A surge of energy flared behind Nate—smooth yet elusive, making it difficult to gauge its true strength. Turning, he saw Emily standing tall, her expression unreadable.
"One more try... that's all I need," she said, stepping forward with renewed determination.
Nate smirked, shifting back into his human form as he stepped aside. She was finally getting serious.
"They're all yours," he said before vanishing into his shadow. From the darkness, his Shadow Panther emerged in his place. Reappearing behind Athena, he crossed his arms, eager to see what she was truly capable of.
---
Athena
The moment Athena released her power, a wave of icy cold rushed through her, as if she had stepped into a realm where frost and ice reigned supreme. So this is what he meant by understanding my nature…
She took a deep breath, embracing the chill. If her power was cold, then she had to become just as relentless. With a single step forward, the ground beneath her froze over.
A Kick Rabbit lunged at her, but before it could reach her, its body crystallized mid-air, frozen solid. The other rabbits hesitated, their instincts screaming at them to retreat.
Raising her hand, a magic circle formed before her.
"Ice Cage."
Thick walls of ice shot up from the ground, trapping the rabbits inside. One of them panicked, kicking at the barrier—only for frost to creep up its leg, freezing it solid within seconds.
Clenching her hand into a fist, Athena unleashed her next spell.
"Ice Snow."
A gust of frigid wind howled through the cage, sweeping over the trapped beasts. By the time the wind settled, they were nothing but frozen statues.
Panting, Athena collapsed to one knee, her mana slowly stabilizing. That took more effort than she expected…
But before she could recover, a thunderous crash echoed through the forest. Her breath caught as an enormous Kick Rabbit Boss emerged, crashing through the trees as it charged toward her.
She struggled to rise, but her body refused to move. Damn it… I pushed myself too hard…
Just as panic set in, a shadow stepped in front of her.
"Well done, Athena," Nate said, his tone laced with amusement. "I guess all you girls needed was a little push."
She glanced up at him, his confident smirk unwavering. Was this his plan all along?
"Now, let me take care of this baby," he added, cracking his knuckles before shooting her a knowing glance.
---
Emily
With Nate gone, Emily found herself alone against the Swarm Crows—but she refused to back down.
The sky darkened as a mass of crows dived toward her, their screeches filling the air. Raising her hand, she summoned a magic circle. The ground rumbled before a stone wall rose, blocking their attack.
With a flick of her wrist, the wall shattered into countless stone shards. She thrust her hand forward.
"Stone Rain!"
The shards shot upward like arrows, piercing through the crows mid-flight. One by one, they plummeted to the ground, lifeless.
As the last crow fell, she dropped to one knee, gasping for breath. Did I use too much mana…?
A soft growl made her look up. Nate's Shadow Panther stood beside her, nudging her gently before lowering itself, signaling for her to hop on.
A weak smile crossed her lips. I did it. I took them all down on my own.
---
Owen
Focusing his mana had been harder than any battle Owen had fought, but now… he finally felt it. His body was adjusting.
He gripped his sword tighter. Picture it as a blade…
"Slow and steady," Eden called out as Owen dodged another lunge from the Fang Beast. The energy forming around his sword felt different this time.
It was light—as if it had truly become an extension of himself.
"Now do it, Owen!"
This was it. The moment of truth.
He sidestepped a low strike and countered with a clean slash. His blade cut through the beast in one fluid motion, slicing it in two.
Owen blinked in shock. The force I used wasn't even that strong, yet it cut so easily…
Glancing down at his sword, he noticed small cracks forming along the blade. If I had messed up… it could have shattered.
And if it had broken… these beasts would have been the least of his worries.
---
Athena
The Kick Rabbit Boss lay motionless before her, defeated. Nate dusted off his hands, his expression casual—like taking down a boss monster in two moves was just another warm-up.
Athena gaped at him. I've never seen anyone this powerful before… but then again, he's an S-rank now.
"Oh, right!" Nate suddenly exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "I leveled up! Time to see what my new beast form looks like!"
Before Athena could react, he rolled his shoulders.
"Alright… Beast Change!"
A bright white aura flared around him, nearly blinding in intensity. When the light faded, a Kick Rabbit Boss stood in his place—but this one had distinct black stripes running along its legs.
Nate's voice came from the transformed beast. "Hmm… I'm way too big. I prefer a smaller size."
In an instant, his form shrank to match that of a regular Kick Rabbit.
"How do I look now?" he asked, hopping around.
Athena crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Honestly? You look more like a normal rabbit than a beast. It's kinda cute, but is that size even strong?"
"Oh, it is, sweetie," Nate replied mischievously. "Watch this."
Before she could blink, he vanished.
A chill ran down her spine. She spun around—nothing. Then, his voice echoed from above.
"Up here."
Looking up, she saw him perched on a tree branch.
"I get it. You're fast. Now can you get down here?" she sighed.
"Not just fast."
In a blink, he reappeared in front of her.
"Bunny Kick!"
Nate launched himself into the air, unleashing a devastating downward kick. The sheer force split trees apart, sending debris flying in every direction.
Athena's mouth fell open. "W-What?!"
Landing, Nate crossed his small rabbit arms smugly. "That's what's up."
A moment later, he reverted to his human form, raising his hand as a magic circle appeared beneath him.
"Beast Summon."
Glowing particles swirled in a dazzling display before solidifying.
A Kick Rabbit materialized atop the circle, kneeling before Nate in submission.
"Another beast to the ranks," he said with a grin.
And with that, another bond between master and beast was forged.
---