I wasn't sure whether to apologize to the beast before me—for whatever crime I might've unknowingly committed—or just keep staring at it.
Before I could decide, she charged.
Not wanting Alicia to get caught in the fray, I bolted forward as well. When I fought Sarvest, Alicia had been the target. He could get dangerously close to her without breaking a sweat, so I kept her close then.
But this time, Leviathan had her sights set on me.
And so, another grueling battle began.
*
I'll admit, it was a bit of a relief to realize Leviathan was slower than Sarvest—even without his [Existence Jump].
Yes, I gave his ability a cool name.
Not to mention, her blows didn't quite carry the same mind-boggling force.
Not that I'm a masochist or anything!
But those tentacles of hers were as troublesome as a fishbone buried in a bowl of soup. Not that I ever eat soup.
Still, even if her attacks didn't reshape the terrain, I was taking damage.
Her relentless onslaught, the fierce swing of her claws—she was doing her absolute best to make me cough up my innards with those brutal kicks.
What did I do to deserve this? Did I murder her child or something?
Look, I'd just been pounded by Sarvest a few hours ago. Not to mention, I'd switched from darkness to a Holy attribute—which, by all logic, should've purified (a.k.a. killed) me.
Long story short, I was in no shape to fight anyone. And definitely not Leviathan.
And now that I remember: Leviathan is one of the Seven Powers of Darkness—a sort of foil to the Seven Mortal Powers, which includes Alicia's con of a father.
Why do all these overpowered individuals keep showing up right from the start?!
Can't we just sit down, have a nice cup of tea—or deer blood—and be friends?
But despite everything, I still had a trick up my slee—
{No.}
What do you mean no?!
Haven't you rested enough? I mean, seriously, since when do abilities take breaks? You're not even supposed to be sentient!
{…}
Great.
It seemed Platform had truly abandoned me. I'd have to navigate my powers on my own.
I tried to put some distance between me and Leviathan, but she wasn't having it. She closed the gap in an instant.
With no other choice, I started mimicking the fighting styles of the many human warriors who had bea— uh, challenged me in the past.
My usual predatory style wouldn't cut it here. Leviathan was a true warrior, and if I wanted to survive, I needed proper techniques and high-level abilities.
I reached deep within myself, searching for the black lightning power. Then I let its strength flow through my veins, and my body shifted into a manlier shape—
[3rd Phase Transformation: Black Lightning Wolf.]
With Platform, this kind of transformation would normally happen in a snap, almost automatic.
But now? It felt like dragging a boulder uphill.
Curses, Platform!
Still, my strength and agility grew significantly. My speed was no joke, either.
While I wasn't actually as fast as lightning, I was quick enough to dodge most of Leviathan's attacks and even land a few blows of my own.
It felt like punching a rough, metal surface with a fist made of feathers.
And yet, I kept swinging.
But I ignored the pain.
I had to—because if I let Leviathan's claws or those suspiciously poisonous tentacles hit me too much, I'd be facing greater pain.
Then she switched tactics, launching energy projectiles my way—deep violet, fist-sized balls of doom and occasional deep blue rays that practically screamed, "I hate all living things!"
I dodged like my life depended on it—because, it did—twisting and leaping like a drunk bunny at a rave.
Her attacks turned the distant forest into a scene displaying a glimpse of ragnarok. Trees snapped and crashed down, the earth shuddered from the attacks hitting the ground.
Alright, time to dig deeper. I'd be in serious trouble if I didn't.
I drew more power from the black lightning sword, literally squeezing water from stone here.
And the result?
[4th Phase Transformation!]
Yes! Another height unlocked!
See that, Platform?
The world doesn't revolve around you. I can take care of myself just fine.
If you decide to help me now, I might just forgive your little rebellion.
{I appreciate your kindness, but I refuse.}
Oh, come on!
Alright, fine. If you decide to help me—YOUR MASTER—I'll definitely forgive you and pretend this whole betrayal never happe—
{I refuse.}
...Sigh.
