Pffft!
A mouthful of thick, sickly green blood burst from the pile of rubble as Bug God forced itself up. Crushing the massive rock pinning it down, it struggled to crawl free, dragging its ruined frame from the debris. The once-proud armor, once believed impenetrable, was now nearly shattered, with jagged fractures exposing the dark green muscle beneath like a defeated general stripped of his dignity and armor.
Yet even in this wrecked state, Bug God's aura didn't fade. If anything, it grew even more savage. At every torn gash, muscle and armor writhed with unnatural life, rapidly regenerating in pulsing waves.
Cough! Cough!
"You're pretty good, but… this is where it ends."
Wiping the blood from the corner of its mouth, Bug God's voice remained steady, still full of power. Its battered body trembled slightly, not from weakness but from fury, as if burning with newfound strength. That strength radiated off it like heat, rage mixing with an intensifying will to fight.
"Oh? Finally, about to show your real strength?"
Flames, identical to those of a Scorching Blast, suddenly ignited on Hansen's fists. The green blood splashed onto him and hissed into vapour instantly. He stood there with utter calm, making no move to strike or interrupt. Instead, he crossed his arms, watching with unshakable confidence and a spark of interest in his eyes.
"Getting ready for your final form, right? Come on, 'senpai', let the show begin."
Bug God was speechless.
Something stirred within Bug God, like a warning bell ringing in its nerves. A crackle of unease ran down its spine, sharp as lightning. For a fleeting second, a primal instinct screamed at it that something terrible was coming. But that whisper of fear was quickly drowned out by the weight of its own arrogance and certainty.
Slamming its feet down, it took a stable, grounded stance. The muscles in its arms flexed tightly, tensing as if about to burst. Its veins bulged beneath the surface like writhing dragons, pulsing with raw energy.
"So you actually guessed it… well then…"
A cruel grin spread across Bug God's face before it unleashed a roar that echoed like a demon clawing its way out of the underworld. "Let me show you my complete form, brat!!"
BOOM!
A massive shockwave ripped through the nest as the green armor that clung to Bug God's frame broke apart, flying off like shards from a shattered chrysalis. It stood bathed in a pulsating green light, and its already enormous body began expanding. Muscles surged outward, twitching and bulging, as if multiplying and breeding in real time. Bones cracked audibly beneath the pressure, limbs stretching until it towered over Hansen.
Several pairs of insect wings shot out from its back, their thin, membranous surfaces vibrating furiously, producing a sharp, shrill buzz. Metallic spikes, glinting with a cold gleam, emerged from beneath the fresh armor now covering its evolving body. The spikes jutted out like forged weapons, turning the behemoth into a living war machine.
From beneath its armpits and shoulders, four grotesque new arms tore through the skin, coated in hardened carapace and glistening with thick, sticky fluids. The moment the fresh armor made contact with air, it began to solidify, radiating a lethal aura that screamed of violence and destruction.
Final transformation, Shed Shell Liberation!!
[Monster: Bug God]
[Disaster Level: Demon (Peak)]
"Not bad, not bad!!"
The overwhelming presence of a peak Demon-level monster flooded the entire nest. The sheer pressure could have annihilated a squad of Wolf-level creatures in an instant. And amidst that suffocating weight, the steady sound of clapping echoed out.
Hansen, unfazed, stood relaxed and clapped slowly. His voice remained flat, unimpressed, but not without a hint of approval.
"As expected of a veteran, your aura is almost at Dragon-level already!"
Bug God had no words.
Feeling the explosive power coursing through its newly transformed body, Bug God's five now-fierce eyes locked onto Hansen with a murderous gleam. Its voice, heavy with arrogance, delivered a final warning.
"Brat, I'll admit it, you're a rare genius among us insectoid monsters. But in this form, I am invincible!"
Bug God smirked, "This body, from head to toe, every inch of it was born for slaughter!"
All six of its massive arms clenched into fists, emitting sharp, rapid cracks like beans popping in a fire. The pressure radiating off its towering frame was meant to crush Hansen's will on the spot.
"In the battle that's coming, I can't guarantee your corpse will remain whole. If you beg for mercy now… it might not be too late!"
"Hold on…"
Hansen tilted his head slightly, giving the bloated Bug God a strange look. His voice carried a note of sarcasm, like he'd just heard the most ridiculous thing imaginable.
"Did you just say… 'you're invincible'?"
Everyone knew that in the right circles, "invincible" was no boast, but it was a meme. An omen. A bad joke with a bloody punchline.
