Kaizen was completely satisfied with his own performance just now. It was a true display of his strength.
In this area, there were beasts that could rival Kaizen in power, though they were ultimately weaker than him. These creatures possessed strong regenerative abilities, but even they had their limits. Once the damage exceeded a certain threshold, they would disappear.
"So, if I had kept attacking that guy, I could have taken him down," Kaizen mused. "I wouldn't even need Rotten Knife to absorb that residual aura."
Then, something caught his attention, and his expression shifted in surprise.
"Fusion… Fusion."
The rewards here seemed to be tailored to the individual, providing them with the most suitable enhancements within the system's capabilities.
"Now the question is—what two beasts should I fuse?"
The first candidate to rule out was Altan. Altan was purely a support-type beast, and since Kaizen could control his beasts remotely, enhancing Altan's combat ability wasn't a priority.
"That leaves Lantern Ghost, Killer Queen, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Raiken, and Natsu."
"Fusing Lantern Ghost with Natsu would be pointless—they both have fire resistance, so their abilities would overlap instead of complementing each other. And the pain-sharing ability of Lantern Ghost doesn't synergize well with Natsu."
"Killer Queen isn't a great option either. Its uniqueness lies in its bomb ability, but it can already set bombs for other beasts to use."
"Raiken's Gravity Game of Libra is too valuable to risk compromising through fusion. His fighting skills and teleportation swap ability make him an ideal standalone beast."
"That leaves two choices: fusing Akutagawa Ryunosuke with Natsu or combining Raiken with Natsu."
Kaizen preferred the first option. Akutagawa Ryunosuke and Natsu were his two strongest Nen Beasts, each excelling in different attack styles. Merging them could create a synergy that exceeded their individual strengths.
Furthermore, Raiken's teleportation swap was already highly useful. Kaizen had learned a lot from Raiken's fighting skills, and since Natsu could directly inherit what Kaizen had mastered, the effect would be the same whether Raiken was fused or not.
"Alright, I'll fuse Akutagawa Ryunosuke with Natsu. It's a shame I don't have more time to consider alternative combinations, like incorporating the traits of the Kurta Clan's Nen Beast. But this is the best option for now."
Kaizen focused his thoughts, and the figures of Natsu and Akutagawa Ryunosuke materialized before him. A crimson light erupted between them, pulling them together with immense force.
"Fusion!"
A surge of energy exploded outward as the two Nen Beasts were drawn into the red light, forming a massive cocoon-like structure. Kaizen could feel the intense aura building up inside.
At the same time, part of his own aura was being absorbed into the process. He remained patient, waiting for the transformation to complete.
...
Half an hour later—
Crack!
A fracture formed on the cocoon's surface. The fissures spread, widening with each passing second. Then, with a final burst of energy, the cocoon shattered into countless fragments.
A brand-new figure emerged from the remnants.
Kaizen studied it carefully. "It still resembles Natsu as the dominant form… which makes sense, given Natsu's superior strength."
The newly fused beast appeared more mature than before. Its clothing had changed, incorporating additional black elements. But more importantly, its abilities had undergone a significant transformation.
"Dragon Slayer Magic… Currently available techniques include: Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, Fire Dragon's Roar, Fire Dragon's Wing Attack, Fire Dragon's Horn, Fire Dragon's Claw, and Fire Dragon's Fang."
"Rashomon… Techniques available: Karma Gate, Jaw Gate, Prison Gate Jaw, Lotus Gate and a few others."
Kaizen's eyes narrowed. "It also gained the ability to cut through space itself… That's an incredible defensive boost."
The fusion had increased the beast's overall power and raised its potential ceiling. Kaizen ran the numbers in his head.
"Before, when I used 1 unit of aura, Natsu's strength was at 3, and Akutagawa Ryunosuke's was at 2. Now, the fusion raised it to 4. That's a solid improvement."
It was impossible to reach 5, since the fusion required 2 units of aura in total. The system wouldn't allow him to save half the cost—it went against the fundamental mechanics of Nen.
"But what's more important is the increased upper limit. If Natsu's previous max was 10 and Akutagawa Ryunosuke's was 8, then post-fusion, it's now 18."
Kaizen made his decision. "This beast should still be called Natsu. It remains the core identity, while Akutagawa Ryunosuke fades into history."
"The Gravity Game of Libra has also been enhanced. The maximum gravity increase is now eightfold, while the minimum gravity reduction is three-eighths."
"Adjusting to these changes will take some effort… but the payoff is huge."
With a thought, Kaizen recalled Natsu back into his aura.
"This fusion only granted me a single new ability, but my overall strength has skyrocketed. It was worth coming to the Kurta Clan's hidden domain for this."
"And who knows? Once I absorb the Kurta Clan's traits, I might be able to create another powerful Nen Beast."
Suddenly, a surge of spatial energy wrapped around Kaizen.
In the blink of an eye, he was transported to a new area.
The ground beneath him was wet—not with water, but with blood. Corpses littered the battlefield, their lifeless eyes staring up at nothing.
Kaizen barely had time to process his surroundings before he sensed an incoming attack.
In an instant, his newly fused beast materialized beside him.
"Shiki!"
Dark red claws sprouted from his back, slashing through the nearest enemy.
Slash! Blood sprayed through the air.
The creature fell instantly, but the rest showed no hesitation. Instead of retreating, they surged forward, determined to overwhelm Kaizen and his beast.
Kaizen smirked. "Looks like we have company. Let's test out our new strength, shall we?"
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