"No need to see the others?" Greyworth asked.

"No. Once I've chosen, the rest don't matter." Altair replied, shutting down her inquiry.

"Very well. Since you've made your selection, the others can disperse." Greyworth said. With Rinslet chosen, the next step was the contract; no need to continue the parade.

"Alright, it's over! The dragon spirit has selected his contractor. You may return to your duties." Greyworth announced, clapping her hands to dismiss the waiting Spirit Users outside the canopy.

The girls, who'd lingered for hours, dispersed. Inside, Ellis sighed and left. As a knight, she valued strength but wasn't desperate for it.

With Ellis gone, only Rinslet and Claire remained in the canopy.

Rinslet, elated, couldn't resist glancing at Claire. Childhood friends turned playful rivals, they bickered on sight but cared deeply for each other beneath the surface.

"Claire, see? Only the exceptional Rinslet Laurenfrost could catch the eye of a supreme spirit!" Rinslet teased.

"You stole my contract spirit!" Claire snapped, her temper flaring, mirrored by the fire cat on her shoulder.

"Stole? Claire, my excellence earned his recognition. If you think I took him, outperform me and win a spirit's favor yourself." Rinslet countered.

"Fine! I'll find an even stronger spirit!" Claire growled, glaring at Rinslet.

"I could offer a suggestion for contracting a powerful spirit." Altair interjected.

"Huh? Dragon Spirit, you're still here?" Claire yelped. Altair's silence had made him nearly invisible, leading the girls to assume they were alone.

"Wait, you said a suggestion? You know where to find a high-ranking spirit?" Claire asked, forgetting his status in her excitement.

"Indeed. There's a high-ranking spirit out there, on par with me in status, though a touch weaker in combat." Altair said.

"Another spirit that powerful exists?" Rinslet gasped. She'd witnessed Altair's dragon form's overwhelming presence, which had paralyzed her with awe. Now, as his chosen contractor, she was thrilled, but the idea of another spirit of his caliber astonished her.

As Claire's close friend, Rinslet was glad for her. Claire, once a high noble, had lost her status due to family disgrace, adopting the alias Claire Rouge. If she could regain her strength, Rinslet would be overjoyed.

"Remember the boy you arrived with?" Altair asked.

"You mean Kamito Kazehaya?" Claire said.

"Exactly." Altair grinned, indulging a mischievous whim.

"I've lived a long, long time, so long I've lost count. Most of it was spent sleeping. Before that, I clashed with the Spirit Kings in the Elemental Spirit World. All six ganged up on me, trying to force my submission to their rule. In human terms, it was the Spirit War, deciding the ruler of the Spirit World."

"The Spirit Kings' war?" The girls gasped. Greyworth, eavesdropping outside, was equally shocked. They knew little of Altair's origins, only his immense power as a supreme dragon spirit. A battle with the Spirit Kings was unthinkable.

Greyworth had suspected his earlier claims but lacked proof. Now, her doubts deepened.

"Those six aimed to dominate the Spirit World, demanding all spirits bow to them. I held my own territory, so they came for me, insisting I submit. I thrashed them and sent them packing. Their little game of kings didn't interest me." Altair continued.

"You beat the Spirit Kings?" Claire and Rinslet's eyes widened.

Greyworth, outside, shared their shock. His power, rivaling the Spirit Kings she'd encountered, was no illusion.

"Indeed. My friend Fenrir and I ruled our domain, repelling all six." Altair said.

"Fenrir's that strong?" Rinslet glanced at her ice-crusted wolf, who grinned with a goofy, husky-like expression. This silly creature fought Spirit Kings?

"The six were Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Holy, and Dark." Altair listed.

"Wait, aren't there only five Spirit Kings? What's Dark?" Claire interrupted.

"Patience, let me explain." Altair said, spinning his tale.

"After I drove them off, they fled. Fenrir and I stayed out of their affairs, so they conquered the rest of the Spirit World, avoiding our territory out of fear. But then, they turned on each other. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Holy ganged up on Dark over some dispute. Dark, with his loyal spirits, fought back but couldn't match five. He wasn't as strong as me."

The girls and Greyworth were floored. This version of Spirit World history contradicted everything they knew.

"When Dark lost, he poured all his power into a human male, hiding to regroup and eventually overthrow the five." Altair said. "From what I've learned in the human world, the one you call the Demon King, centuries ago, was likely Dark's reincarnation."

"But he was defeated by the five's chosen pawn." Altair added, his smile brimming with mischief.

"In Kamito Kazehaya, I sense the power of that Dark I once bested."

"You're saying Kamito is the reincarnation of the Dark Spirit King, defeated by the five?" Claire stood frozen, jaw agape.

"The Dark Spirit King!" Greyworth narrowed her eyes. She knew her disciple was extraordinary, but this was beyond imagination.

"Correct. Though he's unaware. Dark reincarnated without memories, so he believes he's ordinary." Altair said.

"He thinks he's just a normal person?" Rinslet asked.

"Mostly. Though as the only male Spirit User in this world, he's hardly average." Altair replied, patting Claire's shoulder with a grin. "So, seize the chance and contract him. He's no match for me, but a Spirit King's nothing to scoff at."

***

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