Nagare: “If you are not a demon, are you an immortal, per chance?”

Shoyo: “Not really.”

Nagare: “I beheaded you four times, yet you grew back your head each time”

Shoyo: “Yes, and because of that I am all out of juice, it will take me several days just to recharge back to normal”

Nagare: “Is your regeneration not automatic?”

Shoyo: “Nope, it depends on how much energy and stamina I have left, which is not a lot, thanks to you”

Nagare: “So, if I were to cut your head off again…”

Shoyo: “I will die for reals”

Nagare: “Good to know. So, basically, you don’t have same weaknesses as demons, but your healing power is far inferior to theirs?”

Demons were infamous for the ability to grow back any severed body part, no matter how many times they were cut. Unless they were dealt with special blades, silver, or Holy Magic, they could keep regenerating indefinitely.

Shoyo: “As far as regeneration goes, mine is a joke compared to theirs.”

Nagare: “So you are not strong after all, huh”

Shoyo: “You are the strong one, Naga-kun. I am just a guy who can occasionally put himself back together, that is all”

While trying to be as discrete as possible, Nagare still observed Shoyo. And the strangest parts about him were his perpetually closed eyes.

Not even once did he open his eyes. Nagare was not sure if Shoyo was blind but it was obvious he navigated without using his sight. As strange as it was, Nagare had bigger problems to deal with at the moment.

Nagare: ‘I will think about it later….’

They soon found the location where the lizard monsters were coming out of.

Shoyo: “She is here”

Nagare: “Ok, let’s kill her!”

But the Lizard Queen had other plans.

Nagare was blasted away by a flick of an extra-long tongue.

The Lizard Queen herself emerged shortly after.

Describing her as huge would not do her justice.

She stood on all fours, her tail moving from side to side. From the ground up to her head, she was about five meters, while her length from the tip of her tail to the top of her snout easily exceeded twenty meters.

In short, she was one big demon beast.

As soon as her eyes locked on to her target, she started to relentlessly pursue Nagare.

Her tongue was like a whip, while not lethal, it was very fast and could potentially stun her target.

Then, there was her tail that could create crater sized holes in the ground with a single swing.

But that was nothing compared to her claws and fangs.

They would already be deadly on an ordinary beast, but with her size, their danger was amplified considerably.

With a single slash of her claws, Nagare was thrown around like a rag-doll.

Every time her claws tried to rip him to shreds, he would block it with his blade, but the amount of force was too much, causing him to be propelled away.

As things stood now, Nagare could only defend, and the longer this battle lasted, the less stamina he would have.

The demon beast’s strategy was simple: keep attacking until Nagare’s defenses break or he exhausts himself, making him an easy prey to swallow.

Since he was forced on the defensive, Nagare could not use his three offensive skills. He could only curse his lack of arsenal of skills. Had he been more prepared, he could have learned more offensive skills, but he had stubbornly learned and polished only three skills.

Nagare: ‘If I survive this, I will learn a new form for my style….make that two new forms!’

Nagare: “A little help!”

Shoyo: “I will pass on that. You can have her”

Nagare: “I am not immortal!”

Shoyo: “Well, neither am I, besides, I have used up my energy growing back my head four times thanks to you, so at the moment, I am not eager to step in”

Nagare: “If I die, the Lizard Queen will unleash her spawn over this entire territory!”

Shoyo: “Then that’s it, end of story. Is that really so hard to accept?”

Nagare kept parrying the Lizard Queen’s attacks while Shoyo simply watched in amusement.

Nagare: “Of course it is, you dumbass!”

Shoyo: “I don’t really mind, dying, I mean. Eventually everyone is supposed to meet their end. I am ok with you dying, heck; I am ok with me dying. As I am now, I am practically empty on the inside. I am a purposeless character. If I can be a snack for some beast, then at least I will be useful for someone. At least that way, I will have a purpose”

Shoyo’s words sent Nagare into a bout of fiery fury. The rage boiled within his heart like molten streams of magma.

The Lizard Queen’s tail managed to knock Nagare’s sword out of his hands. Now her head was coming down to swallow him whole.

With a cry of desperation, Nagare yelled out.

Nagare: “If you want a purpose so goddamn much, if I stay alive, I will give you one!”

Nagare closed his eyes, expecting his life to end with a crunch.

Instead, he saw a familiar back in front of him.

It was Shoyo.

Grabbing hold of the Lizard Queen’s lower jaw with his left hand and upper jaw with his left hand, he was holding her in place, preventing her from swallowing them.

But it was clear it took visible effort from him.

Her razor sharp teeth were sinking into his palms, but he kept his hold on her. Turning his head towards Nagare, Shoyo chuckled.

Now, for the first time, his perpetually closed eyes opened.

What Nagare saw were no ordinary eyes. The parts of the eyes that were supposed to be white were coal black, and the irises were green. But the most disturbing fact was that it was night, with only moon illuminating their surroundings, yet irises of his eyes were glowing with green light.

Shoyo: “All right. Until you keep your promise, I will stick around and be your shield. Now, if you could finish her off? I can’t hold her like this for too long”

Shoyo’s eyes now closed.

For a moment Nagare thought it was just an illusion before snapping back to reality.

Nagare: “Right!”

Nagare proceeded to grab his silver sword. With Shoyo holding the Lizard Queen from dodging, Nagare proceeded to jump into the air to deliver a single coup de grace to the Lizard Queen’s neck.

With a dull thud, the defeated demon beast’s body fell like a sack of potatoes.