Beastforged Bond

Lea was the most hard-working in her family. She trained day-in day-out for as long as she could remember to make up for her greatest weakness; her World.

Her World was not as restrictive as others, but it was small for her family’s standards. Very small. So much she was stuck at the Novice Rank for two years, forming a perfect foundation. She never minded a slow ascension through the Ranks. If anything, it was cathartic.

Her World offered her some great options to build a strong foundation as long as she avoided Elemental Soulkins. Hence, focusing on her physique through traits, her Soulkins’ empowerments, and her Ether Gates, she grew slow but steadily. As unimpressive as her growth appeared to be, Uncle Merlin was impressed. He was satisfied with her decision to create a perfect foundation from young on and picked her as his disciple, guiding her through the Ranks ever since she was ten.

With Uncle’s help, Lea procured suitable Soulkins that were not only powerful but possessed highly synergetic traits.

Hence, seven Soulkins and many years later, Lea could defeat a weak Guardian beast. Under the right circumstances. And that was all she needed to do to meet Uncle’s requirements. Only then would she be ready to become a Master herself, knowing her foundation was as perfect as could be.

But now – after months of searching – she found the perfect target. A young, non-elemental Guardian beast. Lea was overjoyed, but the happiness was taken from her when she returned home to see that young, naive boy again. Dan returned from the Grand Camp, and so had that nuisance – Adam.

It was hard to tell how that boy angered her. He just did, be it his presence or that foolish smile plastered all over his face.

Putting aside all thoughts of the boy, Lea told her parents about her findings. They were happy for her…but quickly pedalled back to fawn all over tha annoying boy. Again.

So what if he helped Dan acquire a World Aspect? So what if he awakened less than two years ago? His foundation was bound to be brittle, his rise through the Ranks no more than a streak of luck that was fated to end sooner rather than later. If not for her family, the boy would be nowhere this far either.

Lea tried to ignore the boy, but something was clearly wrong about him. Adam. She couldn’t tell what exactly was up with him but something about that young and naive boy convinced her parents that he was worth investing in.

But why would they invest in him when they told her she needed to overcome her weakness by herself. Adam was weak and unimpressive, yet everyone acted like his achievements were impressive. Like he was so damn special, all because his World was unique.

So what if his World is less restrictive than mine! Having a special World doesn’t mean you are strong.

It also didn’t mean he knew how to take care of his Soulkins. That he could form a tight bond with his beasts. Or that he filled and refined more Gates than necessary.

No. Adam couldn’t have filled and refined more than a few Gates in two years. Even if his ether control mastery was respectable for how long he awakened, the boy would never be able to fill more than a few Gates at every Rank. At most, he backpedalled to bind a few more 1- and 2-Star Gates to his weave after becoming a Journeyman. More than that, and refining the Gates would have failed.

Or he didn’t refine his Gates. As foolish as that would be–...No, that has to be it. If he really is as strong as Dan, he probably sacrificed his Gates’ potential to keep up – to catch up.

It may not be stupid in the short term but for all those with the ambition to become Rulers it was potential-crippling. Unrefined Gates were no less than 20% weaker than fully refined Gates. Compared to perfectly refined Gates, they were about 30% weaker, if not more.

No matter how quickly Adam advanced, his Gates were weaker than hers, his physique frail. His weave’s branches would be too narrow to channel his traits perfectly either. Lea, on the other hand, could do so easily. Aided with her years of practice and thousands of life-and-death battles of practice, she was stronger than Adam. Better than him.

He could dream about catching up to her, but that was it. So why…WHY was everyone so invested in him? And why did his existence trigger her so much if she was stronger than him? If he had no chance at catching up to her.

Lea hadn’t seen or heard anything about him for a year but now that they were back, all she heard everyone in the estate talk about was Dan and Adam.

It bothered her. Frustrated her to no end. So she did something she wasn’t proud off; she snapped at him.

Lea did not regret snapping at him, not really. However, she felt a little bad seeing how angry her calling him lucky made. But even that evaporated when she caught a movement in the corner of her eyes. She glimpsed at her mother, saw her shaking her head, the disappointment in her eyes as clear as day and night.

Lea wanted to say something, but her hair stood up to its end. Death loomed over her, and she instinctively leaped back, her head swiveling to Adam.

He was nowhere near the other side of the arena. One moment he stood there and in the next the arena ground cracked. The aftermath of an explosion echoed in her ears, Adam towering before her, eyes glowing gold as a blade tore into her side.

So fast.

Hunter’s Instincts screamed at her and she triggered Retreat. Her body pulsed with ether as she burst into action, retreating right as several spikes burst from the ground.

Nimble activated right after Retreat’s duration ended, and Lea increased the distance to Adam. Gryphon Sight activated as well, her eyes turning silver as she scrutinized her opponent from anew.

How is he so fast? He’s not supposed to be faster than Dan.

Had she been wrong. Was Adam’s foundation not as fragile as she thought? No, that couldn’t be it. Refining Gates took time. Even if Adam only met the basic refinement requirements, completing several 4-Star Gates would have taken several months. If anything, even that would have been ridiculously fast for young, inexperienced Experts. Too fast for someone who hadn’t spent two years as a Blessed.

So how did he do that? Lea lipped her lower lip, attention shifting to the blade wound. Adam successfully drove his blade into her side. The wound itself wasn’t too bad but her passive trait, Recovery, worked nowhere near as fast as it should have. The healing barely stopped when most of the wound should have already healed by now.

Annoyance bubbled to the surface as she activated Soulfusion momentarily. Her skin took on a green hue, which disappeared as soon as the wound started to heal.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her fists, Bands of Power and Bands of Speed spreading across her arms. Her physical attributes increased sharply, the Bands’ amplification scaling with the number of perfectly refined Gates linked to the weave.

Power pumping throughout her washed away all the doubts lingering in the back of her mind, yet some resurfaced as she scrutinized Adam from anew. He stood there, killing intent pouring out of him in uncontrolled waves.

His eyes flashed suddenly in vibrant gold and both mind and body threatened to freeze in place. Resisting the attack, she tensed further, her hand flicking to the side as another earthen spike tore through the arena ground. Aetheric Strike triggered subconsciously as her hand, formed like a blade, ripped through the attack.

Wings that shimmered in all the colors bloomed from his back, spreading far and wide as the unfurled. They beat once as he leaped into the air. Then…Adam was nowhere to be seen. He disappeared before her eyes, Hunter’s Instincts screaming at her once more.

She stepped aside, Bands of Speed flaring up, just in time as the sound of beating wings rang in her ears. She struck out but failed to hit anything. Instead, her cheek stung and something warm trickled down.

This narrative has been purloined without the author’s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Lea didn’t even need to touch her cheek to know Adam struck her successfully, and it only infuriated her that she failed to counter. But fury was replaced by utter disbelief as her most recently acquired trait triggered.

Sacred Blood.

It was the power she needed most to fight – to defeat – a Guardian beast, yet its conditions to trigger were hard to come by. For one, the User had to be in a stressful situation. In a situation with no escape. A situation where she was on the losing end.

Second, she had to have a brush with death.

Third…well, the third condition didn’t matter anymore.

Did he just try to kill me… No, he’s playing with me.

With Sacred Blood active, the potency of her Gates and traits increased drastically. Power rampaged through her system, Lea stopped defending. Her sense perked up, every bit of her body ready to strike.

The sound of flapping wings neared once more, yet she didn’t move right away. Lea waited until the last moment before Bonds of Power, Bonds of Speed, and Aetheric Strike flared up at full might, amplified by Sacred Blood. A dozen bands shone brightly on her arms, her fists coated in a brilliant white hue as she struck an empty spot in the air.

The first strike impacted hard, metal bending at Lea’s behest. Her arms flowed smoothly, executing a second, third, and fourth strike in quick succession until the sound of metal breaking echoed through the arena.

The space before her rippled, revealing Adam and several broken parts of a shield that clattered to the ground. Lea barely noticed the shield, her eyes drawn to the boy’s figure. Boy? Who the fuck was she kidding. Adam was no boy.

He towered before her, massive dragonfly wings spread out from his back with a wingspan of no less than ten meters. But that was the least impressive feature about him. Adam was taller than before. A tail thundered on the ground behind him, his golden eyes glowing vibrantly as the abyss-like vertical slits shimmered like a promise of death. A black armor – no, exoskeleton – spread all over his body, covering tail, wings, as well as the rest of his body. Equally black scales peeked out from right underneath the spots the exoskeleton didn’t cover.

A predatory smile peeked out from right under the black armor protecting Adam’s head. Then the world was clad in brilliant light. Adam transformed into the equivalent of a military-manufractured flashbang, blinding Lea momentarily.

Hunter’s Instincts screamed at her once more, but instead of using Retreat, Lea leaned forward and triggered Nimble at full power. She’d caught a glimpse of a blade coming at her from the side and struck out with Aetheric Strike and her Bands’ power. A hiss rang in her ears as her fist impacted. Exoskeleton shattered and a wet snap confirmed the success of her strike. Yet, just as she was about to use Retreat, Hunter’s Instincts blared in her head, louder – more frightening – than before.

She leaned into the attack further, smashed the ground expected spikes to pierce her from below, but the temperature increased instead. In the same moment, her body turned sluggish, like it had grown several times heavier, and something carved through her chest and abdomen before she could respond.

The world turned upside down and pain consumed her for the first time in a long time.

Then, a scream tore through the air.

***

I was not sure what overcame me. I was just…angry. It was stupid, childish even, but that did not matter at that moment. It was like I had to show Lea and all those doubting me how strong I had gotten. That I was not to underestimate.

Hence, the Soulfusion with all Soulkins other than the Mirage Serpent.

