---
The night after the Bloodmoon Trial didn't bring peace.
It brought whispers.
Not the kind that come from people. Not even beasts. But something older, lingering in the wind like an echo trying to remember its own name.
Kiyanotoka sat at the edge of the dormitory rooftop, legs dangling over the stone edge, shirt torn across one shoulder. Beside him sat Fuyue, silent, watching the horizon.
The crimson moon had vanished. The golden sun had returned. But the feeling hadn't gone.
> "Do you feel it too?" Kiyanotoka asked.
> "The air still feels thick," she replied. "Like something's holding its breath."
He nodded.
What neither of them knew was that their trial had awakened more than just attention—it had triggered ancient mechanisms sealed beneath Shrek University.
---
🏛️ Side Story: In the Tower of Scribes
High above the city, behind three layers of protective spirit glyphs, four old men gathered around a crystal orb, flickering with replay footage of Kiyanotoka's trial.
> "Three beasts. One boy. No recorded prior contracts."
> "That's not a beast master. That's a walking violation of the soul law."
> "Or the start of a new one," one of them said cryptically.
In the corner of the room, a little girl—no older than eight—sat reading a scroll upside-down.
She giggled.
> "He's fun. I like the bunny."
> "Lady Meimei," one scribe said cautiously, "this is serious. The boy may destabilize the—"
> "He gave his bunny a name. Whiskerflip. That's adorable. So he's safe."
She smiled, revealing slightly too many teeth for a child.
---
🌀 Trial Aftershock
Back at the infirmary, Kiyanotoka's body was recovering. His flame core was stable. But mentally, he was unraveling.
> Three beasts. One brain. Limited sanity.
He was still seeing afterimages of Whiskerflip randomly blinking into his vision.
The bunny appeared mid-air beside his bed and wiggled its eyebrows.
> "Oh no. I'm hallucinating sarcasm now," Kiyanotoka groaned.
Whiskerflip flicked his ear, then phased away.
Even Fuyue, sitting beside his bed with a half-melted popsicle, raised an eyebrow.
> "You good?"
> "Define good," he replied, eyes twitching.
> "You're fine."
---
🛡️ An Unexpected Summons
Later that afternoon, as students milled around the courtyard trading beast cores, gossiping about who fainted during the trial, a silver-robed envoy appeared before Kiyanotoka.
> "Ash Kiyanotoka. You are summoned."
> "For what? Another trial? Do I win a toaster if I pass this one?"
The envoy didn't even blink.
> "Vault Protocol 7. Category: Instability."
> "Oh. That's way worse than a toaster."
He followed.
---
🏚️ The Whispering Vault
Located deep beneath the university's oldest library, the Whispering Vault was a relic of an ancient war—a place designed to test those who were too powerful... or too different.
The stone doors were covered in ancient beast runes, most unreadable. The walls dripped with condensed spirit mist, and the air smelled like iron and dust.
> "What am I doing here?" Kiyanotoka muttered.
> "Just step into the circle," said a voice.
It was Instructor Reysha, the woman who hadn't said a single word during his entrance interview weeks ago.
She placed a hand on the rune circle.
The ground shifted.
> [ TRIAL OF CONVERGENCE INITIATED ]
> [ OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE MIND MERGE WITH ALL CONTRACTED SPIRIT BEASTS ]
> [ WARNING: FAILURE = MENTAL COLLAPSE. SURVIVAL RATE: 22% ]
> "Oh joy."
---
💥 Convergence
Kiyanotoka's vision went dark.
Then it went white.
Then it exploded into three.
He was soaring, breathing fire, and phasing into shadow—all at once.
> "THAMUZ STOP BURNING ZEPHYR'S TAIL—WHISKER WHY ARE YOU LICKING ME—WAIT THAT'S ME—ARGHHHH!"
> [ MIND CONFLICT RISING... 63%... 79%... 90%... ]
In the real world, his body convulsed. Fire and wind burst from his limbs. Whiskerflip's illusion trail shimmered around him like a thousand flickering copies.
Instructor Reysha stood silently, eyes glowing.
> "Don't break, boy. Not now."
---
🔥 The Link
Inside the chaos, a single voice broke through.
It wasn't a beast.
It was his own.
> They're not weapons.
> They're not tools.
> They're family.
He grabbed hold of the fire inside him—not to control it, but to trust it.
> "Thamuz, we're not done."
"Zephyrion, fly with me."
"Whiskerflip, confuse the heavens."
The storm calmed.
The visions merged.
A single breath united the pulse of all three spirit beasts.
