“YOU’RE DOING WHAT?” Xizu’s voice erupted from Gira’s crystalcomm as he ate his breakfast kibble.

  “Ish’ll be fine,” he gulped down his food. “don’t worry, Xizu, the Parabellum Onryō is in like two days, plus I got a plan already.”

  “But Borren used to be an ORPA Blood member.”

  “That means literally nothing to me.” He answered with a smile, “You worry too much.” He took another bite of his kibble.

  Xizu let out an exasperated sigh. “Borren used to work under a full-on Calamity Entity; your transformation won’t faze him at all. Also, from what my crappy little brothers told me he’s got some pretty serious anti-C.E. sentiments.”

  Gira shrugged as he swallowed his last bite of food, “But i’m not his boss and there’s no use freaking out now!” He checked the time on his crystalcomm. “Ooh! If you’ll excuse yours truly, I have some business to attend! I shall call you later~! Bye bye… uh, mommy? You wanted me to call you that, right?”

  Gira heard a panicked ruffling from the other end of the line as if she had dropped her crystalcomm, “N-no? W-what are you talking about?” she answered rather robotically.

  “Didn’t you ask me to call you that? I swear you told me that.”

  “No! Just call me Xizu for now!” she snapped at Gira over the crystalcomm.

  “For now?”

  “I’ll call you later! Take care!” She suddenly hung up.

  Gira looked at the crystalcomm confused. “Weird.” He shrugged before grabbing a glass of blood provided to him and chugged it.

  Xizu, on the other hand, was bright red as she exchanged awkward looks with Holly, who was giving her mother a grossed-out look from the other side of their living room.

  Gira cleaned up after himself, waving goodbye to the breakfast mechanoid as he burst through the door, with an annoyingly wide smile on his face.

  0913 (9:13 AM)

  It’s almost time! He receded into his throne. SAVAGRIOS! He called out.

  “Has our time arrived!?” An excited Savagrios erupted from a fort built out of the red furniture that once neatly lay in their throne.

  Yup. Gira nodded as he extended a hand to his crimson self.

  “Finally we shall be blessed with some fresh food!” he roared into the void of their throne.

  With that, Gira began to make his way to the Back Gardens of the manor. Gira wound his way through the white stone halls, making a quick stop in the medbay, where two Hollows stared down at an unconscious but restrained Gael in a bed.

  Gira poked his head into the medbay, making sure Gael was still in bed. “Phew…” he breathed a sigh of relief before making his way through the manor's main floor until he reached another tall arched hallway that led towards the Back Gardens.

  The Back Gardens were a large stretch of land decorated in colorful flowering trees, golden grasses trimmed low, and esoteric statues of what Gira could only assume were maybe animals? Actually, the more Gira tried to figure out what the heck they were supposed to be, the less and less they looked like anything.

  His goal was past the strange statues and across a long stretch of paved white stone road. There, past the trees and the floating feather leaves wafting in the air, was a huge domed building that was covered in huge alabaster auto sentries.

  Standing near the entrance, Gira spotted a familiar figure. It was Serfet, his tired eyes shadowed by dark circles. He was staring into the distant sky, his gaze dead and lost in the haze of faded white and blue. Fluffy clouds drifted above, their grand, lazy form resting in a sweet, soft blue. His distant gaze slowly contorted into an annoyed look as he felt the clouds mock his feeble heart.

  “HELLO!” Gira called out as he ran over to Serfet.

  Serfet’s gaze dropped as he waved at Gira with a tired smile. “G-good morning Gira how’d you rest last night?”

  “Like a tree—Vertically!” Gira said with a smile.

  Serfet gave a half-hearted laugh that turned into a yawn. “Thash good… Follow me.” he slouched as he led Gira into the massive alabaster dome building.

  Guarding the main entrance were two large white Hollows coiled around massive pillars that decorated the entrance to the building. The two mechanoids slithered down and greeted the two as they guided them into the Dome.

  Crossing a loud chamber that was spewing cold air down on the two, they found themselves in a shiny white atrium that was divided by a massive glass wall. In the middle of the massive pane was a sterile-looking building that had long white drapes that fluttered slightly, revealing a blue glow from within. The Hollows guided them into the chambers where detached cubbies had been prepared for the two.

