Zero stared down at the product of her summoning. Well, she couldn't call it a familiar. Because a familiar would be living like every other creature her classmates summoned. This was just a black uniform that laid before her.

"Did she just summon clothing?"

"I think she exploded her familiar."

Colbert was finishing up his report. "...And Louise had summoned a uniform."

Osmund shook his head. "Well, golems are lifeless, and they've been marked as familiars as before. Now, what did this uniform look like?"

"Hm, it's a dark blue, it's a top and a skirt, with belt that keep the pieces together. There is a square piece of fabric around the neck, almost like what the sailors wear. I suppose the oddest item is the scarf; it's red, but if you look from the front, the left part looks like an eye and the right is black with scars like an X. I still haven't figured out what fabric was used."

"And what fabric do you think Louise would wear with that?"

"I guess bla-" Colbert choked on his spit. "Guh-Headmaster!"

Osmund laughed at his joke.

Louise loved the Rule of Steel. It was the rule that her family followed, the rule that she must hold her head up high. That was why, when she realized that all her clothes had to be washed, rather than miss a class, she had to wear that clothing she summoned. It hurts knowing that she was still in school due to a loophole in the definition of a familiar, but she could hardly call a piece of clothing a familiar. Now, where was that maid?

Oh, there she was, being comforted by the cook. And she had a blood face.

"Cook, what has happened here?"

The chef growled at her. "That pansy blonde mage got caught two-timing, then he blamed Siesta and hit her."

"Pansy...It's Guiche, isn't it?"

"That's the one. Damn mage doesn't man up to his own problems, and since Siesta won't take the blame, he's calling for a duel. Bet it's to the death too."

Louise gasped. "But...duels aren't allowed on the grounds."

"On the grounds of being between 'nobles'." The chef retorted. "If it's against a commoner, it's not against the bloody rules. Seems fair enough, regardless of if us commoners can actually fight."

The maid finally spoke up. "Marteau wants to fight in my stead, but I can't let him for my mistake."

Louise grabbed the maid's hands. "It is a noble's job to protect those without magic. For Guiche to do such a thing...to create an execution on an innocent for his own affairs, I cannot allow that. I'll do what I can to stop him."

"Thank you!" Siesta whimpers as she grabbed Lousie, burying her head into Louise's shoulder.

"...lood."

"Um, did you say something?" Louise asked, not aware that Siesta's blood was disappearing into her "uniform".

"Delicious blood!"

Guiche looked around at the crowd. "So, the maid did not come after all. She is unworthy to serve a noble, and thus she should be kicked out of this academy."

"Or perhaps a noble has convinced her that it is not her issue." A cloaked figure made her way past the crowd. "After all, a duel between nobles isn't allowed, but a duel with a representative for a commoner is allowed, even if said representative is a noble."

"What...Louise, is that you?" Guiche laughed. "Oh, and I thought it could not be any more entertaining."

"Quiet, Guiche!" Louise raised her wand. "On behalf of Siesta and the two girls you wronged, I will duel you."

Guiche merely nodded as he used a wand to craft a sword. "Very well. I was going to offer this the commoner, but I can provide swords for both parties provided that neither of us use wands."

"I see." Louise picked up the blade. Only one girl noticed Louise's hands were gloved and there was a rune on one of them. "I would also like to remind you that familiars are allowed in a duel."

"I will not use Verdandi, but still, I suppose there's no point in removing that rule." Guiche tucked away his wand and pulled out a rose. "I am Guiche the Bronze, and I will show you what my name means."

Guiche summoned up a set of armor that looked vaguely female and carried a sword in its hands. Louise was peeved for many reasons. "Hey, you used magic."

"I said no wands, and this is clearly a rose." Guiche held the rose for her to see. This was more like the command for the Valkyrie to rush forth and attack her. To everyone's surprise, Louise managed to raise her blade and parry the armor's attacks.

"Is this your doing?" Louise asked herself. "...I see."

"Louise!" Louise couldn't react to the maid's voice fast enough to counter five additional blades. Guiche must have summoned them while she was fighting the first Valkyrie. To Guiche's confusion, the blades did not cut through Louise. In fact, Louise jumped out of the ambush, shredding her cloak in the process and...

"Wh-what are you wearing?" Guiche had to hide his blush and the blood pouring out of her nose. It seems that Louise was wearing a black ensemble even a dancer wouldn't wear. With shoulder-length gloves and thigh-long boots, there were view places that were covered by this strange fabric. This fabric also had two shoulder pieces where one of them looked like an eye. And yet, Zero had not one cut on her. "You shame your family like this!"

Kirche was the other one to notice another change. "Louise! You got boobs!"

While the other boys were making cat calls, Tabitha narrowed her eyes. "Strong."

"Sh-shut up! I am here to prove that the Rule of Steel is still strong in me, and I'm cutting through your weak Brozne, Guiche!"

((It seems to be a rite for characters to get summoned by Louise of Familiar of Zero. I was thinking Satsuki or Ragyo, but Senketsu should have his time of the month.))