Chapter Text
Shouta struggled to stay awake as he leaned over a large book on his desk, studying the various pages carefully to ensure he had set everything up correctly. It had to have been past midnight, only the moonlight and dim candlelight illuminating the dark room.
“Huh? I need a ceremonial robe? Isn’t that a bit much for a demonic ritual?”
He pushed himself off his chair, passing a large water-filled cauldron that he spent the last 20 minutes dragging to his room. He had to be careful not to run too fast, otherwise the candle he couldn’t get to light would blow out. Reaching his closet, he didn’t find anything that would be considered “ceremonial”, but on the floor was an old Halloween costume. A witch’s hat and a cloak that was way too big for him.
“ Sigh , I guess this will work.”
Throwing on the costume, he was about to return to the desk when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window, barely seeing his face beneath the large brim, adjusting the hat as the cloak dragged along the ground. With the faint purple glow of his eyes, he stared at himself intently, silently reaffirming that he could pull it off.
An intelligent child, Shouta was born into a family of mages, naturally inheriting their links to magic, subtly shown by the vibrant shade of purple on his hair and eyes. With his upbringing, his fascination with the arcane arts grew quickly. For all the books on magic and legends filling his room and hours of study, he had a strong wish to master sorcery skillfully and thoroughly.
“Alright, no better time to summon a demon than now!”
Because that’s what any unsupervised kid would do in the middle of the night.
Heading back to his desk, he pulled the book into his arms, nearly dropping it from its weight. He struggled to keep the page open with one hand, checking the instructions beside a crude drawing of a horned figure.
“Hmm, Latin… English… no Japanese? I guess I can figure these words out.”
Shota held his hand out towards the cauldron, glancing between it and the book. Sure, he didn’t understand the words, but he could just barely say them, which should be good enough. Just as the first was about to leave his mouth, he hesitated.
Is this really a good idea? He thought, Mom and Dad would never let me do this, and since they’re away, I won’t have any extra help. But I can handle myself! I can pull this off, and when I do, I’ll be one step closer to becoming a true mage. I just have to do this…
He let out a sigh, knowing despite his practice, he’d butcher those words the second they left his mouth, but he had to try. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and spoke.
"Per hunc hiatum… invoco quoslibet auditores ex igne… quaeso, veni ad me… veni ad latus meum…"
Splash~
He opened his eyes to see the water in the cauldron rippling. A smile slowly grew on his face as he kept his hand up.
“It… it worked? Alright, it’s out there! Now, something should be coming through?”
He glanced back at the book, clicking his tongue as all the foreign words were long and complicated. He could only make out the words “arrive” and “fire”, but nothing else useful. All he could do now was wait.
“Okay, demon, come out and show yourself. Once you do…”
He cleared his throat, taking the smile off his lips.
“I’ll finally have my own familiar!”
[30 MINUTES LATER…]
“Uhh, hello? Demon? My arm is getting tired… and I’m tired. Helloooo?”
His confidence was fading as the empty silence of the empty house reached him. He could hardly keep his eyes open, his exhaustion keeping him from being able to stand, rather sitting on his desk, kicking his legs idly. He held the book close with one arm as he spoke to possibly noone.
“Come on, I know someone’s hearing this. Someone has to be hearing this!”
The water in the pot was still moving, so his message was out there, and his candle was still lit, so the ritual should still be active, so why wasn’t anything showing up?
I’m waiting for you. Once I summon you, I’ll have a demon at my side, and everyone will see how strong I am! Managing to reign in a demon, having you stand by me, I'll soon become the greatest mage in the world!
“...”
I don’t think I could pull this off without a familiar, but something should be coming, right?
Another long period of droning silence aside from the distant crickets and flickering candle weakened his faith in the ritual. He struggled to keep his hand up, not wanting to mess it up. He was no longer waiting, but hoping.
“...”
“Please… just come to me…”
There was nothing.
He shut his eyes in frustration as his arm dropped to his side. He looked around his empty room, listening for any noise. Nothing. He slowly brought his hand to his hat, tossing it to the floor. If anyone was watching him, he would have sworn he looked like an idiot.
“Hmph… it’s probably just another fake spell, I guess.”
It’s fine, the instructions were probably wrong, that’s it. Dad did say he never used that book much, so I guess that’s why. I didn’t mess it up or do something wrong.
