/Isuna's Perspective/
Sparks flew before our eyes.
I leaped towards Amachi at top speed and swung my weapon downwards, but it was easily blocked.
I have confidence in my physical strength.
But my one sword strike was ineffective.
"There was no madness in my eyes."
This man is strong.
Too strong.
A smile escaped my lips.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand," Amachi said.
He shifted his center of gravity slightly and released the tension in the fine sword that clashed with mine.
As a result, the halberd missed Amachi's cheek by a hair's breadth and plunged into the ground.
"Then, let's begin."
In an instant, we exchanged attacks.
I tried to pull out my halberd with all my strength and swing it.
But before that could happen...
Amachi's weapon handle flew towards my temple.
"Ugh!"
Dangerous.
He precisely hit my vital point!
I dodged it with my reflexes.
"How naive."
"Ngh! Ugh!"
Amachi used his right leg to deliver a middle kick to my side, as if it were bait.
It had an incredible impact.
As a beastman, my body is stronger than a human's.
Still, the force of that kick took my breath away for a moment.
"Damn it!"
I cursed and tried to distance myself from him.
"I won't let you get away."
The point of the fine sword, which had aimed for my temple earlier, hit my right hand holding the halberd with a sharp pain.
A strange sound, like a crack, was heard.
From numbness, I reflexively released my grip on the weapon.
"That hurt!"
"It's not over yet."
Amachi's attacks did not stop.
For a moment, my mind scattered due to the pain in the palm of my hand.
Immediately after that...
A severe pain shot through my toes.
Amachi had kicked my toes.
That one blow accurately crushed my big toe and middle toe.
At that moment.
My field of vision was facing the sky.
A beautiful blue sky was spread out before me.
"Really?"
All that is there is abdominal pain. In that moment, a strong pain shot through my abdomen. I see, I had been kicked. I was flying through the air. The difference in skill was this vast. In just a moment of fighting, I lost my weapon and was struck by numerous fierce blows. He wasn't using magic, just martial and sword techniques. Even the strike of a halberd that could shatter a rock was nullified.
"However, I can't afford to lose. I want to gauge my true worth."
I activate my magic. I land on one foot and stare into Amachi's eyes from a distance.
The "beast" inside me takes over my whole body. The blood in my head feels like it's boiling. My vision rapidly improves, my sense of smell becomes abnormally sharp, and my emotions run high.
"Indeed...you're the man I had my eye on. It's a little unfair, but I'll show you. Even if I go all out, you won't die."
I bare my fangs and activate the "Beastification Skill: White Bone Skeleton".
My hair stands on end, and my body is covered in the tough skin and fur typical of a beast. All my bones protrude and crack. My organs are mush. Disgusting noises emanate from my entire body, from my head to my toes. My body swells, and Amachi's body shrinks before my eyes. I infuse water magic into my shattered toe and swollen palm to heal them rapidly.
"How about it? It's ugly, isn't it?"
I make an effort to create a wicked expression, a gigantic, wolf-man body. Covered in grey fur, my face looks like that of a beast, somewhere between a wolf and a tiger. A colossal body that must exceed three meters.
"I have you beat in possessing the most ugly appearance in this world."
My refined sense of smell comes in handy, even to find the faintest trace of Amachi.
"Finally, stage two...isn't it? Well, that's all I have, so I won't use magic."
"What did you say?"
There was no sign of fear in Amachi's appearance. Even after seeing me in this state!?
Moreover...we've come this far...
"You seem to be underestimating me. How far can that smug face of yours go? Let's go!"
"Please, allow me to entertain you, miss."
My cells were being activated. I increased the strength of my body to the limit and controlled my blood flow. I quickly closed the distance between us and brought down my menacingly long claws onto Amachi's face. The sharp claws flashed through the trees.
"What?!"
By the time I noticed, Amachi had already wielded a sword in his other hand and blocked my attack. Again!
Where is he getting them from?
This man.
His initial movements are too slow. It's as if the weapon suddenly appeared in the palm of his hand.
"That's cowardly!"
"If you're going to call someone cowardly in war, isn't fighting itself foolish?"
"Come on!"
I unleashed a flurry of claw strikes that could cut down trees with a single blow. He defended against them all with the two blades in his hands.
"So your specialty is dual-wielding swords!"
Impressive. He's blocking my attacks, but...
"It's tough without magic, isn't it?"
"..."
Silence.
"I hit the nail on the head, didn't I?"
I chuckled and infused my claws with water magic. I rapidly absorbed moisture from the surroundings, which wrapped around my sharp claws.
"It's over!"
A whip-like stream of water covered Amachi's entire body.
I won.
He was shredded to pieces.
I made Amachi disappear in a water ball and completely sealed his movements.
A rush of slashes.
The sensation of the hammer strikes over and over again.
But gradually, they faded away.
"Did I do it?"
"Maybe I really did go too far...haa..."
I might have actually killed him.
--I regret it--
When I transform into a beast, my mind goes blank.
I can't control my emotions well.
I'm attacked by a sensation of not being myself.
Even though I know it's bad, I want to transform when I get too excited.
I failed again this time.
When I get heated up, I inevitably want to kill someone...
The transformation exhausts a tremendous amount of magical power and gradually reduces the body's size to that of an ordinary human.
"Haa...haa..."
Breathing is all I can do.
The magical power that had been maintaining the water sphere weakens, and the membrane gradually peels away.
"That's a lie."
I doubted my eyes.
Once the water membrane completely disappeared, all that was there was a single Kakashi.
A miserably mangled scarecrow.
Where is he!?
"Do you know the word 'plasticity'?"
Amachi with sharp eyes appeared from behind.
"What?"
There's hardly any magical power left in my body.
My body is exhausted from the backlash of transformation.
"Well, to put it in simpler terms for you, don't fight with all your might. Keep some reserves. Be more flexible, yet firm and swift."
Amachi threw away the sword in both hands into the air.
Then, he quickly slipped into my bosom.
I couldn't move a muscle.
It was only enough to be seen by my body's reflexes.
"Oops. This is a workplace accident."
The moment I heard those words,
My vision went completely dark.
.
.
.
In the darkness, I am lost.
The difference in power was overwhelming.
I couldn't even land a scratch on him.
Who is this man?
He surpasses magic with just martial arts and some kind of technique.
He negated my attack, which should have been stronger and more resilient than that of an ordinary human, with just human skill.
Abnormal.
This is abnormal.
Complete defeat.
Did I see something?
I am weak.
Too weak.
A foolish person who cannot resist the beast's blood.
An immature person who cannot control their emotions.
A violent person who has been despised.
I still can't find the answer.
However, I may have found a clue.
My consciousness melted into the deep darkness.