The scream shattered the silence.
"Miss Nian!"
Amiya was trapped—bound in a shifting green void, caught in a surreal space where the world's form dissolved into chaos. At its center stood the twisted version of Xi: once a friend, now transformed into something monstrous. She had Nian by the throat, dark golden energy spiraling around her, tinged with deep violet corruption.
In panic, Amiya's perception exploded outward. Light and darkness vanished, leaving her suspended in primordial confusion. Time and space ceased to matter. She could feel it—a suffocating pull. A mystical force was binding her, keeping her from moving forward. It was like fate had become a chain, preventing her from ever reaching the outcome she was meant for.
But even in the face of cosmic resistance, she gritted her teeth.
I can break it.
Golden light surged behind her eyes. The power that slumbered within her stirred—sharp, aggressive. The chaos ahead, the distorted creature before her... she felt like she could tear it all apart.
But just as she was about to unleash it, a delicate sound, like a droplet falling into still water, echoed in the air.
"Let it go," a woman's voice said, soft and casual.
In an instant, the bizarre cloth imprisoning Amiya, Talulah, and Chen Hui-jie dissipated into smoke. The field of confusion cleared.
They looked up.
There, reclining lazily atop a streetlight, was a woman in white. Her long blue hair swayed in the breeze, eyes half-lidded in a drunken haze. She sipped from a gourd, letting the clear liquor pour into her mouth as sunlight glinted off its surface.
"Elder sister!" Nian called out, struggling against the strange binding cloth wrapped around her. She tried to retaliate, but the twisted Xi lashed out again. A serpentine ribbon covered in scale-like runes bound her tighter.
"What a rare sight," the woman above chuckled, flipping over on the streetlamp like a lazy cat. "Didn't think I'd ever see Xi pinning down little Nian. Our fourth sister would have a fit if she saw this."
Her name was Ling. Calm, cryptic, dangerous in her own right.
She glanced at Xi—no longer a girl, but a creature. Horns twisted from her brow. Her eyes burned. The thing wore Xi's skin, but it was no longer her.
"I don't like how you look now," Ling said, her voice no longer dreamy. "Those horns are ugly. You were much prettier before."
Xi laughed, a grinding, chittering sound that echoed off the broken buildings.
"Well, well, big sister Ling. I'm honored. Now that most of the family's here, we can truly be one again. Isn't that beautiful?"
Ling's long tail coiled behind her, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes.
"You're not right, Xi. Not at all."
She dropped to the ground. A lantern in the shape of a dragon's eye appeared in her hand. Inky darkness spilled from it, turning into a rain of black droplets that lashed toward Xi.
Xi countered immediately. Dark golden energy exploded outward, cracking pavement and flinging debris. The black rain hissed against her barrier but couldn't break through.
"So even you refuse to be one with me?" Xi's voice distorted, low and hurt. "Why do you all reject reunion? We're family. We're meant to become whole again."
"You've got a messed-up idea of what family means," Nian grunted through gritted teeth. She was still bound, her energy draining fast.
"Then I'll just absorb you first," Xi said coldly. "We can deal with Ling later."
"No! Don't—don't touch her!"
Nian screamed. Amiya and the others tried to intervene, but Ling stopped them with a single raised hand.
"Shh," she whispered. "Little Nian will be fine. Just... a little drained, that's all."
She spoke softly, so only Amiya and Talulah could hear. Nian and Xi didn't notice. Nian stared at her sister in confusion.
Why aren't you helping me?
Just as she began to fade—her power nearly spent, her form nearly gone—a blue tail struck like lightning from afar.
"Where there are words, there is form. And form creates reality."
The phrase echoed with raw power. It shattered Xi's bindings and the cloth strangling Nian. In the next instant, Nian was pulled free, crumpling to the ground beside Ling.
"Nian!" Amiya rushed forward.
"Don't panic," Ling said gently. "Time to go."
With a ripple in the air, Ling, Nian, Amiya, Talulah, and the others vanished.
Xi's corrupted form lingered only a moment longer.
"Well played, Sister. I'll remember this."
Her body shifted. The darkness melted. And she disappeared into the inky stain on the ground.
—
"Ugh!"
Nian landed hard, groaning as she pushed herself up.
Wait… was this Rhodes Island?
She looked up—and saw Kelsey lounging on the office sofa, arms crossed and gaze sharp.
"Doctor?" Nian blinked. "Why are you looking at me like that? Wait... something's off."
She stood, or tried to—but the perspective didn't change. Kelsey still towered over her. That wasn't right.
And then she saw her hands.
"W-Wait. No. No no no!"
White fur. Round belly. Stumpy horns. Crimson mane.
She had changed—again.
She was back in that stupid plush form.
"I'm a ball again?!" she wailed, inspecting her tiny limbs in horror.
And worse, her power—her essence as a beast of the year—it was nearly gone.
She clenched her paw. Nothing. A single weak spark flickered from her palm.
That spark couldn't even light a candle.
"Stop whining," Ling said from behind her. "You're adorable like this."
She scooped Nian up with one bandaged hand and poked her soft belly.
It made a satisfying squish. Just like old times.
"Ling!! Stop that! Argh! What the hell happened to me?!"
Even Kelsey looked vaguely sympathetic. This was the second time she'd seen the proud guardian of the year reduced to such a state. The first was when that mysterious girl had drained her energy. But this time? It was worse. She had almost nothing left—less than one percent of her power.
Just then, Doctor Fangzhou stepped in from the next room, holding a glimmering object.
"Perfect timing," he said cheerfully. "Thanks to the materials Ling provided, I was able to finish the analysis of the Year Beast's power in a single day."
"What is that?!" Amiya zipped over, eyes wide. "Is that a new transformation core?"
"Yes!" Fangzhou held it up proudly. "Using the remnants from Nian and the blueprint you all recovered, we've forged a completely new drive core."
The object gleamed—dark gold, shaped like the head of a mighty beast. But unlike its earlier versions, this one was regal. Monumental. Refined.
It was the Drive Core of the Year.