"...You want to form a contract with ?" the bird echoed quietly.
I nodded. "Yeah...what do I have to do in order to make you accept my offer?"
The bird then laughed like a little human girl, and even covered her beak with one of her wings. "What makes you think you have any right to even propose forming a contract with , a phoenix? I rule over all other beasts within this realm, you know. I can help you form a contract with soone else, but I myself have no intention of becoming a re human's slave."
"Slave? That's a quite...deaning way of putting it," I replied awkwardly. "You see, this is the first ti I'm forming a contract with a beast. I don't really know how other Summoning Magic users do things, but I can guarantee I won't force you to do anything you don't want to."
The bird raised an eyebrow. "It's your first ti? Seriously?"
"Uh, yeah...sothing wrong?"
She made a cute little thinking gesture (or at least, that's what I thought it was. I assud bird body language was the sa as humans). "No...it's just that your aura seed quite strong, so I automatically thought you were an experienced summoner."
For real? I'm only an Interdiate Mage...in what world does that classify as 'strong?' Wait...perhaps this has sothing to do with the power of Chaos within ...?
"No, this is my first ti in this dinsion, actually," I said, to which she nodded.
"Well then, it's understandable you don't understand how things work here," the phoenix said with a 'sigh'. "Listen closely, since I am only going to say this once."
Once I nodded in confirmation, the phoenix continued. "Once a summoner forms a contract with a beast, the beast has to listen to all commands the summoner issues within the specified tifra beforehand. There are no 'terms' or 'conditions' the summoner has to abide by. That is why all beasts will only agree to the contract after receiving their 'paynt'."
"In other words...so people have abused the fact that there is only one rule to this contract - that the beast has to listen to anything the summoner says, and eventually the beasts of this dinsion began trusting summoners less and less..." I noted.
"Yep. Do you understand now? Your 'guarantees' or 'promises' don't an anything to ."
I sighed. "That may be so, but...I still wish to form a contract with you, nonetheless."
"Why are you so insistent? Didn't I already tell you? I can help you contract another beast within this dinsion in return for you getting food, but I am off-limits. The last thing I want is for the sa thing as my mother to happen to ..." she trailed off.
However, I didn't let this opportunity go. "Your mother...? Was she...perhaps, betrayed by her summoner?"
She shook her fluffy head. "Forget it. Either way, I am denying your request. If you have nothing else to say, then this is where we part ways."
Saying this, the bird turned on her heel and prepared to fly away, but I hurriedly stopped her. "Wait. I read about this in a textbook, but...apparently, strong magic beasts in this dinsion sotis fight a summoner who wants to contract them. If said summoner can win against them, then the magic beast will accept the contract."
The phoenix paused, then turned around slowly. "You want to prove your strength by fighting ?"
I nodded. "Precisely."
She then burst out laughing like a little kid, much to my annoyance. "HAHAHA! I said your aura was strong earlier, but you are still nowhere near my level! I can appreciate that confidence, but too much of it and it just turns into arrogance, summoner. Sorry, but I'm not accepting this challenge. I don't want to shatter your ego."
Shut it...you're just a little girl, and you're out here acting wise like so old man? Yeah, to hell with that. You say you won't accept this challenge, but...all I have to do is taunt you a bit.
I smirked. "What, scared that you'll lose?"
"Huh?! You think I'm scared of you?"
"Isn't that why you're making excuses to not fight ?" I continued taunting.
"Grr....fine! I'll fight you until you beg to stop!" the phoenix finally declared after a long while. "Just don't go blaming for showing no rcy!"
Plan successful. Now then, onto the next phase...
"Okay - so how are we doing this? Like I said earlier, I'm new to this whole summoning thing," I replied nonchalantly.
"Hmph! However you want to do it is fine by . You might not have been to this dinsion before, but surely you've had duels with other people?"
I nodded. "Well then....how about this. If I can get you to move from where you're standing right now, you have to form an eternal contract with ."
"W-Wha-! E-Eternal?!" she echoed in shock.
I shrugged. "Yeah, you see, I'm a person that likes to bet big. So in return, if you defeat , I'll do whatever you want for the rest of my life - essentially becoming your slave. Not a bad deal, right?"
"H-Hm..." she sank into thought. After a while, she resud. "Fine! I agree to your terms! But isn't this fight a bit disadvantageous for ...? I have to keep attacking you until you beg for rcy, but all you have to do is get to move from this spot..."
I grinned devilishly. "Tell you what - if I can't get you to move from that spot within 3 minutes, then you automatically win. Of course, you're welco to attack in the process."