Shouta glanced at the clock on his desk. Almost 2 AM. A yawn escaped him as he took off his cloak, walking back to his closet, hugging the book close.
“Haah, I guess I better give it a rest. Maybe tomorrow I can try something else-”
SHIIING~
A shrill noise caught his attention. Spinning around, a bright green rune hovered over the top of the cauldron, spinning with many sigils and symbols, illuminating the room with its glow.
“It’s… IT’S WORKING!”
He nearly tripped as he quickly grabbed his hat, clumsily throwing back it on before standing in front of the cauldron, unable to sit still from excitement, clutching his book tightly.
“I… I’m actually doing it, I’m summoning a demon! Alright then, let’s see who you are…”
He waited anxiously as the runes spun faster, a draft picking up in the room as a bright light took over the symbols. An angelic light lit up the whole room before something began to emerge. Two large, curvy horns. And then a head with glowing, wide, slit eyes.
Any excitement quickly turned to shock.
“It… it really is a demon…” he said breathlessly as the figure slowly emerged fully from the runes, putting a leg on the rim to pull themselves out of it. The light was growing blinding, only a silhouette visible as the thing stood on the edges. It lifted its head, staring down at Shouta intensely. He could only watch as the runes slowly vanished, and he could get a better look at the thing standing before him.
Any fear quickly shifted into confusion.
Standing before him was a horned woman, her hair long and blonde, yet green at the ends. Her luminous eyes were different colors, one an emerald green and one with a mix of gold and deep blue. Her face was rather beautiful and fair as the moonlight from the window lit her curious expression. Oddly enough, her outfit was extremely casual, only a black tank top barely hiding an unexpectedly large bust along with jeans and a pink baseball cap.
Shouta heard the book slip out of his hands, clattering on the floor as he staggered back, completely unsure what to even say.
The woman cleared her throat, taking a step forward.
“So it was a mage’s ritual. Well then, it’s nice to meet y- ”
She looked down, not even realizing she was on a cauldron before her foot slipped off.
“Ah-”
CLAAAANGGGGG~!!
The pot fell over, and her body slammed onto the floor as water quickly spilled across the floor. Snapping out of his shock, Shouta recognized his situation. There was a demon in his room. A potential familiar.
That probably just busted her ass from the fall.
“Ah, a-are you okay!? Did you hit your head?” He asked, staying several feet away as the girl pushed herself up, letting out a cough before it slowly turned into an clumsy laugh, rubbing her head with an awkward smile.
“Oucch… sorry about that! I didn’t even notice… hm?”
Her voice trailed off as two made eye contact. Standing in front of the window, Shouta’s eyes met hers, along with a curious stare.
“Oh? You’re the one that summoned me?”
“Y-yes! I summoned you, but are you alright? That was pretty bad… fall…”
His words went quiet as he looked to the floor. The water had spilt everywhere, sitting in a puddle, drenched, the summoning tome he was using laid there. Shouta instinctively ran for it.
“Ah! No no no, my book! Is it-”
He stopped in place, seeing the woman standing right next to it. He desperately wanted to check the book, but there was a demon right next to it. His body froze, unsure what to do. The demon’s eyes stared at him before recognizing the anxious look on his face, and once she saw the book on the soaked floor, she quickly picked it up.
“Ah! I’m sorry,! Was this yours? I’m sure it’s fine, after all it looks expensive, so it shouldn’t get damaged by some water, haha! See…”
She quickly opened the book to reveal the drenched pages, some beginning to sink and tear while the ink bled down.
“Oh. Okay that is pretty bad.”
“It’s… almost ruined. Aah, Father’s going to be really upset. I shouldn’t have taken this! I shouldn’t have even thought about trying this!”
“Hey, hey, calm down, it’s not that far beyond repair!”
“Are you kidding me? It’s practically ruined!” He shouted in disbelief, his tone incidentally sounding accusing, which caught her off guard as she began to quickly reassure him.
