KiAera jerked awake just in time to watch two reinforced slabs of authority-grade adamantine fly across the room and crater into the far wall.
Her long black hair, still shimmering faintly blue from unfinished spellwork, fell into her face as she bolted upright.
Great. Just what I needed.
She wiped her mouth, glanced down, and sighed.
Drool. On official documents.
Working quickly, KiAera tugged the hood of her cat-eared hoodie into place, smoothing the tufts of hair atop her head, and snapped her fingers.
{Spectral Heat} evaporated the moisture instantly, while her {Alteration} dominion erased all evidence of embarrassment. The papers straightened themselves. The crystal desk gleamed. Her blue eyes flared like pilot lights.
Appearances mattered.
Especially when he was involved.
The presence stomping toward her desk radiated enough diabolical fury to register on half the city's thaumic sensors.
Why is he so loud…?
KiAera didn't bother looking up yet. If word spread that the newly elected Chief of the Chimera Crew had been caught catnapping on the job, her officers would never let her hear the end of it. Not that it would surprise anyone.
"KiAera!"
The Sageloom polish coating the desk cracked like ice under stress as Jalkra's voice thundered through the chamber.
KiAera finally lifted her gaze. Regret was immediate. Nearly eight feet of barely contained violence stood before her. His reddish skin flushed darker with rage, dark crimson horns curving like accusations above his brow.
The Oni Lord of the DreaGoth district always filled a room. Today, he overfilled it.
"I want a redo of our election!"
He punctuated the demand by driving his fist straight through a structural pillar, and his casual, perpetually unbuttoned shirt exposed chiseled muscles and the swirling {Chaos-Scion} tattoos etched across his chest.
KiAera watched the stone crumble, then flicked her wrist. Light traced her fingers as {Spectral Mend} rebuilt the pillar mid-collapse.
"Good morning to you too, Jalkra," she said, with mild annoyance. "And no."
She leered at his attire today.
Though his wild, stylized pants looked more suited for a runway than a warlord, he still resembled some savage, brooding model who had wandered in from a fashion campaign called "Catastrophe Chic." He probably had shopped there before; it was located down the street, owned by the fashionista Ume, who created incredible streetwear with her webbing. If only his expression didn't promise doom.
"Are you sure you want that?" KiAera asked, tracing a finger along the crack his outburst had left in the desk.
Lines of light followed her touch as she repaired the damage with {Spectral Mend}. "The vote has been finalized, Jalkra. Our people elected me as the Chief. It wasn't exactly a close call, given that it was 81 to 29 in favor."
"Bullshit!" In a fluid motion, he hurled the desk through the stained YggGlass window. "I shouldn't have agreed to your motion for this electoral process. If we had settled this matter in a match—"
"You would've been flattened in an instant," KiAera cut in, flicking her wrist.
Her {Spectral Flame} coiled outward like living tendrils, snatching the desk midair and guiding it back inside. Another flick: the shattered window reformed, the doors reassembling behind him, and shutting with a polite click. "Honestly, who would vote for a guy who destroys his own office every time he gets cranky?"
"One who knows he's been cheated!" Jalkra snarled, leaning back on the desk as if it were a barstool.
She leaned back in her chair. "Ah. This again."
"You think they wanted you for your speeches? You cast a spell on them. Manipulated their minds as easily as you twist those flashy flames of yours."
"Oh, please." KiAera scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You still cling to that age-old belief that I used sorcery to win them over? The Chimera Crew is tired of bullies and tyrants. They crave a leader who listens and cares for their needs, not just a brute ready to smash everything in sight."
She summoned her {Scribe's Will}, conjuring a shimmering scroll that floated between them, inscribed with the results of the election.
The scroll unraveled, the numbers prominently displayed for all to see, numbers blazing unmistakably with a {Psionic} seal.
81 {KiAera} – 29 {Jalkra}
"Those are the voices of our crew." KiAera gestured. "They chose me, just as they will choose to follow my vision for a better future."
Jalkra's fangs clenched, but his fury began to flicker like the flames around them. "I can't accept this."
"I think," KiAera said, rising to her feet, her presence tightening the air itself, "that you can either serve as my Warfare Marshal and learn what actual leadership looks like… or you can keep shouting until the council strips your title and assigns someone who won't redecorate with rubble!"
She stepped closer. Her voice stayed level.
