Ryzen, Gunjo, and Espen lay in a tangled heap on the ground, still recovering from their comedic bathroom scuffle. The girl with the twin buns, rifle slung lazily over her shoulder, stared down at them, her green eyes half-lidded, like she couldn't quite decide if she was amused or just bored by the scene.

She gave them a once-over, sucking on the lollipop in her mouth before slowly pulling it out with a soft *pop*. Her voice was surprisingly soft, almost shy, and her sentences came out in awkward, staccato bursts. "You... Ryzen, right? I need... help. Contract. 1,000 clips."

Ryzen, who had been lying flat on his back with his stomach bubbling ominously, suddenly perked up. His eyes widened, and he scrambled to his feet, ignoring the churning in his gut. "Wait. Did you say 1,000 clips?"

The girl nodded slowly, her expression still unreadable. "Yes. Contract. For you."

Ryzen's excitement overrode his discomfort, and he immediately turned to Gunjo and Espen, who were still recovering from their own stomach battles. "My shit spot's across the street!" he blurted out, and without another word, the three of them bolted off toward the exit.

The door slammed open as Espen, Gunjo, and Ryzen all tried to squeeze through at once, shoving and pushing each other comedically. "Move!" Espen screamed, elbowing Gunjo in the ribs.

"Watch the feathers!" Gunjo squawked as he flapped his wings, pushing Espen aside. "I'm going first!"

Ryzen shoved them both aside, his face twisted in desperation. "I'm not letting either of you take my spot!"

They disappeared out the door, leaving Zhenxi standing there, blinking in confusion. She shifted awkwardly on her feet, waiting for them to return.

After what felt like an eternity of awkward silence, Ryzen finally stumbled back into the room, still holding his stomach, his face pale as he fought to contain the inevitable. "Okay... okay... I'm good," he muttered, though his squirming body language suggested otherwise. "Now, what's this about a contract?"

The girl shifted again, her fingers fidgeting with the lollipop stick in her mouth as she spoke. "I'm... Zhenxi. From... China. Came here... when the zombies... began. I'm looking for... my father. He's a Berserker. After... parents divorced, he came... to Japan."

Ryzen, still squirming uncomfortably, nodded, though his mind was half-focused on his stomach. "Okay, so you're looking for your dad... and you need my help with that?"

Zhenxi nodded, taking a step closer to Ryzen, though she seemed unsure of herself. "No. Yes... but... it's bigger. You know... the turtles?"

Ryzen blinked, momentarily distracted. "Turtles? You mean the ones that... fly around with the merchants?"

She nodded again, her gaze shifting awkwardly to the floor. "Yes. The turtles... they carry the Merchants. Merchants... of the apocalypse."

Ryzen scratched his head, his curiosity piqued despite the uncomfortable pressure in his gut. "Yeah, I know the Merchants. They're always popping up, trading weird stuff for clips. But what's the deal with the turtles?"

Zhenxi's eyes lit up slightly, as if she had been waiting for someone to ask that question. "The turtles... are special. They... carry those who aren't... compatible. For Paladin Maidens." She paused, trying to find the words. "People... who have creative minds... and souls... are granted the ability to craft."

Ryzen raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Craft? I had no idea the merchants crafted things with the abilities given to them by the Paladins…"

Zhenxi nodded, her fingers tapping nervously against the rifle slung on her shoulder. "Anything. Weapons, armor, food... things that don't exist in this world. They can craft them. Unknown food that gives buffs... for Survivors and Berserkers. And... the turtles... they transport the Merchants... all over the world, so they can trade."

Ryzen's eyes widened slightly. He had always wondered about the turtles, but he had never put much thought into their role. "It makes sense now, I really was confused about them."

Zhenxi blinked, not quite following the reference, but nodded anyway. "Yes. But... the turtles are... supposed to be immortal. But now... they're dying."

Ryzen's stomach gave another violent churn, but he managed to focus on the conversation. "Dying? How?"

Zhenxi frowned, her grip tightening on the lollipop stick. "Something... is killing them. A large horde... of turtles has been... slaughtered. And... I think... I know who."

Ryzen leaned forward, despite himself. "Who?"

Zhenxi's voice dropped to a near whisper, her awkwardness making her words even more unsettling. "Turtle Man. That's what they call him. Those who have seen him."

