Nova had begun to feel strange ever since he had entered Eden.
「...Arf?」[???]
He felt something tug at him when he heard the barking noise.
「What is that?」[Nova]
He looked around for a moment before he felt a tug from below.
He looked down and saw a small cloud of darkness.
「...What the?!」[Nova]
He looked around to see if anyone else could see the silhouette, but nobody paid it any mind.
As it continued to bark, Nova became more and more distraught.
「I feel.. Really claustrophobic! What in the world is going on?!」[Nova]
He continued to panic, but nobody noticed.
The class kept on moving though, so he managed to match their pace.
Before too long, they had found themselves at the final area.
Or at least, Raina said it was the final area.
Nova felt something calling for him ahead in the path, however.
The cloud of darkness that floated by his feet called him to move further ahead.
「...He wants me to follow him?」[Nova]
He suddenly realized that he called the shadow by a gender.
「What the..?」[Nova]
While everyone was looking toward a different place, Nova slipped out of the group and went ahead.
The shadow kept running in front of him while making noises.
「Arf! Arf!」[???]
Before long, Nova was in front of a large black door with a building made of some dark brick.
「...Where is this?」[Nova]
Then, Raina appeared a few minutes later.
『What are you doing here?! You aren't supposed to be here!』[Raina]
Nova felt the presence on the other side wanted him to come inside.
『He's suffering.』[Nova]
When he said this, she looked at him as if he was crazy.
『What do you mean he's suffering? You don't even know what's in there!』[Raina]
Nova looked away from her again.
He peered at a metal door that was locked by a key.
No, he peered through the metal door.
『I can feel it. Something called me here.』[Nova]
A series of large banging noises attacked the building from the inside.
『It's going crazy! Do you even know what this is?!』[Raina]
『This is a habitat, is it not?』[Nova]
Raina shook her head.
『...No. This is a prison for the strongest creatures we have.』[Raina]
『Please. Let me in there.』[Nova]
He didn't know what it was, but he felt a pain in his heart each time he heard a crashing noise from inside.
The dark shadow on the floor seemed to claw at the door.
『...I can't open the door for you. If it goes crazy, all the student's lives are at risk.』[Raina]
『...Then, if I can get in without letting him out?』[Nova]
Nova felt as if it wasn't the first time he had met this creature.
As if it was familiar somehow.
『...You'll die.』[Raina]
『That doesn't sound like I'm not allowed to, though?』[Nova]
She scoffed a little.
『It's not that you aren't allowed to, rather that I don't think you have the capabilities to do so.』[Raina]
『...Then, thank you.』[Nova]
When he spoke, he saw her face drain of color instantly.
『Area.』[Nova]
The hole he formed dropped him into the inside.
The moment he was in, he found that he was surrounded by darkness.
『...I don't feel any danger from the creature in here, though..』[Nova]
The noise had quieted down the moment he came inside.
『Blessed Flame Rebirth.』[Nova]
A blue flame floated on his hand and illuminated the dark room.
『Hello?』[Nova]
When Nova had looked around, he found a small dog-like creature peering back silently at him.
『...Are you the one who called me?』[Nova]
The dog creature slowly waddled up to Nova.
Upon further inspection, it looked like a corgi dog with wings and a dolphin tail.
『...Come here, boy.』[Nova]
The dog cautiously looked at Nova, before sitting a good distance away from Nova.
『...I've seen you before, haven't I?』[Nova]
Now that Nova thought about it, he felt the presence of this dog creature a few times before.
After he said this, the dog got up and looked at Nova with shining eyes and panting tongue.
『...Why did Raina say you were dangerous though?』[Nova]
The dog started barking before he suddenly turned into a blurry shadow.
『HUH?!』[Nova]
The dog began to jump from place to place, on and off the walls while barking.
『ARF! ARF ARF!』[Dog]
『Woah! Settle down, boy!』[Nova]
Afterward, Nova got slammed by the creature in the stomach and his breath left his lungs.
This was when Nova remembered where he felt the dog's presence before.
『You were in that dream, weren't you?!』[Nova]
His mind was brought back to the first time he had tried to train his mana for a day straight.
At the very end of it, the shadow had knocked into him, waking him up.
『...But, that was a dream. Wouldn't you be my summoned creature?』[Nova]
Of course, the dog couldn't answer Nova's question.
The dog began to lick Nova's face while he was trying to catch his breath.
