From where she's standing, Touka observes the exchange with trembling and sweating hands.
She saw the Odachi cut Arata's claws. He'd told her once in the past that if he ever met someone capable of cutting his claws, then that enemy is powerful.
This time, however, apart from meeting that requirement of cutting his blade finger, there's another reason this enemy is dangerous. Because even Arata isn't immune to that energy.
She sighs and narrows her gaze.
"He's holding back..."
Touka has known him for a long time, and has seen him fight Kiriko, so she knows Arata isn't fighting seriously. In this first exchange, he's testing his enemy. Even so...
"That man is also holding back."
On the other hand, Rize has dark eyes while looking at the man who hurt Arata.
"That bitch... I'll kill him."
Her hands, hanging at her sides, are trembling while her face distorts.
Touka looks at her sideways and raises her eyebrows.
'Huh? Did she finally go completely crazy?'
Kiriko, standing a bit behind the two, observes the fight with crossed arms while her eyes are on Arata.
She, who has trained many people throughout her life, but has never trained a monster like Arata, is interested in how far he can go.
'Let's see what you do now, brat.'
×××
The second exchange starts on my account because I'm not going to stand still letting him analyze me enough to know all my weaknesses.
My kagune materializes in the form of six black tentacles, whose length is covered with crackling lightning and sharp blades that emit the dangerous sensation of being lethal.
I launch forward in a demonstration of speed far superior to what he showed. When I move, I can see his eyes open slightly as he tries to follow me, which he manages, of course, but barely.
I attack with two tentacles from the left. Johannes puts the Odachi in a vertical line, managing to block me, but the impact pushes him back. His feet leave marks on the wet floor as he slides.
Without wasting time, I send two more tentacles from above.
Johannes spins the Odachi and cuts the tentacles coming from above. The blade passes through them easily, and where it cuts, I can feel that energy burning my kagune's flesh.
But unlike my claws, the tentacles regenerate faster, because the cut part rebuilds itself in less than a second.
"Oh..."
Johannes notices this and his smile becomes bigger.
"Fascinating. Your impure flesh resists the Lord's purification. No, no, no. That's not normal, you know? What are you? You're not a vampire since you have ghoul tentacles, also blades from the impure ones that come from space. You're..."
"An anomaly?"
I use Kiriko's words.
"...A demon that must be purified."
Johannes says that in a reverent tone.
I take a step forward, and the surroundings blur. In the next instant, I appear before him and attack with brutal force using my Kagune to pressure him from multiple angles.
In counterpart, he defends and counterattacks with his Odachi that glows with sacred energy, cutting everything it touches.
The pattern repeats several times. I push, he cuts, I regenerate and he cuts again.
'Annoying.'
I realize that each time the Odachi touches my kagune, the regeneration is a bit slower than the previous time. That might mean the sacred energy accumulates each time he cuts me.
...Mm. If our fight drags on too long, I'm going to have a small problem.
I change strategy.
Instead of attacking with the kagune, I use my six tentacles to strike the ground and propel myself to approach him directly. My right back opens and from there emerges the claymore-type sword. At the same time I grab it with my right hand, my left hand's claws elongate again.
Johannes sees this and his eyes shine with madness.
"YES! YES! Show me more! Show me everything the darkness has given you, so I can cut it piece by piece!"
Uhuhu...
Laughing, our swords clash. My claymore against his Odachi. The impact generates a shockwave that spreads and shakes the tunnel, making dust fall from the ceiling and the stagnant water rise before splashing to the sides.
The sacred energy from his Odachi tries to seep through my claymore, but since it's not part of my body, it can't affect me directly.
Nice.
I push harder, making my claymore press the Odachi downward. For a moment, Johannes loses ground as I force him to take several steps back.
"Heh..."
He laughs under his breath.
"Strong. Very strong. Excluding some monsters of darkness, you're the most unusual. Yes, without doubt..."
He licks his lips and says with amusement in his voice.
"A monster has been born in Japan."
From his tone, he admires me and wants to kill me at the same time.
"Huhu, it's quite an honor, Mr. Johannes."
I prepare to attack again, but Johannes does something unexpected.
He drives the Odachi into the ground.
The inscriptions on the blade glow, and sacred energy shoots from the sword, traveling through cracks in the floor.
"...!"
I jump to dodge it, but the cracks spread too fast. One of them passes right beneath me and a column of white light shoots upward.
I dodge it by spinning in the air.
Johannes yanked the Odachi from the ground and launched himself at me while I was in the air. He read perfectly where I was going to dodge.
This guy has a lot of experience killing monsters.
His Odachi traces a descending arc. I try to block with my claymore, but the angle is bad. I'm in the air with nowhere to brace myself and he has all the momentum on his side.
The Odachi's blade passes over my claymore.
And cuts me.
From my left shoulder to the middle of my chest.
Accompanied by the sound of wind being cut, then flesh being severed, I feel the blade piercing through my bone.
Sacred energy enters.
"Gugh!"
I feel something hot burning my insides from the wound outward. My own blood boils inside the veins near the cut.
My body falls to the ground, rolling several times before stopping. Blood splashes everywhere, and my left shoulder is open, with tendons and muscles exposed.
While steam rises from my body, I notice my wound isn't regenerating.
"Arata!"
I hear Touka and Rize's screams at the same time from behind. Through their emotional frequencies that explode toward me, I sense they're afraid for me, simultaneously, enraged toward the man.
Touka tries to run toward where I am, but Kiriko grabs her arm.
"Let me go!"
"Stay there. You too."
Kiriko tells her that with coldness in her voice while grabbing Rize.
Johannes walks slowly toward where I'm lying. The Odachi drips my blood, and the sacred energy on the blade makes my own blood evaporate.
"See? Even the most unusual monsters fall before the Lord's light. No matter how much darkness you accumulate, no matter how many powers you have because in the end, purification comes for everyone."
He stops three meters from me.
"It's time for you to become dust, creature."
I stay on the ground for a moment.
It's the greatest pain I've received. The regeneration I trust so much is being blocked by the sacred energy that got inside my body.
Even so...
"Huhu..."
Johannes frowns.
"Pffthahaha..."
I start laughing.
Slowly, I get up from the ground, first supporting one knee, then the other. Then I stand up.
Blood runs down my left arm and drips from my fingers to the floor.
—Drip! Drip! Drip!
I look at Johannes.
My eyes change color, and crimson red is reflected in his pupils like two flames of blood.
My cheeks distort and form a disturbing smile.
"Hey, Johannes."
Johannes takes a step back by instinct when he hears my voice that seems to come from everywhere.
"Thanks for this."
"What are you talking about?"
The blood dripping from my arm stops.
"For showing me something fun."
My blood starts moving, crawling up my arm, and concentrating in the palm of my hand.
Uhuhuhu...
The laughter comes from everywhere.
"Now it's my turn to show you something fun."
×××
Sorry for the delay. I fainted three times yesterday because I was so weak.
I think it has to do with the medicine they gave me, which really weakened me.