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Zhu Yuan charged into the Ethereal cluster. Having assembled her specialized shotgun component, her pistol began spitting Ether buckshot. It was a peculiar type of ammunition; though powered by Ether, it sprayed a dense cloud of micro-pellets that shattered any low-level individual instantly. The rounds were designed for maximum penetration, often tearing through one Ethereal only to crater the one standing behind it. A single blast from her was often enough to clear an entire street.
When the buckshot ran out, Zhu Yuan transitioned seamlessly into her signature "Gun-Fu"—a lethal dance of martial arts and point-blank execution. She reloaded with both hands mid-air, her movements so fluid that the surrounding monsters seemed like mere background dancers in her choreography.
If Kenji were an observer rather than her teammate, he would have been mesmerized. But compared to Zhu Yuan's offensive efficiency, his "rookie" performance was deliberately ordinary. He blocked with his shield, parried with his sword, and took down Ethereals one by one. It was too slow. At this rate, an hour of his "hard work" wouldn't equal one of the Captain's shotgun blasts.
Kenji knew this was a rescue mission. He had no time to play soldier. He looked toward the largest beast-type Ethereal—a creature the size of a grizzly bear, radiating a foul, crystalline pressure.
"Hey, grandson! Over here!"
Kenji's taunt worked. The beast, which had been fixated on Zhu Yuan, turned its void-head toward him, enraged. It let out a guttural roar and charged, a living battering ram that trampled its own kind just to get to him. Kenji braced his shield against his shoulder. Normally, a vanguard would dig their heels in; Kenji, however, practically stood on his tiptoes, waiting for the impact to launch him.
BOOM!
The force was like being hit by a freight train. Kenji was sent sailing through the air. In mid-flight, he actually gave the beast a thumbs-up—he loved a good combo.
He slammed into a clothing store, disappearing behind the shattered display. As he lay there "playing dead," a large black Bangboo—Substitute Cloth—scuttled to his side. They exchanged a look, and the bot immediately mimicked Kenji's appearance, grabbing his discarded sword and shield.
"Kenji! You still with us?" Qingyi called out, peering into the hole in the storefront. She felt a sense of deja vu. Such was the life of a meat shield: wear the toughest gear, take the heaviest hits.
The Substitute Cloth, now a perfect double of Kenji, stood up, nodded to Qingyi, and charged back into the fray.
"ORA!"
The bot swung the heavy riot shield like a massive fan, sending Ethereals flying. It then leaped onto the back of the beast-type monster and began tenderizing its skull with the edge of the shield in a display of raw, unhinged violence.
"Is the kid going berserk?" Qingyi stared, dumbfounded. She knew he was probably frustrated, but this fighting style was more feral than the monsters they were hunting.
From the shadows, the real Kenji winced. His persona was collapsing, but the Substitute Cloth was doing its best. Now, while the Ethereals were distracted by his "berserker" twin, he searched for a reflection.
Luckily, Hollows manifested in urban centers, and cities were never short of glass. Kenji found a cracked window near the center of the battlefield. He emerged from the store, his form obscured by the Mosaic field, and approached Zhu Yuan.
The Captain had cleared the fodder and was preparing to engage the three Durahans when she saw the shimmering, pixelated figure. She raised her weapon instinctively but held her fire; she recognized the "Mosaic Warrior" from the previous incident.
The Durahans sensed the threat. One of them, refusing to wait for a transformation sequence, lunged at the distorted figure.
Kenji stood sideways to the glass, pulling out the Ryuki Advent Deck. He aimed it at the reflection. Inside the mirror, a silver V-Buckle appeared, then projected outward, snapping onto his waist in the physical world.
"If you don't fight... you can't survive."
Kenji spoke the words as a mantra, half to himself and half to Zhu Yuan. He slotted the deck into the buckle with his left hand—the unique reverse-insertion of the Mirror World system.
"Henshin!"
Three crystalline afterimages swirled around him, snapping into place. In a flash, a crimson-and-silver knight stood before Zhu Yuan.
CLANG!
A red-armored fist shot out, meeting the charging Durahan mid-lunge and sending it spiraling backward into the swarm.
"He transformed again," Zhu Yuan whispered. She had expected the beetle-themed knight from before, but this was something entirely new. She couldn't help but wonder about the R&D budget behind this "Rider" project. If the PSB had funding like that, she'd wake up laughing every morning.
The ringing in Kenji's ears grew deafening. Dragredder was scratching at the glass, demanding to be let out.
"Don't rush. It's time."
Kenji opened the Drag Visor on his left arm with a crisp mechanical clack. He drew a card from his deck and slid it home.
[ADVENT]
A cold, digital voice echoed through the Hollow. Suddenly, every pane of glass in the surrounding skyscrapers began to vibrate violently. A second later, the windows shattered outward as a massive red dragon burst from the Mirror World. It coiled through the air, its yellow eyes fixated on the Ethereal swarm with predatory intent.
"ROAR—!"
Dragredder, finally granted the right to slaughter, plunged into the cluster. It was a massacre. The dragon didn't even need to use its claws; its massive body acted like a high-velocity wrecking ball, pulverizing Ethereals into black dust upon impact.
Dragredder opened its maw, gathering a sphere of white-hot flame before unleashing a violent blast into the heart of the swarm. The street erupted in a sea of fire, sending a rain of black crystals falling from the sky like soot.
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