Kaijin Fighter: So I Have to Make Monsters, So What?

[Oh dear...]

[Well, this is remarkably different in comparison to the previous rebellions, isn't it?]

As the missile and bombs exploded under Dante's direction, decimating the battlefield, injuring warriors on both sides, and shaking the very foundations of the mines, a pair of observers were watching with concerned expressions.

To be more precise, a strange box with four legs and a fox-like kaijin known as Snatcher were watching the events on the battlefield unfold...as they had done so many times in the past.

That said, this time was...different.

Very different.

[On the one hand, I think this is the most trouble that Dante and his horde had ever had to deal with before,] the box-like creature noted. [On the other hand, this is by far the riskiest and possibly destructive rebellion we have ever witnessed before.]

[Indeed,] Snatcher nodded. [I'm honestly afraid if the mines can withstand this much punishment.]

When the rebels collapsed the entrances to the various sub-tunnels, the observers didn't think much of it because those sub-tunnels were designed to eventually collapse anyways.

Sometimes, when all of the occupants of a particular tunnel became inflicted with enough apathy to straight up give up on living, Dante and his Kaijin wouldn't put in the effort to clear out the tunnel.

Instead, they would simply collapse it and provide the occupants a "dignified" burial.

The worst part about these burials wasn't the deaths, but the sheer silent acceptance of the soon-to-be buried.

Now, one would assume that all of these collapses would eventually cause the whole place to cave in, but that wasn't the case. In fact, it was the opposite.

By regularly caving in these smaller tunnels, stress gets released from the cave, and tiny supports get created all over the place...like the fucked-up version of a stud.

However, the same could not be said about the main cavern's structure.

While the thought never really crossed their mind, the observing duo knew that if the main cavern collapsed, then the consequences would be...worse than catastrophic.

At least, it would be for the ones who still had corporeal bodies to work with.

Regardless, the box and fox weren't worried about the state of the battle...until they noticed a rather important development.

[Uh oh.]

[Uh oh?]

[Look over there.]

[Oh...oh fuck.]

The Kaijin Lord that they had brought in to deal with the false Lord and fulfill their goal had started making his way to the Smelting Room during all of the fighting.

All while being tailed by one of those fucking missiles.

The moment this sight clicked in the minds of both the fox and box, they both understandably freaked the fuck out.

[They're getting way too close for comfort,] the box declared as it manifested legs. [Come on, Fox. We have to try and—

[Hold your hooves, Box,] Snatcher interjected before his companion went flying into the fray. [You remember the pact we swore.]

[But—!]

[But nothing,] Snatcher admonished the shipping container. [We made our promise, and we must keep it. Besides, I don't think that reckless young man is going to risk blowing up something he promised to fix.]

[That's…]

[Come on, old friend,] Snatcher continued in a soothingly mischievous tone. [Or has the fluff inside you finally gotten too soft?]

[...Hmmph!]

…

'Well…shit.'

When Zhen Liu did his smoke clone trick, he was banking on the possibility that Dante was too lost in his own power to think to switch to a more appropriate weapon.

It was a common cognito-hazard amongst aether warriors that some of them had the tendency to overcommit to a strategy once they had mastered it.

Most people may fear a man who practiced the same kick a thousand times, but there were still a handful of psychotic people out there who knew how to counter that exact kick.

But alas, Zhen Liu forgot that as a fellow Kaijin Lord, Dante could also adapt his strategies on the fly.

Which was why he was now forced to witness as his one decision to try and divide the bastard's attention led to Dante turning Obsidious into an [Apostasy], his clones getting shot down by demonic missiles, while both friend and foe alike were getting carpet bombed.

Well, only two missiles had actually fallen on the combatants below, but that was a cold comfort at best and there were a lot of injuries on both sides.

On top of that wonderful bit of indirect guilt, though, Zhen Liu found himself being chased by one of those aforementioned missiles.

The thought of turning around and blasting it out of the sky had popped into his head, but that idea was shot down the moment Nepherage and Blazejudicator had confirmed that they didn't have the combined power necessary to take down the missile.

'Seriously?'

[Well, it's not that we don't have the power necessary to take it down,] Nepherage answered, [it's just that we don't have the power necessary to deal with the fallout that will happen after we do.]

[We can either take it down and leave you vulnerable to follow up, or keep you safe, Executor,] Blazejudicator added. [We can't do both.]

'Shit!'

Zhen Liu would not put it past Dante that he would try to follow up any of his attacks, especially when he's got a stationary target. Needless to say, Zhen Liu didn't want to face check any missiles if he could help it.

[Wait, what about just ducking into the Forge Room and—]

'Pass.'

[But why?]

'Because I made a promise to not fuck up the probe if I could help it,' Zhen Liu answered.

[Promised? Promised who?]

'Eh. Don't worry about it.'

Seeing as defending and counterattacking were out of the running, Zhen Liu thought about the possibility of simply juking the damn thing.

He had no idea if the missile chasing him was tracking his heat or his [Chaos]; he just knew that such things tended to have terrible course correction capabilities.

'And there a ton of places I can just…hold up…fuck!'

Zhen Liu had originally planned to go flying towards a solid wall and then juke out of the way at the last minute to have the missile harmlessly explode against it. However, he couldn't justify such a maneuver, because every single wall in this place was actually a collapsed subtunnel.

If he did that, then he would be causing a massive amount of collateral, and there was a very high chance of destabilizing the place because there was a non-zero chance one of these walls was load-bearing.

The ground was also out of the question, due to all the people milling about.

Because of the impromptu bombing, many of the kaijin, mortals, and zakos were scattered and attempting to rally on their respective sides.

If another missile were to fall onto their heads, the consequences would be fatal.

There was no point to a revolution if no one was around to benefit.

This meant that there was only one place left that Zhen Liu could juke this missile: the ceiling.

There were just a few problems with his idea.

Due to the machinations of the kaijin, the rebels, and Zhen Liu, the once solid ceiling had become perforated with holes and filled with tunnels like a worm-eaten apple.

If such a ceiling was impacted with a massive explosive like one of these missiles…Zhen Liu couldn't help but to shudder over the possibility.

And yet…it was the only chance they had left.

'Blazejudicator. Nepherage. Inform the others that they're going to need to play defense soon,' Zhen Liu informed the kaijin in his head.

[Of course,] Blazejudicator immediately agreed.

[Weather forecast: falling rocks,] Nepherage joked

'Alright, then I guess we'll just have to take a gamble.'

Now with a clear plan in mind, Zhen Liu immediately stopped flying forwards and redirected himself upwards, just slow enough that the missile chasing after him had a chance to follow suit.

Thankfully, it worked.

'Is…is it just me, or did it make a weird moaning sound as it changed directions?'

[Don't worry about it, Executor,] Blazejudicator assured his host. [Just get ready to drop.]

'Yup!'

…

[Oh? It appears that's the real one, ] Dante muttered as he saw one of the clones of his fated foe suddenly make a turn upwards. [But what is he planning?]

Dante was dearly hoping that Zhen Liu would stand his ground and try to cut down the missile on this tail.

That way, he'd be stationary long enough for Dante to switch his weapon payload and blast him out of the sky.

He wasn't entirely sure why, but he had the feeling that he could unleash a lot more missiles, with significantly more power behind them. He just needed to tap into a little more kaijin power.

'Wait...could I just load my foolish subordinates into the pods directly and fire them that way?' Dante mused for a brief moment before he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

Namely, the sight of Zhen Liu falling to the ground.

'Oh? Did he get-'

KABOOM!