“Well, maybe I can fix it? This was on me, so I’ll make it up to you.” She carefully examined the book, trying her eyes glowing faintly as Shouta’s stress slowly turned into intrigue. “Hmm, this book does have a lot of energy, and it is pretty old, but if I just…”
As she placed a hand on each cover of the book, Shouta watched the woman close her eyes, her hair beginning to lift as many yellow runes surrounded the book. There were sigils on it as well, yet these ones resembled clock hands, spinning quickly until a swirl of yellow took over. Just as quickly as they appeared, they vanished, and all that was left behind was the book.
“Here, I think I fixed most of it~”
She offered the book back to him. Shouta took slow, careful steps towards her, but once his eyes landed on the book, he was immediately amazed. The cover was completely fixed, the pages straight and undamaged, and once he held it, he quickly saw that all the words were back to normal, now in better condition than it was earlier.
“W-woah! There’s no way…”
“Is… Is it better?” She held her hands together, waiting anxiously.
“It’s completely fixed! Even better than before!” He said in shock, taking it and flipping through the pages as the woman let out a long, relieved sigh, putting a hand on her chest.
“Phew, I was so worried for a second. Oh, right, and the rest of your stuff…” she turned around, extending a hand towards the knocked over cauldron, the same runes appearing over the area before quickly reverting to its fixed state. “There, all better. Hope that cheers you up~”
It’s all back to normal? How? That magic, what was it? A restoration spell? A time reverse spell? Whatever it was, it was seamless! I wonder what other powers she has…
Trying to shake off his astonishment, he clutched the sides of his cloak, stammering out short words.
“T-thanks…”
“You don’t have to thank me, I was just fixing a little mistake. Now that’s out of the way, I can get to the interesting part…”
The woman took slow, careful steps towards Shouta, holding her hands behind her back as she stared at him with intrigue.
“ You were the one performing a demon summoning ritual, weren’t you? I knew that mages existed in this world, but the book is pretty advanced, and what could a kid like you want with a demon?”
Now that his focus returned, Shouta found himself distracted at… whatever was standing before him. That hair, those eyes, those horns, he had never seen them before. He didn’t want to look scared, but he felt himself unconsciously backing up.
“S-so you’re the one I ended up summoning?”
“Hmm, maybe?”
“Maybe?”
“Well, maybe I was the one you were summoning, maybe I just happened to show up, or maybe I just showed up of my own will. What do you think?” she said with a wink, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Is she speaking in riddles? Then again, there are some weird-speaking beings out there.
“I really don’t know, but I summoned you for a reason, demon! I-”
“Eh?! Do I really look like a demon? How tactless of you~” She feigned offense, hugging her shoulders.
“You’re not a demon? What about the horns and magic?”
“A lot of beings have horns and magic. What? I look like some scary demon to you? Hehe, you don’t have to be shy, I won’t bite~”
That wasn’t comforting at all.
What is with her? She’s not making any sense, and she doesn’t seem to take me seriously. What kind of demon would…
“Hey, wait a second! You’re just trying to get me to lower my guard!” Shouta jumped back, holding an arm up as if he were bracing for the demon to make a move.
“Haha, I’m only messing with you. Your reactions are honestly adorable, though.”
His eyes widened as a messy stutter left his mouth. He quickly turned his head.
Dang, I can’t let my guard down in front of her! Get it together, I can always try another ritual, but there’s always the chance that it won’t work again, so I have to try now! Don’t let her get to you, just because she’s nice and fixed that book and she’s pretty and-
Ack! Focus focus focus! This is a demon in front of me! She has to be lying, after all demons are known to be tricksters. Ah, I know! I can read her mana. I should be able to figure out if she’s a demon or not that way.
Shouta tried to ignore her teasing as he stared her in the eyes, silently reading her powers with a spell. His eyes glowed a deep purple, which she immediately noticed.
“Ooh, A reading spell? You sure know your magic, but if you’re trying to read my power, then you might be surprised to-”
“WOAH!”
Shouta jumped back once he got a reading. The woman laughed while Shouta was frozen with an amazed, startled expression .
“Y-y-you…”
I can’t even read all of it!! It's like years worth of raw power is just inside of her! I’ve never seen anything like this before, is this really happening!? Is this powerful… ‘thing’ really in my room!?
Shouta felt his legs shaking, seeing the full reality of his situation. This woman’s powers were both unbelievable and intimidating, and that was just its raw strength. He still had no clue what they even were. His mind raced to imagine what she could do. He didn’t even know whether to be concerned or impressed.
