While Jack engaged in battle with Kreuger and Amber, Trixie and Aiden were walking in a different area of the country. Although she was exhausted from her fight against Jack, Trixie was slowly helping the grievously injured Aiden walk.

"Huff, don't worry, we're making good progress," Trixie assured. "We'll get you medical attention very soon."

"Ugh, the blood that I lost is making it difficult...for me to keep consciousness," Aiden responded. "But...I wonder...if I was useful enough..."

"Of course you were! You made my performance successful!" Trixie replied. "It's all over. Just focus on keeping conscious!"

* * *

After separating Amber from him, Jack engaged Kreuger in combat.

"Ha! I've caught onto your plan, Kreuger! You probably realize the insect's punches are effective on me, so you're making her support you!" Jack deduced as he blocked several of Kreuger's slashes with the side of his dura-neg blades. "But she's only landed a few strikes on me! I've murdered a ton of people since the last time we fought. The brat's attacks only closed the gap between us!"

Clusters of sparks like fireworks were visible as Jack parried Kreuger's slashes at extreme speed. Much to Kreuger's annoyance, Jack's performance was returning, and his major injuries were nearly finished healing.

Tch, how annoying. Kreuger thought. My stamina took a big hit after using the burst skill. I used it with the intent of finishing him with Amber. I need to master that skill...

"Look on you, Kreuger! How could you be so cruel!?" Jack mocked as he went on the offensive, with Kreuger having no choice but to weave his slashes. "Putting such a cruel task of murdering me on a poor woman like that brat. Don't you feel the least bit guilty, mate!?"

Despite the two's mastery over the blade, Jack's speed and precognition had given him the upper hand as he inflicted several slash wounds on Kreuger's body.

"Tsk!" Kreuger hissed in response.

"The first time we fought, I was surprised to see you relative to me in speed...even becoming faster than me with a weird speed technique that I didn't care to learn. But all I had to do was murder a bunch of people, and the relativity we once had is now gone!" Jack continued to mock. "I bet it also sucks that no matter how much you train, you could never kill me! Even if you lethally wound me fifty thousand times, you can't win by yourself! You'll never avenge our clan by yourself! That's why you're using that brat!"

Tsk, why does he always talk this much!? Kreuger thought with an annoyed expression.

"I've made peace with the fact that I can't kill you alone," Kreuger responded. "But, as long as I take part in killing you, I'm fine with that."

As Jack's blade was about to meet Kreuger's throat, a strange occurrence happened - like electrical signals surging through one's body, Jack was alerted of Amber, who rapidly approached him in a surge of light. Jack shifted his gaze to his peripheral - he noticed Amber's determined expression as she rushed him.

What the!? Why is she back already!? Jack thought. I expected her to return, but not this fast! Why is she so tough!?

Jack preemptively swung one of his blades to catch Amber but suddenly found his palm being run through by one of Kreuger's bloodbath blades.

"Shit--"

BAM!

"Hallowed Crushing Strike!" Amber yelled as she landed a powerful boot on the side of Jack's head. The kick had illuminated the area, as it produced intense light.

"AAHHHHH!!!" Jack yelled as he was blasted away from the kick. Since his hand was stabbed by Kreuger's blade, it swelled before it was blown apart. This meant that he was disarmed of one of his durability negators.

Shit, Damn...it! Jack thought as he looked pretty delirious. The side of his face that Amber kicked had sustained serious burns. I can't recover...fast enough...

Of course, the duo wasted no time and darted at Jack. Seeing that Jack was disoriented, Kreuger used blood wires to ensnare Jack's one good arm.

"Now, Amber!" Kreuger yelled as Amber went ahead of him. Kreuger suddenly yanked his wires and, by proxy, Jack, right into Amber's gleaming fist. Like a basketball, Jack's body bounced off her fist and was sent into the walls of a skyscraper.

Amber rushed him again, and the only thing Jack, whose arm was still restrained, could do was gaze at her with a mixture of anger and a pain-filled expression.

Using Jack as a punching bag, Amber remorselessly unleashed many powerful punches and kicks on him. Every attack had bounced Jack's body on the skyscraper. The skyscraper also suffered increasing cracks every time his body reflected.

S-Shit! I...I need to get out of this! Jack thought as he was bleeding from every orifice. Although she noticed his expression and injuries, Amber didn't care and continued her attacks.

Thank you, Kreuger! I'll make sure to kill this demon! Amber thought. Here and now!

Kreuger, who felt left out of the battle, suddenly tossed his bloodbath. It soared at immense speeds before driving into Jack's left optical socket.

"GAH!!!" Jack uttered. Kreuger wasted no time and violently pulled his blade from Jack's eye after darting at him. Just like Jack's hand, his right eye and a portion of his face's left side were inflamed before blowing apart.

