Sacred Gear Shadow Light

A hand on his shoulder, a voice that spoke with quiet authority: "You remind us to see the world not as it is, but as it could be."

Naruto watched the memory fade, his gaze narrowing thoughtfully. He knew these weren't his memories. The name Kivren,the golden fields, the celestial kin—they all belonged to someone else. Yet they were here now, threading themselves into the light half of his Sacred Gear like roots entwining with the core of his being.

"This isn't a coincidence," Naruto murmured, appearing in his mindscape, his tone measured, more observation than question. His Balance Breaker—the crystallization of the Biblical God's essence—was stirring in response. Whatever these memories were, they had awakened something long dormant within it. They wanted to tell/show him something.

Kurama stirred within him, the great fox's voice breaking through the quiet. "I don't care what your shiny Sacred Gear is playing at,"he growled, his irritation crackling like a distant storm. "I'd rather know why every damn memory has you fighting creatures the size of mountains. You were supposed to be a creator,not a monster magnet."

Naruto's lips twitched faintly at Kurama's tone, but he remained focused. "There's more to this than the battles," he replied, his voice calm as he sifted through the memories. "The creatures, the conflicts—they're just fragments of something larger."

Kurama's tails flicked, his annoyance unabated. "Larger, huh? Sure, let's ignore the hydra with nine heads spewing enough fire to melt stars or the one with its face covered in shadows that tore through half a dozen cities. Not to mention that 'lucid dreaming' moment where you walked into a council of glowing gods like you were the damn chairman."

Naruto folded his arms, his gaze unwavering as another memory passed—a flash of divine light refracted through a crystalline prism, scattering into colors more vibrant than any mortal could perceive. "The Sacred Gear holds the essence of the Biblical God. If these memories are stirring now, it means there's something in them I need to understand."

Kurama snorted. "Or it's just trying to play show-and-tell with all the disasters that came before you. That's what it looks like from here."

Naruto didn't answer immediately. He let Kurama's grumbling fade into the background as he focused on the occasional memory that seemed to ripple through the light. A face here, a word there—pieces of a puzzle he had yet to fully see. Each fragment was precise, vivid, and purposeful, but they lacked the context to reveal their meaning.

"These memories aren't about the fights," Naruto said finally, his tone low and reflective. "They're about what comes after.Balance, creation, progress—that's what they're pointing toward."

Kurama's grumbling ceased for a moment, replaced by a considering silence. Then, he spoke again, his tone laced with dry sarcasm. "Balance and creation, huh? Sure, because the nine-headed hydra belching fire into an ocean really screams progress."

Naruto allowed a faint smirk. "You're fixating on the chaos, Kurama. I'm looking at the order it was meant to create."

The fox huffed. "Whatever keeps you calm, partner. Just don't expect me to enjoy the reruns of Kivren: Creator or Chaos Magnet while you work this out."

Naruto's focus remained steady as he let the memories settle into the recesses of his mind. They were not his, but they were here for a reason, and he intended to uncover it. The battles, the celestial councils, the flashes of divine harmony—they were fragments of a story he now had to piece together.

"Let's keep moving," he said finally, his voice decisive. "The name, the memories—they're just the start. I'll understand it in time."

Kurama rumbled in agreement, his irritation fading into a grudging respect for Naruto's unshakable resolve. "Fine. Just make sure whatever comes next doesn't involve fighting another nine-headed apocalypse."

Time passed, and Naruto found himself quietly reflecting on the singular sensation that set this memory apart from others that had surged through his mind. It was distinct—sharper, deeper, as if etched into the very essence of the Sacred Gear's light. Unlike the scattered glimpses of golden fields or divine councils, this memory felt heavier, layered with unrelenting tension and purpose. He observed it with calm detachment, noting every detail as it unfolded.

