D-Animal
Kaiser seemed to laugh.
Not with sound — but with presence.
With the absolute certainty of one who knows that escape was never an option.
The liger moved in slow, deliberate circles, each heavy step sinking slightly into the damp forest floor. The internal engine purred, low and deep, almost pleased, while the core in his chest pulsed in steady intervals. There was no flaw there. No instability.
That was will.
The massive metallic tail swayed from side to side, dragging leaves, broken branches, and exposed roots like a pendulum marking the time that remained. The smell of urine was strong, acidic, mixed with churned earth and raw fear saturating the air.
Rafael observed everything from a distance.
He had walked there with unhurried steps, stopping beside a thick tree. Leaning against the trunk, he crossed his arms over his chest, deep blue eyes fixed on the scene ahead. There was no rush in his gaze. No explicit rage. Only certainty.
Kaiser opened his jaws.
Internal plates slid with mechanical precision, revealing wide, compacted teeth reinforced by metallic layers that looked more like industrial presses than fangs. The dwarf raised his arms on pure reflex, a strangled sound escaping his throat before any word could form.
The liger lowered his head.
In a single bite, it was over.
The sound was a wet, nauseating crash — flesh and bone crushed together, without real resistance. The body went limp instantly, life draining away before the brain could even register pain. Blood spilled from the sides of Kaiser's jaws as he lifted his head again, opening his mouth just enough for what remained of the body to collapse onto the ground like discarded matter.
The liger's core flared brighter.
The man's energy was absorbed without ceremony, dissolved and drawn into Kaiser's Core Vitae, reinforcing his stability, deepening even further the violent symbiosis between machine, beast, and will.
But it didn't end there.
The remaining rat, still active, let out a shrill squeal. Its red eyes intensified, the small metallic body vibrating as the shattered Nexus collapsed completely.
Ultio.
The pain of loss forced the D-Animal to react.
It leapt.
The movement was fast — desperate. A gray blur attempting to strike the liger's neck, trying to avenge something that could no longer be avenged.
Kaiser did not retreat.
The paw came down.
The impact against the ground was dry, final. The rat was crushed with brutal ease, its small body deforming under the overwhelming weight. The core cracked with a sharp snap before collapsing entirely, scattering metallic fragments and weak sparks that faded within seconds.
Silence.
Rafael pushed himself away from the tree, uncrossing his arms as he walked toward the now headless body. He crouched beside the corpse calmly, like someone performing a routine procedure.
He located the D-Armilla still attached to the wrist.
One firm pull.
The device came free with a faint snap, still warm, pulsing with residual energy and dissolved affinity. Rafael looked at it for only a second — no trace of respect, no remorse.
Then he tossed the D-Armilla into the air.
Kaiser lifted his head and caught it midair, swallowing the device in a single bite. The metallic sound echoed as the liger's core absorbed the remaining energy, integrating it into its own system.
The red glow in his chest stabilized.
Stronger.
Firmer.
More whole.
Rafael rose slowly, wiping his hands on his pants without even looking back.
— "Good work." — he said, voice low.
Kaiser answered with a satisfied growl, blood still running along the jaw plates before being vaporized by internal heat.
In the forest, nothing else moved.
And somewhere, far from there, someone still believed spying on the Green Fortress was a good idea.
It wasn't.
Cain remained airborne, tracing wide circles above the treetops. His raptor eyes analyzed every environmental fluctuation — residual heat, electrical interference, minute distortions in energy flow. Then he saw it.
The next target.
The falcon released a sharp, cutting whistle, a brief call that echoed through the mental link. The image projected with clarity into Rafael's mind: hurried movement, uneven breathing, a Nexus signature attempting to hide — poorly, terrified.
Kaiser responded instantly, the metallic body tensing to charge.
— "No." — Rafael's voice came firm, low, carrying absolute control.
The liger halted at once, retractable blades scraping as they partially withdrew. The deep engine purr shifted in tone, frustrated but obedient.
— "Don't kill." — Rafael added. — "We still need answers."
