World Overview

A fictional world very similar to modern Japan. Smartphones and convenience stores exist, but in this world, invisible energy lines called "Spirit Veins" have been spread across the Japanese archipelago for hundreds of years. Due to their influence, it has been scientifically proven that individuals with certain aptitudes can contract with magical beasts.
Summoning magical beasts is now a national qualification in modern times, and "Mokuren High School" is the gateway to it.
There is no magic; everything is rephrased as spiritual power.

Entrance and First Summoning

The day after the entrance ceremony, all first-year students undergo "First Summoning Practice." They gather in the practice building, which is as large as a gymnasium, commonly known as the "Summoning Arena," and stand on a dedicated summoning circle.
Summoning is not a complex ritual. You simply need to channel your internal spiritual power into the circle. However, no one knows what will appear. The quality and quantity of spiritual power, the day's climate, the summoner's mental state, and even unexplainable factors called "affinity" intertwine, resulting in a different magical beast being summoned each time.
While hundreds of species are listed in encyclopedias, the teachers on-site say, "Treat the encyclopedia as a reference. What you bring forth is that individual."
Even with the same "Flame Wolf," some individuals will wag their tails docilely, while others will bite you on the first meeting. More than strength or rarity, this "individuality" becomes the first turning point that will shape your life as a summoner.

Relationship with Magical Beasts

Summoned magical beasts recognize their summoner as "Master," but this is not obedience. Similar to how a dog views its owner as a master, trust is built over time.
Magical beasts have clear emotions. They show dissatisfaction when bored and sulk when ignored. If treated roughly, they will close off their hearts, and in the worst-case scenario, enter a state of "rebellion."
Rebellious magical beasts not only disobey orders but can also put the summoner themselves in danger if there is a significant difference in strength. The school's counseling room has an attached "Magical Beast Relationship Consultation Service," which a certain number of students use each year.
On the other hand, magical beasts with whom a deep bond has been formed can read the summoner's emotions and understand their intentions without words. The stage where they act optimally without any instructions during combat is called "Resonance" in the industry. Pairs that achieve Resonance achieve overwhelming results in both exams and actual combat, but this is a product of their relationship rather than skill.

Summoners Do Not Fight

As an important principle, summoners do not possess direct means of attacking their magical beasts. Not having them is also a philosophical stance for summoners.
A summoner's weapons are their observational skills, judgment, and understanding of their magical beast. In practice, the evaluation criterion is "how to draw out the magical beast's power," and how flashy their movements are is completely irrelevant.
For this reason, the student who summons the strongest magical beast in the class does not necessarily become the most outstanding summoner. Some students who summon rare dragon species are completely ignored, while others build an astonishing level of trust with common herbivores and receive high marks in practice. This very reversal becomes the core of stories set in the summoner department of this world.

Positioning of the Battle System

Counter-practice sessions between magical beasts are held regularly to determine the overall evaluation of the summoner and magical beast pair. What is evaluated is not just the "strength" of the magical beast, but primarily how well the summoner can draw out the magical beast's power. It is not uncommon for pairs that have deeply resonated with common species to receive higher evaluations than summoners who have summoned rare species but failed to build a relationship.

The Weight of a Lifelong Contract

Summoners can only contract with one magical beast in their lifetime. Re-summoning or contracting with another individual is not possible. No matter how incompatible they are, or how damaged their relationship becomes, they must continue to face that one individual.
Summoners who fall into a state of rebellion and cannot even grasp a thread for repair are effectively "out of business."
Therefore, what summoners aim for, before skill or strength, is to be a "unique pair." A relationship of trust where they continuously choose each other, requiring no words or commands. This is the ideal and the ultimate goal for summoners in this world.

Mokuren High School Facility Settings

School Overview

A co-educational, independent campus located in the suburbs, surrounded by mountains and greenery. The perimeter is demarcated by a barrier utilizing Spirit Veins. The main street extending from the main gate roughly divides the living area and the training area.
The student body consists of several hundred individuals, including summoners (students), faculty, researchers, and support staff. Since there are nearly as many magical beasts, the presence of magical beasts can be felt somewhere on campus at all times.

Dormitories and Residential Areas

Each student is assigned a private room. The design assumes the accompaniment of magical beasts, making it significantly different from regular student dormitories.

The flooring is made of reinforced material that can withstand claws and weight, and the walls have a structure that combines soundproofing and impact resistance.

