Beginner League Carnage
"Ugh, this is so stressful... I've fought bugs with other bugs as a kid, but having my own familiars duel??"
I lacked confidence—way too much. Everyone else had probably raised their familiars through academy-level training right up until graduation, just like at Pluwitch Academy. And some would have inherited theirs from family or parents. From my position starting at rock bottom, it felt like the academy all over again—another gap I couldn't ignore.
Right now, the other participants were prepping for their matches, tending to their familiars with care. One was using some mystery device, another feeding homemade food, and yet another reading from a book and explaining tactics. They all looked like pro tamers with proper training! They'd barely scraped through all sorts of complicated procedures just to qualify for this league.
And here I was, waltzing in on a recommendation letter from my Taming professor simply because I needed to graduate? No, think positive. From their perspective, I'd look like some clueless rube who wandered in from who-knows-where. No easier mark than a total newbie like me—they might even want to fight me.
But if I got crushed and slunk away, Ephemera would mock me back at the academy. And with her status as the witches' princess, wouldn't the other witches call it a disgrace to the Witchcraft name?
"Any witch like that would get beaten down by the others."
Grand Duke mumbled that they'd hold a witch trial, disown her faster than anyone, and toss her into a pit of fire, denying she was ever a friend. Insulting the one child their queen had raised with obsessive, almost inhuman devotion? Any witch who knew the Witchcraft temperament would go pale and report her on the spot.
He said it all so seriously, then advised me not to cry if I lost pathetically like a dog—because the opponent might just kill me out of pity.
"E-even if I lose... I won't cry!!! I'll just hole up in my room feeling down, that's all!!"
"Power can be not just harsh, but cruel at times... Displease the king, and the clown gets beheaded that very day."
"Then we should send you to convince Mom?"
At my words, Grand Duke bolted off on foot, begging to be added to the roster himself. He wailed to at least let him include one of his demons, but the matches had already started.
"Mm-hmm! Miss, if it's not too rude, may I offer some advice?"
Tanaka approached me as I sat on the bench, legs jittering with anxiety.
"It's natural to struggle at first, but leading and commanding your subordinates is the mark of a leader... a noble's skill, one might say? Better to muster your courage and try now than put it off."
"Is that so...?"
"Besides, at your age, you can fail and rebound a few times and still be forgiven?"
I took the advice from the sword uncle strapped to Tanaka's back to heart, engraving it on my mind. Yeah, I'm a total beginner... that's why I'm in the Beginner League, right? Even if I become a laughingstock, the act of challenging myself can't be mocked.
What mattered now was trusting the familiars I'd summoned and contracted with.
'Why's he talking like swords are a given, though?'
But did I really know my familiars that well? Tanaka was some high-up on a business trip, I'd made Maid No.1 myself but honestly didn't get her, and all I knew about Void Mask—who whined daily for cuddles—was that she was squishy.
...Wait, was I already failing as an owner before even winning anything? It was common sense: you can't win if you don't know the familiars you've raised and contracted.
"I suffer from baldness and erectile dysfunction. That's how much I trust you—I'm confessing my deepest shame."
"Sorry."
I'd said I wasing because I didn't know my familiars well, but I didn't need to hear that kind of heartbreaking secret. Even in the deep, unbreakable bond between familiar and tamer, there had to be some personal privacy to respect, right?
"Want me to tell you mine too?"
"No, it's fine..."
Any more darkness and abyss would just hurt us both. I figured our relationship was at its best right now.
★★★
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. When my opponent—a graduate—stepped into the arena, cheers erupted from the academy students who'd come to support alumni. I was just dragged here by my professor, and 1st-years weren't allowed out without permission, so no friends to cheer me on.
But still, the mood tanked the moment the Witchcraft name dropped, everyone murmuring—was that too much?
"Ugh... that hurts..."
"2nd gen, fight! Don't lose!! Aim for next-gen Bongole boss or Muscle Star king!!"
"Thanks for the cheers, but it's making the vibe worse, Grand Duke."
The empty stands suddenly filled with Grand Duke's [Change] subordinates—hideous demons of every shape—roaring their throats out for me. No matter how you sliced it, we looked like the villains...
"To think my tamer master's journey would start against a Witchcraft... Is that a golem?"
"Ah, yeah... My [Maid Doll No.1]."
"I'm [Maid Golem No.1], nyang."
"Oh, sorry."
"Can't even remember your own familiar's name... I won't forgive a guy who treats his partner like a tool!! Let's go, Moll-Moll! Crush 'em!"
The cute little unknown beast perked its ears at its master's call, raising its arms threateningly. It looked so huggable, but flames leaking from its mouth screamed danger.
"C-cute? Our No.1 is cuter!!"
"Not happy at all, nyang..."
And conversely, No.1—who I couldn't even name right and whose creator had warped aesthetics—wilted under my cheer. I couldn't even look up in shame when—
The match start signal blared.
"Moll-Moll!! Flame─"
"Beam from the eyes!!!!"
"Grahhh!!!"
"Wait, why a beam from the eyes?!"
"Perfect all-purpose maid, nyang."