  “Remove your shoes and any unnecessary outerwear.” One of the Hollow’s spoke.

  Serfet took off his shoes and coat and put them in a small box in a practiced manner as he yawned again. Gira followed in his footsteps by taking off his shoes and putting them in their own container.

  The two Hollows then led them through yet another chamber that sealed tight with a hiss as they were instructed to stand in the middle. Surrounding them were small porous holes all over the room.

  “It’ll get a little loud,” Serfet said with a grimace.

  “Decontamination level 2.” One of the Hollows spoke in a mellow feminine voice. “Wear these.” The Hollow handed them a pair of tight goggles.

  Gira looked at Serfet, giggling. When a sudden loud snap and click echoed from somewhere in the room. “Ehh?” Gira looked around confused.

  VROOOOOOOOM!

  A hurricane of twisting fluids and flashing blue light slapped Gira across the face as he shook around in a panic.

  Ding.

  Gira felt like an overwatered flower as he inspected his drenched clothing with an upturned frown—when suddenly every surface around him suddenly erupted with hot air.

  “AGHHHH!!!” Gira felt the back of his mouth run dry as the hot air faded.

  Doors suddenly opened before them, flashing bright white light into their faces as the two Hollows carried them out princess style.

  Serfet and Gira were carefully put on their feet, their hair mishmashed into a funky mess. Serfet yawned like nothing had happened. But Gira bore a traumatized look as he flinched to the sound of the clicking door closing behind him.

  Gira shook his head like a wet dog until his hair supernaturally returned to place. “Yegh,” he poked out his tongue, feeling the sting of chemicals. “why’d we have to do that?”

  Serfet didn’t even bother to fix his hair as he walked over to a line of box-like devices. “It was to disinfect us… luckily we only have to go through two levels in this building…” He pulled out a pair of silly-looking curved white boots.

  “Disinfect? For what?” He continued copying Serfet by stepping to another one of the devices and pulling out his own pair of oversized white shoes.

  “In case we carry any contaminants that can compromise the livestock held here.” Serfet tapped on the boots that suddenly shrank around his feet, wrapping themselves snugly around his calves.

  “Wowow!” Gira tapped the boots in the same place and they snuggled up to his feet.

  Serfet raised a brow. “Gira, don’t you transform to eat?”

  “Only partially, why?”

  “Would that include your feet?”

  “Oh man...” Gira grumbled as he tapped the boots again, allowing them to release themselves from his feet.

  The inside of the dome was very sparse—almost unnervingly so. Overhead, daylight filtered through several hexagonal windows, letting the blue sky flush into the main atrium. Serfet guided Gira straight ahead, down a long white hallway that had this clinical feel. It was wide, it was clean, it was quiet. It made Gira uneasy.

  Up ahead, Gira noticed natural light pouring in through open doorways lining the corridor, casting pale rectangles across the pristine floor.

  Gira wearily followed Serfet until they reached the first of the doorways. Looking inside, Gira saw more hexagonal windows high above, casting pale light down onto another pristine white hallway.

  Mounted beside the entrance was a smooth plaque etched with a single word: “Aamalüssa.” Serfet stared at the plaque, thought for a second, shook his head, and moved along to the next doorway.

  This one read, “Arhalltel.” Again, Serfet thought for a second but shook his head. The same thing happened at the next doorway... and the next. Each time, Serfet would stop, read the name, think for a moment, then quietly move on.

  After several repetitions, Gira finally broke the silence.

  “Where are all the freaking animals, man? I’m bored and hungry.”

  “Sorry… I’m just trying to think what animal has all the features you demanded on your stupid list.”

  “Ohhh.” Gira nodded along as they moved onto the next hallway. This one read, “Gamiceatus.”

  “That one sounds big!” Gira said.

  “Yeah, but your blue-eyed self demanded something bony.”

  “Ugh—man…” Gira mumbled as he followed along.

  After what felt like an unending eternity, Gira snapped. “This one!” Gira shouted at Serfet, who was spaced out.

