Black Hole: The Book of Iratus, Episode 107

Chapter 1061

Salvos, Confodere, and Levi returned from the gate.

Salvos: "They only had one guard."

Levi adjusted the bow slung across his shoulder, the string still humming faintly from use.

Levi: "We have to hurry. The sun's about to rise."

Iratus nodded, golden eyes scanning the dim horizon before signaling to Communiquer to bring up the Humvees. The quiet rumble of engines echoed faintly from the distance.

Otiosus: "You know what I just realized? That one wolf guy isn't here anymore."

Iratus: "Speculator comes and goes. Don't worry about it."

Otiosus shrugged.

Ardens: "I know we're already here, but… are we really going to kill everyone?"

The red panda woman's voice wavered. Her gold eyes flicked toward Iratus, searching for reassurance. Before he could answer, others in the group spoke up.

Otiosus: "If they didn't want to die, they shouldn't have gone to war with us."

Resolutio: "Agreed."

The small army crept forward, moving like shadows through the silent streets.

Inlecebra: "It just seems extreme—now that we know most of their population is already gone. Are they really still a threat?"

Iratus stopped at the corner of a crumbling wall, the early light glinting faintly off his rifle barrel.

Iratus: "We've been over this. The threat won't end until they're gone completely."

Ardens: "No banishment? Just death?"

Iratus turned his gaze on her, steady and unyielding.

Iratus: "We've no reason to believe they'd leave us alone just because we won a single war. I'm not going through this again. Purple City ends today."

They scaled the outer gate quietly, opening it for the Humvees that waited just out of sight. The vehicles advanced slowly to avoid losing the element of surprise. The city was eerily quiet—most buildings empty, beds cold, streets abandoned.

Iratus coordinated the squads through whispered orders and hand signals. Occasionally, distant reports echoed through the air—short bursts of gunfire, another kill confirmed. More often, only silence answered.

Then the first rays of dawn broke over the city walls.

The people of Purple City began to stir. Only a handful emerged—proof enough that their eighty-man army had truly been most of their population. When they saw Lionhearth's soldiers in their streets, panic spread.

Iratus lifted his hand.

Iratus: "Firearms—now!"

Gunfire erupted. The Humvees roared to life, charging in from both flanks. Ten more of Purple City's citizens fell before the survivors scrambled into a large stone building—their last bastion. From the narrow windows, arrows shot out, clattering against walls and armor. One whistled dangerously close to Resolutio's head.

A Humvee skidded to a stop beside Iratus. Malignitas climbed out, his uniform dusty and streaked with blood.

Malignitas: "We've done a full sweep. Whoever's left in Purple City—they're all in that building."

Iratus exhaled slowly, his expression grim.

Iratus: "Perfect. We're advancing the plan. Move to Operation Siege."

Malignitas nodded once. "I'll get everyone on the same page."

He climbed back into the vehicle, and Certamen gunned the engine, speeding off to deliver the message.

Iratus lingered a moment, staring at the city that had caused so much loss. He didn't enjoy what came next. None of them did. But war had its own logic, merciless and absolute.

He turned away at last.

---

Chapter 1062

The Humvees rolled in to provide cover as Lionhearth advanced.

Completio — the older raccoon woman, never much of a soldier like most of Lionhearth's militia — was struck by an arrow and collapsed. Bellum and Ardens dragged her to cover while everyone else pressed forward. Once Iratus's soldiers were in position, he gave the order for a full barrage.

Everyone rose and unleashed a hail of gunfire.

When the volley ended, the bow and crossbow users stepped out to finish the work, while Resolutio and Bai Xue charged the doors. Still, there was no return fire.

Iratus signaled the advance. The Humvees peeled off to block any possible escape routes while the main force pried the doors open with crowbars. Lionhearth's troops stormed inside.

Communiquer, Iter, and Pusillanimitas manned one Humvee; Certamen, Malignitas, and the wounded Completio were in the other. Echo, Leitmotif, Ardens, and Inlecebra secured the outer perimeter while the rest swept through the interior, cutting down the last defenders of Purple City.

Iratus pushed forward through the hallways, his boots splashing in blood and debris until he reached what had to be the central chamber.

The doors had been torn from their hinges. The soldiers surged in behind him.

The room was unexpectedly clean — rugs laid neatly across the floor, faded banners of ancient Earth nations hanging from the walls. At the center sat a nest of cables feeding into a familiar metallic device.

Iratus: "That looks like what was at the Festival."

Salvos: "Oh, great. More hologram nonsense."

At the far end of the chamber stood four elderly humans on a staircase. Iratus recognized one of them faintly from his last visit to Purple City — a face glimpsed in the government hall — but the others were strangers.

No one fired. Iratus noticed several of his soldiers holding spears and swords now; it seemed the last of their ammunition was gone.

He spoke evenly, eyes fixed on the group.

Iratus: "Get the archers and crossbowmen. Shoot them down."

The four humans didn't move. One, an old man with a trembling voice, spoke up instead.

Old Human: "I applaud you for ridding us of the factions that strangled Purple City, but—"

Iratus: "Why is no one shooting them?"

Salvos: "They're… talking?"

Iratus: "Irrelevant. Shoot them."

The old man cleared his throat, ignoring the tension in the air.

Old Human: "We are the Rod of the Pack. I am Walter Berkenbos."

Each of the four looked different — their faces marked by age and heritage — though Iratus found it difficult to discern anything beyond skin tone and posture.

Walter Berkenbos: "However, you have stepped out of bounds, and you can no longer continue your rebellion."

