Multiverse Cross Ex

SHAA—!

"Heh."

WRR—!

The machine's red eyes glowed as it dashed toward Mitsuya, its movements mechanical.

Closing in on him, it raised its colossal weapon and swung with brutal force. However—

BANG!

The massive weapon slammed into something—something much smaller, barely even half its size in both strength and length.

Mitsuya's sheathed sword had stopped the attack dead in its tracks.

Seconds later, from the side where Mitsuya stood, a dull explosion erupted.

BOOM!

Force Distribution.

Rather than taking the full impact, Mitsuya had redirected the force to the side, leaving himself completely unharmed.

"Is that all, tin can?"

His grin widened as he tilted his head slightly.

The machine adjusted immediately, switching tactics. This time, it swung from the side, a horizontal slash meant to cleave through him entirely.

But once again, Mitsuya stopped it, this time by casually aligning the tip of his sheathed sword against the attack, halting it in place.

BOOM!

Once more, the explosion of force sent white sand scattering in all directions.

Mitsuya had used it again—Force Distribution.

"With the chip's upgrade, I can now distribute force like this. Still far from what Cross is capable of, but still substantial."

Cross, on the other hand, didn't even need to distribute force. It could redirect it straight back at the attacker.

And that was just one of many functions Cross possessed.

Mitsuya pushed back the colossal weapon of the Blue Head. Then, tensing his muscles, he dashed forward at the unstable machine, which had briefly lost its footing.

The machine attempted to adjust, balancing its weight, but it was too late.

Kusanagi Accept was already half unsheathed from its sleek black sheath.

Electricity crackled around Mitsuya.

The machine, sensing the imminent danger, swung its heavy weapon at him once again.

The blade sliced through the sand, scattering it violently, but Mitsuya was nowhere to be found.

However, he was already behind it.

His body low in an Iai stance, his sword slowly unsheathing as lightning danced in an arc around him.

Attack Function.

Mitsuya dashed at the Blue Head from behind, unsheathing the katana and swinging it towards the Blue Head's hind legs.

Kusanagi Accept slashed through it with electricity, slicing through metal and servos alike.

Not only that, the blade had sent electricity through its systems, making the machine let out a distorted whine as it buckled, collapsing onto its knees.

However, he wasn't done. Mitsuya, who was now in front of the machine, adjusted himself.

Then, once more, he got into stance, shifting his body into a low stance, with his lead leg bent and positioned forward, while his back leg is stretched.

His right hand is holding the hilt with his left clenching his sheath.

"Thanks to Kusanagi Accept, I can now use this—"

"Kaminari no Kokyū: Ichi no kata: Hekireki Issen."

With a thunderclap and flash, Mitsuya was already in the air, behind the Blue Head, leaving a diagonal streak of blue lightning that burned through the air, trailing from his blade.

The head of the machine had been severed cleanly, leaving the head dropping onto the sand of the beach.

"I could have ended it right there when it appeared, but fighting like this really feels good~"

Mitsuya held Kusanagi Accept happily as he rubbed his cheek against the sheathed sword.

[As Navi expected, Master truly is a show-off.]

'Hey, hey, hey, who doesn't like to show off?'

Mitsuya retorted before—

'Hm? This is…!'

[Master, be careful.]

Suddenly, a Gate tore open behind him.

And from it, was a wave of fire that erupted forth from it, scorching the sand beneath it.

However, Omnidirectional attacks were useless against him.

With Navi's assistance, Mitsuya formed an air barrier, deflecting the flames before they could even reach him.

As the fire finally died down, what emerged from the Gate was a mechanical dragon. A machine.

Even taller than the ten-meter Blue Head he had just fought.

Yet even against such a monster, Mitsuya's eyes lit up with inspiration. And if one looked closer, one would see stars in his eyes.

Without hesitation, he reached into his notes and began scribbling furiously.

"Yes… how did I forget?! This exists too! A machine dragon! Navi, Navi, let's upgrade Cross! I'll start drafting its new form—we'll give it the ability to shift forms!"

[Now that is unexpected, Master. However, it is feasible through armor purge and reconstruction.]

[That said, Navi would classify this as a hypothetical project for now. Master's other projects are still pending, after all.]

"It doesn't matter. Cancel those projects now!"

Navi, slightly concerned: [Master?]

"I! Said! Navi, cancel all current projects."

[Apologies Master, that is one thing Navi cannot compromise on. We have deadlines—]

"Forget them. THIS is priority number one."

Even in front of a machine that could make even Amaterasu hesitate without their forbidden weapon, Mitsuya and Navi had already dismissed it.

Mitsuya argued they start project Dress Change for Cross while Navi reasoned they still have other projects to work one.

While Navi could simulate the combination of two compound to how it would work in real life.

The AI had always looked forward to Mitsuya's ideas to recreate and perfect them.

Of course there were still other projects that it hadn't finished, due to the Cross' limited workshop.

That was regrettable but there was no helping it. But now, its Master was being unreasonable.

ROOOAAARRR!

The mechanical dragon let out a deafening, mechanical howl—

Much to Mitsuya and Navi's irritation.

"Tsk. How annoying. Navi, summon Cross Main Cannon No. 12."

[Acknowledged.]

[Protocol "Apocalypse" has been initiated.]

«Dimension Cross» has a total of twelve main cannons, with each higher number cannon being stronger than the last.

Were they to release the first cannon, it would undoubtedly bring about a planetary apocalypse.

And since Cross operated using quantum mechanics, its charge time was significantly reduced.

But here was the real issue.

Cross's strongest blast covered a planetary range, which, by all means, was fair.

However, this also marked the limit imposed on Mitsuya and Navi.

Yet, despite that—

Mitsuya, Navi, and Cross could still grow stronger.

The limit wasn't an absolute barrier.

It was more of a safety lock, in place until Mitsuya was capable of handling the full burden of piloting Cross.

Even now, he had only ten minutes before the strain of piloting would overwhelm him.

Firing something as absurd as Main Cannon No. 1 would completely drain him.

After all, he was linked to Cross. As that is what made him capable of using his powers in the first place.

However, if it were something like the 12th cannon. Then, it is manageable.

[Power Core Synchronization… 100%]

[Orbital Trajectory Locked.]

[Warning: Excessive Firepower Detected. Collateral Damage— Inevitable. ]

[Reducing Output…]

Mitsuya clicked his tongue, pointing at the mechanical dragon with a sour expression.

"Let's erase the mood spoiler from existence."

If one had been watching from a distance, they wouldn't have seen the cannon whose firepower was being unleashed.

Wouldn't have seen a blast.

All they would have seen, was the sky itself tearing apart as if reality was unravelling itself.

Then, a pillar of pure, beautiful blue light crashing down upon the island.

From there, instead of a loud noise at first, what had reigned was a momentary silence that befell the world. Black and white inverted.

And then finally—BOOOOOOOOOOM!