Looks like it's just me, my half-broken body, and a giant sea monster lady who wants to beat me into the future.
With my transformation complete, my short hair turned a divine white, my eyes still burned with that fiery crimson, and red lines traced over my form, sketching the icon of a wolf on my chest.
Not bad. Not bad at all—for something I achieved all by myself.
Wait... Was this Platform's twisted way of teaching me independence?
{...}
Yeah, I didn't think so.
{Congratulations on finally achieving something on your own, Master.}
Ouch.
But why was this happening?
Had the black lightning sword been more powerful than I realized?
Turns out, according to Platform, my stubborn attempt to squeeze more juice out of the sword had led me to abandon it altogether.
Instead, I started digging into my own potential, bringing forth a pseudo-god form.
I know what you're thinking: "Isn't it too early to bring out Gear Five?"
But hey, it's not too early when I'm the one teetering on the edge of death!
In this new form, I was nearly as strong as I had been with Platform's help against Sarvest. And back then, I was maxed out like a beast in heat.
Yeah, I deserved a pat on the back after this.
Or a nap.
Maybe both.
When Leviathan saw my new look, her yellow eyes widened ever so slightly—just a tiny crack in her wall of confidence.
Of course, that didn't last. A heartbeat later, she was back to trying to smear the ground with my organs.
But this time—hehehe—I was faster than her!
Stronger, too.
Her once brain-rattling blows now felt like the tantrum of a brat.
Dashing past her, I grabbed one of her tentacles and yanked her towards me, ready to give her a little punishment.
She blocked my knee with a hand—predictable—but I was ready. Using my arm like a blade, I slashed right for her... uh... chest.
It connected, but as expected from a Power of Darkness, it only left a small scratch. She just shrugged it off.
Gritting her teeth, Leviathan launched herself nearly 60 feet into the sky.
Running away, huh?
I suppose I'll let you go this time... Oh, never mind.
She was brewing something ominous up there!
As she plummeted toward me, her hands glowed an intense purple, raw energy spiraling into her palms.
That was bad news.
Really bad.
Bordering on turn-everything-in-a-30-meter-radius-into-void kind of bad.
But not for this pseudo-god!
I kicked off the ground, rocketing toward her with the swagger of a Victor.
Wow. I really was strong now.
Guess fighting someone like Sarvest had its perks.
Sure, he could still twist my skull off like a fresh ball of grape, but hey, let's focus on the present—and on people who actually obey the laws of common sense.
Alicia, my dear! Are you watching?
Can you see me?!
I'm shining. I'm winning!
Look at this being of pure power—your reliable, all-powerful babysitt—
{Oh...}
Platform activated accelerated thought, so the world was almost paused.
…What is it, Professor Platform?
{Hm. Master, your limit has been reached.}
Limit?
Like, a time limit or something?
{You have not recovered from Sarvest's assaults, yet you were foolish—pardon me, arrogant enough to, in your words, "squeeze water from stone."}
"...Oh."
{This divine state of yours has drained every last drop of your energy—quite fitting for a power-drunk fool, I'd say. I'll now force you into a brief slumber so you can recover.}
Eh?! S-Slumber?
Slumber, don't that mean sleep?
Sleeping in the middle of a battle, such foolishness!
'And I'm still mid-air, hurtling straight toward the nebula of hatred and malice brewing in Leviathan's hands.'
{Most unfortunate. But do not worry. Though it will bring you excruciating pain like none you've ever felt before, I assure you, you won't perish.}
Wow.
What a setback.
Platform said that enthusiastically—like telling a dying wolf that death wasn't really the end.
But I see, I wouldn't die?
Hurray!
My mock celebration was short-lived.
My divine white hair and chiseled muscles vanished, leaving me as the scrawny abomination of Pluto's twisted making.
Darkness enveloped me, and my last coherent thought was: