I Can See Evolution Paths

Arthur still had the Evolution Path open for only a moment. He closed it before Cassian could notice anything.

Cassian was staring at him. "What do you mean Taurus is close to evolving?"

Arthur leaned slightly closer. "I can help you make it happen," he said.

Cassian froze. He opened his mouth. Stopped. Looked toward Sun, who was talking with Kong nearby. Then Cassian looked back at Arthur.

"D-Did you," he hesitated, "have anything to do with Sun’s partner evolving?"

Arthur blinked. "Well, technically—"

Cassian trembled. Then slowly nodded. "Then yes." He bowed his head slightly. "And thank you."

Arthur immediately flicked his forehead.

Flick.

"Ow!"

Arthur laughed. "No need to thank me." He pointed toward Taurus. "I’m curious too." His eyes shone with genuine excitement. "I want to see what he’ll become."

Cassian stared at him. Then laughed. "You really are crazy," he said.

Arthur smiled. "You’ve only noticed now?"

Cassian shook his head. "You do realize this is going to make Taurus stronger, right?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah." Then, "Which means he’ll be a stronger sparring partner."

Cassian stared. His expression slowly became helpless. "Right." He laughed. "Okay. What do we have to do?"

Arthur looked toward Taurus. "It’s simple," he said.

Cassian waited.

"Taurus has to survive."

Cassian’s smile disappeared. "Survive?"

Arthur nodded. "A terrifying attack."

Cassian immediately realized something. "Arthur."

Arthur had already turned toward the arena. He raised his voice. "Taurus!"

Taurus looked over. Arthur pointed Dusk toward him. "Withstand this attack!" A pause. Arthur grinned. "I bet Cassian you can’t!"

Cassian’s eyes widened. "You WHAT?!"

Arthur smiled innocently. "It’ll motivate him."

Cassian grabbed his head. "That isn’t how motivation works!"

Sun overheard. "Actually," he said, looking toward Arthur, "with him, it probably is."

Kong nodded.

Taurus looked between Cassian and Arthur, then gripped his axe. He understood.

Arthur raised Dusk. The atmosphere changed.

[King Aura]

The golden pressure spread across the arena. Students who had been whispering only moments ago suddenly stopped.

One first-year instinctively took a step backward. "That’s"

Another student swallowed. "He didn’t use that against us."

A third stared at Arthur’s spear. "So he really wasn’t serious."

Even the students who had just fought Arthur looked uneasy. One of them slowly shook his head. "That wasn’t the strength he used against us."

A professor standing near the edge of the arena narrowed his eyes. "Interesting."

Another professor glanced at him. "What?"

"His pressure changed completely." The professor looked back toward Arthur. "He’s not treating this like another demonstration."

On the battlefield, Taurus tightened his grip around his axe. He could feel it too. This wasn’t the Arthur who had casually defeated six Beast Tamers. This was something else.

Cassian’s expression became serious. "Taurus."

Taurus didn’t look back. "I know."

Arthur smiled. "Ready?"

Taurus lowered his stance. "Come."

Arthur’s strength surged, his grip tightening around Dusk and his grin widening. Then he vanished, and Taurus’s eyes widened.

Boom!

Arthur crashed down. Taurus raised his axe.

Clang!

The impact shook the entire arena floor, Taurus’s legs bending, his teeth gritted.

Arthur smiled. "Come on!"

Taurus roared, pushing back, and for a moment the two remained locked together.

Vedas watched carefully, his expression becoming serious. "He’s holding," he said.

Arthur grinned. "Good!"

Arthur suddenly shifted his grip, knocking Taurus’s axe aside, and with a boom his kick sent Taurus flying into the air.

Cassian’s eyes widened. "TAURUS!"

Several students looked up in shock. "He’s actually sending him into the air?"

"That was just one kick!"

Someone from the crowd shouted, "Is Arthur seriously going to keep attacking?!"

A professor immediately answered, "Watch."

Arthur was already preparing Dusk, the spear beginning to glow.

One student recognized the weapon. "That’s the same spear from the earlier match."

Another shook his head. "No." He stared at the weapon. "Something’s different."

Golden light gathered around Arthur’s body, the spear trembling in his hand, and the atmosphere became heavier. Even the students who had been cheering earlier went silent.

Sun crossed his arms. "He’s really getting serious."

Vedas smiled faintly. "I don’t expect anything less when he is this motivated."

Arthur immediately began preparing his next attack. Dusk glowed.

[Hurling]

Then [Magic Burst].

Then the Relic answered with its own [Magic Burst], the attacks combining, golden light flooding the spear.

Arthur pointed it toward Taurus. "SURVIVE THIS, TAURUS! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

Sun stared. "He’s enjoying this way too much," he said.

Kong nodded. "He’s definitely enjoying it."

Vedas sighed. "At least he’s encouraging him."

Arthur threw Dusk. The spear became a beam.

Boooooooooom!!

The attack slammed directly into Taurus’s axe. For one second Taurus held.

Then, boom!

