry. They won't attack a guest of Lelouch-sama.'

Hikari gulped with relief. She was briefed by Gabriel beforehand, who told the warden was a man of his word and a sensible being of logic rather than the original barbaric ruler. Surely his followers would share the same trait. I can only hope.

'Can I have your name?' Hikari asked to strike a conversion with her escort.

The serpent turned succubus tilted her head to the side; her fair skin was mostly covered by navy blue uniform trimmed with golden lines as if they were her veins, the only parts not covered were her wings and the tale which poked out from the behind, 'Ninth Guardian: Atsuki.'

'I'll be in your care, Atsuki.' Hikari delivered these words with a fake smile as if her motive was to conceal the shallowness of her sincerity.

The angles were divine beings who loathed demons especially succubus as they were considered to be the embodiment of lust. Yet, she felt some sort of difference from her escort, Atsuki wore clothes which covered her parts quite well and no ignorant remarks were yet to be sent, contrary to their personalities described in the holy books.

It's getting scarier from up-close.

The closer Hikari got to the castle, the more it appeared to be an impeccable fortress designed with uttermost defense. She expected some drawbridge to open its jaw, welcoming her to the domain of the warden, but her expectations were shattered as the walls of the castle deformed forming a malleable passage and became solid once again as she sat foot on the castle grounds.

'You got to be kidding me. It's more like a pocket dimension!' Hikari exclaimed.

The space inside the castle was vastly different and much wider than it appeared from the outside. Although, the armor of salvation nullified any temperature effects, for a moment, she felt as if a slight breeze of wind had gently flown across her face.

They must be the infamous vanguards of the black army.

The guardsmen of this land were equipped with spears and shields as big as their statures; beneath their heavy armor, they wore uniforms slightly different from Atsuki's minus the gold trims with the symbol of BK at their backs.

'Welcome to the Forgotten Kingdom.'

One of the guardsmen greeted the two ladies, his endeavor of a small smile was obviously directed towards Atsuki but Hikari didn't felt too unwelcomed, considering the fact her people helped Lucifer fought against the warden's forces.

'She's a guest under my protection,' Atsuki replied in a martial tone.

'Understood!' The guardsman gracefully delivered a salute. 'I'll inform others to avoid any inconvenience for our guest.'

Atsuki nodded and gestured the angel to tag along.

As Hikari followed her young escort through the kingdom's branching stone roads, she couldn't help but admire the efforts put to make this patch of barren hellish land suitable for living.

A mixture of both demi-humans and humans roamed the kingdom streets surrounded by modernize buildings for schools, health care and other necessaries of a functioning society. According to rumors, the other side of the district was reserved for demons that could think and it was vastly different.

Hikari mused over the fact this kingdom existed for only those forged in flames of hell. It did not house any sinners whose sentence still remained to be carried out and the demons had to go through strict immigration process. However, if someone wished to enter the kingdom after his sentence, he would be allowed to do so.

Hikari saw a group of frolicsome kids playing around a pond made of artificially conjured water. She felt sad, they deserved the crystal clear waters of the heavens, but at the same time, no divine being bothered to care for these children whose lives were to serve the same punishment as their damned parents who gave birth in the pits of hell.

'We have arrived.'

Atsuki proceeded to speak with the royal guards of the palace while her divine guest kept marveling the exterior. The palace of the warden was a sight to behold. As a magnificent marvel of engineering, it sat high upon the hill overlooking the whole kingdom: many pointed towers stabbed the blood sky giving it the look of an eccentric crown placed at the heart of the kingdom.

'If you don't want to get lost, just keep tailing my footsteps,' Atsuki advised as the negotiations with the royal guards were successful, and the doors of the palace lay wide open for their arrival.

'Absolutely.'

Hikari remained at arm's reach from her escort, meandering through the luxurious hallways flanked by various ominous looking statues. The divine realm she came from possessed some of the fanciest palaces no mortal could ever hope to match. However, they were an only vivid feast to eyes while the whole kingdom governed by the warden was built like a maze, every corner, every street, every single district and even his own palace was designed with the intentions of killing any foolish enough to intrude.

