Riku's eyes locked onto the buckle atop the pedestal. It gleamed in the soft light, unlike anything he had ever seen. The device was sleek and metallic, with an insect-like emblem on its center. Pulsing lines of energy ran across its surface, hypnotic in their rhythm.
He blinked, trying to clear his head. The fall had left him dazed, his thoughts muddled. But something about that buckle... it called to him, drawing him in like a moth to flame.
The angry buzz of the Mana Hopper swarm echoed through the tunnels above, snapping Riku back to reality. They were coming. He had to move.
Riku tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him. The pain from his wounds hit him all at once, a tidal wave of agony that threatened to drag him under. He gritted his teeth, fighting against the darkness creeping at the edges of his vision.
No. He couldn't give up now. Not when he was so close to... to what? He didn't know. But that buckle held answers, and he was sure of it.
With a groan of effort, Riku began to crawl. Every movement sent fresh waves of pain through his battered body. Blood dripped from his wounds, leaving a crimson trail across the chamber floor. But he didn't stop. Couldn't stop.
The buzz of the swarm grew louder. Closer. Riku could almost feel their hunger, their insatiable appetite for mana and flesh. His flesh.
He crawled faster, ignoring the protests of his broken body. The pedestal loomed before him, so close yet impossibly far. Riku reached out with a trembling hand, his fingers stretching towards the buckle.
The first of the Mana Hoppers entered the chamber. Riku could hear them behind him, their wings a deafening roar in the enclosed space. He didn't look back. Couldn't afford to. Every ounce of his being was focused on that buckle.
His fingertips brushed against the cool metal of the device. A jolt of energy surged through him, unlike anything he had ever felt before. It wasn't the familiar warmth of mana, but something... different. Alien. Powerful.
The swarm descended upon him just as Riku's hand closed around the buckle. He yanked it free from its stone prison, clutching it to his chest as the Mana Hoppers engulfed him in a living tide of chitin and hunger.
The world flashed bright. Riku felt the buckle fuse to him, wrapping around his waist. The pain vanished. Power surged through him. He gasped as his torn, mangled arm knitted itself back together. Flesh and bone regrew in seconds.
The bugs recoiled. Riku stood, strength flooding his limbs. A word echoed in his mind, clear as a bell: Gaio.
Without thinking, he shouted, "Gaio!"
The buckle - the Gaio Driver - hummed to life. A voice rang out, [Gaio Driver: Activate. Initiating Vanguard Protocol]
Energy swirled around Riku. His body transformed. Armor materialized, sleek and segmented like an insect's shell. Green with black accents, like a beetle.
The Driver announced, [Vanguard Form: Online. All systems operational]
Riku flexed his hands, marveling at the power. The bugs regrouped and charged.
Riku - Gaio now - moved on instinct. He leapt, soaring higher than before. He twisted, delivering a kick that exploded a bug.
The swarm attacked. Gaio ducked and weaved, his agility impossible. He lashed out, each strike infused with power. Bugs fell by the dozens, but more kept coming.
Gaio felt the bugs' mana drain, but his armor repelled their attacks. He grinned behind his mask, invincible. But he couldn't keep this up forever. Too many of them.
A new instinct surged through him. "Vanguard Strike!" he shouted.
His boot ignited with fire. Gaio spun, his leg sweeping in a wide arc. A wave of flame erupted, engulfing the bugs. They fell, wings singed and bodies burning.
The swarm attacked, their fury building to a fever pitch. The buzzing filled Gaio's ears, reverberating through his armor. He barely had a moment to catch his breath before the Mana Hoppers surged forward, mandibles clicking with hunger.
Gaio raised his arms, the sleek exoskeleton deflecting the first wave. But the sheer number overwhelmed him. They swarmed around, a living cloud of chitin and malice.
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He felt them trying to drain his mana, a strange sensation against his new form. The armor held, but for how long? Gaio didn't want to find out.
He lashed out with a kick, his enhanced strength sending Hoppers crashing into the wall. But more took their place. A large Hopper latched onto his arm, mandibles scrabbling. Gaio grunted and slammed his fist, bursting the creature in a spray of ichor.
The swarm pressed in, their disorienting buzz making it hard to focus. Gaio spun, trying to keep them at bay, but they were everywhere. Their attacks grew more vicious.
Gaio felt a flicker of doubt. The power was incredible, but would it be enough? The Hoppers seemed endless.
No. He was Gaio now. He was stronger.
With a shout, Gaio leaped, higher than before. The Hoppers followed, a living tornado. At the apex, he twisted, channeling energy.
"Vanguard Strike!" Electricity crackled as he descended, kicking with fury. Hoppers convulsed, falling smoking to the ground.
