-Pero’s POV-
I blocked the punch that was thrown at me and instantly counterattacked. However, the other party reflexively blocked my fist in the same way and then he immediately went on the attack. This continued for a while. We ran through the water, creating numerous ripples on its surface.
Then, with a huge impact, a shock wave blew the water away.
“Fuu!”
“Too soft.”
Taking advantage of a momentary opening, he struck me in the stomach with his elbow. A flowing barrage of fists followed after that. Then one final powerful blow sent me bouncing off the surface of the water. I fell to the ground with a loud splash.
I immediately got up, but I felt a slight pain in my abdomen. With my body in this state, most attacks were no longer effective, but that last one really hurt. It was a one-shot deadly attack that accurately hit a vital spot on the human body.
“Did you know? Except for intelligence, all abilities of a pure god are determined from the moment they are born and they never evolve or degenerate.”
The Genbu God appeared in front of me in an instant and then he attacked me with a roundhouse kick. I blocked it with my left arm and then I slid sideways to lessen the impact. But he followed up a barrage of fists as if to finish me off. I could only dodge at the last minute and quickly step backwards.
“At some point, gods began to pride themselves with the power they were born with. But I believe that there are ways to become stronger even without physical growth. Don’t you think it’s sad that they don’t realize that?”
Wherever I go, he could foresee my movements and follows up with a quick attack. He sticks tightly to me and doesn’t let go. All I know at this moment is that his fighting technique is superior. I’ve only somehow managed to fight on an equal footing because of my superior physical ability.
“So, you’re saying that you’ve honed your skill through experience?”
“As a mid-level god, I am able to serve Gohma-sama because of the vast amount of combat knowledge I have accumulated and the skills that I have refined through trial and error.”
“But I don’t understand why you’re following Gohma.”
“It’s simple. I owe him a debt of gratitude and I empathize with his ideal world. There’s no other reason.”
While talking, we exchanged fists at close range. The sound of blows that shook the air became a shock wave that spread in a hemispherical shape many times. He parried my fist with the rotation of his arm, and almost at the same time, he stepped forward and a powerful blow sunk into my solar plexus.
“Aggh!”
“Tehaa!”
Without a moment hesitation, he delivered a side kick in the same place, sending me flying several hundred meters away. I bounced on the surface of the water many times to adjust my position and regain balance then I slide to land.
He didn’t move, he just watched me do all that, as if telling me that he is waiting for me to make my blocking stance.
“This is the first time I’ve faced an opponent that I’ve felt like I have no chance of winning. You are gradually losing openings and your techniques are getting sharper.”
I rubbed my abdomen where the throbbing pain still remained. Each blow was heavy and sharp. Yet it is adjusted so that the damage remains on the inside. He may not be strong enough to break a star, however, if the opponent is a living creature, he always has the power to finish it off. He’s a terrifyingly strong opponent indeed.
“It’s time for me to go, so I’m going to get serious.”
“Do as you like. I was just about to do that.”
I kicked the ground at the speed of light. Just that created a crater as if the ground that my feet touched exploded. Genbu God stops blinking, and everything around him stops moving. I swung my sharp nails at his throat.
I’ll cut off his neck and it’s over.
—However, when my claws were only a few inches away, his Jade gauntlet glowed. And as if his time had come back to life, he instantly flicked my arm then he slid and struck the tip of my nose with a palm strike.
My vision shook. I feel a strange numbness in the back of my nose, and I involuntarily stepped back while staggering. He then lightly placed a hand on my chest, he unleashed a palm strike. The force generated from his legs and waist was transmitted up to his arms, hitting my lungs and heart directly. What’s more, the damage did not escape but remained internal.
I vomited a lot of blood.
“Haiya!”
Crack. I thought I heard such a sound.
Finally, he landed a roundhouse kick to my side. I was knocked off and I fell into the water.
“U-ugh…… H-how can you move?”
My vision is still shaky. For some reason, the damage doesn’t heal. I stood up, enduring the pain.
“This gauntlet is special among the many divine artifacts. It is the strongest class of weapon created by Gohma-sama for us, the Four Zodiac Gods.”
“Is it the weapon’s ability that allowed you to fight back against my skill?”
“That’s right. It’s one of the ultimate divine artifacts that can copy any divine skill of a God.”
Copy a skill? You’ve got to be kidding me.
There is no way I can win against that. I am already inferior in experience and skill too.
“But fighting at this speed is an uncharted territory for me. I guess it will take some time for me to get used to it.”
“I didn’t see it that way.”
“…………”
The fist of Genbu God and mine collided again. Water within a radius of several kilometers was blown away in an instant and it turned into gas. The heat generated caused the air to expand and shimmer.
Don. Don. Don. Don.
Our fists collided again and again, and the ground caved in from the impact.
“Teyaa!”
“Seihaa!”
We each fired a powerful blow, and the recoil sent both of us flying backwards. We spun in the air and landed on the ground. There, the water finally came back and filled the ground. I think about what I can do as I made the blocking stance.
He had more experience and technique. When it came to skills, we were equal. My only advantage was physical ability. If that’s the case, I have no choice but to push through with that only strength.