Gabriel, we're going to have a long chat if I survived.

She arrived neared a pair of fascinating doors carved with intricate designs and palettes vastly different from each other. Beyond this door lay the warden of hell whose power surpassed even that of her captain and possessed the intellect befitting of the archangels.

'Lelouch-sama wouldn't like you to throw up.' Atsuki informed the paled angel.

'I'll pull through…hopefully.'

A concoction of enthrall drenched with sobbing fear of her demise stirred inside the heart of Hikari like a boat lost in the fury of a raging storm. The Warden was a magic caster with no equal in dark arts, and she was to meet him on his turf with no means of escape if push escalated to a shove.

He's on the other side, nothing to worry about…NOTHING AT ALL!

The double doors slowly began to bulge, and soon the whole view of the majestic throne room came into her view. The walls were painted with soothing colors of warmth, decorated with extensive paintings neatly held in place by gold frames while different life-size pieces of chess were arranged beside the crimson carpet giving the room an indescribable uniqueness unlike any other.

Hikari suppressed her desperate urges to gawk and slowly walked towards the center, planting her each step on the pristine carpet with precision while being at the tip of her toes.

'I believe you have a message for his highness.'

Hikari's mission was to act as a vessel for the collective consciousness to possess once in the presence of the warden. Afterward, her body would be given back to her, and she would return back to the divine realm as soon as possible. 'Collective Consciousness has tasked me to act as their temporary messenger.'

'Jeremiah be vigilant.'

Aboard the exquisite throne sat the warden, raven bangs of his hairs covered one of his demonic violet eyes, radiating a stare sharper than diamonds and yet warmer than the hellfire itself. He wore an elegant black robe followed by trims of scarlet along the chest, his hat had a satanic eye moving around the angel's movement, and his voice sounded quite bored.

'You may begin.'

Hikari composed herself and took a few steps back before she sat on the beautiful carpet with her legs crossed and arms to her thighs. She started chanting the eight tier holy magic in a melodies voice, blue octagons appeared within the throne room, and her whole body glowed with blindly intense light, and the symbol of geass crept upon her forehead.

'WE ARE THE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS OF HUMANITY.'

This voice boomed around luxurious throne room like a haunting echo if it wasn't for the acoustic protection installed within the walls than surely it would have impersonated throughout the entirety of hell's nine circles.

'Unnecessary introduction is unnecessary,' Lelouch spoke in irritation. He wasn't pleased with the deity since it helped Lucifer during the dark rebellion.

'IGNORANCE COULD BE YOUR WRONG DOINGING, LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA.'

Jeremiah Gottwald without hesitation moved faster than lighting and stood behind the angel's back with the tip of his blade inches away from her neck. 'Make a move, and I'll personally take care of this vessel.'

'Jeremiah, stand down.' Lelouch ordered and waited for his knight to return before continuing. 'My apologies for the disrespect, but I must say, it would be for the best of both of us if you could cut to the chase.'

'METATRON HAS LEFT US.'

After the dark rebellion, only four Archangels had survived. It took them a few hundred years to fill in the missing seats with suitable members befitting of the name Archangel. Still, the new recruits were unable to hold a mere candle against their predecessors especially Metatron – third strongest being in the divine realm.

'This doesn't concern me.'

Collective Consciousness waved her hand airily, and a floating image of a purple ring morphed out of nowhere.

'BEFORE YOU WERE THROWN TO HELL, WE HAD DECIDED TO SEAL YOUR POWER OF ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE WITHIN THE RING OF ANDERVILLE AND HAD IT HIDDEN IN MAGI WORLD #8266 UNDER THE SUPERVISION VISION OF WATER SPIRIT.'

A distasteful frown crept over Lelouch's delicate face. He'd lost count, how many eons lay waste since his demise. Even the memories of his five hundred years of sentence were faded to oblivion. During all this time he'd thought the curse was lifted for good, that he'd redeemed himself for the sins he'd committed under the blaze of hellfire.

