Meanwhile, Zeke was also locked in a deadly confrontation…
The abomination before him was just as terrifying as the one Alex faced—humanoid in shape, yet its head was an eerie, gleaming blue, unnervingly human. Unlike the ant-headed beast Alex battled, this one had no tail. Instead, four jagged spider-like limbs protruded from its back, twitching with a sinister rhythm.
Zeke's heart skipped a beat the moment his eyes met the creature's soulless gaze. Cold sweat crept down his neck. But in the very next breath, he exhaled slowly, allowing energy to flow calmly and fluidly through his meridians. His expression settled into steel.
The abomination took notice. Its two legs walk forward, each spider-limb stabbing into the ground with silent menace. As its dark aura spread, every blade of grass beneath its feet shriveled and blackened within seconds, rotting from its mere presence.
"God damnit…" Zeke muttered, a tremble in his voice despite his firm stance.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're already trembling in fear, you filthy insect," the abomination hissed, its voice scraping like broken glass. Each word dripped with venomous intent. "Humans… nothing but meat walking on borrowed time. You should consider it an honor. After centuries of slumber, you finally meet your rightful predator."
It spoke as if delivering divine truth, its arrogance sickening.
But at that moment, something inside Zeke snapped.
A blaze ignited within his core—raw, untamed fury. His flame aura surged outward, explosive and wild, blasting the ground around him with a gust so intense it sent leaves spinning through the air before they were incinerated mid-flight. His sword lit up—glowing crimson like the heart of a raging inferno.
Zeke's eyes turned blood-red, veins pulsing with wrath. "What did you just say?!" he roared, voice echoing with fury. "Who told you anyone wants to be devoured—especially by a monster like you?! You disgusting freak of nature!"
The abomination didn't flinch. Instead, it threw back its head and released a chilling screech of laughter. "That face… full of hatred, fear, and despair… you're making me hungry, boy. I'll enjoy tasting your soul and watching your light extinguish. Now… surrender. I'll give you a quick, merciful death."
"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!!" Zeke yelled, launching forward with blazing speed.
In the same heartbeat, the abomination lunged as well—spider limbs cutting through the air like scythes. They collided in a thunderous crash, a shockwave erupting outward.
GRAAAAAAH!!
The roar echoed like war drums across the battlefield. What seemed like a single blow was, in truth, a flurry of over ten furious exchanges—each strike ringing with deadly precision.
The abomination's armored skin, once thought invincible, was now webbed with thin, glowing cracks. But it didn't matter. With a sinister shimmer, the wounds closed—regenerating at a terrifying pace.
Zeke stumbled back slightly, breathing heavily, sweat mixing with soot on his skin. He was strong—but this wasn't just a fight. It was a nightmare given flesh.
And it had only just begun.
"Look at you—so weak, so pathetic... a worm squirming in defiance."
The abomination's mouth twisted into a jagged grin, its voice dripping with sadistic joy.
"Surrender now, and I'll make you the finest feast I've ever devoured. Trust me… I'll savor every bite."
Zeke's fists clenched as his teeth ground against each other. His fury boiled like magma beneath his skin.
"W-What? What nonsense are you spewing, you murderous freak?" he snarled, eyes blazing with rage.
"You'll pay… for every innocent life you've taken. I swear it."
The abomination clicked its tongue, clearly amused.
"Pity. This boy doesn't appreciate my generous offer. Very well then… I'll make him scream in despair. I'll devour him—slowly, painfully, piece by delicious piece."
In the blink of an eye, time itself seemed to stutter.
WHOOSH!
The abomination vanished, only to reappear instantly in front of Zeke—its spider claw limbs flashing as it lunged from the right, aiming to impale Zeke's neck with a violent thrust. The pressure behind the attack bent the wind around them, making it whistle like a piercing siren.
Zeke's heart thundered—BOOM!—but he didn't falter.
The energy surging through his meridians thickened, boiling like a lake of living fire.
And just before the claw could reach his throat—
FWOOSH!!
A massive burst of energy exploded from Zeke's body. The sheer heat and force of it instantly incinerated the incoming claw, reducing the limb to ashes in mere seconds.
"GRAAAAAHH!!"
The abomination screeched in agony, its body convulsing from the pain.
