In the blink of an eye, the unnamed enemy underling drives their hand into Zeth's stomach with a meaty crunch.
It was too fast for Zeth, and he realized he might have a disadvantage in this fight. After all, he has no real combat experience, especially against a fellow Zystem user.
Zeth thought about the skills he had learned from consuming the blood of the Zoldiers he had fallen earlier. He thought it might not be enough to defeat an enemy with inhuman speed, but he must try.
Blood poured as the enemy removed their hand, leaving a gruesome, gaping hole where Zeth's innards spurted and splattered.
"My name is Zark. I'm considered a threat level Double-Z by your Zoltard friends. Nice to meet you."
Zark introduces himself with a sickening smile as he repeatedly penetrates Zeth with his hand, leaving more gaping holes.
"Why are you here?"
Zeth pukes and staggers, and blood drips from the holes in his body.
"We got a whiff of a newborn underling. Its scent is all over this city. We want it!"
Zark seizes Zeth's throat. His grip tightens every second, digging his fingers into the skin.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You should attend Zoltard school."
Zark grabs Zeth's arm and tears it off from the socket, and blood spills like a broken faucet. He throws his arm on the fiery debris.
"Don't worry, we won't stay long. We just need the newborn."
Before Zeth could even react, Zark pulled his other arm and slowly ripped it apart from the torso; the sound of tearing flesh mixed with the flickering of the background. With an unimpressed look, he flicks the arm and tosses it aside.
Satisfied, he dropped Zeth's unresponsive body to the ground, then casually brushed off his hands as if he had done a task.
"That should do it. Now, where's the mullet guy—"
Suddenly, Zeth's severed arm lands an uppercut to Zark's jaw, sending him flying backwards and crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
The other arm slowly ascends, and together with the first floating severed limb, forms a squared-up position. Zeth rises and stands tall, his arms hovering in front of him.
Zark swiftly pushes himself off the ground, kicking his legs as he flips upright, landing on a ready, aggressive stance.
"Ha! So that's your Zystem? Floating arms? What a joke!"
Zark propels forward, throwing blind slashes, his speed increasing with each strike.
Head-on, Zeth defends himself, deflecting the sharp claws that are tearing his skin and slicing bits of his flesh off. He holds his ground, maintaining a distance between himself, his floating arms, and Zark.
"What's the matter? Can't handle a fight? All those years in Zoltard school, and all you do is hide yourself? You're a waste of a good Zystem!"
Zark swiftly jumps back and forth, unpredictable in which direction he will land his attacks. He becomes a blur as his speed increases, becoming too difficult for Zeth to defend.
[Use your powers, stupid!]
I don't even know what my powers are!?
[For crying out loud, use the most basic one!]
Like what?!
Zeth grunts with every slash Zark delivers. He has no time to spare a few more words for Zela, but she did share with him one basic move he could do.
And it took some time. Zeth had to endure Zark.
After continuous slashes, an opening—Zark breaks through, and rushes towards Zeth, smirking wickedly.
But Zeth meets him with a more sinister grin. As he lifts his head, a series of silk-like threads, similar to his stitches, snakes around Zark's limbs. It tightens and holds him in place.
The trap extends from the fingertips of the severed arms. Zark thrashed and wriggled around, trying to escape his confinement, but it tightened even more. Desperate, he bares his teeth, snapping and lunging unrelentingly like an ensnared wild beast.
[Impressive. Kinda smart of you to use the threads to set a trap! I was thinking you should have swung away and escaped because I thought we were going to die!]
Zeth steps closer, his eyes glowing a greenish hue. Arms attaching back in place, rolling his shoulders, loosening up.
"I don't know what your obsession with newborns is, but it's kinda weird."
Zeth grips Zark's chin, tilting his head back. The jumpsuit he had on finally gave up and exposed his body. To Zark's surprise, he saw Zeth's stitch-riddled skin.
"Are you dumb, or did they stop teaching in Zoltard school?"
Zeth ignores him, and he grows tired of his attempt to insult.
"Your legs are fast. What kind of Zystem do you have?"
