I flicked the blood off my sword.

"It's damn hard."

I was going to start by lightly cutting off about three heads, but I only managed to cut off one.

The severed head is writhing violently on the side like a fish out of water.

One head is about my height.

It was a truly enormous monster.

Not only is it incredibly large, but the scales covering its exterior are as hard as armor, and its muscles are incredibly tough, reminiscent of steel cables.

The bones hidden inside were so strong that I almost dropped my sword.

If I had neglected to train to harden my aura, my wrist would have broken instead.

The hand holding the hilt of the sword is tingling.

But, a faint smile appears on my lips.

"As expected, it has to be this much to be A-rank."

That's how thrilling the feel of it is.

"Isn't it?"

—Kyaooooo!

The monster, which had stopped its charge, writhed in pain.

The magical beast, which had been in pain for a while, suddenly stopped crying the moment it confirmed my presence.

Goooo—

Eight heads looked down at me at once.

As if it had never been crying loudly, silence fell with the shadow in an instant.

"Wow..."

It was an incredible sense of pressure.

Goosebumps ran up to the top of my head.

It was the magical beast 'Hydra', which seemed to have suddenly regained its composure.

Well, A-ranks aren't as stupid as other magical beasts.

[Hmm. It's different from the beasts I've seen so far.]

Eight huge heads were glaring at me as if to kill me.

A total of eight pairs, sixteen snake eyes with vertical slits, focused their killing intent on me.

Creepy—

What should I call this feeling?

I can't easily describe it. It's like my limbs are going to be torn apart.

Is this what a mouse in front of a snake feels like?

Suddenly, I realized how reckless it was to face this monster with a single sword.

'They hunted these things alone.'

I was newly impressed by the mercenary corps members.

It's not respect... but I couldn't help but pay my respects.

[? Isn't that the same thing?]

'Ah, is it the same thing? I don't know.'

[....]

Anyway.

In front of me, the petals that had been stirred up by the beast's frantic charge were scattering here and there.

A magical beast and petals.

It certainly wasn't a sight that suited the fluttering petals.

What does it matter?

Seeing the petals dancing in the air, I felt a little relaxed.

A fight is also a greeting.

I smiled brightly and greeted it.

"Nice to meet you, Hydra."

—....

"Ah, you don't know your name? People have named you arbitrarily. From now on, you're Hydra."

The beast just stared at me without a word.

It didn't seem to like it.

Whatever. I introduced myself.

"Anyway, nice to meet you. My name is A—"

Before I could even finish my self-introduction, a head flew at me like a shot.

"Shit!"

I focused my internal energy on the tips of my toes and then jumped up.

Kwang!!

A dragon head fell like a meteor where I had been.

The petals rose even more fiercely from the aftermath.

It was the first time I had fought with petals fluttering around.

'This atmosphere is strange.'

Anyway, the fight had begun.

Then, the other heads flew in without giving me a chance to breathe.

The wide-open mouths were so big that they could chew up several grown men at once, and the teeth that grew inside were so terrifying that they could pierce through steel.

I landed lightly on the beast that had buried its face in the ground and then quickly looked at the eight approaching heads.

And then I threw a sword ki at the one that was closest.

But when the beast snapped its mouth shut, the sword ki disappeared without a trace.

"Hmm."

Here, the gold-rank mercenaries would have been eaten by the beast along with their despair.

But I wasn't a man who would stay at the gold rank, so I didn't care.

I am the brave and fearless man who knows no retreat. Ashuban Sherwood.

Ashuban the runaway leader is a thing of the past.

What is life? If you're a man, you break through head-on.

"Here I go!"

I ran on the beast's long neck with my sword in hand.

Because I felt that it would be a more advantageous battlefield for me if I narrowed the distance.

It was an instinct close to intuition.

Of course, the beasts didn't just let me be.

The wide-open mouth of the beast that had chewed up the sword ki quickly got closer.

"Uryaaa!"

Hwoooong!

I jumped up, creating a strong wind, and dodged the beast's teeth.

I dodged the attack of the head that flew in next by stepping on the first head and then doing a somersault.

The third head's eyes flashed, aiming at me in the air.

'Not a chance.'

I twisted my body in the air, pouring out a force of condensed wind from the Floating Step with my left palm.

Hwoooong!

The beast's huge head brushed past me.

All my senses were on edge.

I realized it instinctively.

'If I get caught, I'll die.'

If I get bitten once, it was certain that my armor and everything else would be instantly killed.

This is why they don't wear heavy iron armor in Maia.

"Hehe."

Death was lurking right in front of me.

'This is thrilling.'

A smile appeared on my lips.

Thump-thump—

My heart was beating wildly.

I closed my eyes.

To feel death more sharply.

The fourth head approached, but I instead spun around and landed on the beast's head.

Thwack!

And then, just like before, I started running on the beast's long neck like the wind.

I belatedly realized why I was trying to go to this beast's main body.

My instincts had approached first, and my head had realized it a step later.

Because although the beast had nine heads, it had only one heart.

As if knowing my intention, the beasts pressed me with a more ferocious momentum than before.

I read the trajectory of each head with my eyes closed.

I moved from one head to another with my sharpened senses and advanced towards the body.

Jumping around was like playing jump rope with a living rope.

But the moment I made a mistake and got caught, it would become a jump rope of death.

I jumped over one flying head, and dodged the second head by suddenly slowing down.

I instead charged at the third head and stabbed its eye.

—Kieeeek!!

The beast, in pain, threw me up.

