Nero: My humblest thanks Astra.

Nero crouches down in front of Stacy.

Nero: So you want power. Right?

--- Chapter 25 ---

???: Delivery!

Cari: Oh thanks.

???: What do you need with all this medicine?

Cari: People get hurt. We are a mage guild after all.

???: Yah true, sorry for being nosy.

Cari: No you're fine haha.

She says with a kind smile.

???: Alrighty, I hope it gets put to good use. Cya later then.

Cari: Don't worry it will. Later!

The delivery man starts to walk away. As he is, a sadistic smile crosses his face.

???: Hahahaha. She took the bait. Its checkmate Red, after what you did to my friend, you deserve what's coming.

He gets in his cart and starts to drive it away. Cari brings the crate inside and retrieves a vial of a pale green liquid. She brings it into Red's room. She sets it on the table.

Cari: Here you go, drink this.

Red: Come on, I can heal myself no problem!

Cari: Drink the damn potion.

Red: Ok Cari… Can you at least bring it to me.

Cari: Get it yourself, you got legs.

Red pouts as he gets up and walks to the table, as he picks it up the liquid starts swirling. He doesn't notice as he goes to open it up. As he opens it, the liquid blasts out like a whirling vortex heading towards his face. He swiftly dodges backwards. It hits the wall behind him leaving slash marks. The liquid floats up and swirls around forming a small being with a humanoid torso and head but from the waist down it's a wispy liquid.

Red: The hell are you?

Liquid: Hehehe, wouldn't you like to know.

In the training room Tilda just finished making the ritual.

Tilda: Ok that should be good!

Luna: Ok now what?

Tilda: Ok so you just have to-

Tilda gets filled with an uneasy feeling.

Luna: Are you ok?

Tilda: There's another summon.

Luna: What? What do you mean?

Tilda: I sense a strong amount of summoner energy in the air.

Luna: So what. That just means-

Tilda: No, it's not someone else in the guild. Me and you are the only summoners.

Luna: Did she just read my mind?!

Tilda brings her left hand to her deck holder on her waist, preparing herself.

Luna: So what does this mean? Are we being attacked?

Tilda: Yes.

She closes her eyes and takes a breath, seemingly muttering something, too quiet to hear. Luna looks at her and it looks like for a moment there was something talking to her. Luna brushes this aside to deal with the matter at hand.

Tilda: It's an evil water spirit.

Back in the infirmary

Red: Get back here you little shit!

Spirit: Na na nanaNA.

The spirit zooms towards the bed and soaks itself into it. Red summons his sword and starts slashing the bed to bits. Looking inside he doesn't see much inside. But suddenly multiple whirlpools rocket toward him. Red tries his best to doge but one hits his right soldier.

Red: Ow that hurts.

His shoulder starts to lockup before it freezes entirely.

Red: What's happening?!

The liquid floats up and enters the wound.

Spirit: Hello new friend.

Red: The hell are you doing to me?!

Spirit: I've entered your body. Now if you don't do exactly as I say I will stop your heart from pumping blood and you will die where you stand, you got me?

Red: I understand.

Red says begrudgingly.

The Spirit tells him to leave his infirmary and go to the hall.

???: Oh hey Red, you feeling better?

Red: Uh yah, a little bit.

Spirit: Stop talking with those idiots, fools, halfwit nincompoops.

The spirit guides Red toward the crate. Red looks inside to see a bunch of empty bottles, with corks collected in the bottom. Red realizes that each of the bottles had one of these things in it and there all in the base. And since Red cannot speak, out of fear he would die. He looks around the hall at the people drinking out of mugs. Red begins to sweat. Eventually the door bursts open and Luna and Tilda run in. Luna Looks at Tilda as she speaks to herself.

Luna: So, where is it?

Tildas face widens in horror. She looks around.

Tilda: Inside. Everyone…

Luna: What?! Then how are we supposed to win?!

Tilda: Normally were not. But Luna, i'm going to use one of my strongest abilities ok?

Luna: Ok, I understand.

Tilda pulls a card out. “Judgement XX”. The card begins to float upward as it forms into an angel holding a scale and sword. She claps her hands together.

Tilda: Judgement! Delete the dark water spirits point of entry!

