The leaves and branches shook like eager spectators, their shivering limbs applauding the chaos. Overhead, the moon still swam peacefully in the sky—oblivious, or uncaring.
With terrifying grace, the beast swatted Paige aside like a paper doll. She crashed into a tree and vanished into the underbrush. I stood alone now, trembling, dagger raised—the Rondel Regina insisted I carry lately feeling like little more than a decoration. My hands shook so badly I thought I'd drop it.
What could I possibly do if Paige—my strongest summon—had just been turned into woodland décor?
And worse, the creature still hadn't fully revealed itself.
That wasn't the Paige you know, the System chimed in, unhelpfully calm. But you can save the questions for after you save your ass.
"What?" I barked mentally. "Then who was that?!"
You summoned Pawn H7.
Pawn G6? Where was Paige then?
My thoughts screeched to a halt as the creature stepped into the moonlight.
It was monstrous. A grotesque union of man and leopard, like something a deranged god sculpted mid-nightmare. Muscles rippled under fur-matted armor, and its cruel smile gleamed. Worse still—its eyes were intelligent.
I stepped back slowly.
It followed, step for step, its stride taunting me—mocking me.
It raised one massive claw.
I raised my dagger, too late—
And then she appeared again.
"Paige?"
No… No, this wasn't Paige.
She looked like her—like me, even—but darker. Her hair devoured the moonlight instead of reflecting it. Her armor and shield were matte black, unpolished like battlefield steel. Where Paige wore a silver moon emblem, this one bore a crimson one—a blood moon.
She didn't draw a sword. She drove a pike straight into the creature's flank.
The beast let out a strangled roar.
This "Paige" grinned, but not kindly. It was the grin of someone who enjoyed this. Who wanted more.
"Hey," she said, sounding exactly like Paige. "What's the plan?"
The stab didn't drop the beast—it only pissed it off.
She kicked off its hide, flipping midair and landing beside me, pike twirling in her hands like a dancer's ribbon.
"I don't think I can solo this," she muttered. "And you don't look like you're gonna be much help."
Her blood-red eyes flicked over to me. I backed up instinctively.
She laughed. "Hey, I'm not the one trying to kill you. He's over there."
The creature snarled again and charged. The black-armored pawn clicked her tongue in annoyance and shoved me out of the way. Her weapon morphed—a flicker of light—and she now wielded a halberd, its blade gleaming like obsidian.
She drove it into the monster's thigh, using her size and speed to her advantage, bringing the beast to one knee.
She wasn't playing anymore.
Luna, pull yourself together, the System snapped. You still have mana for one more summon. Another Pawn is possible—but so is the Knight. Even the Rook.
My brain clicked back into gear. I scanned the field. My current summon—Pawn H7—had just been flung again, slamming into a massive trunk and lying motionless in the dirt.
"Oh my god," I muttered, brushing leaves off my ruined maid uniform. "Regina is gonna kill me if I die before breakfast."
With shaking hands, I whispered, "Summoning…"