Chapter 243 - 243. Struggles
If the First form of the Ashura multiplied Noah's attacks and allowed him to fight when outnumbered, the Second form condensed those ethereal sabers into his six arms, vastly increasing their power.
As for why Noah couldn't use it until that moment, it was because his body simply could not withstand that much power.
There were more than twenty ethereal sabers after all, a rank 3 body could not endure the pressure created when they were concentrated in six arms.
'It still hurts a bit but the liquid "Breath" in my body will keep me going.'
Noah was pushing his body to its limits in order to perform that technique and fight on the same level as the leader.
Also, the physical empowerment of the Demonic form allowed him to match the blows of a rank 4 beast, even if just those of a weak one.
'Even with my full power, I can only match it for a short amount of time. I can't resist that many clashes, my body won't last that much.'
The rank 4 Excavating worm had suffered many injuries by then but it didn't seem to be affected in the slightest.
On the contrary, Noah felt his mental energy and "Breath" depleting at high speed.
'It can't be helped, I'm still too weak.'
Yet, once he had that thought, he charged again at the leader.
Noah's fighting style had always been extremely aggressive, he would rely on defending only if the situation didn't permit any other approach and he would gladly suffer some wounds if that allowed him to hurt his opponent more.
That situation wasn't any different, actually, defending would only make him suffer more injuries.
'I need to force it on the defensive.'
Echo and Shadow never stopped attacking the worm, they bit and scratched to no end, trying to slow for even a second its movements.
Then, Noah arrived, slashing with six weapons that carried so much power that the air around them curved and distorted.
Six attacks landed on the worm, each one from a different angle.
Noah's sabers cut everything in their path, stopping only after they reached the internal organs of the beast.
The leader stood in place, enduring the impact and attacking with its head toward Noah.
'It can even use that technique with only half its body!'
Noah felt a hammer slamming on his head and throwing him back, chasing on a wall behind him.
'Dammit!'
Noah rose from the crystalline debris that fell from his crash on the wall, the protection of the Demonic form in his upper body had been broken, showing the blood that flowed from his mouth and nose.
His breathing was hindered and a whistling noise resounded in his ears but he could not buy time to heal his injuries, the leader of the worms had charged in his direction.
Noah hastily focused to reform the protection of the Demonic form and again used his six sabers to perform a single vertical slash.
He and the leader were again sent back two opposite directions.
'I can only fight like this, this form makes me too slow.'
The weakness of the Second form of the Ashura was the pressure imposed on the cultivator.
Having so much power concentrated on him made Noah's body stiff and clunky.
That weakness would be fixed once his body became stronger but, at that moment, he could only endure powerlessly the counterattacks of the beast.
Also, that form was the only attack that could restrain the worm, Noah really didn't have any other choice in that situation.
The two blood companions never left the beast's side and assaulted it to no end while Noah charged at it every time he was flung away, seemingly uncaring of the injuries that kept accumulating on his body.
From the perspective of the two nobles, Noah's fighting style was simply too reckless!
Milo and Troy watched as Noah jumped on the beast, dealt a few blows, and was sent back by its attack, only to stop the next charge of the worm with his stronger slash.
That course of actions repeated itself more than ten times right in front of their eyes, they couldn't even imagine the kind of pain he was enduring to stand up after every clash.
They were busy killing the endless wave of weak worms that were coming at them but they could still watch Noah's battle.
Milo had a rank 4 body and Troy was strong for his age, they had no problem handling a few hundred beasts in the first and second rank.
"Amazing."
Troy couldn't help but praise as he watched Noah standing up for the fifteenth time after the leader's attack.
"Focus!"
Milo ordered, they were protecting Daniel that was sitting behind them with his eyes closed, they couldn't allow his concentration to be broken.
Noah's battle prowess was amazing but he alone wasn't enough to kill a rank 4 creature, Daniel's spell was needed to get them out of that situation as winners.
'Five more seconds!'
Noah shouted in his mind as he charged again toward the worm.
His body was screaming in pain, his arms hurt, his ribs were cracked, and his nose had been broken at least twice, but he pressed on.
Even the leader of the worms had begun to suffer from the continuous clashes, its body was filled with deep cuts and vivid red blood flowed incessantly from them, its offensive had also slowed.
As it saw the fiend attacking, it pounced only to be stopped by a sharp slash.
Noah had finally managed to hold his ground against the leader!
His sabers slid against the rows of teeth, incapable of inflicting any damage.
However, the black smoke consumed the leader's skin, allowing his blood companions to stab their fangs on its uncovered flesh.
'Soon I'll be able to take you down all by myself.'
Noah said in his mind.
Then, the minute passed and Noah retreated by a few large steps.
It was at that moment that Daniel opened his eyes and pointed his hand toward the leader of the beasts.