As Cian's body slumped against the rock, bleeding and broken, his arms still cradled Shirayuki tightly. His vision blurred—pain searing through his shoulder—before blacking out.
But she remained awake.
Wide golden eyes trembled, staring at his unconscious face.
Then—BOOM.
A pulse of light erupted from her small body, like a heartbeat shaking the air.
Suddenly, the system roared to life:
> [UNIQUE SKILL ACTIVATED: EVOLUTION BOND]
[CONDITION MET: Protecting the bonded—Triggering Emergency Evolution]
[Beast: Shirayuki is Evolving...]
[Classification Updated: Legendary Beast]
The ground cracked beneath her paws.
Winds howled.
Shirayuki's tiny frame rose, engulfed in swirling white fire. Her quills extended, warping and rearranging into a crown of silver-plated feathers. Her body shimmered and lengthened, fur giving way to gleaming armor-like scales. Light coiled around her chest, hips, shoulders—shaping her into a powerful, curvaceous, humanoid form.
A dangerous beauty.
Bare feet touched the dirt. Her silver kimono fluttered around her new body, one side sliding off her shoulder as if daring the world to look.
Eyes glowing like twin moons, her stare locked onto the towering orc.
The air turned cold.
The beast took a step back.
Then she spoke—not with words, but with a sound, high and haunting, like a forgotten legend remembered only in nightmares.
A Legendary Beast had awoken.
The massive orc raised its axe, bloodstained and breathing heavy. Cian's unconscious body lay behind Shirayuki, slumped against the shattered rocks, one arm limp, shoulder mangled.
But Shirayuki stood tall now—no longer the cute snow-furred beast.
Feathers of silver and violet shimmered across her tall, armored frame. Her golden eyes burned with a savage fury. The red tassel by her ear fluttered in the rising wind.
She spread her arms, claws flexing.
> [Skill: Feather Pierce]
She launched forward, feathers detaching from her arms and darting like missiles, sharp enough to slice stone. They punctured the orc's thigh and chest, staggering it back. Blood sprayed. It roared and tried to swing.
> [Skill: Gale Fangs]
Shirayuki spun low, her claws glowing faintly. With one slash, she ripped through the orc's hamstring, her movements so fast it left afterimages in the air. As the orc dropped to a knee, snarling—
She leapt.
> [Skill: Sky Rend]
From above, she descended with a piercing kick, her entire body rotating into a sharp drill-like motion. Her taloned foot drove into the orc's shoulder, cracking bone and smashing it into the ground with a deafening boom.
Dust filled the air. The earth trembled.
The orc raised its head—barely alive, eyes wild with fear.
Shirayuki landed before it, one claw raised to its throat. She didn't hesitate.
With a swift motion, she dragged her claw across, and the orc collapsed, lifeless.
She stood there, chest rising and falling. Blood dripped from her claws. The sky behind her glowed faintly as if even nature acknowledged her might.
Cian groaned, blinking awake to a blurry sky and something... wet dragging across his face.
"Nggh… what the—"
Lick.
His eyes shot open.
"GHH—WHAA?!"
There she was. Shirayuki, now in her newly evolved form—sleek, majestic, way too close—and lovingly lapping at his cheek like a dog greeting her favorite chew toy.
"Y-You're licking me?! You literally evolved five minutes ago, and this is how you act?! Personal space, fluffy demon!"
She let out a proud snort and licked again, her silky fur brushing his face.
Cian, flustered and blushing like mad, tried to sit up—only to wince as his broken shoulder reminded him he was very much not okay.
And then—
DING!
> [Unique Evolution Tier Achieved: Legendary Bond Established]
New Skill Unlocked: [Monster Bang]
Description: Push your bond to the "next level." Physical interaction highly encouraged. Clothing optional.
Would you like to activate this skill?
[Yes] — [No] — [I need an adult]
Cian stared.
"…HUH?!"
He frantically waved his hand in the air like he could swat the text away.
"NO. NO, SYSTEM. BAD. BAD SYSTEM."
Shirayuki just tilted her head, blinking innocently.
"Don't look at me like that! This isn't me! This is all you, you pervy code chunk!"
> Warning: Hesitation detected. Consent unclear.
Auto-activation in 3... 2...
Just kidding. Chill out, virgin.
Cian faceplanted into the dirt.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Did my system just roast me?! I died, came back, evolved a hedgehog, and now I'm being bullied by code?!"
Shirayuki happily flopped onto his chest, ignoring everything and purring softly.
"…You're in on this, aren't you?"
She responded with a smug lick.
Cian let out a long, dramatic sigh as the system finally shut up.
He looked down at the proud little hedgehog-girl curled up on his chest, her tail twitching contentedly. "You're really something else, you know that?"
She gave a soft chitter and looked up at him, big gleaming eyes sparkling like she just saved the world. Her fluffy ears twitched as she leaned closer, her warm breath brushing against his neck.
"…Alright, alright, you did good." He reached up and gave her a gentle pat on the head.
Soft.
Too soft.
His hand slid over her fur, then accidentally lower—
Boing.
Cian froze.
She froze.
Their eyes locked.
Her cheeks—once cute and calm—flushed a dangerous shade of pink as her whole body stiffened, and a tiny squeak escaped her mouth. It wasn't the kind of squeak you make when you're hurt.
It was the kind you make when something felt weirdly nice.
"Oh no—no, no, no, I didn't mean to—!! That was your shoulder! I SWEAR it was your shoulder!"
Shirayuki didn't move. She just stared, red-faced and trembling slightly.
> DING!
[Notice: Accidental Critical Pat detected.]
Shirayuki's Affection increased significantly.
Caution: Further pats may trigger confusing feelings.
Do you want to pat again?
[Yes (you degenerate)] — [No (coward)]
Cian smacked his face with his good hand.
"I can't even pat my partner without my damn system calling me a pervert! I swear to god, I'm surrounded by horny code!"
Shirayuki, now half hiding her face with her paws, peeked through them—and wiggled closer.
"Oh come on—not the tail wag too!"
He let out another sigh and hesitantly pat her again, very very carefully this time.
This time she just purred… and leaned in.
"…I'm doomed."