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 Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2026 7:17 pm
Kaisariani was restless. He had been stir crazy at home, hadn't been able to sit still while trying to work on a new painting, so he powered up and went out looking for something to work his energy out with. He needed to learn how to handle himself, how to be a more productive knight. He couldn't keep relying on sheer dumb luck to get by, after all.
Normally, Kai would be much more aware of his surroundings, more aware of that gross feeling of Chaos prickling at his skin, but he was too absorbed in his own thoughts. Too unaware to notice the feeling get stronger as whatever it was got closer, until the creature was practically right on top of him.
Black as ichor, countless spindly legs clicked across the ground as what looked to be some sort of monstrous massive centipede creature rose its segmented body up, sharp jagged pincers clicking together as it moved towards the Ida knight.
Kaisariani felt and heard it almost too late, throwing himself out of the way as it crashed down right where he had been standing. Scrambling backwards, he stared in horror at the creature. This was not what he had had in mind when he wanted to practice being magical. Giant monster bugs? Not his thing. At all. Ever.
"Why me. Why me? What the hell are you?" Stick manifesting in his hand, he brought it up just in time to use it to hold the pincers back, using all of his strength to push back against the creature. This was so very, very not his day.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2026 7:34 pm
"You know," Chris said, glancing over at his brother. "If you needed a break, you could've just said that. You didn't have to pretend you were only meeting up because you missed me."
Michael gave him a look.
Chris smiled, pleased with himself. Between Spring Training, the kids, the Negaverse causing their usual problems, and whatever Michael had been working on lately, they hadn't had much time to just be brothers. He missed it.
But then Michael stopped.
Chris's smile faded. "What is it?"
"Youma," Michael said, voice low. "And a Knight."
That was all he needed to say.
They moved quickly, cutting through side streets and keeping to the shadows until Michael was certain no civilians could see them. Only then did Chris let his power settle over him. By the time Valhalla rounded the corner, the Page was struggling against something black, segmented, and horrible.
"Oh," Valhalla said, cringing. "That's a lot of legs." He brushed his hand over the pocket watch at his side, and Kyrie flashed into being above them.
"Kyrie!"
The lightning bird dove, talons flashing as she struck at the youma from above. Valhalla moved in after her, careful to keep out of the way as he reached for the Knight, who looked no older than Peter.
"Hey, you're okay," he said gently. "We've got it. Just breathe for a second." He offered a small, reassuring smile. "Not exactly the best practice partner, huh? Don't worry. We'll help you get rid of it." Sessrumnir didn't comment on Valhalla trying to make the situation seem less terrifying. Valhalla was good at that. Sessrumnir was better at watching for what else could go wrong.
"Princess." The giant white wolf dog appeared at his side, already growling. Sessrumnir barely lifted his hand in command before Princess lunged hard, jaws snapping for the creature's segmented body as Kyrie struck from above. Between them, the youma was forced back from the Ida Knight, pincers clicking as it twisted and recoiled.
Sessrumnir moved closer, but kept his attention on the street, the rooftops, the alleys between buildings. One threat didn't always mean only one threat. He positioned himself near Valhalla and the Page, close enough that anything trying to reach them would have to get through him first.
"You did well holding it off," he said to the younger Knight, serious but not unkind. "But stay behind us for now. Don't turn your back on it until it's dust."
Only then did he glance over at Valhalla. "Keep him safe." Then his eyes returned to the youma.
"And don't let it touch you," he added, although made a face at himself for how easy it was for him to end up sounding like someone's father even in the middle of a monster attack. He was getting too old for this.
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Posted: Thu May 14, 2026 8:39 pm
Something swooped down, driving the creature off of him, and Kaisariani for once was absolutely not about to question a giant bird. At least this bird didn't seem to be made of gross rancid ooze like the one he had encountered last year. Thank whatever gods there were for that.
As someone came closer, Kaisariani gave a rattled smile in return and let himself relax just a little. "Thanks. Seriously. I was absolutely not prepared for that many legs. Or the pincers." He decided Florian did not need to know the exact details about the monster when he would tell him later, and would simply leave the description as "insectoid". He made a face and glanced back at the youma, absolutely not enjoying the predicament he had gotten himself into.
