The Seven Demon's Tamer

"Have you ever seen me driving? If not, get ready to be amazed," Leo cheered as he spoke with pride, puffing out his chest.

Despite how hard Brok tried to resist, he just couldn't. His pupils enlarged like those of a puppy dog with stars in them, practically vibrating with anticipation.

"Please drive," he squirmed, his massive frame shaking with barely contained excitement. Brok's hands were clasped together in front of his chest, making him look like an oversized schoolgirl begging for an autograph from her favorite pop star. Don't get me wrong, he is not gay... He was simply overwhelmed with joy.

"Of course I will," said Leo, beating his chest with one arm.

As he opened the door of his apartment, allowing everyone to step outside before him.

"I wouldn't like for my talent to get wasted..." He drawled the last word, letting it hang in the air like expensive perfume, completely oblivious to how ridiculous he appeared to anyone not named Brok.

Leo was about to shut the door behind them as they were all out when suddenly, he stopped.

"Uhm... Ryder," Leo called out. "Aren't you gonna take your familiar along with you?"

"No!" Ryder retorted sharply, the word slicing through the air like a knife. Hate burned like black flames in his eyes, so intense that Leo could have sworn the temperature around them dropped by several degrees.

Ryder had already donned the cloak given to him by Leo as compensation for the one he had torn during their conflicts a few days earlier.

The cloak, deep midnight in color with intricate red lining along the edges, hung from Ryder's shoulders.

It was clearly expensive, the kind of garment that whispered money and good taste.

Leo placed his hands on Ryder's shoulders and spoke, his voice dropping to a tone so reasonable as he wasn't playing around on his next statement.

"Think properly, will ya? Luxy is a powerful devil-viper bunny and would be of great help to us." He squeezed Ryder's shoulders gently, as if trying to physically press the idea into him. "Come on, use your brain to decide, not emotions."

Ryder's face contorted, his facial features twisting in reflection of his anger and deep hatred— the two emotions he could feel to the fullest.

"No!!!" Ryder retorted again, this time barking the word with such force that a flock of birds tweeting in a nearby tree took flight in panic.

Leo sighed deeply, the sound of a man who recognized a lost cause when he saw one. Leo, being someone who knew better than to argue with a brick wall, finally shut the door of his apartment.

They began walking alongside Leo towards a gleaming new edition BMW sports car parked under a caravan by the corner of the field in his compound.

The car was metallic blue in color, its sleek lines at the edge catching the sunlight and reflecting it back. Such a beauty.

There were many cars present there but Leo chose this one in particular, just because he wanted to show off his talent for driving.

The trio approached the car with different things running through their minds. Leo practically skipped, keys jingling merrily in his hand like bells announcing his arrival.

Ryder walked behind with a pokerface like nothing in the world could faze him anymore.

And Brok... well, Brok looked like he might actually wet himself with excitement.

As they reached the vehicle, Leo ran his hand over the smooth surface of the exterior, as if greeting an old friend.

He pressed a button on the key fob and the car responded with a cheerful beep and a flash of lights.

Even before he got in, Brok zoomed inside like a flash into the backseat, a speed abnormal for an orange marked summoner.

"This is... amazing," Brok whispered, his voice filled with wonder. "I've never been in such a... such a..."

"It's just a car, Brok," Ryder muttered as he also got in, but his words fell on deaf ears as Brok continued to explore the backseat with his eyes wide open, frantically turning his head left and right.

As soon as Leo sat down in the driver's seat, he settled in with a satisfied sigh, calming himself down.

"Keys!" he exclaimed, raising the key fob upwards to find the key holder empty.

Suddenly, he realized — he forgot the key to start his vehicle inside his house.

He would have cursed to the air but couldn't, especially not when he knew how the key wasn't in the fob. In fact, he remembered exactly where he kept it.

Uuuuggggghhhh! He stressed lazily as he smacked his palm against his forehead. What the hell, what was I thinking?

Ryder, who realized the situation soon enough, replied with a smirk that held no warmth. "Probably, you were too busy bragging to remember."

"Hurry up, go get the keys now!" Brok added, making no effort to hide his impatience.

SLAM.

Leo slammed the door shut and marched back to the interior of his building, grunting in annoyance.

Upon entry, he simply walked towards the bookshelf in the parlour wall, stared at the top left corner.

Ah, very good. He turned around and headed for the door but suddenly stopped as he heard...

"Leo." A voice called out in a low tone.

