Familiar's Pact

"Sure master, let me demonstrate my power... but master, I request you to come closer as we proceed with our pact evolution."

"Pact evolution? What's that nonsense?" I stepped forward as she instructed.

*Gushung.*

"Huh?" was the only word that escaped my mouth. Something I couldn't predict. Imeki stabbed me in the abdomen with her sword, which appeared out of thin air. It was fatal, making Kerfern and Tsuki's jaws drop in terror.

Ah, is this the end for me? Using my own cursed necromancy magic on a lich to use it as my puppet, only for the puppet itself to stab me. Hah, what a cursed guy I am. Did I even command her to kill me? It's all this curse's fault after all.

"Master, take deep breaths. It's alright." Imeki smiled creepily and calmly instructed me as I lay wounded.

"Hey Imeki! Why did you betray him?" Kerfern shouted at her, but she ignored him and held me in her arms, despite the blood staining her kimono. It didn’t even look stained as the kimono was already blood-red.

Kerfern Karshatsuha and Tsuki Ernie were ready to attack, but they couldn’t target Imeki without risking my life. She moved one hand to my face, which was having trouble breathing.

Should I try that on myself? Otherwise, I will die. 

I wanted to use necromancy magic on myself. I was always curious what would happen if I tried using my own necromancy magic on myself. Would I become undead? Would the magic negate? It was all a mystery. But it seemed like I didn't need to try because...

Imeki started kissing me on the lips as I struggled to breathe. Suddenly, our bodies started glowing, and a magic crest appeared on my hand. As our bodies glowed pure white, my wound began healing automatically. Imeki, who once had black wolf hair, now had white hair, and her kimono turned white with peach sakura petal linings which made her look like completely different person.

The glow suddenly faded. "W-what just happened... my eyes still hurt from the light," Tsuki Ernie panicked.

"Arnes... he's healed... also Tsuki, look at Imeki... her hair and kimono, it's like she's a completely different person," Kerfern lowered his guard. Seeing Imeki healed Arnes which meant she wasn't supposal a threat, Tsuki also dispelled her magic after seeing Kerfern's frosts floating around her turned to mist and mix with air.

"Khoff Khoff, what the hell just happened?" I asked, coming back to my senses, completely healed with no mark on my stomach. I was also surprised by Imeki's transformation.

"Master, from now on, I am your familiar officially. Sorry for deceiving you."

She looked at me sharply, so I wouldn’t reveal anything about my necromancy. I still don’t get how my summon can even be a familiar, as familiars and puppets are completely different things. But all I could do was talk to her personally since she didn't have to reveal about her being a spirit.

Spirits, spiritual beings who can make pacts with their interactors, amplifying their magic power. Liches are spirits, so it was possible for her to make a pact with a human. But Imeki was different. She was just a puppet under a necromancer who would command her to do whatever he wanted.

"I was choosing my master since I had none, and Arnes, my master, seemed suitable. So I was testing him out. Also, I am sorry for deceiving you all... I am not a maid... I just wanted to be friends with everyone. It's true, at first, I was just acting, but the kindness got to my soft side. You both can hate me, but please don't leave my master's side."

Ah, I see. She just wanted to hide her power and pretended to be expressionless so people would judge her less. She just wanted to keep company with her friends and couldn’t keep lying so she revealed herself after seeing Tsuki Ernie's pain of losing friends.

"Imeki, you are childish. You could have just told me about being a spirit, but do you know you just forced me to become a familiar pacter?"

Though I know there is more to it, that you revealed your true form.

Her white wolf cut, even her white eyelashes, were alluring. I knew she would explain more later, but what she explained now wasn’t a lie, it was indeed the truth.

"Stupid Imeki, you thought being a spirit would make us not befriend you? You are wrong. You are precious to us, and I am sure even Kerfern would agree," Tsuki ranted at Imeki for being selfish and Kerfern nods agreeing to her.

"Yeah, Tsuki, weren't you the one earlier who thought we would befriend you just because you were overpowered? More like you wanted to break our friendship. Also, yeah Imeki, Tsuki is right. You are precious to us, and there is no way we wouldn’t befriend you... also I am still shocked you were a spirit and you almost killed Arnes haha." He laughed even though he is in shock himself to make the mood less tense.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience," Imeki bowed apologetically.

