A sword clashed against a formidable carapace, the resonating clang audible to all in the vicinity. The number of imps on the battlefield drastically diminished within the initial onslaught. The sudden appearance of a larger, ominous dark imp intimidated most, prompting a retreat, while others continued their struggle or met their demise.
"Its back is more resilient than steel. This vibration is making my hands ache," the chief declared, readjusting his grip on the sword. He deftly evaded a strike from the dark imp with a swift roll, showcasing the chief's considerable expertise. None of the orcs aiding the chief could match his adept dodges or deliver a decisive blow to the imp.
"Thanks to that elf, I believe the lad referred to him as Takagi. His movements are sluggish and less precise. His eyes must be one of its vulnerabilities. If only I could..." the chief's thoughts were cut short by a sudden eruption of rage from the imp.
The dark imp's fury turned heads across the battlefield, prompting a few imps to flee. The luminous glow emanating from the imp's throat bewildered many. "What is that?" questioned an orc warrior, while another, captivated by the radiance, fell victim to a smaller imp's attack.
"...Is that?" the chief pondered. The imp's rage intensified, culminating in flames shooting into the sky from its mouth. Destructive and formidable, yet bright and bold, the flames instilled fear in many orc warriors.
"Yeah, that's one formidable monster," the chief acknowledged with a grin. Without hesitation, he refocused on the imp and tightened his grip on his swords. Dashing into action, his speed left deep imprints in the soil. Leaping at a distance, he seized the imp's neck hair. As the imp spewed flames, the chief dodged and grasped the hair on the monster's cheeks. Applying considerable force, he hurled the imp into the air, preparing for a crucial move. With both hands on his sword, he drove the blade deep into the imp's right eye.
"How's that feel? Hurts, doesn't it, you unsightly creature. My sword went in remarkably smooth," the chief taunted, twisting the sword to intensify the pain.
However, the chief's premature celebration was cut short when the imp seized him with both hands, inflicting immense pain. Despite the chief's resilient body, the imp's grip was formidable. A powerful swing sent the chief crashing to the ground.
"Chief Org!" "No! Chief," "Don't let him take another step! You two attend to the chief!" the other orcs cried out.
Severely damaged, the once-level ground now housed a small crater with Chief Org Fray at its epicenter. Blood trickled from his head down his face, his body seemingly intact, with arms only buried in the soil. The dark imp, in agony, flailed its arms violently, spewing flames that set nearby imps and orcs ablaze. The forest itself began to catch fire.
"Now you've truly angered me," a voice declared, approaching.
A completely unclothed Takagi advanced toward the now blinded dark imp. "These people have salt and delectable food, something I won't enjoy if you manage to exterminate everyone here!" Takagi shouted. He sprinted forward, heading for the imp, while nearby orcs tried not to gaze at the naked figure. Once Takagi neared, he channeled all his might into a single punch, accompanied by a resounding battle cry. The punch struck the imp's leg, yet it failed to elicit a reaction.
"I genuinely believed this moment would unfold like in the manga, you know? The hero returns with a menacing aura, rushes into a punch, and vanquishes the enemy. Now, I just seem like a naked joke," Takagi thought, feeling embarrassed. Glancing up at the blind imp, he noticed the sword lodged in one of its eyes. If Takagi were to save the day, his only option was to wield that sword. Jumping up, he seized the imp's back hair, taunting, "Your back is as hard as a rock, but these little hairs must sting when I pull them off!"
"It's a twisted method of torture I call the hair pull!" Takagi confidently mused. Although it appeared comical to the orc warriors, it inflicted pain on the massive dark imp. Takagi continued his ascent, moving carefully with his tree-climbing skills, until he reached the sword. Giving it a hefty pull, he unlatched it from the eye, further enraging the imp.
Takagi, well-aware of the imp's weaknesses, executed a powerful thrust into the back of its neck. The primary vulnerability of a dark imp lies in receiving heavy piercing damage to the back of the neck, just above the tough-shelled back. The sword pierced through, confirming the imp's demise to every orc warrior.
However, Takagi knew better. Dark imps could only be killed by decapitation. He regretted adding this detail when he wrote about them. The initial step to defeating a dark imp was straightforward, at least to Takagi, who documented the specific steps. They were somewhat slow but compensated with exceptionally tough skin. The first weaknesses were their eyes, which needed exploiting. After both eyes were destroyed, the dark imp became vulnerable for 15 minutes before one eye could heal. Although the eye healed, only one could recover at a time, so after 30 minutes, the imp regained sight. Within that brief period, the next weak spot was the back of the neck. If attacked before addressing the eyes, the imp would increase its speed and counterattack. Once the neck was pierced, there was less than 15 seconds to sever the head, or else...
"The dark imp. A demonic creature with dark, tough skin, reminiscent of a regular imp. They share the same size, hair, and menacing face with sharp teeth. The dark imp was a larger, stronger iteration of the smaller imp. The day I introduced them into the novel, I crafted a storyline where a sizable party raided a dungeon in search of treasure and knowledge. They encountered two dark imps guarding a door, preventing them from descending deeper."
"Multiple parties met their demise in futile attempts to defeat the dark imps. However, a valiant warrior and his team managed to uncover every weakness of these creatures. The Golden Claw Adventurers, my favorite group to write about, functioned more like a long-lasting clan with a mission to unveil all the knowledge in the world. They documented extensive information, including the widely known weaknesses of dark imps. Perhaps the knowledge they unearthed is now lost to time," Takagi thought.
Lost in contemplation, Takagi's reaction was too sluggish for the imp's next move. When the 15 seconds elapsed, the dark imp executed its customary action – lifting Takagi off its neck with both hands.
"What! I took too long!" Takagi exclaimed. The imp seized both of Takagi's arms, attempting to pull them apart. The move involved breathing fire at the target and then tearing off the arm – a brutal challenge Takagi once considered cool when he penned it down.
"Damnit, look what I got myself into… Ugh, I can't end like this," Takagi thought, struggling to break free from the imp's grip. The imp emitted a loud screech, and Takagi faced the realization that this might be his last breath in the world he knew as Drasil.
The imp's throat began to glow. Takagi pondered the question of what happens when you die twice, realizing he didn't have an answer. The first time he died, he entered a world unlike any manga or anime portrayed, initially unsettling him. Facing the end of the road was something he struggled to accept. Takagi observed the imp; its eye was gradually healing, nearing the 15-minute mark for full recovery.
The orcs around Takagi remained still, scared and alert, uncertain about striking the distracted imp. All but one orc stepped forward – the chief. After retrieving a sword, the chief took advantage of the imp's distraction, slowly approaching from behind. A skilled warrior, the chief had been vigilant after regaining consciousness, assessing the imp's weaknesses.
Swiftly, before the eye could heal, the chief jumped as high as possible, piercing the back of the imp's neck. Though the sword didn't penetrate as deeply as Takagi's, the imp screeched in agony, releasing Takagi and thrashing in pain. The chief fell to the ground, depleted of strength. Takagi noticed the imp's healed eye and realized it was about to vent its anger on the exhausted chief.
Takagi hurried to his feet, sprinting towards the imp. Jumping up, he seized one sword and then the other, forcing the blades to part the imp's neck. The head rolled on the ground and finally came to a stop.
"You... saved me," the exhausted chief uttered, barely clinging to life.
"That makes us even then," Takagi replied with a smile, catching his breath while holding both swords as if ready for the next opponent.