...eventually produce something extraordinary

An explosion was the result. Quite a spectacular one too, the Zero had always managed to do something in that style. Or rather to say that it was her style was a bit misleading. Every spell she attempted to cast resulted in a violent explosion. The springtime ritual was no exception. She was the last to attempt to summon a familiar, a wise decision on the part of their teacher. Everyone was of course expecting nothing of import to happen, save perhaps the explosion, and dusted themselves off. The spectacle was over and there was nothing else exciting to be gained. If only their teacher would dismiss them already.

Fortunately for the Zero and vice versa for them, she had at least succeeded in summoning something. A white-skinned young man stood as the dust cleared. His hair, short as it was, was as dark as his clothes, both being black. The coat he wore was as long as their cloaks and robes though the inside betrayed no other colour. In fact, save for his skin, he was clad in black and for the moment confusion reigned as everyone sought to come to grips with the situation.

The first to make a sound was the diminutive Zero. It figures she'd try to dismiss her failure to summon a proper familiar and demand another attempt. That was not, however, what she did.

"Who are you?" she asked the black clad arrival, her face scrutinising him.

Kirito met her gaze, only slightly intimidated by the wilfulness of the stare. He'd remember that he'd seen worse. She was petite to say the least, a strawberry blond, if such a thing were possible, and she wore a white blouse with a greyish skirt and a black cloak. Her hand clutched what looked like a twig but upon further reflection, was probably a wand.

Still, the question she posed him of course remained and it was a perfectly natural one. Two people who have never seen the other before would naturally attempt to determine the identity of the other. The Japanese were usually not this rude when introduction were in order and thus he suspected that he was no longer in his homeland. The suspicion grew of course when he took a quick look around him and saw all manner of similarly dressed people of his age with varying hair colours but a distinctly European air.

"I am Kirito," he finally replied in the friendliest manner possible.

"Where are you from commoner?" she snapped back at him.

Now that was unexpected. Or at least it was to Kirito. It was evident that these people held some kind of title. They carried themselves proudly, almost too much so.

"It could only take the Zero to literally summon a commoner servant with the Summon Servant spell," a boy in the crowd remarked.

His classmates of course, burst in to laughter. The Zero glared at him and wished some horrible and painful death at her target.

"Just a minor miscalculation," the Zero replied indignantly her voice still carrying with it a grace Kirito could easily associate with nobility.

"There's nothing wrong here, you failed as per usual," another voice spoke.

"After all, you are Louise the Zero," and once more the courtyard was filled with laughter.

Her name is Louise the Zero, Kirito gathered. It went without saying that he should probably not include her title. Well then, at least try and figure out where you are, he thought to himself. The surrounding was a grassy field, white stone walls encircling them with towers punctuating the key points. A medieval fantasy setting seemed likely thought Kirito. The sight around him as well as the sound seemed too real. Then again, when one fully dove in to virtual worlds as he did, the line between reality and the virtual world blurred. The possibility that he died and went to heaven or hell, was still not ruled out.

"Professor Colbert!" Louise shouted, grabbing the attention of an elderly man amongst the group.

Well, he wasn't exactly elderly but it was clear he was past youth. Similar to the students he wore a black robe but he carried a staff. Kirito first impression of course was that the man seemed in control. Like the Salamander general he fought some time ago.

"Is there anything the matter Miss Vallière?" the older man spoke.

"I wish to perform the summoning ritual again."

"I cannot allow you to do so Miss Vallière," he shook his head and she shook in anger, "It is strictly forbidden to perform the ritual when one has succeeded in summoning a familiar. I was worried that come this second year you would be unable to do so but I suppose it was for nothing. The ceremony was intended to determine your elemental affinity and is based purely on your element. You cannot change your element or what you summon simply because you do not like it."

A familiar was also a concept that was, for lack of better word, familiar to Kirito. At least, in this context, it meant some sort of servant or aide to a magician. Which also helped explain why they were throwing around words like 'elemental affinity', they were mages apparently. That he was summoned as a familiar to aid one came as a bit of a surprise. He'd never actually ever heard of a human familiar before. It was a sentiment shared by his supposed summoner, Louise the Zero amidst the laughter of her supposed peers.

"Tradition is tradition Miss Vallière and the Springtime Familiar Summoning is one of the oldest and sacred rites of all and thus there can be no exceptions. Your concerns however are duly noted," then professor pointed a finger at Kirito, "He, for all intents and purposes, is now your familiar, please continue and complete the ritual."

"With him?" she almost sputtered.

Kirito noted with interested that she was starting to blush. A little more and her face would match her hair.

"The next class will start shortly, please do not be tardy," the professor returned a commanding look, "You've managed at least to prove yourself a proper mage so this is the least you can do."

The jeering started up again. Louise approached Kirito, determined to get whatever she was going to do over with. If she tried to at least maintain any dignity, it was lost when it was clear she reached up for his head with both arms with some difficulty. It was comical really but she managed to bow his head down. Kirito for his part wanted to know where this was going, or some part of him already knew but didn't resist. Her lips touched his. Soft, warm, a kiss on the lips, the kind which he'd known before but never thought would receive from another girl.

Truly he wanted to protest but it looked like little Louise had it worse than he did. She was probably so embarrassed she could die. In his mind, he only thought of his loved one and if his daughter were here, how she would disapprove.

"Well done, you succeeded in 'Contract Servant' in one try," he seemed strangely happy.

This invited more back and forth between Louise and her classmate, Montmorency the Flood, the latter apparently having had an embarrassing nocturnal sphincter failure in the past. Kirito would have been amused at the fact if it wasn't for his body burning like someone took a flame to it. He knelt, clutching his left hand in pain once the sensation had passed and the professor took a quick look at it.

"Strange," he remarked, "I've never seen that combination before."

Kirito inspected the letters on his hand. They looked like runes, Nordic most likely, but he couldn't tell. They were alien to him as this world. However the professor, a Colbert if he recalled, continued without missing a beat.

"Alright back to class, come on now."

Slowly, he lifted himself off the ground without so much as moving a muscle, turned and flew off. Kirito marvelled at the sight as more and more of the students lifted off in the same manner and flew off in the company of some strange creatures. Those were probably familiars, Kirito thought.

"You'd better walk back," was the only parting remark his summoner received as the two of them were left alone in the grassy field.

He wanted at least some answers but was beaten to the punch.

"Who are you?" she practically screamed at him.

Kirito raised his hands in front of him to try and placate her.

"I thought I already told you my name," he said, "If you forgot, it's Kirito. Anyway, can I have your name? Where are we? What's going on?"

"I am your master, Louise de la Vallière, second year student at the Tristain Academy of Magic and I am going to class."

"So, you really summoned me," Kirito trailed off as he wonder what it meant to him.

This seemed like a completely new world with little connection to the one he left behind. If she was a mage and she summoned him, there must be a greater purpose to it. Or maybe there wasn't and he just happened to be a lucky, or unlucky, soul.

"Why is my familiar so dim-witted, why couldn't I get a gryphon, or a dragon?"

He would have taken offense to that if he wasn't struck with an idea.

"Hit me Louise," he told her.

"What?" she replied half-indignant and half-perplexed.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright, just hit me. Right here will do," Kirito pointed at his mug, "I must be a coma from cardiac arrest and if you hit me, maybe I might wake up from it."

Louise didn't look any less confused as she nonetheless stopped and turned to face him once more.

"You want me to hit you?"

He nodded and she approached him, preparing a punch.

"I, the third daughter of the Vallière have suffered so much but this indignity, I swear, " she muttered.

This fist flew and struck hard. It was effective and Kirito's last thought was that she could hit surprisingly hard for a girl her size.