Souta dashed across the centipede's carapace, his relentless assault met by the resilient membrane of energy shielding the creature. Undeterred, he navigated through the constant barrage of energy beams, dodging or deflecting them with precise movements.
Approaching the centipede's head, he witnessed Kessa fiercely battling against the massive creature's head. The beast's enormous body swayed ominously, devastating the surrounding landscape with each motion.
In a swift motion, Souta leaped into the air, confronting the hundreds of incoming energy beams. With a gesture, a black hole emerged, attempting to absorb and neutralize the onslaught of energy. Simultaneously, he channeled his energy into his sword, surrounded by an intense swirling of dark and light elements, and intensified by the blood-colored lightning crackling around him.
Seven shadowy figures materialized from his own silhouette, darting forth to intercept any remaining beams that escaped the grasp of the black hole.
With a resounding boom, Souta plunged his charged sword downward, the amalgamated energy twisting and hurtling towards the centipede's form.
Souta aimed at the area he had previously severed, knowing he needed to break through the formidable energy membrane once more.
A deafening explosion echoed throughout the vicinity, but it wasn't enough. Souta swiftly propelled himself forward with a kick, determined to continue the assault.
Suddenly, a colossal greenish beam swept past his prior location, obliterating everything in its path. Souta narrowly avoided the devastating attack, feeling a sense of loss as his seven shadows were instantly annihilated. Even the fortified black hole, bolstered by [Yin Yang Unification], vanished in an instant.
While the centipede redirected its attention to Souta, Kessa seized the opportunity to intensify her assault, relentlessly attacking the protective membrane shielding the creature's body. This diversion forced the centipede to focus on the Nine-Headed Hydra, but it continued to unleash a barrage of energy beams in Souta's direction, undeterred by the ongoing chaos.
Boom! Boom!
'Kessa is doing exceptionally well... Even without my help, she could potentially defeat this monster, but it might take some time,' Souta acknowledged silently, casting a quick glance at Kessa's relentless assault.
The centipede's offensive maneuvers were feeble against her. Its primary strength lay solely in its formidable defenses, prolonging the battle. Kessa, with her sheer power, would eventually breach its defenses and annihilate the centipede.
However, Souta was disinclined to wait. He felt an unsettling premonition, emanating from the colossal tree that Paente had transformed into. This feeling compelled him to expedite the centipede's defeat.
Swoosh!
Dodging the energy beams, Souta maneuvered through the air. The combined energy from his monster orb and [Nebula Heart] surged within him, enveloping his body.
Leaping into the fray, his body was cloaked in blood that transformed into a black armor.
"[Blood Armor: Great Black Orc]!"
In the following moment, he brought down his weapon upon the membrane. The impact sent a powerful shockwave rippling throughout the vicinity.
His energy surged, his aura climbing higher as all his strength-boosting skills were now in full effect. With renewed vigor, he struck the membrane again.
Boom!! Boom!!
After countless strikes, he leaped back just as a barrage of energy beams swept through his previous location. Twisting around, he swung his weapon.
Crimson energy blades clashed with the beams, sparking colossal explosions. His armor morphed from black to white, emitting webs that spread swiftly across the area.
Ohm!!
The blood-colored webs expanded, attempting to intercept the centipede's energy beams.
"It seems like this monster could keep this up for an entire day..." Souta muttered aloud.
'Considering it's a fifth-stage monster, that's not unexpected. Be grateful it doesn't have any devastating lethal attacks,' Saya's voice echoed in his mind.
Souta took a deep breath, gathering his resolve before focusing his assault on the weakened spot in the membrane. Cracks ruptured the surface, allowing the blood lightning to surge in, damaging the centipede's body.
"This is the opening I need."
Raising his weapon, Souta's armor darkened, his energy spiking as dark and light entwined around his weapon.
[Archetype: Great Blood of the End]!
Thunder roared, lightning struck, empowering his sword. The blood-colored lightning filled the sky above, casting a crimson hue across the landscape. Its impact produced a resounding boom that echoed through the area.
[First Form: Lifeless Tribulation of the Blood Lightning]!