  “Eh? What? Which one?”

  Gira pointed at a random doorway. On its plaque it read, “Karakite.”

  Serfet squinted, processing the word. “I guess it works. Wait—are teeth bones?”

  “They are to me. Let’s go!” Gira shouted.

  Serfet covered his ears. “Ugh… Please lower your voice. I’ve got a nasty headache right now.”

  Gira covered his mouth. “Sorry…”

  Serfet gave a sullen smile. “It’s okay—I just had a really bad nightmare last night…”

  “What happened in the dream?”

  “I… I was living with my sister again and…” he visibly began to tremble.

  “Oh. Ahh, you can tell me about it later!” Gira interjected.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Serfet gave Gira a painful smile. “Perhaps it's better I don’t…” he mumbled as he guided Gira down the Karakite hallway.

  After walking a little further into the halls, Gira was surprised by a sudden burst of color. Along the right-hand wall, large glass enclosures stretched in a row, each one housing vibrant, alien flora and the occasional fluttering insect. There were also tiny, shrimp-like mechanoids that hovered gently through the air, occasionally landing on surfaces to graze on dust and organic waste.

  “Wow, cool!” Gira gushed as he ran up to the glass with childlike wonder. “What are those?”

  Serfet rubbed his eyes and smiled at Gira’s excitement. “Those are Endymion Coropust; they help do 90% of all the work required to maintain all the enclosures here.”

  “They’re so freaky looking! I love them!” But Gira’s excitement was suddenly curbed when he spotted an odd, greasy-looking blob of white slop jiggling within the enclosure. Gira stopped to stare at the fleshy orb. He squeezed his eyes as he tried to figure out what in all that ever was he was staring at. “H-hey Serfet…”

  “Yeah?” Serfet answered as he kept walking along.

  Gira turned to face him. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing in the direction of the blob.

  “That’s a tree, Gira.”

  “What? No! That’s not—huh…?” The blob was gone, replaced by brush and small trees. “Wait, what?” he pressed his hands against the wyrm glass. “I-I swear I saw some weird white thing.”

  But Serfet ignored him, his face finally flaring up with some joy as he reached a console that was built into a break in the wyrm glass.

  Gira ran over while still looking into the enclosure. “Whatever, I guess. By the by, what the heck’s a Karakite?”

  “It’s one of our main sources of protein in the ORPA, a specially engineered animal designed to feed hundreds with the power of Kyyr alone.”

  “Hundreds? But how could something so big be so hard to spot?” Gira asked, putting his face against the glass.

  “They’re not that big, you know.” Serfet said, his eyes glued to a flashing help light on the console.

  Gira squinted at him annoyed, “okay but like, how do you feed a hundred people with a single little critter?”

  “You’ll see…” Serfet said while stretching before leaning against the console.

  Gira gave an inquisitive yet annoyed look before he returned to look at the seemingly barren enclosures. After a minute or two—

  Whhrrrrr….

  A faint humming echoed from further within the hallway. Gira spun to face the sound. Approaching at an okay speed were rangers riding aboard a small vehicle of sorts that lightly hummed over the white stone floor.

  “They’re on duty this week? Ugh…” Serfet didn’t seem pleased by the two rangers that had arrived.

  Seated aboard were two rangers—Korm and Hitch. Oh! It’s the videogame guy and… another videogame guy? Sitting next to Hitch was ranger Korm, a near-perfect reflection of Hitch, with the most noticeable difference being his annoyed glare.

  Hitch weakly waved his face, frozen in an indifferent stare and an upside-down frown. The two had swirly, pale-brown hair that swirled in opposite directions, and they were wearing matching fluffy white gowns, white boots, and black gloves.

  Gira leaned closer to Serfet and whispered, “So what’s their cool freaking backstory?”

  “Mm? What are you talking about?”

  “Aren’t they Mahnes like Gael?”

  “Er… I’m pretty sure they’re just transfers from Circh station.”

  “oh.” Gira lost all interest.

  The two brothers disembarked from what can only be described as a small rectangular lowglider that resembled a sled more so than the pointed boat-like appearance of regular low-gliders.

