Chapter 465: This is probably a violation somewhere
‘Real fast, can I-.’
<=Yes, this has been asked and done before.=>
‘I…ok, who and why?’
‘Creating protokaijin out of aether puppets?’
=Not that, he specialized in creating kaijin out of pieces of art, tools, basically anything made by the hands of an artisan, the more “meaning” and “value” behind the object, the better.=
‘Never say that again.’
=Either way though, you’ll still be the conduit for [Chaos] to keep the kaijin alive, you just won’t be the main controller. Kind of how when you plug in a computer, the electrical company can’t control it, but the owner can.=
‘So…I’m an outlet for [Chaos]?’
<=Essentially.=>
‘Neat, also, meaning and value, aren’t those the same thing?’
<=No, they run off of different types of desires. The first run off of the desires more akin to affection, longing and nostalgia, the latter runs off of greed, plain and simple.=>
‘That…okay, swear you two have been speaking in unison more often to fuck with me, two more questions. Will creating this…I guess adopted kaijin would be the term affect my own ability to send out the others to fight and how do I…you know…make em listen to someone else?’
=To answer your first question, no, creating this adopted kaijin will not negatively affect your ability to call on and coordinate the other kaijin.=
‘Hallelujah.’
________________________________________________
[Huh…I just had a realization in regards to what’s about to happen, that I think qualifies as something “fun”, as Hurricroak would say,] Nepherage commented.
[Oh? What kind of realization?,] Spring Brawler asked.
[I think this is the first time I’ll be able to witness the creation of a kaijin without having been injured prior, embroiled in a battle during or rendered exhausted due to having to use a “finisher”.]
[…what?]
[First time I’ve seen kaijin creation being used in a peaceful manner as opposed to violent.]
[Ah…huh, guess you’re right.]
[Indeed.]
[…you sure that’s what Hurricroak considers fun?]
[Probably not but I find it interesting at least.]
[Aight.]
________________________________________________
“Of course that’s what I need to do…,” Zhen Liu verbally griped.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Zhen Liu said whilst waving his hand, “one more question before I can help you, how did you know about me, rather, how’d you know about the fact that I’m the Kaijin Lord?”
“That…”
Elsa looked hesitant for a moment, her hands opening and closing as if she was hoping to grab an answer of some kind, before letting out an exhale.
There was no better answer than the truth, and frankly, what was one more secret in the face of hope.
“I explained earlier how I have telepathy and clairvoyance, and that I used the former so much that I could feel the memories of the person I read?”
“With excruciating detail about how you felt landmines ripping through your limbs, yes,” Zhen Liu recalled.
“Well…aside from that, I also managed to strengthen my clairvoyance to the point where I have…future sight,” Elsa answered in an awkward tone, the exact opposite of her previously enigmatic manner.
Zhen Liu looked surprised at the answer and at the sudden change in demeanor, but rolled with it.
“Wait, does that mean you predicted that I would be here and we would-”
“No, no, nothing like that,” Elsa began to explain, “my future sight isn’t a clear cut picture, like I saw this exact moment, it’s more like…flashes.”
“Flashes?”
“My futuresight is unreliable at best, and random at worst. All I ever get is vague images of what could happen,” Elsa explained, “but when I met your grandparents…it wasn’t that.”
“Oh boy.”
________________________________________________
‘Oi, Elsa, you here? I have two lovebirds that need to find a new nest.’
“On my way.”
It was just another night like any other, someone was on the run, and I facilitated that service, I even had a tray of caramels ready to help lift their spirits on their upcoming journey.
However, the moment I met this particular couple, something in my brain just…clicked.
I have this habit of reading the minds of those who come to me, check their sincerity and all of that, but when I read your grandparents mind, my future sight kicked in and in a brief moment, no less than a second, I saw something weird.
“What kind of store is this?”
“I don’t know…I think it’s candy.”
‘What the fuck did I just see?!’
In the vision, I saw a figure, looking like a king amongst kings, leading an otherworldly army of demons and monsters unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It made for a rather harrowing sight.
At first I thought it was a vision of a doomed future, since I saw myself begging at the figure’s feet, until I noticed something odd.
In the vision, I was holding up what looked like a lump of sugar that I had somehow carved into the shape of a baby, I had no idea what to make of it…but then the figure stretched out his hand and touched it.
