Genichi had no intention of waiting for Goliath to strike first.
The instant Goliath appeared, he opened with a thunderous chant, aiming straight for that grotesque giant face.
"Gospel!"
Mana surged.
Invisible soundwaves condensed into a shell and slammed into Goliath's face with pinpoint precision.
Boom!
The impact snapped the mountain-sized giant's head back. Under the tearing force of the sonic blast, its entire face exploded.
Flesh sprayed. Bone shattered. The originally vicious features became a blurred mass of gore in an instant.
Off to the side, Alise watched and immediately broke out in cold sweat.
That magic…
She knew it too well.
Back when they'd fought Alfia, Astraea Familia had been hammered by that spell more times than she wanted to remember.
That gray-haired mage would stand at range, raise her staff high, and use the thunderous cannon to blow apart Astraea Familia's people.
Even now, those memories were still her worst nightmare.
And now this boy had used the same magic.
Alise's gaze on Genichi turned strange.
Don't tell me this guy is Alfia?
Or Alfia's bastard kid?
Her imagination started running wild.
Because really, who in this world could use that "Demon Lord Valion" spell besides Alfia herself?
Unless—
"ROAR—!"
Goliath's bellow cut off Alise's spiraling thoughts.
That massive face was regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Flesh wriggled. Bone re-knit. Skin grew back.
In the span of a blink, the blown-apart face was already restored.
Its deep crimson eyes snapped open again, locking onto Genichi, the fury inside them even more violent than before.
"Tch."
Genichi clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Goliath's regeneration really did live up to the rumors.
In terms of regeneration, it didn't lose to Level 5 monsters at all.
Its power, durability, and speed might not match a true Level 5, but when it came to "thick hide" and "won't stay dead," it absolutely had Level 5-tier stubbornness.
A nuisance, no question.
Genichi tightened his grip on his blade, eyes fixed on Goliath.
He didn't immediately use Genos Angelus.
There were two reasons.
First, his Mana still wasn't at the point where he could casually throw around "high-tier annihilation magic."
One cast of Genos Angelus would drain most of his Mana.
If that cast failed to kill Goliath, or didn't kill it cleanly, he'd be in trouble.
Second…
He wanted to use this Goliath to sharpen his blade.
His swordsmanship had only just reached completion. He needed a real opponent to test it.
And Goliath was the perfect whetstone.
Tough. Hard to kill. Regenerates fast.
A target he could go all-out on without worrying that he'd accidentally end the fight too early.
If he killed it, great.
If he couldn't, it would keep standing up to be cut again.
Perfect.
"Alise."
Genichi spoke, calm as ever.
"Yeah?"
"Just watch. Don't—"
Alise blinked.
"You're taking it alone?"
"Yes."
"You sure?"
Genichi didn't answer.
He simply gripped his blade tighter and charged straight at Goliath.
Alise watched his back, opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, then closed it again.
Fine. If that's what he wants, let him try.
If he can't handle it, she'll step in.
Goliath stared at the tiny figure rushing toward it and roared.
It raised its enormous hand and slammed down at Genichi.
The wind howled, like a mountain dropping from the sky.
Genichi shifted his steps, his body sliding aside like a fish through water.
The huge palm smashed into the ground beside him. With a deafening boom, the floor cracked and stones exploded upward.
Genichi didn't stop.
The moment he evaded, his blade was already moving.
A flash of cold light.
He cut into Goliath's calf.
The edge bit in, slicing hide, severing muscle—
But after less than an inch, it stopped, blocked by bone hard as iron.
Genichi's brows drew together slightly.
He knew exactly how sharp this blade was.
Against ordinary monsters, that strike would have taken the entire leg off.
Against Goliath, it only peeled the surface.
A Level 4 Floor Boss's defense wasn't a joke.
Goliath howled in pain, fury exploding.
It lifted its foot and stomped down at Genichi.
Genichi slipped away again, swinging as he moved, leaving the same kind of wound on the other leg.
One cut, two cuts, three—
He weaved around Goliath's feet like a ghost, each slash carving another line into its body.
None of the wounds were deep, but stacked together they quickly left the giant drenched in blood.
Goliath was completely enraged.
It stopped swatting blindly and began deliberately sealing Genichi's escape routes.
A massive hand swept sideways, blocking the left.
A huge foot stepped forward, crushing the front.
The other hand came down from above, sealing the retreat.
Three sides closed at once.
No way out.
Alise's face changed.
"Genichi, watch out!"
But Genichi only showed a faint smile.
This was exactly what he'd been waiting for.
He bent his knees hard, then—
Jumped.
Not backward.
Not to either side.
Up.
He leapt toward the giant palm coming down on him.
The instant he touched it, he kicked off with full force, borrowing the giant's momentum and launching higher.
His body became a streak of black, shooting up to Goliath's face like lightning.
In those crimson eyes, something flashed.
Too late.
Genichi thrust his blade forward.
Target—
Goliath's eye.
The blade drove in.
Blood erupted.
Goliath released a shriek that ripped the air apart, its massive body thrashing violently.
It reached out to grab Genichi, but Genichi had already kicked off and flipped away, landing cleanly on the ground.
"ROAR—!"
The blinded eye began to swell with ugly, bulging flesh, low-grade regrowth crawling over the wound.
Its remaining eye locked onto Genichi, burning with endless rage.
Genichi just stared back, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"Not bad," he murmured.
"Again."
Far off, Alise stood frozen, completely stunned.
That sequence—
evade, circle, build damage, bait the trap, borrow the hand as a step, launch upward, stab the eye—
Was that really something a person who'd learned swordsmanship for three days could do?
For a second, she felt like the last decade of her own training had been a waste.
Genichi really was a monster.
No… "monster" didn't even cover it anymore.
But then her lips curved upward too.
Fine.
A monster is a monster.
And this monster was on her side.
Alise tightened her grip on her sword, eyes steady.
If Genichi really couldn't win…
She would step in.
That was what she'd promised him.
(End of Chapter)
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