NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1421: [Thunder Screamer]
[Senbazuru] + Hurricroak = [The Thunder Screamer]
An instrument with steel strings, a solid body, and decorated with motifs related to toads, bears, tigers, crabs, hornets, and foxes, this weapon is able to channel the power of thunder and lightning through the medium of sound.
Well...not just sound.
Let's just say [Senbazuru] had a bit more influence over the abilities than meets the eye.
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[Maestro, be honest with me. Did you know that this was going to happen when you fused me with your Astra.]
'Hell no. I was expecting war speakers or a microphone of doom.'
[To be fair, I think the guitar's headstock got replaced by a microphone.]
'Oh, you're right. I wonder if…'
Running off of instincts and his own positive gut feelings, Zhen Liu leaned towards the microphone before releasing a powerful yell.
Which was a positively silly idea given that Olstenna had taken that exact opportunity to close the gap between them and attempt to release a strike engulfed in flames at Zhen Liu's neck.
^Die for me!^
YEEAAAAAAHHHHH!
As Zhen Liu's voice entered the microphone, the decorative element of his guitar that represented the tiger suddenly started to glow.
ROAR!
The microphone portion of the guitar turned out to be a voice modulator, as it transformed his power screech into a power roar resembling that of a tiger's.
The concussive force of the roar was so powerful, so heavy, that Olstenna's arm was knocked away as the flames surrounding it were snuffed out in an instant.
However, that wasn't all that occurred.
As Zhen Liu carried the note, portions of the guitar's surface suddenly start to peel off like pieces of paper and began to float around Zhen Liu before colliding with another and folding into the shape of a paper-mache tiger.
ROOOOAAARRRR!
A paper-mache tiger that quickly transformed into an actual tiger.
More specifically, it was a tiger aether beast with pitch black fur, rainbow colored stripes, and deep blue eyes that were like bolts of lightning frozen in time.
This creature was known to the wider world as a [Miraculous Storm Tiger], a top tier aether beast known to bring thunder, lightning, and hope all wrapped up in one dangerous package.
Funny thing was, these things were supposed to be extinct.
ROAR!
But now, through the power of [Chaos] and music, a facsimile was brought to life.
...
'Wait a minute, I thought the tiger component that made up your body was from a different species of tiger aether beast. How the hell did this happen?'
[I have...no idea. I think it's just the randomness of Chaos kicking in again.]
'...godsdamn inconsistent writers.'
[What was that?]
'Nothing, let's get back to the fight.'
[Good call, because it looks like Olstenna is going for a bigger attack.]
...
^A literal paper tiger?! Whatever! It's going to burn either way!^
Tapping into this internal flames, Olstenna channeled not just the power of his [Purple Berserker Flames], but the black hell flames that he absorbed from the Ignarii he defeated back in the [City or Mirrors].
Fusing fires, especially aether flames, was incredibly dangerous due to such energies having a strange sense of primordial ego that caused them to violently react with one another once they got close enough.
However, warriors with strong enough wills could still force such fusions to occur and create powerful flames that could be used for a variety of purposes.
In Olstenna's case, the mixing of purple and black flames helped him to create a violent, almost uncontrollable flame that was reminiscent of the type that demons used to torture sinners.
This wasn't a formal aether that Olstenna had used to create this fused hellfire, but instead, one that he made up on the spot like how Zhen Liu did.
[Wrath of the Asura!]
A surge of purple and black flames rushed towards Zhen Liu as the shadow of a nine-armed demon with three faces formed around Olstenna.
These flames were hot enough that the floors of the arena began to glow bright, hot and get just a bit melted.
In Olstenna's head, this flame was more than enough to burn down not only that paper-mache tiger, but the guy who spawned it as well.
Hell, if he was lucky, the embers created from the burnt tiger would burn Zhen Liu in the process.
However, just because the tiger was original made of paper, didn't mean it had all the same properties as normal paper.
Come on!
