'Well then, let's not keep them waiting any longer,' Zhen Liu said as he held the [Godoku Gourd] in both hands. 'Lets wrap this up as quickly and cleanly as...hmm .'

=Milord, what's wrong?=

At this moment in time, Zhen Liu had the opportunity to end this fight, this war, like a bastard.

Zhen Liu, and his kaijin, was currently hovering above Dante and he had a clear shot at the bastard's back. Not only that, but the false Kaijin Lord was thoroughly distracted by the presence of Arbalest making a last stand.

Seeing this turncoat kaijin do something for the sake of others was oddly heart warming to Zhen Liu.

'I wonder if I could've swapped out his [Core] for one of mine instead...' Zhen Liu mused at the sight.

Regardless, since the conditions were right, Zhen Liu could launch a big move to possibly outright destroy Dante in a single move right here and now...there was just one teensy-tiny problem: he was too close to the rebel army and the rest of the slaves.

Zhen Liu had no idea what would happen if he outright destroyed Dante's [Core] when he was in close proximity to civilians, but his instincts told him that that was the worst possible idea on multiple levels.

The collateral damage could range from him suddenly turning all of those slaves into wild kaijin that would immediately abominate with Dante's death, or it could lead to some fucked-up revival mechanic that would turn people into clones of Dante.

Either way, something in Zhen Liu told him that if he was going to end this, he was going to have to drag Dante out of this mine, kicking and screaming.

And he had just the vehicle to do so...maybe.

'Depth Strider, Pegsoar, Rail Horn. You three ready to bury some hatches in a motherfucker's head?'

[We've been ready since you first brought us back from the dead, war Chief,] Depth Strider confirmed.

[Let's get it on,] Pegsoar agreed.

[By your lead,] Rail Horn nodded.

As they descended, Zhen Liu made sure to defuse with Blazejudicator and give him one last order to perform with Nepherage.

'Do you mind preparing a path?'

[No problem, Executor.]

...Finale time...

When Dante absorbed Arabalest this time around...it wasn't pretty.

In a manner most deliberate and brutal, the man made sure to use multiple razor sharp appendages to try and make every second, every moment sting like it was going to be the very last sensation the porcupine-like kaijin was ever going to feel ever again.

The funny part, though, was fhat even if that was exactly what he had achieved, the kaijin didn't react.

Not because he wasn't on pain, not because he couldn't feel it, but because he didn't want to give Dante that satisfaction.

And in that way, he succeeded...not that it really mattered to the chimeric mess of a man.

Dante was just happy to be rid of an annoying fly to his existence.

[Begone, foul creature!] Dante snarled in chorus with his truly loyal kaijin. [May your existence be erased with—HRK!]

Well...for all of five seconds that is.

[W-what is this?!]

The moment Arbalest was melted down to being nothing more than [Core], immediately, something was noticeably different.

Unlike the solid gold [Cores] that radiated pure malice and cursed energy, Arabalest's looked and felt different.

To be more precise, his [Core] had actually developed a bit of color to it and it wasn't radiating malice. Instead, it gave off a feeling of...confidence.

[Individuality].

No one knew the reason why this was the case, but a few perceptive ones could make a guess.

[T-this core! This Chaos!That horrific bastard,that slimy fuck!] Dante roared as the image of the other Kaijin Lord appeared in his head.

[I preferred the moniker of dreamy bastard, or devious deal maker, personally.]

With a demeanor of confidence mixed with condescension, Zhen Liu and the Gallop Brothers landed at a spot that placed him opposite of the crowd of rebels and slaves with Dante smack dab in the middle.

The aformentioned kaijin looked at the crowd of mortals with a brief moment of empathetic nostalgia, before steeling their focus towards Dante with clear contempt.

That stated, it was a little tricky treating the man with any seriousness due to just how much he was acting like he had poison in his veins...which was sort of the case.

[You...how did you do it?] Dante asked in an angry, discordant voice. [How did you infect one of my kaijin with your filthy desires?!]

