Ren Asakura being placed on a wanted list wasn't all that surprising.
After all, he really had been acting outrageously.
"Yes," said Mai in a calm voice. "The Japanese underworld's influence extends into politics. Just a bit of manipulation is enough to get someone on a wanted list."
She paused, then added, "Of course, that's not the worst part. The worst part is that in the world of hybrids, the wanted notice names you as a Dragon King."
Ren Asakura gave a slight smile.
"What does a wanted notice for Dragon King Ren Asakura have to do with me, Immortal Ren Asakura?"
Mai: "...!"
"Relax, relax! We have cognition-interference spells active. No one's going to recognize us."
Ren Asakura waved it off like it was no big deal.
Mai nodded and began making arrangements—vehicles, logistics, the works.
At that moment, the "Potato Chip Girl" had already arrived in Japan.
She was staying at the Kuroishi Residence, a property Lu Mingze had purchased long ago.
On the computer screen in front of her were all of Mai's operational requirements.
"These ferocious little bunnies want to go play in Akihabara! Let's see what kind of flashy ride we can prepare!"
Compared to Mai, who was constantly on the front lines, her role as the logistics "nanny" was undeniably safer.
—
At a luxury hotel.
Ren Asakura looked at the three Dragon King and asked:
"Are you guys planning to stay behind and guard the place, or are you coming with us to Akihabara?"
Old Tang glanced at his two younger brothers.
"Bringing them along shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Ren Asakura: "Of course not."
Old Tang chuckled.
"I've had my eye on a super cool game. Akihabara used to be Electric Town—you can find all kinds of fun stuff there. Since we're here, we've got to go."
Ren Asakura's gaze subtly shifted to Fenrir.
There was a trace of reluctance in Fenrir's eyes—if he went out to play, he wouldn't be able to watch TV.
Ren Asakura reached out and patted his head.
"A brave armored warrior doesn't stay cooped up watching TV all day. Oh, right—I've got a little gift for you. I hope you'll like it."
Ren Asakura pulled out the Earth Tiger Armor Transformer from behind his back.
The moment Fenrir saw it, his eyes lit up.
"Big brother… are you Earth Tiger Man!?"
Fenrir looked at him with pure worship in his eyes.
As expected, children were powerless before the charm of tokusatsu heroes.
"That's right."
Ren Asakura's tone turned solemn, then he continued:
"But today, the power to protect justice is entrusted to you, Fenrir. You are the new summoner of the Light and Shadow Armor—Earth Tiger Man. The battle against monsters is yours now. Don't let me down, alright?"
To an outsider, this would've sounded like two people deep in a chuunibyou delusion.
But Fenrir nodded seriously.
"Can I really do it… Big Brother?"
"Of course. Fenrir will become the greatest Earth Tiger Man."
Ren Asakura ruffled his adorable little head.
Fenrir picked up the Earth Tiger Armor and strapped it to his right arm.
Images of transformation poses from the tokusatsu show instantly filled his mind.
They were identical to what he'd seen on TV.
Ren Asakura looked at him with a serious expression.
"Don't forget, Earth Tiger Man has to keep his identity hidden. Remember, we are heroes. We can't use this power recklessly. Only when we're sure the enemy is truly evil can we unleash it."
Fenrir nodded enthusiastically.
Just as Ren Asakura stood up and turned around—
—he was met with Lu Mingfei's face full of silent resentment.
It was just like a wife discovering that her husband had been neglecting her, even though they shared the same bed.
"Boss~!"
Ren Asakura shivered involuntarily at the tone dripping with resentment, goosebumps prickling all over his body.
"Talk like a normal person!"
Lu Mingfei complained out loud.
"Boss, I want one too! Even Fenrir has armor, and he's your most loyal lapdog…"
Lu Mingfei admitted he was jealous.
Even though he was a cultivator, armored warriors were seriously cool!
He wanted a suit of armor too.
And this time he was going to Akihabara—the holy land of cosplay, where all kinds of anime characters and tokusatsu heroes gathered.
If he walked around in full armor, he'd look absolutely epic.
"Boss, I know the armored warrior's summoner is technically an energy converter, but you're so awesome, so unbeatable, so ridiculously powerful, so incredible—you can definitely make one that converts spiritual energy!"
Sometimes a loser becomes terrifying when they shamelessly double down.
Or maybe Lu Mingfei had just long grown used to living without shame.
Ren Asakura rubbed his forehead.
"With just the pitiful amount of spiritual energy in your Foundation Establishment stage? A full-spec summoner is out of the question. I can only make a budget version for you."
A flash of light shimmered in Ren Asakura's hand.
A golden armored summoner appeared.
It was a golden Five Elements Taiji compass.
A golden dragon coiled around the Taiji symbol, and each element represented a different armor:
Metal – Snow Mastiff Armor
Wood – Wind Hawk Armor
Water – Black Rhino Armor
Fire – Flame Dragon Armor
Earth – Earth Tiger Armor
"No way, is this the Emperor Armor Summoner?! Boss, you really are my favorite! I swear, from now on I'll be your most loyal, most devoted, most diehard lackey ever!"
Lu Mingfei was beyond thrilled and itching to transform.
Ren Asakura extended a hand, stopping him.
"Let me say this first—your inner power is nowhere near the level of a Dragon King's. So this Emperor Armor is mostly for show. While it still retains all its functions and none of the abilities are technically nerfed, its actual power won't compare to the armor used by the Dragon Kings. It's like two people using the same character in a game—one has fully upgraded gear with +15 enhancements, the other is in default sky-blue and white. Same skills, vastly different damage output. Got it?"
Lu Mingfei nodded frantically.
He was clearly already beyond impatient.
Ren Asakura handed over the Emperor Armor Summoner.
There was actually one thing Ren Asakura hadn't mentioned:
Although it was a low-spec version, the summoner's conversion rate was the same as those used by the Dragon Kings.
In other words, if Lu Mingfei made a deal with his younger brother and obtained that terrifying power, the Emperor Armor Summoner would be able to convert it—
and the resulting armor would surpass all others.
Lu Mingfei looked at the disk-like summoner in his hand and asked, confused:
"How do I transform with this?"
"You idiot, it's a belt. Place it on your stomach. The Emperor Armor Summoner will automatically eject the belt, and then you can transform."
A vision of the Emperor Armor transformation appeared in Lu Mingfei's mind.
He placed the Emperor Armor Summoner on his stomach.
A golden belt popped out and wrapped around his waist.
"Emperor Armor, fusion!"
Golden light shimmered.
Shoulders, knees—the armor began to appear on his body piece by piece.
The whole process looked unbelievably cool.
Finally, a golden helmet materialized, completing the transformation.
This was the unawakened version of the Emperor Armor—it didn't yet have the golden shield on the chest.
It was the armor summoned by Ziyang.
°°°
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