A massive explosion swallowed the upper arena.

Cassian immediately rushed forward. "TAURUS!" He caught Taurus as he fell.

For a moment, nothing.

Cassian’s expression tightened. Then a light began shining through Taurus’s body.

Cassian froze. "Taurus?"

Golden light spread across Taurus’s body. The arena went completely silent. Nobody understood what was happening.

One student slowly lowered his weapon. "Is he... Evolving?!"

Another student shook his head. "But he was just fighting."

Even the professors were watching closely now. Four months. That was all the time these students had spent at Pathfinder. And yet, in front of everyone, another Beast was breaking through its species.

Taurus’s horns began to grow. His body became larger and heavier, his muscles tightening beneath his thick hide, the patterns across his body brightening while his aura became noticeably denser. The ground beneath his feet cracked.

Cassian stared. "Taurus"

Taurus’s eyes opened.

BOOM!

A wave of energy exploded outward, and students shielded their faces as dust swept across the arena. Then the dust slowly cleared.

Taurus stood in the center and he looked bigger. Alongside golden patterns spread across Taurus’s thick hide, forming lines that resembled armor. His horns curved farther backward, and a faint golden glow gathered around their tips.

[Minotaur → Ironhorn Minotaur]

Nobody spoke.

For several seconds, the entire King’s Arena was silent.

Then—

"He evolved..."

"In the middle of a match?"

"I’ve never seen that happen."

Even the professors were staring.

One slowly lowered his arms. "Another Beast has evolved."

His colleague nodded. "And Arthur’s partner already evolved again before this."

The surrounding students slowly looked toward Arthur.

Then toward Vedas.

Then back toward Taurus s.

One student swallowed. "...What kind of first years are these?"

Another shook his head. "I don’t know." He stared at Taurus s. "But I want one."

Eden suddenly flew upward. "HE GOT BIGGER!" Her voice echoed across the arena.

The tension finally broke.

Several students laughed.

Arthur laughed too. "He really did."

Taurus looked down at his hands and then laughed. "I feel amazing," he said.

Cassian stared. "Taurus."

Taurus turned toward him. "Cassian."

They grinned at each other. Taurus raised his fist. Cassian bumped it.

Arthur walked over and patted Taurus’s shoulder. "Congratulations," he said.

Taurus looked toward him. "Thank you," he said.

Vedas stepped forward. "You were incredible," he said.

Taurus grinned. "So were you."

Vedas extended his hand. Taurus looked at it for a moment before grinning. He grabbed Vedas’s hand. "You hit hard."

Vedas laughed. "So do you."

They shook hands firmly.

Taurus looked toward Vedas’s spear. "Next time, I won’t get pushed back."

Vedas’s eyes brightened. "Then I’ll have to get stronger too."

Arthur watched them and smiled. "Good."

Both turned toward him.

Arthur pointed between them. "Now I have two people I can fight."

Vedas sighed. Taurus laughed.

Cassian stared at Arthur. "That’s what you’re thinking about right now?"

Arthur nodded. "Of course."

After everyone settled down, Cassian finally looked toward Arthur. "You helped us," he said.

Arthur waved his hand. "It was fun."

Cassian laughed, then looked toward Sun. "Actually. There’s something you two should know."

Arthur tilted his head.

Cassian explained the first year field trip. Three destinations. The beach. Sefriot. A Secret Realm.

Arthur remembered his vote. "I already voted for the Secret Realm," he said.

Cassian nodded. "Then you’ll probably want to know which one it is."

Arthur’s expression changed. "Which one?"

Cassian answered casually. "The Everglades."

Arthur froze. "The Everglades?"

Cassian nodded. "Yeah."

Arthur’s mind immediately returned to the Archive.

The five regions. The Beasts refusing to advance. The robed figures. The Mirror.

We can never let the Mirrors fall into their hands.

It was the place related to Vedas’s next evolution requirement. And now the place he’d been researching was being offered as their first-year field trip.

Arthur slowly looked toward Athena’s direction. Then toward Vedas. Then back toward the students filling the Arena.

His eyes began to shine.

Cassian noticed. "Why do you look so excited?"

Arthur smiled. "Because" He looked at the crowd. "we might actually get to go there."

Sun immediately understood. "Oh no."

Arthur looked at him. "What?"

Sun sighed. "That expression."

Arthur’s grin widened. "What expression?"

Sun pointed at him. "The one you get right before you cause a problem."

Arthur smiled. "I’m helping."

Sun stared at him. "...That’s worse."

Arthur’s grin widened. "I just need to make sure everyone votes for the Everglades."

Sun’s expression dropped. "Arthur."

Arthur turned toward him. "Hm?"

"Whatever you’re planning..." Sun sighed. "...please don’t get us expelled before the trip even starts."

Arthur laughed. "I’ll try."

Vedas looked toward Arthur. "...Should I be worried?"

Arthur glanced at him. "Probably."

Vedas sighed. "I knew it."

His grin slowly widened. "I just have an idea."

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