“What do you think? I’m pretty strong, huh?”
Shouta noticed a golden flash in her left eye as she brought a finger to her lip.
“Your powers are also pretty impressive. I have to wonder, what would a kid like you be doing summoning a demon?”
Oh, right, I’m getting distracted again! I summoned her because I needed a familiar-
Wait, she’s already reading my own power!? Isn’t this usually an honor to have beings acknowledge you? Ack, I can’t focus on that right now! This is my chance to get familiar, and she already seems to be in a good mood, so I have to try!
“A-alright, miss, I s-summoned you because-”
But…
Isn’t she way above my level? With all that power, would she really want to be a kid’s familiar? Even if I promise to be a great mage, she’s far beyond my own strengths.
Is there even a chance she’ll accept? Why would someone like her even give me a second of her time?
“My… M-my name is S-Shouta… I’m a mage…”
“...?”
“I-I’m a powerful mage, and I want… I want a familiar to…”
Shouta’s words were shaky and frail, and his gaze slowly fell from facing the woman to staring at the floor blankly.
“I w-wanted to ask you… I was w-wondering if…”
Huh? Why can’t I speak right? So what if her powers could be that of a god’s? That they are way beyond whatever I could hope to achieve?I’m not gonna get anywhere by talking like this! Even if there’s a slim chance…
If there’s not even the smallest chance that she would ever…
“Don’t worry, just take your time, kid”
Shouta picked his head up. The woman had a calm smile on her face, waiting patiently.
“You must have performed this ritual for a reason. Whatever that reason may be, you don’t have to be afraid to tell me. You seem like a good kid~”
She winked at him, her words catching him off guard. There wasn’t a hint of depict in her tone or eyes, no matter how hard he looked. What was it? Concern? But why? Shouta didn’t know, but he could feel his breath beginning to steady. There was something about her that was oddly comforting. She didn’t seem like a demon or a powerful god-like being, but rather an ordinary person, and she already seemed to be fond of him.
Was there some dirty trick behind her words?
Or was there anything to be scared of in the first place?
He gripped the sides of his cloak, taking a deep breath.
“M-my name is Shouta Magatsuchi! I’m a powerful mage that has called you to be my familiar! I can already tell you’re powerful, a-and you’re really nice, and I hope that you’ll stand by my side!”
He shut his eyes the second the words left his mouth. He heard her gasp, a hum slipping from her lips. His voice was far more loud and commanding then he could have expected. He hadn’t even prepared what to say, but his words came out more desperate than he expected. All he could do now was anxiously wait for the woman’s response.
“How adorable~”
“Huh?” His eyes blinked open.
“When I sensed a demon ritual nearby, I knew that it was by someone experienced with magic. I expected some mage trying to cause chaos, but instead it was just you playing around!”
“Well, I wanted a familiar, so I used one of my father’s books. I honestly wasn’t sure if it would work, but I made sure to do everything right! I wasn't playing around, I’m serious about all of this!”
“Oh, I can tell. Any other kid would have been scared or excited, but I don’t see that in you. Rather, you’re… determined? After all, asking anybody to be a familiar is a brave task, let alone summoning one, yet you pulled it off. Although I must ask, your first pick was a demon? A bold choice, but shouldn’t a powerful mage be more cautious?”
“I mean, I didn’t exactly know what would show up, but I assumed it would be a demon… I couldn’t really understand the words, and I knew it was a summoning spell so I just… went with it?”
The woman’s eyes widened at his words. She sighed.
“And what exactly would you do if a demon showed up…not in the best mood? If it was angry or scared and tried to attack you?”
“Huh? I… I would have fought it off!”
“Really? You could fight off a demon?”
She clearly wasn’t convinced. Shotua opened his mouth, but he thought about it before going quiet. Among his silence, she let out an amused hum.
“Alright, I think I understand. You take magic seriously, maybe more than most adults, and I think it’s admirable just how passionate you are about becoming a mage. But of course, you still have a lot to learn, especially if you want me as your familiar. For starters…”
She took a few steps towards Shouta, and she instantly saw him get defensive. A part of him wanted to back up, but another told him to stand his ground. Instead, he was frozen. She stopped a few feet away, kneeling down to his level, lowering her voice.