The oppressive air of the cavern, so vividly oppressive it seemed to coil around Kivren like a living thing, was unlike anything Naruto had ever experienced. He could feel its weight, thick and suffocating, pressing down on his senses as Kivren stood before the slumbering colossus. The beast's presence loomed over the memory, more palpable than any enemy Naruto had ever faced. It wasn't just its size or form that struck him—it was the raw emotion that radiated from it, an overwhelming blend of malice, despair, and sorrow.

"This one's different," Naruto murmured, his voice measured as the memory played out before him. His emerald gaze—Kivren's emerald gaze—lingered on the intricate web of runes and anchors being crafted with such precision. The lattice shimmered with golden light, its fragile brilliance defying the darkness that threatened to consume it.

Kurama, ever watchful, stirred in the depths of Naruto's mind. His voice rumbled with a mixture of irritation and fascination. "Of all the crazy things in these memories, this beast takes the prize. It's like some cosmic disaster wrapped up in a monstrosity. And this… Kivren… just walks up to it like he's taming a stray mutt."

Naruto allowed a faint smile to tug at his lips. "Not taming," he replied, his tone steady. "Sealing. Kivren wasn't looking to conquer it—he wanted to contain it, maybe even understand it."

Kurama huffed, his tails flicking in agitation. "Yeah, and nearly got himself obliterated in the process. I don't care how shiny his runes are—standing that close to something like thatis asking for trouble."

Naruto observed as Kivren meticulously worked to forge the anchors, the hammering of celestial metal ringing through the cavern. Each blow carried weight, each rune inscribed into the anchors a testament to his resolve. Despite the oppressive malice seeping from the beast, Kivren's focus never wavered.

"What I don't get,"Kurama muttered, "is why the thing looks like every nightmare rolled into one. Six heads? Wings that don't even match? That thing's a walking apocalypse, and he's treating it like a project."

Naruto's voice remained calm, contemplative. "Because he saw something else in it. That's why this memory feels different. It's not just about sealing a monster—it's about what the monster represents. Look closer, Kurama. He didn't fear it."

Kurama grumbled but fell silent, watching as Kivren placed the final anchor and completed the lattice. The memory slowed, almost as if pausing to let Naruto absorb the gravity of the moment. The beast's six heads twitched, their forms radiating barely-contained destruction, yet Kivren knelt beside it, his hand resting against its scaled hide.

The contact sent a ripple through the memory, a sensation Naruto could almost feel in his own hand. It was cold, vast, and alive with raw power. But beneath the malice, there was something else—a faint, lingering note of anguish.

"You're suffering," Kivren's voice echoed in the memory, soft but firm. The words carried a weight that Naruto recognized—an unshakable resolve to act, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Kurama's voice cut through the moment, dry and unimpressed. "He's talking to it now? What's next, tea and biscuits?"

Naruto smirked faintly. "You don't have to understand it to feel it. That's what's different about this memory. Kivren didn't see a monster—he saw something broken, something chained. And he didn't walk away."

Kurama snorted. "Sure. But next time, maybe he could chain up something smaller."

The memory continued with unrelenting clarity, every detail etched into the fabric of Naruto's mind as if prompting him to pursue it. He felt the calm resolve Kivren had carried as he turned to leave the cavern, the faint smile tugging at his lips as he imagined the pride in his siblings' faces. There was a warmth in that thought—a flicker of hope amidst the oppressive darkness.

But then, like a hammer shattering glass, the mechanical voice cut through the moment: DANGER! DANGER! MALICE SURGE DETECTED!

Naruto felt the echo of the alert ripple through him, sharp and invasive. The memory tightened, the atmosphere in the cavern shifting instantaneously. Kivren froze, his body going rigid, the faint flicker of satisfaction draining from his face. He turned, his emerald eyes snapping back to the beast.

Kurama's growl rumbled low in Naruto's mind, thick with annoyance and tension. "I knew it. You don't seal something that big without it fighting back. That voice, though—it's like it knew this was coming."

