However, it was clear that Wakuraba had no intention of giving them enough time to discuss.
Twisting its disgusting body, it suddenly charged at them like a mad beast, spewing saliva as it came—saliva in which tiny leeches writhed.
Just from the sickly green color of that spit, it was obvious that an attack of this level couldn't possibly be taken head-on.
Akimi and Asuna had no choice but to retreat a few steps.
While retreating, Akimi had already tried attacking, but even a massive wound dealt by his Surface Slash—enhanced with the power of the Pseudo-Nichirin blade—was nothing more than a superficial injury to Wakuraba in its current form.
In the blink of an eye, it would regenerate, leaving it completely unharmed.
Severing the head was obviously unrealistic, so there was only one way to deal with Wakuraba—find the right moment to cut off that head high above its body.
Fortunately, there was some good news: without Wakuraba replenishing it, the high-grade weakening mist was gradually dissipating.
Even Wakuraba's own movements would disperse it.
Moreover, Wakuraba's enormous size made its movements exaggerated and sluggish, its attacks crude and slow—making them easier to read and counter.
After rolling away from another of Wakuraba's saliva attacks, Akimi said calmly to Asuna, "Asuna, I'll take it head-on from here and draw its attention. You wait for the right moment and deliver a fatal blow… and make it quick. Once the Pseudo-Nichirin blade's effect wears off, we'll be in trouble."
"…But if you go alone, it'll be dangerous."
"Haha, a man can't say he can't do it."
Hearing his reply, Asuna froze for a moment before realizing what he meant.
Two seconds later, her face turned red and she glared at him.
"Then be careful."
"Got it. Don't worry."
Watching Asuna move toward Wakuraba's flank, Akimi dropped his smile, gauged the distance between himself and Wakuraba, and roughly planned his attack and defense route.
But before he could act, a massive, dark-red jaw-blade suddenly cleaved him in half at the waist.
Dazed, he saw the mocking look on Wakuraba's face and the panic in Asuna's eyes before his point of view began to rise.
Thud—
The upper half of his body crashed to the ground, face-up, while his legs still stood upright.
In a low murmur, he said, "I'm sorry… I couldn't fulfill my promise…"
Then he slowly closed his eyes.
The protagonist dying here, the story ending, flowers scattered in the air… of course, that was impossible.
When the jaw-blade came flying, Akimi didn't try to block it head-on.
Instead, he twisted his sword so that the spine pressed against the blade's edge, making it deviate slightly from its original path.
Using the force transmitted through the blade, he spun his body and propelled himself toward Wakuraba.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Surface Slash!"
With a sword arc, he cut through the tentacle in front of him, the one with three jaw-blades attached, then crouched low and rolled across the ground to dodge the reemerging tentacle's attack.
Wakuraba wasn't idle either—continually spitting fanged projectiles at Akimi in an attempt to seal off his movements.
But it was useless—while circling around Wakuraba, Akimi casually swung his Nichirin Blade to deflect each fang, even managing to leave shallow wounds on the leech portions of its body now and then.
Stepping across the undulating segments, Akimi leapt onto the leech's back and then accelerated forward, closing in on Wakuraba's face.
Seeing the creature's wide, furious eyes, he chuckled.
"Looking at you now… I'd say you're about to turn into a stationary target."
"Don't underestimate me, you bastard!"
Akimi didn't bother to reply.
He simply raised his blade and launched his attack.
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Suikuryuzan!"
In the flash of his sword's special effect, Akimi appeared right before Wakuraba, gripping his Nichirin Blade with both hands and bringing it down in a powerful strike.
But this fierce attack was effortlessly blocked by Wakuraba with a single hand, using its fangs as a guard.
Then, it extended its other hand, grabbed the Nichirin Blade, and sneered at Akimi.
Akimi instantly sensed the danger.
Just as he was about to pull back his blade, Wakuraba's grip on the Nichirin Blade tightened.
It clamped the blade in its palm, and even though the sword's edge was on the verge of cutting through its hand, it still refused to let go.
While Akimi was locked in a contest of strength with Wakuraba, several tentacles emerged from the leech's body.
The tips of these tentacles gleamed with a faint light—the glow of sword skills!
Catching sight of those tentacles in his peripheral vision, Akimi clenched his teeth.
He now had two options: abandon the Nichirin Blade and dodge the attack, or cut off Wakuraba's hand before its sword skill finished charging.
Without a doubt, abandoning the Nichirin Blade now would be suicide—without it, he didn't even have the means to break through Wakuraba's defenses.
True, Akimi also had a few ordinary weapons, but they were all poor quality, and normal weapons couldn't harm Wakuraba at all.
So, Akimi made his decision immediately—
"Water Breathing, Second Form: Horizontal Water Wheel!"
With the full force of his Horizontal Water Wheel, and after a brief pause, Akimi severed the already charred hand of Wakuraba, its flesh burned black by the Pseudo Nichirin Blade.
But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he felt his calves sink as though into a swamp.
A cold, wet, sticky sensation crept upward along his legs—Wakuraba had wrapped its leech-like body around his legs, immobilizing him.
By now, those tentacles' sword skills had finished charging, and they closed in from all directions toward the immobilized Akimi.
Yet Akimi's expression remained completely calm.
He gripped the hilt of his blade and said evenly:
"I'm not limited to Water Breathing forms, you know—
Rising Nova!"
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