"W-What?! What is this? What just happened?!" it bellowed, its wide eyes flaring with rage. In that moment, it dropped all pretense of holding back.
Its true power erupted—a suffocating black aura flooded the forest, thick and malevolent, warping the air and sending out waves of deathly pressure that cracked the trees and shook the earth.
Still, Zeke didn't back down.
He planted his feet, grounding himself like an unshakable pillar. His grip on his sword tightened until it became an extension of his very soul.
His black irises ignited—glowing red as if flames burned within them.
He inhaled deeply—drawing in the pure essence of source energy—and his body shone with renewed brilliance as the fire coursing through his meridians surged to greater heights.
The abomination trembled—not in fear, but in twisted anticipation.
"Yes… YES! A worthy opponent at last!" it howled, gleeful.
CRACK!!
They charged. In an instant, monster and man clashed like colliding storms, their impact releasing a thunderous shockwave that echoed across the land.
KABOOM!!!
They didn't stop. Blow after blow, they tore through the sky, crashing back to the earth with explosive force, ripping through trees and shattering the ground as if a hurricane had descended upon the woods.
"DIEEE!!" Zeke roared, his voice fueled by rage and vengeance.
He launched himself forward once more with insane speed—CRASH!—another collision. But this time, Zeke staggered back, blood dripping from his lips.
The abomination had finally landed a solid strike, slamming him with monstrous strength.
Even so, Zeke had already delivered dozens of blows to the creature. But unlike ordinary enemies, these monsters were different.
Abominations don't die unless their core is destroyed—and each one hides its core in a different place.
Some conceal it in their heads, others in their armpits, chests, legs—even more grotesque, some have multiple cores, scattered across their body.
That meant unless every single core was annihilated—the abomination would keep regenerating… and keep fighting.
Zeke knew that truth well.
And yet—he stood his ground.
Wounded. Bleeding. Burning.
But unbroken.
The abomination grinned, its jagged mouth stretching wide, voice thick and laced with death.
"Such bravado…" it rasped, stepping forward with slow, deliberate menace.
"I'll admit—you've impressed me. Your strength… it's far beyond what I expected. But it's still not enough. We abominations… we are the true apex. The strongest of all. You humans—are nothing more than livestock awaiting harvest. And now, after just a few clashes… look at you. Weakened. Fading. How… unfortunate."
Its words struck like venom, but Zeke didn't respond.
Instead, he closed his eyes.
A calm washed over him as he inhaled deeply—drawing in the very breath of existence itself.
Essence of source energy surged into his body, spiraling through his meridians like a divine torrent. Then—BOOM!—his heart pounded, a thunderous drum of life and rage. The energy ignited, and suddenly, even his blood burned with a flame attribute so fierce it shimmered beneath his skin.
"Sorcery Flame… Elite Stance…" Zeke whispered as flames rose around him.
"Dragon Lake—Ninth Form!"
FWOOM!!
The world around them was instantly consumed in fire.
The battlefield transformed into an ethereal lake of flames, its surface alive with the shapes of roaring, flaming dragons swimming beneath molten waves. Each breath from Zeke intensified the heat. The abomination's smug expression faltered for the first time.
"W-What… is this?" the creature murmured in its mind, taking a step back instinctively.
It tried to respond—tried to call forth its own dark aura and suppress Zeke's overwhelming surge.
But it was already too late.
Zeke's eyes blazed with molten fury. His voice was low, firm, and final:
"Core… locked on."
In a blinding flash—BOOM!!—Zeke lunged forward like a streak of crimson lightning, flames spiraling around him like a vortex of wrath. His sword, now fused with the fire of the Dragon Lake, tore through the air—its edge glowing like a burning star.
SLASH!!!
Zeke's blade ripped through the abomination's midsection—shattering its hardened scales, slicing its body clean open, and tearing out the hidden core in one perfect, devastating strike.
Time froze.
The world of fire crumbled away, fading back into the forest. Smoke curled in the air. Trees bent under the pressure of the battle's wake.
Zeke stood still—then fell to one knee. Blood spilled from his lips.
"I… I… did it…" he gasped, his voice cracked and trembling. His heart pounded in agony. The sheer energy he had unleashed was far too much for his body. His vision blurred. If he hadn't ended it then… he would've died.
