With his agreement from Gouging Fire secured, Kairos didn't return to Starlight Hall. Instead, he went straight to the hidden entrance he'd used before and made his way back to the Watchers' underground base in the Lower City.
This time, he wasn't alone.
Gouging Fire had suppressed most of the flames wreathing its body and walked quietly half a step behind him.
But even with its power restrained, the ancient, primal pressure radiating from its very existence was still overwhelming.
Several people on the street felt that level of power wash over them and couldn't breathe for a moment, completely frozen in place. They had no idea what was happening until Gouging Fire moved on and they could finally recover.
Inside the Watchers' base, the atmosphere was tense.
Miles and several core members were gathered around a table covered in intelligence reports, anxiety and tension clear on everyone's faces.
News of the attack on Starlight Hall had hit like a bomb. The sheer power and infiltration capability the Future Paradoxes had demonstrated left them deeply unsettled.
It wasn't just the Genesis Engine they had to worry about anymore. These creatures had brought a whole new set of problems.
Urgent reports from various outposts kept streaming through the communicators.
"That lunatic Walker is definitely going to blow this out of proportion! Chairman Alicia's going to be under so much pressure..."
One man scratched at his hair in frustration, his words trailing off.
Creak.
The base's heavy alloy door swung open.
Kairos appeared in the doorway.
A heartbeat later, an indescribable wave of scorching heat, accompanied by crushing pressure like a mountain bearing down, swept through the entire stronghold.
The air seemed to solidify. The temperature spiked. Every electronic device flickered violently, alarms shrieking, before they all exploded in sequence.
At the same time, everyone felt like an invisible hand had seized their hearts. Breathing became excruciating. Sweat instantly soaked through their clothes.
"Easy, buddy. Don't scare them. They're not as tough as me."
Kairos's voice cut through, and immediately the oppressive heat and pressure lessened considerably.
Everyone's heads snapped up toward the sound.
When they saw the massive dark red beast behind Kairos, radiating endless pressure like something that had walked straight out of legend, they all froze as if paralyzed.
Several people dropped their communicators, which clattered to the floor.
The entire base fell deathly silent.
Every Watcher, whether they'd been analyzing intelligence or operating equipment, was now frozen like a statue, minds blank, left with nothing but soul-deep shock and trembling.
What is that?
What kind of Pokémon is that?
That power...
Wasn't that one of those monsters from the surface?
Why was it following Kairos?
Yet Kairos acted as if he didn't notice the suffocating atmosphere at all and walked right in.
"Relax, everyone. He's on our side. Let me introduce you. This is Gouging Fire, the head honcho of those, well, relatively peaceful Pokémon up on the surface. From now on, he's with us."
On our side... Gouging Fire... head honcho of the surface...
Those simple words hit the Watchers like thunderclaps.
They looked at the being whose mere presence had sent the temperature soaring and left them all drenched in sweat, then at Kairos's calm expression. No one knew what to say.
In that moment, Kairos's standing in their eyes completely transformed.
After a long silence, a shaky voice finally spoke up.
"Um... can I ask what he likes to eat?"
"Should we... offer him something?"
---
After the introductions, Kairos didn't linger at the Watchers' base.
Gouging Fire's appearance had completely changed his original plan.
He needed this power to complete the final and most critical step: getting the Alliance leadership to shut down the Genesis Engine project directly.
Under the still-shocked stares of the Watchers, Kairos led Gouging Fire straight through the stronghold toward the secret passage that led to the Alliance's core district.
---
The atmosphere in the Alliance Supreme Council Chamber had reached a freezing point, like the dead calm before a storm.
Around the massive circular conference table sat the Alliance's most powerful figures.
Council elders, military leaders with real authority, representatives of major families, and Alicia, sitting at the head with a pale face.
Colonel Walker stood in his crisp military uniform before his seat. His Electivire stood beside him, crackling with powerful electric currents, its crimson eyes sweeping the room with palpable menace.
Walker's voice rang out, hammering everyone's nerves.
"...The attack on Starlight Hall is a bloody warning! Madam Chairman, your indecision and so-called caution have already cost us dearly! The soldiers who died, the facilities destroyed, and those immeasurable future threats!"
"Those monsters are right above our heads! They could tear through our defenses at any moment and bring death to every single one of us! And you're still hesitating!"
He slammed his fist on the table, the sound echoing through the chamber.
"The Genesis Engine Purification Day plan must be launched immediately! It's the only way to save the Alliance! If we wait any longer, we'll be the ones history condemns!"
Behind him, several hawkish generals and councilors immediately voiced their support, their words sharp and pointed, all aimed at Alicia.
The moderates tried to argue back, but in the wake of the Starlight Hall attack, their words sounded hollow and weak. Some were starting to waver.
Alicia's lips pressed into a thin line, her ice-blue eyes filled with exhaustion and inner conflict.
Before, she could still hold her ground and buy time.
But now, with the Starlight Hall incident giving Walker all the ammunition he needed, and the hawkish faction's emotions running high, she truly couldn't hold out.
The chamber was thick with tension, the stalemate almost suffocating.
A smug smile played at the corner of Colonel Walker's mouth. He knew the scales were tipping in his favor.
He stepped forward, leaning in slightly, his voice dropping.
"Madam Chairman, for the survival of the entire Alliance, if you don't give the order... I'm afraid we'll have to take certain special measures."
His hand rested casually on his waist, as if ready to act at any moment.
His Electivire let out a low growl on cue, violent electricity arcing across its body.
He might as well have written the word "threat" across his forehead.
Alicia's heart sank.
She knew exactly what Walker meant by "special measures." He was going to act directly.
The moderate councilors were cowed by the naked threat, and no one dared speak up again.
If that's how it is, then... we'll have to fight.
Alicia let out a quiet sigh.
She knew a bloody confrontation was inevitable. While she wasn't necessarily afraid of Walker's forces, she wasn't completely confident she could take him down either.
And right now, public opinion wasn't on her side.
But in the next moment, something completely unexpected happened.
BOOM!
A massive sound erupted, not an explosion, but the hissing sizzle of melting metal.
The council chamber's door, made of several meters of thick alloy and designed to withstand heavy energy weapon bombardment, suddenly bulged inward at its center, glowing red-hot.
The next moment, the door was burned straight through.
Scorching smoke and steam billowed through the opening, drawing everyone's attention.
Every electronic instrument, light, and projection device in the chamber exploded in showers of sparks under the wave of searing heat and crushing pressure, then went dark.
The entire hall plunged into darkness, lit only by the firelight streaming through the melted hole in the door.
Through the sulfur-scented dust and smoke, a figure appeared in the opening.
An... ordinary-looking guy?
"Who are you?!"
Walker barked, frowning.
But when Alicia saw that familiar figure, she was already frozen in shock.
Before she could speak...
Behind Kairos, a massive, majestic form followed into view.
Its dark red mane billowed as if moved by an unseen wind, golden eyes scanning the silent council chamber.
The legendary Pokémon's terrifying pressure crashed down on everyone like an invisible mountain.
That gaze swept across Walker.
Colonel Walker's expression froze instantly.
As if struck by a physical blow, his body jerked violently, his face going from red to deathly pale, and he collapsed.
His Electivire let out a terrified whimper behind him, eyes filled with instinctive fear, body stumbling backward again and again. The violent electricity vanished completely.
Every councilor, general, and guard in the room looked like their souls had been ripped out.
Their minds went blank. Their bodies locked up. They even forgot to breathe.
Only their hearts pounded wildly in their chests, threatening to burst.
Kairos's gaze swept across the room before finally settling on Alicia in the head seat, her face pale, ice-blue eyes equally filled with shock.
