In the environment ruled by the abhorrent beast, even if it was only a minor buffer, it helped immensely to open up the battlefield as Finn sprinted right for the wall-anchored dragon. Though it wasn't his most comfortable weapon–not by a long shot–he kept the odachi in hand.
Jasper ran next to him, though lagged a bit in keeping up, "What's with that sword, mate? Doesn't look very "assassin" to me!"
"Are you asking me why I'm not using a dagger against this living mass of gunk!?" Finn shouted, having to speak over the dragon's roar. "--This is better for handling big guys like that!"
Amidst their discussion, the black limb of the dragon slammed down between the two, prompting them both to jump to either side. The arm befalling the metal grating brought a splash of the boiling tar, making it hard to close in to retaliate.