kscans

Chapter 133 - Summoning Arts

"Whoa. I know I did this myself, but... what a devastating sight."

Okutama Island, save for my house and our immediate surroundings, had been turned into a complete wasteland. It was only natural, I suppose. Even if I held back their output, the island had been subjected to Takahashi and Suzuki's full course of special moves for the better part of an hour.

"Satou-kun."

"Aye aye."

I rewound time on the island, undoing all the destruction. We had a packed schedule after this. There was no time to waste on cleanup.

"So, where are we heading next?"

"Huh? You guys are coming along?"

"Telling us to go home right after you're done with us is just too heartless."

I glanced over at Hikaru-kun.

"It's no problem at all! Really, I'd like to thank you for showing me something so wonderful."

"Tch, can't be helped. You can thank Hikaru-kun for his generosity."

"Thanks a bunch!" they both said.

These two... Oh well.

"Next up is... no, that'll be a surprise for when we get there. Spoilers are no fun."

I chuckled softly and teleported away with the three of them in tow.

"A pet shop?" all three of them asked in unison.

We had arrived in front of a pet shop somewhere in the city. I urged the bewildered trio inside.

"Wait, this place..."

"You know it, Takahashi-san?"

"Ah, yeah. Not through underworld connections, just in my regular life."

Apparently, one of her fellow daycare teachers wanted to get a pet and had been doing a lot of research. Takahashi had learned about this shop, which had a good reputation, while helping her out.

"...Is it run by someone from the underworld?"

"Yeah, as a hobby. More importantly... hmm, looks like he's busy."

I had contacted him beforehand, but he was nowhere to be seen. He would probably show his face eventually, so I suggested we look around the shop until then, and everyone agreed.

"My little sisters are always pestering me about wanting a dog or a cat..."

"They're in elementary school, right? Can't be helped, then. The kids we look after at the daycare are always begging their parents for pets too."

"Even thirty-five-year-old Satou-kun is overcome by the urge to get a puppy. It's even more understandable for kids."

"Shouldn't a thirty-five-year-old have more self-control?"

Shut up.

"Anyway, what about you two? You live alone, don't you want a pet?"

"It's not like I can be home around the clock."

"I work in food service, so I have to be careful about hygiene. Animals are a no-go for me."

As we were talking, an elderly man with glasses emerged from the back of the shop.

"Hello, Satou-kun. Sorry to keep you waiting."

I had never met him before, but Takahashi and Suzuki must have instantly recognized his power. They both narrowed their eyes ever so slightly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Daimon Kazuto. I look forward to working with you."

"My name is Akatsuki Hikaru."

"I'm Takahashi Alice."

"Suzuki Mio."

"Well, this isn't the best place to talk. Shall we move?"

At his urging, he led us to the basement of the shop. Just like Kawasaki, he had altered the space, but this one was just a wide, empty room with nothing particularly unusual about it.

"Now then. Satou-kun asked me to show you a technique... but unfortunately, I'm not a very dexterous man. There's only one thing I can do."

Daimon was a man, but sadly, he did not possess the heart of a boy. He wasn't the type to get giddy over special moves, so he was probably warning us not to get our hopes up. But...

"...To master a single art... how cool..."

That was a high-point for Hikaru-kun. I felt the same. I held Daimon in high regard, not just for his strength, but for how cool he was.

"So? What exactly is it that you can do?"

"Summoning arts, and a few related techniques."

"Summoning arts... you say?"

Hikaru-kun didn't seem to quite get it. I guess the common image is just making something you've summoned fight for you. Commanding a powerful being is cool, but beyond that, it doesn't have a very cool reputation.

"You're Akatsuki-kun, correct? What do you know about the summoning arts?"

"...Almost nothing."

"Then I'll give you a simple explanation. The summoning arts, which involve commanding living beings, can be broadly divided into three types."

The first type involves beating your target into submission and forming a contract. This creates a complete master and servant relationship, allowing you to work your subject like a slave. It's mainly used on beings weaker than yourself. The second is a type where you form a contract through negotiation. With this one, they won't do anything not specified in the contract, but if you play your cards right, you can even form a contract with someone stronger than you. The third is a type that simply summons something without any contract. If you're calling something weaker than you, you can specify its species, but if you want something strong, it's random. A gacha, basically. These summons can turn their fangs on anyone, friend, foe, or even the caster. You can also use this to summon something, beat it up, and make it your pawn for the first type of summoning.

"Of those, I am a summoner who primarily uses the first and third types."

"That's enough of a preamble. Show him 'that thing' you use so often."

"Understood. Akatsuki-kun. What I am about to use is the third type of summoning, the one that simply calls forth a being."

Daimon held his hand up, and a summoning circle appeared in the air, spewing out countless spirits.

"These are malevolent spirits with no sense of self. They're no threat to anyone from the underworld, though they might be to ordinary people."

If you gathered thousands or tens of thousands of them, weaker people would be helpless, but a hundred or so could be dealt with easily. What was the point of summoning them? Hikaru-kun tilted his head in confusion, but the real show was about to begin.

"Akatsuki-kun, have you heard of Swimmy?"

"Swimmy? You mean the one from the language textbook? The story where he says 'I'll be the eye'?"

"If you know it, this will be quick. Even weak powers, when bundled together skillfully, can repel a mighty foe. Like this."

Daimon waved his hand as if conducting an orchestra, and the spirits that continued to be summoned indiscriminately began to gather in one place. The spirits started to merge together "haphazardly," all while letting out wordless cries of resentment.

"I call it 'Rampage Summoning.' By deliberately mixing the summoned spirits crudely, I induce a berserk state."

He was only exerting the bare minimum of control. A non-directional power began to swell. The power was immense, but it was just a collection of low-level spirits with no sense of self to begin with. They couldn't properly wield that power, which made them easy to control. The technique for mixing them was also easy to learn, and since the targets were low-level spirits and he wasn't aiming for perfection, it was easy to perform. The important part was to do it "crudely." If done perfectly, they would unify completely, their "class" as spirits would rise, and they would gain a sense of self. As I explained, Rampage Summoning is a combination of low-difficulty techniques... but contrary to its difficulty, its destructive power is extraordinary.

"I could use a target."

"You got it."

I could use summoning arts too. I used the simple summoning type to call forth a moderately strong monster and bind it. In terms of specific strength, it would probably take a few dozen mid-level fighters to finally take it down.

"Go."

The grotesque legion was fired like a bullet. It crashed into the monster, screaming an earsplitting lament, and completely obliterated it without a trace.

"Well, what do you think?" Daimon asked.

"...Damn, that's cool as hell."

"...This scores pretty high, both in terms of flashiness and practicality."

"S-s-s-s-so... so cool...!"

Setting Takahashi and Suzuki aside, I was glad to see Hikaru-kun was enjoying himself. But we weren't done yet, not by a long shot.

"You can get your hopes up, Hikaru-kun. This old guy's still got some amazing tricks up his sleeve."

"!"

"...I don't quite understand, but I'll do my best to meet your expectations."

Daimon seemed a little taken aback. My bad. I'll make it up to you later.