Time Stopping Serpent

Splash!

Jeez, this place must be flooded. Water at the entrance, on the stairs, water everywhere, even in the boss chamber.

Zm.

Man, I don't think the architects that made this place even tried. It was just some snake statues at the beginning, some long *ss stairs that led to a pool of electrocution, and then to this gate that just leads down this long HALL!

Zm.

How long have I been walking down this thing?

Zm.

Ten minutes now?

Zm.

Ichigo hasn't said anything after we kept moving forward. Could it be?

Zm.

I turned around. Sh*t, I've been fooled again. I haven't been walking down a long hall. Time was just looping.

This snake is getting on my nerves, but it won't be laughing any time soon when I thrust my fist into its face!

"My lord, is there a problem?"

Ichigo said in a concerned tone.

"No, nothing, time was just repeating."

"Ahh, I see."

"Wait, won't you be able to see if time was looping?"

"No, but when I was inside your shadow, your consciousness is not only shared with me, it is shared with the others. That's how I was able to identify if you were in a loop or not. But now that I'm out, our senses are not connected."

"Ahh, I see. Interesting..."

I looked back down at the empty hallway. I then made a light orb in my hand, illuminating the interior. Then I rolled it down the hall.

"What are you doing, my lord?"

"A way to tell if I'm looping or not. If that orb doesn't get closer to me, or I don't get closer to that orb, I'll be able to recognize if time is looping or not."

"Ho, that is an amazing idea, my lord. Your intellect is not to be messed with."

"Hehe, no need to flatter me. Now then, let's get going."

As we walked down the hall, I did a pattern. After I passed the light orb that I made, I'd make a fire orb, then I repeat. This is so that the time loop won't happen to me. From what I learned, the time loop can only repeat at most five seconds of a specific event.

We arrived at a door with a symbol of a clock at the front. I scratched my head. Do they really have to put a clock on the door? I already know this thing can control time.

Hmm, speaking about time, I should've bought a watch. Oh well, I guess I can do it after I beat this snake down.

Creak!

The door creaked as I pushed it open.

Zm.

Another door.

Ok, this snake is really annoying.

I turned around and crossed my arms.

"HA!"

I then kicked the door with all my strength, sending it flying. Yeah, can't loop that, can you now?

Me and Ichigo entered the room. Suddenly, we were ambushed by a wave of water.

Woosh!

I dashed to the side and Ichigo used his distortion wave, dispersing the attack.

"HISSSSSSSS!!!!!"

There was a large white snake wrapped around a snake statue. It flicked its forked tongue, which gave a hint of silver.

This must be the snake that Ichigo was talking about. Such a large snake, just how much did this snake eat?

The snake locked its glare onto me. I unsheathed Koshiro and got ready.

The snake hissed and gaped its mouth, firing out a sharp, shaped projectile that was made of water.

It was coming at me fast, and I barely had time to dodge. Barely avoiding the attack, it left a cut on my left cheek and hit the floor, causing a dent.

Slit!

[Health: 3381/3400]

I touched the notch on my left cheek. It wasn't serious, but it stung a bit.

"It's like a blade... made out of water. Water Blade."

What a pleasant name for a move. It would be better if I was using it though.

The snake launched a few more water blades. Ichigo appeared in front of me and use his distortion wave, slashing the blades into single water droplets.

I'm glad I got a spectral like him, but also a bit scared at the same time. If he can do that, he can kill me in an instant. But I don't think he'll be doing that now that he's my summon.

Ichigo jumped to my side and looked at me. I nodded, and we both launched waves of wind slashes. The snake responded with bombardments of water blades.

[Mana: 2887/2900]

Splish!

[Mana: 2865/2900]

Splash!

[Mana: 2849/2900]

Swash!

While the snake was busy firing waves of water blades at us, Ichigo had vanished in thin air. Suddenly, he appeared above the snake, plunging down with his replica of Koshiro. Then the snake noticed, but it was already too late to dodge.

Or was it...

That's when the snake suddenly appeared above Ichigo. When Ichigo noticed, the snake's tail had smacked him away.

WHAM!

The snake smacked Ichigo to the base of the snake-shaped statue. The statue began to collapse, with Ichigo under it. Though Ichigo may not feel the pain, he'll be stalled for a good minute or less if he's able to use distortion.

But... how did that snake teleport behind him? If I recall, this snake not only loops time, it can also freeze it as well. Maybe that's what it did. It froze time before Ichigo could strike it.

I'm going to have to watch out, otherwise, I'll be snake prey.

Now that Ichigo was out of the way, the snake focused its attention towards me. It flicked its silver forked tongue. That's when it happened. My body was suddenly wrapped around tightly.

"HISSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!"

I looked up, and the snake glared at me with its silver elliptical eyes. Damn, everything about this snake is silver Silver SILVER! Next, I'm going to shove a silver sword up this things *ss!

Grit-grit-grit~

Snap!

I heard a sound that sounded like bones breaking. Then next thing you know, I felt a large amount of pain coming from my chest area.

"ACK!"

[Health: 3035/3400]

This thing, it's crushing my ribs! Even if I had a 90 percent attack resistance, that buff won't apply to me getting my soul wrung out of my body.

What signal does it make when it stops time? It must make a signal when it initiates when it stops time. Like DIO. He says "Za Warudo" when he stops time. Or like Guldo when he yells "Time Freeze".

The snake flicked its tongue once more. That's when I realized that now the bones in my arms were shattering.

Crack!

[Health: 2819/3400]

This sudden change in force! Could it be?! It can stop time by just the flick of its tongue? Damn it, doesn't Ichigo have knowledge about this? If so, I could've used it a while ago! Oh no, I can't breathe, I'm going to lose... consciousness...

Doooom!

Though I could barely see it, the surrounding air began to darken. Black smoke surrounded me and the snake. Then I heard that bloodcurdling voice.

"Eradicate..."

The snake jerked his head up, and it was glaring at something. I couldn't move my head much as the snake was putting pressure to my upper body, but I caught a glimpse of Ichigo in a stance where his hand was ready to unsheathe his blade.

Then he simply just vanished. The air started emitting this sound that sounded like the swing of a blade.

The snake quickly flicked its tongue and at the same time, Ichigo had appeared again, with his blade only a centimeter away from the sheath.

Shatter!

Slash!

"SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

The snake let out an ear-piercing cry. After that, the pressure forced onto my upper body was gone and I fell onto the floor. I could finally breathe again. The bones in my body began to mend and in a few seconds, my health was back to normal again.

[Health: 3400/3400]

After I've gotten Remedial Obstinacy, my health has begun to heal faster than before. If I was at 1 hp, my health would be back at full capacity in just twenty seconds.

"Are you alright my lord?"

Ichigo appeared next to me, helping me up. I told him I was fine and thanked him for getting the snake to let me loose.

About the snake, when it had flicked its tongue out, it was able to stop time and I know that because it wasn't squeezing me anymore. But at the same time, Ichigo had slashed it off. His distortion dome enables him to slash the marked area all at the same time, but he can avoid a certain area if he wanted to, explaining how I wasn't cut to pieces.

"CRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

The snake cried as it looked down at its dismembered tongue. It knows that it can't stop time anymore, which is a good thing for me. Now I can kill it without it zipping around the place all the time.

It also looks like Ichigo did a lot of damage to the snake. It had gashes all over its body, and it looked like red blood was oozing out of them. At least its blood wasn't silver.

"Guess you won't be time stopping anymore. You'll see what we had to deal with."

The snake gave me the death stare. I took out Koshiro and got into the same stance that Ichigo was getting into.

"Round two..."