His eyes widened as a giant white wolf appeared, mouth falling open a little. Who even were these guys? "Wow...." It was all he could manage at the moment as he stared in awe. At the compliment, though, he snapped out of it and gave a small grin. "Thanks. I uh. Got lucky that my stick didn't snap." He watched from beside Valhalla, absolutely fascinated.
"I'm Kaisariani, by the way. Thanks for the save." He looked at Valhalla with a grateful expression. "Do all of us get cool animal companions like you guys eventually? Because I could really look forward to something like that." He laughed softly, trying to act like he wasn't absolutely still shaken by being face to pincers with the youma.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2026 7:39 pm
Valhalla kept his smile gentle, although his attention shifted back to the youma when Kaisariani looked in its direction. Kyrie was still striking from above, keeping the creature occupied whenever Princess forced it back.
"Yeah, I don't think anyone's ever really prepared for that many legs," he said, making a sympathetic face. "Or pincers. Definitely want to stay away from those."
He glanced toward Sessrumnir, who was very much not introducing himself at the moment, and then looked back to Kaisariani.
"I'm Valhalla," he said warmly, despite the fight taking place. "And that's Sessrumnir. He's a little busy right now, but he's friendly."
Mostly. When he wasn't trying to make sure no one died.
Valhalla's smile softened a little when Kaisariani asked about the summons. "I don't know if everyone does," he admitted. "There aren't a lot of Knights I know who have them, but I know a few. So… maybe? I don't want to get your hopes up too much, but it's possible."
He looked back toward Kyrie as she circled overhead, feathers crackling faintly with electricity.
"Knights are all a little different. Wonders are different, magic is different, weapons are different. The best thing you can do is keep learning and keep trying. You're already doing that."
And maybe, try not to get eaten by giant centipedes in the meantime. But Valhalla thought that went without saying. Sessrumnir heard enough of the conversation to know Valhalla had introductions handled.
Good. Because he had the youma.
Princess snarled as she dragged the creature away from the knights, paws digging into the ground while Kyrie struck again from above. The youma twisted violently, pincers snapping, its segmented body writhing as it tried to shake them both off.
Sessrumnir's expression hardened. He had his stormglass in hand, the large vial of liquid catching the light for only a moment before the chain shifted in his grip. Glass and metal stretched, changed, and settled into the familiar weight of a broadsword.
"Back," he warned, more for Valhalla and Kaisariani than for Princess.
Princess released the youma and leapt away.
Sessrumnir stepped in. The blade cut cleanly through the creature's body, and whatever sound it made was swallowed by the rush of it breaking apart. A second later, the youma dissolved into dust, scattering harmlessly across the ground.
Sessrumnir held position for a moment longer, watching the remains fade, then he lowered the sword as he glanced across the street once more for anything off, then let the weapon shift back into his stormglass.
Only when he was satisfied there was no immediate second threat did he turn toward the Page.
"Kaisariani," he repeated, committing the name to memory. "Are you hurt?"
He glanced briefly to the stick in the Page's hand, then back to his face. "That could have gone worse. But you kept your head and bought yourself enough time for help to arrive. That was good."
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2026 12:03 am
Kaisariani nodded as he listened, though he kept his eyes firmly on the creature. Nope, definitely not a fan of that many legs in the least. "It's like these creatures are designed to be extra nasty. Dealt with a gross bird thing last summer and all i wanted to do was scrub my skin off after that." He shuddered as he remembered the chicken-like monster in the alley behind the flower shop, feeling a tad bit sick as he remembered the sickening sound it made as his stick hit it.
At the warning from Sessrumnir, Kaisariani made sure to pay full attention and prepare to move fast if the need arose. He didn't want to bother the two knights with more burden than he already was.
Watching the creature turn to dust, Kaisariani stared in awe with his mouth definitely open. He wasn't quite sure he had seen something that fantastical before. It had looked like something straight out of a movie and Sessrumnir had looked every bit the part of a knight in the most magical way. He wondered, in the back of his head, if he could ever be like that, even a little.
Promptly closing his mouth to stop gaping, Kaisariani shook his head as he was addressed by name. "No, not hurt thankfully. I definitely would have been if you two hadn't come when you did though, so thank you. Both of you. That was....wow. I mean watching you handle that thing was incredible." For once, Kai wasn't even trying to flirt. He was genuinely in awe of how sure of themself the two knights were and how decisive their movements were.
