SSR Waifu Summoner

Nero and Celis then made their way back to the central plaza where the massive fountain served as their designated meeting point.

The others were already gathering, each carrying various packages and looking satisfied with their purchases.

"Found anything good?" Nero asked as the group assembled.

"Some interesting rumors about the northern territories," Frila reported. "And I got some quality traveling supplies."

"Medical equipment that actually works with magical healing," Carmen added. "Plus information about a healer's guild operating in the city."

The others shared similar findings – practical supplies, useful intelligence, connections made with various merchants and information brokers.

Nothing groundbreaking, but solid progress nonetheless.

"What about you?" Aurelia asked, her golden eyes studying Nero with quiet intensity.

"No maps, unfortunately. But Celis and I confirmed why that's the case. We'll need to find alternative navigation methods."

He glanced around the plaza, noting the crowds and the lack of privacy.

"Come on. Let's head outside the city. I want to try something, and it's better done away from prying eyes."

Curiosity rippled through the group, but nobody questioned the decision.

They retrieved their Alps from the landing platform and flew out beyond Eidralis's borders, searching for a suitable location.

A secluded forest clearing appeared after about 20 minutes of flight.

Dense trees surrounded an open space large enough for their purposes while providing cover from casual observation.

Their Alps landed with their characteristic heavy grace, and the group dismounted.

"Alright," Frila finally asked what everyone was thinking. "Why the mystery? What are we doing out here?"

Nero grinned, pulling up his system interface.

"I'm going to summon another waifu."

"!!!"

The six girls immediately perked up with a visible surprise and a bit of excitement.

They'd witnessed Nyxara, Sylvia, and Neraldine's summoning back at the settlement, but the novelty clearly hadn't worn off.

"Someone who might be more knowledgeable about navigation and geography," Nero continued, his eyes fixed on the card displayed before him.

Luna Arcania.

The Great Sage of the Aether.

Her image showed a petite high elf with short pink hair that barely reached her shoulders.

Heterochromic eyes – one light pink, one baby blue – that radiated intelligence and analytical precision.

Scholar's robes in deep navy blue, form-fitting enough to reveal a slender figure despite the modest cut.

An ornate wooden staff topped with a pulsing crystal clutched in delicate hands.

Her expression in the card art carried scholarly intensity mixed with prideful confidence.

(PICTURE)

Everything about her screamed "genius researcher who knows she's brilliant and won't let you forget it."

'She's perfect for what we need,' Nero thought. 'Magical expertise, theoretical knowledge, and according to her description, she literally revolutionized how magic works across multiple worlds.'

[Master is right!]

Aria's enthusiasm practically vibrated through their mental connection.

[Luna is super smart! Like, scary smart! And she has expertise in spatial magic which could totally help with navigation and establishing a base!]

"Everyone ready?" Nero asked aloud.

"..."

The group nodded, taking positions that would give them a clear view while staying out of the summoning area.

Nero focused on Luna's card, initiating the summoning sequence.

"Summon."

*FLASH!*

Golden light exploded across the clearing with intensity that made everyone shield their eyes.

The ambient mana in the air spiked noticeably, reality itself seeming to bend and warp around the summoning point.

Nearby birds scattered from trees with alarmed cries.

Small animals fled the sudden surge of magical energy.

The very air hummed with power as an SSR-tier summon forced herself into existence.

When the light finally faded...

"..."

Luna Arcania stood in the center of the clearing as her magely figure gently landed elegantly.

Her dark navy robe hugged around her petite body. The silky short hair lightly fluttered, as the intricate ornate wooden staff was held in her hand.

Her closed eyes then opened with a bit of confusion first.

"..."

And then it was followed with her delicate features twisting in an expression of irritation that bordered on silent rage.

Her heterochromic eyes immediately began scanning her surroundings with analytical precision, taking in the forest, the watching group, and finally fixing on Nero with a look mixing annoyance and genuine confusion.

"Explain."

The word came out sharp and demanding, her melodious voice carrying an edge that suggested she found this entire situation deeply offensive.

"I was in the middle of critical research… Absolutely critical. The most important experiment of my career. And suddenly I'm... here?"

She gestured at the clearing with obvious displeasure.

"How did you summon me? What method did you use? And why did you interrupt my work at such a crucial moment…?"

Nero blinked, slightly taken aback by the immediate interrogation.

He'd expected questions, sure.

… But being treated like an assistant who'd bungled an experiment was new.

'Wait... where exactly is the system pulling these girls from?'

The thought struck him suddenly.

Luna had clearly been in the middle of something when summoned.

Which meant she'd been pulled from... somewhere.

Some dimension, some reality, some point in time or space.

'Aria, where do the summons actually come from?'

[...]

Silence.

Complete, telling silence from his usually chatty system assistant.

'Better not to know, huh?'

