“How did this happen?” A being slammed their clenched fist furiously into a table. The figure of this being was back-lit, creating a shadow that masked their features. Their voice came out in an androgynous tone.

“There should not have been another darkness elemental! I almost snuffed Obscura from existence, yet now she grows stronger by the day! Duval! Duval where are you!?” The entity became furious and called for his subordinate.

A voice answers from an obscure location, “My lord?”

“Why have you allowed this? Obscura is growing stronger! This is a massive set back! I will not wait millennia to reach this point again! You will immediately destroy her new subordinate! If you fail, I will make you wish for a true hell! You understand!?”

“Yes my lord. I will set to my new task immediately.” The voice answered back calmly. Just as quickly as it had appeared, the presence of the voice vanished.

The shrouded entity struck the table in front of him again. The table made of material specifically designed to withstand multiple supernovas by an advanced race crumbled before the might of that angered strike.

“I will not allow this setback!”

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I accepted the request before me and found myself once more in an unfamiliar place. It appeared to be some sort of academy. The feature that gave it away were the numerous young people moving about from building to building in matching uniforms of forest green and brown. There were also large structures that appeared to serve as an on-site residence for the students. In the center of the clustered buildings that served some purpose or other was a large obelisk that housed an equally large clock face on each of its sides.

At the first moment of appearing here, I was confused. Confused because it felt as though I had not fully been summoned. I felt like an incorporeal ghost floating fifteen feet above the ground unnoticed.

Below me in a field of grass were a gaggle of students sitting cross-legged and hands clasped in front of them, their eyes closed. It appeared as though they were meditating. I felt particularly drawn to a young woman sporting blond hair that glimmered in the light of the rising sun. She was the one whose request I had accepted.

I knew what to do from here on. I approached her, and lay my hand upon her head. I felt her silky hair beneath my fingers even though I could feel nothing else through my current incorporeal form. She did not react at all to my touch.

I closed my eyes and felt myself drawn into her mind. It was a realm in which she controlled and was her own god, however she accepted my presence willingly.

“You have called upon the element of darkness, long forgotten by the minds of this world, mortal girl. What is it you seek by doing so?” I began the script.

I felt the girl jump with a small startle and she quickly materialized her form within her mind.

“S-so it’s true! The darkness element still exists!” The girl immediately went off-tangent from the expected script. Well, that is to be expected when encountering something supposedly extinct for millennia.

“It is true, mortal girl. What is it you seek to gain by calling me here?” Now off the script, my voice once more lost its imposing presence and was that of my usual soft spoken nature. I could have stuck with the scripted response, but I couldn’t help but be swept along by the enthusiasm the girl exuded.

“O-oh! Right! Umm… I’m a student of Cainin Summoner Academy, Tira Felin, and I call upon the darkness to grant me a summon beast!” The girl awkwardly jumped back to the original script. Basically she was a summoner. Summoners called upon beasts made of the elements to do battle or just help around with various work. Likely this was the girl’s first contract for a beast. It was my job to craft and give the girl a beast in return for signing a soul-binding contract. Most of the requests ended with a soul-binding contract.

Now to actually craft the beast. I shot tendrils of darkness from my outstretched hands within the mind of the girl. The tendrils swirled around each other, slowly forming to make the creature I pictured in my mind. It was to be a deceptively simple looking creature. It was really just a blob of darkness the size of a head. It had beady eyes that glowed a purplish light. It had a bunny tail at its backside and large floppy bunny ears. The idea is that it would be easily underestimated.

Now for its power and ability. Normally I had to follow the scripted rules for balance. However, being the only darkness beast on this planet I had some leeway to make it as strong as I desired. I wanted to reward the girl for returning the element of darkness to this world.

I gave the bubbly little darkness bunny-like beast overwhelming magical and physical power. It had the ability to shape-shift, duplicate (like myself) and to become one with shadows (also like myself). I could probably shape-shift as well but had no need to. I added a few extra little features such as high intelligence, control, and patience. Features befitting such a deceptive creature.

Having finished, I eyed over my work once more. The little menace I had created was already looking around curiously.

“Eh? T-that’s it?” The girl Tira said with a disappointed tone. The… darkness bunny… responded by shape-shifting a maw with countless rows of teeth to roar at the girl.

“Eeeeeehhhh! Sorry! I didn’t mean it!” She screamed out, covering her face with her hands. The darkness bunny shape-shifted back to ‘normalcy’ and let out a satisfied sort of chirp.

“Should you choose to accept this beast, Summoner Tira, place your hand upon the contract.” I continued along the script. Before Tira popped up a panel like those back in the unseen maze where numerous others of ‘myself’ were toiling away with requests. Ah, Obscura is harassing one of ‘me’ about using flash-bangs in the game called Call of Duty something or other…

Tira hesitated only for a moment before slamming her hand down upon the contract. She certainly did not take the time to read it, even though it should have been translated into a language she understood. The moment she slammed her hand down, the panel vanished and the darkness bunny chirped happily, leaping to set itself upon her head like a strange hat.