"Choose."
"I…" Jalkra winced. Then snarled. "I will mutiny! My Ten Pillars shall claim every one of my cities and—"
"Our people's cities," KiAera corrected. "And I'm sure they'd love having their doors blown apart by the man who claimed to be redeemed."
Jalkra hesitated, the bark of his resolve wavering.
KiAera knew he had built his reputation on strength, on fear and domination. But now, that very foundation was crumbling under the weight of her undeniable logic.
Still, pride is a fierce beast, and it reared its head once more.
"Redemption?" he sneered, shoving himself off the desk with contentious force.
KiAera's fiery tendrils danced around her, flickering with impatience.
"You were a Champion of Chaos, Jalkra! Your strength lay in intimidation, not in leadership." She placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice low but firm. "Do you truly believe you know what is best for the Chimera Crew? Or are you simply too consumed by your own ego to see what they ask of us?"
"Leadership is dominance!" he roared, fist striking the desk. The air shimmered with potential energy, thickening with his ire. "You can't lead if they don't fear you! They'll grow soft, complacent under your gentle hand!"
"You're alive because of my softness, no?"
Jalkra scoffed, though the fire in his eyes dimmed slightly.
He smirked, using it as armor against the truth she wielded. "You think I'll become some lapdog to your ideals?"
KiAera held his gaze. She turned when she sensed the arrival of two life signatures.
Once again, the walls of Jalkra's fury began to crack as his son Denji dashed into the room, with Denji's best friend Liozel darting in behind him.
The boys were armed with weapons, their expressions brimming with urgency. KiAera felt a mix of curiosity, joy, and pride as her heart swelled at the sight of how much the boys had grown.
At just ten years old Denji was still small, but his single matured horn curved cleanly from the right side of his head, while the one on the left was still struggling to grow in, a stub of future trouble. Blue {Chaos-Scion} patterns lit up along his fair hands and trailed up his neck and cheek, glowing brighter as his agitation spiked.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"Dude—Dad! You have to chill!" Denji cried out.
With his aura surging, he bounded across the room, striking the man in a blink with an overhead sword slash.
Jalkra lazily gestured with his hand, blocking the katana's blade with his fingers. "And where would the fun be in that, boy?" He yawned.
Denji's face flushed with frustration as he struggled to dislodge his weapon from his father's grip. "Fun? You think this is fun? You're about to become a tyrant again, but in a different costume! Damn it, Dad, listen to KiAera! She's not wrong!"
Liozel skidded in behind him, his reddish hair bouncing as he sprinted, a reptilian tail swaying in frustration. The A-shaped mark between his brows peeked from under a budding horn, giving him a determined look beyond his age.
Although he was KiAera's younger brother (not by blood, but cherished nonetheless), he had always admired Jalkra. Now, watching the confrontation, he felt compelled to speak up.
"Yeah, Jalkra! You can't keep throwing tantrums or people will stop following you. KiAera cares deeply about us—"
Liozel winced as Jalkra's eyes narrowed, anger and something resembling pride kindling in his gaze as Jalkra regarded the boys. His expression hardened as he focused on Liozel.
"You think you can lecture me, you little T-Rex brat?" he leaned forward, bringing himself to Liozel's eye level. "I sacrificed everything for my family, for my legacy! I'll beat some sense into—"
"Hey! Manners!" KiAera stepped forward, kicking Jalkra softly in the shin, and he flipped over.
He froze in midair, held aloft by her {Telekinesis}.
KiAera continued. "How will Diantha feel if she overhears you threatening to plunge our people back into danger? Would you want her to see you as a tyrant, as a man who has learned nothing from his own shortcomings?"
The room fell silent. Jalkra's eyes darted between KiAera and Denji, who stood beside Liozel. The boys shifted their stances, both ready for him to either lash out or concede. The ambivalence in Jalkra's expression revealed a fleeting glimpse of doubt.
"Don't you dare involve her," he growled, though the fierceness of his words had lost some of their bite. "You don't know what I did to protect this family. I've fought blood and bone for every victory we've won."
After he made his claim, Denji cleared his throat. "Speaking of my mother. Ms. KiAera? Dad? Mom and Aunty Mina are boxing. Again…"
Both KiAera and Jalkra stared, their expressions paling at the revelation. Diantha, the Chimeron Treasurer, and her younger sister Mina, Captain of Division 8, were always at odds with each other, and when a brawl between them broke out, it was nothing short of an explosion.
