Chapter 1
Louise de La Vallière was desperate.
In the middle of nowhere surrounded by a pack of magically summoned wolves, her maid companion unconscious behind her, in the presence of a Void mage's familiar, and to top it all off her own familiar was inside a hut blissfully unaware of all that's happened.
Her only saving grace was her wand, which is only back by her grasp thanks to Siesta's effort. But even then it would not be enough to fend off their assailants.
"Explosion!" Five down.
Even if by some miracle she can blast the remaining of the beasts, which by the purple glowing runes by their foreheads Louise could count a few dozen, she still cannot hope to beat Sheffield.
"Explosion!" Another few got taken down.
The woman before her was the 'mind of god,' as evident by the familiar runes on her forehead. Which, as stated by the kingdom's historical records, grants the familiar unparalleled magical abilities. Compared to Louise's luck guided explosions, she might as well snap her wand in half.
"Hurry up and call the other void mage already, we don't have all night."
But apparently the woman was looking for a second void mage, even mistaken her presence in this place to be direct intervention. Louise had value to the woman alive, but time is running thin.
'Saito, help me...' The rose-haired mage had tears in her eyes. 'You are my familiar, aren't you!?'
"Are you done with your magic?"
A condescending chuckle echoed throughout the woods.
'What can I do? What can I do?' Her eyes scanned the area, anything to give her an advantage. But only one person swam in her mind.
Saito was the person to rescue her, from the moment she summoned him that was the only thing he was good at.
'Saito!' Her breath went heavy.
I am the best in the entire academy in magic theory, for Brimir's sake! There was only one single way to obtain a familiar. No force in their world could change that fact. But- no records show that you cannot summon twice.
"My name is Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière..." Louise closed her eyes. 'You will come to me, won't you?'
"Trying to re-summon, are you? Well, that's a first..."
"...pentagon of the five elemental power, Heed my summoning..." She trusted their bond. 'My familiar is only you!'
"Interesting, to say the least-"
"...and bring forth, my familiar!"
Boom!
A gust passed through the night sky and the familiar green portal loomed triumphantly.
The rose-haired mage was ecstatic! "Saito-!"
But before she could get closer the portal flashed a bright glow and tore itself apart. Louise reeled back before the tear practically spit out a very large shining droplet.
The portal rumbled and finally vanished.
Louise undoubtedly knew her summoning spell didn't fail. She had been failing for the past sixteen years of her life to know when she actually succeeded for once. But the figure before her wasn't Saito. The darkness masked the person's face but it was clear they were taller and way stouter.
"The hell-?" The voice was male.
Louise's new summon was in-between her and Sheffield. He dropped a parcel on the floor, it hit the ground with a rather heavy thud. The petite mage was part devastated and part worried; he was not Saito, and now the already loosing mage was presented with a new liability.
"Interesting... and here I thought you'd summon your old one." Sheffield gestured to her summoned wolf. "I'm a bit disappointed."
"Old one? What kind of prank is this lady?" He asked, annoyed. "It was just the middle of day just a good second ago and-"
One of the wolves growled, stepping closer.
"Hey! You-" Louise tried to get his attention but the man drew something from his side.
Click!
"Call- whatever that thing off." He warned. "Damn, my eyes..."
Bang!
The wolf reeled back. It was a gun like the ones Agnes carries!
"P.A.W.S. can sue me for all I care..."
"Paws...?" Sheffield tilted her head.
Louise lucked out with her new familiar, not passing the opportunity, she stepped closer and her wand glowed. "Explosion!"
The remaining of the wolves went up in flames.
"Jesusmarioseph-!" The man exclaimed.
He reached for his parcel and quickly threw it against a tree. He slammed his back against the trunk, now facing both Louise and Sheffield. "The heck was that!?"
Louise noticed the man was having difficulty looking at them. He was holding his firearm with both of his hands, but it was pointed down. 'He did mention it was midday earlier...'
"Well, now." Sheffield's forehead began to glow. "This is- I see... yes, master."
"Oi-!" The man raised his firearm.
"We'll meet again," She began to vanish. "Void mage's new familiar."
