"What...what are you doing here?" Kiyara's voice wavered as she took in Tatsuya's sudden appearance. Her eyes traced his arm, halting at the sight of his steel gauntlet. Its surface shimmered with engraved magical symbols, and hidden mechanisms gleamed beneath. Blood seeped from his hand, staining the metal, but Tatsuya's expression had the hardened resolve of a warrior—something entirely new for him.
"This," Tatsuya said, flexing his fingers into a fist, "is something I've been working on to amplify my Soul Tapestry. I call it...razor tech." He smirked, stepping forward to stand beside her. Yuki, meanwhile, moved into position just behind him, her katana drawn and eyes flashing faint red.
Master… She started to address him in her mind, hesitating, before deciding simply on, Tatsuya. What's the plan? Through their bond, Yuki's thoughts reached him clearly as she nodded towards the ice creature. In response to them, its single, red eye suddenly split into two, and the crude iceberg form melted into a more streamlined, menacing shape.
"'Razor tech,' huh?" Kiyara tilted her head, relief mingling with frustration as she assessed him. "Well, as long as it works…" She sighed, focusing on the creature as it raised a tentacle, preparing another sweeping attack.
"Let's do this," Tatsuya muttered to Yuki, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. With a quick bend of his knees, he launched himself toward the lake, crossing fifteen meters in an instant before descending. Just as he reached the water, he activated his gauntlet's engraved symbols, the liquid solidifying beneath his feet.
This might be my best invention yet, he thought, moving at a near-blurring speed along the makeshift path over the lake, which extended straight toward the ice creature's writhing tentacle.
The LSF-7—Liquid Stasis Formula—was a magical equation that, when inscribed on an object, could halt the particle motion of any liquid using mana. Both Tatsuya and the creature had access to this magic, but Tatsuya's mind had transformed it into something unique, innovative.
He sprang onto the ice tentacle, landing with a loud crunch, his boots digging into its icy surface. A faint red glow pulsed from the veins in his legs as he crouched, fingers gripping the slick surface.
"This feels exactly like how I always imagined!" Tatsuya yelled, exhilaration seeping into his voice as he dug his hands deeper into the ice, ignoring the searing cold biting into his fingers. If they go numb, it'll make this easier…
Blood trickled from his palms, seeping into the ice. With one last, forceful grip, he sprang backward, diving into the water below with a flamboyant twist.
My turn. Yuki's eyes gleamed as she raced along the temporary path he'd left behind, which dissolved into liquid again the moment his mana pulled back. Nyren ignited along her arms in blue and black flames as she reached the creature's tentacle. Leaping high, she brought her katana down in a powerful arc, slicing through the weakened ice like butter. The creature let out an ear-splitting wail, jerking away and stirring up massive waves across the lake.
"Damn!" Yuki gasped as she plummeted toward the water, dragged down by her momentum. In the crest of the waves, she saw a colossal ice jaw form from the creature's tentacle, its sharp, gleaming teeth reflecting her stunned expression.
What in the hell is that?! Tatsuya thought, bobbing in the churning lake water. He stared in disbelief as the creature's tentacle split into twin jaws, the surrounding water solidifying into a jagged row of ice teeth. The jaws swung toward Yuki, and a reckless idea sparked in his mind.
Time for a shonen move, he thought, smirking as he extended his gauntleted arm. Pulling a lever in his palm, he activated the razor tech, and sharp steel blades bit into his hand and forearm, sending a sharp wave of pain up his arm. Blood welled up, flowing up and outward from his fingers. The crimson liquid solidified mid-air, stretching into a chain that whipped toward Yuki, latching around her waist and yanking her down just as the jaws snapped shut above her.
The icy teeth clashed with a loud SNAP, like a steel trap slamming shut. Yuki crashed into the water beside Tatsuya, clinging to his shoulder as she struggled to steady her breathing. The blood chain around her waist retracted, the crimson threads winding back into Tatsuya's arm, almost as though time were rewinding.
"Tatsuya-sama, what's the plan now? We have no leverage in the water…" Yuki's tail wrapped instinctively around his waist for security as she clung to him.
He looked back, a wild gleam in his silver-flecked eyes. "Let's link minds again—like we did against the King Spider!"
Yuki's face fell, a mix of frustration and concern darkening her expression. "The mental strain on you…especially after all this…"
"It's either your way or mine, Yuki," he replied with a dangerous grin, "but either way, this monster's going down."
Lifting his arm again, Tatsuya leveled a damaged finger at the creature's hulking form, where mangled limbs seemed to gather and liquefy, reforming in a grotesque patchwork of ice and Nyren.
If shonen tactics have gotten me this far…let's take it up a notch!
Blood pooled at his fingertip, forming into a stream that shot forward, transforming mid-air into a chain with a sharpened anchor at the end. The anchor buried itself deep in the creature's icy torso, the force pulling Tatsuya and Yuki upward. The rush sent their hair streaming behind them as they soared toward its massive body.
At the apex of their climb, they landed on the creature's back, only for the surface beneath them to turn slick, causing them to slip and slide down its icy slope.
It changed so fast? Yuki marveled, digging her katana into the creature to stop their descent. But her flattened ears and irritated expression betrayed her annoyance as she glared at Tatsuya.
"Didn't I tell you we didn't have any leverage, you idiot!" She hissed, clinging to his back and lightly smacking his shoulders in frustration.
He grimaced and flicked her forehead in response, but their antics were interrupted as a massive, blade-like tentacle arced overhead, preparing to slice them off the creature's back.
Thinking quickly, Yuki's Nyren flared to life, coating her body in flames that seemed to leap and coil like a firestorm. To her surprise, the heat around her remained tolerable, almost comforting. Tatsuya's gaze narrowed, amazed that he felt no burn, only a steady warmth.
"Blue flames?" Tatsuya muttered, eyes widening as he saw the tentacle come within reach. Just as it descended, Yuki's aura flared even brighter, melting the ice mid-swing. The severed piece of the tentacle fell into the lake, while the remaining piece flicked away from them in a swift recoil.
Yuki heaved a sigh, exhaustion drawing dark shadows under her eyes as she glanced at Tatsuya. "You mentioned the blood bond…right?"
***
Back on the lake shore, Kiyara watched the battle intently, crouched low, her muscles tense as she observed the creature's rapid regeneration and shifting form.
It can adapt to attacks, launch projectiles, regenerate—yet those two are keeping up with it. Her gaze hardened, and she looked down at her axe as Nyren surged around the weapon, illuminating the symbols along its blade.
"It's time to get serious," she murmured, her voice echoing with deadly resolve.