As they made their way back down the mountain, the weight of what Hiro had learned pressed heavily on his shoulders. The gods had tried to erase the tamers from history, but they had failed. The knowledge still existed, and Hiro now understood what he needed to do.
The beasts of this world held a power that went beyond anything Hiro had imagined. They weren't just companions or weapons, they were the key to challenging the gods themselves. But unlocking that power wouldn't be easy. It would take time, patience, and a deeper connection than any tamer had ever formed before.
But Hiro was ready.
As they descended the mountain, however, Hiro's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a figure blocking their path. It was a man, cloaked in dark robes, his face hidden beneath a hood.
Hiro stopped, his instincts flaring. The wolf and bear growled, stepping protectively in front of him, while Lina's hawk let out a sharp cry from above.
"You've gone too far, Beast Sovereign," the man said, his voice low and threatening. "You should have stayed in the shadows."
Hiro narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The man chuckled softly, lowering his hood to reveal a gaunt, pale face. "I am a servant of the gods," he said, his eyes gleaming with malice. "And I'm here to make sure you never uncover the truth."
Without warning, the man raised his hand, summoning a dark, swirling energy that crackled with divine power. Hiro reacted instantly, sending the wolf and bear forward to intercept. The clash was fierce and sudden, the wolf darting around the man with blinding speed, while the bear charged head-on, its massive form crashing into the enemy with a roar.
But the man was no ordinary foe. He moved with an unnatural speed, deflecting the wolf's attacks with ease and summoning blasts of dark energy that sent the bear reeling. Hiro clenched his fists, his connection with the beasts pulsing as he directed their movements, guiding them through the battle.
Lina, standing nearby, summoned her hawk, sending it into the fray to harass the man from above. But even as they fought, Hiro could feel the divine power emanating from the man, it was strong, stronger than anything he had faced before.
"You can't stop me," the man sneered, summoning another blast of energy. "The gods will not allow your kind to rise again."
Hiro gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He needed more power, more control. His bond with the wolf and bear was strong, but it wasn't enough. Not yet. But then he remembered the vision, the power hidden within the beasts, the legacy of the ancient tamers.
Hiro closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind, deeper than he ever had before. He tapped into the bond, searching for the power that lay buried beneath the surface.
And then he felt it.
A surge of energy flooded through him, and the wolf and bear responded instantly, their forms glowing with a faint, ethereal light. Their eyes blazed with new strength as they attacked with renewed fury, their movements faster, stronger, more precise than ever before.
The servant of the gods gasped for breath as Hiro's beasts pressed their advantage. The wolf's fangs gleamed in the fading light as it sank its teeth into the man's arm, and the bear loomed over him, its massive form casting a shadow over his broken figure. Dark energy still flickered around the servant, but it was weakening, his divine strength no match for the combined might of Hiro's beasts.
Hiro stepped forward, his eyes hard and unyielding. "Tell your gods," he said coldly, "that they're running out of time."
The man's eyes were wide, full of shock and pain, as he struggled to speak. His voice was a rasping whisper. "You don't understand… they will send more. You cannot stop what is coming."
Hiro met his gaze with a cold stare. "I'm not trying to stop them," he said quietly. "I'm going to destroy them."
The man gasped one final time, and then, with a shudder, his body dissolved into shadow, vanishing into the ether. The dark energy that had fueled him dissipated, leaving only silence in its wake.
Hiro's wolf and bear stood by his side, their breaths heavy but controlled, their eyes still glowing with the power Hiro had unlocked. The bond between them felt stronger than ever, pulsing with a newfound energy that Hiro could feel thrumming through his veins.
He looked down at his hands, feeling the power coursing through him. This was just the beginning. The gods had sent their first servant to stop him, but Hiro had turned the tide. He had unlocked something within his beasts, something ancient, something the gods had tried to bury. But they had failed.
Lina approached him slowly, her hawk circling above as the tension from the battle finally began to fade. Her face was pale, but her eyes were wide with understanding. "That power," she said softly. "What did you do?"
Hiro turned to face her, his expression serious. "I didn't do anything," he said. "It was always there. Buried deep inside the beasts. The ancient tamers knew about it and they could unlock it. And now, so can I."
Lina swallowed, her hand resting on the stag at her side. "But what does it mean? If the gods are sending people after you…"
"It means they're afraid," Hiro replied, his voice firm. "Afraid of what I can become. And afraid of what these creatures can become."
Lina fell silent, her mind racing as she processed everything that had just happened. She had always known there was something special about the creatures, something deeper than the villagers understood. But this, this was on another level entirely. If Hiro could unlock the hidden power within beasts, then what else could he do?
Hiro turned to look back at the path ahead, the temple now far behind them. "We need to move quickly," he said. "The gods won't stop with just one servant. They'll send more. They won't stop until they're sure I'm dead."
Lina nodded, her determination growing. She had chosen this path willingly, and she wouldn't back down now. "I'm with you."
Hiro glanced at her, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Good. We have a lot of work to do."
With that, they set off down the mountain, their pace quickened by the weight of what was coming. The gods were watching, but Hiro no longer feared their gaze. He would unlock the full potential of his beasts, and when the time came, he would face the gods themselves.
And this time, he would not fall.