The Carpen in the game...

Right before the start of Phase 2, it had a pattern of reflecting the attacks it took during the blood gathering phase.

It was the same in reality.

Ruchi and Hainzel received back the attacks they had inflicted.

If they had the same knowledge I had, they wouldn’t have been caught like that.

No.

They probably would have won easily.

“Rubia. Please support me as much as you can.”

Ignoring Rubia's response, I walked toward Carpen.

Hainzel’s broken halberd tripped me as it lay on the ground.

The blood Carpen spilled made the earth soggy.

I stopped in my tracks.

Ruchi’s sword, stuck in the ground, became the boundary line between Carpen and me.

Carpen’s calm cries echoed through the air.

I expanded my Giga Sense to observe Carpen’s state.

He was still gathering bloodlust in his body.

And his beastly body was covered in deep, large wounds.

Not being able to heal the Phase 1 wounds was just like the game.

If I focus on those wounds, I might have a chance.

If I follow the path Ruchi and Hainzel took, it’s possible to win.

[GRRRRR-]

The bloodlust, floating in the air, suddenly gathered, signaling the beginning of Phase 2.

The armor that surrounded his massive body crumpled and fell to the ground.

The huge halberd he was holding shattered and fell to the floor.

The bloodlust that had been gathered vibrated through the air.

I drew the greatsword Hephaestus gave me and took a deep breath.

And then—

[GRRRAAAAAAAA-!!]

With a deafening roar that seemed to tear through my eardrums, Carpen swung his arm.

The bloodlust shot out.

I focused my Giga Sense on one point.

The direction was...

Behind me.

Not me.

It’s Ruchi.

At this point, Rubia is also in danger.

Even if Ruchi’s in bad shape, there’s no choice.

I ran toward Rubia, grabbed her by the neck, and threw her aside.

Then, I kicked Ruchi’s motionless body, sending him flying toward Rubia.

The impact caused blood to burst from Ruchi’s mouth.

Some bones probably broke too...

But that’s not important right now.

I focused on the bloodlust shooting toward me and swung my greatsword at it.

With a horrible screech, the bloodlust embedded itself into the ground.

As the earth cracked, small stones flew up.

Holding my breath, I charged toward Carpen.

Soon, his right hand shot out toward me.

I twisted my body to avoid it, and bloodlust shot out behind it.

I swung the greatsword with all my might, brushing off the bloodlust.

Once again, Carpen’s claws swung.

Bloodlust followed.

I exhaled and stepped forward, pushing my hips and drawing a wide arc with the greatsword.

The claws bounced off with a sharp sound.

Bloodlust still rushed in.

I threw my body in the direction the greatsword swung.

My body picked up speed.

The harsh claws left deep marks where I had been.

I slammed the greatsword into the ground to stop myself.

I had expected it, but...

This Carpen is different from the one in the game.

There’s no pattern.

No warning signs.

Even when I parry, he doesn’t become rigid.

The difference in reach is glaring.

The smell, the wind, the dust—everything is an obstacle.

And...

There won’t be a second chance.

“Huff...”

I took a breath and charged again.

I can’t give him any space.

I have to push into the range of my sword.

I can’t let Rubia and Ruchi be distracted.

I deflected his swinging claws.

Dodged the bloodlust.

I swiped away his incoming jaws and pushed forward.

I closed the distance.

The bloodlust from his tail covered my body.

I gritted my teeth and twisted my body to fall back.

My side was cut open.

Dozens of blood vessels burst out.

I ran again, not stopping.

I need to make it so they can’t keep their focus on me.

I activated my Giga Sense to the extreme.

Pain didn’t come.

There was no recoil.

I’ll think about the reason later.

For now, I need to focus on the battle.

I mapped out every one of his movements.

I painted his detailed motions in my mind.

Carpen’s shoulder muscles twitched.

I swung my greatsword to match.

Screech—

A sharp sound struck my eardrums.

Just the sound alone made me feel like my body was being torn apart.

Carpen’s attacks came relentlessly, without pause.

The bloodlust shot out.

His tail swung.

His jaws opened.

I parried his attack with my greatsword.

Sparks flew up.

Before the sparks even disappeared, another attack swung in.

I dodged, blocked, and struck back.

His tail, wriggling like a snake, lashed out.

I kicked the ground and twisted my body, swinging the greatsword.

But even the weak blow didn’t have enough power to penetrate the bloodlust.

I used the recoil to spin my body.

The greatsword, which had been driven into the ground, surged upward.

I struck Carpen’s jaw.

His wide-open mouth snapped shut.

Finally.

Carpen’s blood splattered onto my greatsword.

But, just as quickly...

The claws swung.

I stomped on his solar plexus and retreated.

Then I charged forward again.

The bloodlust scraped the ground where I had been standing.

Countless pebbles grazed my body.

I bit my lip and scrambled through the dust.

Before I could even catch my breath, his tail swung again.

I drove my greatsword into the ground and blocked the tail.

I gripped the hilt roughly and pulled the greatsword out.

I blocked the bloodlust.

Ten times I dodged.

Ten times I struck.

Ten times I blocked.

Only then could I strike once.

Unbelievable conditions.

An endlessly disadvantageous fight.

But I’m used to it.

I’ve always done it alone.

The clash of the greatsword and Carpen’s attacks filled the air.

I blocked his thrusts.

I corrected his curves.

I untwisted his coils.

I don’t know how many attacks crossed in one breath.

I can’t count them.

As I continued this absurd back-and-forth...

The claws disappeared.

I didn’t feel the bloodlust anymore.

I missed my chance.

At the same moment...

Swoosh—

A powerful blast of Rubia’s divine power blocked Carpen’s attack.

It’s reassuring to have a party member.

With a smile inside, I charged once more.

Thrusting, extending, retracting, swinging.

Each time I dodged and blocked, the bloodlust came at me again, drawing strange trajectories.

The bloodlust twisted my body’s joints.

There were no such movements in the game.

His erratic attacks pressed tighter on my neck.

Even grazing me caused chunks of flesh to fall.

Blood exploded.

The heavy winds pushed my body back.

I scooped up the splattering blood and charged again.

The powerful wind pressure was blocked by my greatsword.

Each attack I avoided, each strike I blocked, Rubia covered me.

Carpen’s gaze shifted toward Rubia each time.

Who do you think you’re looking at?

I rushed forward again and stole his attention.

His claws swung.

Rubia’s divine power blocked them.

The bloodlust surged toward me.@@novelbin@@

I traced Ruchi’s movements and spilled bloodlust.

I felt Carpen’s disjointed breath.

I heard a pained cry.

I immediately swung my greatsword upward, striking his wrist.

I swung toward the spot Hainzel’s halberd had split.

Crack—

I felt the muscle tear and cut through the vein.

I severed the ligament.

Carpen’s wrist went limp.

I didn’t miss that moment.

I latched onto it.

Again and again, I struck.

I kept thrusting down.

Until his right hand was useless.

I kept going.

Kept going.

Kept going.

His claws were completely torn out.

His yellowish bones were exposed.

The raging bloodlust pushed me back.

And he started to recover his right hand.

With Ruchi’s right eye as a reference, I spun around.

Carpen’s face turned.

It turned again, into Carpen’s blind spot.

I moved forward.

I struck his shins with all my might.

Twist—

Carpen’s knee bent.

I turned sideways and swung my greatsword upward.

Teeth clattered to the ground.

I picked up the sharpest fang.

I drove it through the leather Ruchi and Hainzel had torn apart.

With all my strength, I rammed it in.

The tremendous force pierced through the muscle.

I didn’t stop.

I struck the fang in deeper with my greatsword.

It crushed the weak bone.

The blood surged into the sky.

A desperate scream echoed.

I drank the blood and quenched my thirst.

I savored the scream and heightened my emotions.

The bitter and disgusting taste awakened my senses.

The heightened emotions gave my body strength.

I entered under Carpen’s body and swung my greatsword.

His body lurched backward.

I spun around and swung the greatsword into his spine.

I pierced through the tough leather.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The muscles tore.

The veins burst.

The hideous spine came into view.

I shoved my greatsword deep into the spine.

Carpen’s bloodlust swung wildly.

It shot out, radiating.

I pulled my greatsword out and retreated.

The minor bloodlust was blocked by Rubia’s divine power.

I’m almost there.

I steadied my breath.

With half a breath, I charged forward.

Before Carpen’s bloodlust could wrap around his spine...

My greatsword reached him first.

Just like that.

The bones shattered.

Carpen’s lower body lost its strength.

The massive, enormous body crashed down.

His neck fell in front of my eyes.

But at the same time, the wriggling bloodlust wrapped around his spine.

It took shape in the bones and muscles.

His body started to recover through bloodlust.

There’s no time.

When Carpen’s bloodlust focuses on his recovery...

That’s the last chance.

Now.

I stomped on Carpen’s thigh and leaped into the air.

With my greatsword, I struck his head.

From above to below.

With a sound like an explosion, his head slammed into the ground.

I rotated my body toward the direction my greatsword swung.

Again.

This time, an even more powerful swing came down.

It shot toward Carpen’s neck.

The bloodlust wrapped around his neck.

I gritted my teeth and pushed through his bloodlust.

The leather tore.

The muscles split.

Carpen’s neck bone was exposed.

My greatsword stopped.

I didn’t have enough strength.

“Rubiaaaaaaaaa!!!”

I cried out for the one who would lend me more strength.

In that moment.

An arrow flew through the air and struck my greatsword.

It wasn’t Rubia’s divine power.

It was an arrow.

An arrow I had never seen before.

Rubia doesn’t use arrows.

None of the people here use arrows.

Then...

Who is it?

In an instant, I expanded my Giga Sense.

Carpen’s neck bone was restored.

The muscles.

The skin.

Everything started to regenerate.

Time is running out.

I expanded my Giga Sense further.

Toward the direction the arrow had flown.

As the Giga Sense widened, I saw...

A mysterious woman wearing a robe.

She was smiling brightly at me.

I expanded it further.

Rubia’s figure appeared.

Rubia, with dozens of arrows embedded in her body.

She was bleeding and bearing the pain while protecting Ruchi.

That was the image that appeared.

[GRRR-]

Carpen’s recovery was complete.

From the woman’s arms, a horn was drawn.

The same horn Ruchi had broken.

The wild horn.

And then, with a bright smile, she used it.

The “sword” broke.