"Heh, it's called Accelerate. It builds up my speed. Pretty nice, huh?"
Zeth caresses Zark's legs, slowly and gently grabbing his knees.
"Interesting. This might be useful to me."
"Are you recruiting me or something? What's your game here, kid?"
Zark raises his brow.
"More like… Stripping you for parts."
Zeth rips off Zark's legs like taking someone's boots off, and blood spills everywhere.
"You bastard! You son of a—"
Zark cries out in pain, wriggling out from his trap once more. Blood drips even more from where his kneecaps once were.
"What should I do now?"
[Replace your legs with that!]
"Alright, just stitch 'em up?"
[Yup.]
"What the hell are you talking about, you evil-psycho bastard!"
Zark interjects, his breathing ragged in frantic frothing in the corners of his mouth.
Zeth rips the hem of his pants, detaches his legs, and replaces them with Zark's, as easily as changing shoes.
[Congratulations, loser! You gained the Acceleration Zystem! It allows you to increase your speed exponentially!]
"Won't be needing those anymore."
Zeth threw his old legs onto the blazing fire behind him.
[Give it a try!]
"Alright."
Zeth positions himself, assuming a starting stance, crouching and bending his knees. One foot forward, one foot back. Then he immediately sprints.
He did a lap around the fire, his speed immediately intensified, and ran so fast in circles that he extinguished the blaze. Even when stopping, he has to decelerate, slowly losing speed before coming to a halt.
"Huh, not bad. It needs refinement."
"H- How the hell did you do that?"
Zark appears to be stunned, and he has stopped trying to escape.
[Remember, the basic things our Zystem can do are that you can steal someone's abilities by just taking where the power is used, and you can control your stitches like a web. You got that stupid?]
Zela explained, satisfied that she had taught him enough.
"Interesting. What else should I know?"
Seth said while smirking as he inspected his new leg. It is slowly morphing into him to fit his size and other features. It is only divided from the rest of his body with the visible stitches criss-crossing between the leg and his knee.
[I'll tell you more soon.]
"Great. Now what?"
[Eat him.]
Zeth released him from his captivity, and Zark fell to the ground, legless.
"I stole your power. Or something like that."
Zark struggles to help himself, crawling towards Zeth.
"How is that possible? You're not supposed to do that!"
"I guess I am just better. Now, answer me. Why are you here?"
Zeth steps on Zark's head.
"I told you, we came for the newborn!"
"Why? What's this newborn you keep talking about?"
"Don't you read history in Zoltard boot camp?! Whenever a child is born with a Zystem, we take it! We raise the newborns to be one of us! Just like how you Zoltards train people. Don't they teach you that, you stupid Zoltard! Even normal people know this stuff!"
Zeth nods, trying to take it in. He had never bothered to learn about history in the hospital before.
"Don't they give Zystems to Zoldiers?"
"Are you an idiot? You're born with it! All underlings are born with a Zystem! Are you stupid or something?"
"Where are you from?"
Zeth puts pressure on his feet, to Zark's chagrin.
"Argh! I'm from a town outside one of the Great Cities!"
"Not from any city, huh? Where did your powers come from?"
"What? What do you want me to say? I don't really know much about that shit except Fran-K-aaargh!"
Before Zark could finish his sentence, Zeth put more weight on his feet, almost crushing Zark's skull.
"The one who gave you your power!"
Zeth said, releasing some pressure.
Zark appears to be confused by the question.
Zeth almost explains it, but figures it is not worth it since Zark knows nothing.
"Are you crazy?! I was born with my Zystem!"
Zeth frowns, annoyed with all the information he is just learning. Especially with Zela, who seems to be holding details he should've known.
"Do you know anything about the doctor?"
"What are you talking about? We came here for the newborn!"
"You should tell me everything."
Zeth blurted out a message meant for Zela.
"I've been telling you everything! Give me back my legs, you stupid Zoltard!"
Zark begs, squirming on the ground.
"I'm sorry. I'm not a Zoldier."
"Huh?"
Zeth digs his hand into Zark's skull, grabbing his brain and pulling it out.
"And I was just reborn this morning."