The little Umbramouse had seen Renji hunt rabbits in the mountains before, but this time Renji was heading in a completely different direction along a road. The sudden change caused the Umbramouse to panic. "Squeak, squeak!" it cried, rushing towards Renji. As Renji walked, he felt something hugging his legs from behind. Looking down, he saw it was the little Umbramouse, standing on its hind legs and clutching him tightly with its front paws, its eyes full of distress.
"What is the little Umbramouse doing here?!" Renji exclaimed in surprise. Draven, who had been walking beside him, turned and was shocked to see the magical beast. "A magical beast! Is that a Terran Rodent?" Draven's knowledge of magical beasts was limited, but he knew that Terran Rodents had once devastated an army, making them feared by soldiers. "Renji, be careful!" Draven shouted, rushing towards them. Before Draven could react, the Umbramouse darted onto Renji's shoulder.
"Uncle Draven, wait! This is the pet I've been raising in the back courtyard," Renji explained hurriedly. "Little Umbramouse, right?" The Umbramouse seemed to understand and nodded its head. Draven was astonished. "You've been raising a magical beast?" "Just a moment, Uncle Draven. Let me send him home," Renji said, gently placing the Umbramouse on the ground. "Little Umbramouse, I'm going to the capital with Uncle Draven. You can't come with us. Understood?" The Umbramouse looked up with sad eyes, clearly upset.
Renji waved his hand. "Go back. I'm heading that way, to the capital." As Renji started walking again, the Umbramouse remained stationary, watching him. "Uncle Draven, let's go. The Umbramouse understands what I'm saying," Renji said with a smile. Draven, still amazed, chuckled and continued walking with Renji. Despite their departure, the Umbramouse stayed put. Then, with a sudden loud squeak, it moved with incredible speed, disappearing and reappearing near Renji and Draven in the blink of an eye.
As Draven and Renji walked, Draven suddenly felt a rush of movement behind them and looked back. Before he could react, the Umbramouse had nipped Renji's right leg. "OW!" Renji cried out in pain, jumping up.
Looking down, he saw the Umbramouse with its sad eyes still fixed on him. Renji noticed he was bleeding but couldn't stay angry at the creature's pitiful look. "Are you okay, Renji?" Draven asked with concern. "I'm fine," Renji said with a chuckle. At that moment, a dense black light emanated from the Umbramouse, and a droplet of blood, both Renji's and the Umbramouse's, merged into a strange black formation.
Kaiya Tanaka emerged from the Celestial Dragon Ring, his white beard fluttering. "Renji, the Umbramouse is creating a 'bond of equals' formation." Renji, though initially shocked, felt a surge of excitement as the black triangles formed a magical bond, one triangle entering his body and the other into the Umbramouse's. Draven, observing in shock, was deeply worried. "Are you okay, Renji? What's happening?"
"I'm fine. Echo is now my magical beast," Renji said, grinning. "Come on, Echo, hop onto my shoulder." The Umbramouse eagerly complied, climbing onto Renji's shoulder. Draven, astonished, marveled at the feat. "You tamed him without a soul-binding scroll? How did you manage that?"
"Let's not dwell on it, Uncle Draven," Renji laughed. "We have a long journey ahead to the capital." Pulling Draven along, Renji continued on their way, the joyful Umbramouse—now named Echo—squeaking happily on his shoulder. Together, they ventured off into the distance.