Chapter 22
Flashback
Time had no meaning in the Eidolon Hollow.
The normal thought was a day in the Hollow could feel like thousands of years. But that, Lily soon realized, was only a ploy, a mere trick to make Renji and the others believe in the passage of time. In reality, one hour in that realm felt like millions of years. Every second stretched, every minute lasted like centuries.
And Lily had to survive it.
She trained under Arin, the woman who had created the Hollow itself the mother of all creation Arin's power was infinite, her control was absolute.
The Hollow adapted constantly, but Arin's superiority ensured that Lily never faced anything she couldn't survive if she truly tried.
The Hollow realm was a living pulse . It could sense weaknesses, adapt to her strategies, and counter every move. Every attack she tried to use against it, every step she took, was met with resistance designed to break her. She could have died a million times within an hour, yet she would wake again, forced to endure, forced to grow stronger.
Because she was training for something far beyond herself she was training to bond with Rajah, the six-tailed fox spirit.
Her first attempts were brutal. Lily could barely draw a fraction of Rajah's power. Every time she tried, her body burned as if it were being torn apart from the inside. Her mind screamed for her to stop, to give up, to escape.
It felt like a divine flame burning her from the inside
She collapsed more times than she could count. Exhausted, broken, bleeding from countless internal injuries. And yet, she forced herself to stand again.
It was then she understood the true meaning of bonding.
No bonding was not just power. It was mind, heart, emotion, care, and trust.
Bonding was love not romantic, but a pure connection between two beings who chose to walk together as one.
Arin watched silently, her presence unshakable, yet commanding.
"You know? You must communicate with Rajah," Arin said softly. "Not with spells. Not with force. Speak with your soul."
Lily hesitated at first, but she tried.
A soft, whispering voice reached her within her mind, warm and playful, yet impossibly strong.
"You are… Rajah?" Lily asked internally.
"Yes," the voice replied, and a figure appeared before her in her mind. A massive fox spirit with blue fur and goldish patterns and her six massive tails flicking with power that could destroy continents in a blink.
"You chose me why? ," Lily whispered, trembling. "You… why you want me to use your power?"
"Yes," Rajah's voice rumbled, deeper than the Hollow itself. " I chose you and ny power is free for you to use, but only if your body can handle its full scope."
"but I don't understand why me?" Lily asked, voice shaking.
"I have seen your struggles, your pain,your torment and your heart," Rajah said. "You are pure and righteous. My desire was to find someone worthy to use my power to it's limit I can't fully function without an avatar and now for the first time ever I have found a worthy human, No one else deserves this power. Only you."
Lily felt the weight of the fox's words.
"In fully bonding with you," Rajah continued, "I bond my very existence with you. You become my avatar, my extension, my vessel of unlimited strength. Meaning If you die, I die. But because of my nature… immortality is yours. You are the one meant to master this power."
I feel what you feel, your pain become my pain and your joy becomes mine
"Master it, Lily. Push yourself beyond what mortals can comprehend. I chose you for a reason. There is an impending war. You must be ready."
Lily swallowed, her chest tight. "I won't fail. I will master it."
And so she trained.
every minute felt like a century. And every hour felt like millions of years... Every strike, every surge of power, every attempt to connect with Rajah, brought failure but also understanding.
Slowly, Lily learned to use Rajah's power, even if only partially. Her body could hold barely ten percent of it at first, but she pushed herself. She became faster, stronger, smarter. She learned to move as one with Rajah, their minds entwined, their emotions synchronized. They became a single unit, a single entity.
Even then, the power was not fully hers. Arin thought mastering it would take thousands of years.. but in time she realized she was wrong it was all fallacy... both her and Lily learned it was impossible for mortals even a billion years wouldn't be enough to hold all of Rajah's strength.
But she tried.
And one day, something new appeared.
A presence, unlike anything Lily had faced: an Echo.
Arin starred how..
How are they here!! Don't move Lily Arin mustered
It slipped into the Hollow, adaptive and relentless. It could evolve faster than even the realm's own defenses.
Arin realized, her heart pounding.
How did I not notice shit was about Elyra, If one came here, they are already in the universe.
Taking it headon is useless
In that case !!
..."if you can adapt then I will make a law not even you can adapt to"
She focused every ounce of her energy. She synchronized her true form . She forced the Echo to obey her laws, erasing its ability to adapt. The echo trembled under her mastery. She had won...but it was a warning. The Echoes would not be easy anywhere.
Finally, Arin appeared before lily radiating authority and warmth.
" You have learned much," Arin said. "But you must return to your world."
This aren't beings that can be dealt with easily they adapt to all phenomina of mana
"Return? Noo i'm not ready," Lily whispered, her body trembling from exertion. "If I leave now, I can't fully control Rajah. The Echoes… what if they appear while I'm gone?"
"Go!!! She screamed then continued, you have gained more experience than even Januza himself,..Arin replied firmly.
It may feel like a millions of years here but In the real world, only two or three days will pass. It will be as if you never left. And if an Echo has come into your universe, it is already here."
Lily felt Rajah stir inside her. The fox's blue flames flickered, coiling around her spirit.
"She's right Lily you must learn to use fifty percent of my power," Rajah said. "Your Spirit Art will be the key to disabling their adaptability.
Arin cuts in....."they can adapt to mana, but not spirit art. You are the ultimate weapon against the Echoes and if the echoes aren't there then you will be a weapon against Azerin and against anything that threatens your world. And if you survive, you will grow stronger still. You will surpass even me
Lily blinked. "Ehhh… you're really powerful. How can I even surpass ? You created universes and realms of this magnitude."