Levi finally drew and released an arrow. It struck one of the humans in the shoulder, sending him sprawling with a cry of pain.

Walter Berkenbos: "Ah. That's unfortunate."

Iratus: "We're in the middle of killing each other. What did you think was going to happen?"

He motioned for his soldiers to advance. The remaining humans began to panic, retreating toward the stairwell.

Iratus: "Where are the faction leaders?"

Walter Berkenbos: "If you're here, then your people must have already seen them."

Levi: "No one's left. Either we killed them, they slipped past the blockade and fled, or they were part of the army we destroyed."

Another of the old men found his voice, quivering with disbelief.

Old Human Two: "Destroyed? Impossible! There's no way you could have defeated our army!"

Iratus: "And who exactly are you four to claim such a thing? I don't remember any of you from my last visit."

Walter Berkenbos gave a raspy laugh — the kind that came from either great age or greater arrogance.

---

Chapter 1063

Walter Berkenbos: "Purple City rounded up every able body for the army. Only the weak and women remain here, so I implore you — please retreat and return to Lionhearth. Maybe you can still intercept the army, an impressive force of eighty men."

Iratus: "Again, we already done that."

The old man's brow dampened with sweat. The notion that most of Purple City might already be gone was too much for him to accept.

Walter Berkenbos: "There is no war here."

Iratus's jaw tightened.

Iratus: "There is, and I'm here to put an end to Purple City."

Berkenbos's shoulders rose in a helpless shrug.

Walter Berkenbos: "Purple City is left without leadership. We mean you no harm."

Iratus's voice held steel.

Iratus: "You were talking down to me a second ago."

Walter Berkenbos: "I did not mean to—"

Resolutio moved forward, blade resting on her shoulder, her tone clipped.

Resolutio: "My king, these four are all that's left. Let us be done with them and return home."

At the sight of the weapons, panic rippled across the faces of the four elderly humans. They glanced at one another, at the soldiers, and then at the nest of cables and device in the chamber's center.

Walter Berkenbos: "It does not have to be this way."

Levi notched another arrow and released. The shaft flew true, but at the last heartbeat the light from the device flared—and someone, impossibly, caught the arrow in midair.

A figure wavered into being above the tangle of cables: humanoid but distorted, chimpanzee-like, eyes always obscured by shadow. Leather-plated chestgear was half-hidden by a trench coat. The image pulsed a bloody red.

Pride, voice flat and indifferent from the projection: "I'd also like to ask that you spare my disciples."

Iratus's hand signaled impatience. More arrows loosed and found their marks; the four old humans collapsed with small, choked cries.

Pride tilted his head, as if surprised by the cruelty displayed.

Pride: "So heartless. And you would wear Kobalt's crown? The Nolad Sheni surely would not agree with you."

Iratus snorted.

Iratus: "First, I won't risk Lionhearth's future for people I begged not to start a war. The only choice was complete destruction, for one of us. Second, the who now?"

Pride made a small sound like a sigh, though it had no breath to originate from.

Pride: "The summoners, as you mortals call them."

The blue sheen of his projection flickered; the hologram's voice held a cold amusement.

By then Deficio had entered the room, one boot thudding past a toppled rug. His metal arm was folded at his side; the prosthetic whirred softly in the quiet.

Deficio: "The Second Born?"

Pride: "Ah, the priest. Have you abandoned your faith for genocide?"

Deficio rolled his eyes.

Deficio: "To be genocided? If one city were to be wiped out, I'd sooner choose the one that did everything in the name of peace over the ones who would kill us all for refusing to renounce God."

Iratus's eyes flicked toward the device, then back to the projection.

Iratus: "We should probably get out of here. These constructs are hard to destroy."

With a lazy motion, Pride waved a hand. A shimmering blue sheen crawled over the walls, dust motes glancing off it like sparks.

Iratus: "You're a little late for whatever revenge you're claiming."

Pride: "Purple City mattered not to me after they shut me out. I gave them the means to overthrow the old order and install their pride-centric regime. When they turned on me, I only had to wait for you to enact my revenge."

Iratus's fingers tightened into a fist.

Iratus: "Perhaps you would reward us? Same team, something?"

Pride's face—if the projection could be called a face—twitched like a smirk.

Pride: "Those born of clay are my disciples, my children. Anyone else are animals to be slain. No deals with the lessers, especially after you slew my last priesthood."

He began to step forward, the projection's trench coat rippling though no air moved. Men arranged into a line, blades drawn and ready. Deficio's metal arm unfolded with a soft mechanical click; a magazine glinted where the prosthetic's hand opened. Ammunition, probably the last rounds some of them had.

Iratus: "Always the hard way."

Pride's laugh was eerie as his voice bounced off the walls.

---

Chapter 1064

The lion fired his mechanical arm, bullets streaking across the chamber, but Pride caught them effortlessly in his palm. Sparks hissed where the rounds liquefied against invisible force.

Deficio pivoted and fired again, this time at the device itself. The shot hit dead center, shattering the metal casing. But nothing changed. The air still shimmered with red light, and Pride remained.

Confodere, Sagitta, and Bellum charged forward with their spears.

Pride: "The farm girl turned mother so soon. Perhaps you'd be better off watching your children than playing soldier."

He snatched Bellum's spear mid-swing; the metal shaft hissed and melted in his grip.

Bellum: "It really is messed up how all you monsters know so much about us!"

