Ray pushed himself up, blood streaked down from his eye socket where the jagged stake had grazed him. His vision on that side blurred instantly.
Chester lay against the broken frame of the bedroom doorway, one hand pressed weakly to his ruined throat. Blood soaked through his fingers in steady pulses. His breathing rattled and uneven.
Casper stood between them,
His arm was mangled, his chest bleeding, and his teeth missing but he still stood upright, still smiling.
"Why don't we finish this gentleman."
Saying that, he gripped the knife embedded in his chest, with a tug he wrenched it free before pulling it from his body.
He coughed weakly before raising it up.
If I die of blood loss, this is going to be the biggest aura loss of all time.
Casper slowly stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
Ray watched the knife in his hand carefully, he raised up his arms and waited… waited for Casper to make the move.
"Last round," he muttered.
Casper creeped closer, then, with astonishing speed he crossed the distance between them. At the same time, Ray moved too. He made a straight dive towards Casper's chest, aiming to hit him where it hurt.
Casper stepped into it again.
Ray's fist crashed into his ribs.
His shoulders rolled, his ribs cracked under the weight but at the same time Casper countered — his hook caught Ray straight in his cheek but failed to do any real damage, only causing him mild irritation.
Ray sneaked a look at Casper's expression and to his shock, it wasn't one of frustration — but giddiness.
Suddenly, he felt a pressure slide into his abdomen.
Ray's eyes dropped between them.
The knife which was once in Casper's hands seemed to vanish. Ray lowered his gaze even more, his face turning pale.
The knife had vanished — not out of Casper's grasp — but in his chest.
Ray's breath hitched. His hands trembled as they dropped instinctively to his stomach, Casper had struck straight into his lungs unlike his shoddy attempt earlier.
Ray's grip tightened around Casper's wrist on instinct.
Casper didn't pull away.
He leaned closer instead, their chests nearly touching, his grin trembling with what seemed like excitement.
"Can't touch me!" He said with a laugh.
His mouth soon fell, a cold look flashing on his face. Casper twisted his head, facing backwards.
Ray followed his gaze towards the bedroom.
Chester was still alive, barely. The hand that pressured his throat slipped, his fingers too weak to continue. His breathing had turned thin, almost fragile.
Ray understood immediately.
"No—" he tried to reason with him but was quickly cut off.
Casper raised his leg, and in a brutal motion stamped the hilt of the knife, pushing it deeper and also shoving him backward.
Ray stumbled, his reinforced skin gave away, the knife punctured his lung but also acted as it's plug, stopping the lung from collapsing.
Casper didn't even look at him again.
He pivoted and sprinted to the bedroom.
On the way, he kicked up the hastily made stake with his feet, twisting his body he caught the piece of sharp wood mid air and plunged it into Chester's eye.
But before he could drive the stake further, a sharp voice cut through the chaos.
"Stop!"
Ray cried out.
Casper's face scrunched in irritation at the interruption.
Slowly, he twisted his head.
Ray was no longer on the floor.
He was on his feet — barely — but standing. His arm was locked around Adem's throat, dragging him back against his chest. The other hand was braced against the boy's head, keeping him still despite the tremor in Ray's body.
Adem clawed at his forearm, choking. Sera stood a few steps away, frozen cold.
"You move," Ray rasped, tightening his hold just enough to make Adem gasp, "and he dies first."
Casper sighs and loosens his grip, he raises his hand and calmly walks over to Ray.
"Don't do something you'll regret… that boy's your leverage. If you hurt him, there's nothing left stopping me from tearing you apart. I might lose him… but at least you'll die."
Hearing that Ray chuckled, "I don't have any problems with dying as long as I can hurt you."
Casper acknowledged his answer, slowly advancing towards him. He reached the shattered wooden table next to the sofa and then suddenly relaxed.
"You should've used him as a hostage to get out of here."
Casper's foot which hooked a piece of large, wooden plank from the shattered table, snapped his leg upwards.
The shard of wood launched off the floor in a sharp arc.
Ray didn't see it coming.
It struck his blind spot — right across the blurred eye.
He flinched for a second but that was enough. His grip on Adem loosened and the boy was able to separate himself from the man.
Casper was already moving.
He closed the distance in a violent burst, launching himself forward with everything he had left.
They collided mid-step.
Ray barely had time to brace before Casper's full weight crashed into him. The force drove them backward, slamming into the wall.
Ray scrambled up but Casper was faster, he dived into him once again, knocking him down. At the same time he twisted his body, placing himself towards Ray's neck.
His forearm slid deeper beneath Ray's chin, bicep crushing one side of the neck while his wrist pressed against the other. He cinched his grip tight with his remaining strength and pulled back.
Ray's hands flew to the arm immediately, fingers digging in, trying to pry space between Casper's atm and his airway.
Casper didn't let go and at the same time understood that this posed no real threat to him — he was only restricting him for the time being.
His physique enhanced with the hunter potion prevented such attempts unless Casper was part of the warrior or sailor pathway there was no use in trying to choke out Ray.
Thinking of that, his gaze drifted towards Adem and he quickly barked out.
"Grab the knife quick!"
Adem froze halfway across the floor.
"The knife!" Casper barked again.
"It's— it's in him!" Adem shot back, panic cracking his voice.
"Pull it out!" he screamed. "Pull it out!"
Adem stared at the knife lodged in Ray's chest, his hands shaking.
"Do it!" Casper roared.
Adem lunged forward and grabbed the hilt.
For a split second, Ray's eye met his.
Then Adem yanked.
The blade tore free, the blood squirted out of his body and painted the ceiling a deep red.
Ray's face instantly paled but his body was still brimming with energy.
Casper felt it too.
"Stab him!" he shouted, tightening the choke with everything he had left. "Do it now!"
Adem stood frozen, the knife still in his trembling palms. He stared at Ray's face — at the blood pouring from his chest, at the life in his body.
"I—I can't—" his voice broke.
"You're screwing everything up!" he roared. "You act so tough and yet you can't stab a man?! I thought you lived in the streets, fighting to survive everyday!"
"I didn't okay!" He shouted back, "I didn't fight, I ran! Tough? I'm the furthest thing from tough. I'm just trying my best to survive, not go to jail!"
Ray's fingers dug into Casper's mangled arm this time causing a whimper to escape his lips.
Casper felt it — the position changing, his own strength draining with every passing moment.
"Stab him!" he bellowed again, his voice cracking. "If you don't do this, you won't even see a cell. Do you think he'll let you live?!"
Adem didn't move.
Casper's grip weakened.
His muscles screamed.
His voice contorted into a roar, furious and thundering.
Suddenly, in the spur of the moment.
Sera ripped the knife from Adem's hands without hesitation. She took two little steps and immediately thrusted the knife into Ray's throat.
A thick, choking sound burst from him as the steel punched through flesh.
Hot blood flooded over Casper's forearm.
Ray's hands spasmed violently, strength surging once more in reflex — but before he could do anything, Casper grabbed the knife and tore it sideways.
The choking sound quickly faded.
Ray's grip collapsed instantly. His hands lost all strength, his fingers twitched uselessly against Casper's arm before falling away.
The blood didn't just spill, it poured against the ceiling like a dam.
Casper shoved him forward and let him drop, a small, exhausted sigh escaping his throat. He met Adem's fearful gaze and said coldly, "At least your sister has balls."