The setting sun slowly descended, and the battlefield was filled with the lingering scent of smoke. The team had just escaped the drake's oppressive power, and every contract beast bore injuries of varying degrees. Only Shadow Wolf stood apart, its body emanating an icy black glow.
Rayke's Ironhide Beast knelt on the ground, and Ava's Windfox panted in exhaustion. Only Shadow Wolf raised its crimson eyes, coldly scanning the group, as though disdainful of their efforts.
"Shadow Wolf, something's wrong with you!" Rein called out to it through their soul link.
However, what surged through the soul link was an unfamiliar and suffocating presence—a darkness far colder than ever before, radiating a powerful rejection.
The black glow around Shadow Wolf intensified, as though it was absorbing the residual crimson rune energy from the drake. With a guttural growl, it lunged toward the ruins ahead, splitting the ground with a deep gash.
"What's happening to it?" Ava frowned, attempting to call out to Shadow Wolf in beast-speak. But her face instantly turned pale as she clutched her chest. "No… its soul is in utter chaos, as if it's become two separate entities!"
"Ava! Get back!" Rein realized that Shadow Wolf's state was spiraling far beyond his control. He tried to suppress it through their soul contract, but Shadow Wolf retaliated with an even stronger resistance. The surrounding soul waves nearly knocked him off his feet.
Rayke coldly observed the scene. "This is the contract beast you're so proud of? It looks more terrifying than our enemies."
"Shut up! It's just been affected by the drake's energy!" Rein snapped, struggling to contain his anger. He knew he had to remain calm, his mind racing for a solution.
Ava took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, attempting once more to approach Shadow Wolf. Her beast-speak murmurs intertwined with Windfox's aura, enveloping Shadow Wolf in an attempt to calm its rampage. However, fear flashed in her eyes. "Rein, its soul… its soul doesn't belong solely to you. It's breaking free!"
These words sent a jolt through Rein's heart. He immediately dove into the depths of their soul connection, where Shadow Wolf's crimson eyes loomed in the void.
"Don't try to dominate me," Shadow Wolf's deep voice resonated with disdain. "My existence isn't for your victories."
"Then what is it for?" Rein gritted his teeth. "You're my contract beast—why would you resist the contract?"
Shadow Wolf chuckled coldly. "The contract is nothing but a tool. True power needs no shackles. You failed in your past life because you were too weak."
Rein did not back down, his soul gathering fragments of light and shadow. He stared directly at Shadow Wolf. "This isn't for you to decide! No matter how you struggle, I won't let failure repeat itself! You're resisting fate, but I'm changing it!"
Shadow Wolf's gaze flickered with hesitation, but it quickly grew cold again. "Then prove it to me."
In the fierce battle within the soul, Rein used every ounce of his strength to stabilize the soul contract. His soul energy was nearly swallowed by Shadow Wolf's darkness, but in the end, he found a fleeting moment of balance.
Shadow Wolf's rampage gradually subsided, the black glow receding. It let out a low scoff and returned to Rein's side, muttering, "You've won once, but don't get cocky."
Ava sighed in relief. "It's calm for now… but the second force in its soul is far more dangerous than we imagined."
Rayke spoke coldly. "Shadow Wolf isn't an ordinary contract beast—it's not even a simple 'beast.' Rein, if you can't control it completely, don't drag us down with you."
Rein clenched his fist, his voice resolute. "It's my contract beast. No matter what lies ahead, I'll handle it."
Yet Shadow Wolf whispered within the soul link, "The darkness in the distance… the Ultimate Beast, it's calling me. Can your plan withstand its power?"
In the distance, the sky turned blood red, and a low growl echoed faintly, as though responding to Shadow Wolf's voice.