Time passed quickly as they tested out the Arena array, where Esta, Riseth, and Alistair fought a few lighter sparring matches. Despite Esta’s own impressive progress, they dominated each round, showing a sheer qualitative difference in their combat styles, which gave Esta great insights. However, she was a bit bitter about losing. Eventually, Esta led them to a central conference hall—an expansive space filled with tables and chairs, buzzing with powerful individuals who chatted casually while discreetly sizing each other up.
They spotted Nessyra already mingling among the crowd, but before they could reach her, their attention shifted to one of the balconies overlooking the gathering. Standing there was a Tok’eall dressed in dark blue and gold robes, exuding an unmistakable presence. Nearly his entire body had been replaced with cybernetics matching the hues of his robes, and his head was crowned by a decorated golden plate. His mechanical eyes gleamed as he scanned the crowd below, observing each member with piercing intensity.
"Welcome, esteemed guests!" His enhanced voice resonated across the hall, immediately drawing the crowd's attention."On behalf of the people of Sabis and the Coalition, I, Anarzeem, extend my warmest greetings and welcome you to Sabis Alpha Station."
He paused, letting his words resonate before continuing. "Among us stand some of the most powerful individuals, all of whom have agreed to work with the Coalition in one capacity or another. As you all know, this gathering was organized to strengthen our ties, forge alliances in this vast universe of ours, and shield each other from those who threaten our way of life."
"I won’t keep you long, as I know you all have pressing matters to attend to," he continued. "But let it be known, the Tok'eall are not merely hosts in this event. We, too, seek to build new alliances. To any interested in collaboration—or in exploring our renowned hunting grounds and advanced technologies—our doors are open."
After finishing his speech, Anarzeem bowed, arms outstretched and palms facing the sky. At that moment, drones carrying food and drink floated into the hall, and additional tables rose from the floor, likely through the use of nanomachines, as they emitted only a faint magical signature. These newly formed tables were laden with exotic dishes from across the Coalition.
Alistair had been about to clap but caught himself, remembering that this gesture wasn’t customary in most cultures here. It would only confuse the other species in the room, draw attention to himself, and potentially cause misunderstandings. He wasn’t the only one—he noticed a few others who had made similar moves before stopping themselves. Luckily, it went largely unnoticed as the new tables were quickly swarmed, and others returned to their earlier discussions, paying the others little heed.
"Alright," Nessyra said. "Remember, we have a meeting with the Noross Cabal in a few hours. You know where to find my space?"
Alistair nodded. "Yeah, Esta walked us past it, and I’ve already mapped out most of the station."
"Good," she replied. "Try to make some connections. Not everyone here will be swayed by words alone, so I’ll need the two of you to convince those I can’t."
"You got it," Riseth said with a toothy smile.
Nessyra rushed off in a flash, heading straight toward Anarzeem, who had teleported to the edge of the crowd but had yet to be approached by anyone. Alistair exhaled, looking around, uncertain of who to approach first.
"Ah, there’s Nikki," Esta said, gesturing. "She’s the friend I told you about."
They followed her toward a group of Oni. Their attire, a mix of armor and robes, evoked a traditional Japanese aesthetic. The largest of them stood slightly taller than Alistair when he wasn’t using Polymorph to limit his size. Alistair activated Identify, revealing [Kujo Beshin - lvl 138]. His broad, blue-skinned chest was marked with intricate rune tattoos, partly visible beneath an open, beautifully decorated flowing grey robe. His hands, adorned with golden magical rings, bore slight claws, and his massive, dark horns crowned his head with a regal yet fierce elegance. His black hair and beard had a wild, untamed quality to them, while his glowing red eyes flicked toward Alistair, returning the Identify with a subtle, knowing gaze and a small subtle smile on his face.
Beside Kujo stood a slightly smaller Oni woman dressed in similar flowing robes. Her dark red skin contrasted sharply with her wild white hair, which was gathered at the end with a metallic golden hairband. Though her horns were smaller and more refined than the others, they were still large and pointed, adding to her imposing presence. She revealed more skin than most, displaying intricate magical rune tattoos of dragons and flowers that adorned her body. Alistair activated his Identify skill, revealing her as [Nomura Beshin - lvl 135]. Like Kujo, she turned toward them, her sharp green eyes flicking over their group as they continued to follow Esta’s lead.
Their approach now caught the attention of the last two Oni. One of them, clearly Nikki, flashed Esta a wide, wild grin. [Nikki Beshin - lvl 125] wore armor reminiscent of a samurai, her reddish-pink skin covered in intricate runic tattoos similar to the others. Her white hair, shorter and less wild than Nomura's, was also tied with a golden hairband of a similar make. Her horns were more in line with what Alistair had expected from an Oni, but what set her apart was the long tail—hairless and tattooed, with a tuft of white fuzz at the tip, resembling a mix between a demon's and a bull's tail. It was clear they had all evolved into different Oni variants, but the most striking among them was the final member of the group.
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[Hara Beshin - lvl 124] looked almost human at first glance. Her small, slender frame and deeply tanned skin gave her a more human-like appearance, though the large horns on her head, straight white hair, and piercing red eyes marked her Oni heritage. Like Nikki, she wore samurai-inspired armor, though hers was lighter. Her tattoos differed slightly from the others, and Alistair could feel the mana radiating from her—she was clearly a magically inclined individual, and her evolution reflected that. To his knowledge, Oni's were distantly related to demons, much like humans were to elves.
