The Laughing Swordsman

The giant reformed being and Apollo stared at each other for a few moments. As for Layla, she curiously looked ahead and tilted her head to the side. Nonetheless, there was an invisible tension, as though a rope was being stretched to its limits.

Then, the rope snapped.

The giant reformed being lunged towards Apollo with frightening speeds. But Apollo didn't retreat.

Instead, he bolted forward, soaring through the air, leaving trails of lightning in his wake. His laughs grew louder.

Layla raised both hands in the air and cheered.

"Waaaaaah!~"

She was having the time in her life, basking in the feeling of flying through the air. 

It was a little strange considering the fact she could experience far more thrilling experiences from traveling through the blue world, or even just jumping from her strength.

But for Layla, it didn't have to make sense.

The giant reformed being's claw approached like a bullet train, appearing in front of Apollo in moments.

However, Apollo's eyes were able to follow it, albeit just barely.

His bokken traveled like a snake. The tip of Apollo's bokken landed on the top of a giant reformed being's claw despite how fast it was moving, as though it was choreographed.

The muscles in Apollo's arm tightened considerably, launching him up above the claw and out of the attack. The resulting wind violently blew, making both Apollo's and Layla's hair whip around wildly.

Apollo dug his bokken deep into the giant reformed being's arm and viciously dragged it along with him, ripping apart its flesh.

The giant reformed being obviously wasn't going to let him do as he pleased. His other claw tore through the air, barreling towards Apollo.

It reached him in less than a second, hardly giving him any time to react.

But he didn't need to.

"Nyah!"

A deep boom resounded.

Layla retaliated against the claw swipe with one of her own, knocking it back effortlessly. The giant reformed being's arm twisted back as though it smelled something really bad before recoiling in disgust.

It smelled so bad that the arm directly broke off the giant reformed being's shoulder, flying off into the distance and leaving it with only a stump. That arm wanted nothing to do with this situation.

As for Apollo, he faced heavy recoil, but was able to bear it by supporting himself with his bokken buried in the giant reformed being's arm.

With that, he continued upward, continuing to tear apart the arm.

The giant reformed let out a deep and booming roar, clearly expressing its anger. Suddenly, countless normal sized claws burst out of its stump.

The claws shot out towards Apollo. They had uncomfortably long arms that bent like wet noodles, making them look rather unsettling.

The claws each took different trajectories in order to attack Apollo from every angle. In a matter of seconds, the claws swarmed around him, blotting out the sun.

It was as though Apollo was suddenly cast into a dark night.

However, a wide smile remained on his face.

Because Apollo didn't need a light to guide him ahead in even the darkest of nights.

Although he couldn't see through the black sky, he never had to.

After all, his soul burned with a raging fire, one that was even brighter than the sun.

And so, Apollo pierced through the darkness.

Like an illusion, the claws were sliced into pieces and blown back. Blood sprayed into the sky like it began raining heavily.

Apollo's laughs filled the air, breaking the calm of still water.

Layla's tail swayed enthusiastically as she watched Apollo explode forth. She giggled.

"Bah!"

The pieces of flesh fell from the air powerlessly while the giant reformed being let out another deep roar.

Suddenly, the arm Apollo was traveling up split in two from where he cut it. They became two separate claws and twisted back to chase after Apollo.

Along with that, two more giant arms shot out from the giant reformed being's neck.

Apollo focused on the two arms in front of him as though he didn't notice the two coming from behind him.

Apollo's muscles tightened violently, but his hand leisurely traced the flat side of his bokken.

Once the two claws were right in front of him, his bokken snapped out.

Two clear thuds rang out simultaneously.

Both claws recoiled back, and split in two with a frightening gash that snaked down from their palms and even part of their arm.

However, there were still two claws approaching from behind.

Apollo had no time to deal with them after attacking the ones in front. But thankfully, there was someone else that could take up the responsibility.

Layla's eyes gleamed with excitement when she noticed the two claws approaching.

They snapped forward like vipers, appearing as a blur to the naked eye.

But then... they just suddenly stopped before hitting Apollo and Layla.

Because Layla was holding onto each claw by their middle finger.

A wide grin spread out on her face.

"Wah!"

Without warning, she spread her arms out. The force traveled down the split arms into the main arm, splitting it in two like it was paper.

But Layla wasn't done. She was still holding on tightly to the two claws.

Then flung them up.

The claws shot towards the sky along with the attached arm.

An aggressive tearing sound rang out.

The giant reformed being's last arm was ripped off as well, shooting up high into the sky. Unlike the previous arm that left because it was repelled by a smell, this one was simply too ambitious for its own good.

As such, it went high up into the sky, trying to become one with the stars.

Apollo bolted towards the giant reformed being's face.

The two of them looked at each other menacingly. 

Without warning, its head extended forth while its neck elongated several times over.

The giant reformed being's jaws opened wide.

But Apollo continued forward without hesitation while Layla curiously peeked over his shoulder.