The Tower, Pre-Red War, Vanguard Meeting Room.

Zavala's eyes bore into Eris Morn as they stood before the holographic projection of Xol's reality-bending incursion. "Eris, why have you brought us here? What do you know about this new Hive threat?"

Eris Morn's presence seemed to grow heavier as she began to speak. "Commander Zavala, I have delved deeper into the Hive's abyssal secrets than most dare. What I'm about to tell you is a revelation, a nightmare incarnate. Deep within the Hive pantheon, we face the Worm Gods, beings of unimaginable power who embody the sword logic, the ideology that drives the Hive."

Cayde-6 leaned closer to the projection, his curiosity piqued. "Worm Gods, you say? That sounds like something we'd rather not have on our doorstep."

Eris nodded, her tattered cloak swaying ominously. "Precisely. And among these Worm Gods is Xol, the Will of Thousands, one of the most enigmatic and dangerous. It seeks to cross over into other realities, spreading the sword logic's influence far beyond our comprehension."

Zavala's furrowed brow deepened. "And what does this mean for the Hive, for the darkness as a whole?"

Eris's blind eyes seemed to peer into the shadows of an abyss beyond. "The very fabric of the darkness shudders. The Hive hierarchy is disrupted. The symbiotic relationship with the Worm Gods is threatened. The consequences could be catastrophic."

Cayde-6 couldn't help but interrupt, "So, what's our play here, Eris? You didn't invite us just for a history lesson, right?"

Eris Morn straightened her posture, her voice echoing with dread. "We must act swiftly. The Guardians must channel the Light's power to disrupt Xol's influence, to push it back from the brink of crossing into other realities. We have to prevent the sword logic from taking root elsewhere."

Zavala nodded a heavy weight on his shoulders. "Ikora and the Warlocks will need to coordinate our efforts. We must prepare a strategy to amplify the Light's presence."

Cayde-6 holstered his hand cannon with a sense of determination. "You heard the lady, Commander. Let's show this Xol what happens when you mess with the Vanguard. It's a thousand to one shot, but hey, I like those odds."

Eris moved her head over to Cayde, her trifecta of glowing green eyes creeping him out, not that he'd ever admit it. He didn't need to; She knew. "Luck, Cayde, is something we need plenty of."

Deá POV. 

Watching from my concealed vantage point, I couldn't help but feel a mix of fear and admiration as I observed the battle between Imperialis and the formidable Kirin pair.

The sight of these two majestic Kirin filled me with an inexplicable unease. Imperialis, despite its overwhelming power and resilience, was facing creatures that seemed to embody the very elements of nature itself. The first Kirin, with its sparkling mane and radiant aura, exuded an ethereal beauty that contrasted sharply with the impending clash. The second Kirin, equally electrifying, displayed a fearsome determination in its every movement.

As the battle unfolded, Imperialis dodged the first Kirin's lightning-fast charge, narrowly avoiding the electrified horn that struck the ground with a deafening crack. The counterattack, a fiery torrent, painted a stark contrast against the Kirin's radiant form. The Kirin emitted a high-pitched shriek, the pain evident in its movements.

The second Kirin, rearing on its hind legs, sent bolts of lightning hurtling toward Imperialis. Despite its best efforts to evade, the electrifying jolt coursed through its body, sending it tumbling backward. It was difficult to witness the pain it endured.

The Kirin, relentless, breathed crackling lightning, electrifying the very ground around them. Imperialis struggled to maintain its footing on the charged ground, and the Kirin seized the opportunity, biting into its shoulder with its electrified jaws. The shocks coursed through it, and I could only imagine the searing agony.

From my hidden position, I could hear Imperialis's defiant roars and see it release a torrent of ice from its mouth, disorienting both Kirin. Its follow-up attack, a fierce lunge, resulted in a Kirin's agonized cry as it collapsed to the ground, dead from a hole in its rib cage.

The second Kirin, fueled by rage and desperation, continued its assault, sending bolts of lightning crackling toward Imperialis. I watched as it struggled to evade the electrifying onslaught, its body scorched by the relentless strikes.

But it all came to an end, when the Kirin made to charge up lightning for a heavy blow, only for Imperialis to deliver a kick up into the Horned Horse's neck, causing a sickening crunch that even I heard up in my hiding spot. 

The triumphant roar that came next was the most visceral thing I've ever heard, and unsurprisingly, I see Imperialis dragging both the Kirin Corpses off, presumably back to Astera for the canteen to cook.  

Taking that as my time to go, I turn and head back. I was probably going to ignore everyone and find a relatively isolated spot to work out this pent-up feeling.

Hanna POV 

God that fucking sucked.

The fight was great and terrible at the same time. The system told me that the monsters are called "Kirin" and are Elder Dragon's like me. The two were rather weak for elder dragons, but God, lightning fucking sucked.

My scales are blasted off me, or melted, and I have more than a few spots of exposed flesh, cracked and bleeding. My wing was still broken from that fucking Legiana and it was killing me. My shoulder was probably broken from where I got bit.  

So I'm walking. It sucks since the Coral Highlands are so far away from Astera. 

With a grunt, I haul the Kirin onto my shoulders and take off running, looking at my gains for the day. 

I got Cryo Sac and Cryo Breath from the Legiana and pushed those both to level four, putting me, finally, into the thirty-thousand mark for Bioenergy. Honestly, it feels like a waste to not be using all this energy, so I bite the bullet and spend ten thousand years' worth to bring Alpha Aura up to level 2. 

Immediately I feel the Highlands go quiet. Before it was just the immediate vicinity of myself, but now I'm sure that the entire region has gone quiet. 

「Congratulations to the host for achieving rank two in Alpha Aura! You now qualify to evolve into a True Elder Dragon, allowing you to choose an aspect of life to embody, as well as ten free mutations!」

Hanna blinked at the interface before she grinned broadly. True Elder Dragon and life aspecting are whatever, but ten mutations are just what the doctor ordered. She laughed as she asked the system. 

"System, how much bioenergy would it take for me to mutate the Bioenergy control from the Xeno'Jiiva without eating it?"

「Report: It would take two hundred thousand years of Bioenergy to mutate the desired Trait without exposure to it.」

"What if I were to use all ten of my free mutations for it?" 

「Calculating....」

「Report: It would take all fifteen of your Free Mutation gifts as well as the remainder of your Bioenergy to do so. Warning! Performing this would immediately place you in a state of starvation, and you will lose your will until you are sated.」

I throw the two Kirin corpses down onto the ground and breathe fire onto them, cooking them on the spot.

"So be it."