From the sound of it, even when it is just an inaudible murmur, Kruger clearly hears it. As if Death himself is being pulled back from the afterlife. Throwing the lost soul to the cold body. There’s no mistaking it.

He’s back.

“What an amateur…”

The moment he catches a glimpse in the corner of his eyes, Kruger instantly turns his body. Frantically launching a clenched right fist toward Zack who’s already standing by his side.

Tap!

Despite the fast movement, his fist is stopped abruptly. His right arm is strongly clutched. Even for a split second, their eyes met. The look behind it, is far more different than before.

“First rule of execution…”

CRACK!

“Gah!”

Thud!

“…Never take your damn eyes off the bloody prey.”

After effortlessly crushing Kruger’s arm with the monstrous grip, Zack slide underneath Kruger’s arm and threw his body hard. His right arm worsened as Zack kept on holding it while doing so. Zack lifts his red-stained left hand, with the machete still stuck in it. 

Zing!

“Second… Never underestimate your prey.” In the blink of an eye, the machete is swung down rapidly toward Kruger.

“Dammit!”

Thud!

In the nick of a time, Kruger raised his lower body, twisting it while extending a kick right at Zack’s face. It was strong enough to make Zack get overthrown. All the while, Kruger hurriedly got into the position, although the right arm is now more of being useless after it got crushed in an instant.

On the other side, however, Zack was able to react accordingly and managed to maintain his balance on both feet. In silence they exchange glances. Intimidating each other.

Bright viridian eyes. Stopped bleeding. Moreover, the strength of his right fractured hand, has recovered?

Not even one of those little details slipped away from his attention up to this point. Kruger can’t help but be baffled by the person that appears right before his eyes. The uneasiness starts to seep deep into his skin for every second passed in complete menacing silence.

This is still the same person, right?

“What are yo-“

"Third..." As he still pondering, Zack steps closer. "…Never hold back.”

Kruger blinks, and Zack vanishes from his sight.

Being in total confusion, Kruger has not been able to read the current situation of his enemy, nor put his finger on what bothers him the most.

“Over here!”

Not even a second passed, and Zack reappeared.

With a swift reflex, Kruger swings his blade at him. Using the stuck machete in his left hand, Zack parried his reflex. Then follows it up with a spin kick and sends Kruger dragged to the ground. Kruger quickly regains his foothold as he maintains his breathing while not losing his focus for a single second.

Once more, that viridian eyes glare deep into his soul.

“Have you come to your f*cking sense asking such a thing? What difference does it make? I’m pretty sure your foul mouth said that we’re nothing but some disposable shit before?”

“You’ve become quite talkative. Did I strangle that hard until your brain comes out from its place?”

No, that’s not it.

His entire persona has changed ever since he rose back up.

The way he fights, the way he talks. The attitudes. All of them.

What’s going on?

“Forcing me to be like this, is just a nuisance.” Snarled Zack. “How about you? Seeing the so-called lieutenant in a dire state is kind of ironic. How laughable…”

The deep dark look in his eyes is somewhat giving Kruger a dreadful shivering all over his body. As the distance between them is smaller, Kruger could only smile wryly, enduring the pain in his arm. Glancing at his fully armed troops. Standing by on the far side.

“As things go on, it does seem pretty ugly as of now.” Kruger scoffed at him.

“Telling yourself, I assume?”

“I wonder about that…”

In an instance, Zack dashes to close the gap between them as he takes a stance to land another kick on his face.

“Open fire!”

Out of the blue, a rain of bullets showers down upon Zack right before completely reaching Kruger. Forced him to take a few steps back while dodging it. His footwork causes the dust to scatter all over the place and cover the vicinity. Making the standby troop’s visibility greatly reduced.

“Did we get him?”

“There’s no way he could escape that!”

“Let’s just look for the corpse then.”

“Hold it, everyone! The moment you see someone there, immediately fire another round!”

“Yes sir!”

“And what if there's none?”

The standby troops abruptly shift their attention the moment they hear the unfamiliar voice. Before they can react, a kick has landed on their leader’s head. Putting him unconscious. Zack stands in front of the standby troops. Staring them down.

“What awful underlings not catching up with the leader.”

“It’s him!”

“Fire- Ack!”

Zack takes down all of them at once with a single endless sequence of kick attacks and accurately hits them on vital points. With one flawless sequence, a squad of twenty people was wiped out single-handedly.

Zing!

Amidst the gathering dust, Kruger stabbed his machete far ahead. Zack leaped high above his head, swinging his leg downwards with full force. Kruger instinctively thrust the machete upwards. With perfect timing, Zack dodges it midair whilst landing a hard kick at his left arm.

At that moment, Kruger knew he is no match for this person, upon seeing his insane agility.

Not in this state, either both of them.

The fluid movement of his attack overwhelmed Kruger altogether. As coarse as the attacks seem to be, those movements are highly composed motions.

Alternating between both legs with the help of the right hand acting as the pivot. Swinging around the stuck machete on his left hand to create some space between them. It’s more like looking at a martial artist dancing with their practice target.

It was too beautifully synchronized, yet deadly to look at.

“Are you gonna stand there and take it all? What a f*cking letdown!”

When Kruger finally comes back to his senses, Zack has taken a low stance with his hand on the ground.

In the blink of an eye, a kick has landed on Kruger’s chin, the same time Zack launches into the air. Spinning midair to land other hits from the side, making Kruger loses balance from Zack’s flawless triple kicks.

Everything happens too fast for Kruger to process. The only moment he knows is a stinging pain starts spreading from the nape down his spine.

When he opens both eyes, a sharp blade is already directed at his neck and leaves a little scratch as he struggles to hold Zack’s hand from going any further.

“See? Your true nature shows upon death.” Peered Zack at his prey.

“Like hell, I would die!”

“Such a shameful way to end like this.”

“Stop it…”

“Begging aren’t we?”

“Huff… It’s no use…”

“Why would I? Trash is supposed to be quickly disposed of, right?”

“Argh!”

The left hand keeps pushing forward until it leaves a deep scrape on Kruger’s neck. Getting pinned down to the ground, his vision starts to blur as he gives everything he got to fight back, even though his effort seems to be for naught.

It turns into a battle of strength, despite the difference between them is too great, Kruger is overwhelmed by Zack’s raw power. Blood is pouring from the fresh wound, flowing together with the blood-stained machete that pierces through his left hand straight to Kruger’s neck.

“This is it, huh…”

“Damn… damn it all…”

“You… son of a bitch!”

|Give it back!| 

Like a rupturing sky in the silence of the night, Zack’s mind snaps out abruptly. Blowing out every dark haze that has been clouding the entire mind to this point.

Feels like he just woke up from sleep.

Seeing his chance, Kruger punches Zack in the face and shoves him away. 

Amidst the tension, both eyes widened as Zack takes a glance at the surrounding filled with a scornful stares from the crowds. A weird feeling seeps through every crack and gap in Zack’s body from the aura given off by those around him.

Moreover, the machete in his hand is what confuses him the most.

Shit, it hurts…

How is he able to endure it all this time? While moving like a maniac at the same time? Why is everyone got knocked out left and right? How did blood spill all over the place? Why do the crowds stare at him in terror and panic all of a sudden?

No, not again...

...What did I do...?