Ryzen's heart skipped a beat, and a cold shiver ran down his spine. The name was absurd on the surface, but something about the way she said it made his skin crawl. He didn't know who Turtle Man was, but the name alone sent goosebumps crawling up his arms. "Turtle Man?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

Zhenxi nodded, her expression serious. "Yes. Turtle Man... has been killing the turtles. And... I think he's... a Zombie Monarch."

Ryzen's stomach twisted again, but this time not from the bad food. The mention of Zombie Monarchs had always made him uneasy. Monarchs were powerful, almost mystical beings tied to the apocalypse, and many believed that killing them could unlock the gates of Hell itself.

Zhenxi continued, her voice soft yet intense. "My father... is a Berserker. Berserkers are... hunting Monarchs. All over the world. They think... Turtle Man might be... tied to the gates of Hell."

Ryzen grimaced. He had never liked Berserkers. They were brutal, monstrous warriors blessed by the Paladins, given Maidens—female offspring of the Paladin gods—to enhance their strength. They were unpredictable, violent, and in Ryzen's opinion, disgusting.

Of course he thought those things, as he was never chosen to be a Berserker. He thought they're mere existence mocked him.

He frowned, trying to mask his discomfort. "So you're saying... Turtle Man might be the key to opening the gates of Hell?"

Zhenxi nodded, her voice barely audible now. "Yes. And... they found his nest. It's... a large turtle shell... with branches and roses... growing out of it. In the middle... of Tokyo."

Ryzen's stomach gave another violent gurgle.

'Shit! I gotta go! But this it's important!'

Zhenxi tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "I need your help. Berserkers... need help breaking in... and killing Turtle Man."

Ryzen hesitated, his mind racing. He didn't like Berserkers. He didn't like the idea of helping them. But then Zhenxi, still chewing on her lollipop, spoke two words that made his decision for him.

"Why do you need my help? Do you even know what I'm capable of?"

"I stalked you. From the school. I watched everything."

"So you're a stalker…" Ryzen whispered. "And I don't know about helping those nasty Berserkers—."

"2,000 clips."

Ryzen's heart skipped a beat. 2,000 clips? That was more money than he'd ever seen in one place. His fingers twitched at the thought.

Without hesitation, he stuck out his hand, shaking hers vigorously. "Deal!" he said, his voice a little too eager.

Zhenxi blinked, slightly taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm, but nodded all the same. "Good... I need all the help I can get."

Just as they finished shaking hands, the door banged open, and Espen and Gunjo strolled back inside, looking significantly more relaxed than when they had left. Espen stretched her arms above her head, letting out a contented groan. "That was so much better. A few zombies tried to mess with us, but we took care of them."

Gunjo flapped his wings, his beak twitching. "Yeah, one tried to bite my tail feathers. Didn't end well for him. Bastard."

Espen's eyes landed on Zhenxi, and she immediately moved closer, her gaze narrowing slightly. "So... who's this?" she asked, her tone a little too casual as she stood between Ryzen and Zhenxi, her body language hinting at a touch of jealousy.

Ryzen covered his face.

Zhenxi, completely oblivious to the tension, blinked at Espen and gave her a small nod. "I'm... Zhenxi. I'm hiring... Ryzen."

Espen's eyes narrowed further. "Oh? Hiring him for what?" She leaned in a little closer, her eyes flicking between Ryzen and Zhenxi. "Do you... like him or something?"

Zhenxi blinked, her face flushing slightly as she fidgeted with her lollipop again. "I... no. I just met him.. I just... I need help. Contract."

Espen smirked, her tone playful but with an edge. "Sure, sure. Just making sure." Putting Zhenxi on the head.

Espen turned to Ryzen, whispering to him, "Cheat on me, you're dead."

Ryzen replied, "Fool!"

Ryzen, still holding his stomach and wanting to escape the room, suddenly bolted for the door. "Finally!" he shouted as he dashed outside, desperate to find relief.

Ryzen burst through the door, his stomach still rumbling, but what he saw outside stopped him dead in his tracks. Above him, the sky was filled with hundreds of massive turtles, their enormous shells glinting in the fading sunlight as they slowly drifted through the sky.

The sight was surreal—these giant, ancient creatures flying effortlessly through the air, their massive legs paddling as if swimming through the clouds. Merchants clung to their backs, their figures barely visible beneath the cluster of goods they carried.

Ryzen stared up in awe, his impending bathroom crisis momentarily forgotten as the turtles flew away, heading toward some distant, unknown destination.

