As the golden shimmer faded from the realm, tranquillity flooded the space where chaos once reigned. The jagged cave of Rin's inner world had transformed—no longer a prison of jagged stone and suffocating darkness, but an open plain bathed in soft light. The skies overhead were a soothing shade of pale blue, clouds drifting lazily like they had no destination.
Where there had once been chains and fury, there was now open sky.
Rin stirred, blinking the fog from her vision. She took in the gentle breeze and the scent of dew-covered grass. Her eyes widened as she realized where she was—no longer a suffocating void of anger and terror, but a land blooming with subtle beauty.
And then, she saw him.
Or rather... it.
The 3-Tails.
No longer towering, terrifying, or armoured in jagged scales of hatred and rage—but small. Rounded. His massive shell seemed more like a smoothed dome of river stone, his stubby limbs resting awkwardly under his body. The three great tails were still present, but they curled behind him like oversized ribbons, twitching ever so slightly. His wide eyes blinked with cautious annoyance, his expression caught between confusion and a deeply wounded pride.
Rin gasped. Her hands clutched her cheeks, and she staggered forward with stars bursting in her wide brown eyes.
"Kawaiiiiiiii...!"
Her cry echoed across the empty realm like a meteor breaking through clouds.
Before Isobu could react, Rin charged toward him, arms outstretched with the speed and energy of a child running toward a long-lost pet.
She flung herself at his face and practically collapsed onto him—cheek smushed against his round, smooth side, fingers pressing into his surprisingly plush skin.
"You're so soft—like a water balloon!" she giggled, rubbing her face against him.
Isobu's eyes went wide in horror.
"O-Oi... S-stop this nonsense! G-get off me! You... kid!!" His voice cracked and boomed all at once, as if unsure whether to sound dangerous or embarrassed.
Rin paid no mind. She was humming softly now, almost like a lullaby, her body gently swaying as she hugged the beast like he was the world's most oversized stuffed toy.
"I always thought you were in pain-" she murmured quietly, as if speaking to no one and everyone all at once.
"But you're warm. So warm. Not scary..."
Isobu twitched. He didn't know what stunned him more—the lack of fear in her eyes, or the complete absence of selfishness in her embrace.
This wasn't a girl trying to control him.
She was just... hugging him.
Without condition. Without intent. Without fear.
Radahn stood silently in the background, a sentinel of gold and presence, watching the surreal moment unfold like starlight touching the surface of still water. His expression remained stoic, but a subtle warmth stirred behind his burning eyes. Not from amusement—but from understanding. He had seen wars, gods, beasts, and kings.
But this?
This was peace in its purest form.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Isobu, still frozen in Rin's hold, finally grumbled lowly under his breath, "Y-you're too close... and I'm not soft..." But the resistance was already fading from his voice.
"Save m-me!"
She only giggled again and clung tighter.
After a long struggle,
Isobu finally managed to wriggle free from Rin's relentless affection with a loud, indignant grunt, flopping backward like a disgruntled turtle avoiding a toddler.
"So scary! D-Don't do that again!" he blurted, his voice cracking with equal parts alarm and embarrassment.
Rin just giggled, flopping back into the grass like she'd just tackled a pile of pillows.
"But you are soft-" she teased, twirling a blade of glowing grass between her fingers.
"Like a sleepy mochi."
The 3-Tails grumbled something unintelligible and puffed out a small bubble of mist from his nostrils.
He turned his 'massive' head toward her, blinking slowly.
Then, his gaze shifted—past Rin—to the tall, golden figure still standing silently beneath the tranquil sky.
His tone changed.
"We Tailed Beasts-" he said slowly,
"inherently possess the ability to perceive emotion. We don't just sense chakra—we feel intent, fear, hatred… even joy."
He paused, his eyes narrowing on Radahn like a predator examining something it couldn't quite name.
"I knew from the moment I glimpsed her heart that this girl… was harmless. Unbreakable, maybe. But kind."
Rin blinked and sat up, curious now, watching the 3-Tails intently.
"But you…" Isobu's tail twitched uneasily.
"…you emit nothing."
Radahn's expression didn't change. His burning, sun-like eyes stared back in silence.
"No fear. No anger. Not even peace. Just... a silence. A void. Like you're there, but not alive in the way mortals are. Not even like a Tailed Beast."
Isobu's voice lowered to a rumbling growl—not out of hostility, but confusion. Awe.