"Leo... I know we are barely allies but I want you to do me a favor." Leo turned towards the speaker hidden in the shadowy corner of the room. There, perched on a yellow curtain that almost hid his presence.

"I thought you wouldn't utter any sound from your little mouth?" Leo turned around and spoke, his tone serious.

"I want you to help me with Ryder, he really needs me but doesn't want to, that's why he rejected me."

Leo's attention remained fixed on Luxy, his eyes never leaving his form.

"You see, there's a really bad fact about Ryder which cannot be ignored," Luxy continued, walking away from the curtain. "It is the fact that he allows his emotions to change his personality."

Leo raised an eyebrow but remained silent, allowing him to continue.

"I've spent only a few days inside him yet I know quite a lot. He told me many stories about him and those helped me know exactly how he is.

You see Leo, Ryder is the kind of person that is controlled by his emotion rather than intention.

Don't be too surprised to know this. Back then when Ryder was contracted, he made a promise to himself. He made a promise that he would spend majority of his time at home until he contracts a familiar."

Leo leaned against the wall, settling in to listen to Luxy, not minding how much time it could take. Outside, he could faintly hear Brok's impatient bark and thud against the car.

"He was questioned by his parents and a particular friend of his—Mara—about this isolation towards others," Luxy went on. "But he simply scoffed and lied through his teeth, claiming he was an introvert when he honestly wasn't."

"He chose that pattern of life because of how superior the summoners act towards the non-summoners.

How those early contractors at his high school ruled and ruined lives, bullying people including him occasionally.

One fact about Ryder is that he won't stand back and watch things play out if someone offends him. Right there and then, he would retaliate and it always doesn't end good for him."

Leo stared at the floor, connecting the dots. "That's why he rather not interact with people, claiming he was an introvert. He just didn't want to get his butt kicked by interacting wrongly with anyone who could ruin his life as a non-summoner."

Luxy sighed. "I'm glad you figured that out, I knew you were not as dumb as you act."

"Ouch." Leo scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "That sounds like an insult."

Leo's expression turned thoughtful as he considered the situation. "Aside from that, why exactly are you assigning this task to me when you can simply do it yourself?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I'd recommend you merge with him and watch over him yourself." He shrugged, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I can't always keep my eyes on him."

"I wish I could," Luxy replied, his voice carrying a hint of sadness Leo noticed instantly. "But I couldn't."

"I tried merging with him multiple times when he was unconscious and when he was sleeping but to no avail. The way I was summoned into this world is different from the typical way of familiar.

In order to summon me, a porter needs to be formed. Without Ryder awake, it would be literally impossible.

Even with Ryder awake, there is still no guarantee that he would be able to summon a porter because he still hasn't mastered it.

And even if he could, he wouldn't take me in again because I am the reason behind his most recent mental destruction."

Leo quietly watched the ground, processing this new information. From outside, he could still hear the impatient shouting of Brok.

"What the hell is taking so long damnit! Hurry up and get your keys!"

Turning his gaze back to Luxy from the floor, he smiled—a genuine smile, free from his usual bravado.

"You can count on me," he said with a sincerity that surprised even himself. "But I'll do things my way. I'm not the type that follows orders, you know."

Leo moved towards the door, then paused, his hand on the knob. "For now, stay indoors and stay safe," he advised, his tone serious once more. "I don't want the FSG to be knocking at my door."

Leo shut the door and walked towards the car.

As he approached the vehicle, he could see Brok's face pressed against the window, his expression, a mixture of impatience and childish anticipation.

Ryder on the other hand appeared to be dozing off, or so he pretended to.

"Oops, my bad." He scratched the back of his head nervously. Brok's piercing glare nearly bore a hole into his skin while Ryder simply gave him a short glance, nonchalantly opening one eye from the front seat.

"Did you get lost in your own house?" Brok quarreled, his massive arms crossed over his chest.

"Something like that," Leo replied vaguely, sliding into the driver's seat and inserting the key to start up the car.

"Everyone buckled up?" Leo asked, his hand hovering over the gear shift.

"Yes!" Brok exclaimed and gave a thumbs up.

After getting into the car, Leo turned to Ryder and smiled. "Where are we heading to now?"

Without giving it much thought, Ryder replied, "My village."

"It is the last place I know my dad was at before he was abducted."

Leo changed gears smoothly.

"Is there a village here in England?" he inquired, genuine surprise coloring his voice. "I've never heard of such."

"Yeah," Ryder replied. "An actual underdeveloped village that appears like it was supposed to be in the stone age compared to other parts of this country in the United Kingdom."