'It's so peaceful. The first sign of peace I've seen in this forsaken zombie filled world.'

Ryzen stood outside, bathed in the soft light of the apocalypse. For a moment, the world was still, almost peaceful, as the giant turtles drifted across the sky like moving islands. Their massive shells cast long shadows over the ruins of the city, and the sky was streaked with hues of orange and pink. Ryzen's eyes followed the turtles, noticing something off—the Merchants, usually perched on the backs of the turtles, were missing. There was no trade today. No bustling energy of deals being made.

The wind whispered through the broken streets, and Ryzen felt a strange chill creep up his spine. The eerie calm unsettled him. Almost instinctively, his hand went to the hilt of his blade.

He inhaled..

Then exhaled..

Something wasn't right.

Something didn't sit right.

The peace didn't last long.

Suddenly, with a sound like thunder cracking through the sky, a massive flash slashed through the air. It was so fast, so sudden, that Ryzen barely had time to register what had happened before the first turtle screeched—a horrible, guttural sound of agony—as its body was brutally torn apart mid-flight. In mere seconds, its shell split open like a crumbling mountain, and its enormous body plummeted to the ground below, crashing into ruins with a deafening boom.

Ryzen's heart leapt into his throat. "What the hell...?!"

More flashes. More slashes. The sky filled with the tortured cries of the turtles as something—someone—was moving too fast to be seen, cutting them down with ruthless precision. The turtles' bodies were shredded, their limbs severed, and their blood rained down from the heavens like a crimson storm.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Ryzen saw him.

The figure moved with blinding speed, flickering in and out of existence like a broken image. One second, he was on the ground, the next he was in the air, and then—bam—he appeared right in front of one of the turtles, his hand slicing through its flesh like a hot knife through butter.

Turtle Man.

He was a grotesque, humanoid thing—his skin a sickly dark green and brown, mottled and decayed like the bark of a rotting tree. His back was hunched, and an enormous turtle shell covered most of his upper body, jagged and cracked in places. His eyes were pitch black, devoid of any light, any humanity. His limbs were long and muscular, his hands tipped with claws that glistened with the fresh blood of his victims. His movements were jerky, unnatural, like something that shouldn't belong in this world.

Ryzen's heart pounded in his chest, frozen in horror as Turtle Man turned his head, locking eyes with him for a fraction of a second before vanishing into another blur of motion. The air around Turtle Man seemed to warp with his speed, and the sound of the sky being torn apart followed him. Blood sprayed in all directions as more turtles were massacred.

A scream tore from the air as another turtle fell from the sky, its body caving in as Turtle Man's claws ripped through its underbelly. The creature's massive form collapsed into the ground, sending a shockwave of dust and debris through the streets.

Ryzen exclaimed, "Espen!"

Behind Ryzen, the door burst open, and Espen, Zhenxi, and Gunjo came running out, their faces twisted in panic and confusion.

"What the hell is going on?!" Espen shouted, her eyes scanning the sky, already locking onto the source of the destruction.

Gunjo's eyes widened. "No way…"

Espen added, "Ooooooo that's not good!"

A series of massive booms echoed through the city as Turtle Man continued his assault, tearing through the defenseless turtles one by one. Each of his strikes was a blur, and with every impact, the sky filled with the screams of the dying creatures. Blood rained down, turning the streets into rivers of crimson.

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As the blood hit the ground, something even more grotesque began to happen. From the pools of turtle blood, plants began to grow—twisting, thorny rose vines that coiled and writhed like living snakes. And from those vines, humanoid figures began to emerge. These creatures were grotesque mockeries of the turtles—humanoid in shape but with shell-like growths protruding from their backs, their faces twisted into expressions of rage and agony. Their bodies were a sick fusion of plant and flesh, rose petals blooming from their wounds.

The turtle humanoids screeched as they rose from the ground, immediately charging toward the lingering zombies that lurked in the shadows of the city. They attacked with wild brutality, slashing and tearing apart the undead with their thorned limbs, their movements fast and erratic.

Espen's face darkened with worry as she glanced at Gunjo. "Weeeee need to do something! Don't you guys need those turtles?!"

Gunjo, his feathers ruffling in agitation, nodded. "Damn right we do!"

Zhenxi said, "We'll…have less resistance..zombies are being taken care of." Zhenxi's eyes were wide with determination as she slung her sniper rifle over her shoulder. "We need to head to where the turtles are falling," she said, her voice tense but controlled. "Turtle Man... he'll be there. He collects…the shells..to add to his nest."