"Spirits are rare, and who would have thought a commoner like me would pact with one... sigh, I am really cursed."

Tsuki looked towards me, dissatisfied. "Oi Arnes, you should be happy instead. Don't you think it's something big? Somehow you are making me angry, looking dissatisfied with the pact."

"N-no, it's not like that... it's just everything is happening so fast-paced that I can't even keep up with it... and Imeki being a familiar feel surreal."

"Well, that's true. Well, whatever. At least I can see Imeki smile and act normal now."

"Hmm~ Master, when was the last time you brushed?" Suddenly, our conversation was interrupted by that sentence from Imeki. Silence fell as we recalled the kiss.

"I-I saw the kiss halfway when I was flashed, so it was unclear... ugh... disgusting, you didn't even brush?" Tsuki made a disgusted expression looking towards me. I had gotten used to not brushing, even for a month, as I was confined in prison and stopped caring about health. But I was embarrassed as my first kiss was stolen suddenly, even before realizing it, and I wasn't prepared for.

"Are you jealous, Tsuki-chan?" I put on my tough-guy act to make it look normal, but it wasn't normal at all. Probably I got influenced by Tsuki being weird.

"G-GOD DAMN IT! Why is Arnes flirting with Tsuki? Isn't she, my duo? We are supposed to be romantically involved just like in romance novels. ARNES, WHY ARE YOU RUINING IT DAMMIT!!!"

"Perverts... r-romantically involved with me? Y-you both are hitting on me?" Tsuki Ernie blushed.

"Nah, they are messing with you," Imeki put in with a smile, a new version of herself that made us smile, thinking she was being her real self.


***


We made it to our dorm room. After getting fresh, I sat down on my bed thinking about the kiss. My eyes met Imeki's, and it really felt awkward.

"Imeki, so what are you? Were you even influenced by my necromancy summon?"

"Yes, I was stuck in the labyrinth, it's true, and I was summoned. But the fact is you couldn't control me but yet I played my role as a maid, seeing what the world after 300 years feels like is really terrifying."

"Makes sense that Griffin was uncontrollable at first. It was hard to grasp the necromancy magic on the corpse... makes more sense why my necromancy didn't work on you but just summoned you, as you are an undead spirit."

"Yes... master."

"Hey Imeki, you told me that the world after 300 years feels terrifying? What do you mean by that? I thought your memories weren't with you when you were human?"

Imeki frowned, looking down. "I don't have memories, I don't know who I am, but I remember the books I have read and the places I have visited. But I can't recall when I have read or visited the places nor the people I have met when I was still human. It's complicated, just like that. I don't even know who I am."

"Memory sealing... I am sure someone used this magic on you while you were human."

I put my hand on my chin, making an assumption. I once experienced talking to someone who had no memories, so I felt like it was possible for Imeki to lose her memories due to magic.

"I think back in the labyrinth there were hints... if we try going there, it's possible we could find something about your past."

"Not possible, I have tried many times to find my own identity, but even in 300+ years I couldn't."

300 years... just how long did she suffer from her own identity crisis? This is painful. I can't keep this conversation up as Imeki was showing emotions on the verge of crying.

I don't want to see Imeki cry, so it was respectful to change the topic for her own good. "W-well, we will think about it later. I am sure we will find something. We can ask the principal about it... she probably has an idea since she knows most of the stuff we don't know about this world."

Imeki nodded with satisfaction and smiled towards me with glittering eyes.

Blush.

S-shit, why am I getting flustered? Just because her looks changed to white hair and white eyelash? No, that's not it. It's her real personality, a real charm that is extremely cute. Tsuki Ernie and she would look like sisters now since they both have silverish hair... though Tsuki's hair shines a bit more in sunlight.

Ugh, it's not the time to think about useless stuff.

I got back to my serious mood instantly. "Imeki, the tournament is near. We need a strong summon. The Griffin is useless during battle since we are aiming for the top. Were you the member the principal was hinting at after your battle ended with that noble?" I grinned, spreading my arms wide in joy.

Imeki thought for a second and grinned along with me. Like master, like familiar, our smiles resembled each other.

"The Dragon puppet," Imeki's small lips danced.

"Exactly."



To be continued...