Next thing I knew, I heard the cries of a baby newborn, a cry that caused my what to stir harder than any other time I’ve heard a baby cry.
It was if…the child was crying out for me.
But before I could figure out why that cry occured, the vision ended and I was back in my shop, holding a tray of caramels.
“You think we can eat any of this stuff?”
“Don’t touch it!”
“Wait…I have work to do.”
I had initially planned to take payment from your grandparents like I normally would, but something about that vision made me forego the cost in that moment. I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t until years passed, and I had made this sugar statue before you and I had met you that suddenly, everything fell into place and made sense to me.
________________________________________________
“And well…that leads us to now.”
“Huh…”
Zhen Liu wasn’t sure what to make of Elsa’s story, since this entire situation seemed incredibly far fetched even by his standards of being a soul yeeted schmuck, but…none of the kaijin nor Logos and Pathos sensed any malice or lies in her words, so he didn’t have any reason to doubt her too badly.
Besides, he hated being in other people’s debts.
“Alright,” Zhen Liu sighed, “I’ll make you your kaijin. I make no promises on it being a suitable baby replacement though.”
Elsa looked positively glowing as soon as Zhen Liu said those words.
“Really?! You will?!”
“Yeah, yeah, I hate being in debt to other people anyways,” Zhen Liu dismissed with a tone that sounded both annoyed and happy, “but you should probably know that there are some requirements to making this…unusual kaijin of yours.”
“What requirements?,” Elsa asked with a confused voice, “isn’t this vessel enough?”
“Well…maybe for the first part, but I also need…wait…let me check… something real fast…”
Zhen Liu lifted up his left hand and pointed it towards the sugar figure laying on the table before him, closing his eyes as he concentrated his mind in an attempt to determine if the the statue was up to snuff.
As it turns out…wasn’t.
=Material provided is insufficient in terms of “value” and “meaning” to facilitate creation. Additional components is required.=
“Yeah it’s not enough, but it needs more components.”
“Components? Like what?”
“Anything with ‘meaning’ or ‘value’.”
“Aren’t… aren’t those the same thing?”
“No, I asked.”
“Meaning or…hold on.”
Elsa left the room for a brief moment before returning with a small, glass case. In it were three shining medals, military accolades from the looks of it.
“I’m not sure if these have enough ‘meaning’ but they should have ‘value’, will these work?”
“Hmmm.”
Zhen Liu took the case from Elsa’s hands and placed it next to the sugar statue. Once he did, he did another sweep of the material provided, but got the same rejection message.
“It’s still not enough I’m afraid, I think this thing works off what’s valuable in this world.”
“Dammit, of course that’s how it works,” Elsa cursed, “I think I have something that might work, but what is the second part of the requirement you need from me? Maybe I can provide that before rummaging through my storage.”
“Some of your blood,” Zhen Liu answered plainly, “I mix into the kaijin during the process in order to bind it to you, but I don’t see a clean knife around here and I have no idea if-”
*SWISH*
“-or yeah, do that. Sure.”
Before Zhen Liu could say anything about cleanliness and not wanting to risk tetanus or any other possible infections, Elsa immediately took a nearby kitchen knife from a counter and slashed her palm open in order to drip several drops of blood over the sugar statue, staining minute portions of it a lovely shade of red.
“Okay, that takes care of that,” Elsa said in a weirdly casual tone for someone who just sliced their hand open, “now I’m off to find something that has val-”
*ZOOM!*
“-wait what?”
Before Elsa could say anything extra, a glowing purple ball of light flew straight pass her ear and towards the bloodstained sugar statue and the case of medals, engulfing both of them.
“Oh,” Zhen Liu said with a shocked voice, “guess that was enough.”
Immediately after stating this, Logos and Pathos went to work.
<=Contracted Kaijin creation has been approved.=>
<= ~Wailing~ Core of Motherhood has been set.=>
<= Materials: White Sugar Statue of Love, Medals of False Valor, Blood of an Otherlander have been set. <=Activating Chaos Body Forge...=>
As soon as this last announcement was made, the room was filled with purple light to the point of blinding everyone inside…well, more specifically, blinding one person.
The other guy was busy dealing with his consciousness suddenly going out.
‘Still never getting over this sensation…’
