Light poured into Akuma's senses, filling all her awareness with the outdoors. After the initial feeling left her, she looked around to find that they were in the same place they had started, in the street in the wizard village on the mountain.
"Woah," said Heishi. "The sun."
"Yes, Heishi," Kasai said sarcastically. "That means it's daytime. That's what gives us all our light."
Leaves rustled in the wind. It was a reassuring sound, somehow, that they were in the real world again, that the Dark Dimension had been left behind.
"But . . . how are we here?" asked Mizuki. "Wasn't I about to die because of Yuri's weird soul?"
A bird chirped, as if in reply.
"If I had to guess," Aya said, "it would be because we solved all of the problems the Dark Dimension gave us. We won, in a sense."
"Wonderful," said Taichi. "But now what do we do?"
"Good point," Akuma admitted. "We could -"
"You're still here?" asked a slightly bored and yet annoyed voice.
"Makoto?" asked Aya.
"Yes," he sighed. "I don't magically disappear when you're not hurt. I was going to get some food."
"Food," said a voice that could only be Tora from down below. "Food is good."
"Why you had this useless Summoner's Creature following you around, I have no idea," Makoto said. "He eats food like there's no tomorrow."
"Food," Tora agreed.
Aya smiled a little. "So why is he with you now?"
"Well," Tora explained, "food is good, but there's one thing that's better. And that's being around a Summoner's energy. Very relaxing."
"You're a -" Aya began. She didn't even finish for surprise at Makoto's identity.
"Used to be," Makoto corrected her. "I told this stupid cat not to tell anyone."
"But could you -" Aya tried again.
"I don't teach anymore either," Makoto said sharply. "All these magics, and all anyone uses them for is to kill each other. If it was my decision, I'd have magic die out altogether."
Aya was visibly defeated. "I apologize. You're right."
"Hmm? You're not going to insist I teach you then?" asked Makoto.
"No, of course I won't," Aya said. "You have given your reasons why you won't Summon again, nor will you teach anyone else. I won't force you."
"Ah, well," Makoto said. "Maybe I could show you something."
~~~
A few minutes later, they had followed Makoto back to his house and were in his living room - a stuffy place with lots of books and dark furniture - preforming a traditional Summoner's ritual.
"There," said Makoto. "Now just swear to always be loyal to each other and shake hands. Or . . . paws, as the case may be."
Aya knelt down to Tora. "I will always be loyal to you."
Kasai snickered.
"And I to you," Tora said, bowing his head and raising his paw.
Aya took it and shook it awkwardly.
Tora shivered. "Wow. I forgot how weird it felt to be serving a Summoner again."
Aya stood. "Are we really bound now, Makoto?"
"Of course," Makoto nodded. "And should you happen to come across any other Summoner's Creatures in your travels, this ritual will work for all of them. Unless they are already at another Summoner's command. Tricky things, they can be."
"Thank you for this," Aya told him. "How can I ever repay you?"
"Don't kill anyone, and that'll be enough for me," said Makoto. "Now, I've been meaning to ask - why in Sekai is our old leader with you? Didn't he die?"
Taichi sighed. "It is a long story. But no - I did not, in fact, die."
"Well, just don't put him in charge of any more villages," Makoto told them. "He can't handle it."
"I was handling it fine -" Taichi started, but Kasai punched him.
"There you go," Kasai said. "That's what'll happen if you ever lie again."
Taichi rubbed his jaw, but said nothing.
"See that?" Makoto asked. "We don't need magic to give justice to terrible leaders."
"Yeah, Aya," Kasai readily agreed. "And lately I haven't been liking your new style of leading. You better watch out."
"I don't lead," Aya told her curtly.
Kasai shrugged.
"Ooh! Can I lead?" Yuri asked. "I'd be really good at it."
"Uh . . ." said everyone together as they suddenly, inexplicably, became entranced by the room around them.
"I thought you'd say that. It's okay," said Yuri.
Makoto laughed a strange laugh. "You all are hilarious. It's been so long since I had visitors I forgot that other people do things besides hurting themselves for fun."
Aya laughed too. "I forget that about Kasai sometimes."
Kasai glared. "Hey . . ."
"But anyway," Aya continued hurriedly. "I was wondering something, Makoto. What exactly does binding a Creature to a Summoner do? Now that I know who he is, I could just Summon Tora whenever I need him."
"Can I take this one?" Tora asked Makoto.
Makoto nodded his head. "Please."
"Well, when a Summoner just reads about a Creature to learn about them, and then Summon them, it takes them a lot of spiritual energy," Tora explained. "They also don't really 'know' the Creature, in a way. All their information has just come from reading about them."
"Alright, that makes sense," said Aya.
"But when they bind themselves to a Creature, they can Summon them much more easily, and, if the Creature senses that they are in danger, they can also come to the Summoner, regardless of where they are. It comes in handy." Tora paused. "Does anyone have any food?"
Makoto sat down a plate of minced meat and vegetables.
"Delicious," Tora said. "Anyway, a Summoner and Creature who are bound have a much more connected and personal relationship. Most Creatures won't even allow themselves to be bound unless the Summoner finds them in their natural state and befriends them."
"Do you consider me your friend?" asked Aya.
