The sharp shifting of rough clothing rippled through the air as a fist flew by Zarek's face. A gun was pinned to the ground beneath both their fists, a violent exchange of combinations manifesting in an array of punches, elbows, and palms between them. Zarek even squeezed in an attempted eye poke that was blocked by the side of a palm between his fore and middle fingers.
"Not bad," Zarek said aloud, but his breathing was still even, and his motions never came to a stop.
His foot suddenly released the gun pinned beneath both of them, and he took a step to the side. As expected, his opponent reacted just as quickly, relying on an obvious Talent. His stats were beneath Zarek's, but his reaction speed was ridiculous, and his ability to see in the dark was unbothered.
Unfortunately, he was facing Zarek.
BANG!
The gun accidentally fired. The man realized too late that the barrel was aimed toward the side of his other foot. When Zarek removed his foot suddenly, it tilted up, and the shift caused a misfire.
Pain spiked through the man, and the steady flow of counters he was already preparing faltered. In fact, his jaw fell right into an elbow from Zarek, and his face seemed to fracture into pieces.
In those final moments, his eyes couldn't help but widen. Had Zarek always had this much strength? Why didn't he use it?
Another set of eye pokes came, and this time he couldn't block it at all.
Zarek's fingers sank through his eyeballs and into his skull with such a violent push they ruptured into a rain of flesh and blood.
Exhaling a breath, Zarek let the man fall to the ground.
The dark corporate hallway he stood in was littered with corpses, each one killed by him personally. He knew what Old Grizz was trying to do—tiring him out first was definitely clever. It was the sort of open scheme that would definitely work no matter what, so long as Zarek was stubborn about pressing forward.
But Zarek knew that backtracking wasn't possible.
If this was all just a facade put up by Jiade to make him unnecessarily risk his life, well… that man was smarter than Zarek ever gave him credit for. But Zarek knew that he couldn't take the chance of letting Jiade get his hands on his Skill and a trump card he didn't yet understand.
That was unacceptable.
So, he had been holding back. If Old Grizz thought he was going all out just yet, he was sorely mistaken.
…
"It's time," Old Grizz spoke into the walkie-talkie. "This time, it'll be up to you three. You've seen the damage he's caused. Sixty-seven dead. Sixty-seven."
"Roger."
"Do you think he's cute?"
Two casual replies came one after another, but Old Grizz didn't seem to care enough to comment on it. These two had always been like this; they disassociated from the situation well…
But that was what made them such good Heralds.
Zarek had deduced that it would be impossible for Jiade to have gathered more than one.
Who would have known that he had gathered three?
No, it wasn't just three at all. Because there was a fourth. It was just that that fourth character had entered the Godsfall Tear along with Jiade.
This time, they had come prepared to avenge that loss. Losses that Old Grizz shouldn't be able to remember at all.
It was that fourth that was the true menace. But these two… they were enough to make even the likes of Old Grizz—cold and stoic as he was—shudder.
…
The first who spoke had such dark circles around his eyes that it looked as though he had been suffering punches to them his entire life. It wasn't painted on, but like they were permanently etched into his very being.
He, too, wore a leather jacket, chains sparkling and dancing in the darkness. There was a permanent slouch to his posture, his body leaning over.
But from time to time, sparks of fire danced at his heels and on those dark circles around his eyes, causing the scent of burnt flesh to fill the air.
…
The second who spoke was dressed in a flowery gown that was almost too bright a shade of pink. She held an umbrella over her shoulder. From time to time, she would sway to the tips of her toes as though she was doing her best to be as cute as possible.
…
Both of them stood on opposite sides of a very long hallway, an elevator right at the very center, and two stairwells to their backs. Yet, they didn't seem intent on looking back to figure out which side Zarek would come from.
BANG!
Soon, it became obvious why.
Zarek fell from a ceiling panel, landing right in the middle of it all. He huffed out a breath, a slight sheen of heated breaths coming from his lips.
Slowly, he stood to his feet.
To his far right, there was the young woman in a pink dress.
To his far left, there was the young man with dark, burning circles around his eyes.
Zarek's eyes narrowed.
This early into the apocalypse, it was impossible that these two should have already settled into their own unique personalities like this. They should still be growing into their own powers.
What young woman would be able to behave so cutely less than a week after the world ended?
What young man would be so indifferent to flames constantly burning the soft flesh around his eyes?
Zarek realized something shocking right then, and he stood up straight.
"Belladoll, Crux… it seems you two already know who you are. How interesting. It seems that the secret Jiade has here isn't simple at all."
Belladoll tilted her head to the side, smiling.
"Tell me, Zarek. Where's little Pri? I miss her?"
Zarek's grin returned, carrying a hint of savagery in it. "Still mad I didn't fuck you?"
"Mm, I actually think that's not quite right. You did fuck me. In your second life… after she died, no?" Belladoll licked her lips. "I remember liking the taste of you quite a bit. You're my favorite, Zarek."
Zarek's smile vanished.
Suddenly, he realized he was the one who miscalculated this time.
Somehow, Jiade had helped them not only to remember the last iteration he had been through, but all of them.
Run.
Zarek didn't rush toward either of the two, bursting forward through the office doors and leaping forward with his arms and legs crossed…
Plummeting down twenty stories.