A yellow beam of light appeared above Ren Kurogane. He leaped into the air and landed steadily on the shuttle.
"Shuttle, initiate recording mode!"
"Recording mode activated for you."
"It actually works!" Ren felt a surge of joy. He hadn't expected the shuttle to have a recording function; this meant he wouldn't need Xiao Tian to help him film anymore.
Swoosh!
A streak of light tore through the sky, arriving instantly at Xiao Fei's location.
He saw Xiao Fei surrounded by four Nether-Demons. They were positioned in a Four-Symbol formation, circling him and mocking him as they toyed with him.
"Hahaha! The current Armor Squad is truly pathetic. They haven't even brought out one percent of the armor's power, yet they dare to act like heroes!"
"I think these Earthlings are just useless. If I were to summon this armor..."
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
While the demons were busy bragging, several laser beams shot down from the sky, instantly blasting the four Nether-Demons apart and turning them into QR codes.
As Xiao Fei stood there dazed, Ren jumped down from the shuttle and sealed all the codes. Without even sparing a glance at Xiao Fei, he hopped back onto the shuttle and flew off.
"Wow! Ren! What was that? You wiped them out in an instant!" Welcome's surprised and delighted voice rang in Ren's ear.
"It's a shuttle, also called the Ares Shuttle (Golden Stallion). You can summon it once your Extra-Dimensional energy reaches a certain level," Ren explained. "By the way, I can use the Golden Stallion to track the Nether-Demons' locations directly, so you don't have to strain yourself anymore, Welcome!"
"What? You think I'm redundant now?!"
Ren expected Welcome to be happy about the reduced workload, but instead, he heard her gritting her teeth in annoyance. Ren didn't quite understand women...
"Alright, please guide me, beautiful Welcome. Where is the next stop?" Although he didn't get it, Ren was always considerate. He immediately changed his tone and asked with a smile.
"Hmph! Head toward [Coordinates]! There are three Nether-Demons there. After that, go to [Coordinates]. Once those are dealt with, that's it!" After speaking petulantly, Welcome unilaterally hung up.
Ren didn't dally. He steered the Golden Stallion to the location. After a few laser sweeps, two Nether-Demons died on the spot, though one managed to escape by burrowing into the ground.
"Forget it, there will be plenty of chances to hunt him down later."
The next moment, the Golden Stallion appeared at the final location. However, the two Nether-Demons here weren't destroying anything. Instead, they were arguing with a man.
"This mindless destruction will only bring the Armor Heroes down on us! Why can't we just live peacefully on Earth?!" Kuffins (Ku Fensi) looked at his two comrades, his voice full of frustrated anger.
"Captain, these are the General's orders!"
"Yeah, we are soldiers. We cannot defy the General! Captain, you should join us!"
"I won't join you! It's been ten thousand years of constant war. Aren't you tired? Is life on Earth not good enough? Why can't we just live here as ordinary people in peace?"
The two Nether-Demons seemed somewhat swayed by Kuffins' words. Peace... hadn't they worked so hard back then just for peace? Earth was peaceful now; why bring war to it?
As the three were talking, Ren's Golden Stallion appeared above them. Ren shouted down: "You two Nether-Demons below, listen up. Release the hostage immediately, and I can give you a quick end!"
Kuffins turned around, and upon seeing the Golden Stallion, his brain short-circuited for a second. Wait, didn't you guys just summon your armors a few days ago? Why are you already 'driving'? This isn't driving; this is a cheat code!
Ren also recognized Kuffins and frowned slightly. That guy... is Kuffins, right? Why is he here? In this period, the three Captains were supposed to be laying low. Why show his face so early? Well, with the massive resurrection of Nether-Demons, I guess it's normal for the Captains to move early too.
Ren jumped from the shuttle and landed in front of the three. BOOM!! The impact caused the ground to shake, making the trio struggle to stay upright.
"You there! Get away from here. I'll handle them!" Ren shouted to Kuffins.
Sensing Ren's powerful Extra-Dimensional energy, Kuffins' expression changed drastically. He waved his hands to call for a stop. "Wait! No!"
"Hmm?" Ren looked at him with dissatisfaction. I told you to leave; why are you still lingering? "Leave now! Do you want to die?"
Boom! Ren leaped forward, grabbed Kuffins, and tossed him onto the Golden Stallion.
"Now, only you two are left!"
Ren slotted a card into his summoner. A golden hammer instantly appeared in his hand. Thunder-Steel Explosive Hammer!
"Kid!"
"Get him! Kill him, then take the Captain back to the General!"
The two demons raised their weapons and lunged at Ren.
"Hmph! Arrogant fools!" Ren snorted and stomped the ground, causing a localized earthquake. As the demons stumbled, Ren followed up. The hammer glowed with golden energy as it slammed into a demon's face.
"Thunderous Strike!"
Rumble! The demon was hammered into a QR code. The other demon, seeing this, flew into a rage and slashed at Ren blindly.
Clang! Sparks flew. Ren stumbled forward a few steps before spinning around to face his attacker. He lunged forward, the hammer striking the demon's abdomen and launching him into the sky.
Taking advantage of the demon's loss of balance, Ren inserted a card into the hammer with lightning speed. A blade suddenly extended from the weapon! Thunder-Steel Explosive Axe!
"Diamond Thunder Strike!"
Ren spun two and a half times and swung. A golden arc of energy sliced clean through the Nether-Demon's body. Amidst an explosion, the demon turned into a QR code.
"NO!" Kuffins roared from atop the Golden Stallion. Seeing his former comrade die before his eyes, he couldn't hide his grief.
"Hmm?" After sealing the codes, Ren looked at Kuffins. "You seem very upset?"