Kaiser released a deep rumble, almost a grumble, accepting the order. Then he bolted forward — not to kill, but to hunt. Cain descended and landed on his back, riding along as he guided the path with surgical precision.
Rafael turned away, already leaving the bloodstained clearing behind.
He headed back toward the bunker entrance, steps firm, mind focused on what came next. As he emerged from the tree line, he spotted Elara already positioned near the reinforced gate of the Green Fortress, Fenrir at her side like a living shadow.
And then he stopped.
His brow furrowed slightly.
There were two wolves.
Fenrir — black, dense, distorting the air around him with his stealthy presence.
And another.
White.
Immaculate. Pale metallic plates reflected the filtered forest light, the core emitting a soft, stable glow, utterly different from Fenrir's raw aggression. The posture was calm, almost serene, yet there was silent power there — absolute control over life and integrity.
Rafael raised an eyebrow.
— "So it was true." — he murmured.
Elara didn't look away.
— "Yes." — she replied simply. — "This is Lúpus."
The white wolf inclined his head slightly, as if acknowledging Rafael's presence, sensors analyzing him with care. Lucas, beside his sister, couldn't hide his pride. His chest lifted subtly, as if to say look who my sister is without speaking.
— "Spiritual Class." — Elara continued. — "Focused on human healing."
She crossed her arms, tone practical, strategic.
— "If you want to interrogate our uninvited guest without the risk of him dying… or killing himself before he talks, you'll need Lúpus."
Rafael let out a crooked half-smile.
— "Good to know." — he replied, crossing his own arms. — "Experience isn't lacking… but keeping someone alive is usually the annoying part."
Elara nodded once.
The heavy sound of something being dragged cut off any further comment.
Kaiser burst from the forest with controlled violence, tearing through bushes and exposed roots. Cain still rode on his back, alert, eyes sweeping the surroundings. Clamped between the liger's jaws, a man was being dragged across the ground.
Or rather… what was left of him.
Kaiser held him by one leg.
The other… was gone.
Blood ran in thick trails along the ground, mixing with damp earth. The man was covered in bruises and deep cuts, his body trembling in spasms of pain and shock. His wide eyes betrayed absolute terror, leaving no room for rational thought.
The smell arrived before he did.
Acidic sweat.
Urine.
Feces.
An odor so strong that Elara, Lucas, and Rafael frowned at the same time, almost in sync.
— "Fuck…" — Lucas muttered, instinctively covering his nose.
Kaiser stopped a few meters from the group and released the leg, letting the man fall with a dull thud and a gurgling groan. The liger lifted his head, the core pulsing strongly in his chest, awaiting the next command.
Rafael approached slowly, assessing the prisoner's condition with a clinical gaze.
— "Still alive." — he commented. — "For now."
Elara stepped forward, Lúpus moving with her. The white wolf analyzed the man almost instantly, spiritual and biological sensors working in tandem. Elara nodded to herself.
— "He can be stabilized." — she said. — "If he cooperates."
The man tried to speak. He couldn't. Only a muffled sound escaped his throat, a mix of sobbing and desperation.
Rafael crouched in front of him, gaze cold as steel.
— "Then we're going to talk." — he said calmly. — "And you're going to answer everything."
Behind them, the gate of the Green Fortress remained open, silent, like a mouth waiting to decide who enters… and who never leaves.
_______________________________
🔎 D-Animal Universe — Lore Note
Artificially created D-Animals with hybrid cores, like Kaiser, possess an exclusive and extremely dangerous capability:
🔻 directly absorbing energy from D-Armillas or from still-pulsing cores of other D-Animals.
This absorption:
Stabilizes the hybrid core
Strengthens internal energy resistance
Increases generator efficiency
Improves cooling plate performance
⚠️ Warning:
Only hybrid cores can perform this process safely.
If a standard-core D-Animal attempts to consume another core:
❌ immediate destabilization occurs
❌ the body enters overload
❌ progressive swelling follows
💥 BOOOM!
It becomes a living bomb.
That is why this practice is forbidden, feared…
and carefully erased from official records.