Roxy carefully traced the summoning circle, her movements precise and methodical, replicating what she had been taught at the Academy. The lines of mana pulsed faintly as she worked, forming a pattern designed to anchor a summoned being into this world.
Anastasia, standing beside her with arms crossed, observed the process with an unimpressed expression. A single gnce was all it took for her to recognize the design—it was a Spirit Summoning Circle. How primitive, she thought. This world’s knowledge of summoning was painfully limited.
Right now, the world only recognized two forms of summoning: Spirit Summoning and Fiend Summoning.
Spirit Summoning was nothing more than shaping raw mana into a construct bound by the summoner’s will—a glorified puppet, cking true sentience.
Fiend Summoning, on the other hand, dealt with highly intelligent beings from other realms, requiring vast amounts of mana or an enticing reward to ensure cooperation.
Anastasia nearly scoffed aloud. How ughable. In her previous world, summoning was a far more sophisticated art.
Grand Summoning could forcibly manifest divine or corrupted beings, bending their presence to the summoner’s will.
God Summoning allowed one to call upon deities themselves, though whether they bestowed blessings or curses depended entirely on their whims.
Astral Summoning reached beyond worlds, plucking creatures and entities from distant dimensions.
Even Teleportation Magic—hailed as an entirely separate discipline in this world—was merely a one-way variation of Summoning Magic. The sheer ck of understanding frustrated her.
Yet, Anastasia kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at Roxy’s handiwork, already seeing countless fws.
But that was fine. Anastasia had no intention of summoning a mere flickering light. She had her own pn.
This magic circle—though crude—would serve as the perfect medium. All she had to do was hijack the process, inject her own modifications, and use it to summon something far more meaningful. Then, she would act shocked and sell the performance. Brilliant. Anastasia mentally patted herself on the back for such an ingenious scheme.
“Okay, that's the magic circle,” Roxy decred, stepping back. “Though it’s a bit crude, it will do.”
She pced her hand at the center of the formation, allowing mana to flow into it. The circle reacted immediately, glowing faintly as the energy spread through its lines. A moment ter, Roxy withdrew her hand, and from the center of the array, a small orb of light emerged—its soft radiance barely illuminating the space around it.
“This is a spirit,” Roxy expined, her voice steady with the confidence of an instructor. “This little one can only produce light. When its mana depletes, it disappears.”
True to her words, the tiny glowing entity flickered a few times before vanishing into nothingness.
“There!” Roxy straightened up, a hint of pride in her expression. It was a perfect execution. She gnced at Rudeus, who was looking at her in awe, clearly impressed by the successful summoning.
But then, she turned to Anastasia.
The moment their eyes met, Roxy felt a subtle tension creep up her spine.
Anastasia wasn’t impressed. She wasn’t amazed. She wasn’t even mildly interested.
She simply stood there, arms crossed, her posture radiating pure boredom.
“…That’s it?”
A single phrase, spoken in the fttest tone imaginable.
Roxy suddenly felt like she had just performed the world's most underwhelming magic trick in front of the worst possible audience.
“What do you mean, you chuuni?! That was amazing!” Rudeus shot back, leaping to Roxy’s defense with vehement enthusiasm. “Don't worry, Roxy-sensei! That was incredible magic! Don't let this chuuni’s nonsense get to you!”
Anastasia barely spared him a gnce before replying with absolute indifference. “You’re an ignorant fool, my ghoulish brother. Fttery suits you ill, and blind admiration even less. You’re smitten, and I refuse to discuss normal matters with fools in love.”
Rudeus flinched, visibly shaken by the unexpected attack. “Wha—?! I’m not smitten!”
Anastasia only sneered.
Turning to Roxy, Rudeus desperately sought justice. “Sensei, can we ban this chuuni from your css? She’s just here to kill the mood!”
Roxy, who had felt her confidence wobble earlier, found herself oddly comforted by Rudeus’ unwavering support. She smiled slightly, appreciating his enthusiasm. “It’s fine,” she assured him. “Anyway, Anastasia, just inject mana into the circle like this…”
She demonstrated again, then motioned for Anastasia to try.
Rudeus, however, perked up, an evil grin creeping onto his face. “Oh, right! Roxy-sensei, did you know Anastasia doesn’t even know how to control mana? She never bothered to learn!” His voice practically dripped with mockery as he relished the chance to one-up his sister.
Anastasia’s expression darkened. She turned to him slowly, as if deciding whether he was worth obliterating on the spot.
Then she smirked. “What do you mean, you lowly ghoul?” she said, oozing arrogance. “I can do it as easily as breathing. Why? Because I accidentally used mana once—to sp our idiotic father in the ribs.”
Silence.
Roxy blinked. Rudeus twitched.
“…What.”
Anastasia nodded proudly. “Yes, a direct hit.”
Rudeus stared at her, completely at a loss for words.
Rudeus felt a deep, gnawing jealousy rise within him.
Since birth, he had diligently practiced to control mana, dedicating himself to mastering magic. Yet this chuuni sister of his—this ridiculous, arrogant girl—had learned it by accident.Not through effort. Not through study.She just wanted to hit their father.
Something inside him cracked.
Have I really changed at all?
Doubt began creeping in, whispering insidious thoughts into his mind. Was all my effort meaningless?
Anastasia read him like a book. She sneered, unimpressed. "Oi, stupid ghoul, you just realized how pathetic you are? Just give up and be an obedient waste already."
Rudeus snapped.
His frustration ignited into sheer defiance. "Shut up, chuuni! I'll be stronger than you ever will be!! Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you know how to use it, stupid!!"
His voice was sharp, his words heated—but his resolve had solidified.
Roxy, standing between them, sighed deeply. This was getting out of hand.
"Let’s not fight, you two..." she said, stepping in before things spiraled any further.
Rudeus huffed and looked away, while Anastasia kept her gaze fixed on Roxy, her expression unreadable.
"So, I just inject my mana, memorize the circle’s structure, and that’s all?" Anastasia asked, her voice ced with boredom.
Roxy sighed, already expecting trouble. "Indeed, but the magic circle is much more complex than you realize—"
Before she could finish, Anastasia snorted dismissively and pced her hand on the magic circle, hiding her excitement.
It begins. The birth of her grand pn.
The moment her mana flowed in, the magic circle glowed brilliantly—but instead of the usual gentle light, the hue twisted into a deep, eerie purple.
A sudden burst of wind tore through the clearing, kicking up dirt and leaves. Anastasia kept injecting mana, her mind racing. She had to make this look believable.
"Let go!!" she screamed, feigning distress as her hand remained glued to the magic circle.
Roxy snapped out of her shock and rushed toward Anastasia, but the howling wind pushed against her, forcing her to struggle forward.
"Anastasia!"
The swirling magic intensified. Anastasia let out a dramatic "AAAAAA!" and suddenly—
Her hand tore free.
The moment she pulled back, something solid rested in her palm.
A book.
The circle fred brighter—then shattered. The wind ceased instantly, the clearing falling into an unnatural silence.
And standing at the center of it all—
A pink-haired girl in a priest’s attire, eyes wide in pure shock.
1
So, here we are—Chapter 14. If you’ve made it this far, I can only assume one of three things: you actually like this mess, you have an incredible tolerance for garbage, or you’re just too stubborn to drop it. Either way, I respect it.
That said, I’m curious—got any thoughts on this fanfic? I mean, besides the obvious fact that it’s a steaming pile of literary junk.