Tora had to think about this. "Mostly. We haven't known each other long, but even though I pretended not to, I felt the potential power in you from the beginning." He rolled onto his back. "I was really just worried that you wouldn't be able the give me the amount of food the children give me every day."
"I'll try to feed you adequately," Aya said.
"You could do that." Tora said. "I think a few of my previous masters let me live in their houses. You could also let me wander wherever. It doesn't matter, because whenever you need me, I'll be there."
"Sounds good," Aya smiled.
"This is boring," Kasai said loudly.
"You're telling me," Mizuki muttered.
Akuma was beginning to have to pee.
Yuri yawned.
Taichi was pretty sure his jaw was growing a lump.
Heishi looked over the books on the bookshelf next to him.
"I think you're boring your friends over there," said Makoto.
"Oh . . ." Aya glanced over. "Yes, I think so. We should be on our way anyhow."
"Of course," Makoto agreed. "You're the Sureiyazu? Yes, you should go. Your job sounds like it just keeps getting harder these days. I wouldn't be surprised if even Sennome found himself in Sekai."
Aya sighed. "From the looks of things, I'm sure that's not far off from the truth."
"Um . . ." Heishi hesitated. "What's a Sennome?"
"Sennome is an extremely powerful demon," Aya said. "It's said that he has a thousand eyes, and they can all appear anywhere, in any dimension, in any world, at any time. No one has claimed to have seen him in hundreds of years, but even so, if he suddenly appeared in our world . . ."
Kasai shifted uncomfortably. "I did."
Aya gave a start. "Y-you did?!"
"Yeah, in the Dark Dimension," said Kasai. "There was this giant eye thing watching me and Heishi, and then it left."
Heishi nodded.
"But - but that's -" Aya stuttered.
"Whoops," Yuri said. "That's not good."
"Sounds pretty bad," Akuma admitted. "We'll have to all keep our own eyes out, I guess."
Taichi finally spoke up. "I think we're all neglecting something about this." Everyone turned to look at him. "Surely, Aya, you know that Sennome is usually used by even larger and more powerful demons to spy on other worlds?"
"So that means . . ." Mizuki trailed off.
"These more powerful demons," Akuma said slowly. "Are targeting us. We were the only ones in that Dimension, or else it would have told us when we were in the core."
"You were in the core?" Mizuki asked with disbelief. "Did you find out what it's name is?"
"Something with a lot of consonants," Akuma said. "But I forget -"
"Grikvreak," Aya said. "That's what it was called. But that's irrelevant to the fact that Sennome has become active again . . . this could be horribly destructive for the other two worlds . . ."
"Grikvreak," Mizuki repeated under her breath.
"Well then," Makoto said, reminding everyone that he was there. "I guess it should be even more important for you all to leave as soon as possible. Sounds like an exciting adventure awaits." (He did not sound at all excited about their adventure.)
"Yes, we should go," Aya nodded. "For real this time. Before we suddenly realize that we're in over our heads in this demonslaying thing."
"Ooh! Ooh!" Yuri jumped up and down.
"Guess what guys?" Heishi asked sarcastically. "We're in over our heads."
"Awwww," Yuri whined. "I wanted to say that."
"Sorry, Yuri," he said.
Aya stood. "Let's go then. Goodbye, Makoto. Thank you for teaching me."
The group herded out of the door.
"I knew I'd end up teaching you something in the end anyway," Makoto said.
"I know," Aya smiled slightly.
"Aren't you going to ask me how?"
"Not at all. It's not every day a demonslayer comes through wearing a Summoner's traditional garments, is it?"
"It certainly isn't. Good luck on your travels. Maybe if you gather up some more spirits and Summon them dramatically enough, I'll hear about you."
"And I of you."
"I told you," Makoto growled, "that I don't Summon anymore."
"But you also said you didn't teach. Goodbye, Makoto."
~~~
"Tell me again why the jerkwad is staying here?" Kasai asked. They were now sitting at their overcrowded (and for some reason rapidly growing) dinner table. Kasai glared as hard as she could over at Taichi.
"Because he has nowhere to go now," said Aya. "And because he promised to be less of a jerkwad. That's why."
"Well tell him to stop stinking up the sparring arena," Kasai grumbled.
"That is how magic smells," Taichi said. "And personally, I like the scent. Sort or metallic, as if before a storm, with a hint of smoke, and something that is possibly lavender."
"Yes, magic just smells that way," Aya agreed.
"Do we care?" Mizuki asked, earning two glares from the wizards across the table. She shrugged.
"They are totally going to date," Kasai mumbled to Yuri. "They're both wizards, they both don't like us, they're both goody-two-shoes' . . ."
Yuri giggled.
Heishi, next to Yuri, had heard some of this and snickered too.
Akuma, across the table from Heishi, could perfectly well guess what was said and tried to stifle a laugh.
Mizuki didn't laugh. But then, did she ever?
Things had gone back to normal in the Sureiyazu castle. Yes, it was a different normal than normal, but it was normal. And as far as the Sureiyazu were concerned, they were fine with this new normal, as long as danger kept away.
Yes, demons came, and yes, they were slain, but it was nothing on the scale of Sennome. No, that danger kept itself out of the way for quite some time. It hadn't shown itself.
Yet.