It's midnight. Everyone's asleep. Perfect. Time to sneak out.
I slowly got up, carefully opened the door without making a single sound, and… YES! Success! I stepped out into the yard, ready for my ultimate plan.
Tonight was the night. The night I summoned my legendary partner once again—Noya! My strongest familiar from my past life! The mythical beast feared by all, the 16-foot-long, terrifying, god-tier feline of destruction!
With excitement bubbling inside me, I began drawing the summoning circle. My mana was finally restored enough for this moment. I chanted the familiar incantation, and suddenly—BOOOOM!!! A blinding glow lit up the yard. Yes! The same overwhelming light as before! She's here! My mighty, terrifying, world-ending—
"Meow~"
…Huh?
As the magical glow dimmed, I squinted into the light… and there, instead of my enormous, terrifying, dragon-eating feline, stood… a tiny, fluffy, regular-sized kitten.
The kitten blinked at me with its big, round eyes before wobbling over and rubbing against my leg.
HUH???
I crouched down, staring at the tiny furball in disbelief. "Noya…? Is that really you?"
The kitten gave me a happy little "Meow~" and pawed at my foot.
I felt my soul leave my body. What have I done??? I summoned her too early?! My legendary 16-foot beast was now… fun-sized?!
"I shall once again command the most fearsome beast to ever walk this world."
…is what I thought.
Instead, "I… have made a terrible mistake."
I dropped to my knees, staring at the tiny fluffball rolling on the ground.
"WHAT DID I DOOOOO?!"
I thought summoning her early would be a genius move. In my past life, I summoned her at 14, and she was already a fully grown, overpowered mythical beast! So logically… if I did it earlier, she'd grow alongside me and be even stronger, right?!
…Right???
But now, staring at this tiny, fluffy, palm-sized furball who was currently trying to attack a leaf… I had a sinking realization.
Did… did I mess up the timeline?
Did I just nerf my own strongest familiar???
Did I just speed-run myself into an irreversible mistake???
"BWAHAHAHABAHABAAAAA—WHAT DO I DOOOOO?!!"
As I dramatically grabbed my head in despair, Noya—my once terrifying, battle-hardened beast—rolled onto her back and wiggled her paws at the sky.
Yeah. I'm doomed.
"Last time, her roar shook the heavens! This time… she sounds like she's asking for milk."
I thought I was being smart! I thought summoning her early would mean I'd have a powerful companion by my side when I go to train in the Demon Forest. A little extra security, you know?
Instead, I got a tiny furball that couldn't even radiate a magical aura.
What am I supposed to do now? Scare demons away with her adorable meows?!
"My reincarnation was already a joke, my NPC life was buried, and now even my legendary partner is… pocket-sized?! What's next? Will my legendary sword turn into a butter knife?!"
Noya stretched and yawned. If she had any regrets about being summoned too early, she wasn't showing it.
I sighed. I had to think fast. If Mom saw the summoning circle, I'd be done for!
"Shhh, shhh, don't make noise, Noya! Mom will wake up!!!"
"Meawooo~"
Mom's voice suddenly echoed from inside the house, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Ryuk! What are you doing?!"
AHH! I panicked and quickly erased the summoning circle with a wave of my hand just as Mom walked into the yard, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Huh? Is this cat with you?" Mom squinted at Noya. "Where did you pick her up at this time of night?"
"Ah! Mom! I just heard her, and uh… and uh… can I keep her? Please?" I put on my best innocent face.
Mom raised an eyebrow. "Ehh? Can you take care of her? It's not easy to raise pets, you know."
"I'll take care of her, Mom! Please, please, please!"
As if on cue, Noya leaped around Mom's leg, staring up at her with those big, round, innocent kitten eyes.
"Awww, she's sooo cute!" Mom melted instantly, picking Noya up and rubbing her face against her soft fur.
"If I had known all it took to win Mom over was being fluffy and adorable, I would've grown cat ears myself!"
Meanwhile, I was still hoping—maybe, just maybe—Noya was hiding her real power.
Maybe she's just storing her strength? Maybe she's in stealth mode? Maybe she's just pretending to be weak to fool the enemies…
…And then Noya tripped over her own tail.
Yup. She's useless.
"I'll allow her to be part of the Blackfyre family!" Mom declared proudly, holding Noya up like she just adopted a royal heir.
Yes! Mission success!
"Let's go in, Ryuk. It's not good to stay out at night," Mom said as we walked back inside.
As we stepped in, I glanced at my hand—where a faint glow of a pact mark shimmered behind my palm. At the same time, Noya's tiny body flickered, blending into the shadows.
I grinned.
Welcome to the family, Noya. Even if you're just a baby, I'll make sure you grow into the beast I once knew!