Blood drips down the side of John's face, stinging each time the butcher knife cuts him.Hilda also has a wound on her shoulder. She quickly retreats, the puppet still feeling pain, but she gains the advantage."Get him first! I'm still okay!" John shouts to ease Hilda's worries. The fight will end instantly if the mystic is dead, and the old man knows that too.Hilda splashes her blood onto the two puppets she's fighting, slicing her own arm. The puppet recoils in pain, giving Hilda the opening she needs.
But in that instant, the mystic comes up with a brilliant idea. The puppet fighting Hilda begins to slow down. Even just a little, Hilda notices immediately, and John does too, as he starts to lose ground. Cuts and bruises appear more frequently than before.
The old man is trying to eliminate John, making it four against one, all focused on the maid. Hilda realizes this and turns to face her master."Kill him!"John is decisive—it's not fatal for him to take these hits if he's careful enough. This body has been trained to withstand mystic power. He can endure these wounds.
Hilda receives her order and ignores the puppet fighting her. With their reaction time lowered, they can't keep up with her advance. Her knife gleams as she strikes at the old man's neck.
But it's not the old man. He switches control back to the puppet fighting Hilda. They react quickly and block the lethal blow. Hilda can't help but be frustrated, but at least she can take down one of them.
"I'm not that easy, you bitch!" the old man laughs. "You should've taken my offer! Playtime's over now!"
Just then, the old man finishes something. He claps his hands, and a wave of air pressure passes by. All the people under his control shake uncontrollably. The old man smiles, reveling in his victory.
John, unsure of what's happening, takes the opportunity to take one of them down with his pitchfork. He avoids a lethal strike, instead stabbing the man in the stomach, pushing him into the wall and pinning his body.
John turns back, hoping for another opportunity to take more down, but it seems that window has passed. Even in the dark, he can see the wooden-pole guy's body has turned crimson. Their eyes bulge, threatening to fall out at any moment."AHGHAGHAGHGH!"The scream of pain jolts him from his daze. The body suddenly flies at an inhuman speed. John yelps and dodges to the side.
Boom!The building wall crumbles, sending a loud boom echoing through the city. This move has now put the fight on a timer. The city's enforcers or priests could arrive at any minute. But the old man doesn't seem to need more time.
John is horrified. The wall has broken, as has the guy he pinned down. Blood splatters everywhere, like fireworks. He can't even make out who the man was, now that he's reduced to a bloody mess. The most terrifying part is that he still has to deal with... that.
Boom!On the other side, Hilda takes the full brunt of the buffed-up man's strike. She was about to take advantage of his transformation, but the old man's minion seems to react faster. The knife absorbs most of the blow, bending backward, but the force still sends Hilda crashing into another building. She lets out a quiet groan and pushes herself up. Her knife is discarded and replaced with a new one.
Oddly, when she crashes through the building, there's no reaction from the inside. Hilda doesn't have time to think it over before the guy breaks through the rubble. His shirt is torn apart, revealing bulging muscles that look ready to burst. Veins pulse, pumping blood into his already massive frame.
Their faces contort into an unbearable state. It barely looks human anymore."AHGAGHAGH!"Another scream pierces the air as the man charges at her. Hilda is worried about her master, but she knows she has to save herself first. She dodges to the side, letting the massive body rush past her. It crashes through another building.
After fighting it for even just a second, she notices a glaring flaw. These creatures lack fine control over their bodies. They have so much muscle and mass that the old man must be struggling to control them.
Still, they're a threat. With their raw power, Hilda can't afford to underestimate them.
She flips over a nearby wooden table, using it for cover as she takes a moment to think. A quick look around sparks an idea. These monsters can only charge in a straight line. The best strategy is to move away from them and dodge to the side.
The guy emerges from another room, looking around. The old man still has control over these monsters. The creature searches but doesn't find the maid. However, seeing through the monster's vision is becoming increasingly difficult as everything is drenched in red.
At that moment, a knife flies straight toward the red monster's head. The creature bends backward slightly, moving its head just enough to spot Hilda. It charges at her.
Hilda quickly sidesteps, letting the monster pass by her. But she's not out of danger yet.
Boom!Another crash erupts from the side. Hilda looks over and sees another monster charging at her. In the heat of the moment, she completely forgot there were two left. It's too late to dodge this one.
She crosses both knives to block the monster's shoulder charge. But it's futile. She can't fully absorb the blow. Instead, she redirects the charge, trying to lessen the impact.
Her knives bend out of shape once more. She swaps them for fresh ones. These, however, are her last. She has to make this count.