Debbie had successfully formed a heroic spirit contract with the Valkyrie. After Jirga was gravely injured by the demon, Debbie managed to summon her.
The Valkyrie, guardian of the divine realm, was a sacred being created by the gods’ power, according to legend. Her image adorned countless tales, poems, and paintings, with white wings, a holy body, and a sword of light as her weapon.
Her sudden appearance instantly drew everyone’s attention.
In the adventuring party, Bilis was the only summoner. His tentacled monster, previously summoned, had been severely wounded by Jirga’s strike. When the demon appeared, he fled in panic, now sprawled in the mud. Seeing the divine figure of the Valkyrie, Bilis’s heavily made-up face twitched uncontrollably.
As a summoner, he understood heroic spirits better than most, which made the sight before him unbearable. That patched-together monstrosity was a Valkyrie? And now she had become a heroic spirit! Undoubtedly, such a spirit was immensely powerful, a priceless treasure for any summoner. Yet he had let the chance to claim her slip away.
And this teenage summoner, who already possessed an overpowered spirit like Jirga, had now gained a Valkyrie? It was outrageously unfair. In terms of rarity, a Valkyrie surpassed even Jirga. How could a mere girl possess such an epic heroic spirit?
On Ye Chui’s side, though he had blocked the demon’s strike, his magic was nearly depleted. The Valkyrie’s arrival brought a surge of relief. In the time echo, he had seen her fight; she couldn’t defeat the mighty red demon back then, but after five thousand years of being sealed, the demon’s power had likely weakened significantly. The Valkyrie might stand a chance against it.
With a roar, the red demon let out an enraged howl. It clearly recognised the Valkyrie’s form, her holy aura driving it into a frenzy. Roaring, it became a blur of red, charging forward, its terrifying claws aimed at her.
Bang!
The Valkyrie swung her light sword to meet it, the clash of sword and claw resounding with force. Two figures, one red, one white, relics of a bygone era, entangled in a fierce struggle.
The battle seemed to last only a moment. With the demon’s hoarse cry, its red form crashed to the ground. One of its horns had snapped, and dark blood dripped from its body. As the blood hit the muddy ground, it sizzled, releasing foul-smelling smoke.
The Valkyrie’s wings fluttered gently, a single white feather falling like light, dissolving into a glow upon touching the ground. She landed slowly in front of Ye Chui and Debbie.
With a flourish, she aimed her light sword at the red demon, her clear, valiant voice ringing out, “Evil demon, Valkyrie, jiji, offers, jiji, kaka? You, I… jiji?”
Her voice, initially commanding, grew tinged with frustration as she struggled to express herself, adding an odd charm that left even the demon bewildered.
Hearing her garbled speech, Ye Chui and Debbie exchanged puzzled glances.
Debbie shook her head, realisation dawning. “She’s probably forgotten how to speak after losing the ability for so long.”
Ye Chui nodded, noticing Debbie’s condition. Her face was pale, sweat beaded on her forehead, and she looked exhausted, on the verge of collapse. He quickly supported her. “Are you alright?”
“I can hold on a bit longer,” Debbie said, leaning against him, trying to act as if she had plenty of magic to spare.
Summoning a heroic spirit drained the summoner’s magic, and the stronger the spirit, the greater the cost. Jirga was an exception, sustained by wealth, but the Valkyrie was directly consuming Debbie’s magic.
By all accounts, Debbie shouldn’t have been able to summon a spirit as powerful as the Valkyrie. Yet her luck was nothing short of epic; the circumstances had left the Valkyrie with no other choice.
After its brief clash with the Valkyrie, the red demon grew cautious. Its gaunt, grotesque form retreated slowly, a hint of fear visible in its demeanour.
It wasn’t afraid of the Valkyrie but of Ye Chui. Its blood-red eyes darted, as if weighing a decision.
At that moment, a burst of flame shot toward the demon’s side, landing with a soft pop before vanishing. Ye Chui glanced over, exasperated, realising it came from Riken, who had regained consciousness. Seeing the demon’s terrifying form, Riken’s face contorted in fear, and he instinctively unleashed an attack spell.
But the demon’s magic immunity rendered it useless.
Enraged, the demon swiped its sharp claws, sending Riken crashing to the ground, blood spraying from his body.
The Valkyrie rushed forward to attack, but the demon leapt back, grabbed the body of an unconscious adventuring party member, and sped off into the distance.
“Demon, jiji, don’t run, I…” the Valkyrie shouted, preparing to give chase.
“Come back, don’t pursue!” Ye Chui called out, supporting an increasingly frail Debbie. She looked as if she’d run a marathon, near collapse. Though it was a pity not to finish the demon, letting the Valkyrie chase it would likely cause her to vanish as Debbie’s magic ran dry.
“Jiji?” The Valkyrie, still hovering, glanced at Ye Chui and Debbie, understanding their situation. Her flawless face showed hesitation before she landed before them, pointing at Debbie in a flurry of accusation. “You, jiji, why… jiji? Kaka, I, jijijiji… jiji! Jijijiji! Heroic spirit…”
Ye Chui watched her animated gestures, speechless. She should have been imposing and angry, but her garbled speech made her oddly endearing.
“Are you saying it’s an honour to be my heroic spirit?” Debbie asked weakly, managing a faint smile.
“Jiji! Jijijiji, who, jiji, kaka…” The Valkyrie grew more frustrated, her words increasingly incoherent.
“I understand, I’m honoured too,” Debbie said with a gentle smile.
“Jijijijiji!” The Valkyrie, exasperated, began tugging at her red hair.
Ye Chui’s expression was subtle. Debbie’s judgement must be impaired from the magic drain, he thought. He quickly opened the [Map Navigation] on his iPad spellbook. A red dot representing the demon moved rapidly away, accompanied by a dot for the person it had taken, which soon vanished, likely drained of blood.
“Return to the spirit world for now, let Debbie recover some magic. If we encounter the demon again, we’ll summon you,” Ye Chui urged the Valkyrie.
She paused, then said with effort, “You must summon me.”
“I will,” Debbie promised. As a white summoning gate appeared behind the Valkyrie, pulling her back to the spirit world, Debbie suddenly called out, “Wait, I don’t know your name!”
“My name is…” The Valkyrie, halfway through the gate, began to answer, but a look of confusion crossed her face. “Jiji?”
She was no longer the original Valkyrie. Five thousand years of merging with her sisters’ bodies and wills had made her a new being. What was her name now?
“Oh, so your name is Jiji,” Debbie said weakly.
The Valkyrie tried to protest, but the white gate closed, and at the same moment, Debbie collapsed, her magic completely exhausted.