『Ahahaha! Stop that! That's my nose!』[Nova]
While the dog was licking Nova's face, a bright light was beginning to shine on Nova's forehead and the dog's forehead.
It shined white and yellow, blinding Nova.
『Huh?!』[Nova]
When the light faded, he felt strangely happy.
The dog was still there, and it looked extremely happy.
『Are you my partner then?』[Nova]
The dog stuck its tongue out.
『Arf!』[Dog]
Nova pet it.
He felt like he understood what the dog wanted to convey.
Something like…
『From here on, me and you will be bound together. It's a pleasure to meet you!』
It was wordless, yet the meaning conveyed itself splendidly.
『Then, what shall I call you?』[Nova]
The dog climbed onto Nova and rubbed itself onto his clothes.
『Arf!』[Dog]
Which meant something similar to..
『Give me a name! I don't mind any name you give me!』
He laughed and pet the dog.
『Hahaha! Okay. I hope you won't mind a terrible name then?』[Nova]
The dog rested on Nova's lap, as if it was disinterested in whatever name Nova gave it.
That was when Nova remembered the girl's opinion earlier.
『Would you give a cute puppy the name Fang, huh?』[Nova]
Looking at the dog, he did find it quite cute.
『...Sir Fluffles?』[Nova]
The dog's eyes shot wide open.
『...What? You don't like the name?』[Nova]
The dog barked.
『I like it. I am quite proud of my fur, after all.』
Nova laughed at the dog's self praise.
He ran his hand over the small puppy's soft, almost blanket like fur.
『Yeah. Sir Fluffles is a fine name for you. My name is Nova. It's nice to meet you.』[Nova]
Nova stood up, while holding the dog with his arm.
He had a bit of trouble holding him up, as his tail tended to be a bit heavy.
『You are pretty heavy, huh?』[Nova]
Sir Fluffles wriggled his way closer to Nova, until Nova managed to get a secure grip on him.
『...Sir Fluffles is not heavy. Just fluffy.』[Sir Fluffles]
『Haha! Okay, okay. So what were you doing here Sir Fluffles?』[Nova]
『Sir Fluffles was looking for Nova!』[Sir Fluffles]
『Looking for me? Why?』[Nova]
『Because Nova is Sir Fluffles' partner! Sir Fluffles had to find Nova!』[Sir Fluffles]
Nova then looked at the semi dark room.
『Then, how did you get in here?』[Nova]
『Let go of Sir Fluffles for a moment?』[Sir Fluffles]
Nova nodded and released his arm, which caused Sir Fluffles to start flying with his wings.
『...That's the most adorable thing I have ever seen.』[Nova]
Sir Fluffles looked like a corgi that was paddling above water, while his wings flapped to keep him in the air.
The paddling motion caused Sir Fluffles to slightly move forward.
『Thank you. Sir Fluffles prizes adorability third.』[Sir Fluffles]
『...Third? What about one and two?』[Nova]
Suddenly, the wings moved forward and flapped behind Sir Fluffles, causing him to instantly turn into a black blur.
『Second is speed!』[Sir Fluffles]
A black and white flame appeared on him and it suddenly burst and filled the room with flames.
He dashed forward, throwing himself at a wall.
『First is power!』[Sir Fluffles]
...Unfortunately, the wall did not budge.
He tackled the wall, but ended up bouncing off of it.
Nova saw the dog hit his head on the wall and panic to pick up the dog.
When Sir Fluffles was in Nova's arms, he had his tongue out and licked Nova.
『...Sir Fluffles is also very tough!』[Sir Fluffles]
『...Good boy!』[Nova]
His tail began to wag back and forth.
『..Hehe. Sir Fluffles likes to be called good boy.』[Sir Fluffles]
Nova rubbed his stomach, which caused his tail to wag even more furiously.
『Sir Fluffles appreciates this! Sir Fluffles has been stuck in here for so long alone.』[Sir Fluffles]
『Really? Why have you been stuck here?』[Nova]
Suddenly, Sir Fluffles' fur ignited into a black and white flame.
『Mana comes in, but nothing comes out.』[Sir Fluffles]
Nova was starting to be concerned now.
『...Area.』[Nova]
The black hole appeared, but it couldn't link to the outside.
『...Uh oh.』[Nova]
It was at that moment that the door suddenly began to have weird noises on the other side.
Reagan then appeared at the door with his snake, Xandis.
『I'm on my way, Nova...』[Reagan]
Nova just stood there looking back at Reagan with Sir Fluffles.