Canconel’s Void Cyclone was a monstrous technique.

  It carved the earth apart, hurled soil into the air, and flattened trees—then sucked it all into the vortex, compressing and grinding everything to dust. Mina’s hair rippled as it was pulled toward the swirling maw.

  “Mina—hold on tight!”

  “Kyaaah!”

  The girl kicked off a massive tree trunk with Mina still in her arms and launched skyward. Her jumping power was extraordinary.

  She landed on a severed log floating in the turbulence, then rode it like a surfboard, gliding on the wind.

  “Wait—are you serious?! Hey! HEYYYY!”

  Mina was sure they’d be sucked into the vortex and pulverized.

  But the girl, still cradling Mina, surfed the log along the outer edge of the cyclone.

  “How is this even possible?!”

  Mina could scarcely believe it. But it was happening, and there was no arguing with reality.

  Instead of spiraling inward, they skimmed the cyclone’s perimeter—heading straight for Canconel.

  “Mina—fire a Thunderbolt!”

  “What?”

  Mina shook her head frantically.

  “I can’t! I have zero control over it!”

  “It’s okay—aim at the outer wall of the vortex. The current will carry it along the cyclone all the way to him.”

  “Really?”

  Mina thought back to the three angels. Their own tornado had conducted the electricity right back to them.

  “Oh—so that’s how it worked! Alright, I’m going all out!”

  Mina shaped her fingers into a pistol. Beyond the swirling wall, she could see pale blue hair whipping in the wind. Canconel hadn’t noticed them riding along the edge of his own cyclone. Now was her chance. Mina aligned her fingertip with the vortex’s outer wall—and with that flash of blue hair beyond it.

  “Thunder… BOLT!”

  Blue-white lightning erupted from her finger.

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  The current snaked along the cyclone’s outer wall, racing toward Canconel. The vortex lit up with crackling brilliance, and a searing streak of light split the air. Even Canconel sensed the danger.

  “Wh-what’s coming?!”

  He tried to cancel his technique and flee, but it was too late. The white lightning traveled up his arm and sent a devastating current surging through his entire body.

  “Gnnngh!”

  But Canconel wasn’t the kind to go down from that alone. He gritted his teeth and dropped to one knee.

  However, the moment his technique dissolved, the wind shifted—and the log carrying Mina and the girl hurtled straight at him.

  “Look out! Canconel!”

  Canconel looked up at the sound of Mina’s scream.

  The log—with both of them still on it—slammed squarely into his face.

  “Oh no…”

  Canconel toppled backward and hit the ground with a heavy thud.

  “I’m so sorry!”

  The instant he fell, every trace of wind died, and the forest went deathly silent.

  Without the wind to keep it aloft, the log began to fall. The girl kicked off its surface, executed a single mid-air spin, and landed lightly on the earth.

  Mina threw her arms around the girl in a tight embrace.

  “Thank you! You really saved me!”

  “I-it’s nothing, really…”

  The girl looked slightly embarrassed as she set Mina down.

  “Who sent you here?”

  “Arc told me to come. I can teleport through shadows, so… I’m glad I made it in time.”

  She smiled softly.

  “Where’s Arc now?”

  “He’s flying this way. He should be here soon.”

  “But why did you help me?”

  “Arc said that you’re going to be my master, so I should go save you.”

  “Your master??”

  “Wait—are you the familiar that was sleeping in the shrine?”

  The girl gave a small nod.

  “No way—you’re adorable!”

  Mina pulled her into a hug and rubbed her cheek against the girl’s.

  “What’s your name?”

  The girl shook her head.

  “Arc said… Mina should give me one.”

  “Me??”

  Mina’s eyes went wide.

  “No, no, no way! I don’t have that kind of sense!”

  “But to become a familiar, I have to receive a name from my master.”

  “Oh, is that how it works?”

  Mina thought for a moment. The impressions she got from this girl were shadow… night… something like that.

  “How about Nox?”

  “…What does it mean?”

  “It’s a word that means ‘night.’ You burst out of the shadows, and the night seems to suit you.”

  “Mm… Nox… I like it.”

  “And apparently, there’s a goddess of the night called Nox too. You’re a girl, so it’s perfect, right?”

  At that moment, Nox’s body shimmered with a pale blue light. Nox looked down at her own hands in surprise.

  “Amazing… I can feel magical power welling up inside me. Is this… my master’s power?”

  “Um, does that mean the contract worked?”

  Mina gazed at the cat-eared girl.

  Golden eyes stared steadily back at her. Nox gave a small nod and smiled.

  “Mina… nice to meet you.”

  Mina beamed and pulled Nox into another embrace.

  “I’m so happy! Nox! Promise you’ll stay with me forever!”

  Nox looked bashful.

  “…Okay.”

  They gazed at each other and smiled.

  In that instant, a vicious blade of wind came screaming toward them. Nox saw it and threw herself at Mina, pushing her to the ground.

  “Look out!”

  But the wind blade was impossibly fast. It sliced across Nox’s back.

  “Aaah!”

  Mina crashed to the ground with Nox on top of her. She scrambled up immediately and looked at Nox’s wound. Blood was gushing out.

  “Nox!”

  But Nox didn’t respond to Mina’s cries.

  Mina raised her head and looked in the direction the blade had come from. There stood Canconel, battered and broken, balanced on one knee.

  He met Mina’s gaze and smirked.

  “You’re next, Mina!”

  Mina’s hair stood on end with fury.

  “Bring it, you bastard!”

  She was shaking with rage.

  Canconel!

  She would never forgive him!

  Mina charged straight at him.