Alistair's attention was drawn to Kujo as he exuded power, and there was a challenging gaze in Kujo's eyes, which Alistair met, an eager smile growing on his face as well. All of them had the Primal Revelation title, which wasn't too unusual, as many individuals within the room seemed to carry this title.
Esta and Nikki greeted each other with a hard smack of their arms, a gesture that looked almost like they were about to backhand one another.
"Esta! Good to see you, friend," Nikki exclaimed with a grin, her gaze sizing up Alistair and Riseth. "Are these your friends from the Trial?"
Esta flashed a confident smile, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. "Yep, they can kick serious ass; at least they kicked mine earlier."
"They look small," Kujo remarked, bending down slightly as if to inspect them closer, "but I can sense a roiling inferno inside both of them."
Alistair and Riseth gave a small bow, a gesture of respect nearly universal among most races. The Onis seemed slightly standoffish, though intrigued. If they played their cards right, they could make powerful allies and perhaps even friends.
"I'm Alistair Ryser, and this is my wife, Riseth Ryser. We are the Clan heads of the Ryser Clan. It’s an honor to meet the Beshin Clan," Alistair said, straightening back up, his body subtly shifting as he reversed his polymorph's height reduction, meeting Kujo’s gaze directly. Riseth followed suit.
Kujo chuckled, clearly impressed by the subtle transformation. "First an elf, now a demoness, and what looks like a human? I might just have to make you our official diplomat."
Nikki's expression turned to shock and dismay, drawing deep, rumbling laughter from Kujo, quickly joined by the rest of the group.
"Don’t worry," Kujo said, his massive hand clapping down on Nikki’s shoulder. "I’m not planning the downfall of our clan just yet."
Alistair got the impression that there were a lot of similarities between their clans. They might just make great allies and friends. He was curious how they had gained such high levels. They must have access to rather excellent hunting grounds, though those questions would have to wait until they knew each other better. And he could sense an incredible wild surging energy contained within Kujo's body. He wasn't sure if it was part of his core concept, but his earlier comment pointed at the concept of inferno; there was a noticeable heat within the man's chest barely contained by his magical tattoos and body.
Kujo and the rest of his group returned the bow. "I am Kujo, and this is my wife, Nomura. We are the clan heads of Clan Beshin. These two," he gestured to the warriors beside him, "are Nikki and Hara, our strongest fighters besides ourselves."
They then exchanged greetings in the oni style, smacking their arms together as a customary gesture. Kujo, with a grin, used the greeting as an opportunity to test Alistair’s strength. Despite the clear difference in their levels, Kujo's expression shifted to one of satisfaction when he was pushed back with ease. Alistair could feel that Kujo was undeniably powerful, having likely received conceptual training from an outsider. However, Alistair’s own concept was better aligned for such a contest, giving him the upper hand in this subtle show of strength.
The others looked on in surprise, watching their leader being driven back so easily; Riseth and Esta exchanged sly, smug smiles as though it had been their own achievement.
Unfazed, Kujo stroked his black beard thoughtfully, studying Alistair and Riseth with newfound interest. "Your names... they sound familiar. Where have I heard them before?"
It was Hara, who had remained quietly observant until now, who spoke up. Her voice, though soft, carried a quiet authority. "They’re the ones who took down the Hydra of Misery."
Recognition flashed in both Kujo's and Nomura's eyes. They exchanged a grin, revealing sharp teeth. "Impressive!" Kujo said, clapping both Alistair and Riseth on the shoulders, his gaze fixed with intent. "We’ve been taking down Blackmarket Syndicate monsters ourselves—haven’t gotten a hydra yet, but we did slay one of their krakens not too long ago. How about we form an alliance? Together, we’d be a force to reckon with!"
Alistair knew any hesitation could be easily misinterpreted, so without delay, he extended his arm perpendicular in a warrior’s handshake. Kujo immediately recognized the gesture, and they clasped each other’s forearms. It had been a gamble on Alistair’s part, but he was pleased to see the gesture translated well across cultures.
"My sister-in-law, Nessyra, is a contract demon and serves as our clan executive. She usually handles the details. Who can I send her to?" Alistair asked.
Kujo let out a hearty laugh. "My wife handles those matters. I’m sure they’ll get along."
Nomura offered them another polite bow. "Well, none of you can be trusted with such duties," she teased, casting a glance at Hara. "Well, most of you." She turned back to Alistair, her eyes sharp with curiosity. "I’d like to know more about your bodies. They seem enchanted, but neither of you uses the runic tattoos like the ones I created. How does it work?"
Alistair smiled, returning the polite bow. "I am willing to exchange pointers in terms of enchantment, but I'd rather not do so in public."
Nomura looked around the room and nodded, "Agreed, we can discuss this in our meeting chambers; they aren't occupied,"
They made their way out of the hall toward the Beshin Clan's chambers, idly chatting and sharing stories and insights. Alistair showed them aspects of Japanese culture from Earth through his Akashic Link, which displayed a screen, and the members of the Oni Clan absolutely loved it, as it shared a lot of overlap with their own aesthetics and sensibilities likely having trickled in from the wider multiverse. Their earlier somewhat standoffish attitude had completely melted away; even Hara began to open up, asking questions about Japanese culture, particularly the traditional clothing and armor, which seemed to pique all of Oni's interest.