Chapter 489: Transform!
Chapter 489: Transform!
This chapter features a song originally from the theme of Great Mazinger sung by Ichirō Mizuki—"I Am the Great Mazinger."
Zzzzzap!
Beams flashed repeatedly, tailing their targets like shadows.
Dark energy surged, brimming with lethal intent.
Lute focused every ounce of attention and firepower on Twenty-Three.
Though Twenty-Three’s speed rivaled the peak performance of Kai Duo, she struggled to evade the relentless, high-speed barrage. Soon, wounds covered her body.
Blood stained her protective suit and pooled on the corrupted ground.
Twenty-Three’s face paled further, her gaze growing duller by the second.
“If I weren’t worried about harming my own subordinates,” Lute hissed, her metallic face emerging from static with a menacing grin, “I could’ve obliterated you in one hit. But this is better—you don’t deserve a quick death.”
Twenty-Three said nothing, silently using every second to restore herself.
As one of the few special derivative beings in the game, her self-healing was formidable—though not yet matching Lute’s monstrous regeneration.
“Looks like we’ll bite the dust here,” Vishnu said, commanding bronze constructs against enemies while glancing at Yama. “Not sure what dying means in this scenario, but if something bad happens, I hope you’ll understand…”
“Now’s not the time for this!” Yama snapped, lashing her whip to scatter nearby derivatives, her expression unchanging beneath her bangs. “Remember, this is live broadcast!”
“Actually… it’s perfect timing,” Brahma interjected.
“Yeah. If he’s speaking up, I support him clarifying,” Shiva added.
“Two days ago… the half-sandwich you left uneaten… I ate it,” Vishnu said solemnly.
“What?” Yama blinked, momentarily thrown by his confession-like tone.
“That day,” Vishnu continued, “I went to the lounge, opened the fridge out of habit, and saw half a sandwich. I thought it was mine from lunch, so I ate it without thinking. I didn’t know you split sandwiches for dieting… You don’t even look like you need to lose weight. I just couldn’t bring myself to admit it when you freaked out about missing dinner… Sorry.”
He turned grave. “So… the stalker rumors in the studio were your imagination—just me accidentally eating your food… Ah!”
A whip coiled around his neck.
“You! Talk! Too! Much!” Yama roared hoarsely, yanking the whip to spin Vishnu like a meteor hammer, scattering derivatives nearby.
“Wow… These guys’ data intensity is unpredictable,” Chi Tie marveled. “Can’t underestimate them.”
Suddenly, a shrill, oscillating buzz erupted from the western battlefield, approaching rapidly.
Derivatives at the perimeter turned as a bizarre, earth-toned fire truck sped toward them, its sleek frame encased in strange matter. A figure clung to its side—the code confirmed it was another derivative being.
“Commander! Sorry I’m late!” Ling Feng shouted to Twenty-Three, appearing unscathed despite his earlier battle with Te Wei’er.
“Get off. Time to begin,” Xiao Tan said, his hand hovering over a glass case on the steering wheel.
Ling Feng nodded, leapt sideways, and dismounted Golden Maggot No. 1.
“Combat mode active,” Xiao Tan declared, pressing a button marked with a Skull.
“I’ve been waiting too long,” Matcha Su muttered. Her gunner’s seat rose, surrounded by new holographic panels. A projection screen flickered ahead.
“What… is that?” Lute frowned, watching the anomaly approach. Even her predictive calculations hadn’t foreseen this fire truck.
Not surprising—Mushiro Koganei’s creations were pure randomness, shaped by Feng Bu Jue’s summoning timing, available materials, and their whimsical, twisted imaginations.
Clank! Thunk! Crash!
Mechanical rhythms sounded as the fire truck began transforming.
[Dash_Dash_Dan_dan_da_dan
Dash_Dash_Dan_dan_da_dan
Dash_Dash_Dan_dan_da_dan]
As the transformation function activated, the siren blared music—a high-energy track from a robot anime, its lyrics altered:
[Scramble_Dash!
I don’t cry_Da_da_da
For I’m a robot, steel and wire_Da_da_da
But I know the fire of friendship,
Together we’ll crush evil.
Instant Kill Lightning Attack!
Strike down all wicked foes.
Gold_typhoon—summon the storm.
I am Gold—Gold! Maggot_One!]
The rhythm drove the transformation. Components shifted in sync, momentum building.
[Dash_Dash_Dan_dan_da_dan
Dash_Dash_Dan_dan_da_dan
Dash_Dash_Dan_dan_da_dan
Scramble_Dash!
I don’t speak_Da_da_da
For I’m a robot, steel and wire_Da_da_da
But I know justice’s heart,
Strike down evil, guard peace.
Instant Kill Atomic Fist!
Blow away surging foes.
Nable_missile—summon flames.
I am Gold—Gold! Maggot_One!]
As the final note faded, the transformation completed—a towering, earth-toned combat robot stood, arms akimbo, at the street’s end.
The live broadcasts fell silent.
Players and derivatives froze.
Lute stared blankly, unsure why she’d watched the entire 2 minutes 20 seconds of transformation.
“Such shame,” Matcha Su groaned, her cockpit now on the robot’s chest. “I’ll never leave this machine alive… I’d rather die here.” Her face burned with humiliation.
“Eh, I’m fine,” Xiao Tan shrugged, his seat now in the robot’s crotch.
Lute finally spoke. “Can someone eliminate that scrapheap?” Data-wise, Golden Maggot No. 1’s stream was indeed dim.
But she’d underestimated it. Derivatives couldn’t analyze mechanical constructs—different codebases. Like expecting an ipad to read floppy disks or play cartridge games.
Advanced ≠ omnipotent.
“Calling my baby scrap?!” Xiao Tan barked through a bullhorn. “Lute! Golden Maggot’s strong! Sure, I can only control leg movement with these two joysticks, but…”
“Shut the [bleep] up! You’re making it worse!” Matcha Su roared, interrupting.
Eight level-3 derivatives lunged from both flanks, obeying Lute’s unspoken command. Light Blades slashed, creating a storm of energy.
“Too naive!” Matcha Su smirked, hands flying over controls.
A former Rts pro, her fingers danced, a blur of commands: “Energy stable, defense active, balance nominal, weapons ready…”
Her barrage of feces-colored projectiles—accompanied by absurd sound effects—scattered the attack effortlessly.
“Are Federation pilots monsters?” Vishnu muttered, watching from afar as Lute’s tactical interface blinked a new warning: “Danger level… high?”
(End of Chapter)
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