After finishing his morning exams, Raize handed the prepared lunch to Mashiro during the noon break and went to the school rooftop to continue his game progress.
After opening so many games at once, he had to complete them, or it wouldn't do. That encounter with the White Dragon Emperor Vali that day had caught his attention, and he had a premonition they would meet again.
Perhaps next time it would end in a fight, so he needed to quickly strengthen himself.
Besides Minecraft and Nekopara, which he completed last night, the remaining games were Iron Man, King of Fighters '96, Street Fighter IV, and Bleach vs Naruto 3.3. Raize was currently tackling King of Fighters '96.
Why not play Bleach vs Naruto 3.3 first, which seemed to offer better rewards? Even passing on a character from that game would give a substantial power boost.
That was true, but Raize needed to consolidate first. He was also eyeing the special powers in King of Fighters.
The Absolute Domain, Ultimate Power, and Cosmic Force from the King of Fighters world… these human-usable powers were exactly what Raize needed.
For example, the Absolute Domain used strong mental will to push past one's limits in combat. Essentially, the body endured a degree of pain, releasing a substance in the brain that enhanced power and resilience.
Absolute Domain and Ultimate Power ultimately used mental focus to develop the body, increasing combat explosiveness and damage output.
For someone like Raize, a melee fighter, the enhancement was significant.
The Cosmic Force differed slightly. Its secret lay in developing the brain, giving birth to unique abilities!
The Cosmic Force had tremendous value to Raize because the abilities it created were not only strong but also unique.
For instance, Kyo Kusanagi's Cosmic Force was the Undying Fire, similar to Amaterasu in Naruto, an eternal flame that never extinguished.
Iori Yagami's Cosmic Force, the Flame of Destruction, could incinerate all matter and energy, tangible or intangible.
Shingo Yabuki's ability, "True Thought Line," could interfere with reality so that if he willed something to happen, it would—an ability involving causality itself.
Cosmic Force could develop the brain, and the resulting powers were unpredictable. If one were to obtain an ability like Shingo Yabuki's, it would be a massive gain.
"Cry, scream, and then die!"
The final boss of King of Fighters '96 was the infamous Goenitz. Raize skillfully controlled his Iori character to land the final move, defeating the opponent.
After completing the final story sequence, the game announced:
[ Congratulations Player! You have cleared the game! ]
[ Rewards for this completion: Iori Yagami Character Template, Yasakani no Magatama, One Drop of Orochi's Blood, Skill Book: Dark Requiem. Extract? ]
Of the four rewards, Iori needed no introduction. He was one of the most iconic characters in King of Fighters.
The Yasakani no Magatama was one of the three sacred treasures in the KOF universe. Iori himself descended from the Yagami clan, the guardians of the Magatama.
The Yagami clan was originally called Yasakani. In the 8th century, they allied with the Kusanagi family, and with help from the Yata clan, sealed Orochi into eternal slumber. Using divine techniques and the Kusanagi sword, the seal was maintained by the Yata family.
Time passed, and Yasakani did not want to live under the Kusanagi shadow. Orochi summoned them, and after signing the Blood Contract, granted the Yagami clan immense power, requiring them to change their name to Yagami, abandoning their duty to guard Orochi.
The Yagami clan, as followers of Orochi, became an extension of the Orochi lineage. This is why, in KOF '97, Orochi refers to Iori as the "Child of Orochi."
[Yasakani no Magatama]
『Quality』: A+
『Type』: Treasure
『Effect』: Contains the flame and divine technique of Yasakani, enhancing the abilities of those with Yasakani blood and allowing mastery of the divine skills.
Note: Only descendants of Yasakani can fully use this item.
[Orochi's Blood]
『Quality』: A+
『Type』: Material
『Effect』: A drop of Orochi's blood from the Earth's will. Known as the Riot of the Blood, it enhances the power of the Hakkesshu clan but is wildly dangerous for non-Orochi lineage users.
Warning: If the host's will fails to control it, they enter a berserk state. Use with caution.
The remaining skill book, Dark Lamentation, was Goenitz's martial art ultimate move. Goenitz had used it to kill Kagura Chizuru's sister. The skill was crueler than Ya Otome, leaving hardly any intact body.
Dark Lamentation was notorious because Goenitz's desu catchphrase sounded like television in Chinese, leading players to nickname his moves humorously.
Raize was fully aware not to underestimate it.
Although the Magatama and Orochi's Blood had limitations, they were not a problem for Raize. Once he inherited Iori, the Magatama would recognize him as a descendant.
A wave of violent, proud power entered Raize's body and mind. He now possessed the ancient martial arts and fiery techniques of Iori Yagami, along with methods to train the Absolute Domain.