Moll-Moll took a direct hit from the super-high-temp heat ray blasting from her eyes!! Power that could pulverize the arena, speed that left no dodge time!! Not bisected, but charred black, it lay cold on the field.
"Moll-Moll!!!!"
Murmurs rippled again. They'd already feared her grotesque look, but the savagery of the attack had the crowd trembling in terror.
"Professor!! My image is getting weirder— is it okay to keep going?!"
"It's fine! Your academy bottom-feeder rep is already everywhere—no lower to fall!"
"Ah, that's not comforting at all!!"
"They all get it since you're Witchcraft. 'Ah, as expected, problem child.'"
"Why!?"
My [Divination] professor shook her money pouch—she'd bet on me to help my broke self. Fine, my image was hopeless anyway. Might as well earn cash for snacks to share with friends on the way back.
For the next round, I pulled No.1 back for a break after her hard work and sent out Void Mask.
"Doll-type, huh... Then I'm at an advantage! I'll cleave it with my [Skeleton Dark Knight]!!"
"...Ugh, my mistake?"
"Gathering intel on the opponent's familiar is the master's job. Learn from mistakes, right?"
"What if Void Mask gets badly hurt?"
Stitch her up? I'd never seen her hurt—how do you fix a torn doll? Realizing tamers needed to know healing too, I tore at my hair. Should I ask Unicorn senior again? As I fretted, Void Mask gave a thumbs-up like "trust me."
"Right! Void Mask! Pull your weapon, don't get hit—knock 'em down!"
My command dropped with the match start, and Void Mask raised her arm high──
"My skeleton!!!!"
No chance to close distance—the [Void Beam] from range literally pulverized the Skeleton Knight. I sweated coldly at the sight of the skull half-ground to powder, mass unknown.
I covered my face, turning away in guilt as the opponent hugged his upper-body-only familiar and wailed.
"That type regenerates with mana poured in, so it'll be fine."
"R-really? Tanaka! She won't shoot beams from her eyes too, right?!"
"As you see, I'm human—no such ability."
"Phew..."
"Is that what to relax over?"
Finally thrilled for a "normal" fight, I headed to the next. Opponent had a massive rock golem, mocked Tanaka's single sword—then got bisected in one swing, defeated anticlimactically. Tanaka's sword broke in half too.
"The talking sword uncle!!!!!"
"Cheap one I bought on the way—couldn't help it."
"Cheap?! It talks!!"
"Big trouble... Finals with no weapon..."
"Fretting over one sword... Don't advertise you're broke."
"I bought it, so don't worry, Wiyu-yang."
"No, that's not the point—it was a talking sword!!"
I rubbed my throbbing head watching the coldly halved sword uncle get tossed in the trash. Like that, I headed to the finals with weaponless Tanaka.
Could send Void Mask or No.1, but one-sided beam massacres pained my conscience to watch.
"Heh, lucky for a newbie, huh? Sorry for underestimating your weird familiar."
Next opponent: another academy grad—but a black-coated vampire stood beside him. Even I, knowing zilch about real familiars, recognized the famous species!!
"Vampire vs. human Tanaka—that's bad matchup, right?!"
"Matchup's not just bad—it's abysmal. That's high-tier. Clearly raised with tons of time."
Grand Duke rated it no-room-for-complacency, the vampire radiating eerie aura. Regretted not swapping to blood-immune No.1 or Void Mask, but Tanaka was already in the arena.
"Trust your familiar. Looks can deceive—this body's weathered every storm... Time to show human grit."
"Heh heh heh, finally a decent meal... Human opponent's been ages!!"
"It talks."
I was more shocked than usual—no talking familiars till now. Wait, two of mine talked— was that impressive...?
Vampire spread its cloak, red blood-qi swirling, fangs gleaming threateningly.
"I'll end this in a flash!!!"
"Whoa, underestimating a human? I'm bald."
"So?"
Me, opponent, his tamer—all puzzled what baldness had to do with it. Tanaka raised his hand, focusing light on his shiny scalp.
"Kyaaahhh!!"
Blinding solar burst—short death cry, vampire ignited standing, crumbling to white ash.
"Don't underestimate humans again."
"You said no beams!!"
"This is reflected sunlight off my head—not a beam, technically."
Isn't that worse...?
I averted my eyes, pretending not to see as the opponent wailed his vampire's name over the ashes.
"With the rest eliminated, my survival means my victory."
Fair and square win on pure familiar power... No cheap tricks!!
Wiyu Witchcraft clutched the trophy from trampling weeping grads, waving triumphantly.
"Heh heh heh... To think she has a daughter..."
Someone who'd rushed to the arena hearing she was competing watched her.
"If that bitch's blood truly flows, we'll meet in Champs League... I'll crush her then... Heh heh heh..."
"Professor, that guy's over there staring and grinning sleazily."
"Probably holds a grudge against 1st-gen Witchcraft. She wrecked havoc everywhere."
"Damn it."
Won the league, now worrying about the next... And facing someone grudge-holding against Mom there too? Gloomy as hell...
But for graduation, no holding back on means or methods.
"Ram 'em as an outer god part-timer to win."
"Rethinking—better to be picky."
I'd pass on making enemies for my future kid—boy or girl.