'ITS EXISTENCE WAS KEPT HIDDEN FROM OTHERS. RECENTLY METATRON HAS LEARNED OF ITS EXISTENCE AND WISHES TO BRING DOWN BOTH HEAVENS AND HELL ALIKE. WE HAVE A HUNCH YOUR KINGDOM WOULD BE THE FIRST IN HIS CONQUEST.'

Lelouch stroked his chin, contemplating for the destruction that could arise if his lost power was handed to a being such as Metatron bent on revenge, revenge against the kingdom he built from the ground up.

'Hmm…I could deal with him, but the risk of an invasion without my presence is highly possible. Also, there's the matter of compensation for my actions as I don't think divine realm would be too happy if they owed me a favor.'

'WE ARE GENEROUS, THUS NAME YOUR PRICE AS WE HAVE BOUGHT THE PEACE TREATY CONTRACT.'

Possessed Hikari waved her hands once more, a piece of document flew across the room and dropped into the hands of Lelouch. He immediately scanned the document and asked his Knight for a pen.

'If I am able to hold my end of the bargain, I want you to remove the restriction blocking me from the use of Holy magic. Also, I'll have the world #8266 for myself.'

'IT SHALL BE DONE, BUT YOU'RE PROHIBITED FROM DESTROYING ITS NATURAL ORDER.'

Lelouch signed the peace treaty, and the document flew back to possessed Hikari.

'That would be so wasteful.'

'FAREWELL LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA. WE EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM THE FALLEN.'

The glow of the octagon diminished from the throne room, and the uncanny floatation of Hikari finally came to an end. She quickly brushed her dizzy thoughts aside and gazed at the warden with pleading eyes wanted to get the heck out of this place as fast as possible.

The doors of the throne room unfolded once again and Atsuki stepped inside.

'Please escort our guest to the gates of hell and make sure she isn't harmed.'

The moment Hikari's feet lay outside the throne room, she felt the luckiest angel in the plain of existence. She'd not only managed to meet the warden but would be returning back in one piece. Hah! I finally did something that I could brag about.

Earth Prime

Hiraga Saito was an ordinary high school student, living an ordinary life, in an equally ordinary city of Japan. Every day, he would get up early in the morning for a walk before going to his school and had an average social life as well. However, there was one problem with his life, he loathed normalcy and as long as he could remember, he always wanted to escape this cycle of rinse and repeat, always living in the shadows mediocrity, wishing for something, anything interested to occur.

*Ring!**Ring!**Ring!**Ring!**Ring!*

Today, he had no school, but the weight of his coming exams corroded his heart to the point he simply got up and stopped the alarm clock without pressing the damn snooze button.

'Maybe today's the day I get to witness something amazing. ' He spoke to himself as a chuckle escaped his mouth. 'I guess my unhealthy oppression with comics and manga has reached the point of insanity.'

He lived alone in an apartment, his parents had kicked the bucket long ago but were considerate enough to leave behind a farm in their local village which he sold and managed to open a quite successful shop for sustaining his needs. Heck, he was rich compared to his peers aside for the sacrifice of fun while working.

'First order of business, the walk then I'll head straight for my shop.'

Before he could get on with packing his trusty laptop and dreaded boring books, his first objective required him to dress appropriately. By which it meant a blue jacket draped over his white t-shirt followed by black pants and white sneakers.

Unknown to Saito, a certain archangel kept close watch over teen through the eyes of a bird sitting on an electric wire just outside the window. Ready to make the first move as white always goes first.

Magi World #8266

The horizon slowly exchanged the darkness for an orange shade signifying the welcoming party for the briskly winds to roam the magical lands. Louise, on the other hand, despised the sun for showing its horrendous face up in the sky. Not wanting for this day to ever occur.

'Mistress, please wake up. You're getting late for the summoning.'