[First off, phrasing,] Zhen Liu admonished the slimy bastard, prompting a brief snort from the Gallop Brothers. [Second, it was actually incredibly easy for me to do so. All I had to do was to make an offer, and he accepted it hook, line, and sinker. If anything, I'm actually a little upset that I wasn't able to fully convert him to my side. He, oddly, insisted that I only partially transformed him. Now I know why.]

Emphasizing this last statement, Dante suddenly doubled over in howling pain as Arbalest's [Core] glowed with a brighter light as it travelled through Dante's body and infect it with [Chaos] that wasn't his own.

It had actually gotten so bad that Dante put in actual effort to push away the [Core] and prevent it from merging with the rest of his collection.

(Un)Fortunately, he wouldn't have to worry about that effort for much longer.

[Wait...are you saying that this horrific infection wasn't your idea?!] Dante roared with terrible realization that his opposite actually trusted his kaijin with independent, complex plans.

[Kind of,] Zhen Liu readily nodded as he began to actively hold the [Godoku Gourd] in shi hands. [And right now, I'm about to show you an even better version of the trick that you clearly fail to do.]

[What are you...]

GET READY!

[WHAT THE FUCK?!]

Without saying a word, Zhen Liu detached the bottom part of the [Godoku Gourd] and then reattached the circular part to the [MY Driver], locking it in place and causing the whole ensemble to play a standby loop.

Gather your hearts! Gather your hearts!

[You heard the belt, you three,] Zhen Liu directed the [Gallop Brothers]. [Get in here!]

[Yes, War Chief!]

One after the other, the Gallop Brothers transformed into motes of light before flying towards the belt and transforming again into crystal figures that locked themselves in.

With each additional crystal, the belt on Zhen Liu's made an announcement.

Determination at any depth, locked in!

As free as the howling wind, locked in!

Hope that burns brighter than any conflagration, locked in!

Altogether, the Brothers of Romance take charge!

Once that last announcement was the music changed from the standby loop to this incredibly hopeful orchestra that made one feel as if they were going to go on a grand adventure to frontiers beyond mortal knowledge.

Not only that, but the shadow of a giant ten-legged stallion began to manifest around Zhen Liu. This shadow, for reasons, no one present could really understand, made them feel as if they were staring at a creature that could go anywhere and do whatever it pleased.

In fact, this feeling was so powerful that even the despondent slaves that fell from the initial aura of [Despair] radiating off of Dante suddenly began to stir and move as the light returned to their eyes.

As such, Zhen Liu had a fully attentive audience as he activated the enhanced [MY Driver] and transformed like he was the star of a tokusatsu show.

[Your little fusion trick is impressive, I will admit,] Zhen Liu said as he entered a transformation pose. [But this is how you're supposed to do it! Gattai!]

With this declaration made, Zhen Liu pulled the trigger on his belt and caused the attached part to spin like crazy.

Accompanying this moment was a surge of [Chaos] and an orchestral crescendo.

...Meanwhile...

[Well...this clearly went beyond either of our expectations in the best way possible,] Snatcher admitted to his box-sheep companion. [Did you expect this new kaijin lord to show up the overseer in his own game?]

[Partially,] the box-sheep nodded. [But only in regards to the quality of kaijin. I wasn't expecting the two to steal each other's techniques and refine them in different ways.]

[Don't you mean redefine?]

[Maybe...but we should stop talking about it for now.]

After making this statement, the box-sheep suddenly stood on his hind legs and transformed into a sheep-like humanoid that wasn't a Bloodliner or a kaijin, and dressed like an attendant.

Following suit, Snatcher transformed as well, into a fox-eared humanoid with a collar and a butler outfit.

[Our beloved Prince is about to be back on his way. It would only be right that we be there to accompany him,] the transformed Sheep said to his companion. [Especially since the road out of here is going to be rather... tumultuous.]

[It shall be fine,] the transformed Fox assured him. [We travel in the wake of a true adventurer.]