Kaijin Fighter: So I Have to Make Monsters, So What?-Chapter 1254: Opportunity is a friend of [Chaos]

^...and after that group of four showed up, and started engaging with the Grandmasters on duty, I came down here to—^

[Groar!]

^Gah!^

^HOLY SHIT!^

Just as the Silver-tongue warriors was about to wrap up his report, a whole mess of zakos came leaping down the stairs in a rather murderous manner.

The moment these zakos made their presence known, the reactions of those in the room could be placed into three groups.

...

First, utter bewilderment and fury.

Duke Diamoro and Alfonzo were not expecting an unknown force of this magnitude to manifest out of nowhere.

The two dastards prided themselves as being able to predict and outmaneuver their opponents and victims, surprising them when they least suspect it. In other words, having it happen to them was humiliating at minimum and absolutely infuriating at most.

However, they weren't the type of warriors to let a single setback like this throw them off.

^Push back these monsters and regroup with the others!^ Duke Diamoro and Alfonzo commanded as they activated their respective [Regalia] and summoned their respective [Astra]. ^Don't let a single one of them live!^

And with a mighty roar, they charged back up the stairs and began to fight off the attacking zakos.

...

Second, confusion and knowing optimism.

The moment the zakos invaded the underground throneroom, five out of six of the hostages released massive sighs of relief.

Zhen Xing, Zhen Tai, Lythero, Antonio and Olstenna knew better than most normal people that attempting to capture someone like Zhen Liu, who was more of an army than a single person, was an incredibly bad idea.

Hell, the moment they got captured, the Zhen Clan scions had made internal bets on precisely when and how they were going to get sprung loose.

The only one in this group of hostages that didn't share this sentiment was Kidanna, and that was due to the simple fact that she was only given part of the information in regards to Zhen Liu's abilities.

"Wait, aren't those warriors just Zhen Liu's aether puppets?" Kidanna asked the others in accented Hoof Speech for both their convenience and to better cloak her words.

"How many can he actually control at once? How many did he make?"

"A lot," Lythero answered his lover. "And way too many to properly count in a reasonable timeframe...or so he told me."

"Yeah, we live with him, and not even we know the exact number of these...puppets," Zhen Xing answered. "I once counted about three dozen or so."

"I was told it was about a hundred," Zhen Tai added.

"Either way, we should probably duck and use this opportunity to escape," Antonio pointed out.

"Say what?"

"DUCK!"

[ORA!]

Kathunk!

"Grrggh!"

Shortly after Antonio made his statement, several of the zakos proceeded to leap over them and tackle the people that were keeping him and the others captive.

Once the guards were dealt with, another zako appeared behind them to undo their bindings.

[Woo!]

"Thanks for the save," Zhen Xing said in gratitude. "Damn, it's weird acknowledging you guys as being sentient and not as puppets."

[Woo.]

The group had exited from the underground throneroom, saw the unfolding Chaos around them and were just about to make an exit from the scene...until it dawned on Kidanna and Lythero that now was a glorious time to bury some hatchets into the bodies of the people that had wronged them.

Regardless, once this thought had occurred, the two of them stopped running away from the fight and started running towards it.

"Huh? Where are you guys going?!"

"To get revenge!" Kidanna yelled back while circulating her aether in preparation for battle, alongside Lythero.

"You know, I figured I would be able to have my revenge match in a more... emotionally cathartic setting," Lythero told Kidnna as he circulated his aether as well. "I also thought I would have my—"

[Clank!]

"Oh!"

When Lythero and the others were initially captured by Smoking Mirror, his swords were accidentally left behind alongside the zako that was acting as the porter. Evidently, when Zhen Liu summoned the zakos to his rescue, that included the zako that was left behind by mistake.

The sword carrying zako proceeded to toss his box of blades back to Lythero before turning to join in the fray with his fellow zako.

Sword box in hand, Lythero felt significantly more confident and better about this upcoming bloodbath.

"Alright, now I'm ready to party."

"By the way, do you know if these...you called them zakos, right?"

"Yes."

"Are they available for hire? I would love to give my workers a break and let these guys handle some of the hard labor."