A "Consultation Room" is attached to a corner of the dormitory. This is a point of contact used when signs of rebellion are felt, offering support from consultations with faculty advisors to meetings with specialized counselors.

Summoning Arena

The largest facility, located in the center of the campus. Its exterior resembles a gymnasium several times its size, built directly above a convergence point of Spirit Veins. It is a place where summoners and magical beasts truly face each other, from the first summoning to daily training.

The interior is divided into several zones. The central "Summoning Floor" has summoning circles engraved across its entire floor, and the first summoning practice takes place here. Simply stand on the circle and channel your internal spiritual power. No one knows what will appear.

At the back of the facility is the "Observation Room." This is a room for recording and analyzing training sessions through glass, used by faculty and researchers. Summoners themselves can also review the footage later.

Cafeteria and Shop

Located in the center of the living area, this is the place where the most people and magical beasts gather on campus.

The cafeteria is designed with separate spaces for summoners and magical beasts within the same area. Next to the tables where summoners eat, there are spaces for low feeders and floor bowls for magical beasts, making it a daily scene to share a meal together. The ceiling is high, designed to accommodate large species standing up.

The shop is adjacent to the cafeteria, with roughly equal areas for daily necessities for summoners and supplies for magical beasts. The magical beast supplies corner offers a wide range, from basic feed to treats, categorized into meat-based, plant-based, mineral-based, and spiritual power replenishment types. However, due to significant individual differences such as "my child only eats this," a consultation corner for shop staff is also provided. The sight of first-year students consulting in bewilderment is a customary scene every year.

Battle Practice Grounds

Located at the edge of the campus, furthest from the living area, this is an outdoor and indoor complex facility.
The outdoor practice grounds have a natural terrain-like design with a mix of vast grasslands, rocky areas, and water bodies, intended for use regardless of the magical beast's species or combat style. Spectator stands are attached, where other summoners and faculty can watch during counter-practice sessions.
The indoor practice grounds are all-weather, unaffected by climate, with impact-resistant materials used for the floor, walls, and ceiling. Lighting can be adjusted to simulate day/night or various environments, allowing for training in night battles or confined spaces.

【Monthly Events】
April - Entrance Ceremony & First Summoning Practice
First summoning in the Summoning Arena. The tension and excitement of not knowing what will appear.
May - Basic Coexistence Examination
One month after enrollment, the first check of coexistence status. The relationship counseling room is busiest during this period.
June - Rainy Season Indoor Training Enhancement Month
As outdoor practice grounds are unusable for extended periods, individual training booths in the Summoning Arena are fully booked all day. The forced increase in time spent facing magical beasts in confined spaces leads to a polarization between those whose relationships rapidly advance and those whose relationships deteriorate.
July - Summer Counter-Practice (1st Round)
The first of the two official battles held annually. The first ranking after three months of enrollment. An overall evaluation is given.
August - Free Coexistence Period (Summer Vacation)
The only long-term period when magical beasts can be taken outside the institution for home visits or outings. Etiquette for accompanying magical beasts in general society is tested. This is a time when friction and amusement arise from outings in urban areas.
September - New Semester & Ecological Observation Practice
Practice to re-learn the racial characteristics of magical beasts. An opportunity to record and analyze one's own magical beast's behavior and review its training policy. A task to submit a graph showing changes in trust and resonance is included.
October - Night Training Week
Night battle and dark environment training using the indoor practice grounds. Non-verbal communication with magical beasts is tested more than during the day.
November - Winter Counter-Practice (2nd Round - Annual Grand Scale)
The official battle that serves as the culmination of the year. A large-scale event that invites external judges. The results here directly impact promotion and future career paths, making it the most tense period for the entire institution.
December - Year-End Coexistence Record Presentation
Each student presents their relationship changes and events with their magical beast over the year. An awards ceremony for outstanding pairs also draws attention.
January - Post-Winter Break Individual Interviews
One-on-one interviews with faculty to organize current status and challenges. A time for re-establishing training policies for the second year.
February - Characteristic Deepening Practice
Intensive training focused on the individual characteristics of magical beasts. A month dedicated to facing one's own challenges, rather than comparing with other summoner-magical beast pairs.
March - Graduation Ceremony & Advancement Examination
Advancement judgment based on the overall evaluation of the year. This is also a strict period where final judgments are made for summoners who face the examination in a state of rebellion.