"How is he?" asked the man, his voice deep and commanding.
"His condition is critical, brother," she replied urgently. "If I don't use divine regeneration soon… he'll likely die in less than two minutes."
"Hm…"
"Fine. But stay alert," the burly man ordered, never taking his eyes off the scarlet predator.
"Yes, brother," she answered immediately.
The woman raised an eyebrow for a second, then let out a sigh…
…
The man drew a peculiar firearm from his holster. It resembled an Earth revolver, yet was clearly something else—entirely black with silver edges and intricate engravings in an unknown language that glowed with a faint inner light.
With a fluid, expert motion, he spun the revolver around his index finger while his gaze remained locked on the beast.
The scarlet predator emitted only low, powerful growls. Its three yellow eyes gleamed with a mix of fury and caution as it watched the hooded figure.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three precise shots echoed through the crystalline chamber. Each bullet struck with devastating force, effortlessly shattering the predator's scarlet armor. Red blade fragments exploded into the air as the exoskeleton cracked apart.
GRAAAAAWWWRR!
The predator roared with unbridled rage, the sound vibrating through the entire space and shaking the ground.
It attacked savagely with its two triangular tails, hurling them like living spears at the hooded man. Yet he dodged them with almost insulting ease, moving with lethal grace that seemed to anticipate every strike.
The hooded figure advanced with steady steps toward the corner where the predator had retreated, showing not a trace of fear.
…
Meanwhile, the woman knelt beside Jeremy's mangled body. She placed her delicate palms over his shattered chest.
A soft, warm blue light enveloped his broken form.
The blood vessels in his severed legs and arms began to regenerate first, weaving themselves back together like threads of life.
Then came the bones, knitting with a faint crack. Muscles rebuilt themselves, skin sealed without a scar, and finally his jaw snapped back into place with a precise click.
The process continued, meticulously healing every fatal wound.
…
Bang! Bang!
The hooded man fired relentlessly as he closed the distance toward the scarlet predator with confident strides.
"Come on! Is that all you've got, you pathetic bastard?" he shouted mockingly.
GRRRR!
The predator unleashed another deafening roar, clearly trying to intimidate its attacker. Its three yellow eyes burned with rage.
The man simply let out a short, contemptuous laugh.
"You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that, you piece of shit!"
The scarlet predator glanced frantically in every direction, its eyes moving with desperation. Suddenly, it twisted its mutilated mouth into that same disturbing smile it had shown Jeremy minutes earlier—a grotesque, toothy grin full of malice.
The hooded man tilted his head slightly and said with heavy sarcasm:
"Aw, but aren't you ugly."
It seemed the scarlet predator had completely changed its strategy.
Then…
It crouched into a strange stance, like a terrestrial feline ready to pounce. Its muscles tensed beneath the shattered exoskeleton.
This time it didn't release a normal roar.
Instead, a deep, vibrating hum rose from its throat, growing louder and more intense.
The thousands of red blades covering its body began to vibrate violently, producing a deafening metallic screech. Its maw and three yellow eyes started glowing from within with blinding white light, energy building rapidly.
The air grew thick with dangerous pressure.
Until—
"Shit! Damn it!"
"I forgot it could do that," the hooded man muttered, sounding both surprised and annoyed.
Without wasting another second, he sprinted desperately toward the predator, trying to close the distance before it was too late.
The long triangular tails were no obstacle for him. He weaved and dodged them with precise movements, like a fighter who was always one step ahead—calculating, patient, and lethal.
One after another.
When he finally got close enough, he leaped high and landed nimbly on the scarlet predator's back.
He holstered his revolver in one smooth motion and cracked his knuckles.
"Alright, little buddy… this is gonna hurt," he said with mocking confidence.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Thousands of blows echoed throughout the chamber. The blue crystal acted like a resonance box, amplifying the brutal sounds over and over, as if the space itself were applauding the savage beating.
"Troy, you idiot!" the woman shouted.
By Prismak, she thought, I knew he'd get like this.
She sighed deeply.
"Sorry, sister," Troy replied between laughs. "I'm just having way too much fun."
Troy's silhouette had completely blurred. He moved at inhuman speed, becoming a living smear that rained down blows without pause. Each punch made the predator's body shudder.
The scarlet armor was visibly cracking, spiderweb fractures spreading across the entire exoskeleton.
If Jeremy had been conscious, he probably would have enjoyed the show: a beautiful, savage beatdown the predator was helplessly receiving.
The scarlet predator attempted one last desperate attack with a tail.
It managed to graze Troy and shatter the mask covering his face, but nothing more.
The monster changed tactics once again.
"What the—?!" Troy exclaimed, stopping dead.
The predator had seized one of his arms with brutal strength.
When Troy tried to resume his assault…
He noticed something critical.
"You piece of shit!"
One of the long triangular tails was hurtling straight toward his sister.
Troy gripped the tail holding him with monstrous force and, with a violent twist, ripped it clean from its root. A gush of purple blood sprayed from the stump.
Bang!
He fired at the other tail threatening his sister, blasting it into pieces that fell wetly onto the crystal floor.
"Nobody touches my sister!" he roared in fury.
Something incredible happened.
BAM!
With a single overwhelming punch, Troy drove his fist straight into the predator's chest.
The impact was devastating. It left a trail of purple blood and a massive hole in the scarlet armor. Organs, bone fragments, and viscous remains splattered across the ground.
The white light glowing from the monster's maw and three eyes went completely dark.
Troy slowly withdrew his fist from the corpse, a manic grin spreading across his face as drops of purple blood slid down his arm.
"And nobody catches me by surprise."