The other side is a professional in anti-god warfare. In the first place, fighting in a humanoid form was a disadvantage in itself. I decided to change. I would turn into a beast this time. I put my hands on the ground and got on all fours.
I awakened the sleeping beast in me. It’s meat. Something to be eaten.
“Grrrrrr”
“I see”
I closed in at the speed of light. With my flexible body, I dodged his sharp fist, biting off the flesh on his shoulder as we passed each other. The splattering blood stops moving in the air and is frozen in place. I kicked the ground as I landed. This time, I bit into the flesh of his right thigh and then I slid and braked with my legs.
“Peh! Taste bad.”
“Ugh!”
Genbu God fell to his knees. I feel like I had a wider field of vision than when I was fighting on two legs. My instinct knows how to fight as a beast. My thought process is also simpler than usual but I can surprisingly make clear and quick decisions. As we passed each other, I bit off his left arm from the shoulder.
“Agh!?”
Next is the right foot.
“Higii!?”
Peh. I spit out the meat.
Genbu God who regenerated his limbs, stood up but he looked tense in stark contrast to before.
“When it comes to a beast that attacks instinctively… I guess I’m at a disadvantage after all.”
But shortly after, he relaxed his stance and becomes defenseless. Then, suddenly, the surrounding water began to float as a ball.
“My name is Genbu, and I am the god who rules over water.”
Balls of water rained down on me like bullets. They pierced my flesh and crush my bones. I manage to escape from the spot, but the rain of bullets chases me everywhere.
“Haa-, haa-, haa-. This is bad, it’s dangerous.”
When my body regenerates, I accelerated at once. However, in such a closed space, no matter how far or where I go, there is no way out. In fact, I only ended back to the same place.
How could such a magical attack be prevented?
As I was thinking about it, I recalled my own attributes. I didn’t have to worry about it these days, so I completely forgot about it. I put the brakes on my feet and stopped running.
“Ice Formation!”
I poured an enormous amount of magical power into creating a world with sub-zero temperature. The bare ground became white and frozen, and the cold air reached Genbu God.
“Ice attribute huh. In that case, I’ll use my secret weapon as well.”
Crackle. Crackle. My power freezes him from his feet upwards. If it were just a natural phenomenon, it would have no effect on the gods, but this is a special phenomenon created by magic. So even if he is a god, it is not so easy for him to escape.
—But, as if he’s ready to break the ice forming on his body, Genbu God made a stance.
“Secret Technique, Dream Dance!”
It was a different stance. He was holding his palms upwards.
Not good. I can’t predict his attack.
In this case, I can only wait and see. I started running forward while baring my fangs and then I aimed for his left leg.
“!?”
The moment I was about to bite it, Genbu God swayed and then he disappeared in his place and appeared to my side. A fist sunk into my side.
Crack. The sound of breaking ribs echoed.
Chance!
I tried to bite his right hand, but he swayed and flickered again, disappearing like a flame. This time, he appeared directly in front of me and he kicked me right under my face.
“Aga……?”
Wobbling, I staggered backwards on two legs. However, without a moment’s hesitation he landed an elbow on my solar plexus again.
“Guaahh!”
“It’s time to end this. Take my god-slaying power.”
As I vomited blood, I realized that I had been deprived of my divine qi. A feeling of exhaustion overwhelmed me and I collapsed to the ground.
“You’re nothing more than a beast after all. You’re no match for us, the Four Zodiac Gods.”
My vision is spinning and I couldn’t focus. I am very weak and I’m unable to exert any strength.
Why? Why doesn’t my attack hit?
That’s when Erna-oneechan’s face crossed my mind. Light…… I see, he used the moisture in the air like a mirror to create illusions. The real him hides and waits nearby. That’s what Dream Dance is all about. But there’s no point in finding it out now. My chance of winning is completely gone.
Genbu God looked at me with expressionless look.
“As mercy, I will give you death without pain.”
“That’s appreciated. I hate pain you see.”
When he raised his sword, my tail suddenly twitched in tension.
Hmm? Tail?
“Farewell!”
“I decided not to die after all.”
My long, hardened tail pierced his chest. Blood flows from the mouth of Genbu God.
“Tail……Did I overlook that fact? Gebou-!”
“I’m a beast after all.”
Divine qi flows from my tail, and my power returns rapidly. I pulled my tail out of his chest and then I opened the Abyss Gate, creating a gaping hole from behind him. Distorted creatures came out in a swarm. They crawl around his body and they quickly devour his flesh mercilessly.
“S-Stop…… Don’t eat my body……!”
“Kyuuuu!”
In the end, the ever-increasing number of ants swallowed Genbu God and ate him without leaving any bones.
“Phew, I’m a little tired.”
A feeling of fatigue spread throughout my body. But I don’t have time to rest. The three of them may be on the brink of death by now. I also worry about Father. I believe that they won’t lose, but there could always be a chance for one.
I stood up and wagged my tail once. That’s right, I had this. When I live surrounded by people, I can’t help but easily forget about it. It was a bit of an oversight, but if I had remembered it properly, I might have been able to fight a little smarter.
Reflecting on this, I headed towards the door leading to the next dimension.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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