6
Breaking the standoff ,I used my wings (Ukaku)and unleashed a barrage of sharp spikes at the reptilian monstrosity only to make light scratches on it's snout.
Though the attack had barely drawn blood it successfully enraged the beast. Bellowing in an extremely unnatural screech,it barrelled towards slightly trembling the ground. Quickly putting away the wings, I stood my ground,tightly wrapping my arms in ribbon blades(koukaku) raising them in a dual wielding stance with one blade near my temple and other blade at elbow distance to my chest,when I was just in its biting range,I rolled to my left feeling a the maw close right above me with a loud SNAP. Getting up I used my momentum to slash my right hand backwards leaving a gaping wound in it's equivalent of an elbow. I jumped upwards with super human strength barely missing another bite which would have ended my life. landing on it's back on all fours ,I pulled in my arm blades and instantly switched to my rinkaku,.
Eight dark red tentacles, thick as my arms with needle thin ends from the back of my waist piercing through it's body entirely continuously. Blood flowed freely, pooling under the crocodile as it screamed in pain scaring away any beast at vicinity,then started to smash itself against trees and rocks hoping to lose me. Seeing the futility of it's actions it started to roll to one side. I had no intention of becoming a human pancake, so I jumped away landing on a nearby tree branch. I pushed myself off the tree the moment my feet touched down hoping to attack the crocodile's soft under belly when it is over turned.
To my shock righted itself instead of continuing to roll. It saw me at mid jump with no problem. I saw its intelligent eyes and it dawned upon me. It laid a trap and I fell into it,hook line and sinker.
Before I could even think of a method to get out, a crocodile tail, the width of a red wood tree collided with me with a resounding "THWAP".
I flew parallel to the ground like a bullet from a gun, breaking few trees before hitting a rock like wet toilet paper.
I could feel my body. My spine was shattered ,my hip bones were practically powdered. My skull was smashed to fragments and my blood and brain painted the rock in red. I was in pain,agonising pain that threatened to drive me insane, yet I didn't want to die. After dying once I knew next time I'd be reincarnated I won't have my memory. I'd be a baby, what made me the person I am till now would be gone
Ruudi Greystoke would cease to exist, and I was not going to have it .
I willed the RC cells in my body to heal me faster. The splattered brain and blood flowed back as if time was being rewinded. An eyeball that hung out of my eye socket got pulled back and lodged firmly in it's initial position. I could feel my body better than ever. Difference was like remote control to real thing
I understood that if ,no when I come out of this alive I will be stronger than ever. I saw the animal who did a number on me approaching me in leasure. It was my prey, the thought came to me. Ghouls were predators of the highest kind and I am a ghoul who stood on top.
Unknown to me my sclera turned black and my pupils glowed red for the first time.I could feel ghoul hunting instincts activating as I've never could before. I could feel my bikaku just waiting to be unleashed and my mana boil making my body more stronger. I knew my bikaku, an arrow headed tail thick as me and at least five times my height in length without ever seeing it.
As if feeling my change the crocodile stopped and eyed me warily. A predatory smile threatened to split my face apart as I kept on gazing at my prey,I knew it was stronger than me but I wanted to beat it ,kill it and gouge myself in its blood and flesh and declare myself as the better predator.
I rushed at it breaking speed limits I had put upon myself unconsciously, feeling like a true ghoul for the first time after my reincarnation. I will kill it ,I mentally swore to myself, as a ghoul. I dodged it's mouth as it tried to bite into me,then stabbed my Bikaku right into it's throat through its neck moving it deeper piercing soft interior organs. Blood started spraying like a waterfall painting me in crimson. Without a care about the situation I began to eat it. For the first time I ate a living being while it's heart was still beating, and I loved every moment of it.I finally became a ghoul in my mind.
The crocodile beast tried to shake me off claw me away and smash me to pieces on the ground, but I hung on. What broke mended what was cut healed and I kept eating.
I send more RCcells and mana to my bikaku,I could feel it, even inside the filthy reptile. I began to change it's shape,making spikes along the length I coated them with my mana then exploded them outward. The spikes broke out of the croc's tough hide making it look like a pincushion. "HAHAHAHAHA" mad laughter kept coming out of my mouth as the beast's eyes went wide and screeched in pain. It started to move to the river hoping to escape or kill me along with it, the motives were not clear. I ignored it and kept retracting and extending spikes from my tail turning it's insides to mush.
It pulled me under water but I kept on going till it was dead. That encounter left me with leather and meat for a long time.