Chapter 26 - Zero 2

Blood trickled steadily from Zero's nose as he sat slouched against the couch.

"You're going to die today," Jin said, voice cold, unwavering. "And by the looks of it… you're already halfway there."

Zero exhaled slowly, a grim smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He pushed himself to his feet , swaying for a moment before steadying his stance.

"You're mistaken about that," he replied, wiping the blood "Because I've finally figured out how to kill you."

Jin's gun jerked up, a crack echoing through the space. Zero lunged to the side, the bullet tearing through his coat but missing flesh. He rolled forward, grabbed the hilt of his sword, and in a single fluid motion, drew it and deflected the next bullets with sharp, metallic clangs towards Jin who tanks them.

Jin's eyes narrowed. "Tch."

His skin cracked , muscles hardened —Unbreakable Mode.

He charged.

Zero lowered his stance, shifting into a refined Iai pose, the tip of his blade ready to leave its sheath . His breathing slowed. Calm. Focused. This time, Just like last one , all in. He had experience now. Timing. Distance. Flow.

Jin closed in.

The blade flashed.

A clean arc.

Blood sprayed.

Jin's right arm flew from his body, spinning before it hit the floor with a wet thud. clean cut from the shoulder.

Jin staggered but didn't stop. Zero didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, planting his sword in Jin's chest and use as Jin momentum , Zero leapt back .

Jin stumbled, knees buckling. His Unbreakable form flickered.

Then, it broke.

The hardened skin peeled away like ash. Blood gushed from the gaping wound in his chest, and he fell to his knees, clutching the stump of his severed arm.

Zero stood, chest heaving, nose still bleeding, but with grim satisfaction in his eyes.

"That's the view I like to see," he said softly.

Jin looked up at him. Despite the blood, despite the pain, his eyes burned with defiance.

Zero tilted his head. "Don't act weak. I know you can still sustain it—Unbrekable. And I'm not dropping my guard again."

He stepped forward, sword ready.

"I'm guessing that ability of yours eats at your stamina. Am I right?"

The flicker in Jin's eye gave him away.

Zero smirked. "Thought so."

Jin sighed. The facade fell. He stood upright, hardened skin spreading once again—this time around the wound itself, sealing it crudely.

Zero's expression darkened. "This is it, then."

He stepped closer, blade in the sheath.

"Now tell me," Zero said, voice low. "How did you figure out my ability? Don't pretend you didn't know. The way you fought from the get go —it wasn't random."

Jin chuckled, wiping blood from his lips.

"Your old pal Siegfried told me you've never lost a fight. Not once. Always one-sided victories."

"That's all?" Zero asked, raising a brow.

"It was an educated guess. Let's just say i have great taste in fiction ."

Zero gave a grudging nod. "Fair. But this is where it ends. Go on, activate Unbreakable again. Let me finish you with some dignity."

His stance lowered slightly.

"You've opened my eyes, Jin. I've been drifting for too long. From now on… I won't waste my life anymore."

Jin's voice came back quiet, hollow.

"It doesn't matter."

Zero frowned. "What?"

"You keep talking like your choices matter. Like any of this does." Jin's voice grew colder. "Before I walked into this place… I made sure you'd die here."

A silence settled in the room.

Then—

Boom.

A explosion. Then another. The ground shook.

Zero's eyes widened. "What… what did you do?"

Jin Grinned at zero with full smile .

" Build your grave ." 

Zero took a step back, blood dripping from his nose faster now.

Jin pointed. "That nosebleed? That's your body screaming. Whatever your ability is—it has a limit. And this… this was it. All the abuse you put your body through it's going to bite you back ."

"No… no, no no," Zero muttered, panic rising. "This can't be how it ends. I can't die like this!"

Another explosion. The Building's steel beams groaned.

Jin looked up as the ceiling cracked and dust poured from above. "Looks like this it."

"You'll die too!" Zero roared.

Jin smirked. "Did you forget?"

Unbreakable.

With a burst of speed, Jin activated his final layer of defense and sprinted toward the massive window facing the street. As he passed Zero, he glanced back one last time.

"Sayonara."

Then—

Crash!

Glass shattered as Jin hurled himself through the window, remaining airborne for a brief, suspended second before plummeting three stories down.

Boom!

He slammed into the hood of a parked car, crushing it like foil beneath him.

For a moment, there was stillness.

Then Jin stirred.

He groaned, pulling himself up from the wreckage, wincing. "Thank God my internal organs get protection too. Otherwise, this plan was a no-go."

Behind him, the Building groaned one last time before collapsing in a monstrous roar of twisted steel and flame.

The city street was quiet—eerily so. Jin staggered onto the cracked sidewalk, his breath uneven, his body slightly hunched. The battle was over, but the aftermath had only begun for him , zero took his pound of flesh from him. A dull, searing pain flared from his right side, sharp enough to make him grit his teeth.

He clenched his jaw and kept moving .

"Dammit," he muttered, staggering forward, hand pressed to his side.

The towering silhouette of the local hospital loomed a few blocks ahead, its white façade blurred behind a growing curtain of sweat in his eyes. Jin took a shaky breath and kept moving, one step at a time. His boots scraped against the pavement, each footfall heavy .

"Status," he muttered under his breath.

A translucent blue screen flickered into existence before his eyes—his Template Interface.