With the last strength in his legs, he stumbled toward a tree and collapsed against it, sliding down into its roots. His breath came in sharp, ragged pulls.
He had won.
But barely.
---
Meanwhile—
In another corner of the battlefield, Alex and the formidable abomination were still locked in an unholy clash. Every strike they exchanged sent out tremors. Every collision echoed like thunder in the sky.
It was no longer just a battle.
It was a war between gods.
"You want to die that badly?!" the abomination screeched in agony, its severed limbs regenerating at an unnatural speed, the cracks in its body sealing with sizzling black energy.
Alex wiped blood from his cheek and met the creature's gaze with defiant eyes.
"Let's see who dies first… but I promise you—it's never going to be me."
The battle raged on.
Each time the abomination lashed out—be it with claws, fists, or its jagged tail—it was like trying to strike a ghost submerged in water. Alex's entire presence flowed like a tide, his aura fluid and untouchable. Blows that should've torn through him instead dispersed against the swirling current of his watery sorcery.
Frustrated, the creature began attacking from all angles, using every limb and even its tail in a relentless barrage.
But Alex moved with precision—every step calculated, every motion flawless. His feet danced along the battlefield, evading with fluid grace. The aura of water cloaking him shimmered under the moonlight, deflecting fatal strikes just inches from his body.
From the shadows, the woman Alex had saved earlier watched in awe.
"Is he… really human?" she whispered, her voice trembling with gratitude. Tears welled in her eyes.
"Thank you, God… Thank you for sending him..."
But then—
SWOOSH!
The abomination's tail came flying with blinding speed.
Alex leaned back, narrowly dodging the full force—but the tip of the tail grazed his cheek, leaving a dark, burning slash.
SZZZZZHHH!
Black energy surged through the wound.
The veins in Alex's face darkened, bulging. His breathing hitched.
His eyes widened in shock as blood spilled from them. His body began to tremble.
It was like poison—no, something worse.
The energy coursing through the wound felt like his very soul was being corroded.
"God damn it…!" Alex cried, dropping to one knee, his voice torn with pain.
The abomination laughed maniacally.
"Yes! YES! That's it! Fall! FALL INTO DESPAIR!"
But just as it reached to finish him off—
BOOM!!
A violent surge erupted from Alex's meridian.
His aura expanded wildly, spinning into a vortex that swallowed the air around him. But this time, it wasn't just the pure flow of water—it was darker, heavier… tainted by something ancient and furious.
Kai's power.
Alex's hair lifted in the storm of energy, eyes flashing with streaks of black and blue. The water around him roared like a tsunami, twisting like a dragon hungry for vengeance.
He clenched his sword, murmuring something only the abomination could hear—
"You made a mistake."
With inhuman speed, Alex dashed forward, water spiraling around him like a typhoon blade.
SCHWING!
He pierced the creature's core clean through.
The abomination didn't even have time to scream—its body shattered in a burst of black mist, and its core, now exposed, was ripped from its chest with one swift stroke.
THUD!
Its corpse collapsed, melting into the earth like tar.
Alex stood over it, chest rising and falling. Blood dripped from his mouth.
The dark energy on his cheek sizzled and began to fade, the mark slowly deteriorating as the battle's aftermath caught up to him.
---
Elsewhere…
Vice General Lucas finished off the last of the abominations with surgical precision. His blade sang as it cut through darkness, leaving behind only silence. Three survivors huddled behind him—an injured man in his forties, a woman in her thirties, and a boy no older than twelve.
He turned to check on them—only for a chill to crawl down his spine.
Something was wrong.
A strange pull guided him deeper into the wreckage.
There, half-buried in the earth, was a massive eye—open, unblinking, and staring into the heavens.
Lucas's expression twisted in shock.
"What the hell… is that?" he muttered, stepping closer.
The eye pulsed.
Without hesitation, Lucas drew his sword and sliced through the grotesque mass. A black hand tried to rise from beneath it—but his blade met it mid-air and tore it apart.
Suddenly, the watcher on his wrist glowed with a violent burst of light, green energy bursting outward.
His eyes narrowed.
"So this… this is what made the watch lose control."
All across the city, the watchers worn by every hunter pulsed in unison, releasing waves of emerald light into the skies.