Grim stood at the edge of the ancient summoning circle, feeling the weight of the space around him. The sanctuary beneath the Philippine Hunter University was older than the school itself, an abandoned relic hidden deep within the mountain's heart. Its cold stone walls glistened with an unnatural sheen, as though they absorbed the very magic that pulsed through the air. Grim's eyes scanned the room—dimly lit, filled with forgotten relics and eerie silence. He could almost feel the presence of a thousand summoners who had once trained here, leaving behind their marks in magic and blood.
He was here, in this forsaken place, because of one decision—to seek the deeper truths of summoning. The mysterious figure before him, an enigmatic summoner who had offered him knowledge beyond what he could ever imagine, stood with a cryptic smile, holding an ancient tome in his hand. It was time to learn about his potential, about the celestial beasts, and more importantly, about the Bakunawa.
"You've made your choice," the summoner said, his voice a whisper against the cold stone. "You will not be the same after today. The path you walk is fraught with peril, but it will define the course of this world."
Grim nodded, though part of him wondered if he was prepared for the answers that awaited him. He thought back to the failure he had endured with Bakunawa—the frustration, the sense of something incomplete within himself. But it was that very failure that had driven him here.
"I need to understand. I need to control it—control my power," Grim muttered. "I can't just summon and hope for the best."
The summoner's eyes glinted in the low light. "Control is not just about willpower. It's about harmony. The Bakunawa you seek to summon is not a beast of this world. It's a force of nature—a celestial being. To summon it, you must align yourself with the celestial currents, with the rhythm of the cosmos."
Grim furrowed his brow. "The Bakunawa... it isn't just a beast, is it?"
"No," the summoner said, stepping closer. He opened the tome, revealing intricate carvings and glowing symbols. "It is the eclipse itself, a celestial being tied to the moon and the forces of the cosmos. In ancient times, it devoured moons, protecting the balance of the heavens. The Bakunawa is not a creature you control. It is a force you must learn to coexist with."
Grim's mind raced. He had known the legends of the Bakunawa from childhood—how it was said to devour the moon during an eclipse, and how it was believed to slumber beneath the seas of the Philippines. But now, hearing it from this summoner, the beast felt more like a harbinger of chaos than a guardian.
"But if it's so powerful, why would I—?" Grim began, but the summoner interrupted.
"You don't understand yet. The Bakunawa's true purpose has been hidden from you," he said, pacing the room. "The ancient gods foresaw the coming of a new age. They understood that the celestial beasts would be needed to either protect or destroy this world, depending on who controlled them."
The weight of the summoner's words settled on Grim's chest. He looked down at his hands, feeling a chill in his bones. The Bakunawa was not just a tool—it was a symbol of something much larger, a weapon in the cosmic battle between the forces of light and dark.
"The gods?" Grim asked, his voice shaking slightly. "You mean the ones who gave us our blessings?"
The summoner's gaze hardened. "Yes. But there is much more to them than you know. They are not the benevolent beings you've been led to believe. They have their own motives, their own hidden plans. And the Bakunawa is part of those plans. You must be careful, Grim Arclight. The power you seek might be more dangerous than you realize."
A shiver ran down Grim's spine. Was he truly ready to wield such power? Was he prepared to face the consequences of calling upon a being that could eclipse the very light of the world?
Before he could respond, the summoner continued, "But you are not alone in this. Others are already watching. Those who want to control the celestial beasts for their own gain. You will face trials that you cannot even imagine. But if you succeed, you will become more than just a summoner—you will be a guardian of the balance."
Grim clenched his fists. The weight of the choice pressed down on him like the mountain itself. He had always known that the world was changing, that his role as a summoner would be pivotal. But now, it seemed the stakes were far higher than he had ever imagined.
"Then teach me," Grim said, his voice resolute. "Teach me how to summon Bakunawa. Teach me how to control it."
The summoner nodded, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Very well. But remember, summoning is not about strength—it is about understanding. The Bakunawa will not heed your call unless you prove yourself worthy. The first step is to align yourself with the moon."
Grim's gaze shifted toward the ceiling. The moon hung high above, casting a pale glow into the sanctuary. It was a reminder of what he had yet to understand. He closed his eyes, focusing on the quiet beat of his heart. The summoner's voice echoed in his mind as he attempted to connect to the celestial currents, to feel the ebb and flow of the universe.
As Grim focused, a strange sensation washed over him. His vision blurred, and for a moment, it felt as if the world around him faded into a haze. The air grew thick with magic, and he could almost hear the whisper of ancient voices calling to him. Then, he felt it—a tug, deep within his soul. Something was awakening inside him.
Grim's eyes snapped open, but instead of the Bakunawa, a smaller, more manageable celestial beast appeared before him. It was a creature of swirling light, resembling a dragon with wings of fire and a body that shimmered with stardust. The beast circled around him, coiling through the air like a comet. Grim felt its power, raw and untamed, but he also felt the deep bond between them.
"It's not Bakunawa," Grim whispered to himself. "But this... this is a start."
The summoner watched him carefully, a hint of approval in his eyes. "You've summoned a celestial spirit. It is not the Bakunawa, but it is a step in the right direction. You must learn to control it, to understand it, before you can summon the Eclipse Serpent."
