High-ranking spirits could take human form, a fact well-known among Spirit Users. Yet Claire Rouge and Kamito Kazehaya hadn't considered that the golden-haired man before them was a spirit, let alone the highest-ranking dragon spirit.

Dragon spirits were renowned for their immense power, their sheer physical might formidable even without transforming into their spirit armor. But the black dragon before them redefined their understanding.

Nidhogg, the black dragon, was a name they recognized, tied to the Dracunia Dragon Duchy, a stronghold of dragon spirits where knights contracted various draconic allies. Yet none matched this creature's scale. A ten-meter dragon was a colossus; this one's size was beyond comprehension.

"Highest… rank…" Claire stammered, her mouth trembling.

"This is a high-ranking spirit?" Kamito murmured, awestruck by the dragon's enormity.

"Humans!" Nidhogg's voice rumbled, cold and commanding. Claire dropped to one knee, her voice quivering.

"Noble dragon spirit, please forgive my insolence."

Her usual fiery temper was tempered by protocol. Facing a high-ranking spirit demanded respect, or the consequences could be dire. Claire knew this well, her family, once high nobility, had been punished by the Fire Spirit King for offending him, reducing her to a fallen noble and imprisoning her parents.

Her fear of high-ranking spirits was matched by her ambition. She sought power to win the Blade Dance, hoping to earn the Spirit Kings' forgiveness and free her family. That drive had led her to seek Terminus Est. Now, realizing she'd challenged a supreme spirit, she feared she'd doomed herself again.

"Human, weren't you bold just moments ago?" Nidhogg taunted.

"Noble dragon spirit, I beg your forgiveness. I was ignorant of your exalted status. I'm truly sorry." Claire pleaded, sweat beading on her forehead, dreading further punishment for her family.

Kamito knelt beside her, interceding. "Noble dragon spirit, please pardon her. She's young and lacked the knowledge to recognize you. In light of her reverence now, please show mercy."

Claire's deference to Altair was palpable. In the original story, she'd demanded Est's contract, even threatening to discipline the sword spirit for refusing. But facing Nidhogg's overwhelming presence and surging divine might, Altair's cursed energy, she could barely breathe, let alone issue commands. This spirit's power was lethal.

"Hmph, for your ignorance, I'll spare you this once." Altair declared, easing the tension.

He lowered his massive head closer to them. "Raise your heads."

They complied, meeting the gaze of the towering dragon.

"Humans, tell me, is there an academy nearby that trains Spirit Users?"

"An academy?" Claire and Kamito exchanged surprised glances. Claire hesitated, then ventured, "Do you mean Areishia Spirit Academy?"

"Sounds right. I know it's an elf academy around here, led by a glasses-wearing woman." Altair said, hazy on the name but trusting Claire's connection to it.

"Point me the way."

Claire indicated a direction.

"Good." Altair scooped them up, earth and all, in his claws, spread his wings, and soared toward the academy.

"We're flying!" Claire exclaimed, peering over the claw's edge at the forest below, her earlier fear replaced by exhilaration.

The flight was brief. Altair circled above Areishia Spirit Academy, spotting a clearing large enough for his bulk, and descended slowly.

As he landed, a crowd of girls gathered, joined by two adult women. One, with black hair and glasses, resembled a flat-chested high schooler. The other, with long gray hair, a monocle, and a red suit, was more curvaceous. Tension marked their faces. Altair's size could level the academy with a single roll.

He set his claws down, allowing Claire and Kamito to leap off. Academy Director Greyworth Ciel Mais, recognizing her student Claire and disciple Kamito, approached, astonished. "Claire, what's happening?"

"I don't know! He was looking for the academy, and he brought us here." Claire replied, shaking her head frantically.

"Looking for the academy?" Greyworth glanced up at Altair, who met her gaze.

"Human, you must be the academy's director." He rumbled.

"Indeed, noble dragon spirit. I am Greyworth Ciel Mais, director of this academy. What brings you here?" Greyworth asked, introducing herself.