Without another word, the group began to move, darting through the chaos of the city streets. The air was thick with the stench of death and blood as they ran, the ground shaking beneath their feet from the impact of falling turtle corpses.

As they ran, Espen turned to Ryzen, her eyes glowing with intensity. "It's timeee! Ready, darling?!"

"Let's fucking do it.." Ryzen said with determination.

Espen's body began to change. Her form twisted and morphed, her skin turning a deep crimson as shadows wrapped around her like living tendrils. In an instant, she transformed into a massive scythe—black and red, the blade dripping with a bleeding edge and surrounded by a dark aura that seemed to rot anything it touched. The scythe pulsed with a dark energy, and as Ryzen grabbed hold of it, a black halo formed above his head, his eye having a red horn grow out of it,His skin, once healthy, began to rot in patches, giving him a decayed, almost undead appearance.

Ryzen gripped Espen's scythe form tightly, his heart racing as the power surged through him.

They ran through the streets, slashing through hordes of zombies that blocked their path. Ryzen moved with deadly precision, his scythe cutting through the undead like butter. Each swing of the blade sent out waves of black and red energy, rotting and bleeding anything it touched. Zombies exploded in clouds of flesh and blood as they came too close, their bodies disintegrating under the power of the scythe.

Above them, Gunjo took to the sky, his massive rooster wings flapping with incredible speed as he lifted Zhenxi into the air. White-hot flames burned at the tips of his wings, trailing behind him like a comet as he flew through the chaos.

Zhenxi said, "Thanks. This is better. You guys…are faster than me."

Gunjo replied, "Just kill what you see! I have an egg I need to head back to. How good of a shot are you?!"

"I never seen…a talking rooster.."

"How good of a shot are you?!"

"Great."

Zhenxi, perched on Gunjo's back, raised her sniper rifle, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto Turtle Man's flickering form. She was calm, her breathing steady as she aimed, her finger gently squeezing the trigger.

CRACK! The bullet shot through the air, whistling as it hurtled toward Turtle Man. But just as it was about to hit, Turtle Man blurred out of existence, moving faster than the eye could see. The bullet missed by a hair's breadth.

'Damn..' Zhenxi thought.

Zhenxi cursed under her breath, but she didn't stop. She flipped her body in midair, her agility stunning as she reloaded the rifle in a single fluid motion. Gunjo banked hard to the right, dodging a falling chunk of turtle shell, and brought her around for another shot.

Zhenxi fired again. Another miss.

The chaos below intensified. Down below, the Turtle humanoids leapt into the air, trying to reach Turtle Man, but every time they got close, Turtle Man moved with such unbelievable speed that they exploded on contact, their bodies torn apart before they could even touch him.

Gunjo flapped his wings harder, pushing them higher into the sky as Zhenxi fired shot after shot, each bullet getting closer and closer to its mark. But Turtle Man was untouchable—his movements were too fast, too precise.

Then, in a flash, Turtle Man suddenly appeared right in front of them, his black eyes locking onto Zhenxi. He reached out with one clawed hand, catching the bullet she had just fired between his fingers.

Zhenxi's eyes widened in shock.

With a flick of his wrist, Turtle Man sent the bullet flying back at them—only now it was moving with the force of an artillery shell.

"Get down!" Gunjo roared, diving toward the ground as the bullet soared past them, slamming into a nearby building with the force of a bomb. The structure exploded in a massive fireball, the ground splitting apart as the shockwave tore through the city. Nearby survivors, hidden in makeshift camps, were caught in the blast, their bodies disintegrating in the carnage.

Turtle Man continued his rampage, cutting through the turtles in the sky with ruthless efficiency. His claws sliced through their flesh, sending blood spraying in all directions. The turtles screamed as their bodies were torn apart, chunks of their shells and limbs raining down onto the city below.

Each kill was more brutal than the last. Turtle Man would appear in a flash, his claws ripping through the turtles' throats or bellies, and then disappear just as quickly, leaving nothing but blood and death in his wake. The sky was filled with the sound of their agonized cries, and the ground shook with every impact as their bodies hit the earth.

Ryzen, Zhenxi, and Gunjo fought their way through the chaos, slashing and shooting their way through hordes of zombies that blocked their path. Ryzen's scythe cut through the undead with terrifying ease, each swing sending out waves of dark energy that rotted and bled everything in its path. Gunjo's white flames burned through the zombies like wildfire, incinerating them in seconds as he darted through the air, carrying Zhenxi with him.

