A Lernean Hydra. That was the absurd creature that Vice and Vicious had fused together to become. I recalled that beast from a mythology story I had once read. Though they weren't the leg-based hydra, they resembled a serpentine monstrosity that carried itself with forelimbs.
But was it a fusion like the Chimera's Mark? Not exactly. Yet it was striking enough to make me wary of its resemblance. I had never known Venolisks had this capability. How would Skadi and Rox handle this kind of threat?
??? [Combat Status] ???
I feared for Rox and Skadi. I wished I could've been able to intervene or call out for them to forfeit from the match. Unfortunately, that call would be their own decision to make. I could only hope for they could make it out of this encounter unchanged.
But it made me more concerned for what might happen if Skadi were to be pushed by the horror they would soon face.
??? ??? ??? [Perspective: Skadi]
The thing before Skadi brought no joy. Here, she felt the suffocating and terribleness of the presence hit her like waves that would submerge into a sea of darkness at any time.
She could only bristle and hiss at this new threat that Vice and Vicious have become. But Rox. Her friend has lost all motivation to fight. Skadi saw it, the heavy dread stretched across her face.
Skadi took a courageous paw forward. That was when Hydra-Vic blurred, then made a sudden reappearance to loom menacingly before them. That left Skadi in a speechless, tight throated gasp.
Hydra-Vic pulled their heads forward, lowering them as they must've savored the control they had over this situation. The Vice side spoke first with his taunting tone.
"Aw, don't worry about being crushed. We're kind enough to return favor."
Vicious then spoke, "Consider it free of charge for the delicious hits you given me."
Skadi felt the explosive force of an excruciating attack as Hydra-Vic smashed into her body. She crashed into the arena's barrier, while half of her vision had been coated by trickling particles that ran from a wound.
"S-Skadi…?" Rox turned her head toward her, she shouldn't be facing away from her opponents. That was something Skaditty's Papa warned her about long ago. Hydra-Vic bit into her, and that'd been enough for Skadi to snap.
Tears trickled down her cheeks now. She lost it. Lost control. She was losing control. They had hurt Rox. They would regret that. Skadi would protect. Skadi was going to crush the Venolisks!
But if she loses it… Rox might get hurt by… no, if Skadi couldn't protect her, then it would be the same as when Skadi lost her mother. Skadi would not. Not. Let the same misfortune to happen!
Despite it all. No matter how she'd reason. Losing control was inevitable as the rage became overwhelming against all the reason she had left. All she'd want… was to save Rox.
??? ??? ??? [Perspective: KiAera]
My chest tightened as I witnessed the same transformation from our training session the moment the blinding light radiated from Skadi's body.
The small rabbit-squirrel creature became something far more angelic. A magical transformation occurred as Skadi sprouted angel wings of pink light.
Her fur sparkled and turned into motes of something that sought to bring forth order, complemented by a great, burning halo that hovered above the girl's head. Skadi's vibes lost their warm, gentle, joyous temperament and were replaced by a far colder, pitiless presence. This was Skadi's latent celestial power that surfaced.
Rox being harmed pushed her into this problematic state—the [Limit Break] form that very few Zeldritch had dormant within them. MereShaman had warned me about this before, and I fought against this form of Skadi's when we sparred before the advent of this tournament.
During that time, I had accidentally pushed her, and that triggered the trauma-like transformation. Her instincts saw me as a threat that needed to be removed from the realm. It was like a self-defense mechanism that activated. I managed to subdue her.
She acted like nothing happened afterwards. She was not aware of actions during the incident.
To the present, back at the battlefield arena.
Skadi moved fast as though vanishing from her position in the air. Rox, who had originally been clenched in Vice's jaw, vanished from his mouth. The Hydra-Vic body, in its entirety, found itself cratered into the ground at the same moment that Skadi reappeared.
The girl was in the process of lowering Rox to the floor. Skadi waved her paw, and a blinding radiance flashed through the battlefield. The venom in Rox's system was purified in that instant. That was one of Skadi's [Augments], one of her Virtuoso [Miracles of Light]—[Purification].
??? [Combat Status] ???
Skadi slowly began to turn her head toward Hydra-Vic as Rox blinked awake and became aware of her surroundings. Skadi mouthed a few words, and Rox fled from her position at that moment.
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??? ??? ??? [Perspective: Skadi]
Skadi saw her joyous target writhing like a blasphemous behemoth on the sacred earth. The horrid beast, with its two sinuous heads, was a stain on her playground. It desecrated her fun with its sinister intentions and harmed Rox with its vile fangs.
