I really am stupid, aren’t I? A chance to live another day came my way and I chose against it out of emotional feeling. Hehehe... 

That was the current thought racing through Tsukune’s mind at this very moment, as he stared at the terrifying and extremely enraging monster charging forward his way with rumbling noise while knocking tombstones aside and destroying small dead trees that stood in his path.

‘‘You're dead!!’’

With fury and hatred he had never seen on the blond monster before, the words spoken in a beast-like roar sent a bone-chilling shiver running down the young man's spine. Being threatened by an enraging monster charging your way would have anyone's leg growing weak from fear, losing their will, begging for mercy, or might even faint from it outright.

So one could say the young man, Tsukune Aono, was quite brave for only experiencing shivering fear and not allowing himself to succumb to any of those. In fact, it could be called being more than just brave since he was still able to stand his ground, albeit only through adrenaline and his desire to help Moka.

‘‘At least I manage to get all his attention now…’’ While glad that he was able to direct all Saizou attention onto himself and away from Moka through the insults, Tsukune couldn’t help wanting to cry imaginary tears for making a monster that is already fierce enough when not completely consumed by rage, into one that is downright scary. 

‘‘Damn, you better escape safe and sound, Moka, otherwise my sacrifice and bravery will amount to nothing more than a pile of crap stumping to death on the ground! Literally!’’ 

With Saizou’s terror-inducing towering figure just less than 10 feet apart from him, Tsukune gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath.  

For some reason, maybe it’s due to the adrenaline running through his system at the moment or his wish for Moka to escape safely, Tsukune felt laxer, faring better than when he was standing in front of Saizou a little while ago before experiencing the unpleasantness of being swiping away like a fly.  

Thud Thud Thud!

Like a towering giant, every time Saizou’s legs kick down on the ground, it causes a small rumbling sound to be heard. And while Saizou’s figure wasn’t nearly enough for him to be called a giant — arriving close to Tsukune, to the young man having to face the hideous monstrosity up close — he was no different from one.             

‘‘Die, fucking shrimp!’’ 

While consumed by anger at the insult thrown at him by Tsukune, Saizou didn’t completely lose his mind as he uttered while raising his large hand, spreading his palm into the shape of a claw, and striking down with all his power! 

Seemingly intending to shut Tsukune up for good in a single strike despite spewing countless threats of torturing him and making him wish for death. 

‘‘Oh hell…!’’    

Meanwhile, the moment Tsukune catches a glimpse at Saizou raising arm, with cold sweat drenching his back, before the monster even brings the claw down. Tsukune directly threw himself to the side without a thought of hesitation. 

Boom! Saizou’s clawed struck down on the ground. Small dust rose from the spot as a claw imprint was left on the earth. 

‘‘Grrrr! Stay still!’’ 

However, having missed the target of his murderous intent. The blond monster pulled his hand back up and turned to the side, charging forward with both arms sporting sharp nails like claws, clearly intending to swing them toward his target of anger once again.  

As for Tsukune, after throwing himself aside to avoid the claw, he quickly scrambled onto his feet and made a run for it. Unfortunately, with Saizou reacting just as quickly, he couldn’t make it far before he had to throw himself forward to barely avoid the two claws from cutting across his back. 

Rip! 

Shit! That was too damn close! 

But while he managed to avoid the two claws from cutting him, the back of his clothes wasn’t so lucky as the backside got torn apart. Leaving Tsukune, who was still on the ground, gasping deeply at the nearly fatal strike he almost sustained by inches away.      

Nevertheless, while shaken up because of it, Tsukune didn’t forget that sustaining a nearly fatal injury wasn’t what he should be concerned about at this time, as death itself was looming even closer for him.

‘‘Don’t think you can get away this time! You’re dead!’’ 

As Tsukune was about to scramble back up, Saizou's voice filled with murderous intent rage out behind a shadow of a huge raising fist that came striking down quickly from above. 

And the moment Tsukune noticed the fist, with a chilling fear on his face he instantly realized that he wouldn't be able to get up in time to avoid the powerful fist striking down. At that singular instant, moving completely by instinct, instead of getting up and running he chose to roll away. 

Bam! Saizou punched down with enough force to shatter the ground. However, the target of his strike managed to evade by a narrow distance, causing his hideous veins-filled face to twist with annoyance at the ant that was consistently able to avoid his attack.

Meanwhile, although Tsukune might have been able to avoid Saizou’s fist just now, the powerful force contained within the punch was still strong enough to cause a small shockwave that lifted him from the ground and easily sent him flying a few feet away.  

