“This isn’t as easy or convenient as it looks, you know?”

Click-click...

Bam...

A powerful shockwave erupted from one of the panels floating near Kalstein, sending nearby monsters flying away.

“Hmph.”

Then, from another panel, the sound of electricity crackling filled the air, followed by a blinding white magnetic field.

“Kiiieeek!”

Two of the monsters Kalstein had targeted were pulled toward the magnetic field with a screech.

Crunch...

The two monsters’ heads were lopped off as Kalstein lightly swung his spear.

“Well... it’s true it’s convenient when it works.”

Bzzt...

From three more panels, red electrical currents flared, followed by laser beams that scraped through the air.

Fwoosh—fwoosh—fwoosh—

The high-intensity lasers left only ashes in their wake as they sliced through everything in their path.

The other panels then began taking turns, lasers scraping around in every direction.

Boom—crack—fwoosh—

Around Kalstein, 24 panels moved busily, each carrying out its own task.

“But since it’s all controlled mentally, it might take a little time to get used to.”

Forum Comments:

• “...Equipment’s doing all the work.”
• “Is this what it's like hunting solo with a party?”
• “He’s controlling all 24 himself?”
• “Is that a gear sword?”
• “Looks like the equipment just takes care of the rest. Kinda crazy.”
• “Weren’t those monsters fine after taking a missile? They’re just melting now?”
• “Personal gear stronger than a spaceship...?”

“The ship is a fast-attack type, so it's a bit on the weaker side.”

• *“Wait... if a ship that shoots hundreds of missiles is weak...”
• “The monster that survived that? What kind of monster are we talking about?”
• “I mean, it’s probably some kind of space monster haha.”
• “But is the range on the gear a bit weak?”

“Well... it’s possible to do things like this.”

The 24 panels combined, forming a massive cannon. Kalstein gripped the handle and poured ether into it. A huge sphere of concentrated energy began to form in front of him.

Bzzt...

The asteroid beneath him cracked, and pieces of rock rose into the air.

• “Wait, does it combine too?”
• “What can’t it do? I saw it even help with movement earlier.”
• “Top, bottom, left, right... automatic platforms everywhere...”
• “That used to be a shield?!”
• “It was attached to the spear he's holding.”
• “This isn’t some 15-stage transforming shield, is it?”

A red flash erupted from the cannon.

Vooooom...

The recoil was so strong that Kalstein’s body was thrown back, and the flash from the cannon filled his entire field of vision.

The beam shot forward, and monsters by the thousands were incinerated by the burning red light.

Boom—

The flash subsided, destroying the heart of a giant monster over several hundred kilometers in size.

• “Oh, that’s over. One shot, hahaha.”
• “Wait, that monster was huge, wasn’t it?”
• “I couldn’t really tell because of the perspective, but isn’t that big enough to be a country-sized creature?”
• “It’d be the end of the world if that showed up in our world.”
• “Wait, you’re saying it’s easier to catch than eating ice cream?”
• “Probably just big and slow, right?”
• “No way, right? Hahahaha.”
• “So, what about the 15-stage transforming shield? Are we getting that too?”
• “If we roll the gachas hard enough, can we get the gear he’s using?”
• “Is that even possible? Haha.”
• “People are losing their minds over an ogre, and here you have Kalstein...”

“Hmph. The 15-stage transforming shield... well, that’s not wrong. This kind of thing is possible too.”

Kalstein released the cannon, and it broke apart, attaching to his armor piece by piece.

Clank—clank—

The massive armor formed, making Kalstein look twice as large.

Forum Comments:

• “Wait, now it’s a combining robot?”
• “...This is kinda childish... but its performance is crazy...”
• “Man...”
• “So why’s the performance still so good?”

[Speed Mode Activated]

Click—

The panels attached to Kalstein’s full-body armor shifted into a streamlined shape, and boosters revealed themselves between the joints.

A blue flash erupted from the boosters as they powered up.

• “Whoa.”
• “Hahahaha, boosters! Hahahaha!”
• “Haha, he put everything in there!”
• “So you’re not going to buy one, huh? Haha.”
• “If you buy one, it’ll bark at you like a dog.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure your visual acuity will keep up with this.”

Zoom...

With that, Kalstein disappeared in an instant.

Forum Comments:

• “??”
• “What the...? Is this what Kalstein sees?”
• “It feels like he’s living in a different time zone.”
• “Can’t see anything...”
• “Kalstein! Can you fix the camera? I can’t see a thing!”

Boom—Bang—Thud—Boom—

As Kalstein moved, monsters began to disappear as if being erased from existence.