Even capable of erasing them
Rajah's voice was steady, confident.
She's right Lily both I and Vendova are weapons created by the Supreme Deity from concepts. While Vendova is the creator force, I can grow stronger only through the right avatar and that is you, Lily Kurogane.
Arin added, her voice serene but powerful:
"If you grow stronger and stronger, Lily… you will have the ability to reshape and rewrite universes. You will create realms and universes of greater magnitude. You will become me, within your universe. You carry the power of concepts and the cosmic itself. Use it wisely."
Lily's chest tightened. "I won't fail. If the Echoes… or Azerin… are here, Rajah and I will end our existence together. Nothing will survive that should not. And I will not falter."
The Hollow trembled around her. Rajah's six tails swirled with infinite fire. And for the first time, Lily felt… ready.
She was no longer just a girl. She was the fox's avatar. She was the weapon. She was a force of creation and destruction.
And the Echoes, if they had entered the universe,
would soon learn why.
Present Day
Sakura's eyes went wide. How how lily-sama…?
Her heart skipped a beat as she took in the figure on the stage.
Dracan, standing nearby, stiffened. He could feel the sheer energy leaking from her body. It wasn't just powerful it was terrifying, like the air itself could combust under her aura.
Hiroto's brow furrowed, and he took a cautious step forward.
"Wait…" he murmured, almost to himself. "That's Lily, right? But… why does she look so different? What the hell is going on?"
The Pillars Elena, Ravi, Felipe, Longwei, Marcus, Takeda, Erik, and Lúcio...also stiffened. Their expressions were a mix of shock and incredulity.
Isn't that kid… Renji's sister?
Why does she look so grown?
And what is this aura?
Wang Chi's eyes narrowed. His hands twitched involuntarily.
What are the Kurogane's really up to? he thought, his mind flashing back. That same girl… a soldier pointed a gun at her two years ago and Renji threatened president Nakamura… that little helpless kid and now she's standing here, radiating this… force? What is happening?
Lily's gaze swept across the hall, calm but piercing. Her aura vibrated like a blade cutting through steel, forcing the room into uneasy silence. Even the SS hunters stopped murmuring, their eyes locked on her.
Her voice, when she spoke, was lower than anyone expected resonant and steady.
"You all need to understand what's coming," she said. "The Echoes aren't just another threat. They're an existential danger."
Renji's heart skipped a beat. He could feel the weight of her words, but…
How does she know about the Echoes? he thought, mind racing. She wasn't even in this universe… and how is she here?
Even as he stared, he noticed how grown she looked tall, poised, with the presence of someone who had lived through decades of battle. She looks like she's… twenty-five. Meanwhile she's only fifteen
Did the eidolon hollow really change her that much
Sakura stepped forward slightly, her voice cutting through the tension.Lily-sama…
the Echoes," she began, "they're adaptive, overwhelming, and..if left unchecked they can consume entire territories in days. Their power grows exponentially if underestimated. What hunter Renji told you is just the beginning. You all need to understand: this isn't a dungeon invasion. This is… extinction-level."
Kobayashi Ren, unable to contain himself any longer spoke sharply.
"Who are you?" he demanded, eyes narrowed.
Lily's gaze swept over him, calm and piercing.
"Who I was doesn't matter," she said. "What matters is I'm here to help and you need all the help you can get "
Ren slammed his hands down, frustration flashing across his face.
"Don't give me bullshit!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hall. "I believe you about the Echoes. But you can't just waltz in here, tell us what to do, and not tell us who you are!"
Murmurs spread across the SS hunters. Some nodded in agreement, others whispered among themselves, questioning and debating quietly.
Hiroto's grin had faded entirely. He muttered under his breath:
"This is bad."
Arisa turned toward him, her expression grave.
"No, Hiroto," she said. "This is very bad. We need to do something, now."
Lily's eyes suddenly fixed on Kobayashi Ren, blue flames flickering within them. Her aura flared, pressing down on his mind, his soul, and every instinct he had.
"Shut up," her voice was lower now, commanding, resonant. "If you truly want to know who I am… come. Test. Me. Yourself."
Kobayashi Ren froze, a cold shiver crawling down his spine. He felt it something massive, something ancient, lurking inside her presence.
A massive demon like being
A massive fox spirit, lingering in my soul…
He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. What is she…?
Renji, sensing the escalation, moved forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. Carefully, but firmly, holding her back from pushing further.
"Enough!" he whispered calmly, He stared at Lily for several long seconds, their eyes locking in silent understanding.
Lily blinked, her flames of blue flickering slightly, before she relaxed and gave a small, wry smile.
"Alright… alright," she said, her voice returning to its usual calm.
She took a step back from the edge of the stage, letting the room breathe. Then she continued, her tone grave, measured, yet commanding the room's attention.
"The Echoes… they are everywhere, even where you think it is safe. They are not bound by gates, dimensions, or even the conventional laws of mana. They learn. They adapt. They are predators of worlds."
Her gaze swept across the room, locking briefly on each of the Pillars, then the SS hunters.
"They are patient… calculating… and they strike when you are unprepared. You must anticipate their arrival, fortify your defenses, and most importantly never underestimate them."
Renji's jaw tightened. Her knowledge was uncanny. How does she know this? She wasn't even in this universe…
Lily's gaze returned to Kobayashi Ren, still flickering with the subtle blue fire of the fox spirit.
"Prepare yourselves," she continued, voice steady, unwavering. "At any time… the Echoes will arrive. And when they do, hesitation will be death."
The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of her warning settling into the hearts of every hunter present.