Purge. Purging would be a wonderful way to play with her new friend's merged metamorphosis. Oh, how delightful it would be to eradicate such weeds!
"Now you've done it, you freakish rodent!" the Vice of the Vic-Hydra spat.
His teeth had been reduced to fantastic chipped shards from her prior strike. The minor detail, however, disappointed her, as she was aware that the damage was mending itself.
It seemed that the Hydra-Fusion granted them heightened regeneration. Skaditty disdained this; it ached her heart that she would have to force them to endure the punishment she was about to unleash upon them.
She smiled serenely as she opened her arms in a mock embrace.
"Hi! Hi! Let's keep enjoying our play session together. Skaditty wants to obliterate you, so try to keep up, Vicey and Vicious!"
It confused her when the snakey-hydra lurched backward, as if they were expressing utter disgust. That hurt Skadi's feelings, so much that crushing them felt further justified.
"Does that critter have a screw loose or somethin'?"
"I don't know, Vicious, but we ought to be careful with this one. Her vibes are overwhelming, like those goody two shoes with wings."
"Like them angel monstas that Boss devours after they give him a scoldin'?!"
"Yeah, like them angels. She must think we're some sort of devils. And she's completely right!"
The two abominable heads shared a laugh, and Skadi decided to join in, hers higher as it drowned out their odious laughter.
"Hilarious, you two are!"
"Now suffer."
She sliced through the air with outstanding speed, moving so fast that trailing celestial streaks followed her, preventing either head of the Hydra-Vic from mounting a proper counter.
Their horned heads rammed against Skadi's [Celestial] ear-limb fist that struck with a comet's radiant force, sending shockwave ripples through the arena.
She felt the taint of [Evil] from their side of the ripple, and she bit her bottom lip as she grimaced at the contamination.
"No! No! You're defiling the realm with your vile presence!" Her expression shifted to a playful grin as she giggled. "Let's see what we can do about that, shall we?"
In response, two voices shouted in unison, "Screw you!"
She twirled in midair, feeling the divine energy of her angelic form flowing through her, sparkling like confetti in a sunbeam. Skadi's giggle was a sweet melody, a playful challenge to the horror before her. "You know, Vicey and Vicious, for two heads, you sure don't have much sense between you!"
The Hydra's heads whipped around, attempting to anticipate her next move.
But Skadi was already streaking across the field again, her wings shimmering and pulsating with radiant light.
"You ever tried a real game of tag?" she teased, darting effortlessly above and below before launching herself at the monstrosity with an angelic heart. "Because Skaditty plays to win!"
She cast [Starlight Beams].
With a flick of her paw, she unleashed beams of light like playful fireworks, each one exploding upon impact, washing away the wickedness that clung to the Hydra.
Hydra-Vic crashed to the floor, their body riddled with holes and bleeding motes.
The crowd must've felt the shift in energy; they began to chant her name again, their faith likely rekindled amidst the removal of the impurities.
That delighted her, but someone else delighted Skadi more. She spotted her below. Her sacred Rox, still recovering from the venom's grasp, stared at her in awe.
"Skadi! You're amazing!" She caught the oddity in her voice. It was a mix of admiration and worry—what if the transformation pushed Skadi too far? But that thought fled as Skadi's faith gave her strength. There was a sweet innocence beneath the daunting celestial power. Vice and Vicious lost their right to exist.
Skadi paused mid-flight, laughing lightly, her voice bright as the dawn.
"Aw, Rox, if I'm amazing, you're like, super-duper amazing! Like, the most amazing! Remember what we practiced? Just stay close, and we'll paint this arena with joy!"
There was a slight shudder in Rox's frame that Skadi disregarded. She dismissed it; her focus was elsewhere.
With an elaborate motion, Skadi spun in a circle, pulsating waves of sparkly purification radiating from her.
"Time for a little spring cleaning!"
Her laughter was infectious as it echoed like a gentle bell. It drew attention. Rage flared in Vice and Vicious's eyes as they finalized their recovery.
The Hydra's heads lunged at her, but their jaws snapped closed around nothing but air as she ducked and rolled, blending agility with divine grace. "Oh, Vicious, you missed! Maybe try using your other head next time!" she chirped, grinning playfully.
The heads snarled in unison, venom dripping from their fangs, but Skadi merely danced away, her vibrant essence an inviting beacon. "Come on! You can do better than that! I know you can! Let's make this a fair fight, shall we?"
Raising her arms upward, shimmering magical circles took shape nearest to the uppermost ceiling of the arena's dome. Skadi giggled as she cast her [Starfall] technique. The crowd was going to love the devastation she would inflict on the evildoers below!
