The Whale and the Shrimp
KRAAAAAAAAAAA—!!
Orthos’ remaining head opened wide toward Frondier. Frondier lightly leaped, dodging the teeth.
CRUNCH!
Orthos bit down on its own dead head.
“Huh?”
While Frondier was surprised by the sight,
CHOMP! CHOMP!!
Orthos ripped its head off all the way to the neck and tossed it aside.
A dead head was useless, only adding unnecessary weight.
It had been an attack aimed at Frondier, so there was no need to interrupt the process.
Crack, Pop!
Then, with a twist of its neck, the slightly off-center head made a strange sound as it slowly moved to the center. Soon, Orthos had transformed, as if it had always had one head, albeit with a large wound on its neck.
“Oh, impressive spirit!”
Whoosh—!
CRAAASH!
Frondier lightly threw Mjölnir. Orthos, with agility unbelievable for its size, dodged the hammer. Instead, Mjölnir struck the ground, creating a small tremor.
‘Orthos’ other name is Orthrus. Its meaning is ‘swift’. Truly remarkable movement.’
Most animals, the larger their bodies, the slower they become. This is because the power their muscles can exert doesn't keep up with the overall volume of their bodies as they grow.
However, Orthos wasn't an ordinary beast or monster. Abyssal monsters easily defied such logic. Moreover, in this world where ‘Internal Energy’ existed, such an anomaly wasn't surprising.
Even considering its abnormal nature, Orthos displayed astonishing speed.
CRAAASH!
Orthos simply leaped, but the sound of an explosion erupted from the ground.
With that single charge, its teeth reached within inches of Frondier.
“Hah!”
Crunch!
Where Frondier had stepped back, Orthos bit down on the ground, seemingly devouring it.
‘It would have been dangerous if it had two heads.’
It was fortunate that he had taken out one head at the beginning. Having two heads meant a possible two-pronged attack, and while one attacked, the other could defend.
“Well then.”
Whizz!
Frondier extended his arm.
Orthos paused momentarily at the sight, its keen senses reacting first, and leaped to the side.
Thud!
Its judgment was accurate. Mjölnir, thrown earlier, returned to Frondier’s hand.
If it had stayed still, it would have been pierced once more by the returning hammer.
However, the next attack.
“Let's just say your first death was due to carelessness.”
Crackle, Crackle, Sizzle!!
Mjölnir vibrated, enveloped in lightning.
“How about this time?”
With Frondier’s first move, Orthos lost its remaining head.
Realizing this fully, Orthos preemptively utilized its high-speed movement.
Rumble, Rumble, ROAR!!
Booming sounds reverberated from all directions, its massive body moving at a speed imperceptible to the human eye.
Frondier, too, could only grasp its location through his sixth sense, unable to follow it with his eyes. The sight of such a colossal body moving at such speed was like watching a single piece of cloth stretching endlessly.
Simultaneously, Orthos amassed powerful aura within its body.
Orthos, resembling a dog in appearance. With only one head remaining, it was no different from a large dog.
The attack methods that came to mind were limited to teeth and claws, but Orthos could, in fact, also discharge aura.
A powerful wave of aura erupted from its mouth. In reality, it was a special skill that most four-legged monsters like Orthos possessed, but Orthos’ power was far more potent.
Within its high-speed movements, it skillfully controlled the aura building within its body. The sudden discharge of aura, hidden within a speed that defied the eye, made it impossible to dodge after seeing it.
Meanwhile, Frondier thought.
‘It seems like it's waiting for me to throw it.’
Orthos could have attacked first, but having witnessed Frondier evade twice, it recognized the possibility of its attacks missing.
In that case, it was safer to attack after dodging the hammer.
‘Well, there are ways to keep it in check with other weapons, but…’
Frondier had many means of attack. Especially since he hadn't shown them all to Orthos yet.
But there was something he wanted to try.
Or, to be precise, something he wanted to confirm.
Technique Deployment
Mana Crystal, Obsidian Activated
Lightning Magic Overlap Fixation
Frondier Original
Black Lightning
Mjölnir was originally a hammer that summoned and unleashed lightning.
It hadn't possessed such properties at first, but its abilities were unlocked through Hestia's Hearth.
However, Mjölnir itself wasn't lightning. It simply wielded it.
‘Orthos doesn’t think its first head died because of ‘carelessness’.’
It might be right.
And Orthos must have been convinced that it had dodged the second Mjölnir.
Mjölnir could be dodged. It had failed to dodge the first one due to carelessness.
Because it thought the two attacks were ‘the same’.
‘That’s why I need to confirm it.’
The very attack Frondier was about to unleash now,
was the same strike that had taken out Orthos’ first head.
Technique Combination
Black Lightning, Mjölnir
Frondier Original
Named, ……???
“Ah.”
He hadn't given it a name.
Whizz!
For now, Frondier threw Mjölnir.
Whizz!
And just like when he fired the ‘Spear Of Black Lightning,’
Flash—!
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
It pierced through Orthos, darting here and there at high speed, in a single instant.
“Gah, Hack, Cough……!”
Thud!
And the aura that Orthos had built up within its body exploded, turning its insides into mush.
“Hmm……?”
Frondier, sensing something explode within Orthos' body, tilted his head.
It wasn't what he had expected.
“Didn't I tell you?”
Orthos lay dead, completely still. Frondier nudged its head with his foot, just to be sure.
“Just die quietly.”
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