Blood flew from Jack's now hole for an eye and splattered on Amber's face, but she didn't even acknowledge this and kept striking her enemy.

"Finish it now!" Kreuger advised. At this point, Jack was so damaged that his one eye had rolled to the back of his head, and excessive blood poured from his orifices. Obeying her friend, Amber charged up gleaming energy around her fist.

S-Shit... Jack thought. Not by a brat...like this--

"Hallowed Crushing Strike!" Amber yelled as she landed yet another powerful strike to the right side of Jack's face. The light that radiated from her fist expanded into a massive explosion, laying waste to multiple city blocks, although the environment was already extensively damaged. Brilliant flames of yellow were also visible in the destroyed environment.

"Huff, Huff, I hit him...with everything," Amber commented with heavy breathing as the duo spectated the destruction. I didn't want...this level of destruction...to happen, though.

"Yeah...hmmm," Kreuger mumbled.

Did that...finish him? Amber thought.

"We should keep an eye on--"

Before Kreuger could finish his sentence, he was alerted to the slight sounds of footsteps. Although the duo would realize it would have been too late - the tables have already been turned.

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"Huh--" Before Kreuger could process anything, a durability negator soared through the air and suddenly drove into his leg. The trajectory of the dura-neg was nowhere Jack was supposed to be when he got comboed by Amber.

"Ugh!" Kreuger uttered in a strained tone.

"Kreuger!" Amber yelled as her gaze shifted to Kreuger. Jack, who hid behind a ruined building, took advantage of her distraction and knocked Amber away with a punch. Simultaneously, he grabbed onto the blade that was stuck in Kreuger's leg and dragged it through the side, tearing his leg apart.

"Augh!" Kreuger uttered as he fell to the ground from loss of balance.

"J-Jack...?" Amber, surprised at his survival, muttered. Almost immediately, Amber recalled the information they received from Ada about Jack and the others. Did he sneak up on us using his stealth technique in his...murder blessing!? How could he...survive, though!?

Jack had survived the duo's rush but was in the worst condition he'd ever been. He was currently missing a hand, had a hole where his left eye was, and sustained third-degree burns on a large percentage of his body. His burns were so bad that the right side of his face Amber struck was completely burned off of its skin, exposing Jack's teeth from the side.

"JAAACCKKK!!!!" Amber yelled in pure anger. Strangely, however, Jack darted off to escape.

"What!?" Amber uttered in confusion. I-Is Jack running from us now!?

Instead of chasing him, Amber shifted her gaze to Kreuger before running to his aid.

"K-Kreuger! Is your leg okay!?" Amber questioned.

"Dammit, what are you doing!?" Kreuger asked. "Go chase after him!"

"B-But...you need help--"

"Can't you see, I've clotted the blood already!" Kreuger responded. "I can't run as well now, but I'll be perfectly fine!"

"I see..." Amber said.

"That bastard Jack is clearly on his last legs!" Kreuger deduced. "Go finish him off!"

"...You're right."

"...I've become rather fond of you, Amber. We've gone through similar ordeals because of that monster," Kreuger said. "So, I'm entrusting this to you! Finish him off, for the both of us."

"...Yeah!" Amber replied before darting off.

* * *

As the critically injured Jack ran athlete style, he seemed rather nervous. Although he easily produced sonic booms as he ran, Jack was nowhere near his full speed.

Damn it, I'm so much slower now. I think I understand that brat's power. Although not at its best from my injuries, my physical prowess seems fine, so her attacks were reducing the performance of my blessing. Jack pondered as he ran. My regeneration, blessed enhanced speed, killing intent sensing, and techniques have all been greatly lowered to almost useless levels. Hell, even the effect of my stealth was reduced as Kreuger looked like he noticed me before I could fully pounce on him.

"Tch, I'm sure Kreuger told Amber to chase me down. I'm way too slow to outrun her now. I need to buy time, or I'll die," Jack speculated. "Is there not anything that I can stall with--"

In a stroke of good luck, something ahead caught Jack's eye - it was none other than Aiden, who was being helped by Trixie in walking. Aiden, of course, still had the grievous injuries Jack inflicted on him.

"Ugh...this pain...is so unbearable," Aiden thought as he clenched his chest. "I can...barely breathe since Jack...slashed my throat."

"C'mon, you'll make it," Trixie assured. "You make a pretty good assistant for my performance, after all!"

Upon noticing Aiden, a deranged smile came on Jack's expression as his face contorted. His smile was made more menacing with the exposed teeth from his burned-off cheek.

Well, well, well...if it isn't the bastard that keeps screwing with me! Jack thought. It's a desperate gamble, but it'll make the perfect gift for Amber anyway!

As the two walked, they noticed an object rapidly approaching them.

"Huh, what's that...?" Aiden questioned. He soon found the answer to his question - they realized it was Jack when he closed in.

What!? Trixie thought with visible shock.