Louise wasted no time in tending to Siesta. The rose-haired mage checked her thoroughly and found no lethal injuries. She sighed hard and sat down, lifting the maid's head over her lap.
"Thank you, Siesta." She pat the sleeping maid's head. "I thought we would be goners by now."
Chuchack! Click!
Louise cocked her head towards the sound. The man was tinkering with his gun, then holstered it back to his side. He then began rustling on the inside of his parcel, taking out what seems to be small-
Click.
"What in Brimir-!" It was bright! The man somehow produced a very bright light and aimed it at them! "Hey! Stop that!"
"Pink... hair? What the-"
"Louise!"
The Vallière turned and- it was Saito! "Louise? What happened-"
The man was still aiming the light at them. Louise must've been in quite the sorry state, considering Saito was visibly pissed when he look a good look at her. He unsheathed Derflinger and began charging the man.
"Get away from her-!"
"Saito, he's-!"
The man promptly turned his light towards Saito. The swordsman, blinded, swung Derflinger in response. In turn, the man made his light blink on and off forcing Saito to hold back his swing in fear of hitting her or Siesta.
"Partner, look out!"
A shove to his side. Thud!
Saito was already eating grass. The man steadied the light.
As a last ditch effort, Saito lunged towards Louise and knelt in front of her, his back against her. He raised Derflinger, pointing the tip towards the man.
Louise couldn't help but give him a hug from behind. "Eh-? Louise?"
"Saito! I knew you'd come for me!"
"I'm your familiar, aren't I?" That gave the rose-haired mage a pause. "Louise?"
"Familiar? Saito? The hell have I- no fucking way..." They both heard the man mutter, he ran his light towards them again.
"Seriously, where in the hell... wait, that thing on your hand..." The man looked over to Louise. "Is that your wand or something?"
"Y-yes?"
"Can you do magic then? Spells and such?"
"I-I well..."
"Show me."
"She doesn't-" Saito tried to answer but the man then yanked Derflinger off his hands, much to Saito's surprise.
"Hey! What gives, kid!" The sentient sword clattered his 'mouth.'
"You've got to be-" He looked at Louise. "You brought me here?"
"What?"
"Did I hear that right, pinkie?"
Saito felt all of this was too surreal.
The four of them had arrived to the hut Saito's group had been staying for the night. He looked over to the man Louise summoned.
The hut's fireplace illuminated him quite well. He was a good inch taller than Saito. He was wearing a white shirt, black slacks and oxfords. His duffel bag was placed by his side unwilling to let Agnes, their bodyguard, to inspect the contents.
He was silent the entire time they went back to the hut, whenever she tried to ask the man would just mutter: just a prank... it's just some prank...
So when they finally loosened up Louise sat beside the man, asking a plethora of stuff.
"So you and Saito came from the same Kingdom?"
"World, different Kingdoms."
"So how is it different-? except the no magic part, Saito already covered that... Oh, I know! How about-"
Damn it. It's like trying to deal with Wardes all over again. The Japanese youth scooted closer to the fire, a bit further away from them.
"Jealous, are we?"
"Hell no." Saito shoved Derflinger back his sheath.
"You don't have to worry thing, Partner."
How a sword can whisper was beyond him. Then again, a talking sword in and of itself is already odd. "It's not like that, Derf. It's just-"
"Why weren't you the one that popped up when she tried re-summoning...?"
"Well, ugh..." Saito looked at- ah, Louise is busy talking to Agnes.
To be fair, the guy probably also didn't want to be pulled out from their world into here. Hell, he looked like he was living an eventful life. At least, way more fulfilling than Saito had before ending up in Halkeginia.
"I was a good Gandalfr, wasn't I?"
"You still are actually."
"I'm not-"
"Good, I mean." He clattered along. "Listen, partner. Gandalfr or not, you're still you. You think pinkie over there chose you over Wardes because you had that dainty rune?"
"Well..."
"No! He's coming with us!"
"Wha-" It was Louise. She was standing up, gripping the hem of her skirt, looking up at Agnes.
The bodyguard herself was unfazed by the mage's brash demeanor. Couple of months back, the first time they met the musketeer disarmed Louise in a heartbeat so her not panicking isn't false bravado.
