NOVEL WEB Chapter 127 - Rider System
“Cough, cough… suddenly remembered something… This should be my second time replicating a ‘Rider transformation,’ huh…”
“Well then… let’s see.”
“How close is my recreation?”
Muttering these cryptic words to himself, Ouja lifted his head slightly, his gaze falling upon the screen bathed in moonlight. The reflection staring back at him bore a striking resemblance to the rider from his memories—Blood Stalk. Seeing the familiar visage, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
Then, placing his right hand over his chest armor, he gave it a slight shake, coughed a few times as if clearing his throat, and—
With his voice altered, now carrying a low, static-laced distortion, he finally spoke:
“Well then… Grey Shadow, did you anticipate this turn of events?”
“Now… tell me.”
A mocking smirk crept into his tone.
“Do you still think you can defeat me?”
“…Don’t talk to me like you’ve already won!”
Though Ouja’s transformation had caught him off guard, Grey Shadow could still sense that the power increase wasn’t overwhelming. With a cold scoff, he raised his left hand, unleashing a bolt of green lightning at Ouja’s position.
Boom!
As the crackling energy exploded, Grey Shadow lunged forward, sword in hand. His database-driven calculations had already predicted the necessary trajectory for his attack.
“No matter what form you take, it won’t change a thing!”
“I’ve already analyzed your combat data—your chances of victory are nonexistent!”
“No matter how strong you become, my speed, my power… will always be above yours!”
“Oh~? That line sounds familiar.”
Effortlessly evading Grey Shadow’s “ferocious” assault, Ouja responded with a teasing tone.
“But talk like that… Without ‘infinite’ power to back it up, I’d advise against being too arrogant.”
“Otherwise…”
Smiling, he waited until the very moment Grey Shadow’s sword was about to strike him—
Two massive azure serpents burst forth from his chest armor, lunging at the attacking Grey Shadow!
“?! How can the ‘serpents’ activate now?! Without that sword, it shouldn’t be possible—”
Seeing the gaping maws of the serpents lunging at him, Grey Shadow clicked his tongue and swiftly aborted his strike. With a powerful leap, he attempted to escape their bite.
However, the serpents adjusted their trajectory immediately, whipping around to chase after him in midair.
With no stable footing in the air, dodging would be nearly impossible.
But—
Grey Shadow had studied Ouja’s combat style before. Though only from fragmented battle footage, it had been enough for him to formulate a counter-strategy.
So, just as the azure serpents were about to sink their fangs into him—
The concealed “propulsion engines” on his body abruptly deployed, erupting with a sudden burst of thrust! He shot forward—straight toward Ouja.
Ouja, as if momentarily stunned by this sudden change in movement, froze in place.
Certain of his imminent victory, Grey Shadow sneered and discarded his sword, opting instead to rely on his fists to bring Ouja down.
After all, his calculations suggested that sharp weapons might no longer be effective against him.
Then brute force would do the job.
“That’s why I told you—!”
Boom!
A heavy punch crashed into Ouja’s chest plate, sparks erupting from the impact. His body reeled backward, collapsing onto the ground.
This time, Grey Shadow didn’t hesitate.
Immediately pinning Ouja down, he rained down punch after punch, striking his chest, his face, over and over.
“No matter what form you take—!”
His strikes grew fiercer, his voice rising in anger.
“My strength will always be above yours!”
“……”
Taking blow after blow, Ouja remained silent.
As if… he had been completely defeated. As if he had finally yielded.
But in reality—
“…Huh. My endurance isn’t as good as I expected…”
“…Or maybe my current power just isn’t enough to make a real difference.”
Muttering to himself, Ouja let out a small sigh.
Then, suddenly, his left hand shot up, forcefully shoving Grey Shadow backward, disrupting his assault.
In the next instant—while still lying on the ground—Ouja extended his right hand, and a cord shot out from his wrist, snaking toward the fallen gun lying in the distance.
In a fluid motion, the cord coiled around the weapon and yanked it back into his grasp.
But before he could fully recover—
Grey Shadow charged again.
However—
This time, his attack—
Had lost all effectiveness.
Because, the moment he closed the distance—
BOOM!
“—Argh?!”
A bizarre white mist erupted from the barrel of Ouja’s gun, engulfing Grey Shadow at point-blank range.
There was no avoiding it.
The force sent him flying, slamming him violently into the ground.
And worse—this attack was unlike anything before.
Grey Shadow could feel it.
His internal data—his system calculations—had been shattered instantly.
His body’s core functions, his modular components—all severely damaged.
With just one shot.
The first true strike after Ouja’s transformation.
And he was already defeated.
The entire battle had lasted—
Sixteen seconds.
“…Tsk. That was a bit disappointing, Grey Shadow.”
Ouja sat up leisurely, sighing as if he had expected more. Dusting off his chest armor, he rose to his feet and casually walked toward his fallen opponent.
Then, looking down at Grey Shadow—now in an even more pitiful state than before—he smirked.
“Well? Have you calmed down now, Grey Shadow?”
“Are you finally willing… to listen to my friendly proposal?”
“……”
For a long moment, Grey Shadow’s broken, distorted electronic voice crackled in response.
“…You… bastard…”
“What the hell… is that power…?”
Hearing the question, Ouja twirled the vial he had just removed from his gun’s chamber.
Then, shaking it lightly before Grey Shadow’s eyes, he answered:
“Rider System.”