Grim nodded, his mind racing. This was only the beginning, but it was a victory nonetheless. He had proven that he could summon a celestial being—now, he would prove that he could summon the Bakunawa.
But just as the celestial spirit faded into the ether, an eerie sensation filled the air, followed by an abrupt, powerful tremor that shook the sanctuary. The summoner's face darkened. "Something is wrong."
Grim's heart skipped a beat. It was then that a crackling voice echoed in the air, far too familiar. "He must not summon the Bakunawa."
From the shadows, a massive rift tore open. The air grew cold, and a thick, suffocating darkness spilled forth, like a storm of ink. From within the rift, a shadowy figure emerged, its form shifting and writhing, a manifestation of pure void and malice. Nyxaroth.
The celestial beast's form rippled with darkness, its eyes glowing with a piercing, unnatural light. It was a being of pure chaos, twisted by the very darkness it had once guarded. The power radiating from it was overwhelming, far beyond anything Grim have ever felt.
The summoner's face turned pale. "Nyxaroth... the Tainted Celestial. It has awakened."
A deafening silence blanketed the chamber, broken only by the oppressive hum of the void. The rift widened like a wound in the air itself, bleeding tendrils of black mist that swallowed light and twisted space. Grim stumbled back, his breath catching in his throat as the creature fully emerged.
Nyxaroth.
Its presence was not merely physical—it was cosmic. The beast towered above the sanctuary, yet seemed to stretch into infinity, its form distorting reality itself. Scales shimmered like an abyssal galaxy, stars flickering in and out of existence across its serpentine body. Its wings spread wide, forming a shroud of shadow that eclipsed even the light of the moon pouring through the cracks in the cavern ceiling.
And then came the sound—a deep, soul-rending hum that reverberated through bone and spirit. Grim clutched his ears, gasping as a wave of nausea hit him. He wasn't sure if it was from the noise or the sheer pressure in the air.
"W-What… is that?" he managed to whisper, heart hammering.
The summoner didn't answer at first. His gaze was fixed on the beast, lips parted in stunned horror. "A god… corrupted."
Across the country, chaos erupted. Monitors shattered. Magical sensors imploded. Alarms screamed through the Philippine Hunter Association headquarters as data streamed erratically.
Director Andres stood before the central screen, eyes narrowed, fists clenched. Even as an S-rank hunter and the Disciple of Ares, his instincts roared with warning.
"This… this is no ordinary dungeon breach."
"Sir, the dimensional readings around PHU just shifted. It's like—like the Philippines itself has been pulled out of normal space. We're cut off from the rest of the world."
Andres' gaze hardened. "Isolated?"
"Yes, sir. No signal to allied nations. No satellite data. We can't even ping Japan or the U.S. We've entered a separate plane."
On the main monitor, the anomaly loomed: a swirling rift splitting the sky above the PHU mountain range, crackling with unstable energy. Floating within it—Nyxaroth.
"The Tainted Celestial," Andres whispered. "It's real…"
Back at the sanctuary, Grim's knees buckled under the immense pressure. The ground trembled beneath him as reality warped with Nyxaroth's every movement. The walls stretched, ancient runes unraveled, and the air grew impossibly dense—every breath like drowning in oil.
The celestial beast turned its gaze on him.
Just a glance—and Grim saw galaxies die. Stars collapsing. The moon devoured by wings of ruin. His mind nearly shattered beneath the weight of what he saw.
Then, his arm burned. The coiled image of the Bakunawa pulsed violently, the light within it flaring like a heartbeat. Warmth surged into his core, driving back the crushing despair. Something ancient answered the void—resisting it.
The summoner stepped beside him. "Grim. This is not the trial we planned. Nyxaroth has awakened prematurely—someone forced the seal open."
Grim looked up, eyes wide with shock. "Who would do that?"
"There are shadows moving in this world. Crimson Crescent… or something worse. But there's no time to find answers. You need to survive this."
Nyxaroth's roar wasn't a sound—it was a declaration. A wave of pure force exploded outward, shattering the sanctuary like glass. The sky above PHU turned black. Across the Philippines, civilians and hunters alike looked up and felt the same thing:
The sun had dimmed.
Not from clouds. Not from an eclipse.
But from the presence of something divine.
The world watched—then lost its view entirely.
International communications went dark. Even global S-rank hunters, watching through magical feeds, could only gasp as the Philippines vanished from their radars. Swallowed whole.
A god had descended—and no other nation could intervene.
Within the storm, Grim gasped for air, drenched in sweat. Nyxaroth's eye glowed like a dying sun, fixed on him. Its wings rose once more, casting a shadow that smothered even the memory of light.
Grim's fists tightened. "Why me…?"
The summoner's voice echoed beside him. "Because your soul resists oblivion. The Bakunawa and Nyxaroth were once opposing forces. You carry the mark of balance. That makes you the only one who can stand before this beast and not vanish."
Grim trembled.
He wasn't ready. He never was.
But somewhere, deep within that fear… a defiance stirred.
Nyxaroth's shadow twisted—and lunged.