Reincarnated as a Land Shark???

Chapter 19: Ahuizotl Raft

The six Auhizotl make a sudden rush from the trees, giving me little time to think. All I know is that if one against one was hard, six at a time is going to be damn near impossible to fight in the way I did before. I can't fight them all at once or they'll grab onto my back and that'll be the end of it. There's nothing to glide from in order to get an aerial advantage either, so that skill is still useless. My only option...

My only choice is to try and pick them off one at a time and go for a level up as soon as possible!

One attempts to latch onto me with its long arms, but this time I'm prepared for their annoying grabbiness. I twist just so and open my jaws, ready for a bite. It sees its impending doom too late to stop itself, its body's momentum carrying it the rest of the way into my mouth. I bite down swiftly as hard as I can. The resulting crunch is something I'm sure the entire forest heard, and it sends a cringe through my entire body. Eugh... that's a nasty noise. One down, but that was mostly luck! Five more! So long as I don't let them grab me I should be fine!

The other Ahiozotl converge with demonic shrieks of rage. I leap backwards to evade their charge, dodging around the swinging makeshift weapons and looking for a chance to strike. There! One overextends a swing, stumbling away from the main group. I execute a series of leaps, circling the group in order to get behind them. My target turns to face me, but isn't ready in time to fight back as I lunge, catching its head between my jaws. It disconnects with a sickening pop and I spit it back out. Oh god I hate these noises.

A familiar chime reaches my ears, and suddenly I've grown a little bigger, all the wounds that have been inflicted on me so far healing. Alright, this is doable! I just have to keep fighting like I was before and I'll be able to pull it off!

The other Ahuizotl pause their attacks, wary. That's right, I just killed three of you and now I'm back at full health. You're not going to get your full fighting strength back! In the world I'm from, this wouldn't have ended like this. I'd still be wounded and they'd still have a chance. Here, though, the numbers advantage can be twisted and used against them, and I intend to abuse that as much as I possibly can.

The other Ahuizotl resume their attacks, this time more cautious. They know one mistake will cost them their lives and, to be honest, one mistake will probably do the same for me as well. If they mess up my gills and run, they can then proceed to continue attacking me while I can't take shelter underwater, or perhaps even drown me. Looks like they're dead set on revenge for their fallen allies... literally. I'll have to kill them to stop them.

I spot one of them trying to circle behind me and fake a lunge. It leaps back into the rest of the group, and I turn to face them. Hmm... that tactic is an awful lot like the one that croc tried to get me with. Well, I guess I'll be referencing your attacks and skills for this fight, ol' croc. I hope you don't mind.

...It doesn't even matter if he does mind. He's dead.

One of them flings their rock at me, and I dance to the side. Looks like they've found another advantage they have over me: range. I have no attacks that I can use to take them out at a distance. The others catch on quickly. Internally I curse the intelligence of otters as a rain of debris is thrown at me. I scoop up one of the larger ones with my tail. Fine, you like throwing so much? HAVE THIS!

I fling the rock at them, and though none are hit they scatter like bowling pins.

Gained the skill Throwing lv: 1

Well that fixes my ranged problem.

What's wrong, little guys? I toss another rock up and down in my tailfin. Chicken?

My next shot hits one as it winds up to throw something back at me, striking it in the eye. Ouch!

The skill Throwing has become lv: 2

It's probably because of the bull... well, Ahuizotls-eye that I just landed. In any case, I'll press my advantage while I have it! I go ahead and risk the wrath of the others, charging in and biting the one-eyed ahuizotl before it can run. Dead. I toss its corpse aside to join the others. That just leaves three of them.

One lunges recklessly, and I twist to bite it. The bite misses by a hair and its claws rake my chest. I twist away, swatting it away with my wing-like fin. It's flung a few paces, but I'm fighting another before I can finish it off. It tries to pounce on me, but its long tail is its downfall. I bite down hard on the trailing appendage, and the Ahuizotl shrieks in pain as I tear.

With a sickening pop, the tail is disconnected from its spine. Blood rains everywhere as it drops to the ground, shrieking in agony, and tries to drag itself away with its foreclaws. Looks like its hind legs can't move after that. Unsurprising considering I just ripped out a portion of its spine.

The final Ahoizotl, however, manages to make it. I thrash as a weight falls onto my back, claws digging into my sides. That's a grapple! Grrr... how dare you use my own skill against me!

If it weren't for my dorsal fin, I could death roll like that croc and remove it, maybe even crush it in the process. Without that, though.

Claws tear into my back and fangs rip at my flesh. I charge for the nearest tree as fast as possible, contort and, before it can let go, ram it up against the bark as hard as possible. I hear a crunch, and the claws immediately retract.

My own back aches from the impact and the damage done by that damn thing, but I'll take my chance while I have it. I slice down with my claws, ending its life before it can even think to try and either crawl away or deal more damage.

I look up just in time to see the one I'd thrown earlier charging at me again. I slash with my claws while it's midair and twist, slapping it hard with my tail to toss its body to the side. That last bit was probably unnecessary, but now at least I know it won't be coming back.

Is tailless still alive?

As I turn, preparing to go and finish it off, a piercing whistle catches my ears. My eyes snap the rest of the way to the creature where it's frantically whistling on the ground. I slap a rock at it with my tail, clocking it in the back. I hear the snap from here, and it goes silent.

It's dead now, but the damage has been done. The trees whisper and sway, and chattering noises echo angrily through the leaves. Creature after creature begins to emerge from the undergrowth, crowding onto the shore.

The damn thing summoned an entire horde of them!

Red eyes gleam nearby, and I watch them vanish into the shadows as the angry pack emerges. What was...

No, it doesn't matter. All that matters now is finding a way to survive this fight. Even if I lose... There's no way in hell I'm not taking at least half of them with me.