“I’ll call you Mochi.” Tira exclaimed. Mochi chirped happily announcing his acceptance.

Now that it was done, I could return to the Unseen Maze, but I wanted to see the results. I drew myself out of the girl’s mind, and released her head. Tira’s eyes shot open and a smile spread upon her face. Other students were doing similarly, while some also opened their eyes with a look of disappointment.

The students were all standing at this point, when a man, likely the instructor, signalled for them to gather by a patch of earth that appeared to be a training ring. The students excitedly hurried over.

“We will begin assessment of the summon beasts. Your beasts will individually be pitted against my summon beast, Kyros, one by one. Summon your beast as quickly as possible to simulate a combat situation. A summoner that does not summon their beast quickly in combat is as good as dead.” The instructor called out instructions while moving to one side of the patch of dirt.

“Don’t worry about your beast. If they are destroyed they will only need a day's rest at most to recover. Hannah, you are first!” The instructor gestured towards a small girl with shoulder length auburn hair. The girl hesitantly stepped to the opposite side of the instructor.

“When this coin touches the earth, begin.” The instructor removed a coin of silver from his pocket and threw it into the air. The moment it landed with a dull thud in the dirt, it began.

“Flames of Tochk; Kyros!” The instructor called out, both palms pointed outward towards the ground in front of him. In the spot his palms pointed towards a massive wolf made of flame formed and howled. So Tochk had granted him this beast then?

“By the warring waters of the tide that die with Tranquil; Froth!” The girl had said at the same time with a similar pose to the instructor. A rather large serpent of clear water formed and coiled. The serpent was made of water so pure it almost seemed like it had an invisibility spell cast upon it before hand. Already I had heard two familiar names with this request. That means Tranquil was probably here with me today.

The girl’s summoning had been a two full seconds slower than the instructor's. The moment the serpent had fully formed, the wolf was ready, and came down on the serpent with a cruel bite. The serpent nearly twisted out of it’s reach, but simply did not have enough time to react. That quickly, the battle was over, and the serpent dissipated into steam.

The girl, with her head down, shuffled away from the patch of dirt that served as their arena. The instructor made a motion with his hand and Kyros vanished in a puff of black smoke.

“Tira! You’re next!” The instructor brought forth the battle I wanted to see. Tira hesitantly took her side opposite the instructor. The instructor picked up the silver coin once more.

“When the coin lands, begin.” The instructor repeated and threw the coin into the air. It landed once more with a dull thud.

“Flames of Tochk; Kyros!” The instructor had just as quickly before in less than a second summoned his beast.

“Overwhelming darkness, shadows within shadows, all consuming of the light, all giving of nightmares, the shadows deception that is Kage; Mochi!” Tira’s summon was a massive six seconds slower than the instructor. The darkness bunny I had so recently created formed. Much like before, Kyros immediately went for the attack.

The darkness bunny sank into the ground swiftly. Kyros pawed at the ground in frustration. Behind Kyros the bunny resurfaced, and shape-shifted just as quickly. From it’s head sized body many tendrils sprouted, each with numerous claws at along their lengths and at their ends. Kyros sensing his foe, turned, only to be set upon by the many tendrils. The tendrils wrapped themselves around Kyros and began squeezing and clawing in many places.

Kyros let out a growl, and with it came a massive pillar of flame that shot into the sky, consuming the image of both. When the pillar of flame died down, the scene was unchanged. The bunny seemed entirely unfazed. It shape-shifted a massive maw of countless sharp teeth. No portion inside it’s maw was without a diabolic and menacing tooth. It brought it’s tendrils and Kyros closer to it’s maw.

Kyros began to struggle desperately, now whimpering. Another pillar of flame consumed the scene. Yet again, the scene was unchanging, other than Kyros was already half way inside the maw of the bunny. Yet another pillar of flame.

This time Kyros was seen to be entirely inside the maw of the bunny. The bunny’s maw clamped shut on it’s own tendrils, and they faded away. One last whine from Kyros could be heard as the bunny’s form returned to normal. The little terror let out a small burp of black smoke, and vanished with a motion of the now smiling Tira.

“That was… I thought they were extinct! Regardless, Tira, you need to work on your summoning mantra. It is far too long. Bond with your beast and find stronger keywords. The rest of you will wait here while I get another instructor to assess your beasts since Kyros is recovering… Those of you who need to clean up may do so, but be quick about it!”

The instructor took off running toward an outcropping of buildings. Some students had soiled themselves from the display. Curious; many of them were snickering or outright laughing the first moment they saw Mochi.

Well, my purpose here was fulfilled. Back to work for this ‘me’.