New Company

Four days later :

After their failure at Markarth, the group headed back to the College. But despite how much Charlotte tried to hide it, she'd been hit especially hard by the situation. Unbeknownst to everyone, the voice in her head had been getting more and more persuasive... Not that she'd ever admit it.

Every time Charlotte laid her eyes upon Maria, she felt herself getting closer to accepting the voice's suggestions. She knew that if things continued like this, she'd end up giving in eventually.

Despite the inner turmoil Charlotte was experiencing, the group's respective projects weren't encountering similar obstacles. Illococoo had become able to use 'Yol', which unleashes a jet of fire from her mouth, similar to what the Dragons from legend were able to do.

Michael's skill with Enchanting had steadily been improving, but the project that'd made the most progress was Tiffania and Charlotte's work on the Familiar summoning ritual. Indeed, it'd progressed enough that they group were gathering that evening to finally attempt it.

They'd prepared for everything, altering the ritual so it wouldn't mentally coerce or dominate the summoned familiar, Void-based language spells so that they wouldn't be caught off-guard like how Michael originally had been, and side protocols that'd destroy the ritual and everything it summoned should something dangerous arrive.

Everyone was gathered on the rooftop of the College, and Yisra had been asked to watch over Maria while they attended this, which she'd be compensated for of course.

So, all that was left now was to actually perform the ritual...

Tiffania nervously glances at everyone who was standing outside of the ritual circle, despite all the work they'd put into it, it was still incredibly nerve racking now that they were actually doing it. "W-what if we summon something like that creepy arm thing that crawled out last time?" she asks, remembering the odd creature that'd appeared after her failed Teleportation Gate. Said arm was still sitting in Michael's inventory...

He shrugs, "We'll just have to kill it then, won't we? Just relax and trust in your preparations. Know that we won't let anything happen to you."

"Yeah, sis! I'll blow them away if they touch you!" Ilococoo chirps, excited to meet another Familiar after so long.

Tiffania just gives a stiff nod and slowly begins the ritual. The circle lights up as she closes her eyes and holds her wand in front of her, "My Familiar that lives somewhere outside of this universe-"

Michael tunes out the chant as he focuses on the magical energies visibly beginning to gather. They lacked any colour to show their attribute, so he was confident that a Daedra wasn't going to interfere with it... Not that they hadn't made preparations via using Daedric runes to isolate the ritual... Like fighting fire against fire...

Either way, things continue as they should, as soon enough, Tiffania was nearing the end of her chant. "-and weary, let them come and join us in this plane, where they might find new fortunes where there was none. Come! My Familiar!"

*ShhhhhhhuuuuuUUUUUUUU!*

Michael was expecting and explosion due to how his own summoning had went, but there was nothing of the sort this time... Instead, a flash of light blinds everyone temporarily, leaving them dazed as a figure appeared in the centre of the circle.

...

Michael rubs his eyes, hoping he was not seeing things... The person standing before them was a young girl with short brown hair, Red eyes, a strange witches cap, and odd red clothes. Her skirt stopped at around her upper thigh, and bandages were wrapped around the red of her legs...

She wielded an old, almost rotten wooden staff, and wore a strange eyepatch over her left eye...

"No..." Michael whispers to himself as the girls step forwards to complete the ritual. The summoned individual blinks around a couple times before nodding to herself with a self assured smile. "Megumi n, kimashita! Demonzusōru o kakaeru āchiu~izādo! Fū-" Tiffania casts the translation spell mid sentence, "Rules the domains of magic and life itself!" the girl gestures forcefully in front of her, "Who dares summon the great Megumin! Crimson Demon of Darkest Death! A-and bringer of justice!" she exclaims, seemingly forgetting to add on the last bit.. (FYI, I got this from google translate)

...

Charlotte and Tiffania just stare at the strange girl for a couple second, causing a bead of sweat to drip down Megumin's forehead, her expression close to crumbling. She's saved however by the resident dragon girl.

"Wow! So cool! Say, sis? What's a Crimson Demon of Darkest stuff?" Illococoo chirps as she approaches the girl.

Having recovered her confidence, Megumin crosses her arms over her staff and smugly pushes her chest out, "The Crimson Demons are the strongest magic users in the world! Every single one of us is a master, no one can even compare!" she says, pointing her nose at the sky arrogantly, almost causing her hat to fall off.

"Sis, what's this thing?" Illococoo asks after being suitably impressed by the girl's words, pointing at Megumin's peculiar eye-patch.

"That!? It's a seal to hide my full demonic power! Should it be removed, my full might would-I-itta! S-stop!" she yelps after Illococoo attempts to pull it off. Revealing that it was held to her head by thin strings...

...

"Sis, you're lying, aren't you?" the dragon girl asks, letting girl of the eye-patch and causing it to snap back. "Ouuch!"

Michael watches all of this occur with a twitching face, not able to believe how unlucky they were to summon this person. Megumin, 'Explosion-Girl' from Konosuba, who was famous for being so useless despite how powerful she was...

She was potentially strong enough to blow away a mountain, but only had enough mana for a single spell. After one 'Explosion!', she'd fall over and go limp, unable to move for the rest of the day.

"Miss Megumin, you've been summoned to another world. The ritual we used targeted people who needed help, so, what is it you required help with?" Tiffania interrupts Megumin and Illococoo's high jinx.