Suddenly, Kreuger turned the knives into makeshift projectiles, sending them at Jack while still connected to the blood wires. Seeing the oncoming knives, Jack knew that was the cue to continue the fight, so he began moving around to avoid them.

Kreuger didn't sit still as he sent the knives at Jack. While the knives missed, the blood strings suddenly turned around in mid-air so the bladed instruments could come for Jack once again. Simultaneously, Kreuger began chasing him down.

"These floating blades...are you imitating the master?" Jack taunted as he was running around the mountain range.

"Shut up!" Kreuger yelled.

While Kreuger was chasing close by, the blood-connected knives were coming at Jack in many different directions. Jack constantly avoided them by weaving or deflecting them with his blades.

The projectiles moved at such high speeds that they easily penetrated the ground and the mountainsides, before being pulled out by Kreuger.

These blades move quite fast... Jack thought. And Kreuger's somehow keeping up with me...

Suddenly, surprise came over Jack's face as if he realized something. Simultaneously, Kreuger hopped onto the side of a mountain and prepared to lunge at his opponent.

Flash Step! Kreuger mentally declared as his speed increased drastically increased.

Sleight of Hand!

Both Jack and Kreuger internally declared as they clashed blades. From their clash, large amounts of sparks were emitted in the center. Like before, Jack's knives became cracked again.

With Jack looking excited and Kreuger looking focused, they knew what to do next.

Like the sleight-of-hand technique they performed, they both performed a blinding fast 'flash step.' It was as if their minds were in sync.

Quickly throughout the mountain range, tons of streaks could be seen as the two were zooming around and battling each other - the entire area was their battleground.

Sleight of Hand and Flash Steps gives a three-times boost to your movement and arm speed... Jack thought. I wanted to save it and blitz him since he was relative to my regular speed, but he knew them too. That's annoying, but...

As they kept clashing, Jack's knife was on the verge of breaking once again, but he was prepared this time. As Kreuger rushed at Jack, he tossed his damaged knives toward him. They soared through the air at speeds faster than bullets.

Although Kreuger deflected them with his Bloodbaths, that gave Jack a very slight opening which of course, he took advantage of.

Jack simultaneously rushed up and delivered a two-fingered knuckle strike to Kreuger's nose, then followed up with a powerful straight...also to his nose.

Ugh...so strong! Kreuger said as he recoiled back slightly. Not only is this bugger fast...but he also hits like a truck...

Immediately, Kreuger recovered himself and attacked Jack with a downward swing of one of his blades, but for some reason, Jack was preemptively dodging the moment before Kreuger slashed. With a smirk, Jack distanced himself to pull out two more knives from his hoodie.

Even though he can keep up...my murder blessing will alert me of any attacks meant for my life... Jack thought.

Kreuger was not daunted as he charged at Jack to continue the battle. The fight reverted to a stalemate as they zoomed around, using their speed blessing techniques, and parried each other slashes, with Jack's knives becoming cracked.

Haha, my knives are becoming useless again. Jack thought. I'll have to get rid of them again soon.

Although Jack was sure of himself, Kreuger knew that Jack would try another trick - he was in pure focus.

As Kreuger and Jack were about to clash blades, blood suddenly burst from one of Kreuger's bloodbaths. Due to the close range, the blood flew straight into Jack's face...and into his eyes.

"Ugh..." Jack muttered as he flinched from the blood entering his eyes. This was Kreuger's time to attack...and he did just that. Immediately, Kreuger thrust one of his blades into the right side of Jack's abdomen, impaling him.

"Wha--"

Suddenly, the right side of Jack's body immediately began swelling up, like numerous inflammations. After swelling, tons of blood burst forth from his side. The significant internal bleeding he sustained also traveled up his esophagus, causing Jack to cough up blood.

From Jack's right side, an excessive amount of blood drained out along with his entrails being exposed. Kreuger didn't waste any time and followed up by jumping and delivering a devious spinning back-kick to Jack's cranium, sending him violently into a mountain.

Haha...what the hell...is that weapon... Jack wondered as he clutched his right side. His head was also bleeding heavily from Kreuger's kick. Kreuger rushed his opponent intending to finish him, to which Jack smirked.

In the short time of Kreuger approaching, Jack's injuries rapidly and completely healed. While Kreuger attempted to thrust both his blades into Jack's face, he pulled out the durability negators and parried them...creating immense sparks.

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What...how the hell did this bastard heal from that...and heal so fast!? Kreuger wondered. And what the hell is that blade of his...it's different from the rest.

Kreuger distanced himself before charging again to attack. Jack slashed with one of his dura-neg blades, causing Kreuger to guard against it. However, the result was far different than Kreuger had imagined, as the bloodbath dagger he used to guard was cleaved through like butter.

"WHAT!?" Kreuger uttered before being struck in the stomach by a thrust kick from Jack, sending him away. Jack didn't give him time to rest as he immediately chased him down.

Like a hawk pursuing his prey, Jack was right up close to him and attacking, not allowing Kreuger to counterattack - he could only weave the slashes.

My weapon! I made it with my hardened blood...and he cut it like butter! Kreuger thought as he was dodging with a frustrated look.

As fast as Kreuger was, he failed to dodge the many thousand slashes that Jack performed. Graze wounds appeared on different parts of Kreuger's body. It even got to the point where Kreuger's right sleeve was ripped apart from the hem, revealing the many graze wounds on his arm.