The angels scale tip side to side. They eventually lock into place. The angel raises her sword in the sky, as it begins to glow. Everyone is seemingly pushed at once as a liquid gets sucked from the body. It all swirls into one giant version.

Spirit: The hells wrong with you lady? You're stopping my super evil plan!

Tilda: A-and what would that be?

She says visibly exhausted. Judgment returns to card form and floats down into her holster.

Spirit: Eradicating Elune of course! Ehehehehe.

Tilda: Your a familiar, right? How are you so strong?

Spirit: Dark Art of Deborah of course!

Tilda: Deborah?!

Luna: What's Deborah?!

Tilda: Luna! Kill it! NOW!

Luna: R-Right! Air Slash!

Air gathers in her palms as slashes of wind launch out of it. The slashes hit the spirit and slice it up.

Luna: I got it!

But then the liquid starts to reform itself.

Spirit: Im a water spirit stupid idiot head. Can't cut water dummy.

Luna: Yah, not my smartest move.

The spirit lifts its arm up towards luna as it starts to whirl around. A large burst of water rockets at her. It hits her and launches her into the bar behind her, breaking part of it.

Tilda: Luna!

Spirit: Ehehehe. I! Hezil, the water spirit, is about to single handedly take out the elune guild! Ehehehehe. I'll have so much rep after this one.

His arm regathers itself. He lifts his right hand up and slashes forward with it, his fingers like blades now. Tilda tries to dodge but only being a kid, she doesn't do a very good job. A deep slash streaks across her as she gets launched back, her necklace chain is cut as it flies toward Luna. A card floats up and forms. It's fool. He lifts her up in his arms. In the black eye holes of his mask, a spinning slot machine like numbers spin. It lands on the numbers 1 and 3, forming the number 13. Her wounds start to heal at an increased rate.

Fool: I will no longer allow you to harm my master.

Spirit: Is THAT so. Well let's see how long you can even survive in this world. Because I'm familiar, I'm good for forever but your limit is your masters mana. Not to mention i'm impervious to your attacks Ehehe-

Fool: Are you done?

Spirit: Your in for it now bub!

Fool begins dodging spirits attacks. He seems to be mainly protecting Tilda. Luna sees her necklace and starts to crawl towards it. She grabs it and holds it.

Luna: Please, any spirit, person, or monster listening. I need your help!

A moment goes by after chanting this, before a glowing light surrounds her. Glowing lines flow on the blank part of the necklace, making a picture of a golem. And in a bright glow a large golem appears. Its appearance is that of stone bricks, circled around its body. Its mouth doesn't move, but its voice is still heard.

Golem: What do you require my lady.

Luna looks at the golem in awe.

Luna: Take it out!

Golem: As you wish my lady.

Its mouth begins to open revealing a black and purple void. The air starts flowing into at a rapid pace, several pieces of silverware and mugs go flying into its mouth. The spirit starts to flow towards it with gravity.

Spirit: What the? What are you doing to me lady?!

Luna: Sending you straight to hell!

The golems suction increases as more things enter its mouth. The spirit drawn closer and closer, begins to start freaking out.

Spirit: Hey now, let's talk about this, you don't need to do that, we can work out a deal. Right? Right?!

Eventually it's right at the golem as it's being sucked in. He makes multiple hands that extend in hopes of getting out of this. He tried until he was utterly consumed. The golem's mouth closes.

Golem: Task Complete.

The golem fades away and the drawing disappears. Everyone starts to return to their normal state. Luna brings the necklace back to Tilda.

Tilda: T-thanks.

Luna: No problem! But shouldn't we go find the summoner?!

Tilda: No need.

Luna: Why?

Tilda: It said it was using Deborah. A dark art that synergizes a summoner's life force with their familiar. It increases their strength incredibly but if the familiar dies or gets destroyed the user dies. And I believe it because familiars mana don't match what it had.

Luna: Ok, that's a relief. I'm gonna go help Red out then.

Tilda: Ok I'm going to talk to the master about something.

They both go and do their thing as everyone is still waking up and fixing the place up. Luna walks over to Red as he's getting up. She notices a necklace of a key around his neck.

Luna: Where did you get that?

In the masters chambers, Tilda opens the door.

Tilda: Master?

Master: Yes Tilda?

Tilda: What is she?