Jets of sickly yellow ooze rushed towards me, searing the ground as they touched it. This was one of the Akka’s favored abilities: its acidic breath.

It can control the intensity of the acid at will, and by the looks of it, this one was going all out.

A direct hit from that could cost me my eyes, my arms, or anything really.

‘Nimble little shite'

The Akka roared, unleashing a torrent of acidic bile, which I narrowly avoided by twisting my body in mid-air.

I need to end this quickly because who knows what else could be roaming around this forest, especially with all this racket we're making? If I used one of the Serpico arts, disposing of this odorous eyesore would be easy, but if it doesn’t do the trick and I’m struck with repercussions, it could be the end of me.

So that left me with a single option: I'm going to have to use brute strength to exterminate our invited guest.

Alas, bludgeoning the eye sore with my Tonfa won't do anything because, as long as an Akka’s heart continues to beat, it can pull itself back together from the soil of the forest.

‘Keep running like a scared rabbit; it’ll make you taste all the better when I sink my teeth into you.'

The Akka mused while wiping some acidic bile from its lower jaw.

‘I know I’m a snack, but you're not my type'

I said I was trying to vomit from the putrid stench lingering in my nose.

'If you won’t give your flesh to me willingly, then I’ll have to take it.'

The Akka vanished into the darkness, that shrill cackle sounding from all around me. The vile beast was using the night as a shroud, cloaking itself in shadows, so I have no possible way of knowing from where it will strik

It’s easier for an Akka to just shred their prey using brute force, but it appears this one grew tired of me dancing and weaving around those gross claws.                                

'Hey, come on, can we talk about his? This  is really scary'. I said, my voice reeking of apathy.\

‘A prickly itching sensation ran the lengths of my legs as gnarled vines coiled around me like snakes binding me in place. So it got tired of me effortlessly evading its predictable attacks, after all, how quaint.

The veil parted, and within a moment I felt the creature's rancid breath hot on the back of my neck as it lunged towards me, jaw wide open, black bile dripping from its piss-colored fangs.

‘What is this strength? This shouldn’t be possible'. The Akka winced.

With a single hand, I was able to keep the fangs from piercing my flesh.

"You're a tiny lass, how can you be this strong?"

‘I’ve wasted enough time on you; I’m ending this'

In a single swift motion, I broke Akka’s jaw and threw them over the top of me, slamming them so hard against the ground that the earth cracked as pieces of rotten carrion came loose, flying off in every direction.

The way to kill an Akka was simple but a pain in the ass. If you sever its limbs, it’ll pull itself back together; if you crush its head, it’ll regrow after a while. It is one with the forest it calls home, and the only way to kill one of these is by piercing its heart.

To add an additional layer of trickery, their physiology varies from humans; stab it in the upper torso and you’re minced meat. No,  the heart of an Akka is actually in its lower abdomen, concealed by its stomach.

‘You have threatened the life of my master, and that is a crime that is truly unforgivable, I Bel Crowett, Hereby, I sentence you to death.

I drove my hand deep into the creature's stomach and tore out its heart; surprisingly,  it showed no reaction—not an ounce of pain or fear.

I held Akka’s still-beat heart in my hand. It's darker than a starless night.

‘Go ahead and do it, lass. It’s what I deserve, ain’t it?' The Akka laughed.

‘You’re a monster that prays on the innocent, and in the end, you got what you deserve'

‘You calling me a monster is a touch ironic. I only follow my instincts and kill my share. Sure,  I enjoy it, but that’s just how we Akka are made. What about you? You’ve killed far more than I ever have, and for your own personal benefit, so who’s the real monster here?'

‘No Shit' I said, crushing the heart and causing the Akka to decay and fall apart. It continued to cackle and laugh as it faded away into nothingness.

Well, I’m exhausted; three ambushes in one day is enough for me. I bet a nice long cuddle from Master would perk me right up, however.