"You have the strength to pass," the guard said carefully. "But be warned: beyond that gate, cyberbeasts can reach up to early Grade 7. We have no guards posted on the other side, and beyond the immediate vicinity of the gate, you may be attacked on sight."

  "You didn’t place any security measures or guards on the other side?" Riseth asked, her tone incredulous. "What stops any of those beasts from crossing through the portal to this side?"

  The guard shifted uncomfortably but turned to face her. "The outpost containing the gate on the other side is cloaked," he explained. "The beasts also do not enter the site unless provoked."

  Riseth nodded, her tail flicking sharply. "We heard your warning. May we pass through?"

  The guard blanched, his composure slipping. "O-of course," he stammered. "You’ve been warned of the dangers, so you may enter."

  "Excellent," Kujo exclaimed, striding past the flustered guard without hesitation, the rest of the group following close behind.

  "Again, I’m not sure you heard me," the guard pressed, his voice rising slightly. "There are potentially beasts of a grade higher than your own on the other side."

  "I sure hope so," Kujo replied with a toothy grin. "Otherwise, this would be far too easy."

  Nomura offered the staring guards an apologetic look while Alistair and Riseth simply shrugged, both unfazed as they watched Kujo stride confidently through the portal.

  The group quickly followed, the familiar darkness of teleportation enveloping them for a brief moment. When they emerged, they found themselves in a small outpost nestled within an expansive forest. Towering trees with vibrant blue and teal leaves surrounded the area, their crowns adorned with curved purple fruits that shimmered faintly as if catching unseen light. The bark of the trees was smooth, almost metallic in appearance, and faintly pulsed with veins of bioluminescent green.

  Alistair extended his hand, grasping one of the fruits with telekinesis. He sniffed it curiously, his expression shifting to mild intrigue as the faint, sweet aroma reached him.

  He shifted his gaze upward, taking in the sight of the Ringworld. The colossal structure wrapped around the star above them, a continuous band of land and atmosphere stretching out of view before curving back into sight far beyond the horizon. The ground beneath his feet felt solid, but the faint curvature in the distant terrain was a subtle reminder of the arc they stood upon.

  The sky above was a pale, golden hue, the star casting a warm, diffused light that illuminated the Ringworld’s vastness. Along the curve, Alistair could see the transitions between biomes—the dense green of forests giving way to arid, sunlit deserts, then to shimmering oceans that reflected the light like scattered mirrors. Each biome blended seamlessly into the next, forming a patchwork of ecosystems that stretched endlessly along the arc.

  Suspended above were faint, spindly constructs running the length of the ring’s interior, their purpose a mystery but adding to the sense of immense, deliberate design. It was a strange yet awe-inspiring sight, one that gave him a new understanding of just how immense this structure truly was.

  While many worlds had been enlarged far beyond what had ever been possible before the Initiation, he was confident that, even without such enhancements, these Ringworlds would still dwarf most planets in sheer scope. The sheer scale of its biomes, woven together in an impossible harmony, left him momentarily breathless.

  "I think we didn’t fully appreciate just how powerful the Tok’eall are," Riseth remarked, her voice quiet but filled with a note of awe.

  Alistair slowly nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight above. Seeing the Ringworld from space, projected on a screen, had been nothing compared to standing here, experiencing its massive scale firsthand. The intricacy of its design and the sheer enormity of its structure drove home just how advanced the Tok’eall were.

  As one of the backbones of the Aegis Coalition, the Tok’eall had chosen to guard their universe for the greater good. Alistair felt a wave of gratitude that their immense power was tempered by a sense of responsibility. If they had been a more expansionist species, things might have turned out far worse—for them and for everyone else in their universe.

  "Stunning," Nomura murmured, her gaze sweeping across the vibrant expanse of the ringworld.

  After stepping out of the cloaked outpost, they turned back to take it in. To Alistair's conceptual awareness, the cloak stood out sharply—it was glaring in his perception, as he had purposefully highlighted any concepts even tangentially related to stealth.

  "This cloak is quite good," Kujo noted. "If I didn’t know it was there, I would struggle to find it."

  Alistair issued an ambivalent grunt, directing his attention toward the surrounding forest. He surveyed the area, his senses alert as he looked for indications of cyberbeasts. However, the vicinity remained devoid of any dangers.

  He glanced at Denodia, who appeared noticeably more at ease. She caught his gaze, then scanned their surroundings before subtly inclining her head to the right.

  Alistair shifted his direction, turning to the right and casually walking ahead while inspecting the local flora. His eyes roamed over the vibrant plant life, taking note of anything that might prove useful or interesting.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Do you smell any treasures nearby?" Alistair asked Riseth through the Akashic Link.

  "Not yet," she replied. "I get the sense this Ringworld's worth doesn’t lie in treasures but in the creatures inhabiting it."

  "Hey, where are you going?" Kujo called, catching up quickly, his wife eying them with interest.

  Alistair smiled at the two Oni. "We have some means to track down treasures and worthwhile beasts." He paused, thoughtful, before meeting Kujo’s eyes. "And you should invest in some kind of stealth detection skill. That cloak almost blinded me with how obvious it was."

  Kujo nodded. "Your concern is appreciated. Know that I have some skills that prevent me from being ambushed." Glancing at his wife, he added, "However, I will make acquiring a more persistent skill a priority."

  "That sounds like a good call. I don’t doubt there are some cyberbeasts with cloaking abilities," Alistair replied.

  "I will be able to handle it," Kujo said confidently.

  They followed the trail until it led to a slope overlooking a pristine lake in the distance. From his vantage point, Alistair observed a variety of bizarre creatures—each one almost entirely constructed from interlocking metallic plates, weaponry, and what felt like mana engines. Few showed any visible organic components; most were nearly pure machines.

  Some of the cyberbeasts resembled creatures he recognized, while others defied classification. High above, bird-like and wyvern-like cyberbeasts soared through the skies, their forms sleek and deadly. Around the lake, enormous beasts stomped across the landscape, their tails bristling with wicked spikes and blades, missile pods embedded across their armored bodies, and an arsenal of lethal weaponry on full display.

  These cyberbeasts were far beyond anything he had encountered before. They dwarfed the automata he had seen—or those his brother had produced—in both complexity and sheer power. Some of the creatures had even reached early Grade 7, their presence radiating a palpable sense of danger.

  "I call dibs on that one," Alistair said, pointing at a Grade 7 cyberbeast resembling an oversized Ankylosaurus. Its thick armor, abundance of missile pods, and the massive metal club on its tail made it an imposing sight.

  "What are dibs?" Nomura asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

  "Oh," Alistair began. "It’s a thing from my world. You call ‘dibs’ to claim something before anyone else can, kind of like reserving the right to pursue or take it first."

  Nomura chuckled, her gaze drifting over the other beasts. "I presume 'dibs' aren’t a very serious matter. On my world, Kamui, we had a similar custom where commanders had the right to challenge one another in single combat."

  "Some take dibs more seriously than others," Alistair replied with a casual shrug. "Dibs can extend to a woman or treasure you fancy—it’s not limited to an opponent. But if one of you wants to challenge my dibs, I wouldn’t mind much."

  Before Denodia could speak, Riseth cut in, an amused grin on her face. "You’re way too late on calling dibs, so just give up."

  Denodia pouted, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

  Kujo grinned, pointing at a bird-like cyberbeast soaring above. "I’ll call dibs on that one."

  Riseth let out a soft snicker. "Alright, you boys have your fun. We’ll cover the back in case another beast decides to interfere." She exchanged a glance with Nomura, her expression light. "Unless you’d prefer to join in?"

  Nomura raised an eyebrow, looking between Riseth and Denodia, a slight smile playing on her lips as she nodded. "I think that sounds like a good idea."

  Riseth stood with Nomura, both watching as their husbands rushed toward their chosen targets at incredible speeds. The sudden movement caused a stir among the nearby cyberbeasts, some scattering in alarm while others paused to observe the conflict, seemingly intrigued by the lower-graded beings attacking their brethren.

  With a wave of her hand, Riseth summoned a set of seats and gracefully sank into one, gesturing for the others to join her.

  "Let’s enjoy the show," she said, a relaxed smile on her lips. "It doesn’t seem like these creatures are keen on getting involved in the battles."

  Nomura and Denodia took seats beside her, with Nomura inspecting the craftsmanship appreciatively.

  "Quite comfortable," Nomura remarked before turning her attention to Riseth. "Also, your weapons and gear are impressive. You must have some very skilled crafters in your clan. I’d like to have a weapon of your or Alistair’s quality."

  Denodia sucked in air as if stabbed. "Alistair’s weapon is just a prototype," she replied, her tone dismissive. "It’s honestly quite boring as far as weapons go. It’s mostly designed to withstand the sheer amount of kinetic energy he uses."

  Nomura raised an eyebrow, a glint of admiration in her expression. "You made his weapon? Don’t downplay yourself. His weapon is remarkable."

  They shielded their eyes as blinding explosions erupted in front of them, Alistair intercepting a hail of missiles with his telekinesis.

  Denodia lowered her hand and waved off the spectacle. "If you think that’s impressive, just wait until you see his next weapon," she quipped, her tone light. "Perhaps he’ll finally offer to kiss me."

  Nomura’s smile turned predatory, clearly picking up on the banter. "If you ever tire of chasing that man, the Beshin clan has no shortage of eligible bachelors. I’d love to introduce you to some—you’re such a fine young lady, after all."

  Denodia grinned playfully. "I’m probably a few centuries older than you," she retorted. "Besides, I’m very picky."

  Nomura was slightly taken aback by the revelation, scrutinizing the disguised mermaid a little more closely. "We do have some older gentlemen, if that’s what you prefer," she teased, a grin spreading across her face.

  Denodia rolled her eyes, her attention shifting to Alistair. He was swinging the massive cyberbeast around by its tail, the force of the impact smashing apart nearby trees and boulders as he tried to knock it out.

  Kujo, not to be outdone by Alistair, grappled with the bird-like cyberbeast midair before seizing it by the neck. Flames trailed behind him like a comet as he drove it down into the edge of the lake. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the area, evaporating a large portion of the water instantly. Steam rose in thick clouds as the cyberbeast’s glowing, red-hot body thrashed against the shoreline.

  They watched as Kujo hacked into the creature with his massive cleaver, relentless as molten shards of metal scattered with each strike. By the time it stopped moving, the cyberbeast’s body was a scorched and mangled wreck.

  Denodia sighed, her disappointment clear. She had hoped the body would remain intact for salvage, but there was little left worth recovering.

  "We Oni do not specialize in crafting," Nomura admitted after a moment, her tone turning conversational. "It’s fortunate that our closest allies seem to pick up our slack."

  Riseth studied Nomura, drumming her fingers lightly on the armrest before speaking. "I could say the same about your information network," she remarked. "It’s far more elaborate than ours, and my sister is no slouch—at least when it comes to corporate espionage."

  Nomura showed no visible reaction to the comment, her aura control remaining impeccable. Riseth quickly decided that probing further wouldn’t be a good idea.

  "You know, then?" Nomura asked, meeting Riseth’s gaze directly, her tone calm and measured.