As Hiro gathers more allies, the gods had also not been idle.
As Hiro and his new allies prepared for the coming conflict, the gods watched from above, their anger growing with each passing day. They had sent a servant to stop Hiro before, but he had failed. Now, they knew they needed to send something stronger.
One night, as the tamers slept, a dark figure descended from the heavens, its wings black as night, its eyes glowing with divine fury. It was an angel of the gods, a powerful enforcer sent to punish those who dared defy the will of the gods.
The air in the enclave grew cold as the angel of the gods descended, its wings stretching out like a storm over the sleeping village. The ground trembled beneath the weight of its presence, and the beasts of the tamers stirred in their sleep, sensing the approaching danger.
Hiro was the first to wake. His connection to the wolf and bear flared in warning, their instincts sharp and alert. He rose from his bedroll, his eyes immediately scanning the dark sky. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he spotted the silhouette above, a figure bathed in shadow, its wings beating against the night air.
An angel.
"Lina! Thorne!" Hiro's voice cut through the night, sharp and urgent. "Wake up! They're here."
Lina and Thorne jolted awake, their eyes wide with confusion for only a moment before they, too, sensed the divine presence approaching. The camp was already stirring as the other tamers roused from their sleep, their beasts growling and pacing restlessly at their sides.
The angel landed in the center of the enclave with a deafening thud, its wings folding behind it as it stood tall, its golden eyes glowing with cold, merciless fury. Its face was unreadable, carved from the same divine arrogance as the gods who had sent it. In one hand, it held a long spear, shimmering with divine energy. In the other, a shield inscribed with runes that radiated power.
The tamers, now fully awake, gathered in a circle, their beasts snarling and snapping, but even they seemed hesitant in the face of such a powerful foe.
The angel's voice boomed through the camp, cold and emotionless. "Mortals, you have defied the will of the gods. You have tampered with powers beyond your understanding. Surrender now, or face the wrath of the divine."
Hiro stepped forward, his wolf and bear at his side, their eyes glowing faintly with the power Hiro had awakened within them. "We're not surrendering," Hiro said firmly, his voice steady despite the overwhelming presence of the angel.
The angel's golden eyes fixed on Hiro, and for a moment, it seemed almost amused. "You are the one they speak of. The Beast Sovereign." The angel's tone was mocking, as though Hiro's title was nothing but a child's fantasy in the face of divine power.
"You know who I am," Hiro said, his gaze unwavering. "And if you know that, then you should also know that we won't stand down."
The angel's expression darkened, the mocking tone gone in an instant. "Then you will die."
Without warning, the angel launched itself into the air, its wings propelling it forward with blinding speed. Its spear was raised high, aimed directly at Hiro's heart.
But Hiro was ready.
"Now!" Hiro commanded, his mind surging with the power of the bond he shared with his beasts.
The wolf moved first, faster than any normal creature, its muscles rippling with the hidden power Hiro had unlocked. It leapt toward the angel, its teeth bared, aiming to intercept the strike. The bear followed a split second later, roaring as it charged forward, its massive form crashing into the angel's path.
The angel deflected the wolf's attack with a swift flick of its spear, sending the creature sprawling, but the bear's momentum was unstoppable. It slammed into the angel's shield with a force that shook the ground, and for the first time, the divine enforcer faltered.
The tamers around the camp watched in awe as Hiro's beasts fought with a strength they had never seen before. The power that Hiro had unlocked within them was on full display, and for the first time, they understood what he had been talking about, the potential hidden within the beasts, the power to stand against even the gods.
The angel, however, was far from finished. With a furious snarl, it spread its wings wide, summoning a blast of divine energy that sent both the wolf and bear staggering back. It rose into the air, hovering above the ground as it prepared to strike again.
Lina, standing at Hiro's side, glanced at him with determination. "We can't let it recover!"
Hiro nodded, his mind already racing. "We need to bring it down."
Lina's hawk screeched above them, diving toward the angel with lightning speed, its talons glowing with the energy Lina had unlocked within it. The hawk struck the angel from above, distracting it long enough for Hiro to regain his footing.
The angel roared in fury, batting the hawk away, but its attention was split now. The tamers around the camp began to move, their beasts surging forward to join the fight. Thorne's falcon swooped in with razor-sharp precision, its wings slicing through the air as it attacked the angel from the side.
The angel was powerful, but it was outnumbered.
As the beasts closed in, Hiro saw his opportunity. He raised his hand, calling on the full strength of his bond with the wolf and bear. The energy surged through him, crackling with power as it flowed into his creatures. They responded instantly, their eyes glowing brighter as their strength doubled.
"Now!" Hiro shouted.
The wolf and bear charged as one, their combined strength crashing into the angel with enough force to shatter its shield. The divine energy that had once surrounded the angel flickered and faded, and for the first time, Hiro saw fear in its golden eyes.
The angel stumbled, its wings faltering as it struggled to stay aloft. But Hiro wasn't finished. He pressed forward, driving his beasts to attack again and again, each strike weakening the angel's defenses until, finally, it fell to the ground, its wings crumpled and its spear broken.
The tamers surrounded it, their beasts growling and snarling, ready to strike the final blow.
The angel glared up at Hiro, its voice filled with venom. "You think you've won? The gods will not stop. They will come for you. And when they do, you will fall."
Hiro stepped forward, his expression cold and unyielding. "Let them come."
With a final command, Hiro's wolf lunged, its fangs sinking into the angel's throat. The divine enforcer gasped one last time before its body disintegrated into a cloud of shimmering light, leaving nothing behind but the faint echo of its presence.
The camp fell silent, the tamers standing in stunned silence as they processed what had just happened. They had faced an angel of the gods, and they had won.
Lina stepped forward, her eyes wide with awe. "We did it," she whispered.
Hiro nodded, his breath steady as he surveyed the camp. "This was only the beginning. The gods won't stop here. They'll send more."
Thorne, who had stood back to watch the battle unfold, stepped forward, his expression grim but impressed. "You fought well, boy. But he's right. The gods will send their strongest soon."
Hiro met his gaze, unflinching. "Then we'll be ready."