Hey hey~ Please praise Yiyi~

After drowning that poor bird in the water, my mood inexplicably lifted. Under the Contract’s pull, I hurried to her side in just a few strides… Deep down, I craved her praise. Though it was likely the Contract’s doing, I didn’t mind being praised.

"Tsk tsk…" Seeing me run over, she immediately bent down to check my arms. Once sure I was fine, she pinched my wings hard. "Little Yiyi, why not buff me up so I can take down that cuckoo? As a Milo Beast, you shouldn’t fight an attack-type monster alone! You almost got hurt. Relying on this young lady isn’t wrong—just buff me! Little Yiyi should depend on me alone!"

Mmm… The instant her fingers dug into my wings, a tingling numbness spread through them. It felt awful—so awful I nearly let out an embarrassing whimper. Yet, the Contract twisted it into strange comfort. I couldn’t grasp it: why did pain feel so good?

In a flash, my body went limp, and I collapsed into her arms.

"Hmph. But Little Yiyi did well!" I forced myself up, suppressing the waves of sensation still rippling from my wings. Her hand slid from my wings to my head, stroking my hair gently, again and again.

Through my daze, I spotted the distant figure—the one whose Contract Beast I’d drowned—suddenly pale, spitting blood. No doubt: killing a Contract Beast wounded its master. He couldn’t summon another soon. He was no threat now.

But then—a violent magical surge erupted behind me. That black-clad figure!

I turned, ignoring the lingering tingles. The ambusher was blasted by searing fireballs. At blinding speed, he flew backward with a soul-shaking boom, smashing through over ten trees before embedding deep in the earth.

"You… kidding me? Magic this strong… Is she even human?" Startled, she spun around. Her face drained of color.

That black-clad mage’s power was terrifying. The fireballs pierced the Contract Beast effortlessly, then hurled the attacker away without slowing. Even as an Angel, I doubted I could match such force.

"Boring." A deep, emotionless voice—like deep-sea crystal—drifted from her. Her cloak had slipped in the fight, revealing light purple hair spilling over delicate shoulders. She looked sixteen, but slender, porcelain-like ears peeked through her hair, trembling faintly in the night wind.

If I was right… she was Elven Folk. A race blessed by magic. They wielded it from birth and bonded with Elemental Spirits for greater power. Unlike humans—weak in innate magic, reliant on Contract Beasts—Elves easily unleashed spells strong enough to kill Contract Beasts. They even had unique Elven magic.

She’d dropped her voice-disguise spell, likely too lazy to maintain it after winning. Her gaze locked onto us, motionless. A speck of light floated near her shoulder—I couldn’t see it clearly, but its terrifying magical pulse screamed Elemental Spirit.

After a long pause, her pale pink lips parted. "Move aside. You’re blocking the road."