Kaijin Fighter: So I Have to Make Monsters, So What?
Chapter 1361 1361: Zako-Based Interference

[Alright, time to let our apprentices take the lead this time,] Nepherage informed her fellow kaijin. [Summon them if you got them.]

[Aye]*3

[Wait, we can get apprentices?!]

[Think about it, after we defeat the False Lord, CD.]

[Right!]

...Paranoia is a hell of a warning system...

[Well, well, well! Looks like our boss has decided to make use of his new abilities,] Delictum cackled in delight. [And he has a new suit of armor too! I can't wait until he teaches us how to do that!]

His opponents, Zhen Xing and Zhen Tai, did not share this mirthful attitude. Instead, they wanted this bird plucked and roasted. Especially since he wouldn't stop talking.

"So...because kaijin don't need to breathe, it gives them carte blanche to just keep running their mouths?" Zhen Xing asked with a mix of curiosity and sarcastic annoyance.

"From the sound of it, yes" Zhen Tai confirmed.

"Fuck..."

Zhen Xing and Zhen Tai, with the assistance of Screamira and Springerdermain, had been fighting the owl-like kaijin Delictum to a standstill.

Which was impressive, yet mildly disheartening.

Thanks to their connection with the kaijin, Zhen Xing and Zhen Tai were able to get real time information on exactly how Delictum was able to wield a [Taboo], and how they needed to end this asshole as soon as possible.

Otherwise, there was a real chance of Delictum joining up with Dante, and that would lead to an even more dire situation.

They were fed live information on what the fuck a kaijin named Obsidious was able to do as both a [Stigma] and a [Taboo], how the temporary versions made from random kaijin were able to exhibit a lot of power too, and they both understood from that moment that they needed to prevent Dante from getting a more permanent power-up.

Zhen Liu was already having trouble keeping Dante occupied as is, so they didn't want to see the situation get completely reversed.

That stated, making use of this information was easier said than done.

Despite having the numbers advantage, and a kaijin-based power boost, Zhen Xing and Zhen Tai were still a full cultivation stage lower than Delictum.

As they were Aether Masters, the kaijin could only boost them up to be able to punch at the same level as Grandmasters.

If they were naturally occurring Grandmasters, then the kaijin would help them hit as hard as Lord's, and they would've been able to overpower Delictum with realtive ease.

Alas, neither of them were even at the peak of the Aether Master stage, so breaking through in the middle of battle was an unrealistic expectation at best.

Hilariously, if they had another month of prep time, then these two would've been at the Grandmaster stage. But alas, idealistic circumstances be damned.

And things were about to get worst.

Because, as Delictum mentioned earlier, Dante had decided to summon up a whole fuckton of zakos.

[GROAAA!]

[Uh...]

[Buhh...]

"Shit."×2

The appearance of these humanoids made of tar brought an odd sense of deja vu to the Zhen Clan scions...not that they could appreciate such feelings at the moment. They were still locked in a life-or-death struggle, after all.

As they kept fighting Delictum, both Zhen Xing and Zhen Tai eventually noticed that some of the recently made zakos were already making their way to their part of the battlefield. They didn't even need to turn their full attention towards the zako to sense the sheer unrelenting hunger and bloodlust being sent their way.

While the sight of these zakos didn't exactly send chill down their spines, Zhen Xing and Zhen Tai were still rather unhappy at seeing these bastards coming towards them.

"If they're anything like Xiao Liu's zakos, then they should go down with one solid punch of [Chaos] to the guy," Zhen Tai suggested as he blocked an attack from Delictum. "But the problem is doing so will probably give this guy a chance to slice our head off."

[You're not wrong!] Delictum confirmed as he attempted to use a strange, giraffe-themed halberd [Taboo] in an attempt to stab the everliving shit out of Zhen Tai.

[Look out!]

"Whoa!"

Thankfully, Springerdermain's [Stigma] allowed Zhen Tai to literally stretch his body like a spring in order to avoid getting stabbed.

Once Delictum had overcommitted, Zhen Xing tried to use that as an opportunity to drop down and pierce through the foul fowl's abdomen with a bone-covered tail of flames.

