The fox didn't run in a straight line.
It weaved. Doubled back. Spun through thickets like a flicker of fire chasing its own tail.
But Hayate was faster.
Shadow was higher.
And Kei—was closing in.
He didn't need to see it. He could feel it.
Every swirl of wind carried the fox's scent. Every branch Shadow touched fed him angles and motion.
'It's smart. Trying to lose them through terrain.'
Kei activated [Storm Combat Body].
His form thinned into wind, scattering past low-hanging vines, reappearing in the middle of the pursuit.
There—
A clearing.
A blur of red reached it first.
But Shadow was already waiting.
[Black Feather Barrage]
Feathers shrieked as they tore into the earth around the fox, cutting off every exit.
The fox skidded to a halt, fur flaring as if every strand wanted to bolt in a different direction.
Kei emerged from the breeze just as Hayate crashed down behind the fox.
A claw pinned it—not hard enough to hurt, but heavy enough to say: you're done.
The fox froze, trembling.
Its eyes darted.
Shadow circled above. Hayate's breath brushed its back.
Kei stepped forward.
"Good work," he said softly. "Both of you."
"Woof!"
"Caw!"
Hayate stepped back on command.
The fox didn't move.
It was staring at Kei—those golden eyes still bright, still alert.
Fear. Caution. But not surrender.
Kei crouched in front of it.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "But I am going to make you an offer."
The fox blinked.
"You're fast. Smart. Proud. But alone."
The fox's tail twitched.
"I want to give you strength. A contract. Not chains—just purpose. You give me loyalty and talent. I give you evolution."
A pause.
Then Kei extended his hand.
The fox didn't move.
But it didn't run either.
Behind them, Hayate gave a low growl and bared his fangs, making it quite clear. 'Master told me to catch you without too much harm, but if you keep hesitating and upset him, you're dinner.'
The fox twitched again.
Above, Shadow let out a short, sharp huff and tilted his head, impatient, judging.
Then—slowly—the fox placed one paw forward.
It touched Kei's hand.
Then licked it.
Just once.
Kei smiled.
"Then it's decided."
He unrolled a summoning scroll from his pouch.
"Place your paw here. A little blood. Just a bit of chakra."
The fox looked at the scroll.
Then at Kei.
And finally stepped onto it.
A flick of its claw. A drop of blood.
Chakra flowed.
The seal glowed.
Kei took a breath as the new link settled into his body.
He looked down at the fox—no, not just a fox anymore. A partner.
"I'll give you a name," Kei said quietly. "Not as your master, but as someone who wants you to walk beside me."
The fox tilted its head, surprised.
"You move like smoke, fast and light—just out of reach. Your body knows how to survive, and your speed tells stories before you speak."
Kei's voice dropped just slightly, but his gaze remained steady.
"Your name is Kōen."
The fox—Kōen—blinked.
Then lowered its head.
Not submission. Just… acceptance.
Kōen sat back, still quiet, but no longer shaking.
Its golden eyes locked onto Kei's.
Challenge still burned there.
But underneath it—
Trust had begun to spark.
[Ding!]
[Host has obtained Summoning Beast: Kōen]
[Opening Summoning Beast Attribute Page...]
[Summoning Beast: Kōen]
[Race: Crimson Fox]
[Talent: Lightness, Agility]
[Shared Talent: Reflex][Evolvable][Evolution Requirement: Red Fire Pepper (100)]