As the dust settled and the Nomu lay defeated, Riser stood over its fallen form, chest heaving from exertion. He wiped the blood from his brow, letting out a slow breath. The battle had been intense, but he had triumphed.Then he activate his magic and his body start to heal and recover .
Now, the moment to solidify his victory had come. Riser stepped closer to Nomu's body, raising his hand as he began to chant the familiar spell, the ancient words of magic flowing effortlessly from his lips. The air around them crackled with energy as the spell formed the sacred bond, a master-servant relationship, with Riser as the master.
"By the blood of the Phoenix, I bind thee," Riser intoned, his voice steady and filled with authority. "You shall serve under my command, bound by this contract, in life and in battle."
The spell completed, a faint glow surrounded Nomu's battered form, signaling the bond had taken hold. The creature stirred slightly, but its once feral aggression had been subdued. It now knelt before Riser, eyes flickering with an understanding born from their brutal fight. Riser reached into his coat and pulled out a small vial containing the golden, shimmering tears of a Phoenix. He uncorked it and poured the healing liquid onto Nomu's body.
The effect was instantaneous. The Nomu's deep wounds began to close, its regeneration enhanced by the power of the Phoenix tear. Even the scars from Riser's Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist began to fade.
Yubellena, who had been watching from the sidelines, smiled and approached Riser. "Well done, Riser. That was an impressive fight," she said with genuine admiration. "To think, you managed to take down a creature like that, and now you've made it your familiar."
Riser turned to her, offering a small smile in return. "Thank you, Yubellena. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it."
She chuckled. "I'll say. I had my doubts, but you really showed your strength out there."
Riser accepted her praise with a nod, then turned his attention to Tiamat, who had been observing the entire battle with growing interest. "Lady Tiamat," he began, giving a respectful bow, "thank you for being such a gracious host and showing us around your forest."
Tiamat's lips curled into a smile, her eyes glinting with amusement. "The pleasure was mine, young Phoenix. I must say, you've piqued my interest." She waved her hand, summoning a ticket from thin air, identical to the one she had given Sirzechs years ago. She held it out to Riser, her gaze lingering on him.
"I don't usually do this twice," Tiamat said, handing him the ticket, "but you've impressed me today. Consider this an invitation back to my domain, should you ever wish to visit again."
Riser accepted the ticket with a respectful nod. "Thank you, Lady Tiamat. Your generosity is greatly appreciated."
Tiamat's smile grew slightly, and there was a glint of something mischievous in her eyes. "Speaking of Phoenix tears, someone came to me not long ago, trying to sell a counterfeit version of your family's famous tears. They were close—70% of the same effect, but not quite the real thing."
Riser frowned slightly, his mind immediately racing through the implications. "I'll look into that, Lady Tiamat. Thank you for the information. I'll take it from here."
Tiamat waved a hand dismissively, though her smile never wavered. "I'm sure you will, Riser. Now, I believe our business here is concluded?"
Riser gave a small bow. "Yes, it is. I'll take my leave now, Madam."
With a snap of her fingers, Tiamat summoned Hoppy, the ever-nervous house elf, who appeared with a blink of teleportation. "Hoppy will take you and your companion outside the forest," he said, stepping back gracefully.
Tiamat "I trust you won't need another tour guide on your way out."
Hoppy, bowing low, shuffled toward Riser and Yubellena. "Would Master Riser and Lady Yubellena allow Hoppy to teleport you outside the forest?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly as usual.
Riser nodded, and Yubellena gave a small wave. "Sure, go ahead."
With a quick snap of Hoppy's fingers, the world shifted around them, and they found themselves standing just outside the edge of the forest, the dense magical aura of the Familiar Forest now at their backs.
Yubellena stretched her arms and let out a contented sigh. "Well, that's done. I'd say today was quite productive, wouldn't you?"
Riser nodded, his mind still lingering on the events inside the forest. "Yes. Lady Tiamat was... quite something."
Yubellena raised an eyebrow, giving him a sideways glance. "What, you fancy her now, darling?"
Riser chuckled softly. "She's certainly piqued my interest, I'll admit. There's something about her."
Yubellena shook her head, laughing. "Well, that's a long road for you, hubby. I wouldn't hold your breath on that one."
Riser smirked but said nothing, his thoughts already shifting to what lay ahead—his newfound familiar, the potential threat of counterfeit Phoenix tears, and the possibilities that awaited him with Tiamat's ticket in hand.
With a final glance toward the distant forest, Riser raised his hand, signaling Yubellena. "Let's go. Time to get back."
Yubellena nodded, and with a shared moment of understanding, they both teleported back to the mansion, with Nomu in tow .
Riser and Yubellena appeared in the main hall of his mansion with a familiar whoosh of teleportation magic, Nomu lumbering behind them. As the air settled, Miwa, ever attentive, appeared at the top of the staircase, her usual bright smile quickly fading as she caught sight of Nomu.
Her eyes widened in shock. "Riser-sama!" she exclaimed, rushing down the stairs toward them. "What is that... monster?!" She pointed dramatically at Nomu, her voice bordering on a squeal.
Riser glanced at Nomu, then back at Miwa, his tone calm. "This is Nomu, my new familiar."
Miwa's expression turned instantly tragic, her eyes welling up with exaggerated tears as she dramatically clasped her hands. "But Riser-sama! He's not cute at all! I had hoped you'd choose something adorable!" Her voice was filled with disappointment, as though her dreams had been crushed.
Yubellena couldn't help but interject with a playful grin. "Hey, don't be rude to Nomu. Sure, he's not cute by your standards, but he's got... peculiarities." She eyed Nomu's exposed brain with a curious smirk.
Miwa whipped around to face Yubellena, pointing an accusing finger at her. "YOU! I specifically told you to make sure Riser-sama picked something cute, and you let this happen!"
Riser raised his hands, trying to calm the situation. "Now, now, Miwa. Relax. Yubellena can fill you in on what happened in the forest later. For now, just know that Nomu was the only one brave—or perhaps mindless—enough to form a contract with me."
At this, Nomu, who had been silently listening to the conversation, pointed to the exposed brain on his head as if making a point.
Riser glanced at him and sighed with a chuckle. "Yes, yes, you have a brain. Sorry for suggesting otherwise."
Nomu's face didn't change, but there was a certain smugness in the way he stood, clearly satisfied with Riser's admission.
Just then, Tai Lung and Isabella entered, both looking sweaty and slightly bruised, as though they had just finished sparring.
Tai Lung raised an eyebrow as he caught the last part of the conversation. "Brave, you say? How about I test that bravery in a fight with this creature?"
Isabella chimed in immediately, grinning as she stretched her arms. "Count me in. It's been a while since I've had a real challenge."
Tai lung quipped "speak like that after you had defeated me ."
Isabella grunt not knoeing how to refute tai lung as he had defeated her in their last spar .
Yubellena rolled her eyes, smirking at the sudden interest. "Look at all you muscleheads, gathering around another musclehead just because he's new. Is that how you bond? truly primitive "
Isabella snapped back with a playful growl. "Oh, smartass, why don't you come down to the ground so I can talk to you while you're lying under my heel?"
Yubellena raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing wider. "Oho, is that a challenge? I'll blow you clear across the training ground if you like."
Before anyone could stop them, Isabella and Yubellena were already heading toward the training ground, eager to settle their rivalry through combat. The tension between them was palpable .
Tai Lung watched them go, sweatdropping at their intensity. He shook his head. "Women... i never understand them . They're the closest to one another, but they act like mortal enemies."
Riser chuckled, placing a hand on Tai Lung's shoulder. "Let them be, Tai Lung. This is what we call rivals. They push each other, and they grow because of it."
Tai Lung blinked in surprise. "Rivals, huh? Is that what it's like? I've never had an equal " There was a tone of curiosity, maybe even longing, in his voice as he spoke.
Riser nodded thoughtfully. "Rivalry is a strange thing. You find someone you don't want to lose to, but you still call them a friend. It drives you to be better."
Tai Lung glanced at Nomu, then back at Riser. "And what about this creature? Does he count as your rival?"
Riser chuckled. "His name is Nomu. I doubt he understands rivalry, but if you want to fight him, be my guest."
Tai Lung grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming. "I would like to see what he's capable of." He turned to Nomu, cracking his knuckles. "What do you say, Nomu? Fancy a spar?"
Nomu tilted his head slightly, his exposed brain glistening in the light. He looked at Riser, waiting for some sort of confirmation. Riser gave a nod.
"Nomu, follow Tai Lung to the training ground for a fight," Riser instructed.
Nomu, seemingly understanding, nodded his head and began to lumber after Tai Lung, eager for the next challenge.
Before Tai Lung and Nomu could leave, Riser called out, "After your fight, Tai Lung, make sure Nomu gets something to eat. Take him to the kitchen."
Tai Lung raised a hand in acknowledgment without turning back. "Got it. Let's see what this monster's got."
Once they were gone, Miwa turned her attention back to Riser, her hands on her hips. "Master, I think it's time we hire some more staff. Marion and Burent are being worked to the bone lately, and the house could use some extra hands."
Riser looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. I'll give it some thought. We'll look into hiring more staff soon."
Miwa smiled, relieved. "Thank you, Master. I'll start looking into candidates."
Riser gestured for Miwa to follow him as he moved toward the stairs. "For now, Miwa, we have to go to Father and Mother's estate for some official business."
Miwa's eyes widened slightly in curiosity. "What kind of official business, Master?"
Riser gave her a knowing smile. "I'll fill you in on the way. It's nothing too pressing, but it'll keep us occupied for a bit."