She ducked as Pride swept his burning hand across the air — the heat grazed her arm, searing flesh. Bellum screamed, stumbling backward.

Confodere and Sagitta didn't hesitate. The two spears thrust at once, piercing through Pride's flickering image — the hologram rippled but didn't vanish.

Pride: "The crazy prepper. Surely you find working for a king to be the opposite of your ideals."

Confodere: "As if anything in Nexus Prime compares to the normal world."

He backpedaled quickly, narrowly avoiding Pride's next swipe.

Pride: "And the old man, tired of war. You should have left this to the younger ones."

Sagitta squared his stance, blood dripping down his gray muzzle.

Sagitta: "Don't underestimate our age. It's nothing like your clay men."

Pride lunged — his clawed hand slashed across Sagitta's left eye. The old wolf cried out, staggering.

A gunshot cracked. Deficio fired again, the round colliding with Pride's palm. The hologram flickered, buying Sagitta just enough time to retreat.

Another bullet followed — melted instantly into a molten drop before it could reach the target.

Salvos and Bai Xue surged in next with their spears. Salvos veered too close to the glowing wall. A sudden spark in the shape of a hand shot out, grabbing him — half his backpack vaporized, his canteen bursting into steam.

Pride: "Everyone abandoning the ideals their homes imprinted on them. Do any of you even take pride in your cultures? Your gods?"

Bai Xue steadied her stance, eyes calm.

Bai Xue: "We can hold close what we care about, while still accepting Lionhearth as our home."

Pride glided unnaturally backward, evading a flurry of arrows from Levi and gunfire from Deficio. The air shimmered as bullets and shafts distorted around his form.

Otiosus and Resolutio closed in around Iratus, forming a defensive wall. Both struck in unison, hammer and rapier. Pride twisted aside, dodging the hammer only to impale himself on Otiosus's blade.

Pride: "Rebels, the both of you! Shameless!"

Otiosus: "Whether a law deserves obedience is arbitrary. People make laws, not paper."

The hologram cracked, fissures of light spreading across its form. But when Otiosus noticed his rapier begin to glow red-hot, he yanked it free and Pride dove under Resolutio's next swing.

Resolutio: "Get back here!"

On the far side of the room, Confodere, Inlecebra, and Bai Xue were suddenly entangled by blue, vine-like tendrils erupting from the luminous walls. The electric cords wrapped tight, lifting them off their feet.

Others rushed to help. Bellum reached forward, only to brush the edge of the film. Her skin ignited instantly, fire racing up her arm as she screamed and dropped back.

Iratus raised his voice over the chaos, his golden eyes fixed on Pride.

Iratus: "Once again, you've joined a fight where you're surrounded on all sides."

Pride: "I still have some tricks left."

The red hologram grinned and the blue light across the chamber flared brighter, crawling like veins of lightning through the walls.

---

Chapter 1065

A lightning storm erupted from the walls, spilling through every room and hallway. The roar was deafening with blue fire lashing across the ceilings as Iratus shouted over the chaos, motioning for everyone to fall back. His voice barely carried above the crackle of power.

Bolts of lightning snapped close, forcing him to leap back. Pride weaved through the electric arcs like a phantom and lunged. Iratus raised his longsword, parrying the strike, but a bolt struck his shoulder, jolting through his armor. His muscles locked, his knees buckled. Pride pressed forward for a grapple.

Gritting his teeth, Iratus stepped in instead of retreating. He gripped his sword by the blade in a half-sword stance and drove it straight into the core of the hologram.

The projection cracked, light bleeding from the wound. Iratus stumbled back, armor smoking. Heat seared across his shoulders where Pride's hand had touched him, the plating blackened and warped.

Still, the hologram advanced, its outline flickering and distorted. Iratus steadied himself for another round, but a quick glance told him most of his troops were already retreating down the corridor, the storm chasing them like a living tide.

He turned to follow, his remaining soldiers rallying to him.

Resolutio: "Pride's hologram's a bit sturdier than last time, huh?"

Iratus: "I don't get why he won't just leave us alone. Purple City's destroyed, and his… whatever they are, servants or followers, are gone."

Resolutio: "Part of being prideful is the need to dominate. He probably wants to kill us just to feed his own ego."

Iratus gave a dry snort.
Iratus: "What a pesky creature."

They reached the main doors, lightning still raining down around them. The group worked desperately to pry open the exit as Iratus turned to hold the rear.

Pride emerged from the electric storm, walking straight through the bolts.

Pride: "You will not escape."

The doors ahead sparked with arcs of electricity, but Iratus's soldiers battered them with rifles and debris, breaking through the barrier one strike at a time.

Iratus: "You like being wrong, don't you?"

Pride's expression hardened. He advanced, the red shimmer of his form flickering hotter.

Deficio and Resolutio moved to intercept, but a lightning surge struck them both, sending them sprawling. Iratus stepped forward to cover them as they crawled away.

Steel clashed with light, Iratus and Pride trading blows. Iratus's sword carved through the hologram's arms, while every counterstrike from Pride made the blade glow cherry-red.

Finally, the soldiers at the front broke through. The heavy doors splintered open, daylight flooding in. The wounded were dragged to safety as the rest began pouring out.

Iratus lunged for one last strike, swinging for the neck, but Pride caught the blade. The metal sizzled and split in half. Salvos charged in from the side, spear thrust aimed for the chest. Pride turned to block it, just in time for Iratus to hurl the broken hilt at his head.

The distraction worked. Both Iratus and Salvos slipped through the doors and out into the open. Pride stepped after them, his form flickering at the threshold.