"Are you serious?" KiAera exclaimed, her eyes widening with alarm. "Why would they start a fight now of all times?"
"Because Aunt Mina thinks Mom is spending too much on city improvements!" Denji exclaimed, his sword slipping from his grip as he rushed toward the door, urgency propelling him. "And now they're throwing punches in the Training Arena!"
Jalkra, still floating in midair, blinked in disbelief. "A fight? Between those two? Shouldn't they be setting an example for the rest of us?"
"You should be more worried about what they might break!" Liozel added, his voice tinged with anxious excitement. "Last time they fought, they accidentally brought down the entire wall of the east wing!"
Jalkra's expression shifted from annoyance to genuine dread. "By GamaGen's grace." He braced himself, propelling himself off KiAera's telekinetic hold and landing deftly back on his feet. "If we don't stop them, there won't be an office left to argue in!"
KiAera nodded, but the thought of Diantha and Mina scrapping it out sent adrenaline coursing through her. "Got it! We have to stop this before someone gets seriously hurt," she said decisively.
With a swift flick of her fingers, she let Jalkra drop to the ground before turning her attention to the boys. "You two, stay close! I'll teleport us there!"
She heard Denji's footsteps abrupt to a stop.
Before Jalkra could protest, KiAera wove her magic. The air shimmered, and in the blink of an eye, they stood in the Training Arena. The space was massive, lined with training dummies and ropes for acrobatics, but at that moment, it felt like a battlefield.
{Spatial Sight}, KiAera mused, her mind pressing against the {Skill}.
{Spatial Sight}: Active.
360-degree view. X-ray vision. Long-distance amplification. Thermal, aura, and life force imaging.
Inheritance: {Liorex}
Peering through the walls with her {Spatial Sight}, KiAera saw that Diantha and Mina were indeed locked in combat, their hands moving fluidly, dodging and striking with practiced precision. The sounds of grunting and tearing reverberated from deeper inside the Training Arena, accompanied by the unmistakable thud of fists meeting flesh.
KiAera huffed at the devastation, hovering forward as Denji and Liozel closely followed, navigating the labyrinthine chamber of the once-pristine citadel.
"Seriously, Mom, let's talk about this!" Denji shouted, sprinting ahead. "You're going to risk crumbling the building!"
"You think I care about the ridiculous weights?!" Diantha's voice thundered back, punctuated by the sound of a punch landing with a hollow thud. "Not when your aunt is wasting our treasury on dumbbells instead of actual resources!"
"Clearly, you're not wasting it on intelligence!" Mina shot back, her words just as fierce. "Look at you, swinging wildly! Just because you're an Oni doesn't mean you know how to fight! If I had my way—"
"Enough, both of you!" KiAera burst through the door, but the true sight that greeted her froze her in her tracks.
The arena was a chaotic tableau—Diantha and Mina, both fiercely competitive, were locked in a grapple, hair flying and fists exchanging blows, while a nearby wall bore the scars of their conflict, with cracks spider-webbing outwards like a shattered mirror.
Training dummies lay strewn across the floor, and weights had been sent flying, rolling dangerously close to a group of onlooking trainees who were doing their best to stay out of the crossfire.
"Mother! Aunt Mina! Please!" Denji yelled, rushing forward. "This is going to end badly! You're making a scene!"
It was too late. With a swift kick, Mina sent Diantha sprawling backward, but before the Treasury Secretary could regain her footing, KiAera stepped between them, raising her arms in a gesture of authority.
"Enough!"
The sheer force of KiAera's presence halted the chaos.
Both Diantha and Mina paused mid-motion, their glares still locked onto each other but their bodies instinctively coming to a standstill. KiAera's own fiery tendrils flared around her, glowing with intensity as she glared back at the two combatants.
"Is this really how you two want to solve disagreements? By turning the arena into a battleground?"
Diantha straightened up, breathing heavily. "I was just trying to defend our budget from her absurd spending!" she protested, though the heat in her voice had faltered.
Mina rolled her eyes, brushing off her clothes. "And I was just showing her that strength matters! Look where we are! This is a Training Arena, not a place for polite talk and pinching damn coins!"
"But we are not here to fight!" KiAera interjected, her patience thinning. "We are here to lead. If you two can't find a way to communicate without throwing punches, how can you expect respect from the very crew we lead?"
