258 – Partial Dragonisation

My partner strains her arms as she glares at the manticore.

“It’s finally okay to struggle, right?”

W-wait a second! Before you get ready for battle, let me check its status! I want to eliminate any reason to be worried!

Plus, if we can, I’d like to aim for the moment it shows an opening.
Until we see an opening or it seems suspicious, please stay as you are.

“…Fine, I’ll be careful.”

A-also, you should crush its legs! So if it’s somehow able to slip away, we can chase it! When I undo the humanisation, please focus on that as much as possible!

“…Cheh.
Argh, I got it already.” 

I get why you’re irritated, but it’s gotten away from us two times now.
It won’t get a third time.
This time we’ll take it down.

Its status is…

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Species: Manticore
Condition: Normal
Lv: 73/80
HP: 453/453
MP: 128/142
Attack: 413

Defense: 228
Magic: 194
Speed: 534
Rank: B

Characteristic Skills:
[Nekomata: Lv -] [Onmitsu: Lv 4] [Presence Sense: Lv 6] [Grisha Language: Lv 1]

Resistance Skills:
[Physical Resistance: Lv 4] [Magic Resistance: Lv 5] [Fire-attribute Resistance: Lv 3] [Poison Resistance: Lv 2][Paralysis Resistance: Lv 4]

Normal Skills:
[Paralysis Claw: Lv 7] [Paralysis Bite: Lv 8] [Humanisation Technique: Lv 8] [Sandstorm: Lv 6] [Needle Body: Lv 9]

Title Skills:
[Cunning: Lv 6] [Obsession: Lv 6] [Chaser: Lv 9] [Cat’s Pride: Lv 3] [Wind Runner: Lv 7] [Final Evolution: Lv -]
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Great, it hasn’t changed much.

I also want to properly understand its characteristic skills.
One of them should have something to do with [Humanisation Technique].
I don’t want to rely on God’s Voice that much, but there’s no helping it.

【Characteristic Skill [Nekomata]】
【The user becomes good at deceiving people.
A characteristic skill possessed mainly by cat-type monsters.】
【The MP consumption of [Humanisation Technique] is greatly reduced.】

As I thought, it’s that one.
It reduces MP consumption of [Humanisation Technique]… I see.
If I had the same skill collecting skill that the slime had, I’d want to steal it right away.
I’ll have to be careful that this sneak attack on it lands.

“Gebagebageba…gebah?”

Perhaps suspicious that its live food is standing resolute, its glares at my partner.
Indeed, if she doesn’t act a bit more scared, it’d notice something’s off.

Even Yarg was that frightened of the manticore.
There’s no way that someone who was brought over to be live food for it could have this much composure.
Partner, please act scared little bit more scared…

“…Ga, gaaah” 

She screams, scrabbling with the rope binding her arms, as she runs away from the manticore.
She runs slowly, not in such a way as to create too much distance.
That monotone scream was just a dragon sound though!

“Ahh! That’s why I wanted to cut your rope!”

Tatark shouts.
I thought he was joining in on the act, but a look at his face makes it clear that’s not the case.
He’s serious.

The manticore moves to pin down my partner with its foreleg.

“Gebagebagebagebaah!”

My partner stops running and turns around, tearing off the rope.

“Gebaah!”

The manticore pins her with its forefoot, knocking her to the ground face-up.

“Gaah!”

The manticore’s mouth splits open into an eerie smile.

Argh! We got caught.
With this, we can’t aim for its feet any more.
Should I undo it already…? No, not yet.
It’s not the right time yet.

The moment of predation is when living things are at their most vulnerable.
Let’s aim for that.

My partner struggles, and the manticore frowns.
She’s not able to get out of its grip, however.
During [Humanisation Technique], physical status values are halved.
Our current strength isn’t enough.

“Gebagebagebaah!”

The manticore’s mouth draws closer.
Once it’s close enough, the angle puts us in a blind spot.
This is it.

“Gaaaaaah!”

Howling, she swings her arm towards a fang.
I focus on the arm.
Heat runs through it as though our blood is boiling, and it expands.

The force of the impact of her fist raises a cloud of dust.
The sensation of her claw tearing into the manticore’s flesh is transmitted to me.
Probably, that’s the manticore’s gums we’re tearing through.

She continues on to gouge out flesh with her claw, tearing it apart.
Nerve-and-all, the manticore’s fang flies out into the cloud of dust.

“Gebaaaah!”

A screams resounds from deeper into the cloud, and I feel the manticore’s presence receding.
As the cloud of dust fades, I see that only our arm has expanded, becoming black and rugged.

Only the arm has gone back to dragon-form.
The manticore did something similar earlier, so I tried it out and, as I’d thought, I can do it too.

My partner kicks off the ground, chasing after the forefoot of the retreating manticore.

“Gaaah!”

“Gebaaah!”

Her claw digs deeply into the flesh of its front leg.
Its thick skin is split and chunks of meat dance through the air.

Following up, she slams her fist into its chin.
Its huge body scrapes across the ground as it’s sent flying.

“…Didn’t have to hold on that long”

She lets out a bitter complaint… S-sorry.

“Wh-what?! You, what are you!?”

Yarg shouts while illuminating us with the lantern that Tatark had thrown.
Nearby, Tatark’s mouth opens in shock.

“OoOOOoOoooOOO…”

Deeper in the cave, the manticore’s eyes shine.

This time, I fully undo [Humanisation Technique].
Heat runs through our body as it swells in size.

With our body returned to normal, the manticore’s anger fades as its face pales.
It’s too late to notice we have the same skill as you.

“GuuooooooOH!”
“GaaaaaaaaAH!”

I howl out together with my partner.