"I...want to say no, but I never really asked.

"Hmmm. I guess we can save that question for after killing these guys."

"Amen."

...

And lastly, bemused acknowledgement mixed with anticipation.

While the world around them was losing its mind, while man and monster clashed steel with one another in a war that would never be recorded, the two key figures of this conflict had yet to make a single move.

Zhen Liu stood his ground, back straight and arms to his side and ready to fight, while Smoking Mirror continued to lazily sit on his throne while using his stolen body.

The tension between them was much thicker than the bloodlust and violence around them, so much so that it formed a bubble of stillness that everyone subconsciously avoided like a hole in the ground.

Or in this case, a hole in reality.

[So, you made sure to have some of your monsters roam free in case you were captured,] Smoking Mirror noted. [Color me impressed. You're much more insightful than the previous Chaos Shaper I had the "pleasure" of meeting.]

[Thanks for the compliment, but I'm fairly certain it's more accurate to say I'm more paranoid than insightful,] Zhen Liu retorted while waving his hand in dismissal of the compliment. [Also what's this "monster" and "Chaos Shaper" nonsense? They're known as Kaijin and I thought my title was Kaijin Lord.]

[It is,] Smoking Mirror confirmed. [But what you are, the power you wield, makes you a Chaos Shaper.]

'So that's the official term,' Zhen Liu thought to himself. 'A bit straightforward, but I dig it.'

[Now, as amusing as all of this is,] Smoking Mirror continued. [I still need a new body and you're the one who's going to give it to me. So, are you going to do so willingly and quietly, or an I going to have to make you give me a body?]

[Hmm.]

...

'Blazejudicator. Nepeherage.'

[Yes?]×2

'Lets break this glass fucker's face.'

[Agreed.]×2

...

In response to this obvious threat, Zhen Liu replied with three actions.

First, he donned his [Stigma] with Blazejudicator providing an enhancement to its defenses while giving Zhen Liu a visage that resembled an underworld judge.

Second, he summoned Nepeherage as a [Taboo], taking on the form of a red jade spear that seemed to have a rather large blade head with a phoenix motif.

And finally, he simply flipped Smoking Mirror the good old bird.

[How about you get off that throne and make me, bitch?] Zhen Liu asked in a defiant tone.

Smoking Mirror simply released an unamused sigh in response to this provocation.

[Oh well, can't say I wasn't being diplomatic. Abbott Longhorn, have your fun.]

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^Finally!^

"Seriously?"

Prompted by Smoking Mirror's orders, Abbott Longhorn attempted to smash down on Zhen Liu's head with his monk spade-shaped [Astra]. Apparently, the old monk had lingered around the throne room despite all the other big names opted to leave the room and fight out in the open.

Unfortunately, Zhen Liu was a bit faster and managed to block the attack with his [Taboo].

[Seriously? This is your plan of making me do what you want? An old monk whose ass I was about to obliterate before you sent people to fuck with the fight?]

[Well, partially,] Smoking Mirror admitted. [The other part involves his clones.]

[Ah fuck.]

As soon as this revelation was made, several mirrors suddenly manifested around Abbott Longhorn and captured his reflection at multiple angles.

Moments later, Smoking Mirror released a surge of aether that jumped from mirror to mirror before making contact with Abbott Longhorn himself.

Immediately after this connection was made, half a dozen reflective clones of Abbott Longhorn charged out of their respective mirrors and attempted to turn Zhen Liu into mincemeat.

Before the mirrored clones could finish their deed though, they were intercepted by a pair of matching fists belonging to Corpse Doll and Porcelain Doll.

Evidently, the proto-kaijin were forgotten during the immediate attack, thanks to their subtle sealed forms and were left unattended by literally everyone. Meaning Zhen Liu was free to summon them and have them run cover for him.

[Leave these knock-offs to us, Caretaker!] Porcelain Doll declared as she took on a fighting stance.

[You just take care of that old ox,] Corpse Doll added as she took on a matching fighting stance.

Despite only being sisters for less than an hour, the two were already in perfect sync.

"Of course!"