Strangely, there wasn't any blood coming from Kreuger's wounds.

Ugh...with those damn blades...this bugger has the upper hand now... Kreuger thought. But...why isn't he going for the kill...?

Suddenly, Jack delivered an elbow strike to Kreuger's face, knocking him back again. After being tossed a distance, Kreuger stopped himself with his last Bloodbath blade.

"Well, well. Looks like this fight's over, huh mate?" Jack taunted as he did knife tricks. "I never thought I'd use them here, but you're not beating me with these weapons I'm using now."

Jack was right. The power of the opposition looked to be greater than Kreuger could handle. He lost one of his weapons and sustained many injuries (despite not bleeding much) while Jack was healthy, and Jack had those strange knives that made his bloodbath look like tofu. The odds were all against Kreuger.

But that didn't matter in his eyes.

"RRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Kreuger yelled as he let out a battle cry, surprising Jack. "I will not give up! I'll kill you for taking the lives of our brethren!!!"

"Oh my," Jack uttered. "Alright, give it your best shot then."

Although Kreuger didn't give up, Jack didn't rush him...he simply stood there. Jack was giving Kreuger a chance to attack him.

"...Hah..." Kreuger exhaled.

Due to my injuries...I can only perform 'that' technique once... Kreuger said to himself. But...It'll give me an opportunity...

Suddenly, blood began to manifest around Kreuger's arms. It manifested to the point of looking like scales around his arms, with sharp nails of blood on his fingertips as well.

"Oh? So you still have some tricks, huh?" Jack said. "I thought you were gonna rush in wildly or something...that's what most enemies do when out of options."

"Ever since your banishment from our clan for your...sins, I've been training," Kreuger said. "Training...non-stop. I've been training for this moment to kill you...and I will accept nothing less!"

"Heh, I guess you aren't like all the other enemies, mate." Jack continued. "Now...come."

Kreuger dragged his right foot back as he prepared to charge. In only two words, he indicated his assault: "Flash Step!"

In a streak, Kreuger dashed at Jack, to which he expressed a twisted smile. Kreuger noticed Jack's smile, to which he responded with a twisted smile of his own.

Burst! Kreuger thought right before approaching Jack. Like he was in a video game, Kreuger's entire being glitched, and he disappeared before Jack's eyes, surprising him. Glitching again, he then appeared behind Jack.

What! He surpassed my reaction!? Jack thought as he simultaneously turned around, but it was too late.

Instead of slashing Jack, Kreuger thrust his right arm towards his face, outstretching two fingers: his index and middle fingers. As if turning his fingers into a knife, Kreuger jammed them straight into Jack's left eye.

He couldn't get far into Jack's skull, as Jack simultaneously impaled the left side of Kreuger's abdomen with one of his dura-neg blades, causing it to exit through his lower back.

Realizing they were both struck, they quickly pulled their attacks away and jumped back.

As Jack jumped back, he clutched his right eye, which suddenly began swelling before exploding into blood.

"Urrrggghhh..." Jack groaned as blood excessively drained from his wound, causing a pool of blood to be formed on the ground.

"Haha...good job stopping that!" Kreuger sarcastically commended with a smirk. After sustaining the injury, Kreuger fell to his knees, but he was far from dying as his wound was not bleeding profusely despite being fully impaled.

"Haha...that...was something else..." Jack said as he continued to clutch his eye. "That technique you did...I don't know that one..."

"I told you...I've been training all this time..."

"I see," Jack said before removing his hand from his wound, revealing a large, gaping hole in his head. It was a gross and gory sight, as blood and brain matter were visible in the wound. "That was an exquisite attack that would kill anyone...but generally...that won't work on me..."

"Huh--"

The wound rapidly regenerated on Jack's face before restoring his eye. Seeing this, Kreuger was left devastated.

"What!? I damaged your brain with that! To what extent is your damn regeneration!!!???" Kreuger asked with obvious frustration.

"Well, it doesn't matter what you do. Chop off my limbs, stab me, or even blow my brains out," Jack explained. "Even if you do it thousands of times...it won't kill me!"

A look of distraught came over Kreuger's face in response.

"Well, don't worry. I don't feel like killing you," Jack said, which turned Kreuger's distraught to confusion. "I came to England to see how you've been doing...and since you're so hellbent on revenge, that makes me glad. I'll spare you."

"What...the hell...are you talking about...?"

"Think of you as my gift to the clan master." Jack strangely said. "See ya, Kreuger."

"You...damn idiot...if you spare me...I'll come back stronger...and I'll kill you for sure!!!"

In response, Jack simply waved goodbye to Kreuger before turning around and walking away.

"GET BACK HERE! I HAVE TO AVENGE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!" Kreuger declared as he stood to his feet. "GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD!!! I WILL KILL YOU!!!"

I need to prove...that I'm stronger...than you... Kreuger thought.

After walking away, Jack suddenly disappeared.

With clenched fists, gritted teeth, and pulsating veins on his forehead, Kreuger could only do one thing to vent his frustration.

"DAMMIT JACK!!!!!"

* * *

Now that he had left the battlefield, Jack strangely ventured into a residential area.

"Haha...even though I told Kreuger I never felt like killing...I was doing everything I could to keep myself from killing him." Jack said. "I never wanted to risk a scene in England...but I always do what I want...and what I want now is to kill."

Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the road. Around him were numerous homes.

"...I'll just pick a home to attack," Jack said. "Now...which should I pick?"