The chamber buzzed with uneasy chatter.
"Ugh, he really hates that cute announcer."
"Well… Professor Kalego is serious like that."
"Way too rigid."
But Iruma just leaned against a stone pillar, completely nonchalent—and secretly excited. Simply imagining Kalego's reaction to whatever Iruma might summon brought a smug grin to his face.
That kind of stubbornness mirrored the President's own—further reassurance that Iruma was indeed the Chairman's grandson.
Kalego, however, ignored the theatrics. He calmly produced a branded parchment scroll and declared:
"Use my parchment. If you try cheating, I will know instantly."
A timid female demon raised her hand:
"Is summoning a familiar dangerous?"
Kalego snapped in disdain:"Stupid question! Every familiar is bound by a blood contract! If they dare harm their master, they'll be reborn—or worse."
And with that, he crumpled the adorable summoning instructions from before, crushing the introduction demon illustration.
Iruma simply stretched and leaned comfortably against a pillar.
Azz (Asmodeus) shot over in concern:
"Lord Iruma... you're not going up first?"
Iruma shrugged:
"Just wait here, Azz."
He turned to watch as students took turns performing the ritual. They seemed proud, but each summoned creature looked tiny—like ants compared to him.
Iruma had a soft spot for pets. In his life before transmigration, he'd frequented pet shops—from hamsters to rabbits. Though he rarely kept them alive, it didn't matter now. He was actually looking forward to seeing their strange familiars.
Finally, all students but Azz and Iruma had summoned their familiars. The room's attention centered entirely on them.
When it was Azz's turn, he bit his finger, drew the circle on the parchment, and ignited it. In Iruma's eyes, it felt like a BGM cue—because, yes—he knew how dramatic it would be.
Smoke billowed. Emerging from the center was a massive white snake with flaming blood–red eyes, coiling around Azz and resting its head at his waist—a fierce guardian ready for battle.
Azz's expression was calm, as though he'd expected all of it. He seemed plucked from prophecy itself.
Iruma finally ambled forward, the surrounding demons parting a path as he walked. Kalego's look was as disgusted as ever.
"Lord Iruma!"
Kalego offered a cold appraisal:
"Quite the beast of a familiar... but personally, I prefer cute.""Why opt for a massive creature when smaller ones pack potent attacks?"
Iruma merely smiled. The snake lowered its head before him instinctively, acknowledging superiority in the air.
In his head, Iruma teased:
"I prefer my playthings loyal—and disposable.""Oops. Starting to sound like a monster. Need to chill."
He quickly dismissed the darker thought. Despite being above all else now, he wasn't ruthless—just curious. He longed to experience his story at the top.
Kalego, meanwhile, continued evaluating each familiar—wondering if Azz's giant serpent had been crushed or outshone by Iruma's summoning.
When Kalego finally called:
"Next… Iruma!"
Iruma cheerfully acknowledged:
"On it, Professor Kalego!"
He strode forward with casual confidence and accepted the parchment branded with Kalego's seal. Magical feedback similar to Kalego's own aura pulsed through it. Any misstep would be instantly detected.
The crowd buzzed with anticipation:
"Finally... the Special Rank student steps up!"
"What will he summon?"
"If it's so massive it breaks the room, I'll believe it!"
Iruma flexed his fingernail and made a light cut on his finger. With a drop of blood, he drew a perfect circle on the parchment. The wound healed seconds later—fairly impressive.
(Just a sliver of magic—well below Kalego's limit. Can't accidentally call demons from other worlds.)
He hummed a little tune as he stepped into the circle, glancing at Kalego with a cheeky wink:
"Hmm… I wonder what it'll be. I'm curious too, Professor!"
Kalego's brows twitched—he wasn't responding. Inside, he vowed to seize every flaw: one mistake, and Iruma would be expelled. It would crush the Chairman.
With that mental resolve, the parchment went up in flames.
"BOOM!"
A violet sigil etched itself into the altar floor—and the summoning began in reverse.
A massive image flickered above the emblem: Kalego's own silhouette… cut off at the waist.
Iruma leaned forward, expression amused.
The room froze.