Defense specialization and spirits.

After some time since making armor companions, Crom arrives at the guild home to find a guild member playfully twisting and squeezing So, Kanade’s partner.

“Ah, Crom-san! Look, it’s Kanade’s monster!”

Maple appears slightly pleased, appealing to Crom more than Kanade herself.

Crom studies the slime carefully, noting that Kanade has finally made a monster a companion.

“Slime, huh. I see.”

“It’s interesting, So. In the town, skills can’t be used, so it’s like this.”

It melts downward, then suddenly gains elasticity and rolls about.

Mai and Yui chase after it, trying to catch it.

“Things are getting lively now.”

“Wait— that ring. You’ve made a companion out of it too, Crom-san?”

Sally points it out. Crom scratches his head vigorously.

"Ah, well... I'm a bit different from the others. Right, Sally! I should mention this first."

"What is it?"

Sally tilts her head, expression blank.

"My companion is a moving suit of armor with no soul inside."

She flinches at that, her body stiffening.

"No, yes. Yes, it's fine. The armor's... well, it's the stylish kind, you know."

Crom watches her speak in embarrassed stutters, then calls forth the monster.

"Alright, Necro. Come out!"

The armor named Necro floats into place, creaking as if held by invisible threads. It appears as an ordinary suit of armor, sword, and shield suspended in midair.

Sally glances at Necro, her breath easing as if released from a tight grip.

"Good, all right... ugh, but there are undead, aren't there... eek."

She tries to avoid looking at the information, as if escaping reality, but she has long known of their presence.

She prays only that Frederica will not reach that place.

"Still, this one is a curious monster. I'd like to test them all together, somewhere... later."

"First, we need to level up. My monster hasn't even learned any skills yet."

"Ah, right. Then it's just Iz?"

Crom scans the room, his eyes darting, but Iz is nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, something about item production. She's holed up in the workshop again."

I helped gather materials with Sally too... it was exhausting, wasn’t it?

That’s right. If we’re using all of that...

Crom watches the three of them, his gaze shifting toward the Workshop. He looks slightly concerned.

Just then, the Workshop door creaks open. Iz stumbles out, weary.

Hey... you alright?

Huh? Oh, Crom. Welcome back. We just finished over here.

She looks on the verge of collapsing. The task must have required endless patience.

Iz slaps her cheeks lightly, then stretches deeply, and sets off toward her goal.

I’ll take the items to the submission house.

Oh, we’re counting on you.

Iz smiles in response to the words from everyone. She turns and walks toward the home where the items are to be delivered.

Good. Let’s go in.

Iz steps inside the house. She removes the items.

A vial of medicine that glimmers with shifting colors over time, a lavish garment meticulously adorned down to the smallest detail, and a ceremonial blade of translucent steel, set within a jeweled sheath.

"Exceptional. This should be enough to secure their aid. Follow me."

Iz descends the staircase into the depths of the house, as the old man commands.

Below the house, a garden overflows with grass and flowers. At its center, a magic circle emits a faint blue light.

"Place this ring on your finger and step onto the circle. The view should change."

Iz does as told. She slips the ring onto her finger and steps onto the circle. Blue light spills from the ring. The world blinks—then floods her sight in a single, sudden burst.

She opens her eyes—immediately. Before her floats a creature, neither fairy nor spirit, born from a sphere of pure white light, tiny wings sprouting from its form.

Iz looks around. In the water jug, a clump of blue water hovers. Near her feet, individuals with leafy or floral wings drift among the grass and flowers.

“That is a spirit. The white one is the base. But depending on location, other forces manifest more strongly. Use terrain and magic to control them.”

“I see… similar to elemental magic, perhaps? Must test various forms.”

Iz names the white light before her “Fay.” Together, they return to the guild home.