socalfunplaces Chapter 287 Minotaur's Kaleidoscope
Chapter 287 Minotaur's Kaleidoscope
The Beast Soul Altar of Sound Village was filled with a pungent fishy odor. The Minotaur half-knelt in the center of the altar, and the fur on his arms was emitting an eerie black-purple glow. Half an hour ago, the remnant of the Akatsuki organization, "Gu Ya", attacked with the "Soul-Eating Beast Gu". Not only did they use the Gu worms to drill into his Beast Soul meridians, trying to control his beast consciousness, they also trapped Qin and three villagers in the Beast Soul Formation in the center of the altar. The black Gu eggs in the center of the formation were constantly oozing out mucus that could devour the Beast Soul Chakra. Every time it beat, the trapped person's breath became weaker.
"Roar!" The minotaur's roar shook the altar stones. He was known for unleashing immense power through his beastly transformation, but now, the poisonous insects were counteracting his power. The beast soul chakra within his body felt like being gnawed by countless insects, and his consciousness was gradually consumed by the ferocious animal. His horns shone black, and his hooves pawed the ground. He was about to lose control and rush towards the trapped Qin: "No... I can't... hurt my friends..."
From the center of the altar, Qin's feeble cries for help echoed. Her sonic barrier was riddled with cracks, her sonic chakra trapped by the Gu slime, preventing her from even unleashing her "Qin Yin? Purifying Soul." The minotaur watched his companion struggle, his animal soul and rational reason clashing violently within him. The Gu continuously amplified his violent instincts, while his determination to protect his companions struggled against them. The two forces tore at each other within him, causing him to spit blood and his muscles to tremble with tension.
"Your beast soul isn't a 'curse,' it's a symbiotic force." Yin Zhu's voice suddenly pierced the Gu mist, his black windbreaker sweeping across the Gu eggs on the ground. In his hand, he held a 'Beast Eye Crystal Core' entwined with beast soul patterns. The system panel flashed before his eyes: [Tauren Beast Soul Fusion 91%, Uchiha Bloodline Activation 26%. 'Beast Soul Resonance' is required to break the Gu and overcome the psychological barrier of 'beast transformation = loss of control']. "You're always afraid that your beastly nature will devour your rationality, but you've forgotten what your grandfather said - the Uchiha 'Beast Eye Power' was meant to coexist with the beast soul, not suppress it."
The minotaur's head snapped up, a glint of clarity in his eyes. He remembered the animal tooth pendant hidden within his hide armor—a token left by his grandfather before his death. He had once thought the Uchiha clan crest on the inside of the pendant was just an ordinary pattern. Now, as Yin Zhu lifted it, the pendant suddenly heated up, sending subtle chakra fluctuations against his skin, striking a strange resonance with the animal spirit within him.
"This crystal core was refined from your grandfather's Uchiha crystal." Yin Zhu handed the crystal core to the minotaur, and the chakra on his fingertips turned into a thin thread connecting the crystal core to the pendant. "Don't suppress the beast soul anymore! Use your reason to guide it, and let the Uchiha eye power become the 'reins' of the beast soul - Qin's sonic chakra is still resonating with your beast soul, and she is waiting for you to accept your own power!"
The minotaur gripped the crystal core tightly, pressing it against his chest. Beast soul chakra surged frantically along the crystal core's veins, colliding violently with Uchiha energy beneath his eyes. Pain seared his eye sockets like a raging fire, but he forced himself open, watching Qin struggling within the altar, and the battle scars left by his companions on the ground. Suddenly, the raging animal in his consciousness calmed, merging with reason into a more powerful force.
"Ah—!" The Minotaur's roar was no longer a furious roar, but one filled with awakened power. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing a unique "Beast Soul Symbiotic Mangekyo"—a beast-shaped pupil surrounded by eight "Uchiha Fan Blades" patterned with animal fur. Each blade rotated in sync with the fluctuations of the beast soul, allowing him to freely control his beastly form, free from the consuming power of his raging instincts. The system panel instantly refreshed: [Minotaur Mangekyo Awakened Successfully! Unique Ability: "Beast Eye Symbiotic" (allows him to freely switch between beast forms, triples his beast soul chakra without losing control) Unlocked, Beast Soul and Bloodline Fusion 100%].
