What is this wretch muttering…???Why are his lips moving, yet no sound follows???
…Wait...Why have all the sounds around me suddenly vanished???
The air feels heavy...Breathing… has it always been this difficult???
Even the stench is gone...My vision blurs—
Ah… I see now.The wound… it's bleeding heavily...
So this is it, then...It seems I was never meant to stray too far from (Lance) after all...
(Lance)…I'll be joining you soon...
(Raym) collapses once more, losing consciousness...
(Number 4) watches the scene unfold without the slightest hint of concern...He merely orders them to wake the boy—by force if necessary—and to seal the wound with anything available...
"One temporary seal, sir," one of the men reports nervously..."But he's still bleeding. He needs stitches. He's lost a dangerous amount of blood… and he hasn't woken up."
(Number 4) grits his teeth in fury.
"Useless trash. Burn it shut—do something.I refuse to lose my prize."
He pauses.
"Oh… right...Summon him. I want him here. Now."
The guards freeze in terror...
"That man…?" one of them whispers."He's dangerous. He's the only one who can keep that prisoner under control.Are you truly willing to take that risk?"
In less than a second—
(Number 4) rips the man's eye from its socket.!!!
The guard collapses screaming, blood pouring as the others stare in absolute horror.
Not a single drop stains (Number 4)'s arm!!!.
One second.That's all it took.
He glares at them coldly...
"No one escapes a prison under my command.And no one in this world can defeat me—except the Commander… and his right hand."
"If you value your lives," he continues calmly,"you will neither question me nor argue."
"Now—bring "Gork" here. Immediately."
The guards scatter in blind panic.
Meanwhile, (Vail) and his men finally reach the prison gates...
"This is the last time I'll ask," (Vail) says quietly."Are you certain about this? I can't guarantee any of us will walk out alive—including (Raym)."
The soldiers respond without hesitation, voices filled with pride.
"Our lives are yours, (Vail)."
He smiles… then turns away, his expression darkening.
They are too pure, he thinks.They don't understand what awaits us.
I wish I had never led them here.Please… stay alive. All of you.
And you—(Raym)…Hold on.
Silence...
Then—
(Vail) obliterates the entrance in a single strike.
"Move!" he roars."Now! For (Raym)!!!"
Chaos erupts.
They split into two squads—(Zack) leading one, (Vail) the other—cutting through the prison with relentless resolve...
Unaware…that this was nothing less than a declaration of war.
The news reaches (Number 4) swiftly.
He grins...
"Hehehe…So the fun finally begins."
He enters (Raym)'s cell, strikes him across the face, and splashes cold water over him until his eyes flutter open.
(Raym) gasps weakly, his face pale as death.
(Number 4) leans close, staring into his dull eyes.
"Look closely," he whispers."Your friends have come for you."
"But they don't yet realize—this is the last place they'll ever enter."
The door suddenly creaks open.
A massive silhouette fills the room.!!!
A giant of a man—over two and a half meters tall—steps inside.Each footstep shakes the ground.
His arms are as thick as grown men.His body, harder than stone.
He wields a massive axe nearly two meters long.
(Raym) freezes in terror...
How can someone like this even exist…?I can't even see his face…
(Vail).(Zack).Everyone…
Please… run...
Forget about me...
I'm useless like this...Don't stake your lives for mine...
You'll find another hope...I'm not the first—nor the last...
(Number 4) bursts into hysterical laughter...
"How pathetic.They will all die."
"I summoned him personally—so he may slaughter them before your very eyes."
"There is no torment greater than watching your loved ones die…while you are powerless."
(Raym) trembles violently...
(Lance)'s face flashes before him...
Rage explodes...
He screams, straining against the chains, veins bulging.
"You bastard!!!Do you think I'll allow this?!!"
"I'll kill you!!!No—I'll tear you apart!!!"
"I'll rip out your eyes, sever your legs, and torture you until you beg for death!!!"
(Number 4) laughs louder...
"Hahahaha…You truly amuse me."
"How I wish I were the one to kill you—but unfortunately, the Commander desires someone like you."
"No…he desires you.!!!"
"Someone weak who never gives up...Someone foolish enough to believe they can surpass all others."
"That kind of person…is exactly what will restore the Commander to his former glory."
A deafening crash interrupts him.
The door explodes open...
(Vail) steps inside, bearing only minor wounds.
He looks at (Raym), bound and broken—
—and smiles calmly...
"Sorry I'm late," he says...