Seeing the rage of flames, Zhen Liu, for reasons he wasn't entirely sure why either, began playing the guitar in his hands in a way that was like the rock stars of an era in history where big hair and bigger egos was the way of the world.
Roar!
Responding to his guitar skills, the Miraculous Storm Tiger charged towards the encroaching flames with reckless abandon. At least, that's how it appeared at first.
While the tiger was charging forward, aether and [Chaos] began to rage around it and form into a storm cloud that acted as a barrier for the beast.
If the storm proved stronger than the flames, than the clouds would suck them up and turn into a vortex of fire and lighting that would be smashed into Olstenna's face.
If the flames proved stronger than the storm clouds, than they would be burned away into nothingness, taking the Miraculous Storm Tiger with it in a glorious blaze.
However, as luck would have it, the power of both attacks were equal.
As such, when flame and storm tiger collided with another, they...cancelled each other out.
"Huh."
^What the shit?^
Evidently, both sides expected an explosion to occur at the moment of contact given their past track records in previous battles, so the fact it just fizzled out was somehow more shocking.
However, this moment of shock was a moment of opportunity. At least, for Zhen Liu and Hurricroak.
[Maestro, there's an opportunity!]
'Right!'
Noticing the clear look of confusion on Olstenna's face, Hurricroak urged Zhen Liu to use this opening to make an ending.
Noticing the scattered remnants of the paper-mache tiger floating in the air, Zhen Liu began to rapidly strum the guitar in his own messed-up rendition of "Flight of the Bumblebee".
Well, "Flight of the Hornets" would probably be more apt for this moment.
Under Zhen Liu's command, the remnants of the paper-mache tiger transformed into paper hornets that began to swarm and sting Olstenna in a berserk manner.
In normal circumstances, this trick wouldn't have bothered Olstenna in the slightest as he could just flare up and burn the annoying insects in an instant.
However, because Zhen Liu had sent in the swarm in the exact moment after they were both surprised by the lack of explosion, Olstenna had defaulted to flailing about like a regular mortal.
This didn't last for long, though.
^Stupid insects, burn!^
Angered and annoyed by the swarming attack, Olstenna managed to get his wits back long enough to think of building up his flames and releasing a burning aura that scared off the hornets.
Unfortunately, this trick only worked on the hornets.
[Thunder Hammer: Undead Remix!]
^What?!^
In the time it took for Olstenna to fend off the hornets, Zhen Liu had rushed in while drawing forth his [Hammer of the Dearly Departed].
His initial plan was to switch out the [Thunder Screamer] for the aforementioned hammer.
However, part way through the run, he discovered that since the outer layer of the [Thunder Screamer] was made from his [Senbazuru], he could manipulate it into the form of a stringed hammer, like something out of an videogame.
Deciding that two hammers hit harder better than one, Zhen Liu channeled enough aether and [Chaos] to cause the hammers to create an electomagnetic field around them that defied normal physics.
Evidently, this decisions paid off rather nicely.
Olstenna had managed to bring up his guard fast enough to block one of the hammers, preventing it from impacting his skull.
^Ha!^
Unfortunately, he didn't plan for Zhen Liu's second hammer to hit the first one and send it crashing through his guard, into the top of his head, and electrocuting him at the exact same time.
Needless to say, the sudden electrical shock combined with the high impact kinetic shock was enough to completely stun the Ignarii warrior.
'Alright, direct hit! Now let's...hold up.'
Correction, knock his ass out cold.
Soon after Zhen Liu had delivered the blow, Olstenna's [Regalia] had already begun to disappear.
To his credit, Olstenna was still standing after taking the blow to his head.
'Huh...'
...Meanwhile...
In the outer parts of the arena, the Zhen Clan scions, Antonio, Maggie, Lythero, Lyona, and Taurna were standing and watching to see exactly how this duel between Zhen Liu and Olstenna was going to go.
They had all bet on the former winning, they were just curious as to how he was going to do so.
Needless to say, they weren't disappointed.
^Damn, that was...fast.^
^Viciously so.^