"Tch, why can't I find something that fits the Demon King vibe?"
Kairo Retsu muttered as he rummaged through the equipment chest brought by the Felyne.
Laios was also trying on various armor sets during this time, but none of them really satisfied them.
Sure, some of the gear looked cool—but none of them gave off that Demon King aura Kairo was after.
"How about the Odogaron set? Or maybe Deviljho's gear? No, no good—both are decent, but just don't scream 'Demon King'..."
Kairo scratched his head in frustration.
"These clothes adapt to your body shape the moment you put them on… how does that even work?"
Chilchuck muttered, now dressed in the Pukei-Pukei set.
Senshi, who already had a dwarf's stocky build, looked even bulkier now in the Uragaan armor…
"Damn it, if only we had some Elder Dragon gear!" Kairo grumbled.
"There are so many sets among the Elder Dragons that look perfect for a Demon King!"
"Meow, if it's just for the appearance, you don't actually need to defeat the Elder Dragon, nya!"
The Felyne managing the equipment chest perked up at Kairo's complaints.
"If the armor doesn't need any of the power stats, then you don't need to beat an Elder Dragon, nya!"
"Guildmaster, is there a specific Elder Dragon armor appearance you're looking for, nya?"
The Felyne's question lit up Kairo's face.
"Then go with Nergigante!! The Death Stench Beta!!"
"That one always stuck in my head—it totally screams 'Demon King'!"
"Meow! Then I'll go tell Blacksmith Felyne right meow!"
The Felyne cheerfully took off with a skip.
"I'll be back soon with your armor, nya!"
"Wait, Guildmaster—do you have any Nergigante materials, nya?"
The Felyne paused to look back.
"Huh?" Kairo blinked.
"I need materials?!"
"That's right, nya!" the Felyne nodded.
"But since you only need the appearance, it's not much! Just a tiny bit of Nergigante material will do, nya!"
"Where am I supposed to find Nergigante material?! I don't even have Plunderblade Felynes around to help me farm Fatalis Eyes…"
Kairo deflated on the spot.
"Guess I'll just have to come up with another—"
Before he could finish, Laios began rummaging through his pack and pulled out a small pile of black spines.
"Nergigante material… would these count?"
"Perfect, nya!"
The Felyne took the spines and examined them with a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Mmm… very active! These'll work great for appearance-only armor, nya!"
"I'll go get your gear, nya!"
With that, the Felyne cheerfully scampered off.
"!"
Kairo stared wide-eyed at Laios.
"Where the hell did you get Nergigante materials?!"
"From… y'know, when the two of us got attacked by that Nergigante last time?"
Laios replied casually.
"Pulled these out of our own bodies afterwards."
"...?"
A literal question mark formed above Kairo's head.
He suddenly realized he had been thinking way too big when it came to "material sourcing"...
Back when Mehmey launched that palm strike at them and impaled them with those giant spines... yeah, those technically were Nergigante parts...
"I've got a question,"
Marcille, now dressed in armor that obscured her face, stepped forward.
"If you're planning to become the Dungeon Lord, why don't you just use the Dungeon Lord's powers to create your armor?"
"No good. Dungeon Lord-made gear falls apart when broken,"
Kairo shook his head.
"But Hunter gear is different."
He placed his hands on his hips.
"Even if your body gets chopped in half and grows back, your armor stays on! These sets still carry the monster's vitality!"
"...Though I will say the clothes under the armor are a different story..."
Kairo adjusted his waist armor.
"Last time I was fighting, I got sliced clean in half—and when my butt grew back, my pants didn't. Good thing the armor was still intact!"
"You wouldn't believe how comfy this gear is, even wearing it in the buff…"
"?!"
Marcille stiffened after hearing that.
Vitality?
She suddenly felt like the armor on her own body had a heartbeat… and it made her really uncomfortable.
"Ohhh! I get it now!"
Laios clapped his hands.
"Just like when we wore the frog suits!"
"...Are we really going to survive today?"
Chilchuck muttered, staring blankly into the distance.
Senshi, watching him from the side, began pondering what kind of food might help ease his anxiety...
"Alright!"
Kairo, now fully suited up, equipped his Insect Glaive and struck a stylish pose.
"Next up—we wait for Kazuma to get devoured by the Winged Lion! Then the Winged Lion will come to us!"
"I'm gonna become the Dungeon Lord!!"
"Huh?" Laios blinked.
"Weren't I supposed to become the Dungeon Lord?"
"No way—it's obviously me."
Kairo waved him off.
"You're the Demon King, remember? Since when does a Demon King get eaten by a demon mid-reign? I'll take the role first."
"Besides... can you really promise you won't turn into that again?"
He was clearly referring to Laios's transformation into a Chimera in the original storyline.
Laios averted his eyes guiltily.
"Kairo, if you really become the Dungeon Lord, I have a favor to ask!"
Marcille approached him anxiously.
"Falin's body is still beneath that treehouse. I—"
"Relax. I'll make sure she's safe."
Kairo nodded.
"Don't worry. I've already thought about what I'm going to do once I become the Dungeon Lord."
He grinned confidently.
"Laios can keep the Demon King role! As for the Demon King's throne..."
Kairo gave a mysterious smile.
"Of course, I'll prepare the best base for it!!"
"Is that so?"
As Kairo said this, the Winged Lion's voice echoed beside them.
"Very good. Sustaining desire strengthens your drive—and of course, makes the taste of that desire all the more delicious."
The Winged Lion appeared behind Kairo, smiling.
"So, are you ready to become the Dungeon Lord now?"
"You've already eaten up all of Kazuma's desire?"
Kairo scratched his chin and glanced around the Dungeon.
"Doesn't seem like the place changed that much, though."
"Didn't you notice the increase in Succubus Mosquitos roaming the Dungeon?"
The Winged Lion chuckled.
"I worked quite hard to save you all for last…"
"You wish to leave this Dungeon by riding the wave of your own desire."
"And I am happy to go with that flow."
The Winged Lion's grin widened.
"You and I… shall be excellent partners."
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