"Uh…" Her voice hovered like a leaf caught on a breeze as Yumigawa Nozomi tried to speak.

But the girl’s gaze locked on the Aerucia Bird, as if a needle fixed to a compass. She didn’t notice Nozomi at all.

"Never thought I’d see an elemental spirit here. And a high-grade one at that—how it amazes me," she breathed, delight flickering like morning flame.

The girl drifted toward the Aerucia Bird, emerald eyes bright as dew-soaked jade, brimming with wonder.

"Chirp! Chirp!" The cry popped like pebble-splash on still water.

The Aerucia Bird watched her with taut wariness, like a fox staring down a torch, letting out sharp warning calls.

"My, my. It seems I’m not favored," she said, her smile thinning like a waning moon. Interest fell away like petals in wind; her eyes slid to Nozomi.

"Who art thou? What seekest thou of me?" Her words carried a temple-bell weight, solemn and cool.

"Introduce yourself first, will you? You left me hanging there—so rude!" Nozomi’s glare flared like a coal under ash.

"Ah, haha, I was discourteous indeed," the girl laughed, wind chimes ringing in her tone. She set a hand to her chest and declared, voice like a rising gale:

"I am Elyar, Spirit King of Wind, mistress of the Wind Spirit Vale. And who art thou?"

"No ‘mistress of the Vale’ nonsense. The Central Continent belongs to the Mizumi Clan," Nozomi shot back, her snark slicing like a clean blade.

"Sharp quip!" Elyar blinked, then laughed loud as a cliffside gust.

"Then who art thou? And why seek me?" Her mirth ebbed like tide, leaving calm.

"I’m Yumigawa Nozomi. I came to sign a contract with you." Her purpose fell like a stone into a pool—no ripples wasted.

"Thou wouldst have me be thy spirit?" Her eyes narrowed, green as storm-tossed sea.

"Yes!" Her voice held steady like a drawn bow.

"I see…" She pondered, thoughts drifting like slow clouds. Then her answer cut clear as a blade. "Thou art of the Mizumi Clan, and hast the right to contract me. But I sign only with one stronger than I."

She stopped and fixed her gaze on Nozomi, eyes like twin arrows ready to loose.

"So to contract you, I must defeat you." The truth landed like frost on stone.

"Indeed. Wilt thou battle me? With such an advanced elemental spirit, thou must be strong." Elyar’s nod sparked like flint; excitement brewed like a storm rim.

"This…" Nozomi wavered, heart fluttering like a sparrow. She had never fought, not once—not a blade drawn nor a spell cast in anger.

"If you can contract it, seeing the Little Emperor should be no problem." Yugong Jingyue’s words tolled in her mind like a bell in mist.

Without the contract, she couldn’t go to her brother. The thought pricked like thorn and pushed like wind.

Nozomi’s doubt melted like frost under sunrise. She met Elyar’s eyes, steady as a mountain ridge.

"Fine. As you wish." Her words set like a blade laid on stone.

…

Meanwhile, Yugong Jingyue wandered through the Mizumi Clan’s garden, scent of pine and tea drifting like soft rain.

"Hey, Jingyue. You sent Littlesky to the Wind Vale—are you sure? The one there loves to fight." A sharp voice cut like winter air and halted her steps.

She turned. "Huh? Senki? Weren’t you heading to the Lunar Forest? Why are you here?" Surprise flickered like light through bamboo.

She saw a beautiful woman in a knight’s coat, a slim rapier at her waist, golden hair bound with a plain ribbon—grace wrapped like silk over steel.

It was the eldest sister of the Mizumi Clan, Yumigawa Senki. Beautiful and dashing, not a Sword Wielder, yet obsessed with blades like a moth with flame.

She honed her art deep in mountain wilds, dueling strong spirit beasts and monsters, her figure vanishing like mist for years on end.

Because of that, her swordsmanship was formidable—strong enough to fell an adult dragon with sword alone. Adult dragons are usually Sacred Realm in strength.

