Power of an Ancient King- Part 2 (Patreon)

Faced with a long list of challengers, Rauru decides to double down on bulking up. Enjoy!

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Rauru had grown to appreciate the roar of the crowd. An arena had been constructed just to see the Zonai King spar with Hyrule's mightiest champions— and with the god-like strength that the Triforce of Power had granted him, he was undefeated. It had started with a number of disrespectful Goron warriors not heeding his summons as King— and he still felt particularly proud of this result. As King, he got to flex his power— literally, as his augmented, bulging musculature could attest— but in such a way that avoided any heavy-handed or tyrannical measures. He won the respect of Hyrule's warriors, gave the people a show, and could demonstrate just how strong the first King of a united Hyrule was.

He held out his arms and curled them, pumping swollen biceps and anvil-like triceps, posing for the crowd as his fallen Goron opponent humbly picked himself up. It had been the last of a series of bouts he had put on for a tournament, and now, he could make a bow, bask in the adulation of the arena's crowd, but then finally get back to the business of actually ruling his kingdom. Rauru grinned, blowing a kiss to his queen Sonia, then marched out of the arena.

"A very good showing, Your Majesty," a Steward Construct announced, already presenting Rauru with water and a cloth to cool down. 

The King nodded. "It was exhilarating, I will admit. But I am glad the tournament is over— I think the point has been made; Hyrule is in the hands of a strong King, and now I can focus on actually being King."

There was a flash in the glowing receptors that powered the enchanted construct. "Your Majesty, you have five new challenges. There are three Gerudo warriors and two Hylian knights that wish to face you in single combat."

"What? Five of them— but I just held a whole tournament!" Rauru gasped in astonishment.

"I can prepare letters of refusal, Your Majesty. Based on the rules of engagement, you are well within your rights to refuse."

Rauru threw his hands up in frustration. "No, no. Just… tell them that their challenges will be accepted." The musclebound Zonai paused. "But as the challenged, I have the right to dictate terms of the challenge, yes?"

"That is correct, Your Majesty."

"Then tell them I will need a week." He paused to think. "I will also face five of them— all at once."

The construct did not betray any emotion, if indeed it could feel any. "If that is what you wish, Your Majesty."

Rauru nodded curtly. "It is." He then did his best to retire to the palace unseen. He sat in a place of meditation in the Temple of Light, an idea slowly worming its way through his mind. Mineru peeked inside the temple, frowning softly as she saw how tense her brother seemed, his huge back muscles tensed, arms locked in place as he held his meditation pose.

"For someone trying to reach peace within the light, you seem very tense," Mineru commented.

Rauru let out a loud, long sigh, groaning with frustration as his broad shoulders slumped. "This is the first moment of peace I've had in weeks. Everywhere I turn, there's some new young pissant that thinks they can take a shot at me. Don't they know I'm King?"

Mineru chuckled. "You keep saying how you want to be a man of the people. We didn't think you didn't actually mean it."

"Well, of course I mean it, but really— I do have to run this country." Rauru sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I have a plan in mind. I need you to tell me it's stupid and foolhardy."

"Oh, well I've always been good at that," the other Zonai quipped.

Rauru stood to his full height. "I want to double down. I want to use the Triforce again to become bigger, stronger— large enough that no one will want to fight me."

Mineru's eyes widened. "You want to use the Triforce— which was already risky as is— to become so big that no one will want to fight you, even though you becoming big in the first place is what's drawn the attention of every foolhardy fighter across Hyrule?"

Rauru spread his hands. "That's… the long and the short of it, yes."

His sister's mouth thinned as she folded her arms, staring Rauru down for a moment, the King's ears drooping as he looked at his sister with a pleading look. Finally, she sighed, shaking her head. "I'll prepare the ritual, then."

Sometime later, Rauru and Sonia watched on as Mineru and a few helpers prepared the space in the Temple of Light. Sonia looked up to her husband. "You're… quite sure about this?" She asked, the Hylian queen trying not to let her eyes drift to Rauru's pronounced pecs. 

"Well… getting smaller only takes us back to where we began. Besides, there is something to say about an old maxim; nothing succeeds like excess." Rauru replied. He glanced down at her. "Besides… I had the idea that you, ah," he cleared his throat, "had grown to… like this," he said, softly tensing and flexing his engorged arm.

Sonia was quiet for a moment, the Hylian looking suddenly quite bashful. "Ah-hah, well… it is… thrilling to see you move with such power, and you do carry all this… mass quite well."

Rauru grinned, hooking her chin in his hand and leaning down to kiss her. "Then I must endeavor to give you more of what you want, my queen."

"We're ready for you, my king," Mineru announced, and Rauru approached. As before, the Triforce of Power floated gently in the center of a ritual circle, waiting for the Zonai king to take it. Rauru braced himself and grasped it firmly, overwhelming the Triforce with a burst of light magic. The effect was instantaneous as a swell of power shot through the king's body. He grunted deeply, puffing up his chest; like a storm about to break, it roared to life, electric power radiating off of him. His immense body shimmered, fueled by the Triforce as the titanic muscles in his arms rippled, biceps and triceps inflating, pumping against each other as they fought for room. He curled his arm as his bicep swelled bigger than his head, those awe-inspiring mounds of muscles shattering his royal finery straining to contain his arms. Clenching his fist and summoning up all the power at his command, Rauru slammed his fist into the ground with a rush of adrenaline, hitting the temple's polished marble floor like a battering ram and shattering it like glass.

Rauru, in reverent awe at the power now brimming inside him, stood at his now gigantic height. His legs had grown wider than they were long, wheel-shaped quads bristling with each step, supporting an upper body so explosive with power it had bloomed like Faron in spring. Every part of his monumental body was exaggerated for the sheer brawn packed upon it, from his densely packed abs shaded by the titanic overhang of his bulging chest, the sprawling landscape of his shoulders and a bull-neck thicker than his head, and a sculpted tapestry of muscle along his back. His enormous arms swelled at the slightest tremor, the slabs of muscle making up his bloated triceps fueling the crowning peaks of his flexed biceps.

Sonia stared openly, covering her mouth to hide her shock as her eyes ravenously drank in the view of her augmented husband. "Rauru… how do you feel?"

The gigantic Zonai huffed shallowly, his pecs rolling up and out with each breath he took. He held up his mammoth arm, marveling at how huge his bicep surged as big as a boulder. "I feel… big." He chuckled airily, then looking to the stewards. "Please… go and tell the champions I am ready to meet with them. If any of them have the courage to face me after seeing this, at least the fight will be over quickly— and I can use this strength to building up Hyrule as much as I have been."