"You both seem like you definitely know what you're doing. I take it you've been at the whole magical superhero gig for a while?" Valhalla seemed pleasant enough from the interaction so far, which made him feel more at ease asking about the pair. If a more senior Knight would be willing to give advice or guidance, Kai was more than glad to have it. Especially from someone who just handled a giant creature with far too many legs like it was nothing.
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Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2026 1:11 pm
Valhalla's expression sobered as Kaisariani talked about youma being designed to be nasty. It wasn't sharp or cruel, but the easy reassurance faded into something quieter.
"They are," he said after a moment, his voice gentle. "But… they weren't always like that."
He glanced to where the youma had been turned into dust, then back at Kaisariani. "Youma were people once. Some of them are very old. A thousand years old, from before everything fell. Before the worlds and Wonders were overrun by Chaos, or left empty, or trapped in something like stasis."
It was a lot to explain to someone who had just nearly been eaten by a terrifying creature and Valhalla knew that. But Kaisariani deserved the truth.
"Some are newer," he continued. "The Negaverse can corrupt people into agents. And if that corruption goes too far, or something goes wrong, they can become youma instead."
He glanced briefly toward Sessrumnir, then back.
"It's possible to help some of them recover their human form," Valhalla said, quieter still. "Usually newer ones. Their starseed has to be intact enough to purify, and there has to be enough humanity left in them to want to come back. That's the hard part, because a lot of them are too far gone, or too full of Chaos, or too mindless to understand there's another choice."
He let out a quiet breath, unconsciously pressing a hand to his chest, then gave Kaisariani a small, sad smile.
"It's not their fault, what they were made into. That doesn't mean we let them hurt people. But it does mean I try not to treat them with unnecessary cruelty."
After a moment, his expression warmed again, just a little.
"As for the magical superhero gig… we've been doing this for a while, yeah. But superhero might be a matter of opinion." Sessrumnir let Valhalla answer first, because Valhalla was better at softening truths that did not soften easily. Sessrumnir watched the street while he spoke, still not entirely relaxed, although the immediate danger had passed.
"Most of the time, dusting them doesn't kill them permanently," he added after a moment, glancing toward the place where the youma had broken apart. "They reform. The Negaverse calls the place they return to the Rift."
He pressed his mouth into a thin line before continuing. "So we stop them because we have to. Because they're dangerous. Because they'll hurt people if we don't." He glanced briefly to Valhalla, then back to Kaisariani. "But Valhalla's right. Cruelty doesn't help anyone."
As for the rest…
Sessrumnir looked fully back at Kaisariani then, his expression serious but not unkind.
"We've been doing this for a while," he said. "Long enough to know it isn't as glamorous as 'magical superhero' makes it sound."
There was no judgment in it. If anything, Kaisariani reminded him of too many young Knights and Senshi who had been thrown into this with little more than a barely usable weapon, unrealized instinct, and sometimes just pure luck.
"Sometimes it's fighting monsters. Sometimes it's making difficult decisions. Thinking three steps ahead. Knowing when to fight, when to run, and when not to trust someone just because they seem helpful."
His voice lowered slightly, not in threat, but in warning. "The worst thing you can do is trust the wrong people and get your family killed."
Valhalla glanced at him, and Sessrumnir knew how that sounded. But he also didn't take it back. "We're trustworthy," Valhalla said gently, looking back to Kaisariani. "But you don't have to take our word for it just because we helped you. That's something you get to decide for yourself."
Sessrumnir gave a small nod in agreement.
"Ask questions," he said. "Be careful with the answers."
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Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2026 10:43 pm
People. The revelation hit Kaisariani hard and he stared at the two Knights, eyes wide. "They were....people. All of them? Does everyone know this? How.....how do we help them?" A million questions buzzed in his head as he stared, dumbfounded.
The Rift. It was the first time he had heard of that. "Not to ask an incredibly stupid question, but what do they even want? The Negaverse or whatever. What's the point in all of this for them? What do they get out of it? How did all this even start?" It was mildly reassuring to know that he wasn't actually killing these people-turned-monsters, and that they regenerated. As odd as it sounded, it was quite the relief.