Her magic shone as well, bright as cold stars. At twenty-three, she was an SSS-peak archmage; if not for sword-obsession, she’d be Divine Realm by now. Among the Mizumi Clan’s young geniuses, she stood like a lone summit.

So her sudden appearance stirred Jingyue’s surprise like ripples in a pond.

"What else? I heard after the Emperor left, Littlesky lost spirit. I came back to check." Senki’s voice held concern like warmth inside iron.

"Oh, Senki, don’t worry. Littlesky loves the Little Emperor so much; she’ll be fine." Jingyue’s smile spread gentle as spring sunlight, soothing as a hand on a fevered brow.

"Littlesky barely has combat experience. Are you sure?" Senki’s brow creased like folded paper.

"No problem. Her love for her brother can conquer anything," Jingyue said, confidence nodding like a crane at water.

"…" Silence pooled like shadow under pines.

"…We should still go look." Senki’s tone landed like a pebble starting waves.

"Eh—eh?" Jingyue blinked, confusion fluttering like startled sparrows.

And so Senki tugged the puzzled Jingyue toward the Wind Vale, feet moving like swift streams.

…

Wind Spirit Vale.

"Mhm-hm. I’m glad thou agreed. Then let us begin." Elyar rose, light as a petal on an updraft, and caught a clump of wind like raw silk. She flung it at Nozomi.

Whoosh! A gale burst, blades of air whipping like flying leaves. Nozomi couldn’t open her eyes.

"Um, Aer, stall for me. I need to prepare." She shielded her eyes with one hand, voice set like a tight bowstring.

"Chirp!" The Aerucia Bird nodded, wings unfurling like twin sabers. From its sharp beak, it jetted a pillar of water that smashed the nearby wind like a hammer through dust.

Nozomi stepped back a few paces, clutching her plush cat doll like a talisman. She raised her other hand, and a rainbow magic circle bloomed underfoot like a lotus.

"Oh? Interesting. Storm." Elyar’s lips curved like a crescent moon. She flicked a small storm toward Nozomi, casual as tossing a pebble.

"Chirp!" The Aerucia Bird beat its wings fast, each beat birthing a few feather arrows like jade leaves shaken free.

With the wingbeats quickening, more arrows filled the air like a flock taking flight. After half a heartbeat, countless arrows ringed its side. One final wingbeat—

Countless azure feather arrows streaked through the air, ripping toward the small storm like rain-slick knives.

Boom! Boom! Thousands of arrows shredded the storm in an instant, tearing it like old cloth. The rest howled toward Elyar like wolves through snow.

"Wind Needles." Elyar swept her hand. Air condensed into slender needles, shining cold as hoarfrost.

Clang! Needles met feathers and canceled each other, like rain swallowed by thirsty sand.

"As expected of an elemental spirit—strong indeed. Again—Spear of Wind!" Elyar gripped a lance forged of air and hurled it, the weapon screaming like a hawk.

"Chirp!" The Aerucia Bird cried and spread its wings. It slammed them down, birthing two azure tornadoes like coiling dragons.

Thoom! The spear and twin tornadoes collided, blasting sound and wind like a sea-storm breaking on cliffs.

"Ugh!" The gale slammed into Nozomi mid-preparation, her small body swaying like reed on a riverbank. Her careful setup wobbled on the brink like a lantern in gust.

She bit her lip hard, anchoring herself like a knot in rope. Her preparation clicked into place at last.

"Element Fusion Array—activate!" Her shout rang bright as a bell.

The magic circle surged outward, unfurling across the vale like a rainbow tide. In moments, it wrapped the area like silk.

When it fully spread, spheres of multicolored light budded from the circle, born of elemental energy like lantern-fruit on a night tree.

After the tenth appeared, they stilled. The ten orbs drifted to Nozomi’s sides, floating beside her like guardian stars.