> [ BEAST CONVERGENCE: SUCCESSFUL ]
[ TRI-CORE SYNC RATE: 62% ]
[ UNLOCKED: TRI-LINK FOCUS TECHNIQUE ]
---
📜 Side Story: Jin's Terrible Date
Elsewhere in the cafeteria...
Jin nervously wiped his hands on his robe. Across from him sat a red-haired girl with a very sharp smile.
> "So," she purred, "you have a B-rank beast?"
> "Well, it's more like a B-minus if you count its asthma—"
She leaned closer. "That's okay. I like breathless boys."
> "...Excuse me I need to go die in a corner real quick."
He knocked over his soup trying to stand, tripped on a spirit beetle, and passed out under the table.
Later, Kiyanotoka found out and asked, "Wait, he went on a date before me?!"
Whiskerflip just nodded solemnly.
---
🌙 Rooftop Conversations
That night, Kiyanotoka sat alone on the roof again—except he wasn't alone.
Fuyue sat beside him, her legs pulled up, chin resting on her knees.
> "You're changing."
> "So's the world."
> "But I liked it when you flinched every time the cafeteria bell rang."
> "I still do," he said, smiling.
She gave him a rare look—a soft one, unguarded.
> "Promise me something?"
> "If it's about not dying, I've broken that one like six times already."
> "No. Promise you'll let someone help next time."
He looked away.
> How do you explain a system you're not allowed to mention? A voice no one else hears?
> "I'll try," he said.
She didn't press.
---
🧬 Spirit Beast Growth
That night, the system interface pulsed in his mind like a heartbeat.
> [ SPIRIT BEAST UPDATE – THAMUZ: 76% → 81% ]
[ Skill Unlocked: Dragon Blaze Halo – Emits fiery aura that boosts all fire element allies ]
> [ ZEPHYRION: 55% → 60% ]
[ Skill Upgrade: Thunder Dive II – Now inflicts minor stun ]
> [ WHISKERFLIP: 78% → 83% ]
[ Skill Upgrade: Spatial Skip II – Can now carry one ally during blink ]
> [ SYNC RATE: 62% → 64% ]
[ Bonus Near: 65% – Spirit-Fused Overdrive ]
> [ PASSIVE SYNC BONUSES ENABLED: Minor Shared Emotion / Minor Reflex Mirroring ]
Kiyanotoka exhaled slowly.
> "We're almost at the next threshold..."
He didn't notice that Fuyue had leaned against him.
Not until she spoke.
> "Next time... take me with you."
> "Into the vault?"
> "Into your storm."
---
📊 End of Chapter 26 – Full Stats (Extended)
👤 Name: Kiyanotoka Ash
🎭 Role: Spiritual Beast Master (System-Linked, Hidden Body Cultivator)
📈 Body Cultivation Level: Flame Core Adept – Level 3
🧠 Traits:
– Core Flame Pulse
– Iron Breath Band
– Pulse Guard
– Tri-Core Breath Alignment
– Tri-Link Focus Technique (New)
– Minor Emotional Link
– Passive Reflex Mirror (New)
– Weakness: Mental overload during triple convergence
– Emotional tethering risk
---
🐉 Spirit Beasts
1. Thamuz – Fire Dragon (Juvenile)
Rank: S
Evolution: 81%
Skills:
– Refined Fire Arc
– Heat Surge
– Dragon Blaze Halo (New)
Passive: Flame Veil
Sync: 64%
2. Zephyrion – Storm Roc
Rank: A
Evolution: 60%
Skills:
– Wing Charge
– Thunder Dive II (Upgraded)
Passive: Wind Shield
Sync: 64%
3. Whiskerflip – Sylph-Hare
Rank: B
Evolution: 83%
Skills:
– Shadow Step
– Spatial Skip II (Upgraded)
Passive: Chaos Trick
Sync: 64%
---
🧬 Synchronization
Current Sync: 64%
Next Bonus at 65%: Spirit-Fused Overdrive
Side Effect: Minor shared reflexes (Kiyanotoka sneezed in sync with Whiskerflip earlier. Very concerning.)
---
🌍 Trial Progress
Bloodmoon Ascension Trial: Passed
Whispering Vault Trial: Survived
Public Rank: #3
Secret Observation: Active (High Council, Unknown Entities, One Chaos Child who likes bunnies)
---
📎 Notes
Fuyue Relationship: Subtle development, increased trust
Humor Layer: Balanced tone for emotional relief
Side Stories: Added for world depth, character flavor
Threats: Looming… in shadow, vault, and council
---
End of Chapter 26