In desperation, Aiden reached for the ground to make Jack slip. This proved to be futile, as Jack already reached them. As he confronted them, Jack hopped over Aiden's shoulder and delivered a strong dive kick to Trixie's face.

"Ugh!" Trixie uttered as she was tossed far away. Simultaneously, Jack wrapped his stomp for a hand around Aiden's neck and stopped him from touching the ground. With his other arm, Jack placed the durability negator at Aiden's neck.

"Ugh! How are you alive!?" Aiden questioned as he desperately struggled. Due to his injuries, Aiden's struggle was futile.

"Stay still if you don't want to die!" Jack ordered with a smile. Amid his threat, the developer suddenly approached him.

"Ooh! This is a pretty good turn of events!" The developer stated.

"Oh, you're going to watch?" Jack questioned.

"Yeah, I want to see how this plays out," The developer responded.

W- Who is that!? Aiden thought with confusion. Aiden was unable to see the developer's face as he wore a black mask.

It took Amber a short time to reach...to see what Jack had prepared for her.

"Haha! You're finally here, brat!" Jack said. "I've been waiting for you!"

Seeing this, all determination that Amber had was completely drained from her. The mere sight of the predicament Aiden, one of her closest friends, was in, induced extreme fear in her.

"Y...You monster," Amber stuttered due to her panic. "G...Get your hand...off of Aiden!"

"Oh my!" The developer said, which garnered Amber's attention.

W-Wait...who is that? Amber thought. No...that doesn't matter right now!

"Hey! Is that how you're supposed to talk if you want me to do something!?" Jack responded. "I don't like your damn tone!"

"W-Wait...stop," Amber said as she started to plead. "L...Let him go...I beg you. Isn't this...between us!?"

Jack's smile became bigger as he enjoyed Amber's pathetic pleas. Aiden, in the center of this, gazed at Amber's panic before looking up at Jack's sadistic grin. Their expressions did not give Aiden a good feeling...not in the slightest.

S-So this...is it, huh? I brought this...all on myself. Aiden thought as his life started to flash before his eyes, causing him to recall life memories. If only...I was nice to Amber from the start. I let my life experience influence my thoughts of her...so I guess that's karma.

Aiden's thoughts had drowned out everything else in his surroundings. From the rainfall to Jack's words, they were all tuned out.

From a young age, I wanted to become a soldier, so I trained my body and blessing until I was accepted into the Enlightenment Program. Just because Amber wasn't as strong at the start, I stupidly looked down on her, but you were always the strongest of us, Amber. Aiden pondered. From your friendliness to your empathy for everyone, I realized that your love for others made you strong...and I fell for you and your personality.

"Please...just please...let him go!" Amber desperately pleaded. It didn't seem like it was working as Jack gazed at her with ecstasy.

Haha! Yes! This is what I wanted to see! Jack thought. Killing and ruining...I'm so talented, and I love it! Just as the brat has been saying, I truly am a demon!

Man, I wanted to confess to Amber when this was all over, but I guess I won't have the chance... Aiden thought. So, I might as well do it now. Maybe this way her spirit won't be broken, but she'll be motivated.

"Amber..." Aiden softly called out as he looked at her with a smile.

"A-Aiden...?" Amber replied with a look of despair. "D-Don't worry...it'll all be...okay!"

"Nah, I'm going to die now," With a voice of content, Aiden responded. This made Amber even more panicked. "But...I want to tell you something, at least."

"N-No...!"

"Amber...I love--"

Before Aiden could finish his confession, Jack suddenly drove his dura-neg into the side of his neck.

"AAAHHHGRURGH!!" As Jack wedged it in deeper, Aiden released an ear-splitting scream. Blood sprayed everywhere as Jack managed to remove Aiden's head before Amber's eyes. A good portion of the spine and nerve endings were still connected to Aiden's head.

"Ha! Oh my!" The developer uttered. Jack had let go of his dura-neg to hold Aiden's head. Jack's contented smile contrasted with Amber's as she stood there speechlessly. Amber had felt a piece of her die at that moment. Aiden's lifeless body falling to the ground as he no longer had his head didn't make Amber's mood feel any better.

As Aiden's last words replayed in her mind, so too did other memories resurfaced in Amber's head. From risking his life to protect her against the mafia hitman to risking his life against Jack the first time, Amber remembered all the times he helped her when she was useless.

It wasn't just fights Amber recalled, but also times when they'd hang out as friends. Just like Sariel and Ariel, Aiden was her best friend.

"W...Why...why, why, why..." Amber questioned as she began breathing heavily. This garnered the attention of both Jack and the developer. "W-Why...me..."

"Pfft!" Jack mumbled as he was visibly holding in a laugh. The developer was also making giggling sounds. "Womp, womp!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Jack and the developer laughed in tandem. Simultaneously, tears ran down the broken Amber's face.

W-Why...