Ryzen thought, 'How did it all come to this?! Just this morning, I was just a regular survivor..and now here I am fighting alongside a cute but crazy scythe, a rooster, and a turtle man..?!'

Ryzen finally broke through the chaos and reached the place where most of the dead turtles had fallen. The ground was littered with their massive, dismembered bodies, and from their wounds, rose vines and branches grew, twisting and coiling around their corpses like parasites.

Blood soaked the earth, and the air was thick with the stench of death.

'It's horrible…I used to crave coming up there with them to buy things..and to see them like this.'

Espen said from the scythe, "Ryzen…"

And there, sitting on top of the largest turtle, was Turtle Man.

He said nothing. He simply sat there, his black eyes staring down at Ryzen with an unreadable expression. His claws dripped with blood, and his turtle shell was cracked and stained from the carnage.

Ryzen's heart raced in his chest. He could feel the fear creeping up his spine, cold and paralyzing. His grip tightened on Espen's scythe, but his body refused to move.

'I can't move…is it fear?! Anxiety?! All of it?! I wanna run, I hate this. I hate all of this! I wish I never met anyone here, none of this would be happening…what if I just took my own life when I had the chance? No…why am I thinking like this? Am I that scared? To where I rebuke everything? Even after meeting Espen and Gunjo…I didn't feel so alone. I genuinely felt important, like I was meant for shit. I'm sorry, Espen. I'm glad I met you, and maybe even that annoying rooster. But fuck..My heart is raging with fear, I can't stop thinking that turtle is gonna—.'

Then, without warning, Turtle Man vanished in a blur. Ryzen barely had time to react before his body exploded in a shower of blood and gore, his limbs torn apart in an instant. The pain was unbearable, blinding, as his consciousness flickered on the edge of darkness.

Turtle Man appeared behind him, holding pieces of shattered turtle shells in his hands, blood dripping from his claws.

And just as Ryzen's world began to fade, he saw them—the Berserkers.

A group of them emerged from the shadows, their bodies glowing with divine light. Each of them was accompanied by a beautiful Paladin Maiden, their ethereal forms casting a holy glow over the battlefield. Their eyes locked onto Turtle Man, ready for the fight to come.

"There he is!"

"He's the one causing this! We got him…"

"You heard what Zhenxi before, just follow where most of the turtles would land, like last time when we chased this bastard!"

Ryzen's body lay scattered across the ground—mangled, dismembered, and drenched in his own blood. His consciousness lingered in the void, caught between life and death, and in that abyss, the fear set in. His life flashed before his eyes: memories of his childhood, his family, the apocalypse, and every decision that had led him to this moment.

But that flash was not the merciful end he had hoped for.

His body began to regenerate, grotesquely stitching itself back together, sinew by sinew, bone by bone. It was a twisted, nightmarish rebirth—his muscles spasming and stretching, his skin bubbling and reforming like molten wax. His limbs cracked back into place with sickening snaps, and his nerves flared to life, each one firing off in a symphony of pain. His skull reformed last, the pieces of his shattered face pulling themselves together as his eyes reappeared in their sockets, glowing with a deep, hellish red.

The process was agonizing, every second of it a torment that should have been impossible to endure. He felt everything—the agony of his body being rebuilt, the terror of his mind trapped in that liminal space between life and death.

When the final piece of his body snapped into place, Ryzen gasped, his lungs burning as they took in air for the first time again. He was alive—but he wished he wasn't.

He rolled onto his hands and knees, shaking uncontrollably, his breath ragged and desperate. Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed, his body still twitching in the aftermath of regeneration.

"I... I don't want to die again," Ryzen choked out, his voice trembling, barely above a whisper. His mind was fractured by the trauma, the memory of death still fresh in every fiber of his being. "I would've... rather stayed dead. I don't want to wake up and feel... this."

Ryzen's chest heaved as he tried to steady himself, but his fear was overwhelming. He had experienced death, a brutal, violent death, and now, to be alive again felt like a curse—a torment from which there was no escape. His vision blurred with tears as he clutched the ground, his fingers digging into the dirt, desperately trying to ground himself in the reality of his second chance at life.

But the fear remained. It clawed at him, gnawing at his sanity, and the thought of facing death again made him want to scream.

