Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2819 - 2820: Their Challenges

-----

”Now, where were we? I guess I got too distracted...” Kireina gazed to her left, noticing Frank lying on the floor.

Harumi, Erika, and Matsuo were still fighting their opponents, constantly trying to regroup so they wouldnʼt be forced to fight alone. The three Yakuzas, furious that Frank had killed their boss, grew even more berserk and wrathful, suddenly transforming into Demonic Humans and turning their Spirit Beasts into Demonic Spirit Beasts.

”Haaa... I canʼt say I am completely well myself.”

Kireina felt several of her bones broken, and her soul had taken considerable damage from the battles so far. Yet, through the fluctuation of Ki and Mana around her body, she managed to keep moving, even though she should have been resting to recover.

Because her body wasnʼt as strong as her soul, it created a dissonance where her regeneration couldnʼt catch up with her soul. Her current soul was the fusion of her previous lifeʼs body and soul, now combined into her true essence.

Detaching herself from this body would mean death, and Kireina didnʼt know what might happen if she did. She preferred to keep her physical body alive—especially since it belonged to her parallel self, whom she had merged with. It was the body of the daughter of her father and mother from this world, a precious treasure her mother had left for her father, a daughter he could share eternity with.

”Frank, hang in there!”

Using her Healing Sunray, she began healing herself, imprinting the runes temporarily into her skin. Her body glowed with golden light.

”Ugh...! Haaa...! Haaa... Haaa...”

Frank gasped for air on the floor, his body in tatters. He had used all his energy, and not even Michael or Ruby could heal him, as they had also spent all their power.

The most Ruby could do was lick him, drying her tongue to ensure her healing saliva kept him breathing—much like when he had once used the Heart of Wrath and nearly killed himself.

”W-Whoʼs... that...?”

Frankʼs eyes narrowed. His vision was failing, but he saw an approaching figure—a woman glowing like the sun, spreading her arms toward him.

”A Saint... An angel? A goddess...”

Frank shed a tear of happiness as a bright, warm light covered his body, rapidly healing him. The ”goddess” placed her hand over his chest and held his hand tightly with the other.

”Use Gift of Life with me, Frank. Do it in reverse.”

”In reverse...?”

”I know you can do it, but youʼve stopped yourself because you believe itʼs a horrible power... Donʼt worry, I have plenty of Lifeforce. Take it.”

”Haaa... I...”

Frank couldnʼt resist. The ”goddess” forced him to reverse the formula of his Gift of Life skill, turning it into Life Drain.

”Aahh...”

Kireina let out a small moan of pain as Frankʼs hand gripped hers tightly, absorbing her Lifeforce.

His body regenerated rapidly, his vision cleared, and he saw her standing before him.

”Kireina...”

”Hello, Frank. Are you feeling better now?”

”A-Ahh... Yeah... Iʼm sorry! I didnʼt want to drain your Lifeforce...”

”Thatʼs fine. Now that youʼre healed, can you give me some too? Iʼm very wounded.”

”O-Of course!”

Once recovered, Frank quickly restored Kireina using Gift of Life again, helping her return to full condition.

”Nice! It worked just as I thought~!”

”That power I used... I... I drained your life? That was terrifying...”

”Oh Frank, thereʼs nothing wrong with it.”

”I was gifted this power by a God from another world because he saw in me... a pure, good-hearted person.”

”...”

”So Iʼve tried to continue being that person as much as I can... Twisting his power into such a vile form, the opposite of giving life... I donʼt know why, but it feels like Iʼm betraying him.”

”I see... youʼre so childish.”

Kireina giggled, patting his head before leaning closer and kissing his lips.

”W-Wha...?!” he gasped.

”And also very cute~ Heheh...”

”K-Kireina...! You kissed me again...” he muttered. ”D-Do you like me or something?”

”Hahaha! Who knows? I just felt like doing it. Got a problem with that?” Kireina laughed, standing up. ”Come on now, my dear, sweet summer child. We have to finish this; your friends are about to die.”

”Right... letʼs help them!” Frank nodded.

.

.

.

”You damn kids! You wonʼt get away with this!”

”That bastard killed our boss; youʼre going to pay for that!”

”Kill them! Take their heads!”

Three monstrous Yakuzas, suddenly transformed into Demonic Humans against their will due to the accumulated Demonic Energy in their stomachs, roared in unison, attacking Harumi, Erika, and Matsuo relentlessly.

All three were covered in colorful spirit crystal armor, roaring monstrously. Each had their own Spirit Beast Familiar assisting them—a giant whale, a monstrous T-Rex, and a multi-headed hydra.

These three Yakuzas belonged to the same family as their boss and were ”sworn brothers” themselves: Mizura, Akihito, and Senko. Their backstories and flashbacks were, unfortunately, omitted—because the ”kids” they were fighting had no interest in their past.

”Damn it, just when we were beating them, they pulled another transformation out of their ass!” Erika shouted, resisting the incessant attacks of the T-Rex head-on. Her claws grew as large as her body, channeling the new Giant Mole Bear Digging Claws Technique she had learned from a Skill Book.

”ROOAAARRR!”

The T-Rex roared monstrously, slamming her body with its massive head and opening its jaws, trying to bite her with sharp fangs and tear her apart. However, Erika swiftly punched the creatureʼs head several times, freeing herself from its grasp before kicking its chin with her superhuman strength as a werewolf.

”You might be a giant dinosaur, but I am THE daughter of the Werewolf King! Ainʼt nobody stronger than my daddy!”

Erikaʼs Aura surged with a golden glow once more. Tremendous quantities of Ki, surpassing all her friends combined, radiated from her fur-covered, muscular werewolf form. She looked nearly identical to the male werewolves, except for her golden fur and glowing eyes.

”Divine Wolf Fang Style!”

”Third Form!”

”Reaping Claws!”

Her claws glowed with a golden hue as she rose into the skies, slashing through the T-Rexʼs head and shattering it into pieces. The creature screamed, attacking her even without a head.

Erika didnʼt falter. Spinning midair, she rushed down from above, striking the T-Rexʼs body and digging into it with her giant mole claws.

”Fourth Form!”

”Wild Cyclone!”

FLUOSH!

Using the Martial Arts her father had taught her since the incident where she nearly died, Erika spun like a living drill through the monsterʼs body, generating a giant cyclone of pure Aura, making the entire creature explode!

BOOOM!

”No! My awesome dinosaur!”

Akihito screamed in horror, his pompadour making him look even more ridiculous as he watched his beast explode into pieces. He would have intervened, but dozens of floating papers—Shikigami Matsuo had summoned—were holding him in place.

-----