The ocean was calm.
Too calm.
Above the silent waters, the Spirit Masters vessel continued its slow journey across the world. Laughter echoed from the upper decks where teams from Nepal and Japan had begun forming unexpected friendships.
But far away—
In a place where sand swallowed sound…
A single figure walked.
Barefoot.
Across the burning desert.
Scene 1 – Kaen Drayze
The wind howled.
Heat waves distorted the horizon.
Yet Kaen Drayze did not slow down.
His cloak fluttered behind him, torn at the edges from training battles long past. Each step he took left a deep imprint in the sand—heavy, controlled, deliberate.
He wasn't wandering.
He was sharpening himself.
He stopped.
Closed his eyes.
The desert air trembled.
A dark Core Disc materialized in his hand.
It didn't shine like others.
It pulsed.
Like a heartbeat.
Slow.
Hungry.
Kaen spoke softly.
"Power borrowed is weakness."
The sand around him began to rise in spirals.
A massive shadow formed behind him.
Not fully visible.
Not fully revealed.
Only glowing eyes could be seen within the distortion.
"If I cannot control you…
Then I do not deserve evolution."
His voice grew colder.
"And if I do not deserve it—
Then I will destroy the one who does."
Riku's name echoed in his mind.
"You will not evolve before me."
The desert exploded outward in a shockwave.
Kaen's aura didn't flare wildly.
It compressed.
Condensed.
Focused.
He wasn't chasing power.
He was forcing himself to become worthy of it.
Scene 2 – The Organization
Deep underground.
Far from ocean and sand.
A circular chamber illuminated by holographic projections.
Symbols of multiple nations hovered mid-air.
At the center—
A Core structure rotated slowly. Ancient. Complex. Unstable.
Around it stood several high-ranking officials of the Tournament Organization.
And among them—
Riku's father.
Arms crossed.
Silent.
Listening.
One official spoke:
"Core Evolution cannot be forced through battle alone."
Another added:
"Data from the Nepal vs Japan match confirms resonance instability during peak synchronization."
A hologram replayed the moment Bolt's lightning flickered darker.
The room grew quiet.
Riku's father stepped forward.
His voice calm.
Measured.
"Evolution is not an upgrade."
He looked at the projection carefully.
"It is alignment."
Another member frowned.
"Explain."
He turned.
"A Spirit Beast is not a weapon.
It is a will."
The Core projection shifted, showing ancient carvings of beast symbols.
"When the meteor struck Earth centuries ago… it did not just bring power."
The room dimmed.
"It brought choice."
He placed his hand over the holographic Core.
"The beasts sealed themselves into cores to survive extinction."
"But survival is not obedience."
Silence.
"If the master and spirit do not share purpose—
Evolution will twist."
A heavy pause.
One official asked quietly:
"And if it twists?"
Riku's father answered without hesitation.
"It consumes."
The Core projection glitched violently for a split second.
No one noticed.
Except him.
Scene 3 – Ship at Night
Back on the vessel.
The celebration had calmed.
Moonlight stretched across the deck.
Riku stood alone near the railing.
The ocean breeze cooled his skin.
Bolt's Core Disc rested in his hand.
He stared at it.
"You felt different today."
The disc glowed faintly.
Not dark.
Not unstable.
Just… deeper.
Riku clenched his fist.
"If evolution is coming…
We'll face it together."
Behind him, Mira approached quietly.
She didn't interrupt immediately.
She just stood beside him.
Looking at the water.
After a moment, she spoke:
"You were thinking too loudly."
Riku smirked slightly.
"That obvious?"
She nodded.
"Your Core reacts to your heart."
A pause.
Then softly—
"Don't rush evolution."
He looked at her.
"What if someone else reaches it first?"
She turned toward him fully.
"Then you surpass them after."
No hesitation in her voice.
No doubt.
Only trust.
Riku laughed quietly.
The tension in his chest eased.
But far away—
In the desert—
Kaen Drayze opened his eyes.
And for the first time—
His Core emitted a faint, unstable crack.
Not evolution.
Not yet.
But close.
Too close.
Scene 4 – A Hidden Decision
Back underground—
Riku's father remained after others had left.
He stared at the ancient Core structure alone.
Then he activated a private channel.
"Initiate Phase Two monitoring."
A voice responded:
"Are you certain?"
He closed his eyes briefly.
Then opened them.
"If evolution awakens early…
We must be ready to contain it."
The screen went dark.
His expression remained unreadable.
But inside—
He wasn't thinking like an official.
He was thinking like a father.
End of Chapter 39