Chapter 51 — The Hunt of Ascension
The first thing Vaibhav felt was stillness.
A strange, heavy silence — the kind that pressed down on the chest, making it hard to tell if one was awake or still trapped in the fog of dreams.
He opened his eyes slowly. White ceiling. The faint hum of spirit lamps. The sterile scent of herbs and medicinal incense.
The infirmary.
His fingers twitched weakly. His body didn't obey him. Every nerve screamed like molten metal, but underneath the pain, there was something else — a quiet pulse, deep inside his core. It didn't feel like his own heartbeat.
It felt… primal.
A faint voice broke the silence. "You're finally awake."
Alicia's voice — calm, but thinner than usual. Her hair was tied up messily, bandages wrapping her neck and wrists. Shin sat nearby, head bowed, eyes half-lidded, looking as though he'd aged a few years overnight.
Vaibhav tried to speak, but his throat cracked instead. "How… long?"
Alicia exhaled softly. "Two weeks."
He blinked in disbelief. The Mirror Trial had been a blur of pain, fear, and reflection — literally. That beast, that thing wearing his face… the memory still made his skin crawl.
Before he could ask more, the infirmary door slid open.
Aria Nakamura stepped in, dressed in the same obsidian uniform, but her aura felt sharper — like a blade polished to perfection. Tanjiro followed her, silent as a shadow, his expression unreadable.
Aria's gaze swept across the trio. "You survived."
No warmth in her tone, but no mockery either. Just fact.
"Barely," Shin muttered, earning a faint smirk from Tanjiro.
Aria continued, "The Mirror Trial wasn't designed to kill you. It was designed to break you down until the only thing left standing was your core self — your primal essence."
She crossed her arms, eyes narrowing slightly. "Now that you've survived, your cores have begun awakening… but they're unstable. You can feel it, can't you?"
Vaibhav nodded slowly. Deep within, he felt that pulse again — a rhythm that wasn't quite human. It surged when he got angry, trembled when he doubted himself.
"Good," Aria said softly. "Then you're ready for the final stage."
Shin straightened, his fatigue momentarily forgotten. "There's more?"
Aria smiled faintly. "There's always more."
Tanjiro finally spoke, voice low and steady. "The next phase is called The Hunt of Ascension. You'll enter the Primal Arena — a biome simulation built beneath this academy. A place where only instinct decides survival. You'll face beasts that embody every primal path. Your task is simple—"
He paused. "Survive. And hunt."
Hours later, the trio stood at the gates of the Primal Arena.
The air shimmered with wild energy — a distortion of space itself. Beyond the threshold, one could glimpse glimpses of forests, mountains, deserts, and caverns all stitched together like a mad god's dream.
Aria's voice echoed through the chamber, crisp and commanding.
"The Primal Arena was forged from the foundation of this academy itself. Its ecosystem was designed by the Principal, who reshaped reality to make this possible. You won't just fight monsters — you'll fight existence."
Shin chuckled nervously. "That's… comforting."
"Good," Aria replied dryly. "You'll need humor where you're going."
Tanjiro stood beside her, arms crossed. "Remember your lessons. Power without control is chaos. Instinct without purpose is suicide."
His gaze settled on Vaibhav. "Let's see if you've learned."
And then, the gates opened.
The world inside the Arena roared to life.
Heat waves rippled across the cracked ground. Wind screamed through jagged cliffs. Trees shimmered with glowing veins of energy.
Vaibhav could feel the land breathing — primal, alive, hungry.
They moved as a unit. Shin darted ahead, scanning terrain with his quicksilver perception. Alicia followed, her aura calm and protective, forming faint energy barriers against ambient spirit fluctuations. Vaibhav stayed central, carrying their weight — shield, wall, and weapon.
It didn't take long before the first roar echoed through the biome.
A shadow burst from the undergrowth — a four-legged beast, hide made of molten stone and eyes of liquid fire. Shin was already moving, slashing through its flank, but the creature barely flinched.
Alicia thrust both palms forward — emerald sigils flared, forming a wall of energy. The beast crashed into it, roaring.
"Vaibhav!" she shouted.
He charged forward, instincts burning. His fist connected with the beast's jaw — bone shattered, molten saliva splashing across his arm. He ignored the burn and slammed it again, this time with a roar that shook dust from the cliffs.
The beast fell.
Silence followed — then another roar, deeper, heavier.
Dozens of glowing eyes blinked open in the darkness.
"...Of course," Shin muttered.
Hours blurred into days.
They fought endlessly — beasts of sand and flame, creatures woven from fog and hunger, spirits that whispered lies while they attacked.
Shin learned to trust his instincts again — not speed, but rhythm. Every motion became precise, his movement now a flowing current instead of chaotic flashes.
Alicia adapted differently. She learned when not to resist — allowing her defense to bend, to absorb, to redirect. Her barriers became alive, almost breathing with her.
Vaibhav… endured.
He bled, burned, and broke. But he didn't stop.
Every hit, every wound only sharpened that strange crimson pulse inside him.
It grew louder.
Until finally, the air shifted — everything went still.
A low tremor spread beneath their feet. The earth cracked open, and from the rift, a colossal shape emerged — wings made of obsidian mist, scales reflecting all five primal colors. The Apex Primal.
Its roar was pure chaos — sound turned weapon.
They fought as one.
Shin blurred through the air, blades flashing like lightning. Alicia anchored herself in the storm, deflecting each destructive wave. Vaibhav held the front, clashing against claws the size of trees.
But the beast was too strong.
A single swipe sent Vaibhav crashing into the rock wall — his ribs shattered, blood flooding his mouth. Alicia screamed, running toward him — but the shockwave sent her sprawling, her barriers flickering out.
Shin lunged, too slow — a claw ripped across his side.
For a heartbeat, it seemed over.
Alicia trembled, her hands pressed to the ground. "Not… yet…"
Her aura flared — veins of green light surged through her skin. Her body refused to break. The ground itself rose to shield her.
Primal Ascendancy: Survivor.
Shin's eyes snapped open, glowing with cold silver-blue. The world slowed around him — each heartbeat a frozen frame. He vanished, reappearing behind the beast, blades cutting through its wings.
Primal Ascendancy: Hunter.
And Vaibhav — half-conscious, half-broken — felt their energy wash over him.
He saw them fighting through agony, defying everything.
A deep, ancient growl stirred in his chest. His hands clenched.
Not yet…
His vision went red.
Energy flooded out, wild, feral, alive.
When he roared, it wasn't human.
Crimson light erupted around him, shaking the arena itself.
Primal Ascendancy: Beast.
He slammed into the Apex, breaking through its guard. The three of them moved in perfect synchrony — Shin's speed cutting open weak points, Alicia's will shielding them from death, and Vaibhav's raw strength crushing everything left.
With one final, thunderous blow, the Apex Beast fell.
Its body dissolved into pure primal essence, scattering across the arena like burning starlight.
The three of them stood, barely breathing, eyes glowing faintly with their primal light. Then — silence.
The arena trembled. The sky split into red and silver cracks.
Far above, watching through the projection, Tanjiro exhaled slowly — the faintest grin curving his lips.
"They've done it," he murmured. "They've finally awakened."
Aria smiled faintly beside him, her tone soft but filled with pride.
"And this… is only the beginning."