But still, they came.
Gaio landed, immediately rolling to avoid another wave. He fought to create space, fists a blur. The chamber rang with the sounds of combat.
A group latched onto his back, staggering him. More swarmed his limbs, seeking a weakness. Panic threatened to overwhelm him.
Then, something shifted. Gaio felt the armor open, and he began absorbing the ambient mana. His eyes flashed as power surged through him.
[Mana Surge] the Driver announced.
With a roar, Gaio exploded into action. Faster, stronger. The Hoppers scattered as he tore through them, fire and lightning crackling.
The swarm faltered, confused by this turn. Gaio didn't let up, channeling the mana into devastating strikes.
He stood amidst the thinned swarm, armor gleaming. Breathing hard, but alive with power. The Hoppers buzzed warily, torn between hunger and fear.
Gaio tensed, ready. For the first time, he felt a glimmer of hope. But the battle wasn't over.
...
He watched in disbelief as the remaining Mana Hoppers began to coalesce. Their individual forms melded together, chitin fusing and limbs elongating. The mass of insects twisted and grew, taking on a new, terrifying shape.
A giant grasshopper, easily twice Gaio's height, now stood before him. Its compound eyes gleamed with malevolence, mandibles clicking ominously. The creature's legs were powerful, built for devastating leaps. Its wings, now massive, created a deafening buzz that shook the chamber.
Gaio took an involuntary step back. This was beyond anything he had faced before. The confidence he had felt moments ago wavered in the face of this new threat.
The giant grasshopper struck first. It leaped, crossing the chamber in an instant. Gaio barely had time to raise his arms before the monster slammed into him. The impact sent him flying, his armored body crashing into the far wall.
Pain lanced through him, dulled but not eliminated by his transformation. Gaio struggled to his feet, shaking off the disorientation. The grasshopper was already charging again.
This time, Gaio was ready. He ducked under the creature's leap, lashing out with a kick as it passed overhead. His boot connected solidly, but the monster seemed unfazed. It landed gracefully, immediately pivoting for another attack.
The fight dragged on, Gaio growing more desperate with each passing moment. His movements were slowing, the constant barrage taking its toll. Even with his enhanced abilities, he was being overwhelmed.
A particularly vicious kick caught Gaio in the midsection, sending him sprawling. He gasped for breath, his vision swimming. The grasshopper loomed over him, mandibles spread wide.
In that moment, Riku felt true fear. Not the nervous anxiety he had known as a low-ranked hunter, but genuine terror. He was going to die here, alone in this Hollow, his new power not enough to save him.
But as the grasshopper's jaws descended, something sparked within Riku. A memory of his uncle's words: "It's not about how hard you can hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."
Gaio rolled at the last second, the grasshopper's mandibles slamming into the stone floor where he had been. He scrambled to his feet, a new determination flooding through him.
"I'm not done yet," he growled, clenching his fists.
The grasshopper turned, its compound eyes fixed on Gaio. It seemed almost confused by his continued defiance. Good. Gaio intended to use that confusion.
He charged, faster than he had moved before. The grasshopper reacted, lashing out with its forelegs. But Gaio was ready. He ducked under the strike, delivering a powerful uppercut to the monster's underbelly.
The grasshopper staggered back, genuinely hurt for the first time. Gaio pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks. Each strike was calculated, targeting joints and weak points in the creature's armor.
Gaio knew he had to end this soon. He could feel his energy waning, the toll of the prolonged fight catching up to him. But how? His strongest attacks had barely fazed the monster.
As if in answer to his thoughts, Gaio felt a surge of power within him. The Gaio Driver hummed, and a mechanical voice announced, "Finisher Protocol: Activated."
Instinctively, Gaio knew what he had to do. He crouched low, channeling every ounce of mana and energy he could muster. The grasshopper, sensing the build-up of power, charged forward in a last, desperate attack.
[Vortex Crash] the Driver announced.
He leaped high into the air, far higher than should have been possible in the confined space of the chamber. As he rose, Gaio began to spin, his body becoming a green blur of energy. The vortex around him grew larger, more intense, forming the silhouette of an insect.
The two forces met in an explosion of power. Gaio's kick struck true, piercing through the grasshopper's formidable armor. The creature let out an unearthly screech as the energy tore through it, breaking apart its fused form.
A shockwave rippled through the air and ground as the vortex of energy exploded outward. When the light faded, Gaio stood alone in the chamber. Where the giant grasshopper had been, only scattered chitin and dissipating mana remained.
Gaio's armor retracted, leaving Riku standing there, battered but victorious. He stared at the aftermath of the battle, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. The chamber floor glowed with a faint, insect-wing pattern, the last remnant of his incredible attack.