Zafron's red slime surged around him, forming a thick, roiling cocoon that encased Mordred. The slime wrapped tightly around the fallen man, its surface undulating with a malevolent intent. Zafron's eyes gleamed with a cold, ruthless determination as he extended his arm, the slime shifting to grasp Mordred firmly.
With a vicious yank, Zafron lifted Mordred off the ground, his body enveloped in the pulsating red mass. The slime squeezed and constricted, applying excruciating pressure as it held Mordred aloft. Zafron then brought the encased body down with a brutal slam against the floor.
The impact was deafening, the slime absorbing and amplifying the force, creating a resonant thud that reverberated through the room.
This was deliberate. These men had caused him so much pain and killing them instantly would do him no favours. Punishing them however, now that, that was fun!!
Without hesitation, Zafron lifted Mordred again and brought him down a second time. Each slam was more powerful than the last, the slime cushioning and enhancing the blows. Mordred's muffled screams and gasps of pain were barely audible over the rhythmic thumping of the repeated impacts.
Just as Zafron prepared for another crushing slam, a sharp whisper of metal through the air caught his attention. He snapped his head to the side, deflecting Gustavo's blade with a fluid flick of the red slime. The weapon skidded harmlessly off the protective barrier, its edge barely grazing the surface.
Zafron's gaze locked onto Gustavo, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Last time, you stabbed me in the back. This time, I'll look you dead in the eye and do the same."
Gustavo's face turned pale as he took a hesitant step back, his confidence evaporating under the intensity of Zafron's glare.
Before Gustavo could react, Mordred, still encased in the slime, let out a final, desperate gasp as he summoned multiple blades from thin air. The blades whirled through the air, their edges glinting menacingly as they hurled toward Zafron.
Sensing the slight shift in the air once more, Zafron dropped Mordred from his slime cocoon and former six slime tentacles.
With a flick of his wrist, the slime tentacles lashed out, intercepting each blade with precise accuracy. The blades embedded themselves into the thick, gelatinous substance, momentarily trapped before being hauled back towards Mordred with an almost playful ease.
Mordred's eyes widened in shock as the blades he had thrown were now coming back at him, his attempts to resummon the weapons futile. He scrambled to evade, but the red slime tentacles were relentless. Each blade was caught and redirected, and with a forceful swing, Zafron launched the barrage of weapons back at Mordred.
The impact of the returning blades forced Mordred into a desperate defense, but the barrage was too overwhelming.
He had no choice but to summon them into vanishing. But he wasn't safe for long.
With a thunderous roar, Zafron formed a massive, rock-solid fist from the red slime and swung it with devastating force. The fist collided with Mordred's chest, propelling him violently against the wall. The impact left a deep dent in the wall, and Mordred crumpled to the floor, his body unmoving.
Zafron's gaze snapped back to Gustavo, his anger palpable. The former bounty hunter stood frozen, his eyes wide with terror as Zafron's red slime whirled around him like a storm.
Without a moment's hesitation, Zafron extended his hand, and the red slime shot out, encircling Gustavo's legs with a vice-like grip. Gustavo's attempt to escape was futile as the slime tightened, dragging him backward with an almost predatory force.
Gustavo's attempts to kick and wriggle free were in vain. The slime, a living entity of relentless malice, pulled him towards Zafron with an unyielding determination. Zafron's eyes gleamed with fury as he advanced, his movements precise and deliberate.
With Gustavo now within reach, Zafron's fist, still coated with the red slime, drew back and then shot forward with immense power. The first punch connected with Gustavo's jaw with a sickening crunch, the impact reverberating through the room. Gustavo's head snapped sideways, his body twisting from the force. Blood sprayed from his mouth, staining his teeth and chin.
Zafron didn't give him a moment to recover. He continued the assault with brutal efficiency. Each punch landed with bone-shattering force, his fist and the red slime working in unison to amplify the damage. The repeated blows hammered into Gustavo's ribs, each hit producing a dull thud and causing the victim's body to convulse with the shock of impact.
The red slime, acting as both weapon and enhancer, transformed each punch into a devastating force. It seeped into Gustavo's wounds, intensifying the agony and causing his flesh to swell and bruise with dark, purplish hues. The slime clung to Gustavo's skin, adding an extra layer of pressure and contributing to the already severe damage.
