I drop to one knee and seal my lips with Sammy's. Her eyes widen in surprise, but our connection remains. At first, the energy trickles into her, but after a few moments, some kind of inner switch flips and the output increases, now flowing into her with full force. It's not comfortable for me. But given the choice between temporary discomfort and the death of the most important person to me right now, I'd take the first choice.

How much did one bite hurt her to drain me of so much energy? Luckily, seconds later, the current stops, signalling the successful treatment, and I part our lips. The kobolds whispering in the background fades. I don't know when they started, but as long as they continue to respect me, I won't delve any further into the matter. 

"This time was different, Milord. What did you do?" Sammy asks, holding her stomach with one hand and a small smile.

“I have given you some of my energy to heal you. This makes us equal in saving each other in this battle.” I act tougher since the kobolds are here too.

"Listen up, you lot!" I turn dramatically, keeping up the facade of a tough leader. "Secure the perimeter. Uninvited guests are the last thing we need. Check your unconscious comrades and help them as best you can; cut the mana organs out of the fallen, but leave the wolf alone. Action, now!"

Many feet move, carrying out my commands. I signal Sammy to rest, but she gets up anyway.

"I feel bad being the only one resting. Besides, you are doing 'it', aren't you? How could I pass up the opportunity to experience it up close, Milord?"

Although I healed her, she's not unscathed, for her hand is still resting on her stomach. By 'it' she means...? I look at her in confusion, and with a light, painful expression on her face, she just nods towards the back. As I turn around, I understand what she meant by 'it' as my eyes fix on the wolf's body. Good thinking, Sammy. We need a new subordinate to fill the gaps.

I walk over, Sammy right behind me. Once there, I exhale and stretch out my arm, gathering whatever magical energy I have left. The familiar white ball appears under my palm, but something feels wrong. The white changes to a pale green. Goose bumps appear on both my arms. This won't be a simple kobold again, will it? Sammy's comment cuts my further thoughts short. 

"I wonder if you can alter your summons when you transform them? I mean, since it's a... greater summon, right?"

"If I’m honest, I don't know if it's possible. We can't be picky in our situation right now. But I appreciate it if she was cute or something like that."

“She? Hmph, am I not enough for you? You haven’t even deflowered me. Are you bored with me, so you’re looking for someone else?”

I sigh, but otherwise remain silent. This quick back and forth bridged the gap to increase the saturation of the sphere, changing it from pale to a bright green. I don't feel any further energy drain from the transformation I'm about to make, so I let the ball fall. Just like before, the sphere is absorbed by the corpse, but nothing happens?

My disappointment vanishes when the whole corpse glows green. The intensity of the light isn't too high, so Sammy and I can watch the process the corpse undergoes. It's much smoother than the one the kobolds went through. The overall size and mass diminish, stopping at around 1.40m in height. The former four pairs of legs transform into a single pair of legs and arms each.

Light prevents any further details from being seen, but the body and head have taken on a humanoid form. The former wolf's tail remains, as do the ears, which are now at the top of the head. This process continues for another minute, refining different parts of the new shape. Then the light disappears, revealing my summon.

It's a woman with white, wolf-like legs, the fur changes to skin on the last few centimetres of her thighs. Wide hips for her height and a modest chest are the only noticeable features of an otherwise smooth human body. Her arms match her torso. There are no claws or fur, just human fingers, flesh, and skin. Her white wolf's ears blend into her shoulder-length hair of the same colour, giving it a natural transition.

Her face is cute and youthful. Her lips are natural but seductive, otherwise there's nothing too crazy about her. Maybe the fact that I wanted her to be cute actually had an effect. The possibility that it was a coincidence and nothing more is also plausible. Only further tests will bring light into the darkness of assumptions. Her clothes are... suspicious.

An ice blue double G-string with a matching triangle top. Loose sleeves, also blue, with white fur at the top, cover everything from most of her biceps to her wrists. On a black choker with white ruffles underneath hangs a diamond-shaped gem, which - who would have guessed - is also blue. Other than that, that's it. No trousers, no shirt, nothing to cover herself with.

I feel weak and stumble back a step. The fight, Sammy's healing, and now the summoning all have taken their toll on my body. Sammy catches me with an arm and stabilises me.

One of the woman's arms moves to her forehead and her mouth opens.

"Frick me, what a wild ride. Is this what it feels like to be summoned? The others described how it felt when they told stories like that, and I laughed at them for being wimps. I'm sorry to everyone I ever laughed at."

Her voice is soft, as are the features of her body. She pulls herself up into a sitting position, but it takes a while. Bright red and orange, two different coloured eyes meet Sammy's and mine. After a few seconds of silence, someone breaks it. 

"You don't look like the kobolds I know. So, who are you?"

"Respect would be appreciated; you are in the presence of His Majesty. To answer your question, I am Sammy, the right hand of the Demon King."

Sammy looks over at me and I speak next.

"Appointed to this realm called Xeniath, I am the Demon King Thanatos. You got summoned to help me fulfil the task given to me by the gods. I expect significant results from you."

Silence reigns as seconds pass. Her eyes widen.

"Shoot!" She jumps down on all fours, her head touching the dirt. "Please forgive my rude behaviour. No one has summoned me before, so please don't hit me."

Should I sigh? I decide against it and calm the pleading woman.

"Be at ease. This is not the first time I have been in this situation. You can get up too. But tell me. Who are you?"

The woman stands up and says, "My name is ..."

Saibler

Do you notice something? The formatting is different in this chapter. I did some research, made a post on the forum and included pro-writing aid next to DeepL write to enhance my work as an author. Please let me know what you think about it.

On a side note, as I have included a picture of Sammy in chapter 19, would you like one for the new girl as well?