Sacred Gear Shadow Light

Yo!

I'm back with the next chapter of Shadow Light. This is a very unique chapter. Let me know your thoughts on how this is!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Without further ado, let's get started.

Enjoy the chapter.

Shadow Light

Chapter 51

Curious Fox

With Kurama

Dimensional Boundaries

Kurama sat cross-legged within the endless void of his mindscape, a vast expanse of nothingness stretching infinitely in all directions. There was no sky, no horizon—only the depthless abyss that surrounded him, an expanse of pure potential, untouched and limitless. At the center of it all, a throne rose from the void, an obsidian construct woven from his own essence, jagged and grand, befitting his stature. He lounged atop it lazily, his ten tails curling and flicking idly around him, his sharp crimson eyes gleaming with a mix of eagerness and restlessness.

Despite his casual posture, his senses stretched outward, attuned to every pulse of power flowing through the vessel that carried him across dimensions. The construct fit him like a glove, a finely tuned machine of immense power and refinement, reacting not just to his commands, but to his very instincts. Every flicker of movement, every shift in trajectory, was executed with seamless precision. His body pulsed with raw energy, intoxicating and boundless, yet perfectly controlled—like a beast leashed not by force, but by its own will.

Yet, for all his mastery, he wasn't actually the one piloting his body.

Not directly.

Since Astrid had been installed, the system had taken over the finer aspects of maneuvering, adjusting every action to optimal efficiency. She monitored his vitals, regulated his energy output, and ensured his physical form remained in peak condition without him lifting a finger. He had given her permission, of course—it wasn't like he couldn't take back full control if he wanted to—but why bother?

Let the machine do the grunt work.

While Astrid operated his physical vessel with perfect, mechanical efficiency, he was free to recline on his throne within the mindscape, watching everything unfold as if from the seat of a king observing his domain.

Kurama's throne pulsed with an inner glow, mirroring the flow of his thoughts as he reminisced. The farewell with Naruto and that lizard Red lingered in his mind, but not in a way that weighed on him. It was a sendoff, a marking of a moment in time where paths diverged. For now. He wasn't sentimental enough to dwell on it, but even he couldn't deny the magnitude of this mission. It wasn't just about him finding an enemy worth tearing apart; it was about safeguarding balance—a word he'd always dismissed as fragile and fleeting. But now? Now it was the foundation of everything.

His sharp claws drummed against the armrest as he smirked. Balance. The irony of him, Kurama, taking part in such a thing would have made the past him laugh. But the world had changed. 'Naruto had changed.'

"Machines..." he mused aloud, his voice carrying the weight of both amusement and irritation. The thought of something as rigid and unnatural as machines thinking they could challenge him made his blood burn with anticipation. 'What kind of resistance would they mount? Would they be efficient, calculated, mechanical?' He grinned, fangs glinting in the dim light. "I hope they fight back," he growled, stretching his claws. "Let's see how their perfect little systems handle imperfection."

But even as he imagined the coming battle, the journey itself stretched on. The void between dimensions was chaotic in its own right, swirling with fractured energies, but it was a dull chaos, unstructured, lifeless. No stakes, no resistance, just an endless current of existence waiting to be bent by those strong enough to shape it. The hum of his body filled the silence, the rhythmic pulse of its power a contrast to the storm he was preparing to unleash.

Aethra's voice cut through the quiet like a blade. "Kurama," she said, her tone carrying the same authority she always wielded—subtle yet firm, impossible to ignore. "We are approaching the boundary of my dimension. The area ahead is extremely turbulent."

Kurama cracked one eye open, his sharp gaze flickering with irritation at being interrupted. "Turbulent, huh?" he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Sounds like my kind of place."

"This is no joke," Aethra pressed, her glowing form flickering into view within the vessel's ethereal interface. "Astrid is calculating the safest route. You'll need to follow it precisely if we're to make it through without incident."

Kurama didn't miss the implication. They weren't just asking him to follow the path. They were asking him to take control. His mind sharpened instantly. For all its precision, for all its computational power, Astrid wasn't in charge here. The fact that they were turning to him meant that the path ahead was too volatile for a system to handle. A place where the smallest miscalculation could be catastrophic.

He exhaled slowly through his nose, his smirk fading into something more focused. Without ceremony or hesitation, he shifted within the mindscape, reaching out with a thought—and in that instant, his body was his again. The throne at the center of his mindscape remained, but now, his awareness expanded outward, flooding his physical form. He stretched his fingers, flexing his claws, feeling the body hum in response.

The holographic interface shimmered to life, and Astrid's crisp, neutral voice chimed in. Path generated. Marked in gold for visibility. Maintain precise alignment to avoid unnecessary energy expenditure or damage to the vessel.

Kurama exhaled through his nose, smirking lazily. "Fine, fine. Show me the way, and I'll follow your little glowing trail." His tone was dismissive, but he still adjusted his posture and synced his senses with the trial, allowing Astrid to guide him.

The golden markings shimmered in the void ahead, cutting through the churning chaos of the dimensional turbulence. Currents of broken reality slammed against them, twisting and folding in ways that could have shattered lesser vessels, but Kurama followed the calculated path effortlessly, moving with a predator's grace.

Yet even as he steered through the storm, his mind drifted back to his earlier thoughts.

"Machines, turbulence, dimensions..." he muttered under his breath, his smirk returning. "Let's see if this 'unstoppable force' can handle a little chaos of its own."

Astrid's voice cut through the silence again, this time sharper, her usual calm laced with urgency. Kurama, attention required. Receiving a high-priority update from Oracis.

Kurama's ears twitched, and he straightened slightly, his grin fading into a curious frown. "Oracis? That little thing's still watching Naruto, huh? What's the update?"

The interface flickered, its golden glow intensifying as Astrid processed the data streaming in from Oracis. His body's energy fluctuations grew louder, the power within it responding subtly to the increased tension in the air. Astrid's response came quickly, her voice steady but edged with gravity.

The Dimensional Gap is undergoing significant instability. Divine energy levels within Naruto Uzumaki have reached critical transformation thresholds. Unprecedented phenomena detected.

Kurama's eyes narrowed, his grin returning but now tinged with something darker—excitement mixed with a faint trace of concern. "Oh? What kind of phenomena?"

Astrid hesitated for the briefest moment, then replied. Details incomplete. Transformation data suggests a full Ascension event is in progress. However, the specific outcomes and implications remain unclear. The situation is escalating rapidly.

Kurama leaned forward, his claws tapping against the body's inner surface as his crimson eyes glinted with intrigue. "Hah! That brat… I knew he had it in him. Always taking things to the extreme."

The body shuddered slightly, the turbulence around them intensifying as Astrid recalibrated their course. Focusing on the path ahead. More updates to follow as Oracis processes additional data.

Kurama's grin widened, his gaze fixed on the swirling chaos outside. "Oh, this is getting interesting," he muttered, his voice low and eager.

Receiving additional data from Oracis. Processing for confirmation and analysis.

Kurama leaned forward slightly, his grin widening as the golden displays materialized, streams of glowing text scrolling rapidly across them. "More updates, already? Let's see what Naruto cooked up now," he muttered, his claws tapping against the interface with idle impatience.

The data stabilized, expanding into detailed visuals and summaries. Astrid's voice returned, calm but carrying an uncharacteristic reverence.

Confirmation achieved. Oracis has provided baseline data, but further context is required. I will clarify.

The holographic representation of Naruto's transformation took shape before him, and Astrid began her explanation.

Divine Dominion Awakened…