Naruto watched the scene unfold, his gaze narrowing. Kivren's heart sank as the beast stirred, its immense form rippling with dark energy. It started with the dragon head, its serpentine neck uncoiling with a sickening crack that reverberated through the cavern. Its crimson eyes flared open, their glow cutting through the gloom with searing intensity, locking onto Kivren as though it recognized its would-be captor.

The other heads followed in quick succession, each more terrifying than the last. The lion bared its fangs, ichor dripping from its maw and sizzling against the ground. The skeletal raven let out a shriek so piercing it seemed to tear through the golden lattice, causing runes to flicker and waver. The malice, once constrained, surged back with an almost physical weight, saturating the air with despair and fury.

Kurama's irritation gave way to incredulity. "This thing doesn't wake up slow, does it? Six heads, all pissed off, and you're standing there with nothing but a bunch of glowing lines? What was he thinking?"

Naruto's voice was calm, though a shadow of concern darkened his tone. "He wasn't unprepared. He just underestimated what he was dealing with. It happens."

The beast's roar shook the very foundations of the cavern, a sound so immense that Naruto felt it in his chest, even as an observer. Kivren's voice, trembling with urgency but still steady, broke through the chaos.

"No, no, no!"he muttered, his fingers flying over the runes, golden light blazing to life as he frantically activated the lattice. The seals responded, their glow intensifying as they struggled to contain the growing surge of malice. But the beast's awakening disrupted the balance, and the system began to falter.

Then the creature lunged.

Kivren reacted instantly, his hand sweeping upward as he activated the defensive layers of the seal. A barrier of golden light erupted between him and the beast, just as its massive claws slammed into it. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, cracks spider webbing across the ground and cavern walls. Kivren gritted his teeth, pouring more of his essence into the barrier, his emerald eyes locked on the monstrous entity before him.

Kurama's voice was sharper now, his frustration palpable. "He's holding it. Barely. But those runes—they're flickering. If that thing keeps hammering at them, it's going to break through."

Naruto's gaze flicked to the intricate lattice, noting the erratic pulses of light, the strain evident in the way the threads trembled against the beast's relentless assault. Kivren knew it, too. His thoughts raced, calculations and desperation interwoven as he pushed himself to his limits.

"I have to hold it,"he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice a quiet promise to himself. Sweat beaded on his brow, his body trembling under the strain of sustaining the lattice. The anchors flared brighter, struggling to stabilize the containment, but the malice was relentless.

The beast's six heads attacked in unison, their movements a terrifying choreography of destruction. Each strike eroded the integrity of the seal, the golden lattice flickering and dimming with every blow. Kivren felt the strain deep within his soul, the tether between him and the system threatening to snap.

Kurama snarled. "It's pushing everything back at him—every strike is pulling more of his essence into the seal. This thing isn't just fighting—it's ripping him apart."

Naruto didn't respond immediately, his focus locked on the moment when the inevitable happened.

The beast's energy surged, a cataclysmic wave that collided violently with the sealing framework. Golden and black light exploded outward, intertwining in a chaotic dance of creation and destruction. The cavern was flooded with brilliance so intense it forced even Naruto to squint.

Kivren's system screamed in protest, its mechanical warnings drowned out by the deafening roar of unleashed power. The lattice shattered, its fragments dissolving into the void, leaving Kivren exposed to the full force of the beast's malice.

"No!"Kivren's voice was raw, his desperation cutting through the chaos. He reached out, trying to regain control, but it was too late. The energy consumed everything, igniting a chain reaction that obliterated the cavern.

And Cut!

That's it for this part folks.

As always, let me know in your reviews and do share your feedback and suggestions!

I'm very delighted to share that you can now read next 30k words of the story on my patron page. My user name is same BlackInfinity1289 on patron website.

Note: They are early access only, they will be eventually released here as well.

Also, if you want discuss about the story or the ideas, you can join my discord server. I go by Henry there, give me a ping to say hi.

link: discord. gg / SPsSwAcq4b

Hope to see you there!

Thank you for reading.

Good Day!

Black Infinity 1289,

Ja Ne.