The pain was a constant.
It was stitched into Elias's bones now. After the memory bleed, he still wasn't able to lift himself up from the ground.
He didn't know how long he'd been lying there, chest heaving, blood dripping from his mouth, but it felt like an eternity.
Every breath dragged through his lungs like knives. He felt his arms broken, or maybe it wasn't. His legs wouldn't move the way he wanted. His whole body felt like it had been ground into a paste.
His brother stood a few feet away, that same arrogant calm stamped across his face, like this wasn't even a fight... He was here to murder him.
"Disappointing," the man muttered, cracking his knuckles, letting out a sigh like he was tired of the whole damn show. "You've really fallen, Vark. It's so... disappointing"
Elias's vision blurred, and he chuckled weakly.
"Fuck you... I'm not him."
But his brother didn't hear. Or didn't care to even listen to him.
"Ivy... you have to get out of here," he said to her, lifting himself off her body.
"No! What if your brother tries to kill you?"
"He's already here to kill me. Just go..." He shoved her aside, struggling to stand.
"He..."
"Just shut up and leave!" He yelled at her.
His brother approached him, and another punch landed, a brutal strike to Elias's gut that made something in his side tear. Blood spattered from his lips again as he slammed into the cracked ground. A shockwave exploded outward from the impact.
"You think I can't feel it?" his brother said, voice low and full of menace. "You think I wouldn't know my own brother's energy signature? It's weak now, dull, but it's still you, Vark. I know it's you..."
Elias coughed and tried to sit up, but he couldn't. The taste of iron soaked his tongue.
"Damn it..." he muttered. "System... give me something..."
WARNING!
[Health critical - HP: 120/1500]
[Bone Armour: Active cooldown remaining - 02:15 minutes]
[Suggestion: Retreat.]
"Yeah? No shit," he snarled back at it. "What do you think I'm trying to do?"
But there was nowhere to go. This wasn't just a fight. This was a fucking execution. His brother was using it to make a point. To humiliate Vark's name. And if Elias didn't figure something out soon, he'd end up smeared across the pavement.
Dead. Gone.
There's no way he can lose his life the second time. Not again.
But, it was difficult to fight his brother. The bastard was fast. Ridiculously fast. A blur of movement and Elias was airborne again, smashed through a light pole, tumbling across the street like a ragdoll.
He coughed again and laughed bitterly. "Fuckin'... ow."
---
High above, on one of the rooftops, Riven and Ivy watched with tense horror. Riven's eyes were cold, scanning the fight like a tactician. Ivy, though, her hands were clenched, nails digging into her palms.
"Why isn't he using more skills?" she asked, voice shaky. "He's... he's not even fighting back properly!"
Riven bit her lip.
"He's probably stalling. Or he's too injured already. That man down there... he's not someone Elias can beat in this condition."
"Then we need to help!" Ivy said, already moving.
"No... wait-"
Too late.
Ivy leapt down from the rooftop. Guns drawn. Eyes full of fire.
---
Elias blinked as a streak of light blasted past him.
Gunfire.
Bullets slammed into his brother's form, but they might as well have been paper. None of them affected him at all.
His brother turned slowly, gaze locking on Ivy.
"Well, well," he muttered. "Isn't your new girl so adorable?"
"I'm not afraid of you," Ivy shouted. "Back off!"
Elias groaned. "Ivy... what the hell are you doing? I said to leave!"
His brother smirked.
"Let's see how long that bravado lasts."
He moved, faster than a blink. Ivy fired again, trying to slow his movement, but he swatted the bullets aside and then kicked her hard. She flew across the street, hit a wall, and slumped down, coughing.
Before he could strike again, a blast of red energy erupted between them.
To the rescue, Riven.
"Get away from her," Riven said. She stood firm, hand outstretched, crackling energy glowing at the fingertips of her glove.
Elias tried to sit up again and managed it this time.
Barely.
"This... this ain't working," he muttered. "He's not even trying."
[Passive Skill 'Berserk' nearing activation threshold.]
His heartbeat echoed in his ears. Everything was going numb, but also burning. A strange pressure built up in his chest. Heat radiated under his skin.
'Fuck! Is it happening again?'
[Berserk Meter: 92%...]
His body shook.
[Berserk Meter: 96%...]
His brother turned back toward him.
"Still alive, huh? Resilient, I'll give you that. Once I'm done with you, I'm going to rip that..."
'What is he even saying? Rip what?'
[Berserk Meter: 98%...]
The ground trembled. Elias's vision flickered. Shadows stretched long around him. Something... different. Something familiar stirred inside him.
[Berserk Meter: 99%...]
"This is the end brother," the man said. "I'm going to end this charade."
[Berserk Meter: 100%]
[Warning: Mental Control Failing...]
[Target Locked — Closest Hostile Identified...]
And then...
The world exploded into red.
His scream wasn't human. It was a roar, deep, guttural, echoing with raw, ancient rage.
The air rippled as black veins crawled up his skin. His muscles bulged, bones snapping and realigning. It was as if he was healing. His eyes glowed crimson.
It wasn't anything like this the last time. Maybe it was different because his memory bleed was already at 2%. The more it increased, the more he would become more and more like Vark when his Berserk reached 100%.
The person standing tall now, no longer broken, wasn't Elias.
It was Vark.
Riven gasped, stumbling back. Ivy stared in wide-eyed horror.
Elias, no, Vark looked at his brother with calm, measured hatred.
"I never expected you to find me this quick brother," he said. His voice had changed, deeper, calm and cruel.
His brother froze. Something like fear flickered in his eyes.
"V-Vark...?"
"You always have a habit of taking away what's mine," Vark said. "Now let me guess, did you come for the heart?"
"Wait..."
Before his brother could explain, he raised a hand.
The ground cracked. Corpses from beneath the streets clawed their way to the surface, undead, snarling, decaying.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
A legion.
Vark smirked.
"Remember who commands the dead. Me!"
His brother's expression broke. He backed away.
"This... this isn't possible!"
Vark stepped forward.
"You want to see power? I'll show you power,"
And with that, he vanished, reappeared behind his brother, slammed a fist into his back and sent him crashing through a building.
The street became a battlefield of monsters.
And at the centre of it, all stood Vark.
"Let the real game begin..."
[Berserk Timer: 06:42]
The countdown had begun.
[END OF CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN]