All eyes were locked on the man standing before the egg. His body had become a terrifying blend of human and beast, as though the two were still fighting for control inside his flesh. He breathed heavily, each breath ragged and painful, yet the power flooding through him made Wild's heart pound so violently it felt ready to tear out of his chest.
Confusion still flickered in his crimson eyes, but his body had already lowered into a predatory slouch, like a beast on the verge of pouncing on its prey. The most striking part was his legs, completely devoured by blue fire, twisted into something stronger, wilder, and far more beast-like, while still holding onto the last fragile traces of human shape.
Behind his back, the blue flames writhed and rose, taking the shape of a wolf's head. It looked as though it had grown straight from his body, yet it moved with a life of its own, like some savage creature sealed inside him and clawing to break free. Its jaws parted slightly, and the air around him grew heavier.
"That's Fenrir!" somebody finally cried, shattering the silence.
A sharp wave of cold breaths swept through the chamber. Even the heirs of the top families could only stare in stunned confusion. They had grown up hearing of beasts, bloodlines, and old legends since they could speak, yet not one of them had ever seen anything like this.
"He combined with it... How?" The Vice Dean stepped forward, her own beast roaring to life as if provoked by Wild's very existence. Golden light burst from the snap of her fingers, twisting into a vermilion bird wrapped in radiant gold. It circled Wild once, then again, but never dared fly too close. Even it could feel that the wolf behind his back was something it did not want to challenge.
Wild shifted in place, patting his body. Something was not right. No, everything felt wrong. All his senses had sharpened. Every mutter behind his back echoed in his ears as if they were standing right beside him. His vision shimmered in golden light, and the golden vermilion bird looked slower than before even though it was still circling him quickly.
"What is going on? Why is my body like this?" Wild muttered, staring at his blue fire claws. A warm breath brushed against his right ear. He turned his head and froze.
A wolf's head was there.
So magnificent, so fiery, its blue eyes met his as if it were part of him, yet somehow he could feel they were different. Connected, but not the same.
"Master..." A deep and hollow voice cut into his mind. It carried something ancient.
You can talk? Wild answered in his mind, his eyes widening in shock.
"Freak!" A sudden shout echoed from the crowd, pulling him back to reality. Only then did Wild notice it fully. Every soul in the chamber was staring at him as if he were a monster standing among sheep. Even the golden vermilion bird cried out, its eyes locking onto him with clear hostility.
"Wild, please cancel your... summon." The Vice Dean spoke like she was giving an order, but the uncertainty in her voice was impossible to hide.
"He's disgusting. Look at him, like some kind of beast. His name suits him."
"Get out of here!"
More shouts quickly followed from the crowd. Many of the nobles already hated him for soiling the summoner's name. To them, he was an impure thing. It did not matter how magnificent the beast behind him was. They did not want him among them. They would have preferred to see him locked away in a circus, far from them.
Celestria watched him with fear and curiosity tangled inside her chest. For a moment, time itself seemed to stop, old memories crashing back into her mind like a tidal wave. She wanted to reach out to him, to ask how he had summoned this beast and why it was fused with his body, but her trembling legs kept her nailed to the ground, refusing to move no matter how much she wanted them to.
Several others were also looking at him differently. They were the top nobles who had not yet undergone their awakening. To them, Wild was a catastrophe waiting to happen, and some were already thinking of ways to get rid of him. Yet the moment they remembered he had broken academy rules, a quiet sense of relief settled into their hearts. His powers terrified them.
Unlike those below them, they could feel that this transformation was far from simple, and that the beast bound to him was at least of mythic grade. That truth placed them in an unbearable position. A random nobody, a freak at that, could now stand beside them as an equal. If such a thing was allowed to happen, the noble world itself would begin to crack.
Wild moved his hand in front of him as if to protect himself. "Vice Dean, look, I did it!" he said with clear excitement, but the moment his hand moved, he did not realize the blue flames moved with it. They rushed at her like a wave, tearing through the air, their heat so terrifying it felt like they would burn everything in their path.
Golden Touch's eyes narrowed at once. She lifted her index finger before her, and the vermilion bird screamed before vanishing from sight. In the next second, it flashed back like a spark and smashed into the blue flames, blocking them with a deafening explosion.
"Enough!" A roar shook the air as crimson light spilled across the crowd. Soft steps moved through the chamber, slowly drawing closer to Wild. When he finally opened his eyes against the blinding light, he saw a tall old man standing before him, his hand resting on Wild's head.
"Dean?" Wild's body trembled. The fear of expulsion hit him so hard it made his heart lurch in panic. He still did not understand how he had attacked the Vice Dean, but that alone was enough to make his face turn pale. I messed up... I—
"Calm down, child." The moment those words reached him, Wild felt his mind ease. His body twisted, and the wolf behind him gave the Dean one last terrifying look before sinking back into Wild's body. The blue flames slowly died away, revealing his skin underneath. Only his pants remained intact, while his upper body was left fully exposed, his wide, muscular back standing like a wall against the nobles.
"Dean, this child, he dared to—" Vice Dean Golden Touch wanted to lash out at Wild, but the Dean stopped her with a single motion of his hand.
"I understand. I will personally handle this matter." His eyes moved across the crowd, and the gazes directed at Wild made the old man sigh. This child will not have an easy time if he stays here... "Please continue the ceremony. There are still many young talents who have not yet been assessed. As for this child, I will bring him with me for his trial."
Those words made Wild's arms drop heavily to his sides. In his heart, he had already accepted that he would be kicked out. Perhaps even worse, punished for the crime of attacking a noble...