Iratus turned back, giving the faintest mock salute.
Iratus: "Excuse us. We'll be withdrawing now."

He faced his soldiers, voice steady despite the exhaustion.

Iratus: "Purple City is gone. Let's go home, everyone."

The cheer that followed was hollow. No one felt like celebrating the slaughter of mostly non-combatants. Smoke and static filled the air behind them.

From within the doorway, Pride's voice echoed one last time.

Pride: "Do you think you're any better than Purple City, when you've killed every last one of them?"

Iratus: "As if they wouldn't have done the same. I'm not playing morality with a monster."

He turned his back, and the army followed. Behind them, the blue light faded. The walls flickered and collapsed as Pride's hologram dissolved into sparks.

Later, Iratus would learn that a few had escaped the city — and that Pusillanimitas had been gravely wounded in a shootout, though she would survive.

No one looked back as the Humvees rolled away.

---

Chapter 1066

Iratus had never been one for emotional reunions. He'd only been gone a single day, yet his lovers greeted him as if he'd been missing for months.

Speculator, true to his word, had already departed—without so much as a farewell. His absence left Lionhearth wondering what their settlement truly meant to the builders of the Nexus Prime and what hidden plots might still unfold in its shadow.

Two days later, Lionhearth held a festival to celebrate their victory. Iratus had nothing to do with its organization. He preferred to take a win with solemn reflection rather than celebration. But the people disagreed. Even if the war had lasted less than a week, it had weighed heavily on everyone's minds—and now they needed to breathe again.

The scent of deep-fried meat and warm bread filled the air. Fruits from faraway biomes were stacked high on tables, and children darted between stalls, laughing as they played their athletic games. When Iratus stepped out, he found himself standing in the middle of a true festival.

Resonantia: "Good morning, love."

The shark girl flashed a wide, toothy grin.

Iratus: "I didn't think people were serious about this, but I guess it's happening."

Victoria: "Love, you need to get out more. When a large group of people say they're going to party, you should expect it."

Iratus: "I'm just not one for large gatherings."

Ignis: "That's our husband."

Aestus: "Always preferring our company over a crowd of strangers."

Iratus: "I wouldn't call the people of Lionhearth strangers, but I'd rather celebrate quietly, with family."

Their four eldest, Negligere, Ruina, Gula, and Tenacitas, were already wandering about, drawing Victoria away to keep them in line. Aestus and Ignis retreated back inside the house as the younger children started making noise.

Resonantia: "Ah, the duty of mothers."

Victoria: "Regardless, come join everyone. Today is for celebration."

Iratus: "I'll try, my loves."

He finally relented, wandering through the settlement until he reached the communal kitchen, where the air was thick with heat and spice. Dozens of hands worked to feed the entire population.

He stopped short when he saw Resolutio standing among them, turning a golden-glazed cut of meat on a tray.

Iratus: "You cook?"

Resolutio: "Can't everyone?"

Iratus: "I don't, usually."

From a nearby table, Salvos groaned theatrically.

Salvos: "See? This is why having more than one wife makes a man lose basic survival skills."

Leitmotif: "Monogamy for the win," his snake wife chimed in with a sly grin.

Iratus laughed softly and shook his head. He ate his second breakfast, happily approving of Resolutio's cooking with a thumbs-up, before heading back out.

Before long, his four wives rejoined him, looping their arms through his in a display of unity. They wandered through the crowd, Iratus stopping often to thank those who fought and those who defended Lionhearth while the army was away.

Eventually, at his lovers' insistence, he found himself standing on a small platform with the people gathered around.

Iratus: "Hello, me again. You know I don't do speeches, so I'll keep it short."

He looked around, making eye contact with as many faces as he could.

Iratus: "Maybe I should've announced earlier that Purple City was destroyed, but I assumed word had spread when we came back. Well… we won."

The crowd responded with a mix of laughter and cheers.

Iratus: "I'd like to thank everyone who fought for Lionhearth, and everyone who helped set up this festival."

More cheers followed, louder this time.

Iratus: "Now, the only thing left that threatens us are the monsters, and since they've failed for six years, I doubt they'll succeed anytime soon. Praise God, and thank you for staying with Lionhearth!"

The applause that followed made his ears twitch. Iratus gave an awkward wave before retreating offstage as gracefully as possible. He was always embarrassed when forced to give grand speeches, but at least, this time, it ended in laughter.

---

Chapter 1067

Iratus left most of the festivities to Lionhearth and spent the next few days simply relaxing. He loved taking his wives to the hot spring caves and enjoyed teaching his children how to speak and read.

Even so, peace didn't mean idleness. Reports still came in, and Iratus found himself checking in with many of Lionhearth's leaders. Where people once worked independently, there was now organization, jobs for expeditions, scavenging, and patrols. Taxes continued to flow in, and Iratus made sure most of the funds supported those projects.

Rise, Last Mistake, and the farms all took part in this growing system. Lionhearth was no longer just a large village, it was becoming a functioning government, ruling over multiple settlements. Its military patrolled the outer roads, and even the monsters no longer dared breach their walls.

As Iratus watched his family grow, he began laying the groundwork for a new home, a large house built on the hill overlooking Lionhearth. Heroes like Pusillanimitas and Sagitta finally recovered, with the people showering them in praise for their courage and sacrifice.

Interrogatio was buried among the others who fell, his grave marked with quiet honor. Iratus felt relief that only one life had been lost in the war.

But even with victory, some of Lionhearth's people still had questions.

