Chapter 1

It’s been a month since I gained old man Bahamut as a familiar.

Seir has been strangely silent. I’ve been hanging out with Shiro and Miyabi a lot. Yes, I finally gave in and decided to use her proper name. Although, she still continues to have a go at me for using her given name, much to the amusement of Shiro, who seems to think that we get along pretty well.

Recently I have been spending a lot of time training with old man Bahamut and Shiko, in the realm that is meant for my familiars.

Although my real body would appear to be meditating in the real world, I could send my conscious self here as I pleased. The good thing about training in this realm, was that any damage I took in this realm would manifest as fatigue only in my real body. The fact that time ran the same as it did in the real world, was disappointing though.

“Ow, ow, ow, Damn it Shiko! How many times have I told you not to drink too much of my demonic energy? Don’t just go off into the corner and mope for being told off now!”

“Wahahahahahaha, she can’t help it boy, she’s still a child, from what these aged eyes tell me, the more she drinks, the faster she will grow. I think she just wants to grow up big and strong so she can be of use to her master, see she agrees with me.”

“Can it old man. Who said I was her master? What’s your excuse? You’ve been absorbing more and more of my demonic energy day after day.”

“Wahahahahahaha, don’t blame me foolish boy, you were the one begging me to be your familiar remember? This is just the price you have to pay for harbouring the great ME within you.”

“Who the hell was begging!?”

“Old man, this world, despite being endless and empty, there are a few trees here and there, some of them even glow radiantly, what are they?”

“Ahhhh, they are...hmmmmm, how should I...ummmm.”

“If you don’t know, then just say so useless old man!”

“This world is like a mirror image of how you see the real world. Those trees can be viewed as the people you have encountered thus far, the ones that glow radiantly and stretch higher and wider than the others, are reflections of people that have had a huge impact on your life. That golden Birch tree over there, that is without a doubt the foolish prince’s, I can smell his smugness from here. That Blackthorn next to it is his familiar’s and the biggest one way over there, the Sakura one that shines brighter than any other, is...Yknow, I don’t know who that one belongs to.”

“...I think I do.”

“Wahaha, little Shiko, no need to look so down, since we’re familiars, we don’t actually get a tree.”

“Who said she’s my familiar!?”

When Shiko and the old man finished sucking my demonic energy dry, I left my inner world and started getting ready to head to Uni.

I checked my phone and realised that I had received a message from Shiro.

“(^o^)/ Morning Kuro, we have an early lecture today, I was wondering if you’d like to meet in the lecture theatre earlier than normal? I made some miso soup and grilled fish.”

This was bad, after training with Shiko and the old man since 5am. I was definitely hungry but despite my obvious desire to eat something, I knew too well to not accept this invitation.

“Oh, the snow girl wants you to try some more of her cooking huh? Wahahahahaha, didn’t you clench your stomach tightly and ask me to end your suffering with a quick death the last time you tried it?”

“Damn it! I’ve ran out of excuses to give her, who knew that Shiro would turn out to be such a terrible cook. I’ll just have to hope my hunger will allow me to power through this.”

“Wahahahahaha, I doubt it kid, going by the smell from last time, you haven’t got a chance.”

“Would you stop laughing and help me find a way to get out of this old man!”

“Wahahahahahahahahaha!”

I sent a reply to Shiro telling her that I’d be at the lecture theatre in 30 minutes and that I was looking forward to eating what she had cooked.

I opened the door to the lecture theatre and spotted Shiro sitting in the back which had now become our usual spot.

She waved at me and began unboxing the food. My body was wincing on reflex, every step I took all my senses were telling me to turn and run, what I wouldn’t give to still have the warp stone that Seir gave me in my pocket.

When I finally reached the top and had a look at what I was dealing with, my phone rang.

“Hello? Oh thank God! Kuro, this is bad, is Shiro-chan there? I can’t seem to reach her on her cell.”

“Calm down Seir, this isn’t like you, but you saved me, looks like after all this time, you’ve finally done something useful.”

“What? No time for jokes Kuro, Is Shiro with you? Put me on loudspeaker.”

“Jeez, OK, OK.”

“Eh? Is everything OK Kuro?”

“Oh, it’s just Seir. He seems worried about something, I’m sure he’s just blowing things outta proportion as usual though, how do I? Ah here’s the button.”

“SHIRO-CHAN! We’ve got trouble, Obaasan just sent a messenger, your Mother, your Mother is coming to the Estate to discuss the wedding!”

“Eh...Ehhhhhhhhhh!?”

“Sh-she says that she wants the ceremony to take place prior to the summit to decide the next King of Hell. Obaasan said that she tried to stop her, but it looks like she seems adamant to confirm the situation with her own eyes. She’s already on the way over, hurry guys, get over here as quick as you can."

Shrio looked as if she’d seen a ghost and that’s saying something with her being a yokai and all. She quickly packed away the food (thank God) and stood up.

“L-let’s go Kuro, come on! We have to get there before Mother does, did you bring your bike?”

“Well yeah, I don’t see what the big deal is Shiro, what’s got you and Seir in a twist? We can finally clear up the misunderstanding about the whole marriage thing.”

“Just come on already!”

Shiro grabbed my arm and dragged me to the parking area. She spotted my bike and got on before I did, something was strange, I don’t see why she is getting so worked up. I decided to just wait and see and started up my bike and made for Seir’s Estate.

Along the way Shiro wouldn’t stop clinging to me, it wasn’t even that windy, she was gripping my waist so tight. It was a good thing that I hadn’t had any of her cooking before this whole event came to light.

We made it to Seir’s in record time and made our way to the gates. I could see Alice standing at the double doors in her usual maid outfit. Shiro started running the moment we saw Alice, so I quickened my pace to keep up with her.

“I-is she here? Has my mother arrived?”

“...Lady Shirayuki is currently in the main reception room with my master, my master has requested that I ask Shiro-san to make her way there immediately and that I take Kuro to change into Vassal attire.”

“What? But I wanna meet Shiro’s mum.”

“K-Kuro, p...please just do as Alice says.”

“...OK.”

Shiro hurried off to the main reception room and I went with Alice to change into my Vassal clothes, damn, Seir knows how much I hate wearing these. They make me look like a butler or something.

I wonder what they’re talking about in there...