‘‘Urgh!’’ Tsukune groans painfully as his head hits a rock without mercy. 

Tsukune, still on the ground, unable to get up yet due to the impact with the rock which caused his mind to reel and head to bleed — forcing him to instinctively clutch his hands tightly on the wound as a searing pain was felt almost immediately. 

Damn! It hurts! With the sudden blow to the head like that, Tsukune wasn’t able to think properly for a few seconds as he desperately held the bleeding area of his head. But knowing his priority of saving his own life over a bleeding head, when the seconds passed and his head cleared up a bit, as he tried to prop himself up…

‘‘Tsk! You’re like an annoying bug that just won’t obediently die!’’ The moment Tsukune heard the voice, his action of trying to prop himself up directly came to a halt as the thudding sound of a footstep arrived near him from behind. ‘‘Unfortunately for you, you ran out of luck!’’ 

Shit! Tsukune uttered a curse in his mind as he looked down and saw the shadow of a monster below him. 

When seeing that, even with the overwhelming fear injected further into his already large bubble of fear, he didn’t hesitate to try to get up again despite knowing it would literally be impossible as Saizou was just a mere feet away from him. 

                             

‘‘Still wanting to escape? As if I would let you, heh heh…’’ Noticing that the insignificant ant that has continuously angered him was still struggling even now, the blond monster laughed and said menacingly.

Meanwhile, Tsukune was halfway into getting up and a small bit of hope entered him because of that. Unfortunately for him, the hope was brutally crushed the next instant as Saizou's ridiculously large hand reached down and lifted him right up through the air as easily as one would lift a leaf or a feather.   

After grabbing hold of him, Saizou brought the struggling Tsukune closer to him with a twisted satisfying grin. And squeezing down tighter, bringing out a painful moan from the human, and questioned mockingly. ‘‘Tell me, where is that arrogance you had earlier gone to!? What, you can't speak anymore!!?’’     

Having been captured and unable to break free despite desperately struggling, Tsukune felt the same despair he felt when contemplating leaving Moka and fleeing on his own. However, this time, strangely enough, unlike when he was previously almost consumed by it, an unknown strength surges through him as he forces a hard, difficult mocking smile.   

‘‘H-how...disgustingly- hideous.’’ 

‘‘What!?’’ 

The moment Saizou heard what Tsukune said about his appearance even at this stage, eyes blazing with unending anger, he squeezed down harder with his abnormally large hand, unearthing a painful scream from the boy as a slight cracking noise could be heard from the boy's body.     

‘‘Say that to me again!?’’ 

‘‘Aghhh….!’’ The excruciating pain from being crushed within the arm’s grasp caused Tsukune to be unable to hold back his scream as tears burst from his eyes. 

Fuck! I’m really digging my own grave faster, aren’t I!? That noise just now… there are definitely some fractured bones… Though the pain made him want to shut up and stop antagonizing the blonde monster further, he couldn’t help but want to maintain his smile and form a reply just to spite the monster when he heard the question being asked. 

‘‘Y-you… are…hideous! Argghhh!’’ 

Saizou tightened his grasp; at this point, simply using the word anger or rage wasn’t enough to describe the burning magma-like emotion raging inside Saizou as murderous intent was practically oozing from him. And in a fit of those raging emotions…

        

Holding Tsukune in his hand with one arm, the instant he heard the word ‘hideous’ coming up from the boy once again. Saizou directly lost it and pressed his palm down with his inhuman strength, earning a loud cry from the boy, before proceeding to slam him down on the hard ground. Seemingly angry to the point of losing reason completely, Saizou stopped caring about tormenting the pesky bug in his grasp any further — only caring about seeing him dead as quickly as possible.      

So after slamming the boy on the ground with enough force to easily kill a normal person, not satisfied with just that, Saizou lifted the boy up again and directly threw him like a ball meters away. 

Boom!

Watching the human-shaped ball fly quickly through the air until it hit the ground after a few skips on the earth, kicking up dust clouds, Saizou only then felt his raging emotion lessening by barely a little. 

...A- am I...en…even alive right now...? Heh heh, it seems... so… Thank... you... mo... f-for.. birthing me with such a r, ridiculously tena…cious b…ody. Un…fortunately...m-mom… that just made dying took...longer. 

As the dust cloud slowly dissipated, Tsukune could be seen lying on the ground, covered in dirt and grime with a blooded body that seemed wrecked to the point it’s a miracle he didn’t outright die from having been slammed to the ground with such force. Let alone was still conscious enough to think in a comical and joking manner even after being thrown like a human ball.