  “What do you need?” Korm asked.

  “Captain Morray has requested the sacrifice of some livestock to satiate our resident Coarseblood.” Serfet pointed at a smiling Gira.

  Korm’s face softened as he studied Gira. “Hmmm…okay,” he said with a surprising smirk.

  Hitch let out a long sigh as he fiddled with a console. “Hop aboard…”

  Gira had only played games with Hitch in silence so he really didn’t know much about him or his clone? Brother? Brother. They boarded the little glider and with that, the small machine smoothly began to take them deeper into the dome.

  “We have three elderly individuals that are currently in quarantine before deconstruction. Will those suffice?” Hitch said without a flicker of joy in his words.

  “Are there any other specimens you could supply us with?” Serfet pressed.

  “We could cull two more individuals at most to stay within quota.” Hitch answered.

  Deconstruct? What does that mean? Gira wondered.

  “That works right?” Serfet turned to Gira.

  “Uhh—yeah, I think so.?” Serfet looked at Gira who was clearly not present in the conversation.

  Korm inputted something on the console. “Orders sent; they will be delivered shortly to our destination,” he said , letting the words linger just a second too long.

  Hitch gave his brother a confused look.

  Korm simply smiled, glaring back at Gira, who was counting the pretty white light above.

  Getting bored of counting, Gira leaned forward, “So? Are you two brothers?”

  Korm glanced back at Gira “We sure are…” he said, leaning back to meet Gira.

  “Oh, cool…” Gira said, pulling back a little.

  Silence…

  “Umm, so how was working at Circh Station?” Gira asked.

  Korm just stared but didn’t answer.

  Silence…

  “Hello?” Gira asked, confused. “How was working at Circh Station?”

  Serfet grimaced next to Gira as he chose to ignore the interaction.

  Gira pressed on, “C-can you answer me?”

  Korm just stared at Gira with an uncomfortable glare while Hitch stared ahead.

  Silence dragged over them before Hitch suddenly answered, “It was fine.”

  Gira’s eye twitched. “I-I see… Umm—”

  Serfet gave Gira an annoyed side-eye. SHUT THE FUCK UP, PLEASE, BY ALL THE FIFTEEN SYMBOLS, STOP FUCKING TALKING! He thought to himself as he feigned sleep.

  “So, do you guys have games on your crystalcomms?” Gira asked, his hair bits twitching.

  Korm continued to trace Gira with quiet intent, while Hitch remained silent.

  “Umm—?”

  Serfet was clenching his eyes and jaws as tightly as he could. THEY DON’T WANT TO TALK TO YOU PLEASE SHUT UP! I’M GOING TO SMACK THE MONSTER OUT OF YOU.

  Serfet was having a rough day.

  Silence…

  But Gira did not, in fact, shut up as Serfet had so dearly wished in his little beating red heart. Rather, he’d gone on a warpath of annoying questions that got either no reaction or half-assed one-word responses. But finally, after what felt like an eternity to Serfet, they had arrived at the quarantine enclosure.

  This enclosure was a white circular chamber with the basic necessities an animal would require. Light, some bedding, water, and food. And sitting around in the enclosure were three goofy-looking dodo bird things.

  Karakites were an unfortunately gross accident turned into a delicious meal for millions of people across the universe. They were roughly 34kg (around 75 lb), featherless, pale white with moist, flabby skin, and most uniquely, two sets of overlapping beaks lined with vestigial teeth.

  Gira looked down at the three creatures that were sitting on their rear ends, staring up at the blue sky, their beady little black eyes mesmerized by something only the Symbols would know.

  “Eww.” Gira said bluntly as he stared at the seemingly brain-dead circle of birds. “How the heck’s one of those things supposed to feed a hundred people?” Gira asked as he put his hands on the glass.

  Korm quietly walked over to Gira. “You see that fleshy pouch under their necks?” He pointed to a gross growth that jiggled as the Karakites breathed.

  “Mhm…” Gira acknowledged in disgust.

  He continued, “Karakites have special dermal cells on their gullet that house modified stem cells that feed off Kyyr in the environment. Over time they grow and develop into protein-rich pouches that shed off through an apoptotic process. The clumps of flesh fall off and are harvested by the Coropust and then processed into food. There are also different breeds and varieties that have different flavors. Fun fact: if you leave one of those growths alone in a warm environment, a new Karakite will develop from the flesh orb.” Korm gave Gira an oddly ominous smile.

  “Okay… So they split up and multiply?”

  “Correct...”

  “Couldn’t that theoretically be bad?”

  “If they weren’t literally designed with zero survival instincts, then perhaps yes. But they were designed to struggle to move and were programmed to be cannibalistic in nature. Which reminds me of another fun fact: when they consume their own tumors, the mass reintegrates back into their system seamlessly like a puzzle piece and the resources from the consumed orb can be recycled into a new flesh orb.”

  “Wow… that’s kinda sad and nasty, but also kinda interesting—I guess?”

  Shadows flickered above the group as Endymion Coropust delivered two more Karakites into the pen. As soon as the two younger Karakites landed, something seemed to change in the mood of the creatures.

  Korm slowly covered his mouth. “oh whoops.” he said in the most barren tone ever. “I forgot one more fun fact. For an unknown reason, there can never be more than three Karakites near each other—otherwise.”

  The younger Karakites suddenly erupted in energy as they snapped open their jaws, revealing rows upon rows of seemingly never-ending teeth that disappeared into their throats. The older Karakite struggled to their feet, but in a flash the younger Karakites had already lunged at two of the older specimens, ripping into their gullets and shredding them apart in a grotesque display of cannibalism.

  Gira watched his eyes consumed by the red display as the Karakites tore into one another with surprising ease. “Wh-why are they doing that?”

  Korm kept still, his eyes never wavering from the gore. “Whoever made them must’ve been one funny guy,” he answered with a faint glimmer of amusement.

  After a matter of seconds, the carnage had subsided. There were once again only three living Karakites within the enclosure.

  “Coarseblood.” Korm abruptly whispered into Gira’s ear, “let me watch you feed.”

  Gira pulled away, his eyes finding Korm’s purple irises digging into his own. “Uhhh…” Gira glanced at the small glider, but Serfet had peacefully fallen asleep and Hitch was playing on his crystalcomm leaving Gira alone to deal with Korm.

  “Umm—I mean. Sure?” he mumbled awkwardly. “Just give me a sec.” Gira turned away from Korm, who was giving him some really nasty vibes.

  Savagrios! Gira cried out within their throne.

  “YES? Has our glorious time arrived?” Savagrios excitedly roared within.

  Sure buddy, but just letting you know the animals they got us are pretty ugly so I wouldn’t blame you if you skipped out on this one.

  “You jest, we’ve been dying to feast on a living organism for quite some time—we are a Coarseblood after all,” he announced proudly.

  Okie, that works with me you get full control, bud. Go crazy! Oh, also, some weirdo is gonna watch you eat or something—have fun!

  “Bystanders matter not.” Savagrios said with a metaphysical shrug as he took over the body. With that, Gira’s eyes flickered crimson red as he grew taller and his features sharper.

  Korm was mesmerized by the strange display of spreading muscle and subtle shifting bone. His eyes dragging across every rippling shift in skin and Kyyr.

  “Where is our prey?” Savagrios demanded with a toothy smile.

  Korm leaned in uncomfortably close, “Fascinating…” he mumbled while biting down on his thumb. “Let me take you to the entrance…” he said with a level of gross excitement.

  “Thanks, strange man!” Savagrios loudly announced as he followed Korm to a door that opened into a loft that overlooked a maintenance room for the enclosure.

  “The gate should be unlocked. Please—take your sweet time…” he said in an oddly pervy tone.

  Savagrios gave him a nasty glare. “Eww, we do not sparkle with the likes of you.” Savagrios said choosing to now ignore Korm. With a quick glance over the rail, Savagrios then vaulted down, ignoring the stairs.

  Korm looked down in excitement as he blushed, licking his lips as he walked back out with a gleeful look on his face.

  Down below, Savagrios stretched and smiled as his eerily silent Kyyr began to wrap around his body as the faded echo of what appeared to be ghostly clapping resounded from his skin as his crimson scales erupted from his body as they began to transform into their Nascent Form.

  Flesh began to pop and sizzle as his human figure stretched and warped into his Coarseblood frame. Their Nascent form was far more translucent compared to their usual deep crimson. Under the crimson shine, the ghostly red revealed the faded remains of their malformed human bones embedded under their crystalline scales.

  Savagrios opened his jaw with a loud crack, ripping apart the human skull that was vaguely visible within, his long tongue lapping down as the scent of blood began to excite every Kyyr sensor on his body, causing his Kyyr receptors on his auricular organs to shudder in anticipation.

  Korm was millimeters away from the glass, his eyes flashing with a childlike luster as he felt the electrifying shift in Kyyr.

  Hitch tensed at the sudden shift in the atmosphere of the chamber, turning his attention away from his game as he felt the vaguely evil energy surge from the enclosure.

  Serfet sprang up like an old mummy splashed with cold water as he felt a familiar shudder crawl up his spine.

  Korm was salivating at the sight of the enclosure's gate slightly parting open as a crimson skull pushed forward. The half-Coarseblood emerged on all fours, his jaws loosely wobbling as thick saliva fell from his mouth, the acidic fluid hissing as it met the stone floor. Cracks spread across its face as Savagrios licked his teeth in excitement.

  Korm held his breath as he watched with eager anticipation.

  The Coarseblood immediately focused on his first target, his crimson muscles cracking as he coiled his body before erupting in a crimson flash.

  Savagrios sank his jaws deep into the first Karakites hide, the creature flailing around as it squawked in agony. In a fluid motion a claw dug into its lower body and his jaws pulled up on its meaty neck, separating the Karakite's skull from its body as if they were made of greasy red butter.

  Arcs of blood flew across the glass as Savagrios smashed meat and bone down his gullet and into the unknown space within his calamity core.

  Hitch felt his guts twist and his breakfast smash into his throat but he just couldn’t tear his gaze away from the feeding frenzy.

  Korm's smile grew wider as he nodded in sickly rhythm to the beat of the carnage below.

  Serfet felt his body tense as the memories of Trant and Pool room suddenly flashed before him, reminding him what lay behind the childlike Gira.

  Savagrios’s roar was muted behind the glass as chunks of bone shot out from beneath him, their bladed edges embedding themselves on the other Karakites as he devoured everything the first specimen had to offer. His jaws cracked down on the thickest parts of the Karakites beak, the mass splintering under the power of his jaws and throat. Licking the floor, he finished his first meal.

  The Coarseblood was like a jagged crimson brush that ripped across a living canvas as he surged with force into the next Karakite, shredding and consuming it in a similarly violent way.

  The final eldest specimen didn’t react to death around it as it stared at the blue sky above. Its beady little eyes absorbed the blue from beyond before its turn inevitably came. In only a matter of minutes, Savagrios had left nothing more than splintered bone and red goo in the enclosure.

  The Coarseblood looked up at the three rangers, his jaw parting slightly before he spoke—his words somehow passing through the esoteric wyrm glass—his gravelly voice caressing their necks with a vile chill, “More.” the single word dragged itself down their backs.

  Korm bit his lip, his breath shaking as he began to nod, “Why, of course,” he mumbled as he held up three fingers.

  Hitch felt his guts spin as his hands hovered over the console. “Korm, is this a good idea?”

  He didn’t say a word, only turning enough to glare at his brother. Hitch swallowed his senses and reluctantly organized for three more unfortunate specimens to be delivered to the enclosure.

  Steel Dragon is absurdly long—like, sheesh. We've got the Parabellum Onryō with Borren, the Penthestat, and then [REDACTED]... not to mention all the flipping POVs I still need to map out. But the climax? I’ve been dreaming about that moment for years.

  do plan to tighten up the earlier chapters eventually, but for now, I just really want to get to the third arc, Joy Pursuit: Blackbox. I've been daydreaming about that arc too...