Espen, from the scythe, said, "Ryzen..it's all making sense."

"What is?!" Ryzen cried.

"He's not a Monarch. He's a zombie but an abomination, a zombie who was married by a Monarch. You were gonna end up like him if I hadn't saved you from that sanctuary when we first met. And for the rooster, he was able to fight against my fathers blood, this turtle guy did the same…"

Ryzen wiped his face, saying, "What else do you wanna tell me, huh?"

"..The True One, He could manipulate the threads of fate, twist them to his will, make life start, stop, or change entirely. But only in hell. That's why he needed my mother, why he chose her. She was a witch, yes, but not just any witch. The kind of magic she wielded was old, ancient, tied to the cycles of nature and life itself. Her blood, her lineage, it was special. And the True One knew it."

Espen continued, "He couldn't just walk into this world like any other demon. He wasn't bound by the same rules, but even he had to follow the laws of life and birth. To manifest fully, to hold physical form, he needed more than just a vessel or sacrifice. He needed to be born, to come into this world through the natural order—but with his essence intact. That's where my mother came in. It wasn't just about forcing her to carry him. It was about using her very life force, her own egg, to shape a body that could contain his power. Her womb became the crucible where life and death collided. The True One poured his essence into her whenever she accepted his dark magic, she sought power due to the corruption of the kings and queens many years ago, and my father heard her cries, warping her pregnancy into something unnatural, something twisted. He manipulated the growth, accelerated it, because for him, time and biology were just tools to be shaped. He wasn't creating a child in the way we think of it. He was shaping a vessel from the inside out, using my mother's body like a forge. She wasn't just a pawn in his scheme—she was a necessary part of the process, her magic, her bloodline, her very being. My birth was supposed to be his rebirth. That was his plan. When I was born, he would have materialized in this world fully, using my body, my soul as the tether he needed. But the Paladins... they struck before he could fully take root. They severed the bond before it fully solidified, banishing him back to hell. But that wasn't the end of it. His essence still lingers. It's still tied to me, to my blood, because I was created from that act, from that twisted union of life and death. That's why I'm still connected to him. That's why I can feel him, even now, pulling at the edges of my soul."

"He was here…before?"

"Yes, and in my body he was. But sent back to hell. And in hell..he split himself away from me, and so here I am now. I'm sorry, Ryzen. I should've told you this all before.."

The ground trembled as dozens upon dozens of Berserkers surrounded Turtle Man, their hulking forms casting long shadows across the battlefield. The Berserks —warriors blessed by the Paladins, each one a force of destruction wrapped in divine light. Their armor gleamed with holy brilliance, crafted from an ethereal material that shimmered like liquid sunlight. Some wore armor forged from pure light, their bodies encased in it as if they were walking suns, while others had intricate, glowing tattoos that pulsed with the rhythm of their heartbeats. Their weapons were divine—massive swords, spears, and axes that radiated a holy aura, each one imbued with the energy of the Paladins themselves.

Around them, their Maidens floated like angels, ethereal beings of pure light and beauty. Their hair flowed like rivers of gold and silver, their wings glowing with a soft, celestial brilliance. They whispered words of encouragement to their Berserkers, their voices like music, soothing and powerful. The Maidens were the sacred offspring of the Paladins, divine beings who granted their chosen warriors immense strength and power.

The Berserkers exchanged glances with one another, their expressions a mix of awe and unease as they looked upon Turtle Man, still seated atop the dead turtles, as if he were a king on a throne of corpses.

"I heard rumors and all about this monster," one Berserker muttered, his voice deep and gravelly. His weapon was a massive warhammer, its head glowing with holy fire. "But to see it... to see him..."

"He's been slaughtering the turtles," another Berserker replied, his voice tense, his hand gripping a glowing spear that crackled with divine energy. "It's worse than we thought."

One of the Maidens floated closer, her glowing wings casting a soft light over the battlefield. Her eyes were filled with sadness as she looked at the carnage. "We cannot let him continue. He escaped before, but now we have him."

As the Berserkers prepared to charge, a sudden groan echoed through the air, stopping them in their tracks.

"Do not..go any closer."

Ryzen rose from the ground like a zombie rising from the grave. His body was hunched, his movements slow and unnatural. His skin, still regenerating, was pale and sickly, patches of it rotting away even as they healed. Two jagged red horns had erupted from his eye sockets now, curling upward like the twisted branches of a dead tree. His eyes, glowing a deep crimson, were filled with a mix of terror and rage. Above his head, the black halo flickered like a dying flame, casting a dark shadow over him.

