Six Pairs of Ears, Two Tails

In other words, they suspected that Lilith had some nonhuman bloodline.

But how was that possible?

Could this have been some kind of experiment by the Empire? Was Lilith the product of that experiment?

Feeling the life force Nacita had injected into his core dwindling, Susanoo hesitated no longer.

Time was running out. He could not waste this one-third of Nacita's life force.

Having made his decision, Susanoo once again launched a storm of attacks at Lilith.

He could only gamble.

Gamble that Lilith's self-healing ability could not be used indefinitely, that it had some kind of restriction—or rather, a limit.

However, Susanoo's attacks were far from effective.

If Lilith's attacks while controlling water were like a continuous drizzle, silent and imperceptible, leaving one or many bloody holes in his body before he noticed—

Then Lilith's attacks while commanding ice made Susanoo feel as though he were deep within the frigid Far North Land.

The seemingly omnipresent chill numbed and frostbitten his hands and feet.

Moreover, when the ice spikes controlled by Lilith pierced Susanoo's body, they did not pass through him. Instead, they remained lodged inside him.

The ice spikes embedded in Susanoo released the chill Lilith had compressed within them. Each spike became like a spiked morning star, wedged inside Susanoo's body.

Had an ordinary person suffered such grave attacks, they would have long since died. Only Susanoo, a Biological Imperial Arm, could still move.

Riiip—

Expressionless, Susanoo forcibly tore another "morning star" out of his body.

Though the process tore away a great deal of flesh and blood, it was unexpectedly not very bloody.

The cold had frozen even Susanoo's blood.

Yet anyone who witnessed this scene would shudder involuntarily.

Not a single drop of blood spilled, but that only made it all the more brutal.

Rows of ice spikes erupted beneath Lilith's feet and extended outward, forcing Susanoo to retreat and evade them.

After being struck by Lilith's attacks several times, Susanoo discovered that her attacks carried an immense amount of cold energy.

If he was hit by a small ice spike, at most he would lose a little flesh and blood.

But if he was hit by a large-scale attack, he could very well be frozen solid on the spot!

"Ah, they're here."

Having driven Susanoo back, Lilith withdrew the solid ice around them. Susanoo felt the ice that had made him feel as if he were in the polar regions begin to crack.

The shattered ice glittered with captivating light, like stars scattered across the sky.

"Here? What do you mean, they're here?"

On the other side, Akame, who had been seeking an opening to deal Lilith a fatal blow, froze.

She sensed familiar presences approaching, but...

Bang—

A black shadow fell from above, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Leona, Mine!"

Tatsumi was delighted. He was happy to see his returning companions.

"Tatsumi, don't go over there..."

But Akame stepped in front of Tatsumi and stopped him.

"Because..."

With Mine's assistance, Leona found it much easier to deal with Big Wolf.

Even though Big Wolf was already a Special Class Dangerous Species, it still did not dare take the attacks fired from Mine's Teigu head-on.

Even so, neither Leona nor Mine looked relaxed.

Although Mine possessed exceptional talent for shooting, her close-combat ability was nonexistent. It was already good enough if she did not hold Leona back.

And Leona's condition was steadily deteriorating.

"Mine, make an opening for me!"

"Honestly, you only ever make things difficult for me!"

Mine gritted her teeth. Under Leona's cover, she launched another attack at Big Wolf.

But such an obvious attack could not possibly hit it, and Big Wolf easily dodged it.

Then Big Wolf lashed out with its tail, striking Leona in the stomach. Somehow, she had already made her way behind it.

"Pfft... Hehe... Got you!"

Leona spat out a mouthful of blood. Big Wolf's blow had clearly been powerful, yet her arms remained tightly locked around its tail.

Big Wolf: "..."

The ferocious gleam in Big Wolf's eyes intensified as it bared its fangs.

Only its master was allowed to touch its tail!

Awooo—

Big Wolf leaped high into the air. When it landed, it slammed its tail heavily against the ground.

Big Wolf's tail was unharmed, but Leona, who was clinging to it, had an intimate encounter with the ground.

Big Wolf's blow injured Leona badly. She could no longer even use her muscles to compress her wounds and slow the bleeding.

Leona felt her strength draining away, and even her vision began to blur.

"The secret technique... Can I not hold on much longer?"

Strictly speaking, the secret technique Lion's Undying of Leona's Teigu, Lion King, was actually a special state.

This state could greatly enhance Leona's vitality and could even keep her barely alive.

But it did not come without a cost.

In fact, by this point in the battle, Leona had already lost three-quarters of the blood in her body.

An ordinary person would faint after losing one-quarter of their blood. If they lost half, they would truly die without prompt treatment.

Even with Leona's powerful physique after beastification, she had begun to feel dizzy once she had lost one-third of her blood.

To maintain her combat strength, she could only use Lion King's secret technique, Lion's Undying!

While she could still barely maintain Lion's Undying, Leona bit down on Big Wolf's body.

After beastification, Leona's claws and teeth were extremely sharp. Her fangs could even bite through some Teigu.

Piercing Big Wolf's skin was effortless.

Feeling blood flow into her mouth, Leona sucked with all her might.

She gulped down Big Wolf's blood, replenishing her own blood with it.

But when Big Wolf's blood entered Leona's body, something unexpected happened...

At first, Leona had not wanted to use Big Wolf's blood to replenish her own.

It would have been one thing if it were an ordinary animal, but using the blood of a Special Class Dangerous Species made it hard for her to guarantee that her body would not undergo some kind of change.

After all, compared to ordinary creatures, the blood of a Special Class Dangerous Species was far too corrosive.

She did not want to be covered in wolf fur, or grow an extra wolf tail or wolf ears.

If that happened, wouldn't she end up with six pairs of ears and two tails when she beastified?