He could practically feel Aria's confirmation through the lack of response.

Some truths were probably better left unexplored for now.

"Well?" Luna demanded, her foot tapping with impatience. "I'm waiting for an explanation. And it had better be–"

She froze mid-sentence.

"Hmm?"

Her eyes narrowed as she seemed to sense something, her hand moving to press against her chest.

"What... what is this?"

Her analytical mind was clearly working through something, her expression shifting from irritation to shock.

"My soul... it's... bound?"

One of her eyes… the pink pupil intensified as she focused her analytical abilities on the connection Nero's system had established.

"..."

To Luna's own perception, the soul binding revealed itself as an intricate masterwork of metaphysical engineering.

Threads of pure concept wove through her spiritual essence, each strand carrying properties that defied conventional magical theory.

They weren't physical.

They weren't purely magical either.

They existed in that liminal space between reality and potential, connecting her fundamental existence to Nero's through pathways that shouldn't be possible to create, let alone maintain.

The binding was multi-layered, each level serving distinct functions while integrating seamlessly with the others.

The outermost layer handled basic soul connection – simple tethering that prevented separation.

Beneath that, a communication network that allowed thought and emotion to flow bidirectionally without overwhelming either party.

Deeper still, an energy distribution system that could theoretically share magical power between summon and summoner.

At the core, something that looked like... loyalty enforcement?

But the implementation was elegant rather than crude.

Not mind control that overwrote will, but gentle guidance that aligned desires toward mutual benefit.

Like a river that encouraged water to flow in certain directions while still allowing natural movement.

"Amazing..."

Luna's mind raced through implications.

The binding used concepts she recognized – soul magic, dimensional anchoring, sympathetic resonance.

But the configuration was revolutionary.

Someone had taken established principles and recombined them in ways that created entirely new possibilities.

The efficiency alone was staggering.

Traditional soul bindings required constant maintenance, slowly degrading over time as the spiritual connection eroded.

But this...

This was self-sustaining.

Self-repairing.

The energy flows created feedback loops that actually strengthened the binding rather than depleting it.

"... The structural integrity is flawless," she murmured, her glowing eye examining every detail. "No weak points. No overflow channels. The power distribution ratios are optimized beyond what should be achievable through conventional means."

She looked up at Nero with renewed intensity, and this time curiosity replaced the annoyance in her gaze.

"You created this binding… No, 'something' or 'someome' created this for you, right?"

Luna then stepped closer, her small stature doing nothing to diminish the intensity she projected.

"The binding is... intricate. Complex. Multi-layered but seamlessly integrated. Tell me. How did it accomplish this? What theoretical framework did it use? What magical school does this even fall under…?"

The questions came rapid-fire, her scholarly enthusiasm completely overriding her earlier irritation.

"I need to understand the mechanics… all for these underlying principles… The energy conversion ratios needed for it to work… How does the soul binding maintain stability across dimensional boundaries? What prevents rejection? …How is the power flow regulated in the first place!"

"..."

Nero found himself being verbally bombarded by an excited high elf mage who barely came up to his chest but somehow made him feel like he was being examined under a microscope.

'She's... kind of adorable when she's excited about magical theory,' he thought with amusement.

'Like a kid discovering a new toy.'

Then another thought struck him.

'Wait. Isn't she just like that one genius character from H*nkai St*r R*il…? What was her name again? Mad*m H*rta?'

The comparison was apt.

The same enthusiastic devotion to research.

The same prideful attitude about her own brilliance.

The same tendency to treat everything as a puzzle to be solved rather than a social situation to navigate.

Even the way she was gesturing animatedly with her staff while explaining theoretical concepts he barely understood.

Though Luna's appearance was distinctly her own – no elaborate dress or accessories, just practical scholar's robes that emphasized function over fashion.

And definitely no pointed hat like some stereotype witch… and DEFINITELY not a petite girl like in front of him.

"And not to mention the dimensional displacement…" Luna continued, seemingly unaware of his internal comparisons as she continued pacing back and forth, lost in her own thoughts.

"It felt so clean despite the auto-gravitational and displacement defenses I've set up…"

She finally paused for breath, her heterochromic eyes sparkling with genuine fascination.

"This is incredible. Unprecedented even. If I could work out the fundamentals and the layered circles behind it then…!"

"Well, before all of that… maybe we could start with introductions?" Nero suggested diplomatically. "I'm Nero Walker, and–"

"Yes, yes, the summoner, I gathered that much."

Luna waved dismissively, already turning her attention back to analyzing the soul connection she could apparently see and analyze.

"It's less important than understanding how this binding works. Can't you see? The theoretical implications behind it alone could revolutionize another set of possibilities for another set of academics and applications!"

"!!!"

Aurelia's hand finally moved to her sword hilt, pointing the tip of her blade towards her.