The Laughing Swordsman

The winged reformed being froze in place, as though it could not process the situation it was in.

The black tendril pierced through its body as though mocking it.

It looked like a skewer with an awfully large piece of burnt meat. Except it wasn't burnt meat, but a living thing.

Suddenly, the winged reformed being began to struggle, like it realized what was happening.

But less than a second later, countless other tendrils pierced through it.

The winged reformed being roared in pain, before falling silent. Not because it was dead, but that the tendrils pierced and blocked its throat.

Without warning, the winged reformed being became a sieve. It attempted to struggle until the very end, even as its body burgeoned and contracted.

However, it could hardly move.

At most, the winged reformed being squirmed like a fish on dry land.

Then... it stopped moving altogether.

The winged reformed being was pulled back and swallowed up by the huge amalgamation of flesh that Falk had become.

The only indication that connected this amalgamation with him was the tiny head that rested on top of the massive blob.

Falk had never once stopped at absorbing anything he could. Even though some of the beings were akin to mosquitos compared to his size, Falk still devoured them greedily.

Sometimes he would directly run over them like a lawnmower, while other times he would use his black tendrils.

But no matter what, any being that faced him was as powerless as a newborn baby.

The shrill screeches of black beings along with the gelatinous squirming filled the air. 

Apollo looked at Falk while twisting his neck eerily.

"...Barks loudly."

He began giggling to himself, while Layla joined in. The sound of both Apollo's crazed laughter and Layla's innocent laughter was quite jarring considering their different tones.

Layla clapped her hands excitedly.

"New friend looks so playful!"

Arcs of lightning gathered around Apollo's body as his eyes widened.

"...Then let's play."

He bolted towards Falk, prompting Layla to raise her hands in the air like it was a rollercoaster ride.

Once Willow noticed what Apollo was doing, she half broke down.

Why charge towards the giant abomination when the only logical course of action is to run?

Willow furrowed her brows and grit her teeth.

Should she chase after Apollo?

Or continue waiting for an opportunity?

The reason why Willow was so hesitant was because of her injuries. In reality, she was struggling to even keep her consciousness, like a flickering flame on a candle fighting the violent winds.

The only consolation was the new way of fighting she learned that didn't require her to truly be conscious.

Unfortunately, Willow doubted this was the kind of situation that could end by fighting.

They were already finding it difficult to deal with the giant reformed beings and winged reformed beings. Yet, whatever Falk had become was far stronger than them.

Willow knew that just from the presence he emitted, so when she saw the winged reformed being die so helplessly under Falk's attack, she was not surprised.

He had simply become something far too strong and vicious.

Yet, Apollo didn't seem to notice this despite witnessing it firsthand.

All of Willow's impulses told her to go to Apollo right now, to find some way to save him.

But she also knew the only thing she could be was a burden. The only saving grace was the fact Layla was with Apollo, and her strength was no joke.

Willow sighed, but continued to hold her black talisman close to her chest.

"I truly did not wish to use this but..."

She smiled bitterly.

"I might not even have a chance to use it."

Layla may have been attached to Apollo, but their overall size was still nothing compared to the giant mass that Falk was.

In the short time after consuming the winged reformed being and several others, he had already grown to over fifty meters, meaning he was just barely visible from outside the city walls.

Falk shot out a single, but massive, black tendril towards Apollo and Layla. After all, there was no need to do so much work for an ant, right?

...Well, perhaps things were a little different for this ant.

A glint flashed by Apollo's eyes as his muscles tightened to their limits.

The sharp end of the black tendril appeared right in front of him instantly.

But Apollo's eyes had caught on to it earlier on.

And so, he drew a horizontal arc with his bokken.

A sharp cut split the black tendril in two, filling the air with blood.

Layla proceeded to grab both of these halves. A cheeky smile appeared on her face.

"Hehe."

Suddenly, she tugged on the black tendril.

"Wah!"

A vicious tearing sound rang out.

Layla pulled the black tendril up and above her head. It was so sudden, that it was directly ripped off of Falk's body. She proceeded to wave the black tendril that was countless times longer than her around, as though it was a trophy.

The recoil force from Layla's tug forcefully pushed Apollo forward, making him bolt towards Falk even faster.

As for Falk, he realized something was different, even though his mind was essentially lost. That despite the fact Apollo and Layla were small, the same did not go for their power.

As such, he treated them seriously.

By sending over fifty massive black tendrils.

The sheer volume of this attack was overbearing.

Layla threw aside the black tendril she was holding onto and looked ahead with amazement.

"Wow! It's like friend just became many friends!"

Apollo suppressed his laughter and let out muffled giggles in the process.

"...All the same."

The arcs of lightning on Apollo's body crackled with renewed fervor before gathering towards his bokken.

As for the black tendrils, they spread out in order to attack Apollo from every angle possible.

It was as though the darkness of night was attempting to suppress a thunderstorm.

But lightning would always overpower the darkness, even if for only a moment.