I speed up to regain some of the momentum lost from when I went the other way.
"GICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHIiiI !"
As the giant centipede climbs up the hill, an unpleasant sound can be heard as it comes nearer .
Immediately, the huge head of the giant centipede can be seen. The me who, until just now, was always running away suddenly showed up here. The giant centipede is surprised and stops immediately.
Here it is, this is the gap that I was waiting for to attack. I smack the top of the hill with my tail and launch myself into the air to cancel [[Roll]]. Then I extend my wings to fly up in the air.
Together with the giant centipede, our eyes meet at the same height. Indeed, when looking from such a close distance, its presence is much more overwhelming. Eei, scary, I'm scared!
"GUuoooOOO!"
"GICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHIiiiI !"
Because I am flying, I fire off [[Kamaitachi]] towards the giant centipede's eye. If it is the eye, I think I can damage it. It seems unlikely to be able to withstand this. I would appreciate it even if it just temporarily weakens its eyesight.
I fly in a path passing right by the giant centipede's head.
I want to create a little more distance, but even if I fly about, I'll fall prey to the centipede's beam. Also, taking my next strategy into consideration, I'd like to prevail somehow with this relative position.[1]
The giant centipede opens its jaw to the left and right and heads towards me to bite me. Uge, scaryyy.
However, even if it is [[Paralysis Bite]], it has already been taken into consideration in my plan. This is a skill that is very easy to handle. When compared to a breath attack, it has no reach. Its power is unmistakably strong, receiving one blow would remove a person from battle.
It seems like the giant centipede wants to end this with a powerful attack rather than to land an easy hit. It seems to hold an intense grudge. This amount of resentment is just right, it will be easier for me to provoke it.
The giant centipede is eyeing me. Following my movements, it raises its head accordingly. As expected, its movement is fast. It is impossible to evade it using normal means.
I will handle it skillfully, if I make a mistake it will be instant death. I have simulated this scenario multiple times. If I can keep up in this state, how should I move around to the enemy's tail? Following that path seems to be good.
Its jaws approach me. As I fend off its jaws with my wing, I use my tail, with my wing in between, to strike its jaws with all my might and propel myself forward using my wings.
"GUuuU……"
Pain runs through my wings, but I was able to escape from its jaws. I did not go up, but instead head around towards the tail of the giant centipede.
I have to withstand the pain, if I fall down here and stray from my plan, everything will be lost. I cannot be seen as weak now, rather, I have to look like I am calm and composed.
Taking a glimpse behind me, the giant centipede is already twisting its body towards me. In my plan, this is where I let the giant centipede use [[Heat Ray]] to pursue me, but my provocation was not successful. When I passed by just now, I was planning to attack it. However, it deviates from the plan, I cannot afford more than what was expected.
The centipede beam seems to consume a great deal of MP. All of this depends on that guy's mood. Damn it, I know that this situation is bad, but, as expected, it is impossible. But there is no other option than this.
This plan is crazy. Compared to the original plan, the chances of winning are like a thin thread. Although that is the only thing that I have been doing until now, there is no choice but to escape.
At least now, even in this situation things would have been different if I had a skill that can provoke the giant centipede…… but I guess it's impossible. That guy's shell is too abnormal. Just a little poke is not enough, even if you hit its face with [[Kamaitachi]] there will be no reaction.
No…… something, I feel like I am getting something. First of all, the damage will not go through right? Perhaps I can use a skill which can do something to instigate it.
There's only one, a skill that I never used before, [[Whistle]]. Somehow I instinctively know how to use it. First I narrow my lips, then follow through with magic power and blow out lightly. The keypoint is, to whistle. I never thought that this skill will have such a special use. I tried not to use it in the forest because it would have been troublesome if it had attracted monsters due to it making a loud noise.
If that is the case, I should able to draw the attention of the giant centipede. This is the last bet. With this, I'll taunt the giant centipede to use [[Heat Ray]].
I turn my head behind to stare at the giant centipede's face and use [[Whistle]].
Pyu~ Pii
Although there is a pause in between, it is loud enough to surprise others. Oioi, this, this won't attract weird monsters, right? Maa, in this desert there is no one more dangerous than the giant centipede.
"GICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHIiiI !"
The giant centipede heaves its head up and starts to accumulate red light in its mouth. Yes, it is finally coming! Somehow I have smoothly achieved my goal!
