"All right, now it's your turn."
After introducing the Light Bowgun, Hibasa turned his attention to Altaïr. "Your new Armor Set is nearly complete too, but there are still a few decorative pieces I haven't had time to attach. They won't affect its performance, so let me introduce it to you first."
Hibasa led Altaïr to a human-shaped stand bearing a full suit of armor. It was primarily purple-black, accented by a few gold patterns.
The armor followed a more traditional design. It fit relatively close to the body and had clearly been made for ease of movement. Its most distinctive feature was the helmet, which bore two horns, one golden-yellow and the other purple-black. The grille of the visor had also been shaped to resemble a single eye.
The set had plainly been modeled on the Chaotic Gore Magala whose metamorphosis had failed.
Before Altaïr could offer an opinion, Isis spoke first. "Wow! Just like that old Skalda S set of yours, it makes you look like a bad guy."
She immediately corrected herself. "No, no, that's not right. The Skalda S set only made you look like a villain. This one makes you look like a full-blown Demon King."
"Exactly! The design philosophy behind this Armor Set is 'A Demon King Fallen into Chaos'! This helmet governs 'temptation' and 'blessing'; this chest armor, 'doubt' and 'conviction'; these vambraces, 'restraint' and 'liberation'; these tassets, 'falsehood' and 'truth'; and these greaves, 'suffering' and 'repose'! What do you think? Isn't it absolutely thrilling?" Hibasa explained with an excited expression.
A rare look of confusion crossed Altaïr's face. "What does that mean? Do those opposing words have some special significance?"
"No, but it looks cool, doesn't it?" Hibasa shot back as though the answer were obvious.
The corner of Altaïr's mouth twitched. Not wanting to dampen Hibasa's enthusiasm, he offered a perfunctory reply. "It certainly is very cool."
"It can be even cooler! The most important ornament for this Armor Set hasn't been installed yet. Once it's attached, you'll be the center of attention in any crowd!"
"What kind of ornament? A cape?" Altaïr asked warily.
It had been the same when Hibasa forged the Espinas Armor Set. He had wanted to add a flashy, impractical shoulder piece and dye the armor a dazzling pink, but Altaïr had politely declined.
How could he put it... Mr. Hibasa was intelligent and remarkably reliable when it mattered, but when it came to clothing and appearance, he had a pronounced taste for flamboyance. Altaïr could not quite appreciate that aesthetic.
"A conventional cape is too dull. I plan to fit her with a genuine pair of demon wings! She'll look magnificent and be impossible to forget!"
"Please allow me to refuse." Altaïr shook his head decisively. "They'd be too cumbersome. They'd interfere with combat maneuvers, wouldn't they?"
"Not much..." Hibasa replied evasively.
Noticing Altaïr's skeptical gaze, he hurriedly added, "Wing-shaped decorations on armor are hardly unprecedented. The Azure Rathalos and Silver Rathalos sets in the Rathalos Series both feature similar components. Those simply aren't as large or as spectacular as my demon wings..."
"Please remove them," Altaïr said with utmost seriousness.
"All right." Hibasa looked helpless and disappointed.
The armor was a custom order made from materials Altaïr had provided, so he naturally had the right to decide its appearance.
My demon wings...
After sighing mournfully over the rejection of his prized design, Hibasa collected himself and continued explaining the armor.
"This Armor Set is called Chaotic. She is extremely dangerous, but also perfectly suited to you. You'll need to take exceptional care when using her."
"Please, go on." Altaïr took out the notebook he carried with him and began taking notes.
"First, as you've already noticed, although she is a full-coverage suit of armor, she has none of those especially heavy, bulky plates. The entire set is close-fitting and flexible, so even the most precise attack movements won't be hindered. (Critical Eye, Critical Boost)"
Altaïr nodded firmly. He liked that.
"That is only the foundation. This armor's core blessing is closely tied to the wearer's 'injury and pain.'"
"Injury and pain? You mean when I am wounded?"
"Something like that, but the focus isn't the 'injury' itself. It's the 'pain.' This armor's core blessing is activated by pain (red health). Do you understand what I mean?"
"More or less, but could you explain it in greater detail?"
"For example, you've been infected with the Frenzy Virus before. You know the scorching sensation when it flares up, as though every scrap of flesh and every drop of blood in your body were being burned to ash, correct? That's the kind of pain I mean.
"By contrast, suppose you fracture a bone but immobilize it and use ice to numb the pain. The injury hasn't healed, but the pain is greatly reduced. That wouldn't count."
"I see. I understand now," Altaïr said thoughtfully. "Then the agony I feel when I activate Devouring Demon, when my blood and vital energy boil so violently that my body feels ready to collapse at any moment, would count too, right?"
"Of course." Hibasa was more than a smith. He also knew something about obscure Hunter Arts like Devouring Demon.
After all, his wife knew how to use it.
"In that state of 'injury and pain,' she will fully awaken, greatly amplifying both your strength and mental focus. The more severe the pain, the stronger that power becomes. (Strife, Resentment, Berserk)"
"Now that is... excellent!" Altaïr's mouth curled into an eager grin.
Isis and the others felt their scalps prickle.
Before this, injury and pain had merely been the price Altaïr paid to unleash immense power. Once he donned Chaotic, they would instead become the means by which he gained even greater power.
Was this a virtuous cycle or a vicious one? It was like pulling oneself up by one's own bootstraps...
"One last thing. This armor was forged from a mixture of Gore Magala, Chaotic Gore Magala, and Shagaru Magala materials. The Frenzy Virus is part of those creatures' physical makeup. However thoroughly we suppress its activity, the wearer will still develop symptoms of infection.
"The same applies to both Gore Magala and Shagaru Magala Armor Sets. Chaotic is no exception.
"But don't worry. After our treatment, this strain of the Frenzy Virus is no longer contagious. Paired with a high-quality Wystone, it can be kept securely under control.
"Once you remove the armor, simply keep wearing the Wystone for a while. It will eliminate every trace of residual virus in your body, so there is no need to worry about a lingering infection."
"All right." Altaïr gazed at the armor before him, which seemed to constantly radiate malevolent resentment.
Following Lady Maki's advice, he had already given up on using the Frenzy Virus and completely purged it from his body with medicine and a Wystone.
Now, however, it seemed he would have to use it after all.
Still, since the armor had undergone special treatment that suppressed the Frenzy Virus's activity, it should be relatively safe. Surely using it just a little would be fine?
The emotion in Altaïr's eyes was not worry or regret, but a dangerous glint of excitement.
"By the way, are you sure you won't reconsider the wings?" Hibasa seemed determined to make one last attempt.
Altaïr shook his head decisively. "No, thank you."
Hibasa refused to give up. "What about dyeing it, then? Green and pink are both excellent choices! We could even combine them. It would be dazzling!"
"I have a feeling that doing so would make the resentment lurking in this armor erupt even more violently."
* * *
Conquering the Anime Multiverse is also available here on Webnovel. Thank you for reading.