The Berserkers turned to look at him, some of them narrowing their eyes in confusion.

"Another one?!"

"He has to die too!"

"Wait! I recognize him..is that... Ryzen?" one of them asked, his voice uncertain.

"I've seen him before," another muttered. "He's the one from that odd jobs business. Always kept his head down, avoided anything to do with us."

"He hated us," a third Berserker added, his tone skeptical. "Said we were monsters. Powerless runt, couldn't hold a candle to us."

"Now look at him," the first Berserker said, his voice laced with disgust. "He looks like one of those abominations from Hell. Like a zombie. Like... the Devil himself. He has to die."

Some of the Berserkers took a step back, unsure whether Ryzen was friend or foe. "Should we even listen to him?" one asked, his voice low. "He looks like he's about to turn on us."

Ryzen said nothing, his body slouched as he slowly walked toward Turtle Man. The closer he got, the more his body began to burn. Flames erupted across his skin, searing his flesh, but he didn't stop. His body regenerated as fast as it burned, the flesh knitting itself back together in a grotesque cycle of pain and rebirth. He was burning alive with every step, his skin blackening and peeling away, only to reform in a violent burst of regeneration.

Yet he kept moving forward, his eyes locked on Turtle Man, who watched him with a cold, calculating gaze.

The Berserkers looked on in disbelief as Ryzen continued his march toward the monster, his body catching fire, burning, and regenerating over and over. "Is he... insane?" one of them asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

But Turtle Man's reaction was different.

Turtle Man rose slowly from his throne of dead turtles, his black eyes fixed on Ryzen. His movements were slow, deliberate, as if he was savoring the moment. When Ryzen was close enough, Turtle Man reached out with one clawed hand and grabbed Ryzen by the face, his grip like iron.

"You are perfect," Turtle Man whispered, his voice low and reverberating with dark energy. His black eyes bore into Ryzen's soul, as if he could see something no one else could.

There was a long, tense silence, the air thick with dread as the two stood locked in that moment. Turtle Man's grip tightened, his claws digging into Ryzen's skull, but Ryzen didn't flinch. He couldn't.

"You are the only one," Turtle Man continued, his voice soft but filled with malice. "The only one who can open the gates of Hell with that power."

Ryzen's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel Turtle Man's cold breath on his skin, the weight of his presence pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket. The fear was overwhelming—a primal terror that made his entire body tremble.

Then, in a flash, Ryzen was gone.

In a blur of motion, Ryzen appeared behind Turtle Man, his scythe raised high. The blade glowed with a dark, malevolent energy, and with a single, brutal swing, Ryzen slashed through Turtle Man's body. Blood sprayed into the air as Turtle Man's torso was severed, his limbs scattered in all directions, his head rolling across the ground.

The Berserkers stared in astonishment as Turtle Man's body fell apart, the grotesque pieces of his form hitting the ground with sickening thuds.

"He landed a hit on him?!"

Even Zhenxi, watching from afar, was stunned alongside Gunjo.

But Turtle Man didn't react. There was no scream of pain, no cry of anguish. His dismembered body simply began to regenerate, the pieces pulling themselves back together with a sickening slurp. His torso reformed, his limbs reattached, and his head rolled back into place.

Turtle Man stood, whole once again, as if nothing had happened.

"Do not pursue me," Turtle Man said, his voice calm, emotionless. His black eyes scanned the battlefield, taking in the Berserkers, the Maidens, and Ryzen, who stood drenched in blood, his body still burning from the proximity to Turtle Man's power.

And then, in another flash, Turtle Man was gone.

The battlefield was silent. The Berserkers stood in stunned disbelief, their weapons still raised, unsure of what had just happened. Ryzen remained where he was, his body slouched, his skin still burning and regenerating in a grotesque cycle of destruction and rebirth.

The Maidens hovered behind their Berserkers, their ethereal forms glowing softly, their eyes full of concern and confusion.

One of the Berserkers finally spoke, his voice low and filled with uncertainty. "What... just happened?"

But no one had an answer.

Ryzen's hands trembled, the weight of what had just occurred sinking in. He had been face-to-face with the monster. He had struck him down—and it hadn't mattered. He had felt death. He had felt the cold grip of Turtle Man's claws on his soul.

And now, even with his body healed, the terror remained.