Naming

The forest was vast, ancient, and unsettling. Shadows danced ominously as a small figure dashed frantically through the undergrowth. The girl, no older than nine or ten, sprinted with all the strength her tiny body could muster, her face a mask of terror. Tears streamed down her cheeks, mingling with grime and sweat, blurring her vision as she stumbled over roots and rocks.

Behind her, trees were torn from their roots, crashing to the ground with a thunderous roar. Something enormous, something monstrous, was pursuing her, causing the very earth to tremble beneath its weight. Each footfall sent shockwaves rippling through the forest, shaking leaves from their branches. The girl had been sacrificed by her village—a ritualistic offering to their so-called god. She had once believed it to be an honor, a sacred duty. But the moment she was delivered to the cave at the edge of her village, she realized the horrifying truth.

Their god was nothing but a grotesque serpent, a monstrous beast of unimaginable size and cruelty. The villagers had been using the creature's presence to keep other dangers at bay, but it came at a cost. Every five years, someone had to be sacrificed—either a rule-breaker or a child. This time, the girl was the chosen one, just as her younger brother had been five years before. The sacrifices were adorned with flowers laced with potent sedatives and herbs that numbed the mind and body, giving the victims a false sense of peace before they were devoured.

But this girl refused to be devoured. She refused to die so easily. She had dreams, aspirations—hopes she wanted to fulfill.

She escaped the cave, taking advantage of the guards' carelessness. She ran back to the village, a horrible mistake. When she pleaded with her parents, begged them to help her escape this fate, her mother slapped her, coldly declaring that her birth was nothing more than a means to an end. Her existence was meant to be sacrificed for the greater good. Even her so-called friends mocked her, sneering at her desperation. She was beaten black and blue by the guards for her defiance.

The girl's heart twisted with hatred and despair. How could her own family, her own village, betray her so cruelly? She did not want to die. She wanted to live.

When they dragged her back to the sacrificial cave, she made her move. As soon as her captors turned their backs, she summoned all the magic she could muster and fired a magic bullet directly at the beast. The serpent was roused from its slumber in an instant, its blood-red eyes fixating on her with murderous intent. It had marked her as its prey, and there was no escaping it now. But instead of attacking her immediately, the beast turned on the guards closest to it.

Seizing the opportunity, she kicked the balls guard holding her and fled with all her might. The serpent, having devoured the guards, was relentless in its pursuit. It crashed through the forest with terrifying speed, closing the distance between them. Her legs burned with exhaustion, her lungs felt like they would burst, but she couldn't stop. She didn't want to die.

Just as her strength was about to give out, a voice echoed in her mind.

[Notice. Confirmed. *Unique Skill: Indomitable One.* Acquisition successful.]

Suddenly, a surge of power flooded her body. Her fatigue vanished, her magical energy and stamina restored to their peak, and the bruises on her skin faded away as if they had never been there. Her mind cleared, and for the first time, she felt a glimmer of hope.

The village elders had spoken of a god who granted blessings to the worthy. Though she had lost faith in their words, she couldn't deny the power coursing through her now. She offered a silent thanks to whatever force had granted her this gift and resumed her flight with renewed vigor.

As she ran, the beast continued to pursue her, but she had gained a slight advantage. She reached the base of a mountain, hoping the terrain would slow the serpent down. But then the sky darkened ominously. She looked up, her heart sinking as she saw the enormous figure of the beast hovering in the skies. Its crimson eyes gleamed with malevolence as it opened its massive jaws and unleashed a beam of destructive energy.

The blast struck her, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping in shock and pain. Her newfound power had not been enough. Her fate, it seemed, was inevitable.

As her vision began to blur, and she prepared to surrender to death's embrace, a voice called out to her—soft yet commanding.

"Do you want to live? Or are you giving up already?"

She forced her eyes open, struggling to focus on the source of the voice. Standing above her was a young boy, no more than twelve or fourteen years old. He was an ethereal being of beauty, with pristine golden amber eyes that seemed to glow with an inner light, platinum silver hair that cascaded like silk, and skin as pale as freshly fallen snow. His androgynous features were so stunning they could put goddesses of beauty to shame.

"Do you want to live?" he repeated, his gaze that seemed to see through her very being was unwavering and calm. "Or are you giving up already?"

She coughed weakly, blood trickling from her lips. "Run… You must run, run away from here," she begged, her voice filled with desperation. She didn't want another innocent soul to be dragged into her nightmare. She didn't want to be like her village, sacrificing others for her own survival.

The boy smiled gently. "That's good enough for me."

The serpent descended from the sky, its maw gaping wide, aiming to swallow them both whole. But the boy did not flinch. He merely raised his hand and, with a simple tap in the air, the enormous beast froze mid-air, as if an invisible force had halted it in its tracks. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the serpent was sent hurtling back like a cannonball, crashing into the ground with such force that the earth quaked violently, and the surrounding trees were flattened by the shockwave.

The girl stared in disbelief. This boy had manipulated the very magicules in the air, bending them to his will as if they were an extension of his body. It was a power far beyond anything she could comprehend.

The boy kneeled beside her, placing a drop of his own blood on her forehead. To her amazement, her body began to regenerate rapidly. Her missing limbs grew back, and she felt an overwhelming surge of power flooding her veins. She had become something more, something powerful—his kin.

"It was a success," the young boy mumbled with satisfaction.