Hwoooong!

It was an incredible force.

I shot up into the sky in an instant.

I met the eyes of Hud and Boris, who were watching the fight from above, riding on the back of a spirit.

Hud was holding a purple whip made of her mana, as if she was going to intervene if something happened, and her eyes widened when she met my gaze.

I grinned and waved my hand.

"Hello. The weather is nice."

And then, as I was about to start falling, I turned my body and stretched my sword downwards.

As I was thinking of cutting off another head, I looked down.

Eight heads were looking up at me at once.

Soon, their mouths seemed to puff up at the same time.

"...Huh?"

Fwoosh!

Flames of incredible momentum spewed out.

"You crazy bastard!"

Even though there was a considerable distance, my body was already hot.

I was on the verge of being roasted in the air.

I immediately pulled my sword back and spun once in the air.

And then, as I hurriedly created the Night Sky Star Moon Art, moonlight quietly filled the sword.

And then, I poured out my aura.

Moonlight Sword. First Form. Half Moon.

The quiet moonlight of the Full Moon fell against the high-concentration red flames.

The sword ki was hastily drawn and poured out, so its firepower was lacking.

I immediately created the ice art of the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art and covered my whole body.

I had instantly created a defensive ultimate skill.

'The name is...'

I'm busy, so let's name it later.

I watched the moonlight fall silently, frozen solid.

Even if the firepower was lacking, the Full Moon was the Full Moon.

The gentle moonlight cut through the huge flames and fell.

Swish!

In the end, I saw it cut off one of the heads at the end.

The flames split in half, and the aftermath subsided somewhat, but it wasn't completely gone.

Hot things go up, cold things go down.

Fwoosh—

I fell through the residual heat.

"Keuk!"

It's damn hot.

Chiiik!

The ice that had covered my body melted and instantly turned into a hazy steam.

If I hadn't instantly created a defensive ultimate skill, I might have burned to death.

Anyway, I had passed through the path of flames.

I'm a man who returns what I receive several times over.

In an instant, I created a Night Sky Spear with my left hand.

At the same time, other Night Sky Spears formed in the air around me.

Like the rain that was falling from the sky suddenly turning into hail.

"It's the Ten Thousand Heaven Black Rain, you damn bastard!"

Dozens of Night Sky Spears fell towards the beast, and I also fell with one of them in my hand.

KWAGWAGWAGWAGWANG!!

***

The Night Sky Spears that fell on the beasts scattered and turned into a black mist.

It was a very natural scene, as each Night Sky Spear was made by mixing high-density Night Sky and the wind of the Floating Step.

—Kiaaaak!!

—Kyaaak!

—Kuwaak!

Our Hydra seemed to be very confused because one of its heads had been cut off and its vision was obscured by the dense Night Sky.

I'm not one to miss this opportunity.

I closed my eyes and immediately shot my body towards the beast's body.

'There's no time.'

The beast is an A-rank magical beast.

Hydra will soon recover from the confusion, and I have only one chance.

Death and life will be divided in an instant.

Hwoooong!

I ran at full speed towards the beast, wrapped in the wind, and at the same time, I created my internal energy and infused moonlight into my sword.

It was a bit rushed, but I had no choice.

Because the time given is short.

The moment I approached the huge body where the nine necks were connected, the beast's huge foot fell on me.

'Damn it.'

Thump!

The ground shook.

I threw my body diagonally and dug into the body.

'It's okay. I haven't lost the moonlight.'

And then I swung my sword at the spot where I expected the heart to be.

The moonlight angel descending on your heart. Here I come.

'I hope it reaches your heart...!'

Once again.

Moonlight Sword. First Form. Half Moon.

The gentle moonlight flew, drawing a half moon.

Thwack!

"...!"

It was shallow.

The scales on its body were so thick and hard that it was only a scratch.

I had to dig in and split the heart at once, but I failed.

Even if it was a hastily prepared moonlight, to think it was only this much?

I'm perplexed.

No matter how carefully I prepare and fly the moonlight, it seemed that I would have to split the same spot several times to finally reach the heart.

In a chaotic battle like this, it's close to impossible.

A sigh escaped me automatically.

Is nothing easy?

'What should I do?'

Do I have to cut off all the heads one by one?

—Kyaaak!

"Tsk."

The opportunity was wasted.

I flexibly bent and dodged the snake-like dragon heads that were coming in and hurriedly escaped the Night Sky.

Or is it a dragon-like snake head? I don't know.

After moving away, I caught my breath for a moment and organized my thoughts.

'I have no choice.'

Now, even if it's cumbersome, I have to cut off the remaining seven heads one by one...

"Hmm?"

The scenery that was visible after the Night Sky had cleared was rather strange.

"...What? The neck definitely fell off?"

The severed neck was not visible.

When I quickly counted the number of heads, there were nine.

When I looked closely, two of them had blood on their necks.

"...!"

My thoughts stopped.

'What is this...?'

A dark premonition flashed through my mind.

It was the worst possibility.

'Don't tell me?'

—KYAAAAAAAAAK!!!

The nine heads let out a more ferocious cry.

They looked very angry.

I muttered in a dumbfounded voice.

"...Even if the neck is cut off, it grows back?"

Isn't this crazy?

Even if the neck is cut off, it grows back in an instant?

Does that make sense?

Is that a possible regenerative ability?

[Now it's worth watching.]

The Heavenly Demon laughed slowly.

—KUWAAAAAAK!!

The nine heads, which had become even more ferocious, flew at me.

(End of Chapter)