First Trial - Temple of the fallen Demon Lord (part 8)

*CREAAAAAK* *SLAM!* *SLAM!**RUMBLE* *WHAM*

The monster began to panic and flail its limbs and tail but the only effect its struggle had was to make Butaro's body release more and more of the burning-hot steam.

"First you...! Then that bitch of a goddess...!"

Butaro glared into the monster's orange eye, channeling all his anger and using it as fuel for his power.

"...hssssssssssssss...!"

But then, as if reacting to the mention of a goddess, the crocodile monster let out a low hiss that was partially muffled because of Buraro's hold – and just like the monstrous's boy's eyes glowing pink, the crocodile monster eyes started glowing with brilliant orange light…!

"...!"

Suddenly, the monster regained its footing, even though Butaro's power was only growing – not a heartbeat later the boy's arms started to get pried open!

"What in the…!?"

Butaro exclaimed and glared at the crocodile monster just to make a blood-chilling discovery.

The monster wasn't opening its mouth at all!

Instead, the crocodile monster's body was growing at a terrifying speed!

*SLAM!* *SLAM!* *RUMBLE*

The enlarging tail was already reaching the opposite wall, and the monster's legs were becoming thicker than the tree stumps – which caused it to regain its footing, and its head and therefore jaws were getting bigger too!

It was impossible to just keep on holding the beast like that!

After almost managing to lift the beast, Butaro himself got lifted in the air by the monster which just the body and head filling the whole chamber while its tail was still angrily twitching against the wall and the ceiling knocking down the lamps because there was no room for it...!

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me-eeee-EEEEEE!"

Butaro shouted as without being able to get a stable grip anymore, the monster flick its head back and sent him flying.

Butaro tried to grab at least one of the chains of the broken lamps but in the most unlucky turn of events, every single one swayed away from him at that point.

The fat boy could only flail his arms and legs around and fall into the gigantic monster's mouth!

The beast jumped up and triumphantly chomped down the juicy fatty body…

NOT!

"As if I'll let you eat me!"

Just before getting swallowed Butaro stretched his body as much as he could and he dug his hands and feet into the soft fleshy insides of the monster's mouth somehow stopping himself from falling into the monster's maw.

"KHIIIIIIIIIIIIHHHH...!"

The monster tried to hiss but it had a hard time doing so with Butaro stomping on its slimy tongue, so it just focused on attempting to crush the meal that was giving it so much trouble.

"GUH…!"

Butaro let out a forced gasp.

His arms and legs started trembling and giving out, but how could he just give up?

Butaro didn't want to get eaten!

"You…! YOU DAMNED PURSE…!"

Butaro shouted and used all his might to oppose the crushing force of the monster's jaws.

His bones started creaking and his muscles felt as if they'd been lit aflame but even so the monster's jaws were tightening more and more…!

Butaro was sweating literal buckets, his school uniform got completely drenched and his sweat was even pouring down the throat of the monster.

"I hope you'll drown, you damn freak! Ptfu!"

Butaro shouted in fury and spit down the monster's throat.

The more force was pushing down on the boy, the more force he was pushing back with – it was a contest of endurance between Butaro and the crocodile monster.

The longer it lasted, the more intense the pink light in the boy's eyes was becoming and the more heat was generated by his body.

It got to a point where despite sweating even more than before, Butaro remained completely dry – the heat he generated was evaporating it on the spot, causing clouds of steam to rise from the monster's jaw making it seem like its insides caught on fire.

In the beast's jaws, the monstrous boy lost the sense of time – how much of it has already passed? Seconds, minutes? Surely not hours... right? It all became a blur as overwhelming anger didn't allow Butaro to give up despite his body screaming in pain at the strain.

Funnily enough, Butaro wasn't fearing death at the moment – his mind was focused on a single thought.

Not survival but...

|I will be the one to kill you...!|

...conquering his opponent...

