kscans

Chapter 921 - Boys Love Their Suits

“—And so, ta-da!”

““Whoa.””

Later that night. After parting ways with Kagura-san, who had promised to ‘go on a rampage,’ I spent some time alone at the training grounds, testing the potential of my [True Theory: An=Re Galta (Armor Singing of the King's Key)].

Then, at the appointed time, I met up with the members of my Key Tree攻略 B-Team and gave them the grand unveiling of its True Theory form. As expected, Shoh and Ren had the most obvious reactions.

“A body-integrated type… that went beyond my expectations…”

“But are you sure it’s okay that it absorbed two special-grade armaments?”

And so, looking at the crest on my left hand, they offered one part admiration and one part concern.

Ren’s straightforward awe was satisfying, but to show off the full picture of this thing, Shoh’s question was exactly what I’d been hoping for.

Thus, with my excitement still running high, I gave them a fearless grin—

““Ooh…!””

—and their next reaction was just as gratifying.

Once again, like color flooding a canvas or a wave washing over skin, a VWOOSH sounded. The familiar forms instantly covered my hands, which had been bare after unequipping my gear, and the two brothers watching the show with rapt attention let out a collective cry of excitement.

Yes, a cry of exhilaration. And why not? It was a sight that would stir the heart of any boy who had ever seen that kind of thing, right?

Fine particles flowed and constructed an exterior in a flash—a deployment scene that fully embraced the unique visual pleasure of something both mechanical and biological.

It was the exact motion of a nanotech suit from a sci-fi hero show.

“And just like that,”

Clench, unclench. My hands felt perfectly normal. The black and silver gauntlets that appeared were unmistakably the supposedly lost [An=Di Galta], and naturally, the two of them glanced down at my feet… where the [An=Vo Galta] had already taken shape.

“It turned the original gear into abilities, so there are absolutely no problems.”

Plus, by fusing with a Terror Armament, which has no durability stat, they no longer needed maintenance. Being able to summon and dismiss them at will wasn’t a huge merit for me at this point, but getting bonus features with zero loss in combat power was a true blessing.

—And as for this feature of freely equipping the gauntlets and greaves of the Armor, there was one insane point that went far beyond being a simple bonus.

“This is treated as an ability, not equipment.”

VWOOSH. I let the gauntlet on my left hand extend up to my shoulder, theatrically letting the Armor consume the sleeve of my clothing, the [Azure Sky Six Petals - White Cloud (El-Gran Stasia)], as I spoke.

That alone should have been enough for them to grasp the insane implications. Shoh and Ren’s expressions shifted from admiration and excitement to a shared look of slight recoil, as if to say, “Whoa…”

Not equipment, but an ability. That means it doesn’t take up an equipment slot, which means—

“—I can layer it. Even with the full armor on, all the effects of the gear I’m wearing underneath are still active.”

—it established an utterly law-defying reality.

Of course, there were limits. Likely because it absorbed the equipment whole, the gauntlets and greaves could be used constantly with no cost… well, half of it was no cost, but manifesting other parts was on a timer and required a significant MP drain.

It was roughly one second per 10 points of MID. Factoring in a player’s base MP on top of a blank Lv. 1 status, a full-body deployment would last for about ‘10 seconds + MID × 0.1’.

So for my complete ‘surface’ build outside the Key Tree, with a total MID of 700 including gear bonuses, my limit from a full MP bar would be about eighty seconds.

As someone familiar with MP-guzzling problem children like [Eyes Oculus], I found the cost almost cute, but it was still a massive drain by normal standards.

Still, given its performance, the fuel efficiency was actually exceptional. The free deployment and layering were nothing more than bonus features, so unveiling the main powers it possessed would surely elicit even greater shock—…

I’d been talking mostly with the brothers, but they weren’t my only audience.

Beside me, Sora-san watched with a look that was half-amused, half-exasperated at me acting like a little kid with a new toy.

As always, the saintess was watching me with a gentle, fluffy smile.

And,

“...Full body.”

As usual, the man known as Twin Fists was standing silently, his expression unreadable… but the moment he spoke, I couldn’t suppress a smirk.

That’s right, isn’t it? Of course it is.

“The full-body deployment… what’s it… like…”

His small eyes could look either stern or endearing depending on the situation, but right now, they were definitely the latter. Piercing through the stiff atmosphere he maintained to suppress his stage fright, an aura leaked from Gen-san as he spoke in spite of himself.

What kind of aura? It was none other than the embodiment of his insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge as an incorrigible hero otaku.

From our country’s Sentai shows to giants of light and motorcycle-riding heroes, his interests were all-encompassing. His admiration was boundless, extending to overseas superhero comics and even the super warriors from old Japanese manga.

As the magnificent name of his Anima, his very soul-shard, [I Am Hero (Dream-Chasing Soul's Wish)], suggested, Gen-san’s deep-seated love for heroes was well-known.

And so,

“…”

It was only natural for him to turn his expectant gaze upon me. Our faction’s foremost endearing warrior was as delightful as ever today.

“...Heheh, I’ll show you that in a real fight—Ouch!”

He was so delightful that I got carried away, teasingly extending and retracting the Armor from the gauntlets while dragging out my answer, only to receive some divine punishment.

Of course, it wasn’t punishment from the heavens, but from an angel.

“...Honestly, you’re getting too carried out.”

“My apologies.”

After getting a sharp poke in the side from Sora-san, along with an adorable glare… well, she was right that it was a waste of time to keep messing around.

“Alright, sorry for the wait—”

I turned and walked toward the transfer gate at the far end of the Key Tree Maze’s 86th floor, leading to the 87th. The rest of the group, their mood lightened by my childish antics, followed behind…

But today, it seemed they wouldn't have much to do, a fact they each seemed to realize.

“Let’s begin today’s expedition!”

Because a certain kid was about to go on an unrestrained rampage with his proud new toy.