Shiro had been experimenting with his skill *Blood Raise*, a technique that could revive the dead using his own blood. He wondered if it could also heal. In Twilight Valentine's memories, the original owner of the skill had never used it in this way. Shiro was curious. Never did he expect that not only would the girl heal, but she would also be turned into his kin. This discovery had many implications. Further study would be needed. Even though Shiro hated Twilight Valentine to the core, he respected the dead man's genius and seemed to have inherited his drive for creation, discovery, and development.

"I hope you don't disappoint me," Shiro said softly, his voice tinged with a strange mix of warmth and indifference. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Leah… but I hate it." She hated the name her parents had given her. To her, they were no longer her parents, but enemies. In her eyes, they had never shown her warmth or love. Raising her had been nothing but a means to an end, a responsibility they took up grudgingly. "Please, give me a new name, Master." she replied, her eyes brimming with newfound devotion. In her mind, this boy was no mere being—he was a god, and she was his lowly and undeserving servant. She needed to prove herself to be of use.

A shiver ran down Shiro's spine as he noticed the pure, untainted devotion in her now-crimson eyes. 'Did I make a mistake?' he wondered to himself.

After two years of seclusion in the mountains, he finally ventured out, scouting the area as he prepared to descend into the world. During his time alone, he had not only honed his abilities but also mastered the vast knowledge he had gained from absorbing Twilight Valentine. It was his *Divine Clairvoyance* that alerted him to a potential opportunity nearby, and his intuition led him to this fateful encounter.

Shiro sighed inwardly, his eyes narrowing as he observed the girl before him. The devotion in her gaze was impossible to ignore. Despite his better judgment, he found himself unable to refuse her. He knew what could happen to her if he denied her loyalty—uncontrolled devotion could lead to dangerous outcomes, especially in a world like this. Besides, a part of him was curious to experience the feeling of having an attendant in this unfamiliar world.

"From now on, your name will be Selena," Shiro declared, his voice carrying a resonance that seemed to ripple through the air. "Serve me well."

No sooner had the words left his lips than a surge of energy poured out of him, flowing into the girl like a river of magicules. Shiro's eyes widened in realization as he instinctively smacked his forehead. *How could I be so careless?* he berated himself silently. He had forgotten a crucial detail about the world of *Tensura*—naming someone was not a trivial act. Here, a name held immense power, especially when given by someone as powerful as him. The implications of this were far-reaching, and he had just named a girl who was no longer entirely human, but a Celestial.

Selena's body began to undergo a terrifying transformation as her skin cracked and reformed, glowing with an otherworldly light. Shiro watched, a mixture of awe and concern bubbling within him. In this world, naming someone could be a blessing, but it could also be a curse. The energy transferred during the naming process was potent and could exceed the recipient's threshold, leading to catastrophic consequences. If the magicules overwhelmed her, she could very well die a painful and agonizing death.

'I should help her.' Shiro thought, his instincts urging him to intervene. However, a sudden warning flashed in his mind—a subtle but insistent caution from his *Divine Clairvoyance* skill, advising him to stand back. He hesitated, torn between wanting to assist Selena and trusting his skill's foresight.

He was about to disregard the warning and take action when his gaze fell upon Selena's struggling form. Despite the evident agony, there was something in her eyes that made him pause. He saw an unwavering determination, a fierce will to live and to meet the expectations she believed he had for her. Shiro exhaled slowly, suppressing the urge to intervene. 'If she dies, this could be a chance to test my *Blood Raise* skill for the second time.' He rationalized, though the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Selena, for her part, interpreted the ordeal as a divine trial from her god. She gritted her teeth, resolved not to disappoint Shiro, her godly benefactor. She would endure; she would overcome this trial and emerge stronger, worthy of the name he had bestowed upon her. However, no matter how strong her will, it was no match for the overwhelming torrent of magicules flooding her system. At that moment, the energy within her was akin to poison, threatening to tear her apart from within.

What Shiro had perhaps underestimated was the nature of his own magicules. They were far from ordinary; they were the remnants of the World Destroying Dragon and Star King Veldenava, beings whose very existence was synonymous with unparalleled power. Shiro's magicules were beyond abnormal—they were terrifyingly potent, enough to annihilate most beings who came into contact with them.

As Selena's consciousness teetered on the edge of oblivion, she suddenly heard a familiar voice in her mind, the same monotone and emotionless voice that had spoken to her before.

[Notice. Confirmed. Unique Skill: *Indomitable One* has evolved into Unique Skill: *Divine Perseverance*. Evolution complete.]

The words echoed in her mind, resonating with the core of her being. In an instant, more than half of her energy was drained, a necessary trigger for the evolution to fully commence. The rapid depletion of energy caused a momentary lull in the storm of magicules, allowing her cracking and crumbling body a brief respite. The pain subsided, replaced by a calm, almost serene feeling as her body began to adapt to Shiro's overwhelming energy.

Selena felt the newfound power coursing through her, the *Unique Skill: Divine Perseverance* settling into her consciousness as if it had always been a part of her. It was more than just a skill—it was an enlightenment, a profound understanding that allowed her to withstand the onslaught of Shiro's magicules. What had once been a trial now became a transformation, and Selena could feel herself growing stronger with every passing moment.

Shiro, observing this, turned away, concealing the conflicting emotions that churned within him. There was a pang of jealousy that he couldn't quite suppress, mixed with a deep-seated embarrassment at his own earlier oversight. He had made a mistake, and yet Selena had not only survived—she had thrived. His mistake had inadvertently pushed her to greater heights.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Shiro's attention shifted, focusing on the recovering beast in the distance. The battle was far from over, and the real challenges were just beginning.