Servants of the house of Vallière knew their worth as nothing more than simple tools to please their master's wishes and desires. However, there were sometimes when even the most delicate care could backfire in an instant.

'Shut up you worthless whore.'

'I am extremely sorry, but…' Siesta was the personal maid of Louise, dressed in her usual maid uniform with black hair barely reaching her shoulders. '…You're getting late.'

'Geez, why didn't you wake me up sooner or better yet I should have asked for a better maid,' Louise barked, leaving the comfy warmth of the blanket in haste. 'Prepare my clothes while I take a shower.'

Siesta bowed and opened her mistress' drawer to withdraw a white shirt with opposing black cap and skirt – uniform of the crown magical academy of Tristain.

'I am done.' Louise towel dried her long luscious pink hair and stood in front a mirror displaying her none existence breasts, short stature, and fair skin. 'Dress me.'

Inwardly, Siesta wanted to try the mage uniform for herself as in the kingdom of Tristain, those with magical abilities were considered nobles and people like her without aptitude magical talents were called peasants forever belonging to nobles as nothing more than simple tools to be used and thrown away.

'You're all set mistress.'

Luckily, Louise arrived just in time for the morning lectures and sat her wooden desk.

'Hey, Louise the Zero is here.' The speaker was a boy of her age with beautiful blond hair and a rose in his hand. His name was Guiche, the fourth son of General Gramont, 'I wonder what kind of a familiar will she summon…Oh! Wait! She can't because she's a peasant under extravagant clothing.'

If Louise wasn't able to summon a suitable familiar – the title of nobility would be revoked and a great deal of shame would be brought to the family name of Vallière alongside with her being forced to live in the city of filthy peasants.

'Guiche, spare her for today,' Kirche spoke with a sly smile. She was the most popular student at the academy, her flaming red hair and big breasts could make any man's heart melt at her feet in an instant. 'Besides, starting tomorrow. We'll be paying her a visit as masters.'

Louise bit her lip with such force small droplets of blood poured outside her mouth, but they weren't enough to stop the echoing voices of her classmates making fun of her displeasure to their heart's content with smug faces of mockery.

'Students, I am sorry for being late. The placement of protection spells took longer than I initially thought, but I think we're good to go. Everyone leave your bags behind and meet me in the courtyard.'

Standing in the middle of the doorway was Professor Cobalt, an expert magic caster respected by other teachers and students alike. Unfortunately, his vast knowledge of magic wasn't sufficient enough to stop his thinning hair as upper part of his head was completely bald with only a few strands of hair at his sides and back.

'Oh~ Louise why don't you take the lead.' Kirche teased, waving her hand towards her. 'It's only natural to start from Zero before the real heroes could emerge.'

That bitch, I'll show her, I'll show them all what being a Vallière really means.

Louise brushed her thoughts of redemption away, following others to the said courtyard. Where either she will have a familiar or her life of nobility will ceased to exist.

'When I call your name, please step forward.' Professor Cobalt addressed the crowd of students eagerly waiting for a certain someone's humiliation. 'Guiche, we'll start with you.'

Louise took a sigh of relief. She had a little more time before her turn and used this precious opportunity to recite the summoning spell while her eyes were glued to Guiche as he summoned a magical mole, next Kirche summoned a large salamander and lastly a recluse blue hair girl with glasses going by the name of Tabitha actually managed to summon a fucking dragon, the strongest familiars known throughout the kingdom.

'Louise you're the only one left.'

Louise exhaled a deep breath; she took out her wand and stood in the center of the magical circle prepared by Professor Cobalt.

[By thy of gods, grant this mortal her deepest desires for she wishes to be united with the familiar befitting of her name for she is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. The humble servant of the gods and the believer of its five elemental magi…]

Louise felt her magicka drain for the first time. It was like a slight breeze of wind had moved along her feet to the curves of her body like a slithering snake, the sensation dried most of her energy and made her dizzy and confused for a second. However, she soon recovered as it wasn't too tight nor did it contain any malicious content.

[…Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers, heed my summoning and bring forth my familiar.]

