Simon entered a world of black and white.
A mountain rose before him, and its peak was occupied by a colossal tiger. Sky-blue eyes burned above a muzzle drawn back to reveal white fangs.
Below the mountain lay an abyss.
Simon could not see the One-Horned Demon. Its presence remained far beneath him, so faint that he might have missed it without knowing where to look.
However, the Byakko had no difficulty finding it.
Its gaze never left the darkness.
Wind dragged across the mountainside. The tiger's tail lashed once, and one enormous paw lifted toward the edge.
"Stay."
Simon's Will descended upon it.
The paw stopped.
The Sky Tiger turned its head. Something was entering the place it had ruled without challenge, and it wanted that intrusion destroyed.
The bloodline buried below was becoming dangerous.
Not because it was stronger yet.
Because something had made change possible.