• “What the hell? Poor monsters.”
• “Monster rights group here. Stop the massacre.”
• “Mass...acre.”
• “Stop! I can’t see anything!”
• “What speed is he moving at?”
• “Speed of light...?”
• “Hahahaha.”
• “He’s teleporting!”

Monsters kept charging in, but there was no sense of tension.

And then—

• “Support’s here.”
• “How many of those ships are there?”
• “The little guy’s behind Kalstein.”
• “They’ve been trailing him from behind the whole time.”
• “Yeah, they’re the same as the ones earlier. They catch up and run ahead, only to fall behind again.”
• “I thought Kalstein was being chased by a fleet.”
• “At that speed, there’s no way they can catch up while he’s sweeping away monsters like that!”

Kalstein’s equipment demonstration had caused a massive spike in viewership. Since he was always a mysterious figure, the gear demonstration had drawn everyone’s attention.

It could be said that most users logged into the dimensional integration community were now watching.

• “This is what you call equipment, right?”

• “I heard he spent all his wealth buying this stuff. Hahaha.”

• “I’ve been watching from the start, and what’s showing now is at least reasonable.”

• “Reasonable?”

• “I seriously thought it was all fake before.”

• “No movie would ever show this kind of gear, haha.”

• “Where’s the balance?”

• “What’s missing for Kalstein to have everything?”

• “Shouldn’t a king with everything look like a fat old guy?”

• “Why, oh why...”

[End of Equipment Demo]

Kalstein finally noticed the named monsters around him and began deactivating his armor, switching to his shield.

• “Wait, from now on? We’re already losing our minds here.”
• “More gear to show?!”
• “How much are all those donations?”
• “Oh god...”
• “Are you gonna sell it or just keep bragging?”
• “When Kalstein feels like it, he’ll drop a few for us.”
• “Really?”
• “They’ll be premium-priced and insanely expensive, hahahaha.”

Forum Comments:

• “Ah, something’s finally happening.”
• “He’s tearing them apart with his bare hands.”
• “What’s even a monster anymore?”
• “The sense of deprivation...”

Kalstein ventured deeper into the heart of the battlefield.
His focused gaze paid no attention to the chat window.

Boom—

The wave of monsters was pushed back.
A spear flew forward, cutting through the air.

Crack—Boom—

A group of monsters was obliterated, chunks of their bodies scattered in all directions.
A massive monster, its entire body shattered, fell apart.

Clang—Clang—

Kalstein deflected the monster's teeth with his full-body armor.

Boom—Whoosh—

His movements, simple yet powerful, almost mechanical, tore through everything in his path.

Kalstein, tearing apart every monster that came at him, resembled a black hole, sucking them all in.
At the same time, various mechanical devices assisted him, firing beams and bullets in a relentless barrage.

The community viewers grew increasingly silent, watching the spectacle unfold.

• “...”
• “Whoa...”
• “This is insane.”
• “A killing machine.”
• “I can’t even tell who’s the machine anymore.”
• “Don’t mess with him, guys.”

They watched his massacre, completely mesmerized—so much so that it even seemed beautiful.

However, Kalstein had no time to check the community’s reactions.

“Time’s slipping away.”
[“The resistance is tougher than expected. It seems we’ve found the right one.”]
“That’s a relief, then.”

Boom—Flash—

Grrr—
Kiiieeek!
Raarrrgh!

Monsters threw themselves at Kalstein, trying to hold him back with every ounce of strength. Among the regular monsters, some named monsters occasionally attempted ranged attacks.

Boom—Flash—

Even for Kalstein, it was inevitable that he would be slightly delayed.

At that moment, something appeared in his vision as the density of monsters decreased due to the spear he had thrown.

It was him.

“...Aria. Did you see that?”
[“Yes. I saw it clearly.”]

Riding atop a colossal monster, No. 17 Prohydan led the higher-tier creatures away from the battlefield.

He even had two M-sites attached to him.

It was only a glimpse from behind, but Kalstein knew who it was.

“Where are you sneaking off to...?”

Kalstein grinned, drawing ether into his body. The communication interference from the M-sites flickered momentarily.

[Clear the way.]

Vroom—

The formation of the fleet, which had been following Kalstein, started to shift.

Forum Comments:

• “Run, monster!”
• “Damn it!”
• “Kalstein’s going wild!”
• “Oh, the damage is ruined!”
• “Hahaha, the monster’s done for. Tried to escape, but got caught!”
• “Monster: How did I fall for this?”
• “Gah! Kalstein’s coming for me!”

As usual, the community was in an uproar.