Kaijin Fighter: So I Have to Make Monsters, So What?

'So my Taboo...is a shroud? Really?'

<Well, I think it's actually a cape, but this might be a tomato/tomat situation. Er, potato, tomato situation?>

= Either way, yes. Your abilities and subconsciousness figured that the best way for you to manifest a Taboo, a way to challenge the rules of this world, was for it take the form of a storytelling tapestry/shroud. No idea why, to be honest. Previous Lords who got to your level usually chose a weapon of some kind. =

'Hmmm, I think I have an idea as to why,' Zhen Liu replied while conveying the long history of how humans in his old world were incredibly and easily influenced by popular culture. 'A good story can change the world, after all.'

<Agreed.>

=Regardless, I think your shroud actually does get stronger the more stories you are able to re-enact,= Logos noted. =Do you need us to give you a primer of fairytale and folktales?=

<Oooh, that sounds fun!>

'No need,' Zhen Liu refuted. 'I know plenty of stories of my own for the time being. Save it for when we get back and...wait a minute...if my Taboo is a shroud, than what does my Astra look like?'

<...>

=...=

'What's with the silence?'

<= Ah...yeah, going to be honest, your Astra is…confusing. Even to us.=>

'How?'

…Back to the fighting…

There's a certain level of shame that comes with having an attack thrown back into one's face.

If the exact same attack is thrown back into someone's face, with the same power and methodology, it's a little embarrassing for the attacker but not by much.

It was a sign, to both parties, that one warrior couldn't come up with any way to improve a technique and that the aggressor had essentially made the best possible choices when it came to mastering and performing the technique.

However, if an improved version of someone's attack was thrown back into their face, that would be downright humiliating.

If one's attack was improved in a literal instant, that meant that the mastered technique of another could always be improved, but that the originator of it was too dumb to not notice this was possible.

Alternatively, the aggressor was blinded by having the creator's bias, either one, really.

Regardless, when Zhen Liu literally fired the attacks back at Obsidious, Delictum, and Slavina, the former were absolutely humiliated. Especially when these attacks did something that hadn't happened up until this moment.

[Bah!]

[That stings!]

[You little shit!]

Three out of five [Demon Knights] had been injured by their own attacks.

All of the battling up until now had essentially exhausted the reserves of the [Demon Knights], making it so that any defenses they could throw up would eat up precious energy that would be better spent on killing their enemies.

In sharp contrast, the Gallop Brothers were freshly minted and had full tanks of aether and [Chaos] ready to go. In other words, this shit was about to turn into a long-awaited one-sided beatdown.

'You three, choose your opponents and isolate them.' Zhen Liu instructed the Gallop brothers, 'keep them away from the slaves, got it?'

[Of course, chief,] Rail Horn nodded.

[Wouldn't have it any other way,] Pegasoar revved in agreement.

[Thank you for this opportunity, war chief,'] Depth Strider whinnied with joy. [We'll be sure to be back with new trophies for the horde.]

'Excellent… go now!'

[SHI DE, WAR CHIEF!] *3.

With the metaphorical gun fired, the Gallop Brothers charged at their targets with the ludicrous speed of a magic demon horse…which was the equivalent of a bullet train.

It should be noted that the targets of these crazy horses were…deeply personal to them.

In other words, this was a revenge match.

On equal footing this time.

[Oi there, root witch! Remember me?!]

[BAH!]

Pegasoar was the first of the brothers to single out their opponent, charging and shoulder-checking Slavina specifically.

Once the plant kaijin was tackled, Pegasoar made sure to drag the bitch into one of the previously caved-in resident caves… and breaking the entrance open with her nonexistent spine.

[Hey, fatcakes! Have a taste of my unstoppable stomp barrage!]

[GRK!]

Rail Horn didn't fly up normally like his brothers. Instead, because he wanted a little oomph to his kick, he manifested literal rails beneath his feet and rode them in such a manner that he could launch himself off of them and into Gumba's face feet first.

Once he had landed foot upon the flabby fish's face, he rapidly followed them up with multiple stomps to the face, each blow heavier and faster than the previous strike.

[You're mine bird brain. And I was just reminded how much I freaking hated you,] DepthStrider snorted as he closed the distance with Delictum. [Chief, mind if I borrow some zakos?]

'Huh? Sure?' Zhen Liu agreed before tossing over a pair of copper zako marbles.

[Much obliged.]

In a surprising display of abilities that Zhen Liu didn't expect to see from one of his kaijin, Depth Strider had caught the zako marbles in his hands and transformed them into a spear of wicked spears that he swung wildly in an attempt to tear Delictum's wings and arms.

Unfortunately, the owl-like kaijin was fast enough to block with a pair of blade-like feathers and push back against the spears that were inches away from piercing his throat through.

Granted, that little fact didn't stop Depth Strider from talking mad trash in Delictum's direction.

[Huh, well isn't that interesting,] Depth Strider began. [Looks like my little zako weapons are as strong as, if not stronger than, this knock-off Taboo of yours. Honestly, it's adorable. ]

[I'm going to pluck your eyes out and eat them!] Delictum shrieked in response.

[Is that a promise?!]

'Alright, my turn.'

With most of the enemy elite warriors now occupied, Zhen Liu could finally bring his attention towards the remaining ones and Dante.

Of course, he needed to change up the field a bit.

"I'm about to send you bastards flying back to your master so my boys and I can kick all of your asses at once," Zhen Liu stated as he directed his gaze towards Oizys and Obsidious. "However, I am giving you guys a chance to not get your teeth kicked in and let you fly back willingly. Unless of course—"

[Fucking die, faker!] Obsidious roared.

[I'll rip your fucking head off!] Oizys gurgled, his cool being lost because of the back-to-back failures and having not killed anything or anyone in the past five seconds.

The two vicious kaijin attempted to attack Zhen Liu in a pincher formation, their respective weapons drawn and poised to rip the wild warrior's throat out in a single move.

"Alright, hard way it is.'

Rat King to his left, while a monster made of tar was coming from his right, and Zhen Liu and was...oddly happy at ther attempt.

Because he now had a good excuse to test out his [Astra] on living targets.

'Alright, time to swap out!'

With a touch of unnecessarily dramatic flair, Zhen Liu dismissed his [Taboo] in order to manifest his [Astra].

That dramatic flair came in the form of Zhen Liu tossing his cape into the air and having it dissolve into star-like fragments of [Chaos] before manifesting what Zhen Liu and his opponents recognized as being...a long flowing scarf.

To be more precise, it was strange path work scarf made of a thousand tiny squares all stitched together.

[What the fuck? Another piece of clothing?] Obsidious observed with confusion.

[HAH! That ain't going to block our attacks,you little shit!] Oizys laughed.

Zhen Liu, however, wasn't listening to these words. Instead, he was more focused on what his new [Astra] was capable of doing.

"Interesting...I think I know what to do!"

Running in pure gut feelings, Zhen Liu tore off four pieces of cloth from his scarf at the same time, maintaing perfect little squares that were the right dimensions to make origami with.

Once he had the lives in hand, Zhen Liu infused the squares with [Chaos] before tossing two to the left towards and the other two to the right towards Oizys.

[Senbazuru: Bolo Cranes!]

Under Zhen Liu's command, the pieces of cloth folded themselves into the shape of paper cranes before zooming to were Oizys and Obsidious.

As the cranes flew forward, a tether of [Chaos] suddenly manifested and connected the paper cranes together in flight.

[GRK!]

[Gak!]

Needless to say, neither Obsidious nor Oizys appreciated getting their necks clothes lined in such a vicious manner.

...

Astra name: Senbazuru

Affinity:???

Description:

A strange scarf [Astra] that appears to be composed of a thousand patches of cloth, each with a unique pattern and texture to them. Despite its discordant nature, the scarf still looked oddly uniform.

Under it's users command, the thousand patches can come off front he scarf and refold themselves into a variety of origami shapes to serve as extensions of the user's abilities.

Not only that, but the patches contain... other surprises... depending on the pattern.

It should be noted that some patterns synergize with each other.