"I am Nidhogg, the highest dragon spirit!" Altair proclaimed. "I've come to select a worthy Spirit User to become my contractor!"

"What?" Greyworth blinked, stunned. From Altair's size and the overwhelming energy he exuded, she gauged him as a high-ranking spirit, perhaps even Spirit King-level. Yet he sought a contractor? Such humility was unheard of; high-ranking spirits typically scorned humans with haughty disdain.

"You're certain you seek a contractor?" She asked, needing confirmation.

"Absolutely. I seek one capable of wielding my power. Do you object?" Altair's arrogance embodied a high-ranking spirit's demeanor. Greyworth, far from suspicious, was thrilled.

"No objections at all." A spirit of such might choosing her students? She couldn't ask for more.

Behind her, the academy's Spirit Users, overhearing the exchange, buzzed with excitement. Contracting a powerful spirit was every Spirit User's dream, but such spirits were rare and demanding. A visibly supreme dragon spirit actively seeking a contractor among them sparked their ambition.

Claire, brought by Altair, was the most eager. She craved power, and this was her chance.

"May I know your requirements for a contractor? I can arrange candidates to expedite your selection." Greyworth offered.

Altair closed his eyes, feigning contemplation. The Spirit Users watched, anxious to know if they'd qualify.

After a moment, he opened his eyes. "My power is vast, so immense I scarcely grasp it myself. Thus, I have no demands for my contractor's strength. With me, they will be the strongest."

Greyworth stifled a sigh at the boastful claim. High-ranking spirits were proud, but this was next-level.

"My sole requirement is that I find them pleasing." Altair added.

Greyworth's eye twitched. "Could you specify a standard?"

Pleasing? That's impossibly vague.

"Very well…" Altair scratched his chin with a massive claw, then dissolved into a black shadow, reappearing in human form.

"The human form of a high-ranking spirit!" Greyworth noted, confirming his status. Only the highest spirits could assume human shapes, like Altair's shift from dragon to man. The possibility of a human becoming a dragon never crossed her mind, it was unthinkable here.

In his Knight King armor, golden hair gleaming, Altair's gentle smile elicited gasps from the Spirit Users.

"He transformed into a human! So this is a high-ranking spirit?"

"He's so handsome in human form!"

"I hope he chooses me as his contractor!"

A striking appearance proved advantageous anywhere.

Ignoring their whispers, Altair addressed Greyworth. "Truthfully, I'm unsure of specific standards. This is my first time seeking a contractor, and I'm unfamiliar with human customs."

"Your first time?" Greyworth asked.

"Indeed. I slumbered long in the Spirit World. After clashing with those so-called Spirit Kings, I slept. Recently awakened, I found it dull, so I decided to explore, find a contractor, and spend a few decades amusing myself." Altair explained.

Greyworth was speechless. A high-ranking spirit seeking a human contractor out of boredom? How long had he slept? And fighting Spirit Kings, only they could claim that title. Had he battled them and survived, thriving even? His dragon form's power, rivaling a Spirit King's, made it plausible.

This is a monster, she thought.

Under her wary gaze, Altair continued, "Since I've never contracted with humans, I'm unclear on the process. How does one form a contract?"

He'd genuinely forgotten, having forced Est's contract with raw cursed energy. He needed clarity to maintain his ruse.

"For a high-ranking humanoid spirit like yourself, contracting with a Spirit User requires you to kiss their lips, channeling your divine might into them to seal the bond." Greyworth explained. Unlike standard spirits, which required mere contact, humanoid high-ranking spirits demanded this intimate act.

The explanation felt tantalizingly suggestive, reminiscent of mana transfers in the Nasuverse. What a perk! Posing as a spirit was the right call, Altair thought. Spirit Users, sheltered maidens with limited male contact, essentially offered their first kiss through the contract.

Nodding solemnly, Altair absorbed the information. This world knows how to have fun.

***

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