“You need to know when fighting isn’t your best option. Any demon that would have come through may have taken you out in seconds. We wouldn’t want that, would we?”
“N-no…” Shouta answered. Her words sounded like a parent talking to their kid, only complete honesty seen in her colorful eyes. He wanted to look like a powerful mage, yet he quickly realized that she was right. There was no way he could take on a demon with his powers.
Staring at the ground, he felt a gentle hand pat his head.
“Good. Fighting is never a good outcome, so you should know when to protect yourself.”
Shouta stuttered, only jumbled words leaving his mouth as she pet his head before standing back up, pacing away from Shouta.
“That’s certainly one thing a familiar can do for you: be there to catch those hasty moves. You have a lot of potential, Shouta-sama.”
“Y-yeah, t-thanks… wait, sama? ”
“Isn’t that what familiar’s call their masters?”
“Yeah but… “
She looked over her shoulder, giving him a smug smile as a realization set in him.
“W-wait, you’re going to be my familiar?!”
“Did you expect me to put up a fight? I can tell you're serious about all of this, and I don’t have any problem with being a familiar, so why not? It might even be fun!”
Shouta didn’t respond, staring down in surprise, as he processed it. He could hardly believe it, wondering if he was dreaming.
“No way, I already have a familiar?”
The woman’s face beamed watching his excitement.
“T-thank you!… ah, sorry, I didn’t even ask your name!”
“Ah, my apologies!”
She quickly spun to face him, bringing her hand to her cap, flicking the brim upwards before holding it off to her side, a hand on her hip as she posed in front of him.
“You can call me Lucoa-san. A pleasure to be your familiar, Shouta-sama~”
“Lucoa-san? I’ve never heard a name like that.”
“Well, it’s a little nickname I let people call me. Since I’ll be your familiar, I’d obviously let you call me that. Do I need to think of a nickname for you too, Shouta-sama?”
“N-no, you don’t have to do that, Shouta is fine.”
“Hehe, okay Shouta-sama, it’s official then~” Lucoa pulled out a chair beside Shouta’s desk and sat with her legs crossed, playfulling rocking back and forth. “So, what should be my first task as your familiar?”
“Task?”
“You wanted a familiar, so there must be something you wanted to do with one!”
“I… I honestly didn’t think I’d get this far. I haven’t really thought about that.”
Lucoa chuckled, leaning against her arm.
“Aw come on, if I want to be a good familiar, I can’t just be sitting around! If you need anything from me, I’m free to give whatever you want!”
“‘Whatever I want?’ Is that even possible?” Then again, after reading her powers, Shouta wouldn’t have put it past her.
“Well, I know a ton of spells, more than I can count, so there must be something that suits you. Ooh, here! I know a spell that can create all sorts of gems! You can sell them or use them for decoration or whatever you want!” Her hands began to glow as she began casting.
“Well, my father’s an alchemist, so he can already do that.”
“Eh? Okay then, what about a confidence boost? You’ll feel like you could do anything!”
“I don’t think mind warping is a good idea.”
“W-what about agriculture? I used to be really good at that! I could teach you to make a whole farm!”
“There’s a grocery store 5 minutes away. I wouldn’t need that.”
“Magic! What about endless magic? You’d be the best mage in the world in seconds!”‘
“Y-you could do that!?”
Shouta considered it. After all, it was his greatest wish.
“Thanks, but I would have to turn you down on that.”
“Eeh!? But what about being a powerful mage?”
“I do want to be powerful, really the most powerful mage there is, and most of those things sound nice, but if it’s just handed over to me, then…”
“Oooh, then you might not be worthy of it?” Shouta nodded. “You’re more honest than most people out there, Shouta-sama.”
“Y-you really don’t have to keep calling me that, Shouta-kun is fine.”
“But you’re my master! Shouldn’t I treat you with more honor?”
Lucoa stood from the chair, and seeing the desperation in her eyes caught Shouta off guard. She looked as if she were about to bow in front of him, which was a little too much. Shouta felt flustered, turning his head as Lucoa frantically tried to find some way to please him.
“Y-you don’t have to worry about all that. All I really wanted was a familiar by my side. I didn’t think about much else.”
“So… you just wanted a friend?”
