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That being said...taming the boar without the use of his more active Campione powers was going to be difficult. His naturally sturdy body and nigh-unbreakable bones was definitely going to be useful, as well as his quick reactions and enhanced strength. But Godou wasn't sure if that was going to be enough. The Battle Boar looked dangerous. It probably was, actually.
As he took a few steps back, increasing the distance between him and the monster, Godou weighed the pros and cons of actually following through with the plan he'd proposed to Shakti. The blue-haired adventurer had already drawn out her sword, standing a short distance away, ready to jump in at any moment.
Godou wasn't going to fool himself. Giving up and letting Shakti handle things would be the easy way out. The crowd would be dissatisfied, and he'd probably be booed and jeered out. He didn't really mind the negative attention, but even he found the prospect of just surrendering like that quite lame. He tried imagining how his girls would've reacted if they ever saw such a display.
Yuri would probably still fawn over him, making sure he was alright, but still not quite able to hide the disappointment in her eyes.
Liliana would have been quite cross with him, saying how surrendering was beneath someone of his station, and that as a Devil King, he should have acted as one and chosen to stand his ground, especially against such a weak monster.
Ena would likely go around telling everyone how he hadn't found the boar a worthy opponent, but end up berating him for being a coward in private.
And Erica...he shuddered. Erica would have probably gone and captured ten Battle Boars by herself and then drop them on him when he was alone and couldn't escape, just to punish him for making her look bad.
Godou was almost happy that the girls weren't with him anymore. But their memories and their expectations of him still lived on, and Godou found himself gripping the whip in his hand tightly. So that plan went out of the window.
At the very least, he had to put up a show, and if he was going to try, then he sure as hell wasn't going to lose.
The boar finally noticed him and let out an angry huff as it readjusted its body so that it could face him directly. Godou grimaced when he saw the long and sharp tusks protruding out of its mouth, wondering how many adventurers had met their ends by being gored by one of these monsters.
The boar lowered its head as it spread its legs slightly, getting ready to charge. Godou looked at the whip in his hand uncertainly. He'd seen many tamers use the whip and its sharp crack to scare their own foes into changing directions when they attacked. There was only one problem.
Godou had no idea how to use a whip. He'd used a multitude of weapons, and some of his Authorities could take the shape of a weapon, like Lancelot or Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi. But he'd never used a whip before. With the sharp barbs at the end of the leather cord, Godou was just as likely to hurt himself with it, and that would've been downright humiliating.
Why had Ganesha even given him this? Did the God somehow expect the everyday folk of Orario to know how to use such an unorthodox weapon? Was this some kind of test? He frowned. He wasn't going to use the whip, but he was still unwilling to let it go. If he was going to face the boar with the mindset of an ordinary human, he wasn't going to drop his only weapon. It might end up useful in some other way.
The boar charged, and Godou saw Shakti tense up. With the strength of the Bull, he could easily take the attack head-on. With the Camel, he could've jumped onto his hands and kicked the monster across the entire arena. But he was nothing more than a human with an enhanced body right now, and the only safe option he saw was to roll out of the way.
The crowd burst into applause. Ganesha, acting as the commentator, praised his dexterity. He saw Shakti shake her head. Well, it was too late to surrender already, wasn't it? He'd chosen to fight.
The Battle Boar faced him again. It let out an enraged squeal, bearing its tusks and rearing its feet. Another charge.
This time, when he rolled away, the crowd's ensuing gasp served as a warning. He immediately turned around, and was met with the massive body of the Boar screeching to halt directly behind him. His body and instincts screamed at him to do something, and he hastily brought his arms in front of him in an X-formation to serve as an impromptu guard as he tried to jump away from his crouch.
His arms exploded with agony and he found himself staring at the blue sky as he sailed through the air. Okay, maybe jumping while the boar kicked in him the face with its hind legs wasn't the brightest idea. He didn't even know they could do that.
His arms had taken the brunt of the blow, but the momentum had still sent him flying.
His fall was cushioned by a pair of hands catching him and holding him steady.
"Sorry," Shakti apologized, looking extremely guilty. "I couldn't stop you from getting hit."
"Not your fault," Godou grumbled, wincing as he got up to his feet.
"Are you alright?" she asked, looking at his arm in concern. "Your arm...its probably broken. I've seen Battle Boars shatter rocks with a stomp. I think you should call it quits, you've done well already."
Done well? Godou scoffed internally. He'd only managed to dodge once. "I'm fine." He brought his arm up to show Shakti. "See? Only a bruise," he said, waving his arm about.
Shakti's eyes widened. It was an ugly bruise, but given that he could still move it without additional pain, there was probably nothing else.
Still, it hurt, and Godou felt annoyed that he'd gotten hit in the first place.
"Shakti, do monsters have bigger brains than animals?"
The girl blinked, clearly not expecting that question. "Um. I don't know? If you're asking about their battle awareness, some monsters have been observed to react to the strategies of adventurers."
"Like the boar anticipating my dodge?" he asked.
"Yes," she agreed, still looking doubtful. "Godou, don't tell me you still want to continue..."
"Of course," Godou said, grinning. The adrenaline coursing through his veins. The sound of pumping blood reverberating within his ears. The thumping feeling of his heart racing in his chest. "I haven't won yet."
"Godou...how can you still smile?" Shakti now looked positively worried for him, as though he'd gone crazy or something.
His grin grew bigger. "I've got a plan now."
"AND OUR CHALLENGER CONTINUES TO FIGHT!" Ganesha shouted, to the crowd's delight, as Godou made his way to the boar.
In response, the beast bared its fangs. Godou didn't even feel surprised anymore that the monster pig had fangs. T
his wasn't an animal; it was a monster, one that he needed to fight.
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šØ Want to read more?
The next 10+ chapters are already available on my Patreon!
By joining, you'll get:
š Early access to future chapters
š³ļø Polls to shape the story
š Exclusive content for Patrons
š„ Bonus adult-themed pictures & scenes you won't find anywhere else(adult only š)
Don't fall behindāothers are already ahead! š
š Patreon.com/c/FanfictionTakashi
( please search this link on Google Chrome)