Bug God's powerful aura stuttered for the briefest moment. Tilting its oversized head in confusion, it blinked and asked, instinctively, "…What do you mean?"
"Nothing. I just cringed… a little. Not for the invincible part but the mercy part."
Hansen didn't bother explaining. That was the fate of every transmigrator, making jokes that only they understood. Interlocking his fingers, he stretched both arms forward, letting his joints crack sharply like a gunslinger limbering up before a duel.
Inside his body, a strange new power stirred awake like a hungry beast roused from slumber. It growled low and deep, and at the cellular level, countless miniature "selves" writhed in violent motion, all itching to split and burst free.
"Although you probably won't live long enough to see my full form…"
As Hansen spoke, ripples began spreading across the dark, spiked armor covering him. It looked like water disturbed by an unseen force, but beneath the surface, something far more violent was brewing.
"Still, since you've shown such courage, senpai, I'll return the favor. Time to take you out seriously."
"You… say… WHAT!?"
Bug God ground the words out through clenched fangs. Veins bulged across its six grotesque arms, and the already-massive muscles swelled once more. The crushing pressure that rolled off its body made the entire nest tremble, like the calm before a volcanic eruption.
But that eruption never came.
Before Bug God could unleash its fury, its five eyes went wide with disbelief as they witnessed something that would be burned into its memory forever.
Hansen's body twisted unnaturally, letting out a series of bone-grinding cracks. Then, without warning, he split open.
Cleanly. Effortlessly.
Two identical black-armored figures now stood where there had been one.
And that was only the beginning.
Two became four. Four became eight…!
Each clone that emerged was not some weakened mimic. Every single one bore the exact same grotesque form and the unmistakable, oppressive aura of a peak Demon-level monster.
The speed of the division was insane. Bug God's brain couldn't keep up. In the blink of an eye, its entire field of vision was overwhelmed. Those dark, terrifying figures spread out like a tide, multiplying uncontrollably in every direction.
One man… was a legion!
By the time over a hundred identical Hansens filled the nest from wall to wall, Bug God finally snapped out of its dazed silence. A cartoonishly simple but undeniably powerful figure flashed across its mind, and it shouted in disbelief.
"You've… got to be kidding me!! That's the signature ability of Black Sperm! How the hell do you know how to use it…?!"
In perfect sync, the countless Hansens cracked their necks and clenched their spiked fists. The resulting symphony of bone-popping echoed like the tolling of war drums, making Bug God's scalp prickle with raw dread.
The fused pressure from all those Demon-level auras crashed outward like a tidal wave, thick and overwhelming, effortlessly crushing the force Bug God had just summoned. The atmosphere warped with the weight of it.
"I split! And honestly… it feels kinda amazing?"
One clone studied his hands like they were the coolest thing he'd ever seen.
"Quit messing around. Focus!"
Another snapped, already irritated.
"Tch. This is such a drag. Why don't we just gang up on him and get it over with? I wouldn't even be here if someone hadn't insisted on showing off."
"You don't get it. We already built up all that tension. If we don't go big now, that old monster's gonna think we've got nothing left. We gotta finish strong. Right, bro? No cap!!"
"Shut your mouth, clown! That thing's mine! Don't even think about stealing the kill!!"
"Everyone shut it! We go in together. Hit him with a zero-blind-spot, total-range Scorching Blast barrage!"
"Says who? I'm the realest version of us, and I'm calling the shots!"
"…"
Hansen: "…"
Evidently, each individual clone had a mind of its own.
With so many of them, any hope for clean communication in battle vanished instantly, and they hadn't even launched an attack yet. The group had already descended into an argument.
Despite the disarray, the sight alone made the color drain from Bug God's face. A heavy bead of sweat rolled down his mutated forehead, slow and cold.
As one of the Monster Association's strongest Demon-level fighters, Bug God had seen just how monstrous those executive types truly were. He knew what it meant to face something that defied logic.
He didn't know how this brat had gained Black Sperm's division ability, but if those hundred-plus black figures weren't some kind of illusion…
Gulp.
The instant doubt entered his mind, the fight was already lost.
Bug God swallowed hard, trying to pivot. He forced his voice to sound calm and managed a dry, nervous chuckle. "Uhh… I think maybe there's been a little misunderstanding between us…?"
"Heh. Too late, old man. Also, that misunderstanding part? Also a cliché and a minus point."
Every Hansen answered at once, their voices overlapping with eerie precision, soaked in mocking amusement and absolute control.
"I actually liked that cocky tone you had in the beginning. Why don't you bring it back?" said dozens of Hansen.
Bug God was speechless, "…fuck me."