Fay didn't know if he could keep them safe from that destructive creature—but it was his turn to try.

Whether by calming it or luring it into destroying a section of the wall, he had to act.

By now, the ruined city looked beyond repair. Streets, houses, and even the barracks had been reduced to rubble.

The dragon loomed over it all, scanning for new victims, sniffing the air as though it could taste fear from a distance.

Fay approached carefully, fear pressing against his chest. Who wouldn't be afraid? The creature turned at every sound, striking down anyone it found alive.

Still, he had to try. He didn't want the dragon to go rogue—he wanted to see if it could follow him like his other creatures. If there was even a chance it might stay bound to him, he had to take it.

Then the beast turned its head in his direction.

The devastation made it easy to stay hidden, but Fay knew that if he didn't act now—and it began hungering for the aether of the demi-humans—there would be little he could do to stop it.

He focused his thoughts, trying to reach out to it the same way he did with Grin, Somni, and Jolt.

The red invisible link with spirit vision—the connection between summoner and creature—was still there.

[Tell me… what do you wish to do, mind dragon?]

Unlike with his other summons, he knew he couldn't treat this one as beneath him. If he showed anything less than full respect, it might turn on him without hesitation.

[You're back, child. Tell me—where is there more I can devour? I still need aether to stay in this realm.]

Fay hesitated. He knew there were civilians still hiding under the protection of the mountain. Above them stood the palace—no doubt where the king and many others had taken refuge.

Then the two heard someone trying to push through the rubble—a large creature forcing the debris aside.

Fay only nudged to the side, suddenly reminded that a large army still remained outside.

[No need for words then. Step back.]

Without hesitation, the mind dragon did what any other powerful beast might have done with ease. It drew its head back, flames coiling in its throat, and released a searing burst of fire. The creature pushing aside the debris was hurled backward by the blast.

The dragon unleashed another burst of flames, clearing more stone with a powerful explosion that sent debris flying. Cries rang out from the other side—it was the army, two hundred strong, along with their summoned beasts, witnessing the sky lit with fire and stone.

Many scattered. Some began to burn, screaming as they fled.

Fay's mind dragon looked eager to begin its next meal, ignoring him entirely as it launched itself at the soldiers.

It was a do-or-die moment for them. Some faltered, but others, enraged by the destruction of their kingdom, rushed the beast in a last act of defiance.

Fay could only watch.

No sword nor fang could pierce the dragon's hide. It rampaged through their ranks, casting illusions that caused confusion and panic. Some collapsed instantly, while others were eaten—as if the dragon was savoring their taste.

It didn't take long.

The entire force was crushed. A single sweep of its tail killed twenty at once. One stomp wiped out four or five.

The summoned beasts were devoured first. The dragon seemed to prefer their taste, leaving the humans to be drained of aether instead.

Fay, weary, scanned the aftermath. Nothing remained.

The great beast lifted its head and roared toward the sky, as if finally satisfied.

[Now then, summoner... I think I will be able to sustain myself for a while. The question is whether I can find enough aether with you as my partner. Or will I have to kill you—or leave you—like most of our kind do? If I kill you, I'll become a maddened beast, lost to instinct. But if I abandon you, I'll have to consume twice as much to survive.]

Fay gulped, unsure how to respond.

[I believe there's a risk to that... You see, this world is struggling with a plague. If you keep feeding, there's a chance you'll get infected. So far, my sister is the only one who can heal it. And... well, this region isn't exactly rich in aether. I was told the monsters here won't be to your... preference because of it.]

The large carnivore nodded. It was strange and fascinating for Fay—being able to converse with a creature he summoned. He had never heard of anyone else managing such a thing.

[I see... then this form will be hard to maintain.]

The creature began to envelop itself in a white fog. As the mist thickened, its massive ten-meter body shrank to a quarter of its size—now barely larger than Fay himself. It looked like a child version of its former self.

It turned its head, studying Fay with curious eyes.

[I think if I stay like this... I'll be able to remain outside for a few days before needing another large meal. That way, I won't have to keep draining you dry, kid.]

Fay crouched and placed a hand on the ground, absorbing aether from the soil before channeling it into the dragon. The creature stiffened slightly—clearly not used to being touched—but then relaxed. A low, rumbling sound escaped it, almost like a purr.

[A hum who can do this... Seems I chose the right summoner. Very well, let's form a real pact. I bet you haven't done that with your other summons—I can't feel it, at least.]

Fay scratched the back of his head, confused by what it meant.

"How does one do that, then? I've never heard of such a thing—not that I've been here long enough to know everything..."

He frowned slightly, the thought creeping in like an itch he couldn't ignore. Had the Guides truly told them everything they needed to survive here? Or had they only been given the bare minimum?

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