The small wolf's gleaming silver eyes glinted in the dim light of the inn room. Nico stared at the creature in shock, his mind racing. A faint glow continued to emanate from the magic circle where it had appeared, casting strange shadows on the walls.
"Who… or what are you?" Nico asked, his voice barely a whisper as he tightened his grip on Lila's hand.
The wolf sat back on its haunches, its eyes never leaving Nico. "I am a summon of Alice, the only S-rank summoner in this world," it said with a distinct tone of pride. "I am the Silver Fang, her strongest summon and loyal companion."
"Alice?" Lila echoed, confusion and wariness mingling in her voice.
"Yes. And she knows of you, Nico," the wolf continued, eyeing him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "When you conjured that eagle, rumors of a new, powerful summoner reached her. And Alice… well, Alice does not take kindly to rivals." The wolf's mouth curled, baring its fangs in a strange, unsettling grin.
"Rival?" Nico frowned, genuinely confused. "I'm not anyone's rival. I'm just… an E-rank adventurer. No one special."
The wolf snorted, clearly unimpressed. "You can play coy all you want, but that power was unmistakable. Only the very highest of summoners could command a creature like that. Alice is furious, I must warn you. She is not used to sharing her title with anyone. In fact, she has sent me here with a message: she wishes to face you, summoner to summoner. To prove who is strongest."
Lila stiffened at the word "face" and glanced worriedly at Nico. "Does she… does she mean a fight?"
"Oh, she means a fight all right," the wolf replied with a slight nod. "Alice has a… particular taste for challenges, shall we say. A taste that has led her to eliminate any who stood in her way."
"Wait." Nico's eyes narrowed, his grip on Lila's hand tightening. "Are you saying she's… killed other summoners?"
The wolf's gaze grew darker, a strange glimmer of admiration evident. "Yes. Alice's path to power was paved with blood, and the first victim was her only rival, another S-rank summoner. But you must understand, her story did not start with power or privilege."
Lila's eyes softened, curiosity mixing with fear as she asked, "What do you mean?"
The wolf sighed, glancing downward as if the memories weighed even on it. "Alice was born weak. In her hometown, she was ridiculed, dismissed. She was frail, unable to summon anything beyond the smallest, most harmless creatures. Her own family abandoned her, considering her a failure. But she did not stay that way. She became relentless in her training, pushing her body and spirit to the absolute limits until she could finally summon creatures of true strength."
Nico listened carefully, piecing together a picture of a girl who had clawed her way to the top, but with a fierceness that bordered on madness.
"After her family cast her out, she wandered alone for years," the wolf continued, its voice now tinged with a note of sadness. "She summoned and lost creature after creature, each summoning costing her dearly. But she did not give up. Eventually, she found the last other S-rank summoner, an old master who offered to train her. And yet…" The wolf's eyes flickered dangerously. "When her powers surpassed his, she saw no more use for him and took his life to claim the title of 'strongest summoner.' Since that day, no one has dared challenge her… until now."
Nico's stomach twisted. He looked at the wolf, then at Lila, who seemed as unnerved as he was. "But I didn't challenge her," Nico said, his tone edged with frustration. "That eagle wasn't some declaration of power. I only wanted to protect the village."
The wolf inclined its head, its expression unreadable. "Intent matters little to someone like Alice. She has heard of your power, and she demands a fight."
Nico shook his head, his pulse quickening. "And if I say no?"
A dark gleam entered the wolf's eyes. "You misunderstand. You have no choice."
Lila's hand trembled in Nico's, and he felt his protective instincts flare. "Why is she so obsessed with proving herself?" Lila asked, her voice tense. "If she's already S-rank, then why does she feel the need to keep proving she's the strongest?"
"Because in her mind, strength is fleeting," the wolf replied. "And anyone who could be a threat to her status must be eliminated. Even if you claim to be 'just an E-rank,' she won't take your word for it."
Nico's jaw clenched, his patience wearing thin. "Fine, then. Lead us to her. Let's get this over with."
The wolf's eyes glimmered with amusement. "Oh, I'm afraid it won't be that simple. If you want to meet Alice, she wants it to be on her terms."
The wolf's gaze shifted to Lila, and an unsettling chill ran down Nico's spine. "In fact, she anticipated that you might be… reluctant. So, she instructed me to bring an incentive."
Before Nico could process the words, a flash of light filled the room. In a blink, the wolf had moved faster than he could react. He spun around, and to his horror, saw Lila disappear in a whirl of silvery light, her shocked expression the last thing he saw before she was gone.
"Lila!" Nico lunged forward, reaching for her, but she had already vanished, leaving only the empty glow of the circle behind.
The wolf regarded Nico impassively, a note of satisfaction in its gaze. "She will remain unharmed… for now. But if you want her back, you'll come to Alice."
Nico's fists clenched, rage seething through him. "You—where did you take her?! Bring her back, now!"
The wolf tilted its head, its expression utterly calm. "Alice is waiting, Nico. Refusing is no longer an option. But if you're as strong as she believes, I doubt you'll disappoint her. Come to the peaks of the Shadowed Ridge at midnight. There, she will await you."
The magic circle pulsed once more, and the wolf vanished into a blur of silver light, leaving Nico alone in the darkened room. For a few heartbeats, silence filled the space, and then a surge of raw anger filled the emptiness, drowning out every other emotion. Lila was gone, taken from him—and all because of a woman who had built her life around bloodshed and control.
As the weight of his fury set in, Nico felt an icy, unyielding resolve harden within him. He had spent most of his time in this world downplaying his abilities, hiding his true strength to avoid trouble. But now, that restraint had cost him, and Lila was paying the price.
He wouldn't let this continue.
Without a word, Nico gathered his things, his expression dark and unyielding. A fierce, deadly aura radiated from him, his emotions bottled up so tightly that they manifested in an almost palpable wave of tension around him. He barely recognized himself in this state, but he didn't care.
When he stepped outside, the night air was cool, but he barely felt it. He had one mission, one purpose—to get Lila back. And if that meant facing Alice, this so-called S-rank summoner, he would do it.
For the first time since coming to this world, Nico was prepared to fight without holding back. He would show Alice the real meaning of power, not as a challenge or a game, but as a reckoning.
And he wouldn't stop until Lila was safe.