Invidia: "Should we be concerned about that one wolf guy? He just… left, out of nowhere."

Communiquer: "I'm more worried about that hologram. Is that thing still wandering around, ou quelque chose?"

Victoria: "Speculator has his own mission. The Summoners are politically divided, those who see us in a good light send agents to help. He'll be fine."

Iratus joined them, folding his arms.

Iratus: "As for Pride, his holograms are confined to specific spaces. Once the projection ends, so does he. We won't be seeing him again without that hologram tech."

Victoria: "Yeah, every time we've seen holograms, it's been tied to whatever that technology is."

Invidia: "Speaking of Purple City stuff… what's next?"

Iratus tilted his head.
Iratus: "What do you mean?"

Invidia: "What happens to Lionhearth now? We've beaten the only other settlement around. What's our goal from here?"

Iratus: "Lionhearth has never had a grand plan. We live our lives, struggle to survive, and deal with the people or monsters who try to destroy that. We'll keep building fortifications, keep our army trained, and make sure we can defeat anything hostile that comes our way."

Invidia: "No grander goals? No expansion?"

Iratus gave a faint chuckle.
Iratus: "What else is there? Lionhearth will grow naturally, and we'll defend it."

Invidia: "The more the population grows, the more resources it'll need. We've got the copper mine, new guns, that cannon from the war, and a bunch of empty towns nearby. How long before we'll need more than just this one location to sustain ourselves?"

Iratus: "Ah, well, by the time that happens, I'll probably be old and gray. Until our children grow up, and theirs after them, I don't think we'll need to worry about expanding our borders."

Victoria: "Do we even have borders? With Purple City gone, there's no one else left out here but us."

Iratus: "Wherever someone from Lionhearth can live and hold land, I'd call that our border."

The conversation turned easy after that, light, thoughtful, and warm. Iratus enjoyed the small talk. The weight of war had finally started to lift, and for the first time in a long while, the future no longer looked uncertain. It simply looked like home.

---

Chapter 1068

Iratus took a small team back to Purple City to see what remained.

He and his companions, Echo, Completio, Salvos, and Confodere, stepped out of the Humvee and stared in disbelief.

The streets were clean.

No blood. No bodies. The storage sheds were empty. Every weapon, every scrap of food or material had been taken. Purple City had been stripped bare.

Echo: "Oh sure. Totally normal."

Salvos: "Is it? The Nexus Prime has weird things happening all the time, but this feels a bit… beyond that."

Completio: "There were survivors after our purge, maybe even from the army we destroyed. Any of them could've come back for their supplies."

Iratus frowned, scanning the silent ruins.
Iratus: "Even then, this is too thorough. They didn't have transport, and there's no trail out."

They split up, searching building by building. Every room was empty — only a few broken crates, scattered trash, or the faint scent of burnt wood remained. When they regrouped at the government hall, Iratus shook his head.

The shattered device was gone. So were the cables, the banners, even the furniture. There were no papers, no records, nothing.

Iratus: "I hope this isn't something that's going to come back around to us."

Salvos shrugged, kicking at the dust.

Salvos: "Warband, monster, summoners, doesn't matter what shape it takes. One way or another, it comes for us, and we fight. Our story doesn't end just because our biggest threat is gone."

Iratus: "To be fair, the Summoners, the Nolad Sheni, are probably worse. At least the ones not on our side. They can manipulate entire warbands into coming after us."

Echo: "Yeah, and I'd take fighting armies over dealing with the nightmare fuel that crawls out of Nexus Prime any day."

Salvos: "All right, that's where I disagree. War's worse than monsters."

Iratus: "What's the difference? They come at us in armies or in swarms. Both kill us. The only advantage with people is, they're at least predictable."

No one answered. The silence of the ruined city pressed in on them, empty streets stretching out like scars.

The group left Purple City behind, unsatisfied, uneasy.

It was now just another mystery of Nexus Prime.

---

Chapter 1069

Day 161. Iratus looked around and saw Lionhearth evolving day by day. Patrols were assigned and overseen, operations ran smoothly under his supervision, and the settlement itself had begun to feel like a true society. Food was growing, cattle were multiplying, and the village had transformed from a simple cluster of buildings into a functioning community.

After the war, the shift had been profound. Where once there had been only a settlement, now there was a government, Iratus at its center, a monarch in both name and responsibility. The weight of running not just the village, but the surrounding settlements, pressed on him constantly.

Luckily, he wasn't alone. He allowed others to manage their own domains, trusting them with decisions large and small. His four wives, slowly stepping into roles of authority themselves, helped him with day-to-day operations, smoothing the friction of growing bureaucracy.

Iratus maintained trade with Last Mistake, which was beginning to flourish. Drifters and wanderers found homes there, and Lionhearth became a hub of activity, busy, organized, and alive. He made regular trips to Rise for fuel and to coordinate expansion plans, ensuring that resources flowed smoothly between settlements.

There were still challenges: roads to repair, crops to tend, the growing needs of the population, and the occasional unexpected problem. Iratus tackled each as it arose, confident that he could manage the chaos with careful planning. A proper school program had been established, too, as his children now required formal education, another sign that life in Lionhearth had moved beyond mere survival.

From the hilltop above his new house, Iratus surveyed the village below. The structure itself was only beginning to take shape, but it would be a home for his family, a symbol of everything they had built together. His wives came and went, helping when they could, working alongside him to shape both the house and their community.

