Ten SSD cars screeched to a halt, their tires squealing as they came to a sudden stop. The vehicles formed a semi-circle, their sleek bodies gleaming in the light. The doors slid open, and agents in SSD uniforms poured out, their movements swift and coordinated.
The lead car door opened, and Director Yamato stepped out, his eyes scanning the scene. "Rescue all the injured!" he shouted, his voice carrying across the battlefield.
His gaze locked onto Zen, and he barked, "Zen, l need him alive! So try not to kill him!" Zen's eyes returned to normal, and he smiled. "Okay, but I think that will be a challenge."
King burst forth from the rubble, a fierce smile on his face. "At least you recognize the fact that fighting me is no easy feat." Zen grinned wider. "No, I think you misunderstood me. Fighting you, without killing you, will be harder. I mean, honestly, you're weak."
King's eyes blazed red with fury, his face twisted in a snarl. "I will enjoy destroying that pride of yours." As he spoke, his wings unfolded, their dark feathers spreading, casting a long, ominous shadow.
King burst into speed, flying straight for Zen. He seemed to disappear, only the flash of his black wings visible as he charged. His sharp claws shot out, inches from Zen's eyes. King slowly smiled, whispering, "I guess you were just all talk." King's claws struck.
But instead of impact, his claws sliced through empty air. Zen's voice was heard behind King, "Like I say, you're weak." King's eyes widened as he quickly turned around to face Zen, and he quickly stepped backwards.
King's eyes began turning black as coal, his irises disappearing into an endless void. The darkness seemed to spread like an oil slick, consuming the whites of his eyes, leaving only an unsettling emptiness. His face twisted in a snarl, "How can a king, a supreme being such as myself, be looked down at by this mere monster like you, who taked commands from humans? No, I refuse."
Zen's smile grew wider as he gazed at King's eyes. "Guess you're now fighting seriously." King burst into speed, his body a blur as he charged after Zen. His wing suddenly shattered into sharp strips, sending shards of bone and feather flying in all directions. The strips scattered around, aiming straight for Zen like deadly projectiles.
But Zen stood unfazed, his movements a symphony of precision and speed. He dodged the first strip with a slight tilt of his head, the shard whizzing past his ear. The next strip came hurtling down, and Zen sidestepped it with ease, his footwork light and effortless.
As the strips continued to rain down, Zen's dance became more fluid, his body weaving and bobbing with an otherworldly agility. He ducked beneath a strip that sliced through the air mere inches from his scalp, and then leapt over another that skimmed the ground. The strips seemed to follow him, relentless in their pursuit, but Zen evaded each one with an almost casual ease.
Despite his effortless dodges, Zen's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed intently on the strips as they continued to chase him.
Then suddenly, Zen noticed that the strips had now surrounded him. He knew exactly that these strips were strong enough to cut him, so he had to dodge them. As Zen was still thinking, the strips all at once came flying straight for him.
Zen's leg burst into flames as he kicked a wave of fire in front of him, sending the strips in front of him flying away. He quickly retreated in that direction, desperate to escape the deadly trap. As he was now about to finish his escape, King appeared in front of him, his eyes blazing with fury.
Using all his strength left, King connected a strong kick to Zen's stomach, sending Zen flying backward. The strips behind him all came flying from behind Zen, piercing his body ruthlessly. All the strips passed straight through Zen's body, and then returned to form a wing behind King.
Zen crashed to the ground, his body battered and broken. His skin was riddled with holes, each one oozing blood that flowed freely, forming a crimson pool around him. His clothes were tattered and soaked in his own blood, clinging to his battered form. Profound bleeding poured from the numerous wounds, his life force ebbing away with each passing moment.
Shinji's face contorted with worry as he gazed at Zen's battered body. "I thought he would stand a chance, but it looks like even he was not a match for that rift Walker," he looked at the director, shouted, "What shall we do?"
The Director's eyes locked onto Zen, his expression grim. "Okay, everything stop! Whatever you're doing, retreat and get to cover now!" The SSD agents sprang into action, hastily retreating from the scene. But Rose stood frozen, her gaze fixed on King.
King began walking slowly towards Zen's body, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. "Who's weak now?" he laughed, his voice dripping with contempt. As he spoke, he raised his foot and brought it down onto Zen's head, crushing it into the ground.
Rose's eyes blazed with fury. "How dare you attack Zen in front of his guardian!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the air. King turned to face her, a smile still playing on his lips. "Ah, yes. I remember you. You were the one who told him to attack me. I think I'll kill you next."
With a sudden burst of movement, King's wings unfolded, and he launched himself into the air, flying straight for Rose.
Rose gripped her dual short SSD-marked swords tightly. King appeared before her, his right claw flashing towards her. With swift precision, Rose used her left sword to block King's attack, sending his hand backward. She quickly countered with her right sword, slicing towards King's neck. However, King dodged the attack by lowering his head, and Rose swiftly connected her knee with his face, sending his head snapping back up.
Rose sprang around, unleashing a powerful roundhouse kick that struck King's head with incredible force, sending him stumbling backward. King smiled, a glint of admiration in his eyes. "Seems like l was wrong,there are some human that are actually strong."
In a flash, King vanished and reappeared behind Rose, his voice whispering in her ear. "But no human can defeat me." His claws charged straight at Rose's neck, but she quickly dropped to the ground, her legs extended to sweep King's legs. However, King flew up, avoiding the attack, and Rose's legs swiped through empty air.
As Rose struggled to stand up, King's feet connected with her head, sending her crashing to the ground. King's feet remained pressed against her head, pinning her down.
King slowly removed his feet from Rose's face, and she struggled to stand up, visibly in pain. Blood trickled down her face from the gashes on her head, her eyes squinting from the agony. King smiled, "Any last words, human?" Rose smiled back, "I guess Zen was right, you are weak. You kick like a girl."
King's expression turned annoyed, and he smiled. Then, he suddenly grasped Rose's hair, lifting her slightly, and delivered a powerful kick to her stomach with intense force, sending her flying. But his grip on her hair held strong, pulling her back as he connected three more kicks. Finally, King dropped Rose to the ground, leaving her kneeling, blood slowly seeping from her mouth.
Shinji looked at the Director, "Director, are we just going to hide here and do nothing? You know after that monster is done with Rose, he'll come after us, right?" The Director smiled, "I think you misunderstood me, Shinji." Shinji looked confused, and the Director continued, "We're hiding away from Zen, not King. The last time someone managed to injure Zen, Zen killed him horribly and destroyed the whole city in that one attack."
Just then, Zen's voice echoed from behind King, "Hey King, only I'm allowed to tease Rose, but even I have never laid a hand on her. So, what gives you the right to lay your hands on my new guardian?" Rose smiled weakly, looking at Zen who was behind King
King quickly turned around to face Zen. And there Zen stood, his eyes now a deep, piercing black, his hair transformed to a fiery red with only tiny inches of white remaining. His legs and feet were engulfed in flames, and all the holes he had suffered earlier were restored, as if he had regenerated.