As if he didn't notice the others' terror or feel the suffocating pressure, he raised his hand.
"Hello, Madam Chairman. I'm back."
Before his words had even finished, he pulled the Seed of the World from his system inventory.
Hum.
Magnificent emerald light bloomed instantly.
Gentle yet powerful life energy spread rapidly outward from Kairos as the center, softly pushing back the scorching heat and destructive aura Gouging Fire had brought.
Life and destruction formed an incredibly stark contrast in the council chamber.
Wrapped in the Seed of the World's radiance, everyone's racing hearts finally began to calm. They started to come back to themselves.
Only then did Kairos's gaze slowly sweep across the room, pausing especially on Walker and his faction, whose faces were ashen and bodies trembling slightly.
"Everyone, I'm here to announce something."
"The Genesis Engine project ends here."
He raised his hand, gesturing to Gouging Fire beside him.
"This is one of the guardians of the surface world, Gouging Fire. You should recognize it. Right now, it's the strongest one up there."
"It's promised that as long as the Alliance is willing to stop the internal conflict and work with it and its kind to solve the source of those Future Paradox metal creatures and stabilize the surface world... humans can return to the surface and live alongside them whenever they want. We'll also have their support, so we won't have to worry about resources."
Then he raised the Seed of the World in his hand, its green light illuminating his face.
"As for the Genesis Engine, if you feel it's absolutely necessary to activate it..."
His gaze settled on Walker.
"With this here, you're welcome to try. Probably won't have any side effects."
Then his tone shifted.
"However, if anyone has other ideas..."
He tilted his head slightly and raised his hand, gently patting Gouging Fire's body.
The gesture left everyone staring in disbelief.
"They'll have to ask whether he agrees first."
The moment his words fell, ghostly red flames ignited silently.
Chandelure's elegant form appeared quietly on Kairos's other side.
Elite Four peak-level pressure released without reservation, layering over Gouging Fire's terrifying might in a double wave of power.
Faced with such force, anyone with a brain knew what to do.
Colonel Walker's face was ashen, his lips trembling, unable to produce a single sound.
His Electivire was shaking violently. After a brief moment of consideration, it pressed a device on Walker's body and retreated straight into its Poké Ball.
Every hawkish general and councilor lowered their heads, cold sweat soaking through their backs. They didn't even have the courage to make eye contact with Kairos.
Absolute military force was sometimes just that straightforward.
Especially when the person wielding it had also provided perfect solutions to every problem.
Alicia took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the waves of emotion and relief washing through her.
Her ice-blue eyes held a determined light. She rose sharply from the head seat, surveying everyone still in shock and silence, her clear and authoritative voice ringing through the council chamber.
"In my name as Alliance Chairman, I declare: The Genesis Engine 'Purification Day' plan is, effective immediately, indefinitely suspended!"
Her gaze turned to Kairos, filled with trust.
"All Alliance resources, all forces, will unconditionally prioritize supporting Mr. Kairos's efforts to resolve the metal creature problem on the surface!"
Dead silence.
Then, sparse at first but rapidly growing uniform and filled with respect, voices of agreement:
"I second!"
"I second!"
"I support Mr. Kairos!"
"I support the Chairman's resolution!"
No opposing votes.
Of course, no one dared to oppose.
A massive crisis that could have torn the Alliance apart and destroyed millions of lives in the Lower City had been completely resolved through Kairos's intervention.
---
The shockwaves in the Alliance Supreme Council Chamber hadn't fully subsided. The air still carried the sulfur smell of molten metal and the refreshing life energy from the Seed of the World.
Absolute force had brought absolute order. Colonel Walker and his faction sat slumped in their chairs, defeated, no longer daring to make a move.
Alicia quickly took control of the situation. Orders were issued in smooth succession, and the Alliance's massive apparatus, after a brief period of chaos, began operating efficiently around its new objective: eliminating the source of the Future Paradoxes.
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones