CH 82

(Ichiko POV for the whole chapter)

“Even after all this, they don’t exhibit even a hint of pain…”

From the shadows, I peer at the upper body of the “Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species”.

The upper body of the plant has been impaled with a myriad of swords of various sizes by my hands. However, I still don’t catch where their sight is, or what they are listening to. They simply continue to drift along in the initial position.

“In addition, if they reconfigure their lower body, the damage is practically nil?”

This time, I cast my eyes in a different direction and examine the lower body of the Distinguishable Warrior, who should have been sewn to the ground by the massive sword earlier. The animal’s lower body has freed itself from the constraints of the giant sword by reconfiguring its body and is now moving its long giraffe-like legs searching for me.

In all honesty, I actually suspect that the upper body of that plant is actually a dummy and the main body is separated from it, or that it is a creature with only a lower body.

And the thought that this creature may not be the “Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species” but merely a monster crosses my mind.

“But there is no other living creature on this island. Even though I punctured the lower half of their body, they revived after a while. There is no doubt that the presence they are emitting belongs to that of a Demon King….”

While paying attention to the presence of each of them, I mull over how can I defeat the Distinguishable Warrior.

It would be ineffective to annihilate the lower half of their body. Even after severing the upper half of their body where I assumed their necks were, it regenerated. And even if I cut the body in half lengthwise, it would attach itself after a while. And the sword is still lodged in the place where the heart and brain are. The only measure left for me to take now is…

“I will continuously attack them until they can no longer regenerate. That is the only way.”

That is what I have concluded.

I reflect on my remaining strength and the depletion of my pieces of equipment. Several hours have already elapsed since the initiation of the battle. My physical strength is fine since I have taken a short break. I have also reloaded (regenerated) my weapons, so they are fine. However, my armor has been heavily worn out.

If so, I ought to attack at once before the lower half of the body discovers me and strikes me.

After confirming that the lower half of the body has moved away slightly, I activate ≪Sword of the Formless King・Weak≫, and plunge into the Distinguishable Warrior’s bosom.

“Ha!”

While teleporting, the machete generated in my right-hand digs into the Distinguishable Warrior’s left shoulder. Following that, I thrust the estoc in my left hand into his neck. Yet, the Distinguishable Warrior neither winces nor spills a drop of blood. But I already understand that from our previous confrontations. Therefore,

With my great sword, I cleave them in half from the head, drive dozens of daggers into them like wedges, slice them into tiny pieces using long and curved swords, and attack them with countless stabbing swords as if I were penetrating each and every one of their cells. Needless to say, some of my attacks are delayed due to the structure of the living body. However, I am in possession of ≪Sword of the Formless King・Weak≫ now. If I lack enough hands, I can simply send my sword flying. Should the weapon be broken, I can create a new one. And if my hand doesn’t turn in the direction I am aiming for, I can teleport myself to the position where I desire for.

In this manner, I launch attacks that can truly be described as inexhaustible from left to right, up and down.

A few seconds into the assault, when the Distinguishable Warrior’s upper body has reduced to a mass the size of a human head, I could see from the corner of my eye that the lower body of the Distinguishable Warrior is approaching us. Within several seconds, they would pounce on me.

The swords come to a standstill as I shift my vision back to the upper half of their body. Apparently, they are putting up a barrier to prevent themself from being attacked even though they have been disregarding my attacks up until now no matter what I did to them.

“I see.”

An involuntary smile breaks out on my face. After all, the Distinguishable Warrior has been subjected to attacks by me. If they continue to be attacked in this fashion, it would turn out to be a poor choice.

And I could feel the bottom body of the Distinguishable Warrior swooping up to crush my head. In response, before the blow could reach me, I teleport to avoid it, then use the giant sword to sever both legs and with the momentum of the attack, I slam it into the barrier that protects the upper half of the Distinguishable Warrior’s body.

The sound of the giant sword and the barrier grinding against each other can be heard. As I swing the giant sword with my left hand only, I produce as many swords as I can with my right hand. From the gap I have created,I strike with the transition into the Distinguishable Warrior’s upper body, hitting the spot where the Distinguishable Warrior is relentlessly trying to guard something.

Then something like a red mass is spotted momentarily, and the moment the dagger pierces it,

“ーーー!!?”

With an inarticulate cry, the Distinguishable Warrior deploys their barriers with their utmost exertion, repelling only me and my sword. Despite being flung aside, I slam a few more daggers into the red mass and then twist around in mid-air to make a landing.

After a quick check of my body, I cast my attention back to the Distinguishable Warrior.

The Distinguishable Warrior is…

He has assumed the form of a human man, a mosaic of all kinds of animals incorporated into a mosaic of shapes.

On his body are the ears of a cat. He possesses the horns of a bull, as well as bat and eagle wings. His fangs are those of a crocodile. He bears the claws of a tiger and crab with rhinoceros skin, panther legs, and a dog’s snout. Not to mention, there are the gills of a fish, the stinger of a needle rat, and sheep’s wool. His tail is a lizard’s one. His eyes are identical to those of an insect. A cochlea’s shell is present. There is the tongue of a frog. And then, there is a human mouth.

“I suppose I could say that the breakthrough of the first phase is now completed.”

That is my initial impression after observing the Distinguishable Warrior’s physique. And now I have a clearer picture of the Distinguishable Warrior’s abilities.

The Distinguishable Warrior is likely capable of imbuing each detached bodily part with the traits of a distinct living creature species. Furthermore, perhaps by utilizing a special kind of barrier when detaching his body, he is able to move as the same entity even though his body is separated and represents a completely different species.

And the nature of the barrier is probably to distinguish between himself and the others, repelling the others. If that is the case, it makes sense that only me and my sword were repelled earlier.

The Distinguishable Warrior opens his mouth. Naturally, I am alarmed since I do not know what he is about to do to me.

And what emerges from the Distinguishable Warrior’s mouth is…

“Detestable.”