It strained the soulshares tremendously but it’d been worth it. Not only did Lea Zerog underestimate me, she didn’t want to go all-out. She refrained herself from using Soulfusion other than one time. Even that was more to see why the piercing wound inflicted with Nullblade didn’t recover as quickly as it should have.

Despite her faults and stupidity, Lea was not weak. She was faster, stronger, and a lot more experienced than I was. To subdue her I had to overwhelm Daniel’s sister, blocking her first few strikes with a shield from Kazriel’s armory before unleashing Mirage upon her. She struck my arm so fast I couldn’t respond, tearing through the bone like it was made of butter, but that was the cost of victory.

Nox’s arms shot out from my lower back when Mirage was at its peak, Nullblade coating the Ferronox Mantis’ conjured appendages as they ripped into her.

The blinding light of Mirage faded at last, and I was standing at the top, right arm hanging limply down my chest, Soulfused scythes piercing Lea’s chest and abdomen.

She stared at me wide-eyed.

Then, a scream – or was it a whimper? – rang through the arena, and my head flicked to the side of the room.

Mom? My mind went blank, eyes on my parents.

Expecting the worst, the fight was forgotten. Lea, however, didn’t seem to get the note. My danger sense perked up as she stirred, but I reacted too late.

One moment I towered above Daniel’s sister, and in the next it was all over. Lea did something, unleashing power unlike anything she’d shown up until this point, the sound of my bones breaking ringing through the air as she hurled me through the arena.

My vision turned dark for a moment. All strength left my body and Soulfusion deactivated.

I gasped for air, my chest burning, pain searing all over my side. Not even falling from the sky had been this painful, several bones cracked or shattered. My ribs were battered, and I didn’t even want to know how the rest of my body looked like given how it – every tidbit – felt.

As my vision cleared, Lea stood above me. Her body shrunk, skin rippling, eyes lingering on me.

“How foolish. To look away mid-combat.” She grunted and dropped a serum on my head.

Give me a second.

Volix commented in my head before taking over for a moment.

Phoenix fire swirled out from the inner World. It burst forth and coursed through flesh and bones, slowly healing the most severe wounds. Cracked bones were welded together and a set of bones snapped back into position before I reached for the serum. Removing the cap, I emptied the content and pushed up from the ground, ignoring my body’s warnings. Mom’s scream-whimper still echoed in my head.

Turning to my mother, the tears streaking down her face were the first thing that caught my attention.

For a moment I wondered if she was shocked how bloody the spar with Lea turned out to be, but I quickly recognized that something was wrong.

Daniel was pale, eyes locked onto the screen hovering before him. He wasn’t the only one. Everyone was glued to the holographic screens before them. Lea reacted faster than I did, her attention on the screen projected by her watch, incomprehensible curses escaping her lips.

Following her example, I opened my watch to several notifications.

[Emergency Proclamation of Mandatory Service

In light of the ongoing hostilities and the escalating threat posed by hostile Outsider forces, the Bastion hereby declare a state of existential crisis.

Effective immediately, all Blessed individuals assessed as combat-hardened and holding a Journeyman Rank or higher are hereby conscripted into mandatory service for the defense of humanity.

Those subject to this mandate will be assigned to Bastion defense forces, rapid-response units, or expeditionary task groups according to aptitude, specialization, and operational necessity. Refusal to comply with this directive will be considered a violation of the Protection Act of Humanity and prosecuted accordingly.

This measure is neither punitive nor permanent. It is a necessary response to an unprecedented crisis that threatens the survival of human civilization across the Bastions.

Further instructions regarding deployment, reporting locations, and logistical support will be distributed through official Nexus channels within the next seventy-two hours.

The Council recognizes the gravity of this decree and extends its acknowledgment to all Blessed who will answer this call—not as subjects, but as defenders of humanity.

For the Bastions. For humanity.]

Remnants of my Soulkins’ emotions lingered deep within me even now, but having several bones shattered forced me to calm down a little. That did not help much against the idiocracy unfurling before my eyes, nor did it improve as I checked the notification that followed.

[To all Blessed who hear this message,

The mandatory service is not merely an order. It is a plea born from necessity.

Humanity stands at the edge of extinction – not in some distant future, but now. The barriers that once kept us safe are being tested, and beyond them are enemies who do not hesitate, do not tire, and do not forget.

Throughout history, it has never been the many who carried humanity through its darkest hours—it has always been the few who were strong enough to stand when others could not.

The Pillars that emerged from the Camps have already proven this truth. Their power – the growth of our youngest generations – blesses us with hope.

Now, we ask you to stand beside them.

Not as conscripts. Not as tools. But as warriors who understand what is at stake. Your strength may decide whether the next generation is born into freedom or slavery…or if there will be no more generation to follow ours.

History will remember what is done in these coming days.

Stand firm. Fight well.

Humanity endures because you do.]

“Fuck that shit.” Lea cursed out comprehensible enough to be heard by everyone, and I couldn’t agree more.

Fuck that shit.

We’d just been conscripted.