~ Aika discovers panic is not a combat style (but improvisation might be)
The trial beast was on fire.
Not metaphorically. Not spiritually. Actually, aggressively, very on fire.
It prowled in a slow circle, hooves cracking stone, molten lines running beneath its obsidian skin like veins of lava. Each breath it took hissed, steam rolling out of its nostrils.
Aika stood very still.
Too still.
"I would like to formally submit a complaint," she whispered. "This feels unfair."
Mochi peeked out from her arms, ears flattening as tiny blue flames flickered defensively.
Kazuki's voice echoed in her mind—not aloud, but remembered.
Don't run blindly. Watch the feet. Fire beasts commit before they strike.
She swallowed hard.
"Okay. Okay. Feet. Fire. Don't scream."
The trial beast snorted.
Aika screamed.
It lunged.
She barely dove aside as a wave of heat blasted where she'd been standing, the ground blackening instantly.
She rolled, popped up clumsily, and ran.
"WHY IS EVERYTHING HERE SO FAST?!"
The system chimed.
[HELPFUL TIP:] [ZIGZAG.]
"Oh WOW, THANK YOU."
She zigzagged anyway, heart pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out and negotiate separately.
The beast charged again, slamming into a boulder that exploded into shrapnel.
Aika skidded to a stop, chest heaving.
She glanced at the watching warriors.
They weren't cheering. They weren't helping. They were evaluating.
Like judges at a talent show called Will She Die Horribly.
Kazuki stood rigid, hands clenched, every line of him screaming restraint.
She caught his eye.
For just a second.
And something passed between them.
Not comfort. Not reassurance.
Trust.
Her stomach flipped.
"Okay," she whispered. "If I'm doing this… I'm doing it my way."
She scanned the terrain.
Cliff edge. Loose stones. Glowing crystal vines. And—oh thank god—water pooling near the rocks below.
The beast charged again.
This time, she didn't run away.
She ran toward it.
Kazuki's eyes widened.
"Aika—!"
Too late.
She hurled herself sideways at the last second, grabbing a crystal vine and swinging hard.
The beast overshot, skidding, claws scraping uselessly.
It turned, furious.
Aika hit the ground badly, shoulder screaming in pain, but she didn't stop.
She sprinted for the water.
"HEY, FIRE JERK!" she yelled. "CHASE ME, YOU OVERGROWN CAMPFIRE!"
The beast obliged.
Of course it did.
She reached the pool just as it lunged again.
At the last second, she leapt aside and slammed both hands into the crystal vine.
The vine reacted instantly—light flaring, energy discharging.
The beast crashed straight into the water.
Steam exploded.
The shock sent the creature reeling, fire sputtering violently as it roared in rage and pain.
Aika collapsed onto her knees, gasping.
"Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm alive."
The system chimed brightly.
[OBJECTIVE UPDATE:] [TRIAL BEAST DISABLED.] [STATUS: HUMAN STILL BREATHING.]
Kazuki moved instantly.
In one blink, he was beside her, grabbing her shoulders, scanning her with frantic intensity.
"Are you hurt?"
She laughed breathlessly. "Define hurt."
His jaw tightened. "You should not have done that."
"I know," she said weakly. "But it worked."
He exhaled shakily, forehead lowering until it almost touched hers—caught between relief and fury.
"…You terrify me."
"Everyone keeps saying that," she muttered.
Behind them, the Emberfang warriors murmured uneasily.
The leader stepped forward, expression unreadable.
"The human survived."
"Yes," Kazuki snapped. "As ordered."
The leader studied Aika closely now—not as prey.
As problematic.
"…Interesting," he repeated, less amused this time. "She adapts quickly."
Aika looked up, dirt-streaked, hair wild, clutching Mochi like a trophy.
"I'm very motivated by not dying."
The leader gave a short laugh. "You've passed the trial."
The pressure in the air eased slightly.
Kazuki stood fully now, placing himself between Aika and the others once more—subtly different this time.
Not shielding.
Claiming.
"You have seen enough," he said coldly. "Leave."
The Emberfang leader inclined his head. "We will."
His gaze lingered on Aika. "But Beast King… the council will not ignore her."
Kazuki's aura flared dangerously. "Let them try."
The warriors withdrew, melting back into the forest.
Silence followed.
Aika sagged back onto the stone, shaking now that the adrenaline was gone.
"…I think I need to lie down for a year."
Kazuki crouched in front of her.
Without asking, he lifted her carefully into his arms.
She squeaked weakly. "Oh. This again."
"You did well," he said quietly.
Her breath hitched.
"…I did?"
"Yes."
One word. Heavy. Earned.
Her eyes burned unexpectedly.
The system chimed, smug.
[QUEST COMPLETE:] [BEAST KING'S TRUST: +10] [NOTE: YOU ARE NO LONGER CONSIDERED EXPENDABLE.]
"…That's comforting," she murmured.
Kazuki started back toward the den, Mochi hopping onto his shoulder with surprising ease.
Aika rested her head against Kazuki's chest, exhaustion finally winning.
"…Hey, Kazuki?"
"Yes."
"If I died back there… would you have burned the forest down?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
She smiled sleepily.
"Good."
Above them, the Beastworld watched.
And for the first time—
It began to understand.
The human wasn't bait.
She was a catalyst.