Guda roared, stumbling back two steps. Though his body had nearly decayed completely and he no longer felt pain, the lingering masculine instinct deep in his memory filled him with an overwhelming sense of... fear, and rage.
The deafening roar, like thunder, rattled Subaru Natsuki's eardrums. He shook his head to dispel the slight dizziness and stepped forward, driving his shield with all his strength into Guda's face.
The earth-shattering roar abruptly stopped. Guda's neck snapped back at a grotesque angle, blood seeping from the seams of his faceplate. He staggered back two steps and collapsed to his knees.
Taking advantage of Guda's dazed state from the powerful shield strike, Subaru drew the long spear on his back and thrust it violently into Guda's chest. The spearhead drove all the way through, shattering Guda's heart completely.
The spear moved like lightning—decisive and ruthless.
Having died hundreds of times, Subaru had long since shed the naive, clueless high schooler he once was. Now, he was a battle-hardened, cold-hearted warrior.
But that was still not enough.
Simply that wouldn't be enough to kill this grotesquely resilient creature.
Subaru leaped up, stepping on the half-exposed spear haft protruding from Guda's body. Expanding the wound, he jumped higher, and as he descended, he gripped a dagger in his left hand, aiming for Guda's skull.
Just as the dagger was about to pierce Guda's head, the giant suddenly shifted his body to the right, dodging the killing blow. Subaru couldn't change his attack in time; the dagger scraped past Guda's ear, embedding itself deeply into his shoulder blade and lodging in the bone, stuck and impossible to remove.
Subaru didn't waste time over it. He quickly drew a short sword with his right hand, his left still gripping the dagger's hilt. He kneeled on Guda's back, using his knees to brace against Guda's spine, and forcefully drove the short sword into the giant's neck before pulling it out and stabbing again.
Guda let out another scream, his body wracked with pain, and his fury surged. He quickly rose to his feet and reached back to grab Subaru, intending to tear apart the pesky bug clinging to his back. However, every time Guda reached back, Subaru would quickly duck, his thick armor obstructing the giant's movements, preventing Guda from grabbing the tenacious human on his back.
Subaru pulled out the short sword once again and drove it into Guda's neck, then shoved it into Guda's right ear. The boy laughed madly, spinning the sword's hilt with his right hand, tearing into the giant's brain and turning it to mush.
It was a strange laugh—seemingly not his own, but the frenzied joy of some evil spirit residing within him.
What's wrong with me?
Subaru wondered, confusion creeping into his mind.
Blood splattered across his chest, and his face was entirely drenched in crimson—both his own blood and Guda's.
He looked deranged.
The silver giant shook violently, trying to throw him off. Subaru twisted the dagger, wedging it firmly into Guda's shoulder armor, while he shoved his long sword into Guda's neck for leverage. At that moment, Guda suddenly reached back with his left hand and grabbed Subaru's right hand, which was holding the sword.
Shit!
Subaru's heart sank.
With a twist of his foot, Guda charged toward the distant cliff wall, turning his body to slam Subaru into the rocks.
His intent was clear: he wanted to turn Subaru into a bloody smear on his back.
Shit, shit, shit!
At this speed, Subaru's fragile armor wouldn't survive, let alone some indestructible artifact—he'd be crushed by that enormous force!
But then something strange happened.
Despite the panic in his heart, Subaru couldn't help but smile savagely. Though he couldn't see his own expression, he could feel the faint curl of his lips.
Am I... enjoying this?
Before he knew it, Subaru pulled out another short sword from his back and, with a swift motion, sliced off his right forearm. He fell off Guda's back, while the giant's momentum remained unchanged, charging relentlessly toward the cliff wall.
With a massive crash, the ground trembled beneath him. Guda's massive body crashed into the wall, half embedded in the stone. The surrounding rock shattered, and several huge boulders fell, directly burying Guda alive.
Subaru collapsed to the ground, immediately pulling out his Element Bottle, ready to drink, but his heart sank when he saw that it was nearly empty. Even if he drank the last bit, it would only stop the bleeding from his severed arm.
As the dust began to settle, Subaru tried to rise, but pain shot through his left leg, and he collapsed back down.
Damn it!
Looking at the pile of rocks pinning his leg, Subaru sighed inwardly. His left leg's bones were probably shattered by now.
Grimacing in pain, he gritted his teeth and quickly moved the rocks off his leg, using his nearby weapon as a lever for the largest stone.
Looking at the almost-empty Element Bottle, Subaru wasn't surprised. He gripped his sword and shakily stood, staring at the pile of rocks that had completely buried Guda.
"Did I... win?"
No sooner had he spoken the words, the pile of rocks began to tremble. In the next moment, a chilling roar, like that of an ancient beast, erupted. The rocks were blown away by a powerful force, scattering in all directions.
Subaru gazed at the silver-armored giant, now surrounded by swirling black smoke. He wanted to slap himself, but with his right hand gone and the sword in his left, he couldn't.
"My bad, I jinxed it..."
A thick black sludge, as if from the very depths of hell, burst out from Guda's armor, pouring from his body and gathering on his upper torso, forming into a massive black snake's head. The snake roared at the sky, and a wave of foul, malevolent energy filled the air, making Subaru sick to his stomach.
His severed right hand was still dripping blood.
His twisted left leg still trembled.
The blade of the short sword in his hand was covered in cracks.
The last drop of Element Soup had long since been consumed.
He was running on empty.
At the end of the road.
Would he die like he had in countless other past lives, under the strike of Guda's spear?
Subaru didn't even bother thinking about it, nor did he care.
In the battle of life and death, what was the point of thinking too much? If he couldn't win, he'd deal with it after the fight.
Looking at the monster, which seemed to be in a better state than before, and the terrifying black snake, Subaru slowly raised his sword.
He would surrender himself to the bloodlust and madness swirling in his heart.
Only war.