Kaijin Fighter: So I Have to Make Monsters, So What?-Chapter 1227: Blue Mirror’s Battle (1)

[Well, well, well! It appears that silly little lizard is attempting to use this robust flower as a means to determine my secrets and dangers...how cute.]

[But now I wonder, should I play into their expectations or not? Decisions, decisions...]

...Now to more important events...

[I am the Blue Mirror of War. Entertain me and be rewarded, or be destroyed for ruining my slumber,] the strange giant skeleton hissed to the two rival groups of warriors.

As warriors of some skill and repute, both sides implicitly understood what the Blue Mirror of War wanted as entertainment. They just needed one clarifying detail.

"Is this a team effort or an individual duel?"

[Hmmm. Individual challenge,] the Blue Mirror of War eventually answered. [I can tell from a glance that none of you are explicitly used to working together and would simply get in each other’s way. And I’d rather see you fight at your best than see if you can get lucky. With that in mind...]

The skeleton’s eyes suddenly began to glow as he trailed off his statement, causing the eyes of the glass warriors to glow as well.

Under his command, the glass warriors readjusted their circular formation to create two indents off to the sides near each group of warriors. In other words, he made them designated team pits.

[Now then, I think we shall start with the weakest warriors from each side. The rest of you, please, enter your designated dug-outs.]

"Weakest?"

Byoom!

"Okay, that’s not wrong, but it still hurts.’

As soon as the question was posed, the circle of surrounding Antonio grew a little brighter than the other two. At the same time, the circle around one of the Silver-tongue mercenaries began to glow as well.

’Wait a minute, isn’t that a Buddhist?,’ Antonio thought to himself as he saw that his opponent had a shaved head and an outfit that vaguely resembled the monk robes he had seen before. Although, the robes appeared to be a deep indigo color and made of materials that were much more luxurious than what a monk should’ve been able to afford.

[Now, will the chosen warriors please move to the center of the ring?]

Following the skeleton’s instruction, Antonio and his opponent moved to the center of the makeshift arena. At the same time, their respective allies moved into their respective rest areas.

Once the combatants were alone with each other, the Blue Mirror of War gave his next instruction.

[Warriors, present yourselves.]

"I am Barina of the Luxurious Horns Monastery," the monk greeted with a bow. "I look forward to our dance of death."

"I am Antonio, formerly of the Cortez Trading Company, now I’m a freelancer."

"Formerly?," the monk repeated.

"Yeah, let’s just say I had a change of heart," Antonio answered. "Also, the Luxurious Horns Monastery...Abbot Longhorn?"

"Indeed."

"Mmm."

After this short exchange the Blue Mirror of War spoke once more.

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[Now, you will have until these three flames burn out,] the giant skeleton instructed as he manifested three melon-sized balls of fire above their heads. [To determine a winner.]

At this statement, both sides began to circulate aether...

[There will be no quarter, there will be no surrender.]

...then enter fighting stances...

[This battle will be to the death, or until the flames burn out.]

...and began to plan out their move in case things didn’t pan out how they wanted.

[Now...begin!]

[Prayer Wheel Strike!]

[Savage Claw!]

The moment the signal was given, both Barina and Antonio were on each other like dogs fighting over a carcass.

Barina’s attack came in the form of a huge prayer wheel that he condensed out of the surrounding aether before bringing it down on Antonio’s head.

On the flip side, Antonio had condensed his aether into the form of an armored claw that he swung upwards in order to counter the aformentioned wheel.

From an outside perspective, this was a foolish action due to [Prayer Wheel Strike] being considered a minor Ethereal class aether art, while [Savage Claw] was an intermediate Corporeal class aether art.

Bang!

Skrrrr...

"Oh?"

Which is why it came as a massive surprise to the monk that his attack got intercepted.

"Color me impressed, it’s not often I meet an opponent able to confront one of the core aether arts of the monastery so fearlessly and withstand it."

"Yeah,well, let’s just say that I’m putting in more effort than usual," Antonio retorted.

"Because you’re in a life or death situation?," Barina asked.