Sessrumnir's words then made Kaisariani go utterly still and cold. His family. Aria. If anything happened to his sister because of him, he would never forgive himself. "I....have a younger sister. Not like, kid age, but younger enough. Would it....would it be smarter to keep this from her, or to tell her so she knows what to run from?" Aria was smart, but god help the girl if she saw what looked like an injured animal, not realizing it was a damn monster. His heart ached at the idea of anything happening to her, but he didn't know which would put her in more danger.
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2026 5:29 am
Valhalla winced a little, not because Kaisariani had asked anything wrong, but because he knew exactly how heavy that realization could be.
"I don't know if everyone knows," he said honestly. "And… part of me thinks maybe it's better if they don't. Not because they don't deserve the truth, but because I don't want people getting hurt trying to save someone who's already too far gone."
His expression softened, sympathetic but sober. "Helping them isn't simple. It isn't just wanting to. You have to survive getting close enough, and they have to still be capable of wanting help. Sometimes they can't. Sometimes there's not enough left for them to understand anything but Chaos."
He glanced over at Sessrumnir for a moment, then back to Kaisariani.
"As for how all of this started… I don't think anyone knows all of it. We know Metallia came into power on Earth. Her Chaos spread from there. Other worlds were infected, destroyed, abandoned, or left as shells. Earth was all that was left standing.
It sounded impossible even to him sometimes, and he had lived with the knowledge for years.
"The Negaverse serves Metallia. They take energy. They take starseeds. They corrupt people into serving them. Some of them believe they're protecting Earth. Some of them are scared. Some were recruited young, before they understood what they were agreeing to. Some were forced."
His voice softened again. "They're people too. That doesn't make them safe to be around, or get to know, or try to save."
When Kaisariani mentioned his sister, Valhalla's expression softened further.
"If she isn't a kid, then whether you tell her is up to you. But you should know there's always a chance she's already involved somehow. Powered, recruited, targeted, helped by someone, hurt by someone. This war touches people before they know what it is." He offered him a small, careful smile.
"If you tell her, don't tell her everything at once. Tell her enough to be careful. Enough not to follow strange animals, or trust someone who can appear out of nowhere, or ignore it if something feels wrong. Try to keep your identity secret until you can be positive she wasn't already pulled into the war by Chaos." Sessrumnir's jaw tightened. Not at Kaisariani, but at the hope in the questions. At the immediate leap from they were people to how do we help them, as if the answer could be that simple. As if enough kindness could make Chaos loosen its grip.
"There's a difference between not being cruel and being naive," he said, more sharply than he intended. He let out a breath and forced his voice to steady.
"Youma are agents of Chaos. Whatever they were before, what they are now serves Metallia. They want energy. They want starseeds. And they will rip people apart to get them."
His gaze stayed focused on Kaisariani, serious and unflinching.
"They don't stay dead. They reform. They come back. And if you involve yourself with the wrong people, if the Negaverse decides you are useful, dangerous, or simply in the way, they will hunt you relentlessly."
He stopped there.
There was more he could have said. About Ephesus and Amarynthos and their friends. About a pack of youma. About how quickly a warning could become a funeral if someone underestimated the wrong threat.
He swallowed it down.
"Trusting the wrong people is how others get killed," he said instead.
He paused, and it lingered heavily for a moment.
"We knew a Knight named Empyrean. Experienced. Wise. He had a lifetime of knowledge with negotiations and tactics, and he believed in kindness. In second chances."
Sessrumnir's expression did not soften, but something in his eyes did, just for a moment.
"There was a young Negaverse officer named Jet. Empyrean believed he could be reasoned with. That he could be offered a way out," he explained, his voice lowering as he continued.
"Jet took the first opportunity he had to kill him. He took Empyrean's starseed. And now he's a General King, rewarded for his loyalty to the Negaverse."
He let that settle, because Kaisariani needed to understand it. Not as a story, but as a warning.
"Chaos is powerful. Don't underestimate it. Don't assume someone wants to be saved because you want to save them." Valhalla was quiet for a moment, then added gently, "That doesn't mean you stop caring." "No," Sessrumnir agreed, although his tone remained grave. "But caring does not mean offering your throat and hoping they remember they used to be human."
He paused, then added quieter but no less firm, "And remember that being human does not automatically make someone good. There are people who are cruel without Chaos. People who lie, manipulate, abuse, and kill because it benefits them. Give someone like that power, and they will use it. Don't assume humanity means there is something good left to appeal to."
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