She continued chanting the spell till a sphere of calming blue appeared within her sights. It radiated some of the most beautiful sparks of pure magicka as a hand reached out from the portal later followed by a black haired boy wearing a blue jacket holding a book and a bag at his back.

'WHAEW! TRHAHI FUFIKFHW?' The boy spoke in a language other than her own and had a perplexed look on his face.

'Professor, don't tell me I summoned a commoner.'

Cobalt stroked his chin, never in his life he'd heard of a peasant being summoned as a familiar. But his student was on point with both the chant and the casting time, so it wouldn't be wrong to say, the spell worked correctly.

'I am afraid, only after the ritual is complete we'll know for sure.'

Shades of red appeared on Louise's cheeks, I-I-I'll have to kiss him. She covered her face with her hands B-but I am a noble and he's most definitely a peasant. Just as the stream was about to leave her ears, she remembered the required for remaining a noble.

'Hey darling, hurry up, for we are getting tired of your shenanigans,' Gauche said, brandishing the rose. 'Besides he's a peasant through and through, just kiss him and accept you're a failure.'

'Shut the hell up and he's not a peasant!'

'Then prove it!'

'FINE!'

Louise leaned towards the puzzled boy, grabbed his head and planted a firm kiss on his lips with no remorse for the other party still lost in confusion.

His lips are so sweet and tender.

She didn't knew how long their lips remained latched, but right now she couldn't care for less as his hands lay on her waist, and he kissed back with the same intensity.

When their kiss ended, the boy groaned in pain as the magical runes of contract started to appear on his right hand like he'd been branded with scorching hot metal.

Professor inspected the runes on the boy's hand and his shocked face already gave away the answer, 'Louise your familiar in indeed a commoner. The runes on his hand are completely different from other familiars.'

Professor Cobalt's words made her feel heavy, and she fell down on her rear trying her best to hold the tears of disappointment in herself at bay, but she wasn't able to do even that. First a few then the whole dam of her disdain flowed over her cheeks in the form of hot tears.

'HA! I knew it!' Guiche intervened, waving his rose as always. 'Hey, Louise don't cry, it's not your fault for being a Ze—'

Louise didn't knew why Guiche stopped teasing. She hastily wiped her tears away and cast a sharp stare.

'What~' The whole academy campus was frozen in place like the time itself had ceased it's never ending march.

A strange ominous noise of a ticking clock echoed through the darkened land deprived of the vivid colors it once inhabited. The whole student body was caught in this eerie effect. Do you desire power?

Call it a hunch, but the booming voice inside her head seemed to have come from the above.

'Who are you?'

As she gazed towards the sky, she was shocked to find the sun which had just emerged a few hours ago was now dying, and sky's blue color was sucked as if the world was bleeding around her with a giant golden clock morphed above her head.

I am the incarnation of your deepest desires, the only one who could grant your wish.

'I don't understand.'

I will ask again. Do you desire power?

'There isn't a day, where I don't cry myself sleep without the thoughts of proving them wrong,' Louise answered without a moment's notice. 'Yes, I want power, and I'll pay any price for it.'

A time will come when the whole world will be engulfed in the flames of a ruthlessness war, and that would be the time – the price for barring the miracle worker would have to be paid in full.

Louise didn't want to be rude, but the unknown entity speaking in inside her head didn't make any sense.

'Where are you?'

The golden clock morphed high in the blood sky, ticked faster and faster like its heartbeat lay in control of an unseen force. The mechanical gears slide against each other, and it chimed with a dramatic chorus of haunting bells.

'What have I done?'

The skin of the sky slowly cracked apart in a spectacular fashion and the fragments beckoned what appeared to be a coffin to plummet the earth with such divesting force a small crater appeared on the site.

'The black king shall take the board.'

Louise gulped in fear, her brows were drenched with sweat, and she shivered like a lost child with every word of the eldritch voice.

'For if the king doesn't move how he can expect his subordinates to follow.'