"HAHAHA! Aren't you overestimating yourself?! Sure, my offense is definitely the stronger side of , but my defense is nothing to laugh at, either. To make things easier for you, I won't launch a single attack on you within those 3 minutes. Co at with your full strength!" she yelled as she transford back into her original form.
...Kuku...the stage is set. Now, it's ti for the final act.
"Okay, three minutes, starting now," I said just loudly enough for her to barely hear. Then, after she nodded in confirmation, I made a fake thinking posture, then pointed at the ground about two ters behind her. "Actually, can you go back there? We're too close right now for a proper fight."
"...So picky..." the phoenix muttered, but obliged anyway, and began moving towards the destination I had pointed out.
But from the mont she made her first step...she had lost.
"You lose," I said with an evil cackle.
"H-Huh?! What-"
"You moved after I said 'three minutes starting now', no?" I replied with a sly grin.
"Y-You tricked !" she exclaid in anger.
I shrugged. "Hey now, I never said I was going to face you head-on. I've always been better at mind gas and trickery."
"Y-You..."
"Well, that's that. Now then...how do we form an eternal contract?" I asked, walking closer to her.
"Hey! I never agreed to this! That was not fair at all!"
I sighed. "Look, we both set up the terms beforehand, and agreed to them. There weren't any rules specifing that tricks like this weren't allowed. You lost, fair and square...though I admit my strategy was a bit underhanded. But even then...don't tell the great phoenix won't honor her promise?"
"W-What promise? I never said a-anything, hmph!" she responded shalessly, feigning ignorance.
I sighed once again and took out a certain object from my pocket (in the ethereal body). I unlocked it, and fire up a certain app. Then, pressing the play button, I turned up the volu to max, and let her hear what was being played back.
"Fine! I agree to your terms! But isn't this fight a bit disadvantageous for ...? I have to keep attacking you until you beg for rcy, but all you have to do is get to move from this spot..."
"Tell you what - if I can't get you to move from that spot within 3 minutes, then you automatically win. Of course, you're welco to attack in the process."
"HAHAHA! Aren't you overestimating yourself?! Sure, my offense is definitely the stronger side of , but my defense is nothing to laugh at, either. To make things easier for you, I won't launch a single attack on you within those 3 minutes. Co at with your full strength!"
Eventually, the phoenix couldn't take it anymore, and transford back into her small, cute form, clutching her head adorably. "Stop it!!! I get it! STOP!"
I pressed the pause button, and turned off the device. Indeed, it was my smartphone. I had ssed around with it a little and set it to automatically record everything when turned on...at the ti, I thought it was a neat little feature, but I never expected it to actually co in handy here. Good thing summoners could bring one object (apart from clothes and such) from the real world into the summoning dinsion.
Most people chose to bring food, or whatever would be ideal for forming a contract with a beast, but being inexperienced here, I didn't bring anything along...or so I had thought, until I discovered the object in my back pocket. Turns out the ethereal body was a complete mirror image of my physical body, as I know my phone is, in reality, in my back pocket right now.
Either way, that was a pretty clutch save, as I really didn't know what to do if she just continued feigning ignorance.
"So? Ready to form an eternal contract?"
"Wuwuwu..." she sobbed softly as I watched on anxiously. Eventually, she stopped, wiped her tears, and ca over to . "Whatever...judging from your stupid, deceitful, and cowardly personality, you won't live long anyway. After you die, don't expect to attend your funeral."
I chuckled. "Yeah yeah..."
Then, she looked at and began explaining how to form an eternal contract with a beast. "The process is pretty similar to a normal contract, but you have to say 'eternal' in place of the original tifra. As for my own particular chant...
After she told the chant word by word, I replied, "Huh...I see. Then, here we go." the phoenix transford back into her original form as I placed two fingers on her forehead.
I took a deep breath, and began my chant. "O Harbringer of Fortune - Brilliant Yellow! A fire that will scorch all creation - Fire Red! An immortal soul that reigns over all - Dazzling White! Forever will you burn! I hereby form an eternal contract with you - Phoenix!"
A brilliant light of yellow, red, and white appeared at the location where I was touching her, and enveloped the two of us within it. After a short while, the light dispersed, and I moved my hand away.
"Is it...done?" I asked.
"Yep..." the phoenix said dejectedly as she turned back into her energy-saving form.
"Then, in order to test it...co with into the real dinsion," I suggested.
"No. I don't want to..."
I snickered. "There's really delicious food there, you know..."
"F-Food? R-Really?" her ears perked up at that.
I nodded. "Yeah, so hop on my shoulder."
She complied, and once she was safely perched atop my right shoulder, I 'logged off' the summoning dinsion.
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