"Miss Vallière, I'll say this once." Louise was already trying her best not to get intimidated. "We can't afford to go back with someone so suspicious."
"And what is so suspicious about him?"
"Didn't you admit that your summoning gate was corrupted in some way? How it wasn't how you summoned him the first time?"
Saito grunted, being casually pointed at.
"He came out of my summoning portal, that makes him my familiar!" She stomped. "Why are you being so difficult!?"
"Didn't you want Saito to be your familiar?" Agnes crossed her arms.
"That is beside the point!"
Now this argument sounds a bit familiar. Saito shrugged but then noticed the man in question was totally outside the intense atmosphere.
He was looking at the fireplace, staring intently at the flames. After a good moment he suddenly shook his head, then rubbed his temple. The man was acting very contemplative, to say the least. He surely was a polar opposite the way Saito dealt with his first night as a familiar.
Besides the crystal clear panicked state he was in, it was as if he was stuck with a word he couldn't remember. Face scrunched up, brows crossed, and mumbling. Saito on the other hand, had a relatively uneventful first week, besides his duel with a certain blonde annoyance.
"Sure, I wanted him back as my familiar, so I did the summoning ritual again hoping Saito would come to my rescue. But that does not relinquish the fact that I have a responsibility over my second familiar."
"Why doesn't he have the familiar runes then, pray tell?"
"She tried to kiss me, I stopped her." Ah, he was listening in. Saito would've praised his sense of focus if he didn't find out, not having to overhear that bickering would've been near impossible to do.
The statement made Louise flush. "I-"
Agnes wasn't convinced. "And why wouldn't you-"
"She explained to me on the way back and I reckon it'd be like chaining an animal down to do your bidding. Extra abilities be damned." He pointed out. "And I'd rather not have some brand marked on me in any way."
When he pointed it out like that, it'd look like the entire ritual was a sham. Saito noticed his master stiffen at the mention of 'brand.' Now he really wanted to hit the guy for being too tactless. He gets to save Louise and Siesta once and he acts like he's the head of the gang. Even on the way back from the forest he was taking point.
Saito looked at the man and- where is he looking at? He was staring at the fireplace, then at his watch, back at the fireplace again.
He still had his head in the clouds! Granted, he answered them- but, what in the hell was so important that he couldn't even spare a glance at the people trying to blow each other up over him!? Was he really that airheaded or just relatively dislike them in any way?
This doesn't help that Agnes was always paranoid with these sort of things. She barely agreed to accompany Saito to this mission, not wanting to leave the queen's side. This mission was already reaching its breaking point when she learned that Sheffield had ambushed Louise and Siesta.
"That doesn't help your case at all." The musketeer just wanted to go back; preferably with Tiffania, their VIP, in tow. Even if it meant leaving a liability. "Not that you've been much at defending yourself."
The man actually stood up, turning his head towards Agnes.
"I've been in this world for five hours now." That gave them a pause. "As far as I'm concerned, in my world I left my younger siblings to fend for themselves, my job shift is coming up, I've got an Invitational Shoot-fest in a week, and I still have the rest of my exams to finish."
Saito looked at everyone: Agnes was silent, for once. Louise sat back down. Siesta was kept up with the conversation, but said nothing.
"Putang ina..." He heard the man mutter, taking his duffel bag and moved it to a long wooden chair across the room. "You think I want to worm my way up to you snobs? If that portal didn't close after that fight, I would've jumped right back in."
That got Saito thinking of his life back in his world. His parents, his part-time job, his classes, and everything in between. Sure he might not have been living a bodacious life, but it was his. But he was marked with the familiar runes the day he was summoned. Sure Saito didn't mind then. The harrowing thought would never leave, is it because his familiar runes are now gone?
Having to die for Louise, would he had done it of he didn't have the rune?
/Note/
1. I'm a Drab guy.
2. There, Bro. I made an SI fic that's actually me. Happy?
(I lost a bet with my younger brother. It's either I make a smut or make a Self-Insert that's actually me, even the Drab parts. He gets to choose the world and wanted the smut to be Gravelord Nito and Sailor Moon. So I went for this. In hindsight the smut would've been a hell of a time to write.)