Souta brought his sword down, triggering a blinding eruption of violent energy. The lightning surged, obliterating everything in its path. Even the centipede's energy beams were disintegrated into nothingness.
Countless onlookers watched with squinted eyes as a dome of violent energy expanded. Stretching seventeen kilometers in diameter and six kilometers in height, it crackled with relentless blood-colored lightning that pounded the ground.
Souta swung his weapon once more and unleashed a barrage of [Bestrou], resulting in yet another earth-shaking explosion.
But before he could launch another attack, he spotted the centipede's colossal body emerging from the explosion, hurtling straight toward him.
Reacting swiftly, Souta propelled himself backward by kicking the air. However, the centipede's immense speed caught him off guard. He raised his weapon defensively as the beast crashed into him.
The impact sent him hurtling hundreds of meters into the air. As energy beams homed in on him, Souta quickly summoned hundreds of webs to intercept them.
The webs coalesced into a colossal net, effectively intercepting the onslaught of energy beams. Souta, refusing to relent, manipulated the webs further, seeking to hinder the centipede's movements.
With determination etched on his face, Souta intensified the gravitational pull and delivered a forceful strike with his weapon, commanding the centipede to descend.
The beast crashed into the ground, carving out a massive crater and revealing significant damage on its carapace. Blood oozed from its wounds, staining the land in a vivid red hue, indicating the potency of Souta's attack.
The centipede, feeling the immense pain, attempted to retaliate against Souta. However, Kessa continued her relentless assault. With the membrane on its head shattered and its carapace riddled with cracks, even its mandibles were broken.
Kessa seized the opportunity, pinning down the centipede's head and launching a barrage of [Bestrou] attacks. Explosions erupted in succession, signifying the centipede's weakening state under the relentless assault.
Looking in that direction, Souta could see a series of explosions. The Earth Drill Centipede was getting weaker.
"Look at this..."
Souta landed firmly on the centipede's carapace, his grip on his weapon tightening as tendrils of flesh coiled around it.
"Kessa, let's finish this. Hold it down."
His eyes glinted with a reddish hue as he spoke.
Responding to his command, Kessa intensified her assault. Her claws elongated and grew sharper, effortlessly breaching the centipede's defenses. With forceful strikes, she brought the creature down, delivering a heavy stomp on its head.
The centipede, sensing Kessa's intentions, unleashed a surge of its aura. A thin yet resilient membrane formed on its carapace, vibrating ominously while emitting an eerie green glow.
"Ohm!"
All nine of Kessa's heads lifted high, their gaping mouths agape. Small orbs of black energy began to manifest across her body, floating in the air and congregating around the spot where all her heads pointed.
In an instant, an immense concentration of energy formed, stirring up winds that coalesced into several tornadoes. Her elemental power surged, engulfing almost the entire region.
A pulsating wave of energy rippled outwards as the winds converged. Dispersing along with the energy concentration, it entered each of Kessa's nine heads.
Soon after, Kessa unleashed powerful rays of energy.
"[Hyper Convergence Strike]!!"
Multiple beams of light erupted, creating a piercing straight line that sliced through the centipede's body.
Observing this, Souta swiftly evaded the light rays, sidestepping to avoid their path.
The beams sliced through the webs in the area like lasers, continuing their trajectory until they reached the boundary of the barrier.
In an instant, a succession of colossal explosions ensued, shaking the entire country. It was a linear sequence of explosions spanning hundreds of kilometers.
Boom!!
Witnessing this catastrophic sight, countless onlookers trembled in awe. It was an overwhelming display of devastation. The firepower of the Nine-Headed Hydra surpassed that of the Earth Drill Centipede, showcasing an entirely different level of power.
Souta shook his head and attempted a forced smile.
"I only said to pin it down. Oh well, it doesn't matter."
Emerging through the smoke, he drove his blade into the weakened body of the centipede. With its body greatly weakened, the blade sliced through the flesh effortlessly. The creature's natural energy field was completely shattered by Kessa's attack.
"It's time to end this centipede's life."