The cover of the coffin groaned and fell to the side – the being that stepped from within wore an elegant cape concealing the features of its slender frame clad in pitch black armor made from what appeared to be the finest scales of a dragon. The head was covered by an indigo opaque mask with four pointy spikes at the edges and the air around the being surged with terrifying dark aura.

'D-d-d-don't came near me!' Louise stammered and pointed the tip of her wand towards the deity, 'I am warning you!'

'There no need for concern, it's just a mask.'

The demon slowly brought his hand to the helmet and with a tick revealed his gorgeous face. His raven hair and violet eyes were unlike any other and his fair skin made her rethink about her beloved sister.

'Are you ready to complete the ritual?'

Louise remained quiet as a grave with her head glowed to the ground. She was desperately trying to hide her cheeks, turned pinker than her hair the moment those words made it to her ears. 'You're my familiar, correct?'

'Yes, it is as you say, master.'

Hesitantly she leaned towards the devil and locked her lips with his – it was short, way shorter than she would have liked it to be but even a peck was enough to complete the ritual as a surge of strange power coursed through her body.

'Does it hurt?' Louise asked, noticing the pair of gauntlets on his hands.

'No, not in the slightest.' He took off the gauntlet of his left hand and just like before with the peasant, the seal of a familiar was present. 'Now, I am official yours. Master Louise.'

Louise tilted her head to the side, and everything was still frozen under the gaze of the dying sun. She narrowed her eyes on the familiar responsible for creating this silent chaos. Such power and its all mine!

'As your master, I hereby command you to return everything back to normal.'

There was a slight delay as her familiar first adjusted the mask back in place before snapping his fingers. It didn't even take him a second. Everything was returned back to normal, even the crater alongside the rift formed in the sky was nowhere to be seen.

'Professor Cobalt, there's an intruder standing next to Louise!'

'Louise, get back!' Professor Cobalt brandished his long wooden staff and aimed towards the newcomer. 'Intruder, how did you get inside the academy groups?'

'Well, not the welcoming party I expected.'

The figure strolled towards the professor. [Aura Release: 20%]

Every student present in the courtyard must have lost their bearings; dread and fears reeked under their skins, as one gaze towards the dark messiah of Louise was enough to petrify their souls as their knees gave out and their heads were forced to kiss the ground under the immense pressure radiated by the incarnation of death coming their way.

'B-but that's not possible!' Professor's lost grip on his staff and his face contorted into an ugly frown. 'Just who the heck you are anyway!'

'I am the familiar of Louise Vallière. I am Zero.'

Upon hearing the name of her familiar, the wicked laughter of Louise sent chills down the spines of her classmates. By some twisted irony of fate, the very mention of the name that boiled her blood to the core would also serve as her redemption and passage to nobility. 'Professor, he's correct. I summoned him.'

'What…about…the…' Professor Cobalt's body was on the verge of shutting down. 'Peasant?'

'Zero, that's enough.'

[Quench Power]

The aura radiating from Zero stopped, and the students were able to breathe freely while being terrified of course. Surprisingly, Zero helped the professor stand up and picked the staff for him.

'Professor Cobalt, I apologize for my hasty display of power.'

'So I wasn't just imagining that?'

'Certainly, under the mask I am the same as all of you.'

'Louise, is that correct?' Professor Cobalt asked. 'If your familiar is a human could it be that he's from another world?'

'Professor, beneath the mask he's a handsome devil,' Louise answered with shades of red on her cheeks. 'Wait a minute. Where's the peasant I summoned?'

Louise keen eye for detail spotted a slight hindrance in Zero's otherwise rock solid stature. 'Do you know anything?'

'I am afraid not. I was merely puzzled by the fact you have another familiar beside me.'

'Now that you mentioned it.' Professor Cobalt seemed worried. 'There has never been an incident, where two familiar were summoned back to back.'

'Maybe I am just special.' Louise chirped in the most innocent way possible. 'Don't you agree?' She stole a glance back at Gauche and Kirche.

'Yeah sure, but that doesn't change the fact your one familiar is a lowly peasant,' Kirche retorted, her own familiar stood guard in case of an attack with flames evoking in the salamander's mouth. 'A-and don't even get me started on that freak!'

'Y-yeah, don't forget that your success rate at magic is still equivalent to zero.' Guiche mustered his courage and ordered his familiar to standby for action. 'Bring it, that time I was caught off guard, but now I am prepared.'

'Zero, I hereby command yo—'

'Louise, as your teacher, I expect better things from you.' Professor Cobalt placed his hand on Louise's shoulder. 'I know everyone keeps mocking you for your lack of raw talent. However, today you have summoned two fascinating familiars, and it would be a shame if you decided to abuse their power for pity things.'

'Fine!' Louise said, bitterly. 'I guess my revenge would have to wait. But first, let's look for that peasant.'

'Master, can you describe his attire.'

'Let's see, during the time of summoning; he wore a blue jacket with a white shirt. Also, he had a bag on his back and was holding a book in his right hand.'

Saito scampered through the busy streets, he bumped here and there, receiving a fair share of insults from quite the wealthy looking pedestrians.

Shit! I didn't knew my stupid wish was about to come true.

He made a few sharp cuts and stumbled along a dark alley. 'Hopefully, I can stay lay low till the help arrives.'

Saito grabbed the phone from his pocket but stopped halfway realizing there wasn't any service. He placed the bag next to a crude wall and took out his laptop.

'What did I expect?' There wasn't any source of internet, considering if the internet even existed inside this weird world that got left behind the curve in terms of technology. 'Ah! Why did I touch that light?'

One moment, he was on his way to his shop and the other he found himself in the arms of a goddess who blessed with a kiss only for the sky to go dark and allow a demon to lay foot on earth.

'Okay, I am officially screwed.' Saito opened the setting's tab and erased the filth in its history. 'Not totally, but still screwed.'

'Hey, we got a pretty boy here.'

Saito titled his head to the side – five guys wearing what could be defined as torn and rotten clothing were approaching his direction.

'Guys, you're flattering me.' Saito brushed the back of his head with a goofy smile.

'That wasn't a compliment, dipshit!'

'Calm the fuck down, tight-ass.' Saito placed the laptop back inside the bag and scanned the surroundings for a way to escape. 'So tell me, is it going to be the hard way or the other one.'

'It's up to you, but we'd like the hard way.' One of the thugs with a crooked smile took out a knife while the rest of his gang had made shift weapons. 'You see we had to travel a long way to get here, and we aren't returning back empty handed.'

Better be prepared!

Saito wore the bag in the opposite direction, so his chest would be protected from any slashes and held his apartment keys between the thumb and the index finger with the tip pointing out. 'I know what I am doing, and I'll make sure to take at least one of you down to hell with me.'

'Leave the hell part to me.'

Right around the corner of the alley, where no ray of light could ever hope to gaze the earth, a figure emerged from the shadows. Saito recognized the figure instantly as the demon that could manipulate time was hard to forget, even if he'd banged his head against a stone wall.

'Hey, where did that freak came from?'

'Judging by his clothing, I say from the circus.'

'Hey look! He's doing some mumbo-jumbo.'

The thugs stopped dead in their tracks with grim expressions as their newly arrived target opened the palm of his hand [Life Drain] blood began to pour from their bodies like a sponge being squeezed, and it flowed directly into the demon's palm in the form of a condensed sphere.

Saito witnessed the whole ordeal, and sadly his stomach wasn't able to handle the situation as his morning breakfast was now on the street floor. I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!

[Paralyze]

He tried his best to move, but his body froze on the spot like a block of ice slowly melting away under the gaze of the demon standing just feet's away. 'I swear, I'll do anything, just don't kill me!'

'You needn't worry. We're partners.'

'What!?'

'Let me introduce myself: I am Zero. Just like you, I am also the familiar of Louise Vallière for the moment.'

Author Notes

I had to make some small changes in this chapter for the better continuation of the story.