DHUN.
DHUN.
DHUN.
DHUN...
Zaire noticed it.
Heavy war drums muddled his mind—because he noticed it.
DHUN.
DHUN...
3.
Sean's right arm twitched.
He was bringing his gun up.
DHUN.
DHUN...
2.
Zaire didn't have time to look left and right, find a good hiding spot, and save himself from the oncoming bullet.
DHUN.
DHUN...
1.
There was only one thing he could do.
SPLURGGG...
Adrenaline rushed to his head and clogged his ears.
SPARGH...
Vomit rushed up his throat and spilled from his mouth.
And...
...
..
.
.
.
.
Silence.
Everything went still.
Zaire couldn't process what he was doing.
His arm moved up.
Aiming toward Sean, he breathlessly muttered,
"Terra Bullet."
...
..
.
.
.
.
Spleurk...
"Argh!"
Dhup.
The rock fragment ripped Sean's throat apart.
Blood sprayed out, and the next second saw the lifeless body flop to the ground.
It lay there in silence, slowly pooling blood.
[THOROUGH PONDER HAS ACTIVATED. YOU WILL LIVE THROUGH SEAN LANHOUSE'S LIFE IN YOUR SLEEP.]
[PASSIVE SKILL: PERSEVERANCE HAS LEVELED UP. IT IS NOW: LEVEL SIX.]
[PASSIVE SKILL: PERSEVERANCE HAS LEVELED UP. IT IS NOW: LEVEL SEVEN.]
*****
Fifteen minutes earlier,
Amelia had just broken into her own manor.
Currently, she was tiptoeing toward the staircase.
Her bedroom—now that fat fuck's—was on the first floor.
She was feeling quite proud of herself.
She didn't want to jinx it by gloating, but: Fuck, am I smart!
She would try to kill Messiah. But if he lived, she had the perfect alibi.
I'm actually here to warn you about this Zaire guy. I had to sneak in like this to get you the news as fast as possible.
A little peck on the lips, and the last doubt in Joe Baston's mind would disappear.
What can Zaire do?
Absolutely nothing.
He had to stand there mute as she framed him for attempted assassination.
After all, the contract still exists.
But it was the third option—the one she really wanted to unfold.
She kills Messiah.
Blames and executes Zaire.
Takes the League under her command.
Becomes the Queen of the Apocalypse.
Yes—a title that finally befits me, Amelia Skylance... No, I can be myself now. Free at last, bound to none... Yes, a title that befits me, Amelie Fontaine. Daughter of Emmanuel and Manon Fontaine... Hah...
THACK.
Amelia, who had reached the first floor and was heading toward the large bedroom door, got hit from behind.
It was hard and ruthless.
Like a puppet with cut strings, her body went limp.
But before it could fall, a fat, weathered arm caught her senseless body.
*****
DHUN.
DHUN.
DHUN.
DHUN...
Visions distorted. Stars twinkled. The lights bent.
Instinct and sheer rush now operated the body of Zaire Zontes.
A game of tag was being played in the Skylance Manor living room.
The furious duo—the large man and the blade woman—crushed and cut everything in their path.
Zaire Zontes had killed their friend.
All they saw was red. All they sought was to spill red from the murderer.
Jeff and Siobhan slowly but surely pushed Zaire into a corner.
Slowly but surely, they cut off Zaire's escape route.
Were they planning to kill Zaire?
Even they didn't know.
All they wanted was to sate their thirst by beating the shit out of the murderer.
If he died, he died...
DHUN.
DHUN.
DHUN.
DHUN...
Tears streamed from Zaire's eyes.
Please, back off. Don't make me do this!
But Zaire's backtracking had to stop when his back hit the wall.
In slow motion, Zaire saw Siobhan's blade arm ripping toward him.
DHUN.
DHUN.
DHUN...
Shutting his eyes hard, letting the last tears drip, he breathlessly muttered again,
"Blood of Atlas."
10.
Myriad colors wrapped around Zaire Zontes, and a pleasurably warm feeling flowed through his veins.
Tired muscles renewed. An otherworldly power pumped into him.
Slipping to his right and dodging the blade, he kicked off the wall to propel himself forward.
9.
He was now between them.
They were stunned by this sudden enhancement.
He has two skills!? How the fuck??
Turning toward Jeff first, he let loose his right overhand—the punch often dubbed the giant killer.
It hit Jeff square on the jaw.
Zaire felt the muscles connecting the jaw rip apart like an outstretched rope.
The giant's eyes rolled upward, and his unconscious body began to freefall.
8.
Before the giant's head could smash the tile, Zaire slid his crocs underneath.
A man of such mass, falling like this... it would certainly be fatal.
Zaire's crocs saved the man's life.
Jeff's head hit the shoe, and after the fall, he simply rolled over.
7.
Siobhan was pissed.
First Sean, now Jeff.
Her wrath bubbled over. All she heard was a never-ending, high-frequency beeeeeeep.
She never noticed that Zaire had tried to save Jeff.
Vengeful, she swung her arms wildly and took quick steps toward Zaire.
6.
Zaire ran.
5.
4.
Running, Zaire attempted to reason with Siobhan.
He repeatedly told her how sorry he was and that he hadn't harmed Jeff—only knocked him out.
3.
2.
Seconds quickly trickled down, and Zaire understood that Siobhan was in no state to reason with.
1.
With the final couple of seconds remaining, he made up his mind to jump into the fire.
Suddenly stopping, he deliberately let himself get cut.
Siobhan's arms deeply sliced Zaire's armpits.
Yes—Zaire used his own arms to pin hers down.
0.
Cutting himself deeper by sliding closer, Zaire was now just inches away from Siobhan.
After an instant's judgment, he held his breath and smashed his own head into hers.
DHUP.
Everything went black for Zaire Zontes.