The celestial circles shimmered like a constellation of hope, winking at the cheering crowd as Skadi's laughter melded with the rising sense of anticipation.
"Take cover, Vicey and Vicious! It's raining stars, and trust me, they aren't going to be very friendly!"
With a playful flick of her wrist, the stars descended, trailing sparkles of light. They didn't just fall; they spiraled and danced with an exuberant energy, as if to join Skadi's laughter.
Each star burst upon contact with the ground, sending ripples of purifying light that washed the arena in radiant brilliance. Hydra-Vic recoiled as the starry projectiles exploded around them, the explosion of light smothering their vile energy.
"Are you feeling a bit… starstruck?" Skadi teased, fluttering in mid-air like a kaleidoscope of pink rainbows and sunshine. The Hydra heads writhed, their fierce expressions turning from anger to panic… a sight Skadi relished.
"Come on! It's just a little celestial cleaning! You wouldn't want to ruin my sparkling reputation, would you?"
As the Hydra tried to retaliate, their venomous [Venom Atomic Breath] snapping through the air.
The powerful, radioactive beams of energy they produced flawlessly rebounded off from the star-shaped barrier that Skadi conjured.
Skadi landed gracefully, channeling the compassion within her into pure energy. "Whoa there!" she chided, wagging a finger at them. "I think you forgot to wash your mouths out after all that nasty talk!"
Suddenly, Rox's voice broke through the haze of combat. "Skadi, watch out!"
In a split second, Skadi twisted and leapt, narrowly avoiding the poison-laden jaws of the Hydra. The Vicious side had burrowed itself into the earth, launching the attack.
The sheer force of his miss sent a gust of wind that ruffled her fur, but she just giggled, ever the lighthearted spirit.
"Nice try, but you've gotta be quicker than that! Remember, I'm angelic, not a snack!"
Reinvigorated by Rox's voice, Skadi spun back toward her friend. "Rox, summon your music! That magic always makes me stronger!"
Rox took a deep breath. She took a moment too long to respond. Disappointing. Maybe she should be held responsible for—
"Okay! Let's harmonize!" The energy quivered between them as Rox began to chant her lovely chorus.
Splendid for Skadi.
??? ??? ??? [Perspective: Rox]
Rox blinked through the sweat stinging her eyes, lungs raw but buzzing with fire. They were doing it. Skadi was bouncing like a comet gone sugar-high, and Rox had found her scream again, her song again. Together, they were untouchable.
Until the air changed.
Vice and Vicious stopped hissing separately. Their coils slammed together, venom swirling into an ugly vortex of smoke and scale. Their voices merged into a single, rattling hymn of hate. And when the mist cleared, what loomed over the arena wasn't two snakes anymore.
It was a nightmare.
Hydra-Vic. Two heads, one monstrous body, venom dripping like rain. The whole crowd gasped, but Rox's throat tightened with something worse as fear crawled back up her spine.
The thing's aura crushed the tempo flat. Even her wings stuttered, caught in its suffocating gravity. She wanted to scream, to shred, but her chest clenched like it was full of wet stone.
Then she saw Skadi become overwhelmed. The next horrible moment came when the venomous beast snagged Rox in its fangs. She was losing consciousness. Everything grew excruciatingly hot, and she found it hard to breathe as the pain became unbearable. Her friend, her glittery joyous pal, witnessed how she trembled.
At that moment, something snapped.
Her giggle rang out, but it wasn't the warm bubble-pop sound Rox loved. No. This laugh was clear, crystalline, and cold.
Skadi's fur flared with blinding starlight, her ears stretching skyward like spears of dawn. Wings of brilliance unfurled, a halo dripping light. The crowd erupted in worshipful cheers. They thought she was an angel.
But Rox shivered.
Because Skadi's joy was gone. Her giggles had no heartfelt beat. Her eyes weren't soft anymore. They burned with judgment, with purity sharpened into a fang. She spoke sweetly, playfully, but the words hit Rox's ears like a hymn sung over a decaying prey.
And still, when Skadi looked back at her, just for a moment, Rox saw it. The obsession. That she wasn't fighting for fun anymore. She wasn't even fighting for the crowd. She was fighting for Rox. To purge anything that dared hurt her.
It was too much. Too bright. Too final.
Rox's chest thudded as her wings curled tight. She wanted to reach her, to shake her, to tell her she didn't need to turn into this… this holy monster to protect her.
But the Hydra roared, venom boiling like a contaminated river, and Skadi answered with laughter that didn't sound like her. Her halo blazed brighter than the damn arena lights, her fists dripping radiance like they'd been dipped in the sun.
