Kazuki's POV
Cassian's words hung in the air like a death sentence: Divine Beast. Imperial Vault. Theft.
Through our bond, I felt Sera's terror spike. Her arms tightened around me protectively, and I wanted to tell her it was okay, that we'd figure this out, but all I could manage was another pathetic squeak.
A Divine Beast? Me?
That couldn't be right. I was just Kazuki Tanaka, the guy who ate instant ramen for dinner and fell asleep watching anime. The universe didn't hand out legendary power to people like me.
"You're lying." Sera's voice shook, but she didn't back down. "You're trying to trick me into giving him up so Elena can have him too. Just like the phoenix."
"Sera, I swear on my honor—"
"Your honor?" She laughed bitterly. "You broke our engagement three hours ago in front of three hundred people. You don't have honor."
Cassian flinched like she'd slapped him. "I deserved that. But this isn't about us. If the Imperial Guard finds out you have their stolen beast, they'll execute you for treason. Give him to me. I can protect you both—"
"No."
The word came out flat and final. Through our bond, I felt Sera's decision crystallize into steel. She'd rather die than let someone take me away.
Why? I thought desperately at her. You just met me. I'm not worth dying for.
Her answer came through our bond, not in words but in pure emotion: Everyone I loved threw me away. I won't do that to you.
Something in my tiny tiger chest cracked open.
Cassian took another step forward. "Be reasonable. You can't protect a Divine Beast. You're not strong enough—"
Power exploded out of me.
I didn't mean to do it. One second I was a helpless kitten-sized cub, the next, silver flames erupted from my fur. The temperature in the room spiked so high that frost forming on the windows instantly melted. Cassian stumbled backward, his thunder dragon actually retreating.
"Impossible," he whispered. "Newborns can't control their power like that."
I'm not controlling anything! I wanted to scream. The flames were responding to my emotions—my rage at watching Sera get hurt again, my determination to protect her even though I was useless.
The silver fire intensified, and suddenly I felt something else. Memories that weren't mine flooded my brain.
I saw a massive white tiger with wings made of starlight, standing in a crystal chamber. Ancient humans in robes bowed before it. I heard them speaking: "Divine Beasts choose their own tamers. Those pure of heart who need them most."
The vision shifted. The great tiger curled around an egg—my egg. "I will sleep until I find one worthy. One who values loyalty over power. Kindness over strength."
Then I saw myself, pushing that kid out of traffic. My final thought before the truck hit: At least I did something that mattered.
The memories snapped back into focus, and I understood.
I didn't just reincarnate into a random egg. The Divine Beast's soul merged with mine when I died. That's why I have human intelligence and beast power. I'm both. Something that's never existed before.
"Sera." Cassian's voice was urgent now. "Look at his flames. That's Divine Fire—the rarest power in existence. Every noble house, every emperor, every dark cult will hunt you for him. Please, let me help—"
"Help like you helped me at the ceremony?" Sera's words dripped poison. "Get out, Cassian. We're done."
"You're making a mistake!"
"It's my mistake to make."
The door slammed as Cassian left, but I heard him shout from outside: "I'll give you until dawn to change your mind. After that, I'm reporting this to the Guard. For your own protection."
Sera slid down the wall, still clutching me. Her whole body shook. "Did you hear that? We have until sunrise. Then the entire empire will be hunting us."
Through our bond, I felt her mind racing. She had no money. No allies. No home. And now she had the most wanted beast in the kingdom.
We need to run, I thought at her desperately. Hide somewhere.
"But where?" she whispered, like she'd heard me. "I don't know anything about survival. I'm a useless noble who can't even keep her own family."
You're not useless. I pushed the thought through our bond as hard as I could. You chose me when everyone said I was worthless. That takes more strength than any magic.
Sera's eyes widened. "Can you... can you actually understand me?"
I nodded—or tried to. My cub body was still clumsy, but I managed a clear up-and-down head movement.
Her breath caught. "You're not a normal beast at all, are you?"
Before I could figure out how to answer, footsteps thundered outside. Multiple pairs. Armored boots on stone.
"Imperial Guard!" someone shouted. "Open this door in the name of Emperor Aldric!"
No. No, no, no. Cassian had betrayed us. Again. Or someone else had figured it out.
Sera scrambled to her feet, looking frantically around the tiny room. One window. One door. No other exits.
We were trapped.
The door exploded inward, and five soldiers in golden armor poured in. Their leader pointed a sword at Sera. "Sera Whitstone, you're under arrest for theft of Imperial property. Surrender the Divine Beast immediately."
"Run!" Sera suddenly threw herself toward the window, cradling me against her chest. Glass shattered around us as we tumbled into the night air.
We were three stories up.
We're going to die, my brain screamed. Again. I'm going to die again.
But as we fell, something inside me awakened. The Divine Beast memories surged forward, and I felt power flood through my tiny body. My silver flames exploded outward, forming a cushion of fire beneath us.
We hit the ground hard but alive. Sera gasped in pain—probably cracked ribs—but she didn't let me go.
"Run," she panted, forcing herself to stand. "We run."
Behind us, the Guards were already climbing out the window.
Sera stumbled into the dark streets, and I realized something terrifying: I had no idea if my power would work again. That cushion of flames had been pure instinct.
What if next time, I couldn't save us?
We rounded a corner into an alley, and Sera collapsed behind some crates, breathing hard. Through our bond, I felt her ribs screaming with pain. She was hurt bad.
"I'm sorry," she whispered to me. "I'm so sorry I got you into this. If I'd been stronger, smarter, better—"
Stop. I pressed my tiny head against her cheek, trying to comfort her even as Guards' footsteps echoed closer.
Then a voice spoke from the shadows: "Well, well. A Divine Beast cub and a desperate girl. How interesting."
A man stepped into view—old, with gray hair and scars covering his face. He wore rags but moved like a fighter. His eyes were sharp as knives as he studied us.
"I can help you escape the city," he said. "But my assistance comes with a price."
Sera clutched me tighter. "What price?"
The old man smiled, revealing missing teeth. "Simple. You let me train you both. Teach you how to use that bond of yours properly." His eyes gleamed dangerously. "Because right now, you're wasting the greatest power I've seen in fifty years. And that offends me."
The Guards' shouts got closer. We had seconds to decide.
Sera looked at me, her eyes asking the question: Do we trust him?
I studied the old man through my Divine Beast senses, seeing beyond his appearance. There was power in him—old, damaged, but real. And underneath his gruff exterior, I sensed something else.
Loneliness. The same crushing loneliness I'd felt in my old life.
He's like us, I realized. Someone the world threw away.
I nodded at Sera.
She turned back to the old man. "Deal. But if you betray us—"
"If I betray you, your tiger will tear my throat out. I'm aware." He grinned. "Now come. We have about thirty seconds before those fools round the corner."
He pressed a loose brick in the alley wall, and a hidden door swung open, revealing darkness beyond.
"After you," he said. "And welcome to the real education you should have gotten. The one that teaches you how the weak become terrifying."
Sera stepped through the door, and I felt our future shift into something unknown and dangerous.
But as the hidden passage closed behind us, sealing us off from the Guards, one thought burned through my mind:
That old man knew we'd be here. In this exact alley. At this exact time.
Which meant he'd been watching us all along.
The question was: why?