[Skree!]

"Damnit!"

Unfortunately, the little shit managed to retract themselves by using a weird feature of that aforementioned [Taboo]. More specifically, the bird-like bastard took a page from Zhen Liu's book and stretched the halberd as to push themselves out of the way.

Once they were clear, Delictum proceeded to release a flurry of [Chaos]-infused feathers in an attempt to perforate the Zhen Clan scions. Fortunately, the two Ignarii-aligned aether warriors were able to use their firepower to burn away the feathers before they could become a problem.

Coincidentally, it wasn't just a whole bunch of feathers though.

"Did...did those tar zakos just try to shoot at us? With projectile teeth?!"

"Yes."

"Gross..."

At the exact same time a bunch of feathers were being thrown their way, a bunch of zakos had managed to get in range to fire off a collection of ranged projectiles.

Darts made of teeth, various quills, and arrows made of splintering wood all crashed against Zhen Xing and Zhen Tai's fire barrier and were reduced to ash.

Such a sight would please most other warriors, but to the Zhen Clan scions, they couldn't help but be annoyed, because they knew what was coming.

"Alright, I know for a fact that those zakos are going to fuck things up on our side of the battlefield," Zhen Xing observed aloud. "How are we supposed to prevent that?"

Thankfully, the kaijin in their heads had a solution for them.

[No worries, young masters. It's time for our apprentices to take the lead here,] Springerdermain assured them.

"Your what?"×2

[You're about to see in a couple seconds,] Screamira answered. [Hold your hands out, please.]

Doing as instructed, both the Zhen Clan scions held up their hands and waited for whatever was going to happen to happen.

Shortly after they had done so, they both felt [Chaos] pool into their hands before it condensed into what appeared to be a pair of zako marbles.

However, these ones looked different to the ones that Zhen Liu usually tossed around...mostly.

"These feel... different."

"And look different too."

The zako marble in Zhen Xing's hand was made of polished bone and had an imprint on it that resembled a skull with a mohawk. Meanwhile, the one in Zhen Tai's hand was a copper one with what appeared to be a rabbit/jester emblem emblazoned on it.

[Do y'all need instructions, or...]

"Nah, we got it," Zhen Tai assured the kaijin before preparing to throw.

Zhen Xing followed suit, remaining silent as he had nothing extra to add.

"Go!"

With an energetic shout, both Zhen Clan scions threw their respective zako marbles towards the enemy zakos.

As the marbles soared through the air, [Chaos] gathered around them as they reverted back to their fighting forms.

[Show them how we fight, Headbanger!]

CLATTER!

The first of the apprentice zakos to make contact was Screamira's, an evolved skeletal zako that she named Headbanger.

Initially a spectral zako that resembled a banshee, Screamira's tutelage had enabled them to possess a skeletal body and take on a form that resembled a gladiatrix.

With a skeletal helm, a shock of red hair in a plume-like structure, and a pair of skull-shaped clubs, Headbanger lived up to her name and then some.

That "then some", portion was due to the fact that Headbanger was able to release concussive blasts with every hit, as if their opponents were nothing more than drums meant to be banged upon.

[Dazzle them, Hopper!]

Sproing

Mirroring Springerdermain's past, the zako under his leadership had begun to resemble a clown, a jester to be more precise. However, in sharp contrast to his current snake-like visage, Springerdermain's zako resembled a rabbit.

Nobody knew the reason for this, not even Springerdermain themselves.

Regardless, once the zako apprentices made their appearance, they began to show their dominance against the enemy zakos.

Headbanger proceeded to use her clubs and helm-like head to absolutely shatter the poor saps that had the misfortune of not dodging. There were a few who attempted to use shields to defend themselves, only for the implements and limbs behind them to break into a million little pieces.

At the same time, Hopper was proving themselves as a proper apprentice to the tricky spring fighter.

Acrobatic move after acrobatic move was used to fling the zakos into one another, all while gracefully dodging every attempt to retaliate.

"Huh...well, how about that. Guess we won't have to worry about getting attacked by the enemy zakos."

"Amen to that."

Evidently, they weren't the only ones feeling this relief.