Chapter 23: The Familiar

All of a sudden, wind started to blow wild even in this closed space in the basement. The wind did not come from the outside but rather, it came from the Summoning Circle itself. Electricity arcs started appearing and the whole place shook.

"Warning, a strong surge of energy is flowing in the area. Please be careful and defend if necessary. Accidents might occur in the middle of the summoning."

"How strong is the summoning circle to cause things like this?!"

"Data cannot be calculated. It seems you managed to pull a summon with a greater familiar."

"Greater Familiar?"

"Yes. Either you summoned a higher spirit or you managed to summon a deity."

"Does that sound bad?" I shivered. If it is a deity, I am not going to survive this.

"Depends on what Familiar you summon. Some deities are benevolent while some are not and will kill you on sight. Either of those two. I suggest you prepare yourself for the worst part."

I nearly cursed the phone out. It was good that I get to summon a strong familiar but what will a strong familiar do if it kills me instead? Isn't that kind of useless? I didn't want to die. Not until I get to see my sons and daughters!

"Are you going to write a will for your future sons and daughters?"

"What is the point if I am not their father?! That is some twisted remark of yours!"

The summoning circle started glowing blue and red like it was a disco light but much more painful to look in the eyes. The wind blowing is too strong that I doubt I will be able to survive the summoning progress alone. I prepared for the worst but I didn't expect everything to halt. I was surprised because I thought it would explode and make chaos around the house but it didn't. But after that, a very heavy presence appeared in the middle of the circle and even though I am a bit far from the magic circle, the force is just too heavy that I was forced to kneel. Is this a deity?!

Smoke started to clear up and a silhouette appeared on the smoke. I can certainly see that it was a humanoid one. But I can see fox ears appear on the top of her head. And there were even nine tails...? Shi*t, did I just summon Tamamo No Mae?

As soon as the smoke dissipated, I stare into the woman wearing a white kimono, with her white fox tails behind her, I can't help hold my breath seeing this sight. She was an absolute beauty that words can't begin to describe her. One thing I can say, Gorgeous!

The fox beauty looked around and her gaze landed to me who is still sitting on the corner after her appearance.

"Hmm? Are you perhaps... my master?" she asked as she waggles her tail.

"H-huh?" I was taken aback by this. I thought that deities are supposed to be dangerous?

"You d*ckhead, you didn't listen earlier, I told you that it depends on the familiar you summoned. It was clear that this familiar of yours is a deity and I don't detect any kind of malice from her so I guess she is a benevolent and kind deity."

The fox beauty approached me. She seemed to be around the age of 20 years old or above. She is a bit mature and you can say that she is an onee-san type of girl. But I am unsure of her age because there is that logic that the younger the look of a deity is, the older her age was which is a f*ck up lore logic was.

"What is your name?" she asked as she touched my cheeks. I feel nervous all of a sudden. I don't feel any kind of blushing in front of her. It was being suppressed from a dangerous aura that kept me shaking to my core. Is this one of the abilities a deity has?

"M-my name... I am K-Kazuma Fukuyama."

"Kazuma-sama, right? Nice to meet you, I am the deity Inari Okami. I can be your big sister if you want to, master."

My ears perked up. Inari Okami? The same Inari Okami found in shrines around Japan? The goddess of fertility and agriculture, also the patron of the swordsmiths and merchant? Why did I manage to summon a very strong being?! No wonder I get a very heavy aura from her, it was because she was indeed a very important figure in Japan! The voice started talking again.

"Greetings, goddess of fertility, Inari-sama, I am a soul of the App group, Anonymous, pleased to make an acquaintance. I didn't expect to see this guy manage to summon a big shot like you."

"Seriously? How did I manage to summon a very strong familiar which is one of the gods in Japan? Did it have something to do with the way I made the magic circle?"

"No, master. When the gate opened, I felt a very comfortable aura beyond it that caused me to follow that same comfortable force and now here I am."

I fell silent. For someone like her to be summoned by me in sheer luck. Does that mean, my luck is really good? Then the voice of the phone started talking again.

"Reporting, Legendary Tier Familiar, Inari Okami has been summoned by Kazuma Fukuyama. Register the info of these two immediately."

I was left speechless by this. Is this the sign that the Gods are favoring me? Or this is just a prelude to something bigger? Whatever it was, I am not sure about it and I am pretty sure something big is brewing in the sidelines.

"Master?"

"You are Inari Okami, right? Are you alright to be my familiar even though I am just a lowly human?" I asked. I heard in many urban legends that deities look down upon humans as they only see humans as low life creatures. If so, having a deity as a familiar, doesn't that spells trouble to me?

"I may be a deity but I don't look down on humans unless I am provoked. I am not a great Inari for nothing if I am wild and dandy."

What she said is right. If she were a dangerous deity, her legacy and legends, as well as her shrines won't be as widespread nowadays. Her symbolic statues and her shrines won't be shrouded with prosperity if she were a cruel deity which makes sense.

"Anyway master, where are we? It seems like we are in a room that is so cramped and a bit dark. Are we in a confinement cell or something?" Inari asked.

I stood up and wiped off the dust in my clothes. "No, we are in the basement of my house. I am not sure what consequences will happen when I am summoning so I made precautions in case everything goes awry," I explained.

"Thought you didn't really prepare much," the phone interjected.

"Shuddup. I am not talking to you. Mind your own business," I said to the phone and put it back to my pocket.

"Oh? Is that what people are always holding today which they call it phones? I've been quite interested in human technologies this century and it is certainly really interesting to check it out now that I am in the human world," Inari said.

Technologies? It seems like due to the boredom she experienced many times, she is now somewhat excited to see the world. Welp, who cares much, they are deities anyway.

GRRRROOOOOWWWWWWLLL

That was clearly not my stomach so I clearly know that only one person here is not with me. I looked behind and saw Inari blush as she covered her mouth in embarrassment.

"I guess we could try some midnight snack then."

[ol][li data-annotation-id="6b613a78-a749-3d42-ef1f-7e97c5f6e77b"]is the Japanese kami of foxes, of fertility, rice, tea and sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal kami of Shinto. In earlier Japan, Inari was also the patron of swordsmiths and merchants.[/ol]