WHOOSH!
The freezing gale of Rikuo's Fear roared across the clearing, momentarily encasing the Shikon Jewel's massive frame in a layer of jagged ice. But the victory lasted only a heartbeat; with a violent jerk of its shoulders, the Berserker shattered the frozen shell and lunged at Rikuo, its fist a blur of crushing force.
"Goraishi!!" (Five-Thunder Claws!!)
CRACK-THOOM!!
A massive bolt of azure electricity tore through the air, striking the Berserker squarely in the skull. The impact was enormous, but the monster didn't so much as flinch.
Cu Chulainn seized the opening, spinning his spear like a staff and slamming the weighted end into the Berserker's ribs. The blow hit with the force of a falling mountain, sending the hulking figure skidding across the dirt.
'Tch. The more I use this thing, the more useless it feels...'
Koga looked down at his `[Goraishi]`, his expression a mixture of frustration and bitter realization.
As a sacred treasure of the Wolf Demon Tribe, the `[Goraishi]` was supposed to be a weapon of terrifying power. But since he'd entered this war, its record had been... underwhelming.
It wasn't that the claws were weak; it was that his opponents were simply operating on a different scale of existence.
First there was Moryomaru and his impenetrable shell. Then Naraku and his labyrinthine barriers. And now, this--a Shikon Jewel that had literalized itself into a biological engine of destruction.
None of them cared about standard physics or biological limits.
If he threw the claws away, he'd be left with nothing but his speed. But as it stood, he was effectively a spectator in a war of gods. The Shikon Jewel was ignoring him entirely, focusing its lethal intent on Rikuo and Cu Chulainn.
It was, without a doubt, the most humiliating position Koga had ever found himself in.
"Master, don't overthink it," Cu Chulainn said, shaking his head as he caught the look on Koga's face.
"Rider and I can handle the heavy lifting. Why don't you focus on playing the observer? See if you can spot a crack in this guy's armor."
"Lancer's right," Rikuo added, his voice calm as he reshaped the broken edge of `[Nenekirimaru]` with a surge of his internal Fear.
"There has to be a flaw--something we're missing. We're too busy trading blows to see it. That's where you come in."
Although they were trying to be helpful, being told to stand back and watch didn't sit right with Koga. But he was a pragmatist. He knew he was outmatched.
"Tch. Fine. I'll leave the dance to you two."
He wouldn't be the idiot who threw his life away for a moment of reckless pride. Courage and suicide were two very different things.
"Hah!"
"Let's go!"
The moment the two warriors surged forward, Koga narrowed his eyes, his focus intensifying until the world seemed to slow down.
SLASH-SLASH-SLASH!!
Rikuo's blade moved in a hypnotic rhythm, each strike carrying a trail of freezing mist. He carved deep, jagged wounds into the Berserker's arms and chest, but the recovery was instantaneous. The flesh didn't even have time to separate before it was pulling itself back together.
'The blade doesn't even have time to exit the body before the wound is closed...'
It was grotesque.
That level of regeneration surpassed anything Koga had ever seen. Not even Naraku, with all his fleshy manipulation, could recover at that kind of speed.
THWIP!!
Cu Chulainn entered from the flank, his spear a streak of silver as he thrust it through the Berserker's palm.
Ignoring the weapon buried in its hand, the monster let its wrists expand, mutating into two massive, fleshy vines that snared Rikuo and Cu Chulainn by their throats before they could retreat.
"!"
"?"
The sudden shift in form caught them both off guard.
"I told you... all of this is for nothing!"
The Shikon Jewel prepared to crush the life out of them, but Cu Chulainn managed to twitch his free hand, his fingers tracing a complex pattern in the air.
BOOM!!
HISSSSS!!
A wave of searing heat erupted beneath the Berserker's feet, the ground itself bursting into a pillar of primordial flame.
CRACK!
In the split-second distraction, Rikuo's blade severed the arm holding Cu Chulainn, while the Lancer's spear-tip sliced through the vine pinning Rikuo.
They moved with a seamless, wordless coordination, following up their escape with a coordinated strike that left a massive, cross-shaped gash across the monster's torso.
"Childish tricks!"
A pulse of raw demonic energy erupted from the Berserker, blasting both warriors backward.
The flames died out instantly. The charred flesh and the deep wounds vanished as if they had never existed.
"Tch. A guy who just won't stay dead. I'm starting to remember why I hate the world of youkai," Cu Chulainn said, ripping the severed fleshy hand from his neck and tossing it aside with a look of extreme distaste.
"True. This type of opponent is a special kind of headache," Rikuo agreed, doing the same. He adjusted his stance, a faint, competitive smirk dancing on his lips. This was a new level of challenge, even for him.
'Wait... the recovery speed?'
Koga hadn't been listening to their banter. His eyes were fixed on the Berserker's body.
Something was off.
The wounds caused by Rikuo's blade and Cu Chulainn's spear had healed almost instantly. But the burns from the Lancer's Runes? Those had taken a several heartbeats longer to vanish.
Koga was certain of it. It wasn't an illusion.
"Lancer! Hit him with the fire again! Now!"
"Oh? You found something, Master?" Cu Chulainn asked, his eyes lighting up with renewed interest. Even Rikuo glanced back at Koga.
"It might be a mistake... or his literal first real weakness."
"Now that's what I like to hear."
Without hesitation, Rikuo and Cu Chulainn surged back into the fray.
"I won't let you escape again!"
The Berserker roared, its mouth opening to unleash a torrent of high-density energy spheres. Rikuo and Cu Chulainn split apart, weaving through the explosions with practiced grace.
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
Each impact leveled a section of the forest, the sheer destructive power of the attacks making it clear that a single direct hit would be lethal for either of them.
"I really didn't want to use this again, but..."
"Eat this!"
Cu Chulainn timed his approach perfectly, thrusting his open palm toward the Shikon Jewel.
FWOOSH!!
CRACKLE!!
A massive geyser of flame erupted from the earth once again, completely engulfing the Berserker in a blinding orange inferno.
"It's meaningless!"
With a single roar, the monster extinguished the flames. This time, the charred marks on its skin vanished in the blink of an eye.
'Wait... the speed changed again?'
Koga's brow furrowed. His theory was failing. But then, a realization struck him like a physical blow.
SCHWING!!
A ghost-like silhouette materialized directly behind the Berserker. In the moment of its distraction, Rikuo swung his blade in a wide, horizontal arc, his target the creature's unprotected neck.
"Nnggh!"
"You!!"
The "Rikuo" the Berserker had been tracking dissolved into mist, replaced by the real Third Head appearing from the absolute blind spot of its perception.
`[Kyouka Suigetsu]`!
The strike was perfect. The Berserker's head was severed, spinning through the air as its body stood frozen.
"Look out! Get back!"
Before he could even land, Rikuo felt a surge of danger. A thick, purple mist began to erupt from the creature's severed neck.
"Miasma!" [Shoki]
"Tch!"
Cu Chulainn slammed the butt of his spear into the ground, a Rune lighting up the air as he unleashed a violent blast of wind.
WHOOSH!!
The wind pressure dispersed the toxic gas, allowing Rikuo to retreat to a safe distance.
The head landed in the dirt, its eyes still glowing with a cold, predatory light as it glared at Cu Chulainn.
The body reached down, matter-of-factly picked up the head, and fused it back onto the neck with a sickening squelch. It didn't even seem annoyed.
'Wait... the attack from the blind spot... that's what slowed it down.'
On the other side of the clearing, Koga watched with absolute clarity. The puzzle pieces were finally falling into place.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]