"Because I got some things to do that requires me being alive."

After answering this question, Antonio took a deep breath....

[Tiger’s Bellow!]

ROAR!

...and released a massive roar that turned into a sound-based shockwave.

The shockwave caused the glass soldiers surrounding the dueling duo to vibrate for a bit, but the more important bit was that Barina was knocked away after getting impacted by the roar, and even dispelled the prayer wheel he had created for his attack.

"So you do have some tricks up your sleeves! Well done!"

"Yeah, and I’m not done yet. [Jaguar Pouncing Steps!]"

Now that he had room to breathe, Antonio used this opportunity to use one of his bigger moves, the only major Ethereal aether art in his arsenal: [Jaguar Pouncing Steps].

This aether art coated Antonio in a pseudo-Regalia that had all the visual motifs of a wild jaguar, and gave him a quantitative boost to his aether output for the next thirty seconds or so. Hypothetically speaking, this art should’ve allowed him to empower his attacks for way longer, even pass the artificial time constraint burning over his head, but he didn’t have the aether cultivation necessary to maintain it for long.

"I gotta end this fast!"

Now empowered, Antonio rushed towards Barina and began to release a flurry of blows, with each blow carrying enough force to puncture an iron shield with great ease.

Any one of these blows would be enough to gravely injure the monk before him.

Unfortunately, none of these attacks managed to land.

The moment Antonio went on the attack, Barina activated yet another core aether art of his monastery.

[Buddha Weathers the Storm].

Like a falling leaf dancing in the wind, Barina avoided the incoming blows with the greatest of ease.

Every time Antonio’s fist got close enough to make contact with Barina, the monk would move and sway in ways that looked unnatural to both Antonio and outside observers, but felt as natural as breathing.

Making this moment even more annoying, Antonio couldn’t even land a blow on the monk’s robes.

"Gods...dammit!"

Eventually though, Antonio ran out of steam as his aether art naturally came to an end and Barina was still unharmed.

Antonio was left standing and panting after failing to land a single blow against this annoying monk.

He would attempt to dodge or block if Barina attacked him, but for all intents and purposes, he was now a sitting duck.

"That attack of yours was your most powerful move, yes?," Barina asked with a disarmingly kind tone. "If so, I must say, I’m impressed once more. It must’ve been difficult to master given your background."

"Th-wait, background?"

"In another life, you would’ve made a good Buddhist. Perhaps you’ll be that in the next," Barina said while circulating an absurd amount of aether into one of his fingers. "As a send-off, I’ll use my own signature strike."

"Shit!"

Antonio attempted to run away, block, anything to prevent the shadow of death that began to loom over him.

But alas, he wasn’t fast enough.

Barina closed the gap in an instant and struck forward with a single finger aimed at Antonio’s chest.

As the finger flew forward, Antonio could make out the shadowy outline of a divine bull, with its horns aimed squarely at his ribcage.

[Enlightened Bull’s Horn Finger.]

"GUH!"

The next thing Antonio knew, he felt as if he was just gored by that aformentioned bull and sent crashing into the glass warriors.

The glass warriors didn’t bend, break or buckle though to the sudden impact.

Instead, Antonio himself simply bounced off of them and rolled onto the floor, his chest now sporting a rather noticeable open wound.

Not only that, but it looked as if he had stopped breathing as well.

"It is done," Barina declared as he turned away from the man he had just killed. "I’ll be sure to include you in my evening prayers, praying that you’ll be able to achieve a more peaceful reincarna-"

[You’re not done yet.]

"Pardon?" Barina stopped once he heard Blue Mirror of War speak. "Do you not see that my opponent is currently on the floor with his torso ripped open? He’s as good as dead.]

[I do see that,] the giant skeleton spoke as he gestured to the fact that there were still one and a half balls of fire in the air in front of him. [But I said that this battle was either to the death or until these flames burn out. And right now, he ain’t dead.]

"Huh?"

In that exact moment, a strange new aura suddenly surged from Antonio’s body.

One that caused Barina’s non-existent hair to stand on end.

"What the-?!"