Bloody Water

"Screech—splat!"

The blade's tip stabbed cunningly into the Mutated Devil Ray's patterned hide. With exquisite skill, she deftly avoided every obstruction, carving downward along the layers between its muscles like a master butcher dissecting an ox.

Under the rays of the rising sun, Hirono Toda on the roof could vaguely see a flash of bright silver blade light, dazzling to the eyes.

The water not far from the vehicle began to turn murky. The Mutated Devil Ray could clearly feel the pain in its back and desperately tried to throw Busujima Saeko off.

Blood mixed with mud and sand, churning this patch of river surface along with the Mutated Devil Ray's movements. Water splashed against the windows from time to time. The strength brought about by the pain was likely far greater than when it had struck the vehicle several times before.

Busujima Saeko was not having an easy time either. The Mutated Devil Ray's back was already slick, and simply standing on it was challenging enough, not to mention the violent swaying.

She could only grip the hilt tightly. Meanwhile, the wound on the Mutated Devil Ray's surface grew larger and larger, blood continuously seeping out before being washed away by the river.

Suddenly, Kurumi saw its long tail whip lash straight toward Busujima Saeko on its back. If that blow landed solidly, it would probably snap her spine with ease. "Saeko!"

Though she was not as skilled as Kurumi at sensing danger, if she could not notice the sound of tearing wind behind her, then all those years of kendo training would have been for nothing!

She had only two choices now. One was to abandon the Steel Katana and let herself be flung into the river. The Mutated Devil Ray might very well suffer from its own attack.

However, for a six-meter giant, that level of damage was still within its tolerance. What happened afterward would be left to fate.

The second was to pull out the blade with the momentum and meet the tail whip head-on with its edge. She might sever or injure its tail, though judging by the way it had battered the vehicle, the chance of merely injuring it was ninety-nine percent.

And no matter what, she would be knocked into the river—but she would keep her weapon.

What should she do? Busujima Saeko made her decision in an instant.

As a swordswoman, no matter what happened, she should never abandon the sword in her hand!

Strength exploded from both hands at once, with no restraint whatsoever. Her body even tilted unnaturally backward. There was no technique in this strike, only a simple upward diagonal slash. The blade was long enough for its edge to make intimate contact with the Mutated Devil Ray's tail whip!

As the katana was pulled from the muscles in the Mutated Devil Ray's back, blood sprayed along its path, lending it an invisible air of ferocity.

"Screech—splash!"

Even a unit of time like a second seemed far too long for that head-on clash. Blade and tail whip collided solidly, sparks scattering as Busujima Saeko was knocked into the water.

Hirono Toda on the roof seized the opportunity and pulled the trigger, bullets pouring viciously into the wound on the ray's back!

Kurumi had already moved close to the vehicle, yet with the Steel Katana no longer plugging the wound, blood streamed from the Mutated Devil Ray as if it cost nothing.

Especially with Hirono Toda firing more than a dozen rounds, one or two bullets inevitably buried themselves deep in the wound and burst apart!

The Mutated Devil Ray thrashed about like it had gone mad, not even attacking Busujima Saeko nearby. Kurumi guessed it had lost its mind. Its head had already been blown into that state—what recipe could it still be thinking about?

Busujima Saeko slowly moved through the water. Her hands gripping the hilt trembled slightly. Though that tail whip had not delivered its full force in the previous exchange, it had still numbed the webs of her hands.

Remembering how Kurumi had taken a tail whip even fiercer than hers head-on, her gaze grew increasingly grave.

The bright silver blade was especially eye-catching beneath the sunlight, but several scratches on it ruined its overall beauty.

Though that instant exchange had been like metal striking stone, Busujima Saeko was certain the Mutated Devil Ray's tail whip had been wounded as well. She could not possibly have been wrong about the cutting sensation transmitted through the blade's tip!

The water grew murkier and murkier, churned into a complete mess by the creature. No one knew what it was trying to do.

Kurumi had already changed magazines. Her muzzle tracked the dark shadow in the murky water. The moment it dared to surface, Kurumi would definitely blow its head apart!

Even if using firearms meant she could not receive a kill reward, she still had to kill this disgusting thing first!

Busujima Saeko slowly retreated, hoping to get away from the murky water. It was simply too dangerous in there. If she was ambushed, that would be a very bad joke indeed.

"Boom—bang bang bang!"

The instant the Mutated Devil Ray surfaced, it came under suppressive fire from Kurumi and Hirono Toda. Each of their shooting skills was more cunning than the other.

Hirono Toda was focused on aiming for its head, while Kurumi had set her sights on its wound.

Even a semi-automatic sniper rifle was far more powerful than the ordinary rifle in Hirono Toda's hands.

In Kurumi's hands, nearly every bullet struck into the wound. Their greater penetrating power expanded the wound on the Mutated Devil Ray's back once more, leaving faint signs that it might be shot through entirely!

Though its movements were hindered and the water was filled with its blood, that only made it more vicious. The dense crimson in its sole remaining eye seemed almost solid.

As it was about to swim close to Busujima Saeko, it did not pounce. Instead, it maneuvered its seemingly incredibly clumsy body, turned around, and viciously lashed its tail whip at Busujima Saeko!

Perhaps this was the most effective way for it to attack! After mutating, its tail—already shaped like a whip—had become even tougher, while the barbs at its tip made it unstoppable!

The resistance in the water was too great, leaving no time to dodge. Busujima Saeko could only defend passively. Just like their previous exchange, she prepared to meet it with her katana once more.

"Screech—splat!"

Without question, Busujima Saeko was once again sent flying away by the immense force. Other than a slight ache in her arms, she was unharmed.

This time, she had used a technique to borrow the force. She planned to hold this Mutated Devil Ray back in the water and buy time for Kurumi and the others.

No matter how strong it was, there had to be a limit, right? After taking so many bullets, it would be hard not to die!

"Bang bang bang!"

Another magazine was emptied completely. She casually picked up a loaded magazine by the sunroof and inserted it. When she paused, faint white smoke rose from the muzzle, clearly showing that it had overheated somewhat.

Without paying any attention to Hirono Toda's grief-stricken expression, she racked the bolt and continued firing!

Inside the vehicle, Komuro Takashi and the others were frantically loading magazines. They did not know how to use guns, and as for fighting the Mutated Devil Ray in close quarters in the water?

They probably would not last even a single exchange. They could only honestly serve as support, ensuring that the two above could keep pouring out firepower without interruption.

"Bang!"

The final gunshot echoed over the river. One patch of water had already turned dark red, and the heavy stench of blood made Kurumi wrinkle her little nose.

The Mutated Devil Ray had stopped moving, but that did not make Kurumi lower her guard. Fish were tenacious creatures, after all. Even after their internal organs were removed, they could still flop around a couple more times.

Yet small schools of fish swam merrily through the bloody water. They could not drag this out any longer.

"Saeko, get in the car!"