Then air trembled with a deep, guttural roar.
Alexander's gaze snapped to the sky, his pulse steady but alert. A shadow loomed above.
Something was gliding, cutting through the twilight like a specter of death. The shape descended with haunting grace—a second Piken, unlike the one before.
It moved in a hunched, quadrupedal stance, its long, sinewy limbs contorted in a way that made it look both predatory and grotesquely unnatural. Muscles rippled beneath its leathery, mottled hide, a sickening mix of purple and gray, stretched taut over its gaunt frame, revealing veins that pulsed with eerie vitality.
Its head was a monstrous fusion of reptilian and canine, with a snarling snout and rows upon rows of jagged, serrated teeth glistening like obsidian blades.
Its eyes—small, beady, and sunken—radiated pure malice. The skin around its mouth was pulled so tight that it appeared almost skeletal, the fangs permanently exposed in a twisted, eternal grin.
Bony spines jutted from its back, and membranous fins stretched near its forelimbs—not quite wings, but enough to grant it terrifying aerial agility. With a single flick of these unnatural extensions, the creature sliced through the air, descending upon them like a phantom of the wild.
Alexander exhaled, calm and unshaken.
"Now it's your turn, Dust."
The great wolf beside him lifted his head, his golden eyes locking onto the airborne threat. Then, he ran.
Mid-stride, the transformation began.
Dust's form twisted, his silhouette stretching as his body took on its true battle form—a creature of ancient power and unrelenting ferocity.
The wolf's head elongated, becoming broader, more monstrous. A massive, crown-like plate of hardened scales formed over his skull, arching back like the helm of a warlord. His fangs, long and gleaming, curved like the talons of a raptor.
His body became a fortress of fur and armor, thick scales interwoven with golden-yellow fur that lined his spine and limbs like lightning dancing across a storm-touched sky. His muscles, coiled and rippling, pulsed with raw power, his frame built for speed, agility, and sheer destructive force.
His claws—massive, serrated, and wickedly curved—extended as he surged forward, his tail lashing behind him, plated with razor-sharp ridges that gleamed under the dying light.
The Piken swooped down.
Dust leapt.
They clashed midair—a flurry of fangs, claws, and primal fury.
Dust's strike was precise. His claws raked across the Piken's leathery chest, ripping into its flesh. The creature shrieked in agony, its attempted dodge hindered by Dust's sheer speed. Blood misted in the air as the beast lost control, its wings faltering.
It plummeted to the ground, slamming into the earth with a thunderous crash.
Dust landed soon after, his gaze locked onto his wounded prey. He stalked forward, slow, deliberate—a predator savoring the hunt.
The Piken twitched, then let out a gurgling snarl. Defiant. Desperate. It pushed itself up and lunged, its elongated, bony claws flashing toward Dust's throat.
But Dust was faster.
With an explosive pounce, he twisted out of reach, dodging the attack by mere inches. The Piken overextended—a fatal mistake.
Dust struck.
He slammed his massive claws into the beast's chest, pinning it down with unrelenting force. The Piken thrashed, screeching, but its fate was already sealed.
Dust's jaws closed around its throat.
With one final, brutal bite, he crushed its windpipe.
A sickening crunch. A choking gasp. Then, silence.
The Piken's body went still.
Dust lifted his head, golden eyes gleaming in the fading light, his fangs dripping with the remnants of his hunt.
Alexander smirked, his voice barely above a whisper."Perfect."
Then a voice came."Are you done with training the Chimæras?"
Alexander looked back to see Six, she was smiling at him.
Alexander replies."They are good, but we have to check the others too. All of them need to be battle ready."
Six nodded, they had Ten Chimæras with them, they are slowly getting trained for battle. All of them had great bond with Alexander.
As Six saw Dust standing victorious over the fallen Piken, she knew strongest among the Chimæras were Dust, Panthero, and Leon all of them were strongest bonds with Alexander. They took these interesting forms in response to the telepathic connection with Alexander.
While one named Bishop(Biscuit in Original timeline) is bonded with Six..
Then something unnatural began to happen.
The dead bodies of Piken's body convulsed, flickering erratically, as if struggling against reality itself. Then—with a sudden ripple of blue light—its form fractured.
Its flesh and bone unraveled into cascading streams of luminous grid lines, flowing upward into the air like fireflies caught in a magnetic storm. The once-monstrous figure disassembled, breaking apart into glowing fragments that dissolved into the sky, leaving behind only faint, pulsating embers of code.
The battlefield itself shuddered.
The dense forest at the horizon—once rich with towering trees and tangled undergrowth—began to warp and distort. Trunks and leaves shimmered, their solid forms shifting into semi-transparent wireframes. The lush greenery peeled away, pixel by pixel, revealing the raw skeletal framework of the simulation beneath.
Alexander remained still, his breath calm, his expression unreadable as he watched reality itself unmake around him.
The grass beneath his boots flickered, momentarily vanishing into a blank void before reforming, as if recalibrating. The vast, open sky above became a swirling mosaic of artificial light, flickering between a golden sunset and a sterile digital abyss.
Beyond the dissolving treeline, a massive holographic grid expanded, pulsing and shifting, constantly reconstructing itself in real-time—a living, breathing illusion.
The holographic Pikens, the forest, the battlefield itself—all of it was nothing more than a construct, a carefully crafted simulation designed to push its participants to their limits.
Alexander's gaze lingered on the shifting data streams before turning to Dust, whose form had reverted, his deep yellow eyes watching the dissolving battlefield with quiet understanding. While Panthero taking his cat form ran and started rubbing himself on Alexander's legs.
"Simulation complete," came a voice, it was E.V.E.
Six turned to Alexander."Also, Malcom remembered something. You'll want to hear this."
Alexander gave a silent nod and followed her down the corridor. Behind him, the two Chimæras—still in their beastly forms—trailed close, their footsteps light but alert.
Inside the meeting room, the atmosphere was tense. Every face—Garde and Cepan alike—was turned toward Malcolm as he stepped forward, solemn and steady.
"During the invasion of Lorien," he began, "your leader, Pittacus Lore, came to Earth. He sought me out, knowing you would follow in time." Malcolm's voice was calm, but weighted with memories. "He entrusted me with knowledge—information that could help the Garde defeat the Mogadorians."
He paused. The silence was thick.
"Not long after… he was mortally wounded in a battle with them. Before he died, he gave me a tablet. It's Loric technology—it activates in proximity to the Loric ships, alerting the Greeters of their arrival. It also tracks the members of the Garde… and what we believe are the two surviving Loric vessels."
A heavy silence followed. Though Alexander had told them Pittacus Lore had fallen, hearing it again—officially, finally—hit harder.
Malcolm looked down.
"I still have his body. It's preserved in my chamber."
Alexander stepped forward, his voice steady.
"Then we need to find the tablet. And… we'll give your leader the farewell he deserves."
The Garde and Cepan nodded in quiet agreement, although there leader did make wrong decisions, he was still there Leader. So a wave of solemn respect passing through the room.
But Katrina spoke up, bringing a new tension.
"There's something else. Four… he's becoming more enamored with Sarah. They've been planning to meet on Halloween night."
Six narrowed her eyes.
"He's going to get himself in trouble again."
Alexander exhaled slowly, glancing at the others."Then we make sure he doesn't."