Shouta was about to deny it. Then again, he always wanted someone powerful at his side, and most historical familiars were close to their masters. But what about him? He focused entirely on magic, he never grew close to anyone else. Was it really necessary? There didn’t seem to be any harm in being close with her, and he was starting to feel bad turning her down so much so quickly.
“I guess you could be my friend.”
He said with his arms crossed. He glanced at Lucoa, who had a shocked look on her face.
“You really want me as your friend?” Her eyes sparkled as a smile beamed on her face. “Alright!! I’d be happy to be your friend, Shouta-kun!! I’ll try to be the best familiar for you!!”
Her cheerful attitude put a smile on Shouta’s face. Everything about this was still unreal, but he could feel genuine words hitting him. Sure, he couldn’t figure out everything right away, but if it was one step closer to becoming a powerful mage, he wanted to take it.
“Lucoa-san…” Shouta pulled the brim of his hat down, “I’ll be honest, I don’t know exactly how to treat a familiar, and I saw how much power you have. It’s a little scary… but I think you’ll do great.”
“Shouta-kun…” Lucoa covered her mouth with her hand, not expecting such a compliment, “Thank you. I can say the same about you. I think you’ll be a great mage, so I’ll do my best to help you, no matter what it takes!”
Lucoa leaned down, holding both hands up, waiting for a double high-five. Shotua shyly fidgeted with his cloak. She was really close, but her smile was calming.
“Alright, Lucoa-san…”
His hands connected with hers with a smack as his own face beamed.
“I look forward to working with you…”
“Aww, me too!” Her fingers quickly interlocked with his as she got even closer. “So what can I do as your friend? You wanna get to know each other better? Or you could show me around your place? Or maybe I could get you a gift as a thank you?”
“I have to decide that too!!?” He stuttered. Now she was way too close. He choked on his words before quickly pulling away, pulling the brim of his hat down to hide his face. “W-we can figure that out in the morning!”
“Eeh? You’re not going to do anything with me?”
“I-it’s really late, and I can’t think of anything!”
“Ooh, I guess it is past your bedtime. Kids your age shouldn’t be up this late.”
“Please don’t say it like that. I’m not five.”
“Really? You look five.”
“Huh!?”
“Hahaha! Sorry, I just wanted to see your reaction!” Lucoa struggled to hold herself together from laughter, clutching her stomach. Shouta went quiet for a moment.
“Lucoa-san, I guess there is one thing you could do…”
“Oh? And what would that be?”
“Tell me, why exactly are you accepting being my familiar? There has to be something you want out of it.”
“Hmm, well, you are right about that…” Lucoa stared idly at the ceiling as she thought it over.
She smirked.
“Well, goodnight! See you in the morning!”
“Huh!? You’re not gonna tell me!?”
“You were looking pretty exhausted, and I need a quick moment to myself, so go ahead and head to sleep. We can figure things out in the morning. Maybe I’ll tell you then~” She winked, making a peace sign as she headed for the door.
“You… sigh, fiiiiine…”
“Hehe, have a good night, Shouta-kun~”
Just like that, she slipped out of the room. Shouta was left standing there, now alone with his thoughts.
Morning… am I going to wake up and find out this never happened? That I was just imagining all this? I can barely stay awake right now, so maybe this isn’t real.
Ah, there’s no point in worrying about that now. I actually feel a little better, and if it’s real, then at least I’ve made some progress. And still, this moment feels real, and I’m happy about that.
A vivid image of Lucoa’s smile appeared in his mind.
“Lucoa…” he said to himself, “...thanks.”
Meanwhile, outside Shouta’s room…
I’m… I’m actually a familiar…?
Lucoa thought, leaning against the door. She held her hands close to her chest, feeling her heart racing as she slowly put everything together.
I’ve never done this before, and he’s really serious about the whole ‘mage’ deal. He seems like a really good kid, and it would be nice to have a place to stay…
Lucoa quickly shook her head, lightly slapping her cheeks.
Come on, Quetzalcoatl, don’t mess this up! You are going to be the best damn familiar there is!! First thing tomorrow, you are going to do everything you can for him! And if that kid wants to be the world’s greatest mage, then I swear I’ll make it happen!!
She pumped her fists, her eyes sparkling and her face wielding a determined smile.
“Don't worry, Shouta-sama! I won’t hold back!!”