Faced with Ren's gaze, Kuffins' heart tightened. He quickly explained, "No! It's just... I almost fell off this thing just now. I was scared!"
Ren didn't press the matter. Until the Ares (Shura) Armor appeared, he wouldn't completely wipe out the Nether-Demons.
He flew back to Xiao Tian's location. Xiao Tian was fighting off three demons at once, showing incredible combat prowess. Using his "strike second, arrive first" philosophy, he was handling them with ease. Even working together, the demons couldn't break his defense, and they were frequently struck by his Punishment Palm.
"Xiao Tian! I'm here to help!" Ren shouted, dropping from the shuttle and kneeing a demon in the chest, sending it flying.
"Ren! Are you hurt?" Xiao Tian asked.
"Relax, just a few demons. They can't touch me!" Ren laughed. "Though my energy consumption is pretty high. I feel a bit 'drained' right now."
This was a lie. Since Xiao Tian had finally transformed, Ren didn't want to make it too easy for him. With Ren's backup, Xiao Tian had no problem handling the remaining three.
"Alright, you cover me. I'll finish them!" Xiao Tian said. He had heard about Ren's record from Welcome, so he found it perfectly understandable that Ren was tired.
As they spoke, Xiao Fei arrived in his sports car. He immediately transformed and rushed to their side. "I'll help you!"
Flying Shadow Armor! Fusion!
For the first time, the three armors stood together. Facing three demons, their moods were different. Xiao Fei was fuming; Ren's combat power had intimidated him slightly, especially since Ren had watched him fail to catch the demons twice. He desperately needed a kill to prove himself. Xiao Tian was steady, aiming to seal all three. Ren had already decided to slack off—he had sealed eight demons today and done his part.
The battle began. Xiao Fei used his Shadow Legs, kicking one demon away from the battlefield. Xiao Tian used his "Displace and Shift" ability to appear behind another demon, landing a Punishment Palm on its back.
Smack! The demon let out a scream and face-planted onto the ground. Ren summoned his Explosive Fists and simply squared off against the third demon without attacking.
Suddenly, black mist began to rise from the demons. Xiao Fei, knowing the signs, realized they were about to flee. He and Xiao Tian immediately initiated their Armor Finisher techniques! A magnetic field covered the area, pulling the four of them into a finishing space.
Ren was left alone on the street, staring at the remaining Nether-Demon.
"Hey, demon. Go back and tell Lufa: King Peir has been deposed for corruption. The person in charge of Ares has changed."
"What?! Is that true?!" Kubixiu asked excitedly.
"Heh. I've delivered the message. Whether you believe it is up to you."
The next second, Kubixiu vanished. Shortly after, Xiao Tian and Xiao Fei reappeared. After sealing the QR codes, the three deactivated their armor.
"Ren, did that guy get away?" Xiao Tian asked.
"Yeah, he was fast," Ren nodded. "Alright, everyone's tired. Let's go back to Welcome's to rest. Xiao Tian, take me to get my bike first." Ren had arrived on the Golden Stallion, leaving his motorcycle back at the first site.
"Sure!" The two rode off. Xiao Fei hesitated for a moment before getting in his car and heading to the shop.
Back at the shop, the wind chimes tinkled.
"You're finally back!" Welcome cheered. She rushed over and patted Ren on the shoulder. "Nice job, Ren! You took out eight of them by yourself!"
Ren scratched his head. "Hehe, those demons were weak. They're no match for my Bursting Diamond!"
"Exactly! Little Ren is the strongest!" Welcome said grinning. "That makes ten demons sealed, with thirteen left. But judging by Ren's performance today, those demons are nothing! By the way, how did you summon the shuttle? We need to get such a powerful asset as soon as possible!"
"You can summon it once your Extra-Dimensional energy is high enough. It's not that hard." Ren sat down. "Boss, give me some water!"
"Coming right up~" Since it was a total victory, Welcome was much more agreeable and poured water for all three.
Ren pulled out his phone and started editing. Xiao Tian sat beside him. "How did you film it this time?"
"With the shuttle!" Ren said. "I'm telling you, alien tech is something else. The resolution is way higher than Earth's!"
"Don't worry, our profit-sharing deal still stands. I'll transfer your cut once I withdraw the money tomorrow!"
Xiao Tian nodded, but he felt a bit guilty. He was supposed to be the cameraman, but now he hadn't helped at all. Maybe I should start my own account? He shared this thought with Ren.
"Operating independently is fine, but wait until you can summon your own shuttle. For now, we'll share one. The money I'm giving you is basically an 'appearance fee' for the Punishment Heaven Armor!"
"Deal!" Xiao Tian agreed.
Welcome rested her chin in her hands. "Hey, Ren, do you need an account manager? I can help!"
"No thanks!" Ren refused flatly. "I can manage it myself. Xiao Tian is just an 'employee'; I'll fire him eventually to keep the wealth for myself!"
"Fine, be like that~" Welcome pouted. Xiao Fei had no interest in short videos. He was rich and didn't care for such trivial things.
Ting-dong~
The door opened again. A man in a black tracksuit walked in. He smiled and introduced himself: "Summoners, Hidden One! I am Qing Zizai, the Technique Master among the Three Masters! I look forward to working with you!"
The four stared at him for a moment and nodded. "Oh, hello." Then they went back to their business.
Ren uploaded the new videos with high-energy music. Within moments, the views began to skyrocket. As he immersed himself in the joy of making money, Qing Zizai approached them.
"Gentlemen, as the Technique Master, I know many combat secrets for the armors. If you're interested, you can find me in the woods at the back of Hope Park."
"Combat techniques?" This time, he wasn't ignored. Xiao Fei stood up and ordered: "Teach me the Flying Shadow techniques right now. I need to get stronger fast!"