"Do we… um… need to do much…?"
Mitch's lip twitched as they watched Zarek rampage in the distance. The gap between what he was capable of, and what they were limited to, felt so wide that it didn't even seem like they were playing the same game at all.
A part of Mitch began to wonder just how much of an idiot he had been to show even the slightest hint of dissatisfaction toward Zarek. This guy could have taken his head off whenever he felt like it.
"He's a damn comic book hero, what the fuck," Snooz muttered to his side. "What do you say, Mitch? Still want to fight him?"
"Fuck off."
They were all pretty fit and active, with Boop being the behemoth of the lot. All things considered, other than height, they were about as fit as Zarek in most cases—at least externally.
From the time they were young, they had all been in the gym. In fact, that was how most of them met. They loved it so much they built a whole business around it out of university.
But the confidence they had in their own level of fitness felt ridiculous in front of Zarek.
Wasn't this supposed to be a trap? Something to slow them down?
"They're testing him."
Aidran's voice caught all of their attention. If Boop wasn't the quietest of the group, then it was definitely Aidran. Well, he was quiet until he got a few shots in him, in which case it would be a miracle if he didn't get thrown under the jail for something he yelled at a woman from across the club.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mitch asked.
"I saw it earlier. There was someone on the rooftop that stuck out a middle finger. I thought it was toward us, but it must have been for Zarek specifically."
"He has beef with someone?"
"I guess so."
"Then shouldn't we be helping more so he exposes himself less?"
"Um…" Aidran looked to Zarek, who seemed to be having the time of his life. Slashing, kicking, even headbutting sometimes. It didn't look like someone fighting for their life, but more like a brat enjoying a slasher game. "… I don't think he cares…"
"Then why the hell did he have us set up a perimeter defense like this?" Mitch grumbled.
"Why don't you go ask him?" Snooz said with a laugh. "Maybe you'll get lucky and he won't take your head off."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"It's not my fault you look like a science experiment. If you got mistaken for a zombie, who'd blame the guy?"
…
Zarek could overhear the conversation well enough even from here, and it had him smiling.
He had some friends himself, but after his first life… he didn't build as deep a relationship with them again. It was to the point he didn't even consider trying to save them in this life, though he had made some attempts in his second.
Honestly, he had forgotten what it felt like to be around people. Priya was often his only outlet, and sometimes he wondered how healthy that was.
It definitely didn't help that Priya didn't have many friends either.
'I'm sounding like an old man again.'
Zarek made fun of himself as though he wasn't mentally hundreds of years old. He was also being too hard on himself.
His best friend since he was a toddler had always been Priya. He had had secondary friends, but she was always the light at the end of the tunnel, and he was hers.
At that moment, it felt like there was something burning a hole in Zarek's pocket. He knew what it was.
The Time Fractal.
Maybe the best way to deal with this is to let Priya be more free…
The more her world revolved around him, the more she would suffer if that image she had built up came crumbling down.
The Fractal was Priya's own. Unlike Belladoll, Crux, or the others, she didn't need Suki's help to assimilate it or benefit from it.
But Zarek also wasn't an idiot. Jiade had left this Fractal in a difficult-to-reach place, and it was also true that it would have been impossible for him to bring it into the Tear—even Zarek himself had to hide it elsewhere before he entered.
However, its existence was too suspicious.
The problem, though… was that nothing in his Fractal could bend the truth. Whatever was in there was something that had certainly happened. Even a Rebirther couldn't twist time beyond the reality of what had happened.
Whatever plan Jiade had, it was either Priya would learn of it now, or she would learn of it when her Talents awakened and she unlocked the ability to form Time Fractals once again, becoming one of the few who could see through the advantages of Rebirthers.
Zarek sighed inwardly. He could see through the games being played. He could always see through them. Normally, the only reason he died was because he recklessly ignored what was obviously in front of him.
But he wasn't a fool.
The only reason he did that was because he knew he would be able to live again, so he chose to vent his frustrations. That, interestingly enough, had another sort of effect on his enemies.
They thought he was incapable of being rational when things were related to Priya. And that was completely not the case.
In fact, when things were related to the love of his life, it was the one time he was the least reckless and the most rational. What better way to see her sooner than to die quicker?
Were they insane thoughts? Sure.
Were they irrational though?
Absolutely not.
But this time, he was on his last chance. There was no redo button waiting for him, and he had already gathered all the information he could. If he couldn't win this time, then it would all be worthless.
"After I deal with Malik… we'll do it."
Zarek made a decision.
All the while, he had never forgotten about Malik. By now, the Violet Enchantress had certainly sunk her claws deep into the territory and things should be ramping up.
It was almost time for that plot to bear fruit.
But first, it seemed that he would have to put a pair of Angels in their place.
'It's finally getting a little interesting.'
Zarek looked up as he spotted a pair of D Classes rushing over from the far-off distance.