SSS-Ranked Awakening: I Can Only Summon Mythical Beasts

"Well, go on. The demons will come at you all of you don't go to them." Damien grinned, gesturing for the Axiom and his teammates to head out and face the demons.

"Sure, sure. It's not like we didn't plan to do it." Jallen said with a lazy shrug.

"Head out then." On Axiom's command, all six of them bolted forward toward the growling and hissing demons.

Damien leaned back against a rock, arms crossed, his sharp gaze locked onto Axiom and his team.

The six of them were engaged in a battle against the demons Damien had deliberately left for them to handle.

The harsh growls of the demons mixed with the shouts and grunts of Axiom's group as weapons clashed and essence flared in bursts of light.

"You really threw them into the deep end," Arielle commented, sitting a few feet away from Damien on another rock. She rested her chin on her hands, watching the chaotic scene in front of her.

Damien shrugged nonchalantly. "If they can't handle a fight like this, they're better off heading back. I'm not dragging around a group that'll fall apart the moment things get serious."

Arielle sighed, her legs swinging lazily. "I get your point, but they're not bad. You didn't have to be this harsh."

"They'll live," Damien replied curtly a mischievous smile tugging at the side of his lips.

Arielle studied his face for a moment. "You're mad, aren't you? About me inviting them without your permission."

Damien's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't deny it. "I don't like having random people around my summons, especially when one of them clearly makes Aquila uneasy."

"Jallen," Arielle guessed with a small nod. "I noticed. But he can't help his gift, Damien. You don't blame someone for being born with something they didn't ask for."

"It's not about blame," Damien retorted. "It's about keeping my summons comfortable. If they're distracted, they can't do their job. And I can't afford distractions."

Arielle frowned, then hesitated before speaking again. "Look, I get it. I do. But... having them around makes things feel a little less..."

"Less what?" Damien asked, his tone sharper than he intended.

"Less lonely," Arielle admitted, looking down at her hands.

Damien blinked, taken aback by the unexpected confession. He studied her quietly for a moment before his expression softened.

"You've got me and the summons," he said.

Arielle gave him a small smile. "Yeah, but you're not exactly a people person, Damien. And your summons? They're great, but they don't exactly hold conversations."

Damien sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. I get it. But don't expect me to go easy on them just because you want more company."

"Fair enough," Arielle replied with a playful grin.

Damien found himself staring at her longer than he intended, noticing the way her expression brightened slightly when she smiled. Without thinking, he reached out and lightly patted her head.

"You're fine the way you are," he muttered.

Arielle froze, wide-eyed, her cheeks flushing a light pink. "Uh... what are you doing?"

Realizing what he'd done, Damien quickly pulled his hand back, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Ahem! Don't read into it. I was... trying to be nice."

Arielle blinked, then broke into a soft laugh. "Nice? Who are you, and what have you done with Damien?"

"Don't push it," he said, though his tone was lighter.

"Hehe... Damien's changed." Arielle chuckled.

Clang!

Bang!!

The brief moment of awkwardness was cut short by the sounds of battle, drawing their attention back to Axiom and his group.

The fight had turned in Axiom's group's favor. They moved with practiced coordination, splitting up to keep the demons off balance.

Jallen stayed on the outskirts, his spear darting in and out like a serpent's strike, while Axiom worked the front lines with his sword.

Their companions filled in the gaps, one using dual axes to cleave through the weaker demons, another channeling elemental essence to attack from a distance.

"They're not bad," Damien admitted, his voice grudgingly respectful.

Arielle smiled. "See? I told you they'd be fine."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Damien said, though his tone lacked its usual sharpness and was instead replaced by slight interest.

Axiom suddenly leapt into the air, his sword glowing with a faint blue aura. He brought it down on a demon's head, cleaving it cleanly in two. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

At the same time, Jallen impaled another demon through the chest, pinning it to the ground.

"Efficient," Damien murmured, nodding approvingly.

Arielle smirked. "Careful, Damien. If you keep complimenting them, they might think you like them."

"Let's not go that far," Damien replied dryly.

As the last demon fell, Axiom's group regrouped, their faces flushed with exertion but triumphant smiles on their faces. Axiom walked over to Damien, wiping his blade on a cloth.

"Well? Did we pass your test?" he asked, his tone light but laced with curiosity.

Damien stood, arms crossed, and studied the group for a moment before giving a small nod. "You're not terrible."

Axiom grinned. "High praise."

Arielle clapped her hands together, grinning. "You guys were amazing!"

Damien rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

Jallen approached cautiously, keeping his distance from Aquila, who growled lowly. He raised his hands in surrender. "I'll keep my distance from your summons. Don't worry."

"You'd better," Damien said, his tone sharp.

The rest of the group introduced themselves properly, and while Damien remained aloof, Arielle quickly fell into an easy conversation with them.

As they prepared to move on, Arielle walked alongside Damien, her mood noticeably lighter.

"Thanks for giving them a chance," she said softly.

Damien glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "You're lucky I'm feeling generous."

Arielle laughed. "You're a big softie, you know that?"

"Keep dreaming," Damien replied with a faint smirk.

The group set off together, their new dynamic still fresh but promising.

While Damien wasn't entirely sold on traveling with such a large group, he couldn't deny the spark of curiosity that had begun to grow. For now, he was willing to see where this would lead.

"Since we're done here, let's get moving." Damien began walking.