Amidst the tension, Pesanta growled, insect fangs grinding and both insect claws wide open, ready to rip. But not intending to advance, at least not now.
One of the arrows shot out from the crossbow, hurtling quickly towards Rian.
However, with a light movement and a slight tilt of the head, Rian shifted his body to the side, the arrow gliding past just like that, as if it was nothing.
But it wasn't finished yet. The second arrow had already been fired, while two Ganado armed with helleberd spears were right in front of him, their weapons raised high, ready to slash mercilessly.
From Six Eyes' vantage point, all movement slowed down, arrow trajectories, slash directions, defense gaps. Everything was exposed.
In an instant, Rian's right hand shot up, catching the second arrow in midair. While his left hand, which held the chainsaw, remained steady.
With quick, decisive steps, Rian plunged the arrow into the chest of the first Ganado, then kicked the fellow next to him.
Without giving them a chance to breathe, the Chainsaw in Rian's left hand roared wildly. In one brutal swing, it sliced through two Ganado at once, their bodies split clean from shoulder to waist.
A spray of blood decorated the air, staining the stone floor of Salazar Castle, before the pieces of their bodies collapsed, hitting the ground with a heavy sound.
Rian's right hand reached out quickly, pulling the revolver from the holster at his waist.
The movement was smooth but sure, and in one decisive motion, the muzzle of the weapon was aimed at one of the Ganado with a crossbow behind Pesanta.
BANG! BANG!
Two explosions burst through the air. A .50 Magnum caliber bullet whizzed from the barrel, slamming into the Ganado's head.
In an instant, the skull shattered, blood and splinters sprayed into the air. The revolver barrel spun slowly, loading the next round.
Calmly, Rian raised the revolver and pointed the muzzle at Pesanta. His eyes were calm, yet stressful.
"This handsome man knows... you can still understand human language," Rian said, a little thoughtfully, "... Spanish, perhaps?"
Rian smiled slightly, as if relaxed, but the look in his eyes was piercing. "Well, like the one I'm using right now."
"But listen carefully... this handsome man doesn't have time to play around," Rian continued, tone of voice heavier and serious. "So, if you have a final form, use it now. Or die quickly without a chance to roar."
For the record, a Beyonder like Rian is able to understand all the languages of this world or any world with ease.
All this was thanks to the System within him translating instantly, making every threat from him sound clear... even to monsters.
Without much ado, Rian pulled the trigger of the revolver three times in a row.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three .50-caliber Magnum bullets whizzed by, two slamming into Pesanta's body, one piercing the head, but not detonating it.
This heavy caliber revolver is known to be brutal: one bullet is enough to say hello to hell. But this time, not even a shot to the head brought the creature down. Just like Mendez before it, Pesanta was also resistant to direct hits.
However, at least the attack was enough to make it take a few steps back.
Calmly, Rian placed the chainsaw on the stone floor and began reloading the revolver.
"This handsome man guessed it," Rian murmured, voice still light, "Pesanta is no joke... even more stubborn than Mendez. That thing is a suitable test target for Tittle's power!"
The next second as Rian reloaded the revolver, Pesanta's body began to writhe wildly: transformed.
Pesanta's black robes tore, shredding the old fabric as it body expanded and revealed her true form.
The insectoid's distinctive features were now on full display, mouth, arms, and legs expanded with a hard, exoskeleton-like coating.
Pesanta's skin was pale, it flesh bulging, and from the cracked skull of it head, the brain was exposed beneath ribs that curved like a cage.
From its back protruded a large stomach, at the end of which grew a mouth-tipped parasitic tail that constantly moved as if searching for prey.
Rian closed the revolver cylinder with a click, raised it slowly, then whistled softly.
"Good... This way, this handsome man announces: congratulations!" Rian's smile widened even further, "You just opened an alternate route."
Pesanta swung his claws: extending horizontally, sweeping the air towards Rian. Deftly, however, Rian reached back for the chainsaw near his feet and tilted his body, letting the strike pass barely touching his clothes.
The next attack followed quickly. Pesanta's massive tail shot out like a whip, but Rian somersaulted backward, landing lightly on the cracked stone of the castle.
As soon as his feet hit the ground, the tail fired organic projectiles, piercing the air at high speed.
But Rian moved again, like he was dancing, dodging each shot without the slightest loss of balance.
All attacks failed. None of them touched him.
Despite carrying two loads: a chainsaw in his left hand and a revolver in his right, Rian remained agile, as if fighting was an art, and he was the artist.
