Gantz reappeared in the middle of the cluster of men trying to recover from the shockwave. Adulo emerged from the dust, delivering a brutal spear thrust that sliced only through the back of Gantz's clothes. Lunam appeared at his side and pinned his arm while Gregos delivered a decapitating strike.
Gantz smiled. His arm shoved Lunam with a punching motion, sending him flying—eyes wide and mouth agape—crashing through several people and crushing skulls and arms as Lunam struggled to balance himself in mid-air. Gregos tried to block the counter, but his arm was twisted back at a wrong angle, forcing him to cancel the attack and retreat, scowling.
Adulo bent his legs and crouched as if imitating a snake; he spun his scythe, reaping an explosion of wind and debris before directing it at Gantz's legs. In response, Gantz simply threw his body forward, standing on his tiptoes and simulating a fall, before slamming a palm against the ground and launching himself into the sky. Simultaneously, a chain of dark matter formed in his hand and grabbed Adulo's neck, hurlng him upward and ripping the scythe from his hand. Gantz used mana to steady himself in the air before bombarding the area with a rain of black arrows; while Gregos and Lunam dodged, dozens of fugitives and soldiers were mowed down by the arrows.
When Gregos looked at Gantz again, the man had already vanished. He appeared in front of him and delivered a punch, hitting his abdomen and buckling his armor, twisting the metal. Gregos tried to hold his ground, but that was his downfall; with nowhere to bleed off the energy, his organs were damaged, causing his mouth to explode in blood. Lunam wasn't doing any better; his body was riddled with holes leaking a green slime as he fought against the sinister tail that seemed to act of its own accord.
— "We have to call for reinforcements; this thing is unnaturally strong," Gregos pondered before sensing an aura cover the entire place. The earth began to tremble, the rain stopped, and no one could remain standing—it was like facing a planet's gravity. Even the air seemed to be pulled downward as Clarissa emerged from the gray clouds, her glasses glinting in the moonlight. She approached the scene one step at a time, as if in no hurry.
— "What are you idiots doing?"
Both looked for Gantz, then began looking around in confusion before spotting a hole in the ground.
— "Son of a bitch!" Gregos roared, clenching his fists. Clarissa smiled and summoned a fire serpent, sending it down the hole.
Gantz felt the flames racing through the newly created tunnel, solidifying the soil as they passed and illuminating his face. Instead of trying to flee, he pierced the ground and descended several meters below, watching the fire serpent pass over the hole. Digging another tunnel, he managed to reach the river, emerging in the middle of the current. He swam under the bridge, where he changed his clothes and sat on the grass to appreciate the sunrise.
Clarissa flew out of the tunnel, exploding the river water in all directions. She looked around while a spell cleaned the rain from her clothes.
— "Hey, pretty boy, did you see a strange guy come through here?"
— "Miss, I saw a shadow going down the river at high speed. I thought it was a fish."
Clarissa descended until she was very close to Gantz's face. Her red lips seemed like a magnet, drawing Gantz to kiss them; he couldn't help but imagine undressing this beautiful woman, entwining his body with hers.
Clarissa smiled. — "Naughty boy, aren't you?" She pulled away and flew into the clouds above, leaving him breathless with his arms open.
Gantz shook his head and fell onto his backside. — "What the hell just happened?"
He walked slowly through the streets, struggling not to faint on the sidewalk. His back was hunched, and his arms hung loose; he felt every muscle tremble. His eyes were burning, and his eardrums ached. Last night, he had pushed past all limits. He didn't even know how he had done all that; he had simply let the muscle memories and instinct flow. I need to learn about my own capabilities, he pondered as he opened his door and ran with his last strength to the bed, savoring the lightness of the mattress before blacking out.
Hours passed. The sun had stopped shining at the zenith when Gantz's eyes opened. Looking at the wooden ceiling, he first thought he had dreamed everything. Turning his head to the right, he saw a shadow with yellow eyes standing beside his bed. He tried to scream before his mouth was covered, and he blacked out again.
The lights bothered his vision; the white ceiling made the stinging in his eyes worse. He felt something cold against his back; his body wouldn't move.
— "Awake?" a smooth voice said from the side. — "Did you really think you'd fool me with that fifth-rate 'man of the church' act?"
Gantz heard footsteps approaching until a familiar face appeared at the edge of what looked like a surgical table. Those hawk eyes still haunted him.
— "First, I thought you were just an idiot—some arrogant little heir from a noble family. But yesterday I confirmed you aren't. By the way, nice show with that bunch of little soldiers. Trying to answer? I'll help you."
Alistar took a syringe and pierced Gantz's cheek, slowly releasing a brown liquid. Gantz felt his facial muscles slowly return to life.
— "So?"
— "Are you a body manipulator?"
— "Is that what they call us around here? Not bad." He rubbed his square chin. — "And you are a chimera. I don't know who made you, but I have to say, I've rarely seen such magnificent work. Muscles replaced fiber by fiber, bones reinforced to sustain this extra load—especially in the back—two hearts, replacement of eyes and auditory organs... even your nails were altered by some modification that changes the body's natural gene. It's truly challenging. At the same time, it's disappointing. You created a miracle. Do you know how strong those men you faced yesterday are? I imagine not, since you were foolish enough to do it."
— "They didn't seem that strong to me."
— "Hahaha!" Alistar threw his arms back, laughing so hard his body shook. — "Truly, as they say: a piglet doesn't recognize the danger of a tiger."
— "Then how did I do it?"
— "That's why I said 'miracle'. You're a bit dim, aren't you? How do you want me to explain a miracle—or rather, a stroke of luck?"
Gantz would have made an irritated expression if his muscles weren't so strange.
— "What are you going to do with me?"
— "Yes, of course. What to do with you?
Let's see... first I thought about killing you and using your body to create a doll.
However, after seeing the work of art you are, I think it would be better to just remove the part of your brain that makes you act on your own will. I'm going to drill into your head through the side of your eyes until I hit a specific point... and then, voilá! You become a person without a will of your own. You'll stay alive, feel pain, suffer, etc... but you'll be nothing more than an object."
Gantz grunted. Despite his stiffened muscles, he was able to twist his features.
— "Wait! Fine! I don't care what you do to me, but when it's over, I want you to send me to kill a priest named Olete!" he shouted with all his might as he watched Alistar create a black drill using Matter.
— "Did you say... kill Olete?"