O~ O~ it is getting angry, it's getting angry. Ma, this is it, it should be like this. Anyone would be angry if they were whistled at right after their attack was evaded. That would most likely include me too, I would chase them to the bottom of the cliff in a rage.
I rise in altitude and at the same time I slow down a little bit. I hang around the top of the giant centipede's tail.
The giant centipede catches sight of me with its eyes, and claps its jaw in excitement. It is coming, it is coming.
Immediately it fires the centipede beam. You will not make it in time if you try to evade it from the moment you see the beam. From the moment the giant centipede takes aim, you have to move away. It must be subconsciously evaded.
If it is this close in distance. It will be easy to cut off from the giant centipede's line of sight. It is not like the time when I was running away, this time I can fully focus on evading the centipede beam. Even if I am able to safely evade it, five seconds is my limit.
"GICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHICHII !"
I move my tail in the air to shift my centre of gravity, I use my wing and tilt my body to move towards the left. This way, I will have moved out of the line of sight of the giant centipede. Immediately to my right, the centipede beam is fired off.
I can feel an intense heat in my body. Even if it did not hit, this thing is already at the level of a biological weapon. To evade the centipede beam I fly to the right in a semicircular pattern. The centipede beam is following me.
Compared to a normal distance, it is easier to evade at a close distance. Nonetheless, with my strength, this is my limit for evading.
"GUuGAa !"
I breath out [[Plague Breath]] to cover my surroundings with a sinister miasma.[2] Now the giant centipede has lost sight of me. However, something like this will clear up quickly.
I rapidly descend and land near the rear end of the giant centipede. I strike the tail of the giant centipede with both my claws, put my strength into my jaw and bite it. After bracing my legs on the ground, I kick off while smacking my tail on the ground.
"GUuoOOOO !"
Making sure my wings are spread, I shoot [[Kamaitachi]] directly below me. The giant centipede's back lifts forcefully.
In the midst of the miasma, I can see the giant centipede. It is like a mass of light.
I lift the body of the large centipede over to the place where the centipede beam passes by.
As expected of the giant centipede. That centipede beam, if you take it on yourself, there will be nothing left. The shell that you are proud of will be shattered. After that, it will be sufficient to just attack the part where the shell has shattered.
With this, I finally can properly damage you. Finally, I can feel like we stand on the same level. From here onwards it seems like there will be a fierce battle.
'Jutto' A short sound rang out. It seems like the body of the giant centipede is hit by the centipede beam.
"GICHIYAaaaaaaaaaaAAaaaaaAaaaaaa !"
Together with the loud screech, the giant centipede’s body moves greatly. Trashing heavily back and forth away from my mouth, my jaw seems to nearly fall off. It is a close call, my fangs which are holding on to it are almost pulled off. This giant centipede bastard is flailing all over the place. At this rate my entire head will be pummeled.
Because I cannot see due to the miasma in my surroundings, I am not sure what happened. In conclusion, I wonder how much damage the centipede beam had dealt to the giant centipede's body.
It seems like the giant centipede's tail has been thrown to the ground, I pull my fangs from the shell. I kick on the tail of the giant centipede to jump to the ground. Using my tail to reduce the impact and then following up with [[Roll]]. At the same time as my body involuntarily reacts to the skill, I run away to gain distance from the giant centipede.
Right after I left, the gigantic body of the centipede crumbles behind me.
"KICHIa, a aAAaaa !!"
The giant centipede makes a scream-like sound. This time the sound is much louder. Well, but, that sound, isn't it far away?
Eh, wait a second? Is there something weird? What happened?
I raise my head to look for the head of the giant centipede. Towards the front where the dust has cleared, I can see the giant centipede with one third of its lower body now gone, rampaging around with an overturned body. Dark green body fluids flow out from the amputated area. A large number of legs are wriggling violently.
It's movements look painful and it seems to be suffering. It looks like a drowning person struggling to grab onto something. At this moment, the giant centipede's legs all look like the hands of a person. I shake my head to get rid of that creepy image.
Apparently, it seems that the centipede beam strategy has worked better than I had imagined. It did not just crush the shell, it cut its upper body and lower body into two. Just how much offensive power does it have? At the same time, I am really glad it did not hit me.
[1] Raw: それに後の作戦のことを考えれば、なんとかこの位置関係で凌ぎたい。
[2] Google-sensei's alternative tl: "Cover your surroundings with vicious mockery."