"Now, use your beast eyes to break the beast soul formation!" Yin Zhu's voice was full of encouragement. Neji and Toss instantly appeared beside the altar, ready for battle - Neji's Byakugan locked onto the position of Gu Fang, and Toss's sonic chakra condensed into a defensive barrier to buy time for the Minotaur.
The minotaur's kaleidoscope suddenly lit up, and beast soul chakra surged within him. He was no longer an out-of-control beast, but a guardian with masterful power. He leaped up, his horns gleaming with a pale golden light, and fiercely slammed into the center of the beast soul formation: "Beast pupil? Break the formation!" The black and purple Gu eggs shattered instantly under the impact of the beast soul chakra, and the Gu slime that trapped Qin dissipated. Qin seized the opportunity to activate "Qin Yin? Purify Soul," using sonic chakra to dispel the remaining Gu mist and protect the minotaur from Gu Fang's sneak attack.
"Impossible! How can you control the beast souls?" Guya roared, raising his "Soul-Eating Beast Gu Staff." Countless Gu insects condensed into black arrows and shot towards him. Toss's sonic barrier instantly deployed, but the black arrows cracked it. "Minotaur, watch out!" Neji's Bagua Palm struck out in time, its golden chakra splitting the black arrow in half. But he hadn't anticipated Guya's next move—the Beast Gu Staff suddenly unleashed a giant phantom of a beast soul, which pounced on the minotaur, attempting to regain control of his beast soul.
"You want to touch my companion?" The fur patterns in the minotaur's kaleidoscope accelerated. He activated his beast form, quadrupling in size. His claws glowed with pale golden chakra. "Beast pupils? Soul-splitting!" The beast soul chakra condensed into a massive claw, which not only shredded the beast soul phantom but also slammed down at Gu Ya. Gu Ya had no time to dodge, and the claw slammed heavily against the altar pillar. The beast Gu staff fell to the ground, and the energy of the Soul-Eroding Beast Gu dissipated instantly.
At the end of the battle, the dark purple mist surrounding the Beast Soul Altar gradually dissipated. The minotaur retracted his beastly form, his kaleidoscopes retracting as well, his eyes calming down. He walked over to Jean, helped her up from the ground, and revealed a rare gentle expression. "Are you okay? I won't lose control again. I'll use my beast soul to protect you." Jean smiled and nodded, handing her a bottle of healing medicine. This was the most tacit cooperation they had ever had since they became partners.
Yin Zhu stepped forward and handed over a bottle of pale golden potion. "This is the 'Beast Eyes Nourishing Potion.' It will help stabilize the power of your Mangekyō and prevent excessive consumption of your Beast Soul Chakra." He pointed at the Minotaur's Mangekyō. "Your Beast Eyes are unique in the ninja world, symbiotic with Beast Souls. From now on, as long as you accept your own power, there will be no comrades you cannot protect."
The minotaur took the potion, gripping it tightly in his hand. In the morning light, Otogakure gradually became bustling with activity. The villagers were clearing the rubble from the altar. His companions' smiles reflected in his eyes—Ninji's Byakugan irises shone with a gentle light, Toss's sonic emitter had been retracted, and Jean's sonic chakra enveloped the entire village like a warm veil. He suddenly felt that he was no longer the "violent beastman" afraid of losing control, no longer the "brute force warrior" who would only hide behind his companions. Instead, he was a powerful warrior who could fight alongside them, protecting everything with his beast soul and his Mangekyō.
"From now on, leave the beast soul defense of Sound Village to me!" The minotaur raised his fist, and the animal hair patterns in the kaleidoscope turned gently. "I will use my beast soul to protect every one of my companions and this home!"