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

"Wait, I think I overheard the terms of this fight earlier," Zhen Xing muttered as he looked towards the victorious Zhen Liu and unconscious Olstenna. "I think he recruited yet another warrior to the Zhen Clan's roster."

"Huh," Zhen Tai grunted in mild surprise. "You know, we joked that every time Zhen Liu went somewhere, he'd come back with a new lover, but I think it's just new people in general."

"From social recluse to unexpected social butterfly. It's like he's making up for lost time," Zhen Xing suggested.

"Seems like it, yeah..."

"..."

"Wait, I just realized something. Are we allowed to head back home like this?"

"I don't know."

...Meanwhile in the same area...

Unrepentantly thirsty sigh that only carnivorous Bloodliners could produce.

^Why was that so ridiculous yet attractive?!^ Lyona groaned while leaning over the railing to get a closer look at the victorious Zhen Liu and Hurricroak combination.

^Also, I didn't know he could make music. Did you guys know that he had musical talent like that?^

^Nope,^ Antonio answered first.

^Sorta?^ Lythero answered next. ^When I was traveling with him, we came across a music-based aether art, and he spent a weirdly long time studying it. In his words, "I'm weak against this stuff, so I might as well see if I can learn to overcome it," or something like that.^

^I still don't really see it,^ Taurna commented. ^I mean, that was a really fun way to end the fight. He's just...to skinny for my tastes.^

^More for me then,^ Lyona replied without missing a beat and imagining what Zhen Liu would look like pinned to the floor...and shirtless.

^I...want to judge you for your forwardness, but I don't think I'm allowed to do so anymore,^ Maggie commented as she saw the thirst in Lyona's eyes. ^Wait, if we want to go back home, do we have to have Zhen Liu with us?^

^Probably.^

...Now back to the arena floor...

From the perspective of the viewers in the stands, Zhen Liu had more or less dominated Olstenna in this fight.

That wasn't to say Olstenna didn't put up a hell of a fight in turn; it just wasn't enough in comparison.

If Olstenna had fought Zhen Liu before he had broken through to Aether Lord, this battle could've gone differently.

Hell, if Olstenna had somehow mastered Dragon Force, the power of [Chaos], or perfected his makeshift musical arts ahead of time, he could've easily won this fight and become the new Kaijin Lord.

But alas, timing and opportunity didn't align for him, and now Olstenna was set to follow a different path.

"Hmmm. We should probably wake him up."

[Okay, but how?]

One where he would now be one of Zhen Liu's blades.

At this point in time, Zhen Liu and Hurricroak had separated back to being separate entities and were trying to figure out a way to restore Olstenna's consciousness.

Zhen Liu had wanted to just get a thing of smelling salts but stopped when he realized that smelling salts weren't exactly a thing in this world.

Well, not unless the alchemists had their own version of smelling salts that was probably made from freeze-dried bile extracted from monster bears.

'Huh...I wonder how poachers from my old world would fare in a place like this?' Zhen Liu mused for a moment before finally realizing what to do.

Thankfully, it was just in time too, because Hurricroak was about to try and use the defibrillator tactic on a guy who literally didn't have a heart.

"I don't think introducing lightning to an elemental soul crystal will have the effect you think it will have," Zhen Liu said while stopping Hurricroak from turning Olstenna into a circuit.

^Fine. What do we need to do then?^

"Wait a few moments for—^

[You called for me, Executor?]

"Huzzah."

Blazejudicator had flown in at Zhen Liu's request, landing right next to the young lord.

Usually, Blazejudicator would be residing next to Zhen Liu's soul, but he had decided to try and make use of his room since he didn't have the option to do so for a little over three months.

Of course, he was more than happy to drop whatever activity he was doing if it meant assisting his creator in...whatever the hell he was doing.

[I see you have defeated Olstenna. Did you want me to absorb his power?]

"No, no. Nothing like that," Zhen Liu immediately answered before his kaijin committed possible cannibalism. ^I need you to use your [Flames of Virtue], wait maybe [Flame of Wrath], to get his brain back up and running. Think you can do that?"

[No problem.]

At Zhen Liu's command, Blazejudicator manifested a set of colorful balls of flame that radiated a nurturing aura that could technically heal in a pinch. Granted, Zhen Liu and company tended to use these types of flames to fuck with the mental state of their opponents.

The colorful flames were just about to perform their healing duties, when Zhen Liu interrupted Blazejudicator when he realized something important.

[Alright, let's—]

"Wait a minute," Zhen Liu interjected. "We should probably bring Olstenna to the medical wing of the library before we revive him."

[Uh...okay. Why?]

"Non-zero chance he will immediately demand a rematch once he realizes he has been revived while he was left standing in the battle arena."

[Ah.]

Snapping his fingers, Zhen Liu summoned several zakos to pick up Olstenna and carry the unconscious Ignarii to the medical wing under Blazejudicator's directions.

Once the group was gone, Zhen Liu released a massive sigh of relief as he temporarily sat upon the ground in order to relax and gather his thoughts.

"Oh thank gods, I finally managed to get rid of one of those hanging tasks over my head," Zhen Liu said aloud as if to finalize the realization in reality. "Now I just need to build bodies for those god remnants, help Lythero get his revenge, look into some past enemies of mine, and determine if any of the latter have started collaborating with one another...which would be a problem for me, but one thing at a time. Wait, is there something else I'm forgetting?"

[I think you should probably informed your friends, families and lovers that you're alive and well?] Hurricroak suggested. [I mean, I know Bellona and Alicia probably informed the others via some form of snail mail, but I imagine that the rest of of your social circle would like to hear it directly from you.]

"That's...fair," Zhen Liu agreed, making a mental note to actually appear in person as opposed to simply using the kaijin to convey that he had managed to restore his connection to the library and everything related to it." Before that, though, I might as well make those new bodies before I forget to do that...wait...we did remember to bring all of the cursed metal with us, right?"

[I don't know, I wasn't there.]

"Right...alright, need to check for myself," Zhen. Liu concluded as he got to his feet. "Wait, should I see if the others want to come along?"

[Might as well ask them.]

...One brief conversation and walk out of the arena and to the forge area later...

"Oh good, we did bring all the metal with us," Zhen Liu noted as saw the giant pile of gold, silver, copper, and lead that were all radiating evil aura. "I feel like I got enough here to curse the entire East Indian Trading company."

^HOW BIG IS THIS FUCKING LIBRARY?!^ Antonio yelled in alarm as he took in the size of the forge area.

The forge in question consisted of a furnace that was vaguely shaped like a yawning dragon, a pillar-like anvil covered in weird runes, and a series of tools that were so esoteric and strange that they were basically alien to all...save Zhen Liu.

He recognized a whole bunch of them were modified power tools from his old world.

"Alright, who has the little Tezcatlipocas?"

^Right here,^ Lythero answered while pulling out a small baggie and pouring out of its contents.

While Zhen Liu and company were taking their time dealing with the bullshit that was the [Mines of Malevolence], the three tezcatlipocas that tagged along had decided to take that opportunity to hibernate so that they could maintain their energy levels until it was time for them to get their brand new bodies.

Zhen Liu was partially expecting the trio to suddenly pop back into activity the moment they were brought into the library. Evidently, that wasn't the case.

The little figures remained inert in Zhen Liu's hand, even when they were brought close to the piles and piles of cursed metals.

'Wait...these guys didn't die while waiting around, right?' Zhen Liu mused as he swept his senses over the figures.

A quick sweep of [Chaos] confirmed the godly fragments were still alive and present, but they're more or less still in hibernation.

'Logos, Pathos. Is this normal?'

<For the gods to be sleepy fucks? Usually, yes.>

=Technically, yes. But they should wake up once you finish making their bodies.=

'Alright then...'