The morning after the gate incident brought an unusual stillness to Philippine Hunter University. Students murmured in tight circles, eyes trailing after Grim like he'd grown wings—or worse, horns. The whispers followed him wherever he went.
They said the sky dimmed when he summoned it.
They said gods only answered to those who didn't belong.
Grim tried to ignore them, but the Minokawa's memory clung to him—its radiant eyes, its deafening cry, the world-bending presence it left behind.
"Grim Arclight?"
He turned. A tall man in a dark blue longcoat approached, bearing the insignia of the Philippine Hunter Association. His eyes were sharp, silver streaks cutting through his otherwise black hair. The air around him felt thinner—charged.
"I'm here on behalf of President Rizalde. He'd like a word."
"Me?" Grim asked.
The man simply nodded. "Now."
---
The elevator in the North Tower ascended in silence, its gentle hum barely masking the storm in Grim's chest. The Sword Saint himself wanted to see him. Why?
The elevator opened to a marble corridor lined with portraits of historic hunters and glowing relics in glass cases. At the end stood a set of towering double doors etched with arcane symbols.
They opened on their own.
Jack Rizalde stood at the center of a circular chamber lined with ancient scrolls, books, and relics. A katana rested on a nearby stand, its blade faintly humming, as if recognizing Grim's arrival.
"Sir," Grim said.
Jack turned. His eyes were calm, but razor-sharp.
"You summoned the Minokawa."
Not a question.
Grim nodded slowly. "I think… it summoned itself. Through me."
Jack motioned to a chair. "Sit."
Grim obeyed.
"There are summons," Rizalde said, "and then there are celestial echoes. Creatures so old they're written into the bones of the world. The Minokawa is one of them. It isn't bound by our plane."
He paused, watching Grim's reaction. "Only a rare kind of summoner has ever drawn the attention of such entities. In ancient records, they were called Prime Summoners."
Grim's throat tightened. "Is that what I am?"
Jack didn't answer immediately. He stepped forward instead. "I don't know. Not yet. But if you are, the world will come for you. Gods. Monsters. People. Each wanting a piece of what you carry."
He folded his arms. "Keep your gift secret for now. Until you understand it—until you can defend it—speak of it to no one."
Grim nodded, a lump forming in his chest.
Jack offered a rare, measured smile. "Good. And Grim—be careful with those who act too friendly too fast."
---
Back in the training yard, the academy tried to resume normalcy. Ms. Karina continued her drills, though her glances lingered longer on Grim than before. Marcus and Liya flanked him during lunch and lectures, an unofficial trio forming in the aftershock of battle.
During sparring, Grim faced Marcus. Fire danced across Marcus's palms, arcing toward Grim's chest. Grim summoned a net of spirit chains to deflect it, the movement instinctual now.
"You're leveling up fast, man," Marcus panted. "Soon, I'll be calling you 'Sensei.'"
Liya laughed. "I knew it! You were hiding your power!"
Grim shrugged with a faint smile. "I'm still figuring things out."
Their laughter was short-lived.
A new figure appeared at the edge of the training field, flanked by a council officer and Ms. Karina. He stood tall, pale-skinned, with long jet-black hair and a crescent scar beneath one eye. An aura of something ancient and wild clung to him.
"This is Sylas Orven," Ms. Karina announced. "A second-year transfer from the Arcane Beast Institute in Romania. He'll be joining our advanced combat classes."
The name alone stirred whispers. Arcane Beast Institute specialized in the taming and studying of ancient monsters—some said they raised demigods.
Sylas's gaze swept over the students. When it landed on Grim, it stayed.
Recognition. Curiosity. Caution.
---
Over the next few days, Sylas kept to himself. Cold, but not arrogant. Distant, but not cruel. He spoke rarely, but when he did, his words carried weight.
During a lecture on Blessing Evolution, Professor Mika posed a question. "Has anyone experienced a second-stage manifestation?"
Sylas raised a hand. "My blessing—Beast Mark—evolves through proximity to ancient mana. Each beast I mark alters me. I've marked three so far."
Murmurs erupted.
Liya leaned toward Grim. "Beast Mark?"
"He borrows traits from beasts he's bonded with," Marcus whispered. "Claws, wings, healing. It's… primal."
Grim caught Sylas glancing his way again.
Later, as the classroom emptied, Sylas approached him.
"I've seen your summon," he said without preamble.
Grim's spine stiffened. "Where?"
"In Romania," Sylas replied. "During a celestial convergence. The Minokawa tore through a beast that shouldn't have existed. It didn't just kill it—it erased it. That kind of entity doesn't respond to commands. It chooses."
His eyes glinted gold. "And it chose you."
Grim swallowed. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you're not just a summoner," Sylas said. "You're a gate in human form. And some doors… were never meant to open."
He walked away, leaving Grim rooted in place.
---
That night, Grim dreamt of stars wheeling across an unfamiliar sky. He stood on a floating isle, surrounded by broken chains and shattered bells. The air shimmered with memories not his own.
At the center stood the old woman—the one from his first summoning. Only now, her form glowed with cosmic light, robes stitched from stardust and feathers.
Goddess Thyce.
"You're awakening," she said, her voice layered like wind over waves. "But not fast enough."
Grim stepped forward. "What am I?"
"My disciple," she replied. "Chosen not by fate, but instinct. Summoners were once the first guardians—those who spoke to the realms beyond. That legacy sleeps in your blood."
She extended her hand.
A vision struck him: cities overrun by shadows, dungeons pulsing open across continents, hunters overwhelmed. And in every scene, something searched. Always searching.
"They are coming," Thyce whispered. "You must be ready. Or everything breaks."
Grim awoke with a start, drenched in sweat.
---
On his way to class, Elyse was waiting by the garden path. She walked beside him in silence for several paces before speaking.
"You summoned the Minokawa, didn't you?"
He hesitated. "…It happened on instinct. I didn't plan it."
"I've felt its energy before," she murmured. "Years ago, on a floating island dungeon. My squad was wiped out trying to breach it. But something intervened. A shadow… with feathers."
Grim's eyes widened.
She looked at him, expression unreadable. "You don't realize how important you are yet."
"No," he admitted. "But I'm starting to."
She nodded. "Be careful. Some powers prefer to stay hidden. And not all gods are kind."
---
Far from campus, atop the jagged cliffs of Mount Iraya, three cloaked figures gathered. Between them hovered a shard of obsidian, pulsing with faint crimson light.
"He's awakening," said the first, a staff in hand.
"The Minokawa has returned," murmured the second, blade glinting in moonlight.
The third smiled, lifting a relic thrumming with divine power.
"The Gatewalker lives."