Kaijin Fighter: So I Have to Make Monsters, So What?-Chapter 1340: The Time is Now

Day 81 - Under side

[Are you ready to meet these bastards head-on, Lyona?]

’No. But you also taught me that being a hundred percent prepared meant being unprepared for the unexpected,’ Lyona retorted.

[There has to be a better way to say that...]

’Overprepping can be as bad as underprepping?

[Maybe.]

’Also, are you sure the others are ready to go?’

[More than ready.]

...

"So...we have finally all gathered here?"

"Can’t believe we’re trying this again."

"It’s been years since we last attempted something like this..."

"But this time, we actually have a fighting chance."

"We thought that last time...but this time feels...different."

Over the span of months, weeks, and days, Lyona and her allies had been busy with performing diplomatic duties with the dozen or so factions that existed amongst the slaves of the mines.

Despite all of them suffering under the oppressive boot heel of the kaijin, the nature of mortals to form tribes is something so primal that it will occur even if they all shared a common goal and a shared source of pain.

Regardless, Lyona and her allies were able to convince these stubborn bastards to finally meet.

In a cavern hidden from the kaijin, a dozen or so Aether Grandmasters, and a handful of Aether Lords, gathered for a discussion.

The former were elites or hegemons of their old factions in small regions, but were reduced to becoming leaders of small units here in this mine for the lost.

However, they were still mere children in the eyes of the latter.

The four or so Aether Lords present were once elders or leaders of their own factions, but had been sent here due to falling to one political machination or another.

That said, this wasn’t the first time that most of them had met like this.

Years ago, the mine was less factionalized, which allowed the rise of a more united rebellion in the face of the Kaijin Lord.

These rebels were led by a trio of brothers who reminded them what freedom looked like, what the sky looked like, and that glory and honor was once theirs.

But alas, they were overwhelmed in the end, and those three brothers were the first to be thrown to the bottom of the ever growing corpse pit.

Many of their followers, that ones that could fight anyways, were then thrown into the prison cave, never to see sunlight again, trapped in eternal nightmares that seemed to stretch on for centuries.

As for the survivors, the ones that were left behind, tribalism took over.

They blamed each other, themselves, and the foolish brothers who instilled them with the hope to rebel in the first place.

But time has a way of making wounds heal and scars fade.

Especially when some of the major players this time around were newcomers that weren’t present for the first rebellion and had only learned of it through hearsay.

That, and it probably helped that this time around, the unifying forces for these factions was none other than a heroic warrior woman who somehow took down multiple kaijin, and also secured the assistance of two warriors who could perform the same feat.

There was even a rumor amongst the slaves that she had the ability to bestow this ability onto others, but there was no way of knowing that without being a part of her inner circle...or making her come to heel.

"Where is she?"

"I don’t know...but are you certain you can convince her?"

"Positive. I’ll make her fall in love with me and more than willing to hand over the reigns of this rebellion to me."

"Tsk! What a roundabout approach. It’s better to just make it obvious through force on who is meant to lead."

Despite agreeing to meet, the Aether Lords in particular had done so under false pretenses.

They hadn’t come to merely voice support or swear fealty to her cause. No, they had come for the purpose of usurping her position.

Lyona’s presence and abilities may have spooked the kaijin something fierce, but the Aether Lords present could sense that they were objectively stronger.

Even though she was an Aether Master, a Bloodliner, and an Anima Wielder, that wasn’t enough to match an Aether Lord. At most, it allowed her to match an Aether Grandmaster at the first ring.

Therefore, once Lyona had finished making her case, they would swoop in and convince the others that they should follow their lead instead.

After all, they had all the—

"What is this unbearably heavy aura pressing down in us?’

"I don’t...wait...it’s her!"

"But who the hell are they?"

Once all the other factional leaders had more or less settled in, Lyona finally made herself known in a rather ostentatious manner.

Or at least, her accompanying entourage was being ostentatious as hell.

"Apologies for my tardiness," Lyona stated with the assured confidence of a queen. "I was busy making sure my lieutenants were prepared to meet with the public."

’Her lieutenants?!’*4

Accompanying Lyona was a strange group of warriors that they had never seen before now, but that was an unimportant detail.

The important detail was that these warriors, that totaled four in total as well, were also Aether Lords. Not only that, but the four factional leaders could sense that these ones were even stronger than themselves.

Needless to say, their presence made the four guest Aether Lords significantly more...sheepish.

"Now then, I believe you have all gathered here at my invitation because you also want freedom from these accursed monsters?"

...

[Haha! Look at their faces,] Razorstella mentally laughed. [They look ready to bail.]

[To be fair, we do make a terrifying quartet,] Springerdermain concurred.

[I don’t think the producer will appreciate us playing human here of all places, though,] Screamira complained. [Speaking of, Blazejudicator, is he doing okay?]

[Well...he’s been better.]

...

Day 86: Top Side

’Once again, another one of Dante’s Kaijin is standing guard. Great...’

A little over a week ago, Zhen Liu had witnessed firsthand as Dante and his horde of kaijin eradicated the mutant zakos, razed the weird pools of tar they originated from, and claim this weird crystal that seemed to be the reason for their creation.

Or rather, it was a crystallization of their power.

Zhen Liu could sense that it was the zako marbles he had initially planted to serve as his distractions, but that they had somehow absorbed the cursed power of this land and condense together into a singular crystal mass that was just a horrific mix of [Chaos] and cursed aether.

At a glance, Zhen Liu could tell that attempting to absorb this crystal would end incredibly badly for himself.

Unfortunately, Dante didn’t seem to have that same survival instinct.

Once he got his hands on this freaky ass crystal, Dante immediately went about absorbing the contents of this evil feeling crystal...and ended up getting sealed inside it.

Now, this moment would’ve been the absolute best moment for Zhen Liu to "accidentally" jam his hammer into Dante’s skull while under the guise of trying to break him free, but alas, Zhen Liu underestimated the loyalty these kajin had for their leader.

The moment he was sealed up, the Demon Knights moved to not only secure Dante, but also make sure that there were kaijin guarding him at all times.

Every day for the past week, whether it was rain or shine, there would be a kaijin guarding Dante at all times.

’Godsdamnit. Looks like I’m going to have to face this bastard at whatever new peak he’s about to reach,’ Zhen Liu eventually concluded after seeing that Dante was still being closely guarded by his kaijin.

’Then again, maybe I’ll get lucky and he’ll come out weaker than when he entered.’

Spoiler alert: Dante was going to be stronger.

...

Day 89: Final Event

Two weeks had passed since their Lord had been sealed in a cursed crystal.

Two weeks had passed since they had last felt his presence, his power in their lives.

Many of the kaijin at this time were starting to panick over the idea of no longer having a lord to swear fealty to.

But an even greater amount couldn’t help but find this moment to be...oddly exciting.

Dante’s kaijin were used to tearing each other apart to absorb each other’s powers.

And now they couldn’t help but wonder, "could they absorb their master’s power?"

Alas, this passing thought would remain just that.

The changes were subtle at first, cracks along the crystal prison followed by a sudden snapping sound in the air. Nothing to alarm anybody quite yet.

But then, the kaijin began to notice a surge in [Chaos] around them, a turbulent feeling that made them giddy and anxious all at once.

And then, it happened.

A burst of light, a burst of power, unlike anything they had ever seen before.

The birth of...a new lord...

...

Day 90: Zhen Liu and Dante return to the [Mines of Malevolence].

|It’s time.|