NOVPUB<FUCKING FINALLY! I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR HIM TO USE THE "HERO MODE"!,> Pathos shouted with glee. <Gods above and below, you know how long it took me to make that helmet, alone?! Honestly, I don’t think anyone actually appreciates how much effort I put into making these suits of armor. I mean, our lord barely used the base "Maou mode" before fusing with Nepherage! Its not like he’s planning to show both modes to his family...I think.>
=Yeah...I have a question in regards to the design. Any particular reason why the "Yusha" design includes a sword and shield motif? Last I checked, our lord doesn’t fight with a sword and shield, he usually uses his fists like a brawler.=
<Oh, that? That’s because the "Yusha" form is based on the "Hero" class from a classic JRPG known as Wyvern Task, specifically number three.>
=Ah, okay that explains the head gear...does that gem in the center of his forehead actually do anything, or...=
<That’s supposed to be an indicator that changes depending on the kaijin helping out our lord at the moment.>
=Say what?=
<Oh, just watch.>
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While Zhen Liu wanted to bask in the strangely euphoric feeling of being able to use his [Regalia] in a more public setting, especially since it made him look like a proper transforming hero, he was still in the middle of a battle and having such distractions would’ve been detrimental.
<<Hmmm! A fellow Grandmaster?! I suppose this fight won’t be as boring as I had feared!,>> Gao Lin growled with a strange smile as he stabilized his footing and prepared to defend himself.
<<I was about to make a joke about you looking like a counterfeit war god statue, but I’m just surprised you said something other than "hmmm!",>> Zhen Liu quipped back, as he rushed in to attack.
After having successfully repel the literal bronze skinned man’s initial assault, Zhen Liu figured that the momentum was in his favor and decided to do a follow up attack in retaliation. That and it only felt right to actually start fighting after saying a cheesy as hell, completely improvised catchphrase.
Zhen Liu would go bother Logos and Pathos about making that line sound better than what he actually said, but for now, he needed to kick in someone’s teeth into their skull.
At least that was the plan.
Once Zhen Liu had gotten in range to Gao Lin, the former had thrown a roundhouse kick aimed at the latter’s head.
The innate enhancement provided by the [Regalia] being fully active,combined with Zhen Liu’s naturally unnatural strength, would’ve turned his simple kick into a blow strong enough to decapitate a man with one strike.
(Un)fortunately, Gao Lin managed to throw his arms up fast enough to block Zhen Liu’s kick and mitigate some of the damage by virtue of the properties of his [Regalia]. Just because he looked like he was made of bronze, didn’t mean he was as soft as bronze.
’He looks like bronze but it feels like I just kicked a steel plate. Fun.’
There should be some emphasis on the word, "some", though.
’Hah! I barely felt a thing! All bark and no bite!’
While on the surface it had appeared that Zhen Liu’s kick did barely any damage to Gao Lin, aside from the appearance of a small indent to show point of impact, the reality was a bit more complicated.
The impact of Zhen Liu’s kick had actually rattled the internal structures of Gao Lin’s arms, causing several layers of muscle tissue beneath the bronze-like skin to tear, while also causing cracks to form on the bones. However, it should be noted that the power of pure adrenaline made it so that Gao Lin didn’t really feel any of these internal injuries. Of course, if Gao Lin did anything to agitate these internal wounds though, he would definitely feel it once it was exacerbated.
<<Not a bad kick! My turn!>>
’Shit.’
After having blocked Zhen Liu’s opening kick, Gao Lin went all in on a counter attack and stepped forward with his arms still raised to defend like a proper pugilist. While he wasn’t moving at speeds faster than Zhen Liu, meaning Zhen Liu could see what Gao Lin was doing the whole time, the man was moving at a time where Zhen Liu couldn’t react due to his body’s positioning being weird as all hell. This meant that it was now Zhen Liu’s turn to tank a hit.
[Thunder Smash!]
’Shit.’
Gao Lin’s fists began to glow as he circulated his aether into them, causing a storm cloud-like aura to form. Once fully saturated, he struck out with a straightforward jab, punching Zhen Liu squarely in the stomach and sending him several steps backwards as a loud clap of thunder echoed upon impact.
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’Huh...I think I actually felt that. That’s new...old I guess?’
=Really? Our records indicate that the damage done was minimal though.=
’Well, yeah. I will admit though, it didn’t feel like I just got punched by a six foot metallic meat slab. It honestly felt more or like being...punched by a toddler? Either way, it’s time for retaliation. Which of you guys want to tag in first?’
[Milord, please allow me to have the first honor. If this man wishes to act like he’s made of metal, then allow me to melt him into slag.]
’Right on, Nepherage.’
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<<Color me surprised! There aren’t many other Grandmasters that can take my [Thunder Smash] to the stomach without vomiting their guts out!,>> Gao Lin boasted despite understanding that his attack probably do that much damage to Zhen Liu in the first place.
<<Yeah, well, let’s just say in built different,>> Zhen Liu truthfully retorted. Granted, by sound truthful about their statement, it made him sound like he was boasting as well.
<<Hmmm! Being of a strange build won’t make you any more immune to the rest of my attacks. [Oni’s Hammer!]>>
Not wanting to lost momentum of his attacks, Gao Lin rushed forward while circulating his aether in such a way that his arm seemed to visually grow and distort until it had transformed into the grotesque shape of an ogre-like head. Thankfully it appeared to be made bronze at this time so it didn’t look to nasty, but to was still unsettling to look at.
Despite the size of his fist though, Gao Lin moved with a surprising amount of speed, allowing him to close the distance between himself and Zhen Liu in almost an instant.
In Gao Lin’s mind, he understood that while this particularly attack of his might not end this fight in a decisive victory, it would’ve definitely make an opening for him to end this foolish young man.
Unfortunately for him, something weird was about to happen.
"Aight, let’s see how this goes."
Gao Lin didn’t notice this, but on Zhen Liu’s hip was a strange looking box in which one could see three different color crystals resting inside. It was from this box, that Zhen Liu pulled out a red and black jade crystal that had a symbol on it that looked like pair of wings sprouting from a helmet, carved at the top of the crystal.
Like a repeat of the transformation from earlier, Zhen Liu inserted the crystal into his belt, causing it to suddenly blare to a life with light and sound once more.
|Blazing Valkyrie!|
<<Again?!>>
Before Gao Lin could punch in Zhen Liu’s face, flames in the shape of a valkyrie armed with a spear and buckler, manifested between the two of them and repelled the former with a swipe of her flaming spear.
(Un)surprisingly, the valkyrie didn’t do any real damage as it had merely pushed Gao Lin back, causing the man to act a bit bigger than he should’ve been acting.
<<Tsk! That little flame didn’t even hurt in the slightest! Is that all you got?!,>> Gao Lin shouted as he tried to to rush in and punch Zhen Liu in the face, one more time.
In response to this painfully obvious taunt, Zhen Liu simply answered with a single word as he pulled the lever on his right.
"No."
*Click*
|Blazing Valkyrie! Install!|
The valkyrie made of flames immediately stiffened up as soon as these words were said, seconds before chains of aether and [Chaos] manifested from Zhen Liu’s [Regalia] and grabbed onto it.
The chains quickly retracted, absorbing the flaming valkyrie into the [Regalia]. This process happened in a matter of seconds, and once it was done, the MY driver made yet another announcement. 𝚗ovp𝚞b.𝚌om
|Inspired by the bravery of the hero, the Valkyrie of Flames has joined the party. Blazing Bravery, let’s go!|
<<What...what the fuck?!>>
Accompanied by this announcement, and under Gao Lin’s bewildered gaze, Zhen Liu’s armor began to transform, taking on a red and black hue as small metallic wings formed at the sides of his helmet.
Meanwhile, the originally clear jewel that was embedded on the forehead took on a dark red color, and if one were to take a close look at the gem at this time, they would see the shadowy form of a horned warrior woman.
Gao Lin didn’t even have time to question this moment before Zhen Liu made his own move.
[Magma Ram!]
Fire and Earth aether began to rapidly circulate throughout Zhen Liu’s form before forming into a ram headed shield. Once it was completed, Zhen Liu decided to rush in himself.
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=Huh. That was...impressive.=
<Right?! I knew it was a good idea to have our lord’s transformations mimic the one’s from his old world’s shows. Much more entertaining, no?>
=Yeah...also, I just realized something. You think our lord will probably come up with an alias in regards to this form?=
<I was actually thinking that, but the only thing I can think of is him calling himself would "Kaijin Raider" or something like that. Kind of afraid of that name accidentally summoning another interdimensional rodent though...>
=Fair.=