Jalkra stepped forward. "She's right! This is not what I want to see from my family!" He turned to his sister-in-law and wife, baffled. "You've fought side by side in wars, and now you're tearing at each other over budgets?"
Diantha and Mina exchanged glances, and for a moment, the fire in their eyes dimmed as reality set in; only for that same fire to return as they both struck Jalkra in the chest with their fists.
"Look who's talking!" they exclaimed in unison.
The echoes of their fists hitting Jalkra's chest reverberated through the arena.
The explosive tension hung in the air like an electric charge before a lightning strike. Jalkra staggered back, taken aback by the unexpected assault. "Okay, okay! I deserved that!" he breathed, raising his hands in mock surrender, a grin spreading across his face.
Diantha and Mina exchanged a glance that teetered between amusement and annoyance as they let their anger wane.
Meanwhile, Denji and Liozel stood at the sidelines, wide-eyed, caught between laughter and the seriousness of the moment.
"You see?" KiAera said, suppressing a smile of her own as she tried to keep the atmosphere from spiraling into further chaos. "This is why we need to focus on communication rather than confrontation."
"Wait, who decided we should listen to you?" Mina shot back, raising an eyebrow but playfully. "Last I checked, you were supposed to be keeping the peace, not launching us into civil dispute!"
Diantha chuckled as she smoothed out her tattered dress.
"I almost forgot how much fun it is to argue with you!" she interjected with a sly smile. "Especially when it involves my dear husband getting caught in the crossfire."
"Maybe next time, I should don body armor," Jalkra quipped, rubbing his chest theatrically, clearly enjoying the development of the peace. "Or just stay out of it altogether."
Liozel stepped forward. "So, can we discuss the budget without you two resorting to fisticuffs? I think everyone here would prefer to avoid further damage to the Training Arena—maybe even to Mr. Jalkra's wellbeing!"
"Don't push it, brat!" Jalkra snarled.
"Fine!" Diantha declared, crossing her arms. "But if she tries to push for more spending on weights, I want a say in where that money goes!"
"And if you try to cut our training programs, I'm not letting it slide," Mina shot back, a playful smirk creeping onto her lips.
KiAera felt a wave of relief wash over her as the animosity between the two women began to morph into a playful rivalry rather than outright hostility. "See? That's progress. Let's channel that energy into constructive conversation—and maybe set some ground rules for how we address disagreements."
"<
KiAera's mind rang like chimes when the telepathic voice reached her; it belonged to Loa, the Chancellor of the Council and Chief Strategist of the Chimeron Crew.
"There appears to be a problem, KiAera," Loa drawled slowly, addressing not only her but also communicating with every high-ranking individual in the room.
"A trespasser has broken into our treasury, looting GamaGen's feather. She seems to be a winged entity. They have crossed to the north of our UvoSath region and will soon reach the Yveon border. Do not be alarmed."
Everyone turned, their eyes wide. Murmurs brewed in the chamber.
"The hell you mean," Mina roared. "Don't be alarmed?! Someone broke into our damn treasury, ya dingus!"
KiAera glared at Mina, who clamped her lips shut.
"What about the guards?" KiAera asked. "Were they harmed?"
Silence.
Fear and concern churned in her chest.
"Everyone's accounted for," Loa finally answered. "They've only been knocked out."
Relief washed over KiAera. Thank goodness… no deaths.
"…"
KiAera frowned at the pause. Loa had heard her thoughts.
The councilwoman continued, "Fortunately, none of the other treasures or our Crystorian credits have been taken," Loa added matter-of-factly. But that was just noise to KiAera's ears.
She looked around and saw the despair plastered on everyone's faces. She herself winced, her fingers digging into her palm until blood trickled.
GamaGen's feather represented more than just an heirloom to the Chimeron Sanctum; it served as their last memento of a beloved founder.
Why would the intruder take none of the treasures except that singular item? A disquieting chill enveloped KiAera as she pondered the implications of this theft.
Who would dare such a thing?
While her crew went back to their bickering, KiAera unfolded her wings and took flight, heading straight for the super convenient hole in the upper walls.
She was ready to pursue the intruder.
[Thanks for reading ^_^ ]
The official launch date of Chimeron Ultimatum is Feb 24th. Please add it to the following list so you never miss any releases.