Through meditation, he focused on his pineal gland to stimulate brain potential and awaken his latent abilities, all techniques documented in ancient martial arts.
Clawing his hands in a primal gesture, he felt the violent energy of the ancient techniques coursing through him. When it threatened to overwhelm him, the power from Kirby absorbed it entirely.
Breathing out, Raize extended a finger. The previously crimson flames of Ddraig now fused with external fire energy, forming a new, sky-blue blaze.
In terms of power, Ddraig's flames were stronger, but the added flame from Yasakani made it more ferocious.
"Only you guys are left."
Testing the new flames, Raize extinguished them, absorbed the glowing Magatama into his body, and swallowed the drop of Orochi's Blood. The skill book transformed into a streak of light and merged into his forehead.
Although the Orochi's Blood was chaotic, it was not stronger than Kirby's containment power. Its incomplete strength resonated with Raize's Dragon Heritage, creating a subtle fusion.
The Yasakani no Magatama and Orochi's Blood fully merged with Raize, becoming part of his power. There were no limitations or negative effects.
『Name』: Raize
『Race』: Human
『Strength』: 270 [+70]
『Constitution』: 600 [+70]
『Agility』: 300 [+70]
『Spirit』: 600 [+70]
『Energy』: 800 Chaos Energy
『Techniques』: Eightfold Thunder
Annihilation, Eightfold Thunder Cataclysm
『Passive Abilities』: Dragon-Serpant Force, Danger Sense, All-Rounder
『Active Abilities』: Boost/Transfer, Penetrate, Inhale and Copy, Primordial Sacred Radiance, Weapon Mastery, Chaos Acceleration: Ultra-High-Speed Movement, Lightning Manipulation, Buddhist Art: Mystic Ice Subjugation, Cerulean Inferno, Mercury Force, Doppelganger, Spatial Manipulation]
Raizen's body had grown stronger, and his Dragon Heritage power had evolved into Dragon-Serpent Power, more aggressive than before.
His original fire became the Cerulean
Inferno, its strength augmented by the Yasakani no Magatama's fire.
The Magatama fully merged into him, and he also absorbed its techniques.
For Dark Lamentation, which required wind power, Raizen adapted it using his lightning instead. He now had a modified version in mind, equally brutal and destructive.
"I want to try it on someone…"
Walking back from the rooftop, Raize looked at his hands, filled with a desire for battle. He considered finding a distant place after school to test himself against ghouls, since the local ones had been wiped out by Tohru.
"Raize, wait a second."
A familiar female voice called behind him—it was Hiratsuka. Holding teaching materials and a lollipop, she said, "Raize, three boys and two girls at the school gate asked for you. Do you know them?"
Raize quickly thought it over and confirmed that he hadn't encountered anyone like this recently or in the past. He then looked at Hiratsuka and asked, "What do they look like?"
"The three men are all very young. One has silver-gray hair and a cold expression. Another has short hair with a metal band around his head. The last one looks like a foreigner, blond hair and glasses."
"As for the two women… well, one older and one younger, both are beauties."
Hiratsuka recalled the details and told Raize. After all, the group of five was extremely eye-catching. Each of them had a very distinct presence, the kind you could recognize at a glance in a crowd.
One of the women looked foreign, while the other, more mature one, looked like a local Japanese woman.
"I understand. Shizuka-sensei, I need to ask for leave and step off campus for a while."
After hearing Hiratsuka's description and releasing his perception, Raize already knew who had come to the school specifically looking for him.
He hadn't expected Vali to arrive so quickly, and even bring his little group along. As for what they wanted, he didn't know yet.
But given Vali's personality as a battle maniac, Raize was confident there was a high chance they would end up fighting.
"Go on, go on. Just be careful."
Faced with Raize's sudden request for leave, Hiratsuka waved her hand and agreed. Raize had just finished his exams that morning, and she had already checked his papers. Every subject was a perfect score.
If nothing unexpected happened, Raize would once again sit firmly at the top of the academic rankings. For a top student who didn't require much attention from teachers, some convenience was naturally granted.
She simply reminded him to be careful and then walked away.
After Raize headed toward the school gate, he indeed saw a very conspicuous group, among whom Vali stood out clearly.
The moment Raize appeared, they immediately locked onto him.
When Raize walked up to the group of five, the four people besides Vali all examined him closely. After glancing at them, Raize said to Vali, "Let's find a place without people to talk."
Buzz.
A magic circle suddenly appeared in Raize's hand. The cognition-obscuring magic he had learned from Tohru was activated. Other than the extraordinary beings in front of him, everyone else completely ignored Raize's existence.