On the other hand, the organic projectile fired by Pesanta earlier suddenly enlarged. Its surface pulsed like living, breathing flesh: until finally...
Crot! Crot! Crot!
An explosion of flesh occurred, splashing greenish viscous liquid in all directions: acid, poisonous gas, and millions of parasite eggs scattered in the air.
However, Rian's figure had moved faster than the sound of the explosion. His body darted, as if disappearing from its original spot.
When he reappeared on Pesanta's right side, the chainsaw in his left hand immediately swung.
BRUZZZ!
The sharp roar of the machine slashed through Pesanta's arm, inflicting a deep and brutal wound. In a follow-up move, Rian twisted his body and slammed into Pesanta's chest with a powerful whip kick.
BOOM!
The monster was knocked back a few steps. But the attack wasn't over yet.
As Pesanta turned his head, trying to retaliate, Rian was already taking aim.
BANG!
A Magnum bullet slammed into his right eye, making him wince. But not because of pain, but because of anger.
Rian didn't give it time to breathe. He had already shifted position, appearing on the other side like a shadow, and this time.
BRUZZZZZ!
The chainsaw struck again, severing Pesanta's right arm in a torrent of blood and bits of tissue.
Pesanta let out a loud scream, anger exploding in the form of sound waves that went off like a flashbang, not only deafening, but also shaking the balance.
"Ugh..." Rian took a few steps back, his hands pressed against his temples. "This thing turned out to be quite chatty from Mendez, huh? This handsome guy's head is spinning from all the chatter."
Before Rian could fully recover his focus, Pesanta's long tail swooped quickly towards him. But this time, Rian didn't dodge.
WHANG!
The chainsaw in his left hand was raised, blocking the direct slash of the deadly tail. The iron blade spun wildly against the insectoid's tail, producing a rough scraping sound and a burst of sparks.
Pesanta's tail was knocked back, appearing badly scratched and even suffering tissue damage. However, the damage only lasted for a moment.
Like a monster that refused to die, Pesanta's body began to pulsate, the torn tissue reattaching itself.
And not only that. The right arm that had previously been cut down by the chainsaw... began to grow back, bulging out like rotten flesh forced to live.
"...Of course you can regenerate," muttered Rian in a flat tone, as he reassumed his fighting stance.
Suddenly, the tip of Pesanta's tail spurted out again, an organic projectile, sharp like a leg spur on an insect, disgusting, and pulsating.
Rian swung the chainsaw in his left hand, cutting down every organic projectile that shot towards him before it had a chance to hit the floor and turn into a living flesh bomb.
BRUZZZ! BRUZZZ! BRUZZZ!
Each projectile shattered into pieces, mercilessly torn apart by the chain blades that continued to spin wildly.
At the same time, the muzzle of the revolver in his right hand was aimed right at Pesanta's eyes.
BANG! BANG!
Two bullets spewed from the casings, one hitting the temple, and the other exploding near the already injured eye.
"Enough fooling around!" exclaimed Rian, his voice firm, almost an ultimatum. "This handsome man is, in fact, in a hurry."
Rian darted forward, splitting the air like a flash of wind. Reaching Pesanta, without hesitation, the chainsaw in his left hand was thrust straight into the monster's chest.
WHRRRRRRR!!!
The chain blade pierced through flesh and bone, brutally shattering the insectoid tissue. Pesanta's body shook violently, but it did not fall.
The insectoid's gaping mouth attempted to bite Rian's face, only centimeters away.
But Rian moved quickly, taking one step back while performing an acrobatic leap backwards. At the same time, his left foot slammed into the back of the chainsaw, driving the weapon deeper into Pesanta's chest.
"Enjoy it..." said Rian with a faint smile, "...And don't forget to leave a five-star rating, as well as the best comments for this handsome man."
Blood and thick green liquid gushed wildly, splashing in all directions. The sound was noisy, the heat was palpable, and the smell, foul and fishy, pierced the nose.
As soon as he landed firmly on the stone floor, Rian immediately raised his revolver, taking precise aim at the still-shaken Pesanta.
Pesanta cowered; annoyed, angry, about to scream again, creating an explosion of sound like a flashbang.
However, Rian had expected it. That's why, as soon as his feet hit the floor, the revolver was already raised, its muzzle aimed right at Pesanta's face.
With a faint smile, Rian pulled the trigger and said, "Screaming again, huh? It's not that easy."
BANG!
The last .50 Magnum caliber bullet spewed out of the casing, streaking through the air and hitting Pesanta squarely in the mouth, canceling out the scream before it could be released.