Cale arrived at school alongside Ameri, who gave him a goodbye hug from the carriage. As he stepped out of the vehicle, he exhaled softly, sensing how the school's atmosphere buzzed with demonic energy. He liked that tingling in the air—it meant something interesting was about to happen.
The moment she stepped down, Ameri's demeanor shifted completely, becoming serious and strict.
"What are you doing? You must assert yourselves with your voice and work with discipline!" she ordered, addressing the student council members.
Meanwhile, Cale strolled through the entrance where a group of girls were greeting his sister. He approached them with a playful smile and said:
"Good morning, ladies! Hope you have a lovely day." He gave them a charming wink.
The girls were instantly captivated. One of them even suffered a small nosebleed. Cale couldn't help but grin at the scene, crossing his arms with a smug expression while Kira whispered at his side, "Wreaking havoc this early, are we..."
As he continued, he noticed Alice kneeling before Iruma. Curious, Cale stepped closer and said:
"Hey Alice! Quite the dramatic change in attitude, don't you think?" Then he turned to Iruma. "Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Cale Azazel, and this is Kira. Would you do us the honor of walking with us?"
"U-uh... s-sure," Iruma stammered.
"What do you think you're doing, Cale?" Alice growled, flames sparking in his hands. "Don't try anything funny with Lord Iruma or I'll kill you."
"Relax, man. I'm not trying to steal your first love," Cale said with a laugh.
Alice growled louder, ready to hurl a fireball, but Cale lifted his hands, smiling.
"Kidding. Just kidding."
They continued walking together through the building until Iruma asked:
"Where are we going?"
"We're all in the same group," Alice explained. "They split the 163 first-years into groups while sorting out our classes. We're heading to the familiars hall."
"Familiars?" Iruma echoed.
"New students summon magical beasts to serve them," Cale clarified. "The type of familiar you summon determines your initial rank. Advancing depends on academic performance."
"Great," Iruma thought nervously. "What if mine tries to eat me...?"
They finally reached the summoning hall. Iruma muttered:
"I'm a little nervous..."
"By the way, the results of your summoning determine your class," Alice added.
Just then, the door burst open. A terrifying-looking professor entered. The air grew heavy, like the temperature had suddenly dropped.
"I am Naberius Kalego, in charge of this ritual. Why? Because I'm exceptional at what I do," he announced arrogantly. "I will determine whether you're useful trash or useless trash."
Cale watched Kalego like one might observe a general intimidating new recruits. Even the loudest students fell silent, gulping nervously.
Kalego then approached Iruma and accused him of using forbidden magic, threatening expulsion.
"Anyone who fails will be expelled! You've been warned!"
"Scary..." whispered a demon nearby.
"Yeah, no kidding," muttered another.
Kalego held up a screen decorated with fruits and birds and explained the procedure: take the paper, add blood, burn it, and so on.
Cale barely held in his laughter at the drawings, which only earned him a furious glare as Kalego crushed the screen in his hands.
"Use the paper with my seal. I will detect any forgeries."
"Is it dangerous?" a dragon girl asked nervously.
"Absurd. The familiar serves you. If it disobeys, punishment follows. That is the power of blood contracts."
"LINE UP!" Kalego barked.
Alice whispered to Iruma:
"He doesn't even hide his hostility..."
One by one, the students summoned their familiars until it was Alice, Iruma, and Cale's turn.
Alice stepped forward confidently. His ritual summoned a gorgon serpent.
"Not surprising, given his noble bloodline," Kalego mused, arms crossed.
Cale approached with a relaxed air. He signed in blood and lit the paper.
"Let's see what comes out..."
A yin-yang circle formed on the ceiling. From the smoke emerged a small panther with blue stripes. As the yin-yang fused into the creature, its body took on white and black zones while retaining the blue lines. One of its eyes bore the same symbol as the one above.
Cale stared in awe at the new familiar. A sharp pain shot through his chest, and he realized this had gone beyond a blood pact—this was a soul contract. The panther leaped toward him, and he caught it gently before collapsing.
The room froze. Normally, there were no complications for summoners, nor mutations in familiars. Some students gasped; others stepped back warily. Kalego narrowed his eyes.
"This is highly irregular. Take him to the infirmary immediately."
The summoning continued. Iruma, in his usual luck, summoned Kalego himself—to the audience's great amusement. Surprisingly, it even softened the teacher's attitude.
In the Infirmary
News of Kalego's summoning and Cale's bizarre event spread quickly through the school via the student paper. Some dubbed him "the summoner who fainted"; others, "the holy panther guy."
Cale slowly woke in the infirmary. The ceiling spun slightly, and his chest still ached. Beside him, the small panther lay curled on his arm, while Kira perched on Ameri's lap.
"What happened? I rushed over when I heard. Do you know how worried I was?" Ameri asked, tugging his cheek gently.
"Sorry for worrying you, sis. It's a weakness in my ability—I'm defenseless when forming a contract. But I gained a new partner," he said, brushing her cheek in return.
"You should rest more," she said, frowning.
"Don't worry. I'm perfectly fine now. How long was I out?"
"What am I going to do with you?" she sighed. "You were out for six hours. Classes are over."
"Tell Dad I'm fine, no need to worry," Cale said, gathering his things and leaving the infirmary with Ameri.
As he cradled the sleeping panther, he paused thoughtfully and whispered:
"Your name will be Onan."
Noticing a tiny smile form on the panther's face, Ameri commented:
"Are spirits appearing more often lately, or is it just me?"
"Maybe..." Cale replied, pensive.