Beliefs have power. In fact, a far off nation on the western continent supposedly uses beliefs, and the strengths of those beliefs, as their method of cultivation. Unfortunately, this was only briefly mentioned in one of his lectures, and so he was not sure about the details.
Emanascions are unique spiritual creatures that are actually born from beliefs.
Unlike cursed constructs that are also spontaneously born due to dark energy giving birth to a consciousness in an item, or the spontaneous birth of elemental spirits in locations with a high density of a certain element, such as the birth of a fire spirit in a volcano, emanascions often have more mystical and unpredictable abilities—they are also much more rare.
When a large enough population shares a singular, powerful belief, feeling, or yearning, their emotions coalesce, giving birth to a sentient being imbued with the characteristics and skills related to the beliefs that gave birth to it.
Although, no emanascion had been seen in centuries, one example that Kain had read about in books was from centuries ago when the class differences between those with and without power led to massive amounts of ordinary people becoming enslaved.
The generations of oppression eventually gave birth to what is now referred to as the Emanascion of Liberty— a radiant figure clad in ethereal light that rallied enslaved populations, breaking chains with a single glance and inspiring uprisings that changed the course of history.
It is unknown if the strength of the Emanascion of Liberty, that appeared to be on par with the highest 9-star beast-tamers from the moment it appeared, was strength it had from birth or if it had kept itself hidden for years until it was strong enough. However, regardless of if emanascions are strong from birth, it is undeniable that they always have high potential.
Unlike cursed constructs that vary greatly in power depending on the contaminated object they inhabit, Emanascions almost always begin their existence at diamond quality or higher, their potential unmatched among spiritual creatures. Even pure-blood dragon species rarely start at diamond-quality from birth without evolving.
Another characteristic of emanascions is that, due to essentially being born from the beliefs of a large number of people, they appear to have an innate reluctance to forming contracts with humans. In fact, the only reported time that an emanascion had become a spiritual contract was for one of the empire's 5 founders—Calista Eyera.
Serena's contract evidently did not get released often, since it seemed to be ecstatic and curious about everything around it.
"You have something so powerful at your disposal. Why have you never summoned it before?" Kain asked in confusion. Kain had to admit that the emanascion had a high enough potential for someone to want to kill her and steal it for themselves, while exhausting as many resources as needed to heal the damage to the creature's soul from the broken contract.
However, Serena is a member of the Storm family which means that very few people would be gutsy enough to attempt something like that.
Moreover, another reason why contracts with emanascions are so rare is due to few people having a suitable affinity to bind one, so even if someone was driven blind by jealousy, they'd unlikely be able to form a contract with it themselves.
Lastly, even if someone did kill Serena to break her contract with it, its unlikely that the emanascion would be willing to a form a contract afterward, and even the weakest emanascions have unpredictable evasion abiltiies that makes their capture difficult.
"I c...an't co...ntr...ol it..." Serena mumbled quietly.
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"I said that I can't control it!" Serena finally blurted out in an uncharacteristic show of emotion.
Now it was Kain's turn to be stunned. Serena, who had always served as the target for all of her same-aged peers couldn't control her own spiritual creature? Even most newbie beast-tamers could control their contract well enough for battle within a couple of weeks.
After a big sigh, Serena elaborated, "Balins had followed me around from before we formed a contract, but always kept himself hidden unless we were alone—even the high-level beast-tamers living in the estate couldn't sense him. Therefore, its not an issue of tacit understanding or not getting along, his skill is just too unpredictable."
"Balins has the fate-attribute, and only one skill…equivalent exchange. I can make almost any wish so long as my spiritual power is enough to supply it—but given my gift, that is rarely an issue— and so long as there is even a 0.0001% of it occurring naturally by fate. Whatever improbable actions or events are needed for that wish to come true, Balins will make sure that it can happen."
"However, the desired outcome must always have an equivalent price, and while Balins often tries its best to make sure that the price does not negatively impact me…it's impossible to fully control what the price I'd have to pay would be."
"So how could I ever use Balins in a competition? If I make a simple wish for victory, it may result in irreparable harm to my opponent or even one of my friends or family members not even competing…"
"I had already seen first-hand how devastating the consequences of one of my wishes could be…and I…" Serena choked up, unable to continue.
"It's my fault…" She whispered. "I am so sorry Kain, but Cherry being kidnapped may be partly my fault. And if she or any of those other children die, then I also have to carry that burden."
Now Kain was confused. Unless Serena was helping with kidnapping the children in his hometown while far away in another region of the country, he failed to see how Cherry's kidnapping had anything to do with her…
Likely seeing the confusion on his face, she clarified. "Heather released a wild spiritual creature to attack me before I had awakened my affinity, and during the attack I awakened an affinity independently and made a contract with Balins to defeat it," Kain knew all of this, having seen this story from Heather's perspective using Bea.
"However, the reason I was able to awaken my affinity at that exact moment was due to making a wish to Balins who was nearby at the time…and the price paid was that Heather lost any hope of ever awakening hers…"
"It's impossible to know the price to be paid until after the wish is granted, and if I could go back in time, I would likely make the same decision. Considering how she'd targeted me, I had even thought that the price falling on her worked out perfectly…But if a consequence of her not ever awakening an affinity is the lives of numerous innocent children…then I also bear some of that responsibility."