"That's impossible. Everyone with a soul has emotion. Everyone with a soul radiates something."
A stillness spread across the realm like the moment before a storm.
"So I'll ask this-" the 3-Tails said, his voice echoing now—not through the air, but deeper, into something older than memory:
"What are you?"
Radahn didn't answer right away.
The wind rustled the golden grass. Clouds swirled.
And for a moment, Rin could feel it too—the subtle pressure of something ancient beyond imagining. Something vast, coiled behind Radahn's silence like a star waiting to collapse or explode.
But all he said, after a pause, was:
"…I am a memory that refused to fade."
Rin's eyes widened in genuine confusion, her small hands dropping to her sides as she tried to process the strange conversation unfolding before her.
Isobu blinked slowly, his large eyes reflecting an unspoken weight. He was silent for a long moment, as if turning Radahn's words over in his ancient mind. The stillness felt heavy, the realm around them holding its breath.
Finally, his deep, rumbling voice broke the silence, laced with both caution and grudging respect.
"You-" Isobu said slowly, voice low and deliberate. He stopped-
Rin's confusion deepened. She looked between the two towering figures—the majestic Radahn and the ancient beast—and then back at Isobu, still unsure how to answer. Before she could speak, Isobu's gaze hardened with resolve.
"For now, I will cooperate with your wishes. But hear this clearly-" he growled, raising a clawed limb as if to emphasize the gravity of his words.
"If I sense even the slightest malice, deceit, or betrayal from any of you, I will not hesitate. I will not help. No matter what you do, no matter what you say… I will not bend or yield."
His voice echoed through the realm like a warning bell, reverberating against the crystal trees and starlit sky.
Rin swallowed, but a small, brave smile curled at the corner of her lips. She stepped forward slightly, her voice light but sincere.
"I wouldn't want you any other way."
Radahn, still silent and unmoving, gave the smallest nod of approval, his presence a silent promise of protection and balance.
Isobu shifted uneasily, his stubby limbs scrunching as he hesitated, eyes darting between Radahn and Rin. After a moment, he finally broke the silence, his voice a mix of impatience and demand.
"Now, Mister… are you going to return my powers or what?"
Radahn said nothing. With a small, precise flick of his fingers—a graceful snap—he summoned a cascade of golden light. The radiant glow spilled forth like liquid sunlight, wrapping around Isobu's form in shimmering waves. The light seemed to seep into every scale, every sinew, igniting a slow transformation.
Isobu's rough, mossy fur began to ripple and shimmer, the edges softly glowing with a deep crimson hue. The glow pulsed rhythmically, like the steady beating of a hidden heart.
His once dull and muted colours became vibrant and alive, as if the very life force of the ocean itself surged through him.
His body expanded, growing larger and sturdier with each passing heartbeat. Muscles thickened beneath his smooth shell, which now gleamed with a polished sheen—no longer just a rough dome of stone but a radiant armor forged by pure energy. The three great tails behind him swayed majestically, their ends glowing faintly red, crackling with barely restrained power.
For a fleeting moment, Isobu's pupils ignited in an intense, fiery glow—burning bright like twin embers set aflame within his eyes—before settling back to their usual cautious expression. The brief flare of light was like a silent roar, a sign of his renewed strength and awakening spirit.
Isobu took a deep breath, flexing his limbs experimentally. A wave of power coursed through his body, making him feel both ancient and reborn.
"W-what?!" His voice cracked with disbelief.
"How is this possible? How did you do that?!"
He lowered his head, staring at the vibrant red glow now shimmering along his fur and tails.
"We tailed beasts are a fixed force of nature-" he explained, voice trembling with awe.
"We cannot increase what we have without consequence… but you—" He shook his massive head, eyes wide.
"You broke that law!"
Isobu's tone grew excited as he continued, the crimson glow brightening at his tail tips.
"My chakra capacity is ten times greater than before! My durability… it's enhanced beyond anything I've ever felt. I can even conjure the sea itself at my hands—more than just coral or water. This power... it's incredible!"
Rin giggled, brushing hair from her face.
"Stop blabbering nonstop, my ears hurt!"
Isobu's annoyance was instant.
A thick vein pulsed at his temple, and his eyes narrowed in irritation. But after a breath, he softened, exhaling deeply. "T-thank you… really."
A few seconds of silence passed before he glanced toward the horizon, voice low and cautious. "Uh… will you leave, or stay here? I don't recommend lingering. Your friend outside is getting worried right now."