For some reason even though at one point Butaro actually managed to straighten his arms and legs completely the monster's jaws began to continuously tighten and pressure him more and more.

|That fucking purse still had that much power left?! How is that even possible…!?|

Butaro's situation began to look hopeless, sooner or later the shrinking mouth will completely…

Wait…!

Shrinking!?

"!!!"

Butaro couldn't believe his eyes, the monster wasn't getting stronger, it was getting smaller and that was the only reason why he felt that the pressure was getting stronger!

"Pfff…! Ahahahahaha! AHAHAHAHA!"

Butaro couldn't help himself and started laughing.

"You dumb beast! You will break your jaw on me! Your stupid head is going to burst! Serves your right! I'm not going to let go of you!"

He laughed triumphantly.

His arms and legs were shaking and were in continuous pain and the massive amount of steam his burning-up body was generating was making it hard to breathe, but he still laughed.

Butaro knew this couldn't be normal but he didn't care!

As long as he would just stay as he was, he would win and as a bonus of conquering his opponent, survive!

But he wasn't the only one who was aware of what was going to happen.

The monster knew that his enlargement won't last much longer too.

So it took action.

"KIGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"!!!"

*SPLASH*

Before Butaro could react properly, the monster shoved its head into the reservoir, and water engulfed both it and Butaro!

|This bastard wants to drown me!?|

Butaro swallowed some salt water again but this time he managed to hold his breath.

He tried to forcefully break the monster's jaws but the beast was still too large for that and no matter how much Butaro struggled, the monster just stayed unmoving with the end of its jaws pressed against the bottom of the reservoir.

|This shit knows full well that I'm going to drown..!|

Terrifying realization descended onto Butaro.

It was useless! His struggle until now was all useless!

If he tries to stop forcing the beast's mouth open it will rip him apart in no time, if he just stays as he is now he will drown!

The lack of air was scorching his lungs just as much as the salt water.

The end was near…

|Damn you…!|

Butaro cursed and looked away from the monster's throat which seemed to be destined to be his ultimate destination.

"...?"

Then, in response to the pink light burning in the boy's eyes, something glimmered pinkish on the bottom of the reservoir getting Butaro's attention...

|THE SWORD!|

Butaro flinched wildly as he noticed his last chance to get out alive.

"...!"

Without hesitation he took away one of his hands from the monster's palate, the weight downing on him instantly increased and the monster twitched in excitement feeling the closing victory.

But Butaro didn't care for the monster's hopes and dreams, with how things were, getting the weapon was the only way to survive. The only other option he had was to accept death.

|Come on...! COME ON!|

*STAB*

Butaro's arm got slashed open by the dagger-like teeth that cut Butaro's skin as if it was paper and dug into his muscles extracting copious amounts of blood from the wounds. The salty water caused the wound to instantly sting but the boy didn't even notice it.

|Just a little more…! A little more…!|

Butaro was scratching the bottom of the reservoir with his fingernails mere quarters of an inch away from the sword...

|Come on…! JUST COME TO ME YOU PIECE OF JUNK!|

His hand holding up the monster's jaw was quivering like jelly, it was now or never!

*STAB*

"..."

Butaro went for a last desperate attempt, he forced his body forward, the teeth of the beast dug deep into his arm but he managed to grab the hilt of the sword!

|DIE!|

*SHING*

As if he was a puppet on a string that the puppeteer suddenly pulled out of the scene, Butaro sprung back into the monster's mouth and stabbed upwards, through the soft palate into the monster's brain, piercing through its skull in one shot!

The monster's jaws loosened instantly and Butaro let go of the sword and kicked off from the bottom of the reservoir and emerged from the water desperately gasping for air!

He tried to support his body with his hands but the arm sliced open by the monster's teeth gave out and he fell face-first on the floor.

"Urgh..!"

He groaned and rolled over on his back.

"I… I need to stop the bleeding…!"

He groaned and tried to get up again but his body kept on shaking uncontrollably.

"Damn it…! Damn it…!"

He gritted his teeth and then…

Butaro passed out.