As he watched children running through the streets, traders unloading goods, and soldiers patrolling the gates, Iratus allowed himself a rare moment of satisfaction. For the first time in a long while, Iratus felt that the future, while uncertain, was theirs to shape.

---

EPISODE 107: END

---

Episode 107 End Character Sheet
Name: Iratus Lionheart
Species: Mousefolk
Age: 20
Coverings: blonde fur, white gambeson (many repairs, some leather patchwork), leather gloves, tactical vest, tailorcraft backpack, leather plate helmet, delicate gold chain with a small pendant shaped like a lion's glare, flashlight, bronze breastplate, bronze full arm guards, bronze shin guards, hearing protection
Weapons: long sword, short sword, hammer, 3 dagger
Equipment: belt, belt bag, water skin, leathercraft backpack

Wounds: none

Armory: 12 short swords, 2 knifes, 7 daggers, 12 metal spears, 1 long sword, semi-automatic rifle, 4 hunting traps, 18 snares, 17 backpacks, 2 katanas, crossbow, bolt-action rifle, 2 heavy pistols
Aestus: gambeson, bronze breastplate, leather helmet, metal spear, 2 knives, short sword, bronze long sword.
Victoria: bronze breastplate, gambeson, leather helmet, metal spear, short sword, crossbow, 2 daggers, flashlight
Resonanita: steel breastplate, gambeson, metal helmet, metal spear, short sword, 1 knife, compound bow, flashlight
Ignis: bronze breastplate, gambeson, leather helmet, metal spear, crowbar, 1 knife

Important Treasure: a tarnished silver brooch, a small ornamental figurine, a few antfolk tapestries, some antfolk art, bronze lantern, bronze idol, some jeweled trinkets, iron lantern, silver lantern, gold crown with large sapphire

Lionhearth -
Home Base, Tower: Large Storage Area (many crates, clay pots, and wooden chests), Basic Workshop Area (lots of tools, woodcarving tools, glue, sandpaper), Kitchen Area (many tools, many cutlery items, pots&pans, makeshift grill, microwave), Library, Armory, Infirmary Room (surgery tools, first aid kit, plenty of medicine and equipment), Children's Quarters, Master Bedroom (proper bedding, sensual antfolk sculpture), Six Bedrooms (proper bedding), four portable solar panels, outside house area

Outside Base: Butchering Hut (modern butchery kit, smoking rack), Tannery Hut, Underground Storage Area, Garden Area (fenced in), Tool Shed, Wooden Wall, Second Wooden Wall, 9 Small Cabin, 14 Large Cabin, 2 Gravestones, Rabbit Hutches, Several Electrical Lights, Wooden House (Astrid), Kitchen Building, Guest House, Patchwork Garage (1 Humvee), Simple Dock, Watchtower, Schoolhouse, Compost Area, Small Workshop Hut, various private gardens, various small animal farms

Books: 5 woodworking books, weathered leather-bound journal, 2 war game booklet, sketch book (from warband), 2 sketch books, Bathhouse Reviewers (entire 80 book series), playing cards, Fractura's Notes, Tempestas's Notes, 18 survival guides, 5 technical manuals, 68 fiction novels, 12 encyclopedias, 5 dictionaries, 28 cookbooks, 4 gardening guides, 4 crafting books, 30 educational textbooks, 6 religious texts, 10 diaries, 18 children's books, Ever Dark RPG, 15 different tabletop games

Year 6, Day 161

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TOWER FOLK:
Iratus of House Lionheart
mouse, male, blonde fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, 6'9, age: 20, b day: 350
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Victoria Mother of House Lionheart
raccoon, female, gray fur, black hair, brown eyes, 6'6, age: 20, b day: 5, (preg 140)
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Aestus of clan Riversinger
otter, female, red fur, red hair, blue eyes, 6'4, age: 20, b day: 99 (preg 71)
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Ignis Yang
red panda, female, reddish-brown/white fur, black hair, golden eyes, 6'7, age: 20, b day: 344, (preg 165)
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Resonantia Diamond Heart Steel
shark, female, blue-gray hue skin, white hair, blue eyes, 6'8, age: 20, b day: 2
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CHILDREN:
Negligere Lionheart
shark, male, steel gray skin, white hair, gold eyes, age: 5, b day: 2
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Ruina Lionheart
otter, female, orange fur, vibrant orange hair, blue eyes, age: 5, b day: 330
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Gula Lionheart
red panda, male, brown fur, dark brown hair, gold eyes, age: 5, b day: 340
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Tenacitas Lionheart
raccoon, female, silver fur, dark blonde hair, amber eyes, age: 5, b day: 345

Frustra Lionheart
raccoon, male, gray fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, age: 4, b day: 338

Despero Lionheart
shark, male, blue-gray skin, blonde hair, gold eyes, age: 3, b day: 249

Tempestas
otter, male, white fur, black hair, gold eyes, age: 2, b day: 272

Nebula
otter, female, blonde fur, blonde hair, blue eyes, age: 2, b day: 272

Ventus Lionheart
red panda, female, reddish-brown and white fur, blonde-black gradient hair, gold with a hint of silver eyes, age: 3, b day: 17

Lignum Lionheart
red panda, male, fur of reddish-brown with golden-blonde highlights, especially around chest, muzzle, and ears, gold-blonde hair, amber-gold eyes, age: 3, b day: 17

Constantia Lionheart
raccoon, female, fur is pale gray with soft gold undertones, hair is light brown with streaks of black, eyes are bright gold with brown flecks, age: 2, b day: 118

Justus Lionheart
raccoon, male, fur is silver-gray with darker banding at the tail, hair is Dark blonde, slightly curly, amber-gold eyes, age: 2, b day: 118

Vindicta Lionheart
shark, female, dark steel blue skin with a pearly undertone, blonde hair almost white at the tips, blue eyes with golden rings around the iris, age: 1, b day: 159

Patientia Lionheart
shark, female, soft gray-blue skin with subtle mottling around the shoulders and back, white hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 159

Pudor Lionheart
otter, female, copper-red fur, golden-red hair, blue eyes, age: 1, b day: 269
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NEIGHBORS:
Echo
shark, male, gray skin with a white underbelly, black hair, black eyes, 6'8, age: 44, b day: 142

Resolutio
goat, female, black fur, black hair, blue eyes, 7'0, age: 55, b day: 13

Dolor
hyena, male, rich brown fur, black hair, gold eyes, 5'1, age: 13, b day: 301

Diffido
mouse, male, black fur, black hair, brown eyes, 5'4, age: 15, b day: 145

Pusillanimitas of House Redtide
lion, female, tan fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, 6'8, age: 21, b day: 1

Communiquer Zircon Beaumont
rabbit, female, soft gray with white patches around the nose and underbelly, chestnut brown hair, Amber-gold eyes, 6'7, age: 31, b day: 88

Sagitta Cloud Wake
wolf, male, dark charcoal with silver streaks around the muzzle and tail tipfur, steel gray hair, ice blue eyes, 6'9, age: 46, b day: 33

Parabula of Arcanum Vitae
goat, male, sandy beige with dark brown patches along his limbs, black hair, bright green eyes, 6'7, age: 35, b day: 55

Tonus Black Onyx
rabbit, male, fur charcoal gray with flecks of silver, silver hair, ice blue eyes, 6'8, age: 34, b day: 363

Invidia of House Bloodmoon
mouse, female, sandy beige fur, dark brown hair, green eyes, 6'5, age: 19, b day: 235

Completio
raccoon, female, dark mask markings and silver-streaked fur, black hair, brown eyes, 6'9, age: 42, b day: 144

7 others: a female tanuki, a male hyena, a female raccoon, and 4 others.
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WINTER WINDS CLAN:
Studium of Winter Winds
fox, male, gray fur, black hair, blue eyes, 6'4, age: 17, b day: 190

Fuligo Leaf Shadow
otter, female, black fur, blonde hair, blue eyes, 6'2, age: 17, b day: 245, (preg: 62)

Bellum of House War Knuckles
cheetah, female, blonde fur with black spots, blonde hair, blue eyes, 6'5, age 20, b day: 91
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Ambitiosus of Winter Winds
cheetah, male, blonde fur with black spots, black hair, blue eyes, age 3, b day: 322

Vertex of Winter Winds
otter, female, gray fur, black hair, blue eyes, age 2, b day: 360

Virtus of Winter Winds
cheetah, male, sandy gold fur with dense black spotting, black streaked with blonde hair, blue eyes, age 1, b day: 162

Venatio of Winter Winds
otter, male, charcoal black fur with silvery undertones around the chest and face, blonde hair, blue eyes, age 1, b day: 207

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DARK SKY FAMILY:
Salvos Dark Sky
wolf, male, black fur, white hair, copper eyes, 6'8, age 31, b day: 66

Leitmotif Schlange
snake, female, yellow and red scales, naga bodied, gold eyes, age 28, b day: 229
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Ostinato Dark Sky
snake, male, black and red scales, white hair, bipedal, gold eyes, age 3, b day: 234

Discordia Dark Sky
snake, female, scales are crimson with deep onyx patterning along back and limbs, white hair, bipedal, bright gold eyes, age 1, b day: 6

Caligo Dark Sky
snake, male, scales are dusky gold with shadowy undertones, short, black hair with hints of auburn, bipedal, copper-red eyes, age 1, b day: 6
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OCULI ACUTI FAMILY
Confodere Oculi Acuti
hyena, male, dark brown fur, black hair, gold eyes, 6'9, age 30, b day: 239

Liora Woodleaf
deer, female, light brown with white spots, blonde hair, hazel eyes, 5'9, age: 29, b day 323, (preg 142)

Sutura Vigilia Nocturna
hyena, female, brownish-blonde fur with black spots, gold hair, gold eyes, 6'8, age: 22, b day: 364, (preg 41)
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Candela Woodleaf-Oculi
deer, female, fur is tawny beige with faint white spots that form a flame-like pattern across her back, hair is black with golden highlights, unusually thick and slightly wavy, amber-hazel eyes, age 2, b day 168

Caelum Woodleaf-Oculi
deer, male, fur is chestnut with darker brown shoulders and legs, with only faint spotting, hair is blonde with streaks of dark brown near the roots, gold eyes, age 2, b day 168

Ferox Vigilia Nocturna
hyena, male, dark sable-brown fur with dense black spotting, gold hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 219
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HOT WAVES AND BRASSMOON FAMILY
Odorem of Hot Waves
fox, male, red fur, red hair, blue eyes, 6'8, age: 30, b day: 86

Fraus of House Brassmoon
feline, female, bright gray, white underbelly fur, white hair, blue eyes, 6'7, age: 22, b day: 90, (preg 227)
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Vana Hotbrass
feline, female, pale silver-gray fur with a subtle red-orange tint across the back and cheeks, deep auburn-red hair, blue eyes, age: 1, b day: 174
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HOT WAVES AND WHITE SKY FAMILY
Inlecebra of Hot Waves
fox, male, red fur, red hair, blue eyes, 6'8, age: 29, b day: 343

Arcus of White Sky 
fox, female, slightly dark brown fur, slightly dark brown hair, blue eyes, 6'5, age: 23, b day: 326, (preg 27)
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Excelsa Hotsky
fox, female, deep reddish-brown fur with subtle orange undertone, dark auburn hair, blue eyes, age: 1, b day: 235

Fidelis Hotsky
fox, male, mahogany brown fur with red-tinged highlights and darker markings along the shoulders, deep red hair, blue eyes, age: 1, b day: 235

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HOUSE OWLEYE
Otiosus of House Owleye
mouse, male, dark gray fur, dark gray hair, blue eyes, 6'8, age: 26, b day: 105

Bai Xue
fluff dragon, female, white fur, white hair, green eyes, 7'1, age: 28, b day: 309

Astrid Kuivuus
nixman, female, slightly purple skin, black hair, blue eyes, 6'0, age: 24, b day: 71
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Tranquilla Owleye
fluff dragon, female, white fur with light silver-gray patterning along her back and neck, pale silver hair with white streaks, deep green eyes, age: 1, b day: 246

Eirik Kuivuus
nixman, male, pale lavender skin, black hair, blue eyes, age: 1, b day: 81
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LOST FIRE
Certamen of the Lost Quickness
raccoon, male, dark gray fur, black hair, blue eyes, 6'9, age: 27, b day: 76

Ardens Ignifera
redpanda, female, red fur, black hair, gold eyes, 6'5, age: 24, b day: 187
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Fulgora Lost Fire
redpanda, female, fur is deep reddish-orange with charcoal-gray markings on the arms and legs; tail is ringed with darker red and slate-gray stripes, black hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 251
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MALONDO FAMILY
Laedere Malondo
hyena, male, fur is sandy beige with darker brown spots and a stripe down spine, white hair, orange-gold eyes, 6'4, age: 20, b day: 22

Praevalidum
ant, female, blackish-brown chitin, dark gray skin, brown hair, green eyes, 6'5, age: 23, b day: 77
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Ferrox Malondo
ant, male, deep brown-black chitin with subtle sandy undertones on the limbs and thorax, white hair, green eyes, age: 1, b day: 3
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RENNICK FAMILY
Collaboratio Diamond Rennick
rabbit, male, fur is pale cream with soft gray ears and speckling along the shoulders, orange hair, hazel eyes, 6'11, age: 24, b day: 284

Vesper Red Queen
moth, female, gray fur, silver hair, brown eyes, 6'4, age: 23, b day: 37
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Aurora Diamond Rennick
moth, female, soft silvery-gray fur with creamy undertones around the cheeks, forearms, and tail base; subtle pale speckling across her shoulders, fluffy orange-tinged hair, brown eyes, age: 1, b day: 65
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(farm)
UMBRA OCEAN FAMILY:
Procella Ocean Drinker
weasel, female, blonde fur, black hair, green eyes, 6'5, age 26, b day: 207

Iter of Sanguinem Umbra
goat, male, white fur, blonde hair, brown eyes, 6'7, age 23, b day: 334
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Bothynus Umbra Ocean
weasel, female, blonde fur, blonde hair, brown eyes, age 2, b day: 351

Lamentia Umbra Ocean
weasel, female, creamy golden-blonde fur with subtle white patches around the shoulders and chest, black hair, olive green eyes with a golden ring around the iris, age 1, b day: 210
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(farm)
Levi Ackerman
nixman, male, light purple skin, white hair, blue eyes, 6'1, age: 26, b day: 303
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(farm)
THE COBALTS:
Commercium Jade Blue Cobalt
rabbit, male, white fur, black hair, gray eyes, 6'8, age: 29, b day: 221

Abrasione
hyena, female, tan fur with black spots, blonde hair, gold eyes, 6'5, age: 24, b day: 4
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Kuxatura Jade Blue Cobalt
hyena, male, tan fur, black hair, gold eyes, age: 5, b day: 284

Vulnera Jade Blue Cobalt
hyena, male, white with black spots fur, black hair with some golden strands, gray eyes, age: 2, b day: 189

Ruptura Jade Blue Cobalt
hyena, male, pale tan fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, age: 2, b day: 189
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LAST MISTAKE
Deficio
lion, male, gray fur, rich gray hair, green eyes, 6'6, age: 51, b day: 111

Malignitas of House Brokensand
feline, male, light black fur, light black hair, brown eyes (single eye), 6'7, age 33, b day: 343

Disputatio Sapphire Halberd 
rabbit, male, fur is tawny tan with salt-and-pepper flecks along his back and cheeks, hair is dusty brown with streaks of white at the temples, green eyes, 6'5, age: 58, b day: 183

And 8 others.
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(Last Mistake)
Clan Sootdrinker:
Pulvis of Clan Sootdrinker
otter, male, dark‑brown fur, dark-brown hair, blue eyes, 6'7, age: 36, b day: 180

Caedes, Mother of Clan Sootdrinker
mouse, male, black fur, white hair, green eyes, 6'5, age: 28, b day: 105
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Inertia Sootdrinker
mouse, female, jet black fur, silvery white hair, deep blue-green eyes, age: 2, b day: 315

Fumus Sootdrinker
mouse, male, smoky gray-brown fur that is darker around the limbs and tail, white streaked with faint brown undertones hair, pale blue eyes, age: 2, b day: 315