Epic of Caterpillar

Chapter 2431: Intense Battle

Koga Saburo, a legendary figure of Japanese Legends, detailed within the pages of the old

book of Suwa Engi, an ancient, illustrated book written hundreds of years ago that showcased several tales of legends, myths, and folklore related to the Holy Shrine of Suwa, and its faith and origins.

Once a renowned warrior connected to an ancient god of war, he traveled seeking his wife, a princess. Ultimately, he had to trespass an ancient and cursed mountain, whose caves were connected to many mysterious and wondrous realms.

After many trials, once he emerged from these caves, Koga Saburo had changed, his form having grown demonic and snake-like, a monster cursed by the ancient Snake of Calamity, Yamata-No-Orochi, who had also mutated into a demon within these strange, dark realms. These folklore tales illustrate that he was ultimately healed by gods in disguise as priests, and when he found his princess, both of them ended becoming gods of the Suwa Region...

Indeed, a simple tale with a sweet ending, yet the Koga Saburo the trio was fighting was nothing of the sort, he was, as he stated, a High Grade Yokai, or a Demon born from both the darkness of humanity's desires within Japan and also from his own tales of Folklore.

He is the "discarded darkness" that the original Koga Saburo left behind to ascend into divinity. The cursed flesh, blood, and bones he didn't require to become a god.

A soulless "man", consumed by darkness, forgotten and abandoned by mythology and even history.

"I am the Human Koga Saburo, not the illustrated god, I am not an idealized deity, I am just the man that turned into a demon." He continued speaking. "And as a demon, I must spread despair and calamity! As Yamata-No-Orochi-sama orders! Hahahahaha!"

His calm demeanor quickly broke apart as he revealed his madness, he rushed towards the trio, jumping straight towards Matsuo and swinging his leg, which suddenly turned into a giant snake.

"SHYAAAH!"

The snake opened its jaws, about to swallow Matsuo completely, if it wasn't because a sphere of gray color materialized.

"{Gravity Sphere}!!!"

Frank conjured a sphere made out of an extremely condensed Domain, upon touching the giant snake-leg, it twisted and exploded, blowing the snake's head and tearing it apart.

"Tch!"

Koga Saburo quickly regrew the leg anew without issues, as he swung both of his arms, stretching them to several dozens of meters, using them as powerful whips.

"Agh!"

He grabbed Frank and lifted him up to quickly smash him into the rocky floor with tremendous force!

BAAAM!

The young man was unable to react in time, his opponent's speed was unparalleled. "FRANK!"

Matsuo and Harumi rushed towards Koga, attacking him from behind. Matsuo fired a ray of holy light towards his left, while Harumi harnessed her Blood Aura, releasing a slashing wave of Blood Energy.

FLASH!

BOOOM! BOOOM!

Before they could reach him however, Koga was gone from there, as both attacks ended hitting the ground! His reflexes weren't normal at all as he appeared right behind Matsuo.

"I shall slay you first, disgusting priest of Amaterasu!"

The accursed man roared as he swung both of his hands towards Matsuo's head and chest, aiming to destroy his head and heart with a swift attack.

"{Blessed Shield of Sunlight}!"

Matsuo spent all his Mana as he conjured a huge shield made of sunlight blessed by his goddess, which tanked the incoming attack from Koga Saburo, burning his hands with divine fire.

ВАААМ!

"Uuggh!"

Koga Saburo groaned in pain as he was forced to step back, buying enough time for Ruby to appear above him, roaring angrily.

"RAAAWRR!"

She roared furiously, her jaws opening to unleash a bombardment of fireballs against the snake man, burning through his body as he screamed.

"Damn vermin!"

He swung his hand, releasing a huge wave of poisonous energy that hit Ruby strongly, blowing her away.

"Gryaawwruh!"

"R-Ruby!"

Frank rushed to catch her as she slowly reduced her size to her smallest form, one of her wings seemed to have a huge wound, as if a snake had bitten her, and it was slowly spreading

poison.

"{Gift of Life}!"

He quickly infused his own lifeforce into her, healing her wound and even the poison itself! Ruby still remained tired though, as Frank hid her inside of his armor.

"That power...?!"

Koga Saburo's eyes widened as he saw what Frank did, he couldn't believe it. To simply grant lifeforce to another being and heal all injuries wasn't normal!

"Is he the child of a Kami?!"

He pointed at Frank with his fingers, as he reflected an incoming spear made of blood with his other hand, destroying it before it could harm him.

CRASH!

"Like hell we'll tell you!"

Matsuo harnessed the shield he had conjured, which remained and didn't disappear, transforming it into a huge katana, and swinging it.

"RAAAH!"

SLAAASH!

"Ngh?!"

Koga Saburo quickly jumped away from the incoming slash, which blew up the walls where he

had been, and quickly released dozens more of snakes from his flesh.

"Catch that Kami's son!" he roared. "I must feast on his flesh!"

"SHYAAAH!"

As they rushed towards Frank, Harumi appeared in front of him, attacking the snakes with

everything she had.

However, she looked utterly exhausted, barely forcing her body to move.

"I don't know if this'll even work but...!"

Frank finished drinking two potions and quickly touched Harumi's shoulder.

"{Gift of Life}!"

FLAAASH!

It could be said to be a bit of a gamble, Harumi was a Dhampir, a half-vampire, and vampires

are undead-type beings who are weak to the concept of "life" and also of "light".

Therefore, to infuse such a concept into one might as well kill them!

However, to his surprise, that did not happen.

"Ahh! F-Frank?!"

Harumi gasped as she noticed her exhaustion gone and so were her wounds, her eyes were

also fully healed.

"Ugh...!"

However, Frank saw his HP going down rapidly, almost hitting the single digits, he needed to

use it all just to heal her.

"Harumi, please protect me while I do something! I have an idea!"

"An idea? Okay!"

Harumi continued battling the snakes, as Frank grabbed one of them, which was still alive,

and took a bite out of it.

He could only eat them while they were alive, as when they died, they explode into dark mana

and disappear.

Crunch!

"Ngh?!"

Frank felt disgusted, the flavor wasn't good at all! It was a rotten and disgusting flavor, but he kept biting the struggling snake which he had incapacitated with a coil made of Gray Magic. Each bite tore through the snake while it struggled to live, after over twenty bites, the snake died and disappeared, and Frank swallowed whatever he took from it.

BA DUM!

"Ah!"

BA DUM!

He felt his heart beating faster, and faster, and faster.

BA DUM!

BA DUM!

BA DUM!

"Nnnggh...! Nngaaaarrrggh!"

As he screamed in agony due to the intense pain in his chest, suddenly, white and purple

scales grew over his hands, neck, and a bit of his face.

His eyes turned snake-like, and even his fangs grew long and sharp.

"Hm?"

Koga Saburo, who was constantly evading Matsuo's attacks while trying to kill him, noticed

what just happened.

"He ate my Demonic Snakes? He ate... the curse?"

Frank's skin gained countless cursed marks across his entire skin, as his aura suddenly

changed...

"KOGA SABURO!" roared Frank, resisting the pain and madness this curse caused to him. "YOU

WILL... LET US GO!"

As he screamed, his right hand started transforming, mutating into a long, white and purple

scaled snake.

"Or else...!"

"SHYAAAHH!"

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