Hydra-Vic recoiled, hissing as its scales sizzled into steam against the holy glow. The crowd was losing their minds, chanting her name, screaming like they were watching the birth of a legend.
And then Skadi turned to Rox. Her eyes, normally a pair of sparkling galaxies filled with mischief, were now cutting into Rox like cold and expectant claws.
"Sing for me, Rox. Support me."
Her voice wasn't a plea. It wasn't the goofy nudge she'd heard a thousand times before. It was an order, gilded in that serene, terrifying tone.
Rox's throat clenched. Her wings twitched. She wanted to scream, to belt, to throw her voice into her rhythm like before. But the way Skadi looked at her. It froze her. Because Rox wasn't sure if she was asking for her. Or for her compliance.
Rox hesitated. Just for a beat. And in that note, Skadi's eyes lidded slightly. Disdain flickered there. Disdain for her. Like Skadi thought she was doubting her.
Like she thought her silence meant she was with them. The snakes!
"I'm not sure…" she mouthed, though no sound came out. Her wings curled in as if she'd been struck.
Skadi's gaze slid off of her then, back to the Hydra, but the look lingered in her chest like the prior toxins in her system. It burned worse than Vice's poison ever could.
Rox realized Skadi didn't her see as her partner in that instant. Not her bandmate, not her friend.
Just another potential obstacle to be purged.
The crowd roared again, swept up in Skadi's light, but her ears rang hollow. Rox realized the danger wasn't just Hydra-Vic. It was Skadi herself. If she kept slipping, if she fell completely into this cold angel…
Would Skadi even know her when the fight was over? Rox's claws dug into the ground. The memory of disdain still lingered in Skadi's eyes like frostbite, but the Hydra loomed, writhing and steaming across the floor. She couldn't let this drag on. If it meant giving Skadi the fuel to finish it faster.
Even in this warped state? Then so be it.
Her chest swelled, throat raw, and she forced the sound out. The scream cracked at first, but then the rhythm caught, the tempo thumped in her bones, and her voice bent the air again.
A [Melodious Shout] that clawed through the Hydra's aura and wrapped itself around Skadi's brilliance.
The angel-bunny's ears perked up as she turned her face toward the sound. Harrowingly, it did not soften; it was not grateful, but rather savoring. Her lips curved into a smile that did not reach her eyes.
And then she sang with Rox.
Not like before, not in the reckless joy of play or the riotous energy of a jam session.
This was different. Skadi's notes were sweet, almost too sweet, dripping with radiance like honey spiked with tar. She stretched Rox's raw shriek into harmony, not to uplift, but to sharpen. Like a chorus building before the drop, before the fatal pounce.
The crowd went wild, hearing an angel duet. But Rox's stomach knotted.
She could feel it in the way Skadi lingered on each phrase, in the way her voice curled around Rox's own like a predator savoring the taste.
This wasn't music to Skadi anymore. It was judgment dressed as song. A hymn before execution. And as Hydra-Vic recoiled, battered by the duet's force, Rox pushed harder, screaming louder. Not just to end the fight, but to drown out the cold edges of Skadi's voice.
Desperate to remind her that they were supposed to be playing, not purging.
ENTER THE SANCTUM: The CHIMERon Sovereign AWAITS
Monster-LitRPG Clan & Guild Building Isekai Fantasy Overpowered MC
She was human once. Thrust into a savage world of monsters, she awoke in the body of one of its weakest creatures. Survival should have been the end. Instead, she stared destiny in the eye and said: not if I can build a home for the weak.
Welcome to Chimeron Sanctum, the first true sanctuary in a realm ruled by claws and cruelty. Led by the indomitable KiAera, it's a haven for the hopeless, a beacon of hope in a land built on fear.
But darkness stirs. Sovereigns, Overlords, and long-dormant systems awaken. An Ultimatum looms and the world is watching. For Aera, building a home is one thing. Protecting it may demand everything she has.
──── ? ────
What to Expect
- Guild & clan building in a monster-ruled world
- A sanctuary built from compassion and strength
- Political intrigue, looming ultimatums & high stakes
- LitRPG, isekai fantasy & monster evolution vibes
- From prey to protector — an underdog's rise to legendary
Featuring:
- Monster society politics & world-building
- One thousand {Chimera} hybrid forms
- Guild life, growth & found-family dynamics
- Isekai + LitRPG tropes, ideal for system & evolution fans
- High stakes, suspense, and a looming system Ultimatum
New release! Emerging monsters & shifting power. Dive into the chaos now!