Gustavo's attempts to shield himself were futile; his arms flailed weakly as Zafron's relentless punches battered him. Each hit drove him further into the ground, his once-proud posture now a crumpled mess of pain and blood. His ribs cracked under the relentless assault, the sound of breaking bones mingling with his strangled cries.
Gustavo was only clinging on because of his enhanced healing and protection due to dabbling in dark magic. He too wasn't the regular street thug or thief. He was a mercenary for hire, however right now, things weren't looking good for him.
Zafron loomed over Gustavo, who lay battered and broken on the floor, barely conscious. His voice was a low, dangerous growl as he spoke, each word dripping with venomous satisfaction.
"You remember Astoria, don't you, Gustavo? How you almost ended me? You thought you could just walk away from that? Well, look at you now!" Zafron's tone was icy, his anger still palpable as he continued.
"You had your chance to finish me off and you would have gotten away with it though but here's a secret, I met a goddess!!!!" Zafron said that last part with a little bit of a whisper to Gustavo's ear.
"You thought stabbing me in the back was clever? You thought you'd get away with it?" Zafron's voice rose, each word punctuated by a renewed, vicious punch to Gustavo's ribs. The red slime swirled around Zafron's fists, adding an extra layer of agony to every blow.
"Last time, you struck me from behind, cowardly and deceitfully. This time, I'm looking you dead in the eye as I return the favor!" Zafron's voice cracked with fury. "This isn't just revenge; it's justice for every scar you left on me. For every time you tried to end me."
Zafron's fist smashed into Gustavo's face again, the force splattering blood and causing Gustavo to let out a pained, gurgling cry. "You thought you could defeat me with your tricks and cowardice? Look at you now, barely able to move, barely able to breathe. Your arrogance blinded you, and now you're paying the price!"
He stepped back slightly, his eyes burning with a mixture of satisfaction and unyielding rage. The red slime continued to pulse around him. Gustavo, now a broken mess on the floor, could do nothing but groan weakly, his body wracked with pain.
"You thought you could get away with it," Zafron continued, his voice lowering to a deadly whisper. "But now, you're nothing more than a pathetic reminder of what happens when you cross me!!" Zafron then began to form a large slime construct. It looked like a sledgehammer only if it was aimed to be used to demolish a building. He raised it above his head, aiming it squarely for Gustavo.
"You will leave me, you will leave Mara and you will leave Matilda alone. I'm sending you back to who sent you after me. Tell him, if he wants his wife, he should come and get her!"
Just as Zafron was about to finish off Gustavo, a voice pierced the chaos. "Zafron!"
Mara's voice cut through the tumult, and Zafron's head whipped around to see her running toward him. He hesitated, turning his attention to her as she lunged into his arms, embracing him tightly.
"Mara!" Zafron's voice was a mix of relief and worry. "Where's Matilda? Is she safe?"
Before Mara could respond, Zafron felt a sudden, chilling change in the air behind him. He turned just in time to see a blade flying toward him. The weapon struck him with brutal force, piercing through his body. He could barely react kn time to stop it as it sunk into him. He could feel a cold sensation as the blade sliced through him. But it wasn't just that...
The blade left his body and was now in another.
Zafron's eyes widened in horror as he turned back around and watched Mara's face go pale. Blood trickled from her wound, and her knees buckled. She fell, but Zafron caught her, cradling her as she coughed up blood. Her eyes were wide with shock, tears streaming down her face with a blade lodged in her chest.
Zafron too was bleeding from his mouth but the pain was child's play compared to what he felt seeing Mara's eyes roll up and back down. She was convulsing right in his arms, choking on her own blood.
"No! Mara!" Zafron's voice broke. He tried to pull the blade out, but Mara held his hand, her gaze locked with his.
From behind them, Gustavo's twisted laughter echoed through the room. "Two for one special," he chortled, his voice tainted with sadistic pleasure as he managed to get up to his feet. A golden ring flashed around his fingers, glinting merely for a second. This was the same ring that Malachi Vex was wore.
"Even I'm impressed by my aim," Gustavo said, cracking his neck and popping a bone back into its socket with a sick smile as he wiped the blood from his lips.
Hearing Gustavo's voice from behind him however, Zafron's rage flared uncontrollably. The red slime around him began to writhe and pulse with a life of its own. His body trembled with unrestrained fury. The system alerts flashed in his vision.
[Heart rate critically elevated. Qi output dangerously high]
[Berserker mode activated!]