Chapter 7: The Familiar Ritual and the Salaryman's Curse
"A Familiar is not a slave, Issei. Remember that."
Rias stood in the center of the clubroom, the candlelight flickering against her crimson hair. "They are independent entities bound by ancient magic. They reflect your soul. For a Noble, they are a symbol of prestige. For a Pawn like you and Motohama... they are the difference between life and death."
I leaned against the wall, watching the magic circles glow on the floor. In the original story, this was where things started to get noisy.
Akeno leaned over to me, her chest brushing my shoulder as she whispered, "Ara, ara~ Is our little dragon nervous? Don't worry, if you fail, I'll find a very special way to comfort you." She gave me a slow, suggestive wink.
"No playing around, Akeno," Rias snapped. Her voice was sharper than usual, her eyes darting toward me with a flash of protective heat. "Focus on the ritual."
Issei was sweating beside me. He looked at his hands, his face pale. 'I'm just a Pawn,' I could feel his thoughts radiating off him. 'Everyone else is so strong. I'm just a guy who likes boobs... can I even do this?'
"Just go, Issei," I muttered. "Stop overthinking it."
The Summoning: Red and Black
Issei stepped into the circle. He chanted, his voice shaking. He tried to focus, but I knew his brain was currently a slideshow of Rias in a bikini. The magic circle flickered wildly, glowing a violent, pulsating red.
ROAR!
With a burst of draconic energy, a small red dragon manifested, flapping its wings and breathing a tiny puff of fire.
"A dragon-class familiar!" Kiba exclaimed, his hand on his sword. "For a Pawn? That's unheard of."
Rias looked serious. "The Boosted Gear... it's resonating with the forest already."
Then, it was my turn. Rias pushed me forward, her hand lingering on my back. "Your turn. Don't embarrass me."
"Yes, yes, I'm going," I sighed. I stepped into the circle and began the chant. I felt the mana flowing—clean, steady. But then, a cold, heavy weight slammed into my mind.
"Do you think I will let anyone serve less to my host?" Crom Cruach's voice boomed. "Even if I don't care about you, I am an Evil Dragon. My shadow will not be cast beside a common slime."
'Crom, wait—'
The Dragon ignored me. He injected a needle-thin thread of obsidian energy into my magic circle. The light turned from violet to a deep, bruised black.
From the smoke stepped a familiar. To the others, it looked like an average-sized, lean dragon—sleek, with dark scales and sharp talons. It looked combat-capable, but not world-breaking.
"An average dragon familiar," Kiba noted, relaxing. "Good job, Motohama. It suits you."
'Average?' I thought, looking at the creature's eyes, which glowed with the same metallic gold as mine. 'Crom, you did this on purpose.'
"It's not out of pity for you," the Dragon spat. "If you die, I die. Consider it basic protection. It's a common breed, a favor. Don't get emotional about it."
'Ah, my mistake for thinking you had a heart.'
The Workload Trap
The ritual continued with Asia. Her Sacred Gear flared, a blinding holy-dragon aura filling the room. Rias's playful mood evaporated instantly. She looked at Issei, then at Asia, then at me.
"This is going to attract far too much attention," Rias whispered. She turned to me, her eyes tracking the way I stood. After our "date" yesterday, I could feel the tension in the room.
"Motohama," she called.
"What work, my lady?" I asked.
She walked over and placed her hand under my chin, lifting it so I had to look directly into her eyes. The scent of roses was dizzying. "Devil work."
I felt a heat creep up my neck. I blushed, a genuine, small flush that caught Rias completely off guard. Her eyes widened, her lips parting slightly. 'Cute,' she thought—I could practically see the word form in her head.
She composed herself, but she didn't pull her hand away immediately. "Issei needs to focus on stabilizing Asia. You... you will be doing his work for the next few days."
"I have to do that idiot's work too?" I blurted out.
"Don't," she teased, her finger tracing a slow line down my chest, stopping right over my heart. "That's disrespectful to your fellow Pawn. Besides..." she leaned in, her chest pressing against me as she whispered in my ear, "If you do it well, I might give you a... special gift."
The air in the room got ten degrees hotter. Issei was busy crying over Asia's familiar, but I was currently being interrogated by a goddess.
"I... I will complete the work," I said, trying to regain my dignity. "I will be the greatest devil you've ever seen."
"Good," Rias smirked, stepping back. "Do Koneko's work too. She's busy with a training assignment."
My jaw dropped. "So I'm just getting dumped with everything? I feel like a betrayed IT employee!"
"Yes, my lady," I said, my voice dead inside as I turned to walk out.
The Dragon's Roast
As I trudged out of the ORC building, carrying a stack of assignment flyers, the Dragon started laughing.
"I thought you had a backbone, buddy. Getting dumped on by a girl? So bad for my reputation."
'I hate you,' I muttered, looking at the mountain of work. 'I really hate you.'
"The feeling is mutual," Crom replied cheerfully. "Now get to work, 'Greatest Devil.' Those flyers won't hand themselves out."
I looked at the moon and sighed. I had saved Asia, I had a dragon, and yet, here I was... the only Devil in hell with a 9-to-5