"This won't take long now. You're going to die."

Noah was left dumbfounded at the sudden shift in color of Octavius's slime. His surprise was matched by Zack and Rose, who glanced over to him.

"Sigh, he's finally getting serious now," Rose muttered. "I guess it's time to wrap things up now."

The Silverdust brothers' gang members had not opened fire on Rose since she murdered one of their allies, as they felt they were incapable of harming someone like her. Who would keep their determination after witnessing someone move faster than bullets effortlessly? Not to mention, she still held one of their comrades hostage.

"What the hell are we doing just standing here and watching!?" A silver dust member suddenly uttered, garnering the attention of his allies and Rose. "Are we going to do nothing to the ones who murdered our comrades!?"

His attempt to rouse determination was successful, as his comrades' expressions became pensive. Rose observed as they pointed their firearms at her, causing her to become amused.

"W-Wait!" The gang member Rose held hostage muttered as he broke out into a sweat.

"Alright, you guys can try your best!" Rose remarked as she darted off, avoiding their silver dust-powered gunshots. She coldly left her hostage, who was filled with holes.

Unsurprisingly, they still failed to tag Rose with their gunfire. "If I kill you, there'd be no one to recruit. I'll do this then!"

Using the spiked wooden club, Rose darted up and smacked the firearms out of their arms.

"What--Ugh!" A gang member uttered with shock upon realizing he was disarmed before being knocked in the head by Rose with the blunt side of her club.

She seemed random with who she knocked unconscious, as Rose disarmed a few without bashing them in the head.

"And this is why you guys shouldn't try to fight impossible enemies," Rose stated. "Don't worry. The director may make you strong if you join us."

*

Zack observed Octavius's sudden transformation and was rather surprised by this.

Huh? I don't know what Octavius just did, but it seems like he's stopped holding back. Zack pondered. No wonder he's always yapping about having a better blessing than mine. He had a few tricks up his sleeve--

BANG!

William took advantage of Zack's distraction and grazed his right side with a bullet from his silver gun.

"Shouldn't you be focused on the fight before you?" William questioned as he continued firing. The surprised Zack quickly ran to avoid the oncoming fire. Dust was roused from the ground as the bullets missed their target and struck the ground instead.

Luckily, Zack took cover in the forest trees, causing William to cease firing.

"Hmm, these bullets travel at Mach five, and he's still avoiding them," William muttered as he rubbed his back. "Tsk, it still hurts..."

Zack slumped behind a large oak tree to take the heat off himself. Parts of his overalls were stained with blood as Zack sustained grazing from Octavius's gunshots.

"Tsk, I can't keep dodging that bastard. I gotta try something else," Zack muttered to himself. "I'll eventually mess up and die if I don't..."

Octavius and Rose aren't struggling as much as me, but I think I can turn things around for myself. Zack pondered. I took a bunch of pills before this, and I can feel it taking effect now. All these physical injuries and my feelings of uselessness...it's all becoming numbed.

A small smirk formed on Zack's face as he pondered. While he waited, William never lowered his firearm.

I feel as though I can take on anyone now.

Zack took a combat knife and a frag grenade from his overalls in preparation to fight William.

"I know being violently flung into that tree by my grenade is hurting him. That's why he's not engaging me at close range and abusing that damn gun," Zack deduced. "I gotta fight the way my game character friends normally fight. I won't be useless anymore."

While William kept on guard, he noticed a frag grenade soaring from the forest. His expression morphed to surprise as the grenade bounced on the ground and approached his left side.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

It was fairly easy for William to dodge something he saw approaching him as he quickly hopped to the right, away from the range of the explosion. Unfortunately for William, that was what Zack was aiming for, as he suddenly rushed right where William hopped to.

Be sneaky like Olivia would...

A knife? William thought as he witnessed the bladed weapon Zack carried. Do you believe a puny blade like that would work?

William manifested silver dust and tossed it toward Zack in response to his sudden charge.

"Ugh!" Zack grunted as he sustained many deep and visible cuts as if running through a shredder. Displaying a feat of endurance, Zack didn't keel over from the silver dust shredding his skin but instead ran through and slashed at William with his knife.

Tsk, he's a bit more tough than I thought. William muttered as he weaved the knife swing. Zack never let up and repeatedly slashed, quickly provoking the ire in William as he avoided them.

"Tsk, can't you see that won't work!?" William angrily questioned as he materialized silver dust. It began to converge into the form of a sword. His furrowed eyebrows of annoyance quickly morphed into shock as he noticed the blade of Zack's knife starting to shimmer with an orange glow as he slashed.

Use these tools like Jack and Nathan would...

What--

BOOM!

The knife instantly exploded, knocking William many feet away. Zack gave no resting time as he immediately pulled out a frag grenade and tossed it at William.

"Shit" William yelled before being blown up by the explosive. He was tossed like a ragdoll as he bounced several times across the ground before slamming into a building.

Dammit...what the hell...did that bastard do? William thought as he slowly mustered the strength to stand up. He sustained visible burns and bleeding on his body. Observing William's stunned state, Zack ran at him, athlete style.

Now's my chance! I can't let this go by! Zack thought as he delivered a powerful right and left hook on William's jaw, causing blood to spew from his mouth. I got the opening to lay on some damage! Hit him hard like Charles would!

Zack delivered a third hook, powerful enough to cause William to stagger several feet backward - This sufficiently angered William, who recovered from the explosions stunning his senses. Zack charged at him but was suddenly struck in the face with the barrel of William's handgun.

"Would you just die already!" William yelled as he created silver dust, which morphed into three large protruding spikes from his hand.

"Ugh!" Zack flinched as the spikes impaled his side. Acting quickly, he used William as a platform and kicked off his arm, forcing Zack off the spikes. William's eyes bulged as he witnessed Zack tossing several grenades toward him as he freed himself from the spikes.

BOOM!!!

The frag grenades resulted in a devastating explosion, which eclipsed the warehouses in size. As if amid a deadly hurricane or tornado, the blast produced powerful wind gusts that affected everyone on the battlefield.

"Wow, Zack's giving it his all," Rose remarked. "I knew he had it in him. If only that bastard never forgot me..."

The blast's sheer concussive force violently tossed both opponents in opposite directions. The pungent smell of smoke and the crackling sounds of flames filled the air as Zack mustered the strength to stand up.

Not only was his skin sliced up by the silver dust, but he sustained holes in his side due to impalement, which Zack currently clenched.

"Cough, cough...did I get him?" Zack wondered. Unfortunately, he didn't get the answer he was looking for. When the dust settled, William was revealed to have survived the explosion. He didn't come out unscathed though as William suffered immense burns and was bleeding excessively.

Silver was seen falling to the ground and shattering before the injured William.

Damn it! He's still alive!? The frustrated Zack thought.

William could barely stand as he used a silver rod to keep himself from falling.

"I knew...you'd do something like that...If I didn't protect...myself with silver...I would...have died," William muttered.

"...With those injuries...can you even...keep fighting?" Zack questioned.

"I could say...the same thing to you!" William retorted as he pointed his silver gun at Zack. "I can't...waste time...on you. I need to help...my brother kill that other bastard. There's still...one more enemy...remaining...after all."

"AAAHHHHHHH!!!!"

As if being saved by the bell, the ear-piercing screams of William's brother, Noah Silverdust, interrupted and garnered everyone's attention. William shifted his gaze and his eyes were immediately greeted by the sight of his brother engulfed in crimson, raging flames.

The source of this was Octavius, who had tossed his lava-like slime onto Noah's body. This slime immediately burst into flames upon impact, causing Noah to writhe in agony.

"BROTHER!" William yelled at the top of his lungs.

Octavius wasn't finished with his act of killing Noah, who suddenly clasped his hands together before separating them, revealing a lava-like goo that drooped to the ground. William watched in despair as Octavius leaped over his brother, wrapping the lava slimes around his neck like ropes.

"S...Stop..." The grossly injured William muttered as he slowly walked toward Octavius.

Noah's ear-piercing scream was cut short as the oxygen was cut from his windpipe. Despite his struggles, Noah couldn't free himself from incineration and strangulation. His writhing decreased in intensity as he took his final breaths until his movements were no more.

Realizing his opponent succumbed to the critical injuries, Octavius released the slime ropes around Noah's throat, causing his corpse to fall. All the injured William could do was watch in pure despair as he witnessed the corpse of his brother burning on the ground.

"Well, that's one of two," Rose remarked as she observed Octavius's battle.

"B...Brother...Please...no," Tears ran down William's bloody and burnt face as he staggered towards his brother. "P...Please...don't be dead--"

William received no time to grieve his brother's death, or he was stupid enough to let his emotions get the best of him in a death battle, as Zack instantly rushed the poor fool. His loud and rapid footsteps alerted William as he shifted his gaze, but it was too late for him to do anything. Zack was already right in his face.

Before William's eyes, Zack clenched his fist, and the glove he received from the developer suddenly gleamed with an orange radiance.

BOOM!