Miracle Summoner

"You..."

Kurahashi Kyouko looked at Rozen in utter disbelief, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

But Rozen's expression was colder than ever.

"What? Can't do it?" Rozen's voice was undeniably indifferent, yet it carried a sense of mockery. "But this is what a Shikigami is—an existence that obeys its master's orders and serves them."

The implication in Rozen's words was clear.

"Once you become my Shikigami, you have to accept my commands without question, whether they are reasonable or not. That's what a Shikigami is." Rozen glanced at Kyouko and said, "If you can't do that, then don't even think about becoming a Shikigami."

The moment she heard those words, Kyouko immediately understood what Rozen was up to.

He wanted her to back down, so he deliberately made excessive demands.

No—if one truly considered the relationship between a sorcerer and their Shikigami, this request wasn't excessive at all.

Normally, however, no one would give such commands to their Shikigami. After all, Shikigami are spiritual beings—whether they be gods, Buddhas, demons, or ghosts, naturally occurring beings used as familiars. Some are even artificially created constructs. Even if some resemble humans, they are not actually human, and most don't even take human form. It is almost unthinkable that someone would want their Shikigami to do such things.

But just as Rozen had said, Shikigami are beings that must absolutely obey their master's commands, following and serving them without question.

Since that was the case, no matter how unreasonable Rozen's demands seemed, a Shikigami should be expected to fulfill them.

Or rather, once one became a Shikigami, refusing to comply would no longer be an option.

After all, with the binding force of a contract, a Onmyoji could control their Shikigami at will. A Shikigami simply had no choice but to obey, unless it possessed enough strength to surpass its master and turn against them.

And Kyouko had voluntarily offered to become Rozen's Shikigami. That meant betrayal was not an option—only obedience remained.

If she couldn't do that, then she had no business talking about becoming a Shikigami in the first place.

Rozen wanted her to understand that reality.

Realizing this, Kyouko's expression became complicated, shifting between stunned silence and inner turmoil. Moments later, her face flushed red with a mixture of shame and indignation.

As the esteemed daughter of the Kurahashi family, the princess of the jujutsu world, and the high-and-mighty beauty of Onmyo Academy, when had Kyouko ever experienced something like this?

No matter how decisive, proactive, or stubborn she was, in the end, Kyouko was still an innocent young woman.

Forget doing something like this in front of a man—she had never even been in a relationship before.

Under such circumstances, if it had been anyone else speaking to her like this, Kyouko would have slapped them across the face and walked away without hesitation. But since it was Rozen, she felt only shame and anger, unable to say a word.

Unconsciously, Kyouko gripped the fabric in front of her, lifted her head, and looked at Rozen, a hint of pleading flickering in her eyes.

Her expression was practically begging Rozen to change his command.

Unfortunately, Rozen ignored it completely. He simply stared at Kyouko, exuding an almost imperceptible pressure.

Kyouko immediately bit her lip, struggling internally.

Seeing this, Rozen knew she couldn't make up her mind.

At that moment, a slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips—only to vanish just as quickly.

Then…

"You can't do it, can you?" Rozen said flatly. "Then let me send you back."

As soon as these words left his mouth, Kyouko shook her head firmly.

"No! I won't allow it!"

On this point, Kyouko was absolutely resolute.

However, Rozen never intended to lay a hand on Kyouko. Unlike those male students constantly scheming to climb higher and win over a beautiful woman, Rozen was different.

His words had been meant to provoke Kyouko, nothing more.

Whether she realized his intention or not, Kyouko simply lowered her head, gripping her clothes even tighter.

A moment later…

"...I understand."

Kyouko's voice trembled.

Then, she slowly stood up...

But as Rozen watched Kyouko, his gaze was filled with nothing but complexity.

"I really don't understand why you're willing to go this far."

That was Rozen's only thought.

The next moment, Rozen stepped forward, grabbed Kyouko's hand, preventing her from hiding any further.

"I hope you won't regret this in the future."

Without giving her time to gasp or feel embarrassed, he solemnly declared:

"—By my name, I proclaim that you, Kurahashi Kyouko, shall become my shikigami—"

As those incantations echoed, an astonishing surge of spiritual energy erupted, and the sigil of the shikigami contract emerged on the back of Kyouko's hand.

From this moment onward, Kyouko had become Rozen's shikigami.