Peace had sted for far too long.

  That’s what everyone in the capital thought—either silently or murmuring among themselves—amazed that Queen Maple hadn’t caused any “adorable catastrophes” since her tour of the archduchies. But fate—or more accurately, Maple’s natural curiosity—was about to put an end to that truce.

  That day, the sky above the meadow near the capital was clear, perfect weather for testing. Kanade, calm as ever, had agreed to accompany Maple in an unconventional experiment: summoning their Spirit Kings.

  Both were high-level spirit mages, a rarity—and something to be feared—in this world. Spiritual contracts required more than power; they demanded a deep bond and true elemental affinity. Kanade, as a sage, could contact all known elements, though he had full contracts only with the Kings of Fire, Water, and Wind. Maple, on the other hand, was bonded to many lesser and greater spirits, but she shone for her ties to two Kings: Fire and Darkness.

  “All right, Kanade,” Maple said brightly, petting one of her minor spirits—a small glowing creature that chirped happily. “Let’s see what happens if we call the big ones together!”

  Kanade frowned.“I don’t know if that’s wise… You remember what happened st time you summoned the Fire one.”

  “It was just a little fire… and no one got hurt.”

  “You set the ke on fire.”

  “I purified it!” Maple replied with confidence.

  Despite his doubts, Kanade agreed. He would go first. Extending his staff and tracing a spiritual circle with his fingers, he chanted ancient, familiar words. The wind rose.

  A deep blue light filled the field. A vortex of pure water burst from the ground, and a gigantic translucent hand emerged. It was the Water King—one of the three great spirits Kanade had fully bonded with. Though the King’s full body couldn’t manifest without serious consequences, his presence was undeniable.

  Birds fell silent. Clouds crept across the sky. A light, almost warm rain began to fall.

  “Full control in under six seconds,” Kanade murmured in satisfaction.

  Then Maple jumped in.“I want to try too!”

  Kanade didn’t have time to stop her.

  Maple closed her eyes and summoned both of her Kings at once.

  Darkness and fire. Night and fmes. Elements as opposite as they were awe-inspiring. The ground trembled. The sky darkened as if night had fallen. Fmes rose like infernal spirals. From the center of the summoning circle, two colossal figures emerged: a shadow with eyes like glowing embers, and a phoenix of living fire that filled the air with heat and blinding light.

  The effects were immediate. The northern nds began to thaw. In the capital, rooftops sweated steam. The weather turned tropical in under thirty seconds.

  Meanwhile, knights of the guard scrambled in all directions.

  “We’ve got spontaneous fires in the market district!”“The bazaar is covered in bck mist! The vegetables are walking!”

  Chrome, receiving reports, clenched his jaw.“Maple again…”

  Kasumi had already dashed toward the chaos, swords in hand, while May and Yui tried to put out fires with gravity-powered smashes.

  Back on the field, the two Kings stared at each other… as if ignoring one another. The tension was tangible.

  “I think this was too much,” Kanade said quickly.

  Maple, drenched in sweat, struggled to maintain control.“I can do this… I think…”

  But she couldn’t. Not entirely.

  Finally, Kanade raised his staff and unleashed a seal of water that engulfed Maple and her Kings. With a cry of focus, Maple dismissed the summons.

  Both Kings vanished. The sky cleared. The temperature returned to normal.

  Silence.

  Then a small voice from the castle:

  “The tea is boiling by itself!”

  Kanade’s Chronicles — Report: The Magic Storm

  Since my st entry, the kingdom has started adopting more solid structures. Trade routes from Iz are growing rapidly, and mega guilds are formalizing their spheres of influence. But without a doubt, the most notable event this month has been the chaos unleashed by advanced spirit magic experimentation.

  As a sage and spirit mage, I spent decades in the old world to forge the contracts I now hold. However, the transition from that virtual world to reality has brought new consequences. Summoning a Spirit King is no longer a matter of mana consumption and cooldown timers. It now affects the weather, the nd’s natural energy, and even alters the behavior of lesser spirits.

  Maple… well, we were aware of her potential. But not the scale of her impact. Summoning two Kings at once is, technically speaking, madness. And yet, she did it… though the consequences were dire.

  For five whole days, the territory east of the capital experienced abnormal changes: pnts growing twenty times their size, starry skies at midday, and multicolored ash rain. Experts from Iz are studying the residual effects.

  From now on, we’ve agreed to a minimum regution: Spirit King summoning may only occur outside city limits and under supervision. Yes, even for Maple. Although she doesn’t seem to understand what all the fuss is about.“It was fun,” she said.

  Signed,Kanade, Sage of the Royal Domain