What is life? What is death?
Despite how long humanity has lived in this world, none of these two concepts have been satisfactorily answered or explored.
However, most would agree with their simple definition.
Life is simply the concept that best explains the state of being alive.
Death… is the opposite.
To experience death means to die…
Many proclaim to know what happens after death—eternal paradise, or torment, or even a limbo.
But no one knows for sure.
And so, for many, death is the ultimate end to anyone.
Everything is forever lost and fades into obscurity—as if it never existed.
Like tears in rain.
********
Ogun's eyes bulged as his weapon shattered right in front of him.
The pressure, as well as the force he had generated trying to pull his weapon away, caused his hulking body to fly back.
"Guh!" He grunted as his ebony body slid on the dirty ground.
Despite his skin being impenetrable, the sensation felt deeply uncomfortable.
Ogun held his head with one hand and shook it.
"Urgh…" He let out a deep breath and looked in front of him, hoping all that happened was just in his head.
However, upon seeing the masked man's outstretched hand and pieces of his club dropping from his grasp, he could no longer deny it.
The masked man had destroyed his club.
"My name is Ralyks, and while this wasn't my initial plan… I'm going to have to kill you here."
As those words reverberated in the night air, Ogun felt his body shake.
He could see from the glowing crimson eyes of his enemy that he was absolutely serious.
'Why?!'
No; Ogun realized how strange his thought process was.
In the first place, why wouldn't he kill him?
They were enemies, and Ogun would have done the same to him within a heartbeat.
In the Criminal Underworld, it was the fate of the loser to die—usually painful deaths—in the advent of the winner's triumph.
There was nothing strange about it.
"Now then…" A step was taking from the masked figure.
Ogun immediately slid back with his hands.
He was still on the ground, seated as he faced Ralyks—as he called himself.
He didn't know why, but with every advance made by the man, he found himself trying to widen the distance.
Who would ever think that a Head Of Destruction could act in such a shameful way? He also couldn't believe it.
It almost felt like his body was moving on its own.
'No…'
Ogun slid another few inches back.
'… No, I can't allow this…'
His bloodshot eyes quivered as Ralyks drew even closer.
'… I CAN'T LET IT END LIKE THIS!'
~BOOOM!~
The earth around him cracked as his gigantic body rose to its feet.
He felt immensely powerful once again; thanks to his [Power Output] Skill finally making a comeback.
All his Enchanted Items fueled him with confidence, but what made him most optimistic was his body itself.
'So what if he destroyed my Bloody Bat? I'm indestructible!'
Ogun's body gleamed like metal, and his muscles bulged as he tightened them in preparation for the showdown.
'I just have to be faster… stronger…' Ogun knew that this man's seemingly overpowered strength wouldn't last forever.
He had to be using some kind of Skill—no, probably a bunch of them!
He could also be using Enchanted Items.
'Fuck! I should have considered that.'
Since he worked for the KariBlanc Group, chances were that he would receive tons of benefits from them. A bunch of Enchanted Items could not be out of the equation.
'He'll soon reach his limits. I just have to keep pummeling!'
Unlike the scrawny Ralyks, Ogun had been working out and building his body his entire life.
He was sure he had far more stamina; and since his defenses were guaranteed, he was sure who would last the longest.
'I just have to—!'
Before Ogun could complete his line of thought, Ralyks was right in front of him.
'T-teleportation?!'
Well, it didn't matter to Ogun in the slightest. The fact that his opponent was right in front of him meant only one thing.
His job was easier now.
"Time to dig in!"
He clenched his fists and began to launch a flurry of punches towards the masked figure.
Every blow that was sent out felt like it was being stopped by an unbreachable wall.
His attacks were doing nothing.
However, Ogun did not stop—he couldn't stop, no matter what!
"ORAAAAAAAAA!!!"
His muscles bulged even more, and his speed exploded to a phenomenal degree. He relentlessly continued his attacks, not even stopping for a second.
However—
"That's enough."
The next strike that Ogun sent towards Ralyks was suddenly directed back at him—almost like a counter.
All of a sudden, his bones shattered, and his arm became mangled.
"GUARK!" Blood sprayed out of his ebony skin as he staggered backwards.
'H-he used… a Counter-type Skill?!'
That was the only explanation that Ogun could think of, considering how he was harmed by how own ferocious blow,
"It's about time we ended this." As Ralyks spoke, Ogun's heart trembled.
He realized at that moment that he could be harmed.
'If he redirects my hits, then I'll take damage. I have to—!'
Right as Ogun was having these thoughts, trying to find his perfect footing, Ralyks suddenly appeared before him.
"Euk! Y-you—!"
~CRACK!~
Both of his knees were shattered instantly, and Ogun found himself kneeling on the ground before he realized what happened.
'E-eh? But… I didn't attack.' Ogun's eyes swelled in confusion.
How was he receiving DAMAGE?!
He tried to push himself up and leap from Ralyks so he could create some distance. But…
"Stay."
The small hand of the masked one touched his shoulder, and the pressure he generated caused Ogun's intentions to remain just that.
—Intentions!
He couldn't rise up thanks to the hand that kept him down, and even when he tried to pull the hand away, he was met with another shattered bone in his only viable hand.
"GAHH!"
Ogun, the invincible one, found himself kneeling in the presence of someone.
His two legs couldn't move, and both of his hands were no longer viable.
As the beads on his neck clacked hard on his tough chest, Ogun could only look at the ground—no, the man's shoes.
He was no longer the taller one.
Instead, Ralyks looked down on him from an elevated height—
his crimson gaze filled with condescension.
'H-how did he do it…? I'm supposed to be… invincible…'
There was only one answer left for Ogun, and now he had no other choice but to accept it.
The man before him—Ralyks—was stronger than he was.
Far, far stronger!
He was probably on par with the Deadly Three, the way Ogun saw it.
'What now? What more can I do?'
The answer evaded Ogun. He could no longer fight, and he could no longer run.
He was just a useless limp of mangled flesh and broken bones; left at the mercy of the devil before him.
'Is this… the end?'
It was at this moment that Ogun had an epiphany.
He looked around him and saw the faces of his subordinates, and he yelled with all the strength he had left in his lungs.
"WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR?! ATTACK!"
Ogun didn't care that saliva rushed out of his mouth as